Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Alexandria-Ancient and Modern










Today, we explored Alexandria, Egypt’s 2nd largest city founded by Alexander the Great in 332BC.

This city, brought to life in history and film classes, is a modern city that continues to excavate layers of its former (ancient) civilizations buried beneath it.

Alexandria formerly houses one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world, The Pharos lighthouse. Unfortunately, it was destroyed by a series of earthquakes in the 12th and 14th centuries. Standing in its place is the imposing Fort Qaitbey, built in the 1480s by Sultan Qaitbey. From its elevated position, set back from the grand cornice (long waterfront walkway) the fort has fantastic views of Alexandria and out to sea. This was our first stop.

Next, we headed along the corniche, passing lots of seafront resort hotels, to the Montazah Palace and gardens, the summer home of the royal family.

Pompey’s Pillar and the Temple of Serapris ruins were next. Destroyed by Christians as they commonly destroyed pagan temples, the only part of the temple still standing is one of the pillars, known (incorrectly) as the Pillar of Pompey. We explored the impressive, fully preserved, intricate network of subterranean galleries (long dark passageways) with side chambers that housed statues of Gods, tools and equipment, food, and even the tombs of the revered Apis bulls. These ancient underground galleries survived destruction by the Christians and multiple earthquakes over the years.

Lunch was delectable seafood at a waterfront restaurant.

The highlight of the tour was the Alexandria Library and Cultural Center. More than a library that seats 2000, the modern new complex houses museums of antiquities and photography, a planetarium, a science museum, a children’s wing, and even a museum of the life of Anwar Sadat. His museum contains personal artifacts from his home, his office, medals, documents, photos, uniforms, his pipe, and even the suit he was wearing when he was assassinated in 1981.

Striking in its architecture, the main library is encased in a giant cylindrical building at the northern end of the waterfront. The circular outer wall is made of Aswan granite engraved with letters from world alphabets. The roof which tilts toward the sea is designed to angle sunlight onto the desks of the 7-tier 2000-seat reading rooms. The library contains 8000 volumes, none of which, however, can be checked out. You can download 25% of a volume in 4 sittings in order to read an entire book.

There is also a vast online collection. I will get to know this library better when I return home.

Of course, this library was constructed to commemorate the 3rd century BC library that had been the finest in the ancient world, before it was destroyed by fire.
The last stop on our tour was the Roman Ampitheatre. It was discovered (uncovered) beneath the rubble of a construction project in 1965. Can you imagine living in a city where they stumble upon centuries-old ruins with intact mosaic floors from the 2nd century AD?

We had a great 2 days in Cairo and Alexandria!

Cairo and Giza

post coming later..................................

Perfect day touring Rome from cruise ship







I had the perfect day touring Rome with 6 great folks. Highlights were visiting the inside of the Colosseum; having a guided tour of Vatican City including St Peters and the Sistine Chapel;Seeing Trevi Fountain, The Pantheon, and The Spanish Steps.

7AM awoke (with no wake up call)
7AM room service breakfast
Dressed, ate, and packed knapsack
Rained hard from 730-755ish
740AM met group in lobby

3 couples + Karla went into a 7-passenger mini-van with Fabio our driver and guide for our full day in Rome.
--Tom and Rosemary-Ottawa
--Susie and Joel -Portland, OR
--Jason and Mike-San Francisco

It was the perfect day with the perfect group. We all met online on cruisecritic.com where Tom set up the trip and invited others to join. We split the cost of 650 Euros for the van and guides for the day (8AM til 4:45PM). The ship left at 7PM.

We got along sooo well: No conflict, everyone was friendly, everyone was cooperative and punctual----we stuck closely together. They are all frequent cruisers who really like NCL. They all book balconies, suites, penthouses, and villas. Everyone loves the 5 days at sea in between port visits!! They all like the Jade and feel it is the perfect size ship. (there are virtually NO KIDS on this cruise) We paid 1/3 of what NCL tours charged to be in a small van that is easy to navigate and squeeze into tight places. Fabio was awesome; Katerina, our Vatican City guide was awesome and passionate. I will join them on an Athens tour (in 2 days) since we got along so well. (I was going to take the train into Athens and tour it solo). We walked lots, climbed lots of stairs, made only one restroom stop at 1:00, did no shopping, and we chose not to stop for a meal (we munched on snacks we had brought). Since we skipped lunch, we had more time for touring and did not have to rush back to the ship.

Firsts for me:
--Going inside the Colloseum
--Guided tour of Vatican museum, St Peters, and Sistine Chapel.

Everyone had a positive attitude and intellectual curiosity.
No one complained.
Everyone was easy-going and flexible.
We all agreed we were perfect travel companions.
We all agreed it could not have been a better day.

I sat out on the aft deck as we sailed out of the port at 7PM. I watched the twinkling lights fade to darkness. I was one of 3 people out there.
I felt like a master of the sea.


WILL POST PHOTOS LATER

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Ephesian Splendor








Here is what I tweeted about my day in Ephesus: Spent the day with the Ephesians touring the ancient city of Ephesus in Turkey. Now I know why some feel it’s their favorite port of call on this cruise.

Our ship docked at 9AM in Izmir, Turkey’s 2nd largest port and 3rd largest city. (I missed the Ephesus tour last year because I caught the evil 1-day stomach virus rampant on the ship.) Cem, our tour guide, was a gracious host to our group of 9 (4 couples and me) who met online. Our driver headed towards Selcuk.

Today we toured Ephesus, founded in the 6000 BC. It is here they say Paul preached to the Ephsesians and where the “virgin” Mary spent her last days. We even visited the famous “House of Mary”, at Bulbul Hill, a shrine where Christians visit on pilgrimages from all other the world. The shrine is simple and rather sweet. Naturally, the shops outside sell more Mary and Catholic souvenirs than one can imagine.

Next, was our tour of Ephesus that showcases some of the best preserved ancient ruins in the Mediterranean-- some say even better than those at Pompeii. As impressive as the site is, only 1/8 has been excavated.

Our comprehensive tour of the ruins lasted roughly 2 hours. We saw the 24,000 seat amphitheatre, the Marble Street, the Agora, the famous library, baths, the brothel and much more. We even arranged for an exclusive visit of the fantastic Terrace Houses, famous for their frescoes and mosaics, reflecting the housing texture and architecture of their time. (we had to pre-reserve this visit and pay an additional fee).

We learned the big amphitheatre holds concerts for greats such as Elton John and Joan Baez.

Lunch was served in a typical Turkish setting and included multiple cold and hot dishes: salads, hummus, tziki, eggplant, pita, lamb, chicken kebabs, chickpeas, rice, fresh fruits, and more. Service was 5* and the meal was the best I have had thus far on the cruise. 2 in our group wanted to explore purchasing a carpet. After a factory tour and demonstration, they felt overwhelmed with the myriad choices and declined to purchase a rug.

Next on our tour was a visit of St John’s Basilica and Castle, The (remains of) Temple of Artemis/Diana (one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world), and the Selcuk Museum that houses an impressive collection of original items from Ephesus and Selcuk.

The weather was perfect, sunny and upper 60s, and there were NO crowds. It must be like an oven here during the summer months.

I was a thoroughly satisfied customer at the end of our tour. We did not even need to rush back to the ship, instead, we took a leisurely ride and arrived 1 hour and 15 minutes before departure. (just enough to shop inside the pier!!)

Again: now I understand why some feel it’s their favorite port of call on this cruise.

WILL UPLOAD PHOTOS LATER

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Crete instead of Athens on cruise today








Full Article coming soon…………..

Riots in Athens so ship went to Crete instead. It was a beautiful, sunny day in Crete. I took the local bus (2Euros) to visit The Palace of Knossos constructed 6000BC (6Euros). Then, I walked around the charming streets of Iraklion.

I feel bad for people who had Athens on their bucket list. Some had invested lots of time planning Athens tours. Glad I have been many times. I was here several years ago and stayed at the Creta Maris resort on the beach.

We saw young people rioting peacefully here (protesting I guess). Perhaps the are protesting University prices as they are in England.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Burqa Rage


Attacks against Muslims in everyday life continue:

French shopper allegedly rips veil off Muslim woman in 'burqa rage' brawl By Fred Ernst, AP

Three people have been arrested in France in the first case of "burqa rage" in which a woman allegedly ripped the veil off a Muslim woman while shopping, The Telegraph reports.

The French parliament has banned burqas and other forms of face-covering Islamic dress in public places as "an affront to the nation''s values," but the law does not take effect until fall. Belgium has passed a similar law.

The British newspaper says the mêlée erupted after a 26-year-old Muslim convert was walking through a store in the western Loire-Atlantique region and overhead another shopper, who is a lawyer, making "snide remarks about her black burqa."

"The lawyer said she was not happy seeing a fellow shopper wearing a veil and wanted the ban introduced as soon as possible," the Telegraph police as saying.
After the pair exchanged heated words, the newspaper says, the 60-year-old lawyer allegedly "ripped the other woman's veil off."

As the two came to blows, the lawyer's daughter allegedly joined the brawl.
A spokesman for Trignac police said the Muslim woman accused the lawyer of racial and religious assault and the lawyer accused her of common assault, the newspaper reports.

Meanwhile, in Vienna, Muslims attending a weekend conference criticized European countries for considering the possibility of banning face-covering veils, saying it is counterproductive and regressive, the Associated Press reports.
(Posted by Doug Stanglin)

Thursday, November 11, 2010

David Cameron rejects Chinese request to remove 'offensive' poppies during visit



Poppy wearers: David Cameron drinks a toast with Education Secretary Michael Gove (left), Business Secretary Vince Cable (2nd left) and Chancellor George Osborne at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing

David Cameron and four Cabinet ministers wore poppies in defiance of Chinese demands to remove them yesterday.The Prime Minister was told that allowing his delegation to sport the symbol would cause grave offense because it would remind Chinese ministers and officials of the Opium Wars.

Also known as the Anglo-Chinese Wars, they were the climax of trade disputes between China and the British Empire over Chinese attempts to restrict British opium trafficking.

China was defeated in both the First Opium War, from 1839 to 1842 and the Second Opium War from 1856 to 1860.

This year marks the 150th anniversary of the end of the second war, which ended when British and French armies arrived in Peking and razed the Emperor's Palace to the ground.

The British victories in both conflicts apparently still weigh heavy on Chinese minds, since the prospect of British ministers and officials wearing poppies while attending this week's talks in Beijing prompted horror.

The poppy is the source of opium and Chinese officials were apparently unfamiliar with its importance in Britain in commemorating our war dead.

Mr Cameron, who is attending a ceremony in South Korea tomorrow to mark November 11, refused to remove his poppy, as did Chancellor George Osborne, Business Secretary Vince Cable, Energy Secretary Chris Huhne and Education Secretary Michael Gove, who are all accompanying the Prime Minister in China.

'When asked if it was a joke, the Chinese were stern-faced and said "No, we'd like you to remove them",' said one startled British aide.
'Clearly that was not an option so we tried to explain the importance of the poppy in Britain and informed them we would be wearing them all the same.'

Meanwhile, Mr Cameron took time out from official business during his visit to Beijing today to take a trip to the Great Wall of China.

The Prime Minister climbed a section of the wall at Juyong Pass, north of Beijing.
Signing his name in the visitors' book, the PM said the visit was a 'memorable' experience he would never forget.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1328311/David-Cameron-rejects-China-request-remove-offensive-poppies.html#ixzz151JyR9BS
By James Chapman
Last updated at 11:45 AM on 10th November 2010