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By Vicky Wells, on November 1st, 2010
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
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Nov 01 ~ Day #175
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Budget to date
|
Spent today
|
Total to date
|
Daily average
|
|
Total
|
$17500
|
$102.34
|
$15647.88
|
$89.42
|
|
Miles by Road
|
Miles by Sea
|
Miles by Air
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Miles by Train
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Total Miles
|
|
15551
|
8185.5
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7662
|
168
|
31566.5
|
Current Location: On Board Celebrity Century En Route to Miami
Today’s Total Expenses: $102.34 (cruise cost includes transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment)
Miles Traveled Today:
We will record the miles for the Atlantic Crossing on November 8th when we arrive in Miami
First Day of Atlantic Crossing
Yesterday we visited our last port of call in Europe and we will now be at sea until we get to Miami on November 8th.
The ship has lots of activities, so I’m sure we won’t get bored. I expect it will just be a pleasant, relaxing week at sea.
A Little Too Relaxed?
As we’ve mentioned earlier, we are traveling with just one laptop. So, when one of us is using it, the other one has to find something else to do.
While Geoff was using the computer, I settled in to read my book and promptly fell asleep. That wouldn’t be so bad, I guess, but for the fact that we were in the Hemisphere Lounge on Deck 12 Forward. It’s really a lovely lounge with wrap-around windows so you can see the whole bow of the ship and, of course, a great view of the ocean.
So, here I was sound asleep, with my feet up on another chair. I think I slept for almost two hours. I sure hope I didn’t snore!
More Great Entertainment
The cast on this ship, both singers and dancers, are very good. The production numbers are well put together and very professional.
Tonight’s entertainment was called “Liverpool Knights” and treated us to a lot of songs we remember from the 60s as well as some incredibly “tight” dance numbers.
We thoroughly enjoyed it.
By Vicky Wells, on October 30th, 2010
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
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Oct 30 ~ Day #173
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Budget to date
|
Spent today
|
Total to date
|
Daily average
|
|
Total
|
$17300
|
$102.34
|
$15443.20
|
$89.27
|
|
Miles by Road
|
Miles by Sea
|
Miles by Air
|
Miles by Train
|
Total Miles
|
|
15551
|
7702.2+324.5=8026.7
|
7662
|
168
|
31407.7
|
Current Location: On Board the Celebrity Century visiting Tenerife, Canary Islands
Today’s Total Expenses: $102.34
Cruise: $102.34 (cruise cost includes transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment)
Miles Traveled Today:
Sea Miles: 324.5 (282 Nautical Miles – Madeira to Tenerife)
Tenerife
Geoff and I have been to Tenerife before but that was a very, very long time ago. I think it may have been around 1989 or 1990. And, we were at a different part of the island than we are now.
So, it will be like discovering it for the first time and that’s true for this part of the island, anyway.
Getting A Replacement Camera
While exploring we stumbled across and electronics store and checked out the items they had in their windows.
We noticed a Sony digital video camera that seemed like a good price so we stopped in to check it out.
Actually, Geoff checked it out. They also had watches and jewelry in the store, so I browsed those things while a salesman demonstrated the camera for Geoff.
No, I didn’t buy anything, I just browsed.
After the salesman had finished showing Geoff the camera, we discussed it and then plunked down some plastic and bought it. We were just so tired of not having a camera with us.
As this was our second-to-last stop before heading back to Miami, it may seem like an odd time to actually break down and get another camera, but we did it anyway.
Next thing was to get it charged so that we could start recording video.
So Many Shoes, So Little Time
While exploring the town further, we also found a shoe store that was simply unbelievable. Really.
There were stacks and stacks and stacks of shoes and most of the prices were €1.00, €3.00 and €6.00! There were very few shoes priced higher than that.
Geoff actually said, “With prices like that, get as many as you want.”
I was in shoe heaven!
I didn’t know where to start, but I was certainly trying to pick out several types of shoes that I would like to try on.
I had only made a few selections, and hadn’t even tried any on yet, when one of the sales clerks indicated that we had to leave – the store was closing. What? I only just got here.
We had arrived just a little after 1:00pm and apparently the store closed at 1:30pm.
Okay. Closing for lunch is pretty normal in Europe. I asked what time they would re-open. After all, we were in port for a while, so we could come back.
Well, as it was Saturday, 1:30pm was their closing time for the day. They wouldn’t be re-opening until Monday! By Monday we’d be in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
I was devastated. I hadn’t even tried anything on yet. But, they didn’t care, they just wanted us out of the store so they could close.
So, I left this amazing shoe store, where I was told I could buy what ever I wanted, without making a single purchase! Waaahh!!
Doing the Tourist Thing
As the Canary Islands were our last stop where we would need Euros, and we still a few left, we did the touristy thing and actually bought some t-shirts with Tenerife on them.
They were actually a pretty good deal and we liked the quality of the t-shirts, too. They weren’t those awful thin shirts but a good weight and very soft.
We bought three of them at €3.75 ($4.94) each. Two for Geoff and one for me and that all but used up our last Euros.
Even though there is VAT (valued added tax) in Europe, I like the fact that it is already included in the price of things. So, the price you see if the price you pay. The tax doesn’t get added on on top of the price like it does in Canada and the U.S.
That made it easy to figure out if we had enough money to buy the t-shirts and how many we could afford. As we only had about €12.00 left, we were able to buy three t-shirts.
Again, we have not added this into the daily expenses as this is a discretionary expense and not really a cost of traveling. Other people may not find the need to make such a purchase.
Entertainment
Tonight’s entertainment featured two performers – Sideshow Bert, who we’d seen earlier in the cruise – and Mario D’Andrea.
Mario D’Andrea is billed as a mixed up Italian from Australia. He has a great voice and does wonderful impersonations of such celebrities as Dean Martin, Tom Jones and Englebert Humperdink.
Let’s Do The Time Warp Again
Tonight we turned back the clocks another hour. It’s something that will be happening a lot on this cruise.
We also find it much easier to deal with the time change this way. When you fly you have to deal with the time changes immediately.
I guess that’s why there’s “jet lag” but I’ve never heard of “cruise lag”.
By Vicky Wells, on October 28th, 2010
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
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Oct 28 ~ Day #171
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Budget to date
|
Spent today
|
Total to date
|
Daily average
|
|
Total
|
$17100
|
$102.34
|
$15206.88
|
$88.93
|
|
Miles by Road
|
Miles by Sea
|
Miles by Air
|
Miles by Train
|
Total Miles
|
|
15551
|
6923.2
|
7662
|
168
|
30304.2
|
Current Location: At Sea On Board the Celebrity Century En Route to Madeira, Portugal
Today’s Total Expenses: $102.34 (cruise cost includes transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment)
Miles Traveled Today:
At sea all day, will record mileage at next port – Madeira, Portugla.
Lazy Days on Board
The days at sea seem relaxing and unrushed, yet seem to go by very quickly nonetheless.
Today consisted mostly of relaxing, reading and wandering the ship.
Entertainment
We had, once again, chosen the late seating for dinner, so we were going to the early entertainment at about 7:00pm.
Tonight was an act from Las Vegas – Sideshow Bert.
While it was fun to watch, we didn’t think it was what could be considered “A List” entertainment. I suppose it must be difficult to get entertainers on a transAtlantic cruise. After all, once we leave the Canary Islands, it’s sea days all the way to Miami.
Repositioning Cruises
You may think that we’ve got the daily expenses wrong on these posts. After all, $102.34 seems like an awfully cheap price for a transAtlantic cruise.
That’s a two-week, all-inclusive vacation. And we do mean all-inclusive – food, accommodation, entertainment AND transportation all rolled into one.
One reason for the price is that this is a “repositioning” cruise. What that means is that the ship had been doing Mediterranean cruises for the summer season and was now being moved to the Caribbean for the winter season.
Although some people actually flew over from North America just to take this cruise, we found that it was the most cost-effective way for us to get back home from our European adventure.
We checked the airfare from Barcelona to Miami and it was over $1100.00 for the two of us. This cruise, which offered us a two-week, all-inclusive vacation, like we said above, and also got us home, only cost us $1432.76 – total – for the two of us!
It was a simple decision. With only a $300 difference, who wouldn’t go for the cruise?
By Vicky Wells, on October 21st, 2010
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
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Oct 21 ~ Day #164
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Budget to date
|
Spent today
|
Total to date
|
Daily average
|
|
Total
|
$16400
|
$44.59
|
$14370.26
|
$87.62
|
|
Miles by Road
|
Miles by Sea
|
Miles by Air
|
Miles by Train
|
Total Miles
|
|
15263
|
6378.9
|
7662
|
168
|
29471.9
|
urrent Location: Ogisaka Gardens, Dénia, Alicante, Spain
Today’s Total Expenses: $44.59
Transportation: $6.98 (€5.00 – bus)
Accommodation: $28.14
Food: $9.47 (€6.78)
Miles Traveled Today:
Zero
Costa La Calma
Today we decided to take the bus in the other direction along the coast.
This trip was much, much longer and the end of the line was at a small river emptying into the ocean. There was only a footbridge across this little river.
More Walking
We, again, did lots and lots of walking. Some of it along the beach, some along the sidewalks when we thought there might be interesting things to see in the small towns.
Some of the beaches are groomed, some are not and I’m really not sure what the criteria would be for the beaches that are, or are not, cleaned.
Checking Out Real Estate
We passed many, many real estate agents along our walk but most of them were closed.
We did stop by one that was open and the lady there was very, very helpful.
We explained that although we are looking to move to Europe, we haven’t actually decided where. And, on top of that, we will probably rent for at least a year before we buy anything.
This did not deter her enthusiasm at all and she was happy to give us all the info we wanted. She also suggested that she show us a rental property to give us some idea of what was available in the area.
She showed us a lovely 3-bedroom house on a decent piece of land that was only steps to the beach. It came furnished and with all the dishes and linens as well.
It was, however, a bit out of our budget at about $1200/month (€850/month) if you rented it for a year. If you rented it for just the winter months then it would be only $1050/month (€750/month) because the high season here is the summer. You see, the get about $10,000 (€7000) for just July and August. So, often it’s more profitable for them to let it just sit empty during the low season than lower the monthly rate for a year long, or six month long rental that includes those months.
But, all this did give us some idea of what we could expect to get for what we’re willing to pay.
What Is It About Me and Insects?
It seems that no matter where I go if there are any biting or stinging insects in the area they will find me!
And, today was no different.
While we were walking along the beach a felt something on my thigh and brushed it away. Wrong thing to do!
OUCH!
I saw the wasp that I had just brushed away on the ground at my feet. But, he somehow had plenty of time to sting me!
I immediately headed for the ocean and splashed the sting area with salt water. It didn’t seem too bad – at first. After the next few days it would get much worse, with the read area spreading across quite a large portion of my thigh and swelling as well. Not to mention it got quite itchy for a few days, too.
It seems I just can’t escape this kind of thing no matter where I go. Sigh.
It’s Melting … Melting
On the way back to the timeshare unit we stopped and picked up a few more groceries.
We were both in the mood for some type of dessert and we bought what we thought was simply a frozen cake.
You see, we didn’t have a freezer in the tiny little fridge in our apartment.
Any way, when we took the cake out of the fridge for dessert we found that it was, or rather HAD BEEN, an ice cream cake.
It was a little runny and a little messy, but we still enjoyed it for dessert.
By Vicky Wells, on October 20th, 2010
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
|
Oct 20 ~ Day #163
|
Budget to date
|
Spent today
|
Total to date
|
Daily average
|
|
Total
|
$16300
|
$40.99
|
$14325.67
|
$87.89
|
|
Miles by Road
|
Miles by Sea
|
Miles by Air
|
Miles by Train
|
Total Miles
|
|
15263
|
6378.9
|
7662
|
168
|
29471.9
|
Current Location: Ogisaka Gardens, Dénia, Alicante, Spain
Today’s Total Expenses: $40.99
Accommodation: $28.14
Food: $12.85 (€9.20 – groceries)
Miles Traveled Today:
Zero
Real Estate Agent in Spain
This trip is about more than just showing how easy it is to travel cheaply. It is also for us to try to determine where we might like to live in Europe.
We have decided that it’s time to consider moving to our “final” house. So, a lot of this trip has also been to get a “taste” of the countries we might want to look into in more detail.
As Geoff is also a British Citizen, that opens up the entire European Union to us.
So, along the way, we have also been looking at the cost of real estate, the cost of living, the culture, the “feel” of each country, etc.
Because our Spanish is very limited – okay, let’s be honest then – pretty much non-existent – we wanted to talk to a real estate agent that spoke English.
As luck would have it, on one of our walks earlier in the week, we passed by an office that seemed to fit the bill. The sign said “Estate Agent” and they also displayed a British flag, so we decided to head back to their office today.
We spoke with Shirley Barker of Abbey Properties who was very helpful.
Even though we explained that our timetable meant we would probably not be back for about a year and even then we may rent for a while before we considered buying, she was happy to show us what properties were available in our price range and explain the process of purchasing property in Spain.
We even left with some printouts of various properties in our price range knowing full well that these exact properties would not be available in a year’s time.
Shirley herself was British married to an Australian and they have lived in Spain for over 40 years. Thanks Shirley!
Planning for Tomorrow’s Adventure
Up until this point we had not been all that impressed with the “beaches” we had found around Dénia. However, after talking with Shirley at Abbey Properties, she assured us that there was over 20 miles of beach stretching from the Port of Dénia North (east?).
There is a bus that leaves from the port heading that way and we decided that that is what we would do tomorrow.
Downtime and Dinner
So, the balance of the day was just a lazy day and some downtime.
We made ourselves a lovely pork chop dinner this evening, that was quite a challenge given that we only have a two-burner stove, but it was delicious.
By Vicky Wells, on October 17th, 2010
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
|
Oct 17 ~ Day #160
|
Budget to date
|
Spent today
|
Total to date
|
Daily average
|
|
Total
|
$16000
|
$95.82
|
$14181.94
|
$88.64
|
|
Miles by Road
|
Miles by Sea
|
Miles by Air
|
Miles by Train
|
Total Miles
|
|
15263
|
6378.9
|
7662
|
148+20=168
|
29471.9
|
Current Location: Ogisaka Gardens, Dénia, Alicante, Spain
Today’s Total Expenses: $95.82
Transportation: $6.06 (€4.50 – train)
Accommodation: $28.14
Food: $61.62 (€45.75 – groceries)
Miles Traveled Today:
Train Miles: 20 (Altea to Dénia)
Waking Up in Altea
We woke up to a beautiful sunrise that we could see from our tiny deck overlooking the Mediterranean Ocean. Considering how inexpensive these unexpected accommodations were (see our expenses for yesterday, October 16th) this was an added surprise.
We simply can’t recommend the San Miguel Hotel strongly enough.
Yes, it was off-season, but their location is amazing!
And, for the cost of our accommodations we also got a light breakfast of coffee, freshly squeezed orange juice and toast with jam.
Walking the Beach in Altea
We simply had to walk the beach at Altea before checking out and heading on to our actual destination of Dénia (pronounced DEN-ya). They have certainly done everything right to make their waterfront appealing to visitors and locals alike.
Back to the Train Station
Thanks to the help we received last night, we found it easy to find our way back to the train station.
We had also been told that the train to Dénia comes about every two hours starting at about 7:15am. So, we planned to be there to catch the 11:15am train and hoped that the information we had been given was correct.
Yep, we were told the right thing and the train did arrive at about 11:15am and we were on our way.
We had hoped that the train would go mostly along the coast, but it cut inland on its way to our destination. Still the scenery was beautiful and the journey was pleasant. The whole trip took a little over an hour.
Finding our Hotel
Initially we had planned to arrive in Dénia by bus, so Geoff had printed out a walking map from the bus station to our hotel from Google.
However, here we were arriving by train with no idea where it was in relation to either the bus station or our hotel.
As luck would have it, after exiting the train station and thinking we best get a cab, we noticed the Tourist Information Centre directly across from the train station – and – even on a Sunday – it was open!
We immediately stopped in, showed them the name and address of our hotel and they said it was only about a 10 minute walk from where we were.
They got out a map, showed up which way to go, and off we went.
Now, I’m sure it was only a 10 minute walk if you didn’t have rather heavy backpacks and weren’t old and overweight. However, after a sign sent us a little out of our way, we did manage to find the hotel.
A Welcome and Free Drinks from the Hotel
We were warmly welcomed when we arrived at Ogisaka Gardens, but we were also told that their computer system was down and they weren’t able to check anyone in.
Not to worry, they said, and directed us to the patio, told us to order whatever drinks we wanted and for us to relax until the computer was back up and running.
And, that’s exactly what we did!
Time for Groceries
Our timeshare unit is a one bedroom and we thought it was suppose to have a full kitchen.
Well, apparently our idea of a full kitchen and this resort’s idea are two different things.
Our “full” kitchen has a 2-burner stove, a microwave and a very small fridge that doesn’t have a freezer. No oven, no dishwasher.
There is a washing machine in the unit, but no dryer.
European Standards vs North American Standards
This is a simple case of European Standards vs North American Standards.
Lots of things here are smaller than we would expect – appliances for one thing and even the sizes of houses, hotel rooms and such.
You need to just go with the flow in such cases because if you complain that they’re not up to North American standards, quite likely they are not even sure what you mean – particularly coupled with any language difficulties.
But, let’s be clear – our unit is lovely. Tiled floors through out, two large, tiled balconies – one off the living room and one off the bedroom. Lots of closet space, two TVs, a complete living room and dining room and a spacious bathroom. It makes the other stuff seem practically insignificant.
We will be very happy here during our stay, I’m sure.
By Vicky Wells, on October 13th, 2010
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
|
Oct 13 ~ Day #156
|
Budget to date
|
Spent today
|
Total to date
|
Daily average
|
|
Total
|
$15600
|
$22.76
|
$13773.94
|
$88.29
|
|
Miles by Road
|
Miles by Sea
|
Miles by Air
|
Miles by Train
|
Total Miles
|
|
15097+93=15190
|
6378.9
|
5966+786=6752
|
119
|
28439.9
|
Current Location: Burry Port, Wales
Today’s Total Expenses: $22.76
Transportation: $13.39 (€10.00)
Food: $9.37 (pizza – €7.00)
Miles Traveled Today:
Road Miles: 93 (20 miles – Venice to Treviso + 73 miles – Bristol to Burry Port)
Air Miles: 786 (Treviso to Bristol)
Last Stop at Our Favorite Café
Before checking out of our hotel, we again had breakfast at the corner café. Although this was only our third time here, it was a ritual we were going to miss.
Our coffee of choice was, yet again, cappuccino. After perusing the available pastries we chose something that most certainly had to be bad for us but we slowly savored every bite.
Checking Out of Our Venice Hotel
Knowing that the reception area of the hotel was on the second floor (our room was actually in a different building) we knew better than to drag our luggage up two flights of stairs just to check out.
As the room cost had been paid in advance, all we really had to do was return the key. I waited with the luggage while Geoff did that.
Venice Bus Station
With our luggage in hand we headed for the Venice bus station. This was easy to find as we already knew where it was – just across a bridge from the Venice train station.
From our hotel we walked along the Grand Canal until we saw the train station. Then we took the large, wide, white bridge across – you guessed it – another canal.
After that it was just a matter of dodging some traffic (and, remember, I already said that Italian drivers are crazy!) to get to the ticket office.
We purchased our tickets and went to the designated area to wait for our bus to arrive.
In keeping with my usual nervousness about missing any transportation, we had arrived more than half an hour ahead of schedule. But I was happy to wait knowing that we wouldn’t “miss the bus”.
Overall Impression of Venice
Truth be told, we weren’t all that sad to be leaving Venice. Three days was plenty for us.
We know that lots of people see Venice as a romantic destinations, but we didn’t. Actually, we saw it as rather run down and dirty. Most places were in desperate need of a fresh coat of paint. There was graffiti everywhere and the streets were dirty. We noticed that the length of time it took to get dog poop cleared off the streets was determined by how many people had walked through the poop and whether or not the canal overflowed and rinsed it with dirty water. Yuck!
Apologies to all those who rave about Venice but it’s not a city that we’ll be visiting again.
European Bus Travel
There were two buses that day that went to the Treviso airport. One left in the morning and got to the airport hours and hours before our flight back to the UK and the other one arrived at the airport in the evening less than an hour before the flight.
We took the earlier bus for two reasons – we didn’t want to be dragging our luggage around Venice and – we didn’t want to take the change of being late for our flight.
We had packed a lunch, we both had good books to read, so were were good to go.
Our bus arrived and it was modern, comfortable and clean.
The towns along the route were much more prosperous looking as wells as cleaner and more modern. There was lots of open space and even some farming along the way.
The trip took about an hour, even though we only covered about 20 miles. However, it was a pleasant and relaxing journey.
Treviso Airport
We arrived at Treviso airport at about noon, which meant we had about and 8 hour wait for our flight.
We found ourselves some comfy seat, at least as comfy as you can get in an airport. We had our packed lunch and then cracked open our books and immersed ourselves in their pages.
What? Pizza Again?
Although we had packed a lunch for today we hadn’t packed anything for dinner.
Geoff checked out the small café in the airport and, like all airports, the food was hugely expensive and the selection was extremely limited.
Geoff decided to head out of the airport to see if he could find a take-away with a better selection and better prices.
To my surprise he returned with a pizza in hand!
I was a bit confused seeing that we were still in Italy and our track record with pizzas had not been great. But, once again, it was the best deal of what was available.
To our delight, it was actually the best pizza we had while in Italy. Geoff explained that the place he got it from was actually run by orientals. Hmmmm – could that have something to do with it?
We had the pizza with our last one liter tetrapak of the €0.70 red wine. It was actually a pretty good meal.
Reunited With Our Traveling Companions
Shortly after we’d finished our dinner our traveling companions showed up.
While we were waiting for our flight to be called we swapped stories of our adventures over the last three days.
RyanAir On Time – Again!
Our RyanAir flight boarded on time, took off on time and landed in Bristol on time.
It was an uneventful fligh, which is the kind we like to have.
Late Arrival Back in Wales
After arriving back in Bristol, T & E picked up their cars. T headed back to Coventry so he could be back at work the next day. We piled into E’s car for the two-hour drive back to Burry Port in Wales.
By Vicky Wells, on October 9th, 2010
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
|
Oct 09 ~ Day #152
|
Budget to date
|
Spent today
|
Total to date
|
Daily average
|
|
Total
|
$15200
|
$184.84
|
$13416.32
|
$88.27
|
|
Miles by Road
|
Miles by Sea
|
Miles by Air
|
Miles by Train
|
Total Miles
|
|
15097
|
5786.2+244=6030.2
|
5966
|
119
|
27212.2
|
Current Location: On board the MSC Musica visiting Dubrovnik, Croatia
Today’s Total Expenses: $184.84
Cruise: 178.51 (cruise cost includes transportation, accommodation and food)
Transportation: $6.33 (€4.80 – bus into town and back)
Miles Traveled Today:
Sea Miles: 244 (212 Nautical Miles – Corfu to Dubrovnik)
Hot Coffee!
For the first time on this cruise we actually got hot coffee with our breakfast. Fresh – piping hot – coffee!
Breakfast was the only time on this cruise that they would actually serve coffee in the dining room. However, it would invariably arrive at our table lukewarm, at best.
Geoff tried several times to get hot coffee but they just didn’t seem to get it.
One exchange seems rather humorous now. Geoff tried very hard to get them to understand that we wanted HOT coffee.
On this particular occasion he pointed to his cup and said, “not hot.” When he got a quizzical look, he pointed to his cup again and said, “cold!”
The light bulb seemed to go on but the response was, “I’m sorry, sir, but we don’t serve chilled coffee at breakfast.”
Geoff’s response was, “Well, apparently you do!” but the sarcasm was obviously “lost in translation”.
After that we simply gave up. That made today’s surprise that much more enjoyable. I think we let them keep refilling our cups as long as the hot coffee held out.
Dubrovnik, Croatia
One of the highlights of this cruise, for us, was the chance to visit Croatia. We’d heard it was kind of “up and coming”.
Even though they are not yet a member of the European Union, their application is in and their acceptance seems assured within the next year or so.
The cruise line had, of course, arranged for a shuttle to take passengers to the old, walled city at the cost of €10.00 each.
As is our way, we opted to look for local transportation.
Money, Money, Money
As Croatia has not yet converted to the Euro, we needed to exchange some of our Euros for the local currency – the kuna.
A ticket on the local bus would cost us about 10.00 kunas which translated to about €1.20. So, we purchased 50.00 kunas, enough for the bus for both of us with a little extra.
Their bus tickets work a little different than we’re used to. The price of 10.00 kunas buys you a ticket that is good for an hour, anywhere on the bus system.
Now that we had Croatian currency as well, we had with us FIVE different kinds of currency:
- U.S. dollars
- Canadian dollars
- British pounds
- Euros
- Croatian kunas
Once we get back home we’ll have seven different kinds of currencies. To the above list we’ll add:
- Bahamian dollars
- Moroccan dirhams (we still have some left from a trip we took in 1990!)
Dubrovnik – The Old City
We located the local bus that was headed towards the old, walled city, bought our tickets and got on board.
It was about a 20-minute ride from the cruise port to the old city with lots of stops along the way.
The newer parts of Dubrovnik that we saw along the way seemed very modern and well cared for.
We got off the bus just outside the old city and stopped into the tourist info center.
The old city has a commanding view of the ocean and is protected by narrow gates set in very thick stone walls.
Inside the walls are cobbled streets lined with very old, very sturdy-looking stone buildings.
Apparently some of these buildings sustained significant damage during the war between Croatia and Bosnia. These countries, of course, used to be Yugoslavia before they separated.
However, any evidence of the war seems to have been repaired both in the old city and in the newer sections as well.
Tourist Shops
As is inevitable in any touristy locations, there were lots of tourist shops selling all manner of souvenirs.
Normally we are not tempted by such offerings but we were drawn to a display of local, hand painted glassware. Mostly wine glasses and decanters hand painted with colorful and intricate geometric designs. If our future plans weren’t so up-in-the-air, we would most likely have bought some. But, for now, we simply don’t want to add any new possessions.
After spending time exploring the old city we decided to explore the new sections by walking, so we thought, in the general direction of the cruise port.
Which Way Do We Go Now?
It was a beautiful day for a walk – bright and sunny. We stopped into a little roadside convenience store and purchased a large bottle of local beer, already chilled, for about 7.00 kunas. So, it was a good thing that we got a little more money than we needed for the bus.
We stopped at a little park and enjoyed the beer before continuing on.
Checking the time, we determined that we would have to get back to the ship soon.
We thought we were heading in the general direction of the ship and as we crested a hill we had a great view of it – WAY across the bay and much too far to walk in the time we had left. Not to mentioned that we were pretty much knackered anyway.
On top of that, my walking shoes had decided that they had outlived their allotted lifespan and were giving up their soles (pun intended!).
We found a bus stop enclosure that listed all of the routes, the times and the bus numbers. We just couldn’t make heads or tails of it at all!
We decided to get on the next bus and, hopefully, convey where we needed to go by pointing to the cruise ship that was easily visible in the distance from the bus stop.
After waiting for about 10 minutes a bus stopped and Geoff began to explain our dilemma by talking slowly and pointing to the ship.
To our amazement, and delight, the bus drive spoke perfect English. He told us the bus number we needed, said it would be along in about 10 minutes and that it would take us directly to the cruise port.
And, just as he had said, the specified bus arrived at the designated time and did, indeed, take us directly to the cruise port. We got back to the ship with plenty of time to spare before the “all aboard”.
Is This Standard European Entertainment?
From what we could tell from the announcer’s excitement – in all six languages – we were in for a special treat with tonight’s entertainment.
A somewhat portly and old gentleman took the stage and we waited with quite anticipation.
The, this entertainer produced two sets of bolo balls. You know, each set has two balls attached to long strings.
The music came up and he proceeded to bounce these bolo balls off the floor. Rat-A-Tat-Tat. While also swinging them around and increasing the speed.
He stopped to a crowed clapping wildly.
He then started again. And the speed and precision were impressive but it was still just bouncing tethered balls off the floor. We waited for something more.
After this set of Rat-A-Tat-Tat reached it’s crescendo the audience leapt to their feet, clapping, hooting and hollering and remained on their feet while the entertainer took several bows.
We sat there shaking our heads in confusion. A standing ovation for this? Really?
But it appeared that we were in the minority. Did we miss something?
Is this really what passes for entertainment in Europe?
By Vicky Wells, on October 8th, 2010
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
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Oct 08 ~ Day #151
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Budget to date
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Spent today
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Total to date
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Daily average
|
|
Total
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$15100
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$187.61
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$13231.48
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$87.63
|
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Miles by Road
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Miles by Sea
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Miles by Air
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Miles by Train
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Total Miles
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15097
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5350.1+436.1=5786.2
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5966
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119
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26968.2
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Current Location: On Board the MSC Musica visiting the island of Corfu, Greece
Today’s Total Expenses: $187.61
Cruise: $178.51 (cruise cost includes transportation, accommodation and food)
Food: $9.10 (€6.00 for baklava, €1.00 for milk)
Miles Traveled Today:
Sea Miles: 436.1 (379 Nautical Miles, Piraeus to Corfu)
Overall Shipboard Service
Yesterday we mentioned about the service in the dining room being rushed and poorly handled.
Today we’re going to talk about the service to our stateroom.
You Shouldn’t Have To Ask For Toilet Paper!
On more than one occasion, we had to track down the room stewards after they’d already cleaned or room, to remind them that we needed toilet paper. Wouldn’t you think that would be something they’d check?
At other times we also had to ask from fresh towels and soap.
Exploring Corfu
MSC had again arranged for a shuttle bus at the cost of €7.00 per person. We just walked into town. It wasn’t that far.
Greek Real Estate
As one of our many retirement ideas has included the possibility of moving to Europe, we thought we’d take the opportunity to visit some real estate offices while we were in Corfu. That was, of course, if we could actually FIND any real estate offices.
After wandering around the town, we finally came across one real estate office down a narrow side street (actually, there were lots of narrow side streets). We popped in and inquired about properties, in Corfu, in the €100,000 to €150,000 range and were pretty much laughed out of the office! We really didn’t appreciate their attitude, told them so and left.
Just a few street down we stumbled across another real estate office. It was up three flights of stairs and you had to be buzzed in through a locked door. While this didn’t seem very customer-friendly we decided to give our inquiry another try.
Although the real estate agent wasn’t in the office, the receptionist was very friendly and very helpful. She was perfectly aghast at the reception we had received at the other real estate office. She was certain that the agent would be able to find several properties in the price range specified.
We left the office with brochures, the agent’s business card and a much better feeling about Corfu real estate agents.
Greek Baklava
As the island of Corfu was going to be our last stop in Greece, we decided that we simply must treat ourselves to some genuine Greek Baklava.
We happened upon a tiny bakery down yet another narrow side street, that specialized in all different kinds of baklava. We were like kids in a candy store, or rather, a pastry shop.
It was difficult trying to decide what to have. Everything – absolutely everything – was tempting.
We each picked a good-sized, gooey pastry and our selections were gently placed in a crisp, white paper bag.
We had not asked about the prices before making our selections and there wren’t any price signs displayed anywhere. So, when the total for the two pastries was €6.00 we were a little taken aback but paid the amount requested and left with our treasures.
We couldn’t wait to taste the baklava and each took a single bite. They were wonderful! The phyllo pastry was crisp and the honey was sweet and sticky – just as it should be. However, we realized very quickly that we were going to need either some coffee or some milk to wash down these gooey delights.
We stopped into a small grocery store and purchased a liter of cold milk.
We then found and iron bench in a park setting and leisurely enjoyed the baklava between big gulps of cold, fresh milk.
Heaven!
Who needs fancy restaurants when such simple pleasures lead to such lasting memories?
Back to the Ship
After enjoying an unhurried stroll to try to wear off some of the baklava, we headed back to the ship.
Along the way we stopped to admire an ocean view and met a lovely British lady who was staying at a villa in the countryside.
We meet the nicest people while traveling.
Back on the ship we settled back into the shipboard routine of the early show and then dinner.
By Vicky Wells, on October 7th, 2010
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
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Oct 07 ~ Day #150
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Budget to date
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Spent today
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Total to date
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Daily average
|
|
Total
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$15000
|
$178.51
|
$13043.87
|
$86.96
|
|
Miles by Road
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Miles by Sea
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Miles by Air
|
Miles by Train
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Total Miles
|
|
15097
|
5240.8+109.3=5350.1
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5966
|
119
|
26532.1
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Current Location: Piraeus (Athens), Greece
Today’s Total Expenses: $178.51 (cruise cost includes transportation, accommodation and food)
Miles Traveled Today:
Sea Miles: 109.3 (95 Nautical Miles, Mykonos to Piraeus)
Piraeus/Athens, Greece
The ship was offering several excursions into Athens from Piraeus but all were just too expensive for our budget.
Much as we would have like to visit Athens, it will have to wait for our next trip.
We did check the prices of local tours into Athens which were, of course, much more affordable. But, there were labor demonstrations against the government going on all over the city. That meant some of the tours were foreshortened and it also meant lots of traffic jams that might hamper us getting back to the ship on time.
We had to resign ourselves to exploring the port town of Piraeus.
It’s dead, Jim!
Today we finally had to admit that our Flip camera was dead. Yes, it’s still under warranty but we’re a long way away from being able to return it for warranty service.
So, here we are in Greece without a camera!
International Banking
We decided that we needed to find an ATM and get a few more Euros.
We easily found one that was displaying the same symbols that were on our debit card, so we were reasonably sure it would work.
Well, it not only wouldn’t give us any money, it told us to contact our card issuer. Yikes! We’re still going to be in Europe for quite a while and we don’t need our card getting canceled.
At first we thought we’d go inside the bank we were at to see if there was anything they could do. In Greece, anyway, that’s not as easy as it sounds. You can’t just open the door and walk in.
There are two doors with a rotating tube in between. Think Get Smart’s cone of silence. From outside you push a lit up green button. Then the tube rotates and you step in. The tube rotates again and you are now trapped between the two doors. Apparently you then have to push another green button within a certain time frame for the door to open into the bank.
Well, I guess we screwed things up and the green button was now red. People inside the bank were trying to give us instructions as to what to do using broken English and sign language.
Eventually we pushed the right button at the right time and steeped into the interior of the bank. All this just to be told there was nothing they could do to help and we would have to call our bank.
But, our bank adventure wasn’t over yet. We still had to get OUT of the bank.
We were given more instructions before we attempted to exit and this time is was less traumatic. We were able to push the right buttons, in the right sequence, in the right time frame. Whew!
Back outside we still had not been able to get any more Euros and we now needed to call our bank.
In Search of an Internet Café
We decided that the least expensive way to contact our bank, particularly because we didn’t know how long we’d be on the call – You know how much banks love to put you on hold – was to find an Internet café and use our Skype-Out account, which gave us free calls anywhere in North America.
Finding an Internet café seemed as difficult as getting into a Greek bank! A computer store employee gave us what seemed like pretty clear instructions but we couldn’t find the place. So, we stopped into a coffee shop and they, too, gave us what seemed like simple instructions but still no Internet café!
As we stood there looking lost and confused a good Samaritan asked if he could help. We explained what we were looking for and he gave us very simple instructions – go to that corner, turn right, it’s on your right.
Well, the third time was the charm and we were looking at a little, hole-in-the-wall Internet café. I sure hope the speak English!
I needn’t have worried. Their English was excellent and their rates seemed reasonable.
We were directed us to a computer which they had activated for us. It was, of course, a PC (we’re Mac people), but any port in a storm – right? It had everything we needed – headphones, the FireFox browser and Skype.
First we logged into our bank account and all seemed well. We then got the customer service number for the bank, signed into our Skype account and called them.
First, naturally, we got the auto-attendant. You know the drill – press 1 for this, press 2 for that, and so on. Just getting to a real, live person took quite a bit of time so I was really glad we were using Skype.
Next came all of the security questions so they could be sure we really were who we claimed to be.
With that hurdle over we were able to get down to the nitty gritty of the call – the message we got when we tried to use the ATM.
Apparently they had no record of an ATM attempt even being made and could not tell us why we got that message. We were assured we could still use our card. It had not been canceled and there was no hold on it. Good news, indeed, but ti still made us nervous to try it again.
So, after all that, we opted not to get any money in Piraeus.
One of the main reasons to get some money was to, possibly, buy another camera. But, we decided to wait. After all, the budget was still pretty tight.
Our memories would have to do us for now.
Shipboard Entertainment and Meals
You may have been wondering why we haven’t said a lot about the shipboard entertainment and meals.
Well, I guess it must be difficult to find entertainers that appeal to a wide range of languages and cultures.
On this ship, all announcements are made in six different languages – English, French, German, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese. And, believe it or not, that didn’t cover all the nationalities on board.
Having said that, we felt the entertainment was pretty lame and pretty short. Most shows only lasted 30-45 minutes.
As far as food goes, it was fantastic with lots of choices. However, the service was not very good. It seemed to us that each waiter simply had too many tables to look after so there were no niceties or chit-chat.
It often felt like the food was quickly dropped on the table and the, empty or not, plates were snatched away without even asking if you were actually finished.
Baked Alaska
Tonight was the traditional Baked Alaska dessert and parade. It seems that most cruises do this.
It was a lovely presentation and we sure would have like a nice hot cup of coffee with our Baked Alaska!
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