I’m starting to get caught up. I’ve managed to post the photos from last summer’s trip to Italy, Greece, Croatia, Montenegro, Albania, and Slovenia!

Here’s the link to the photo album:

Europe (2010), HAL Nieuw Amsterdam (Venice Roundtrip)

This will be a full flight with fellow HAL cruisers. I have no expectation of an upgrade out of here today, as the plane appears to be packed. No matter — I’m always very happy to just get an OpUp on one segment (which we’ve been lucky with the past few years).

Ciao for now!

P.S. Here’s a photo of the Alitalia lounge…

I plan to write my cruise review on the plane tomorrow and also organize most of the photos for uploading to the web site. This should save a lot of time (unlike last year’s Eastern Med cruise, which has yet to be posted).

The end of this cruise is bittersweet.

On the one hand, it will be great to get back to see Emerson, especially for Libby who’s not used to being away from her for any extended period of time. On the other hand, we (I) finally started to get a sense in the past few days of being ‘away’ and got into a vacation rhythm. Now, we’ll be right back into the mix (indeed, I leave Tampa leave for a business trip within 12 hours of getting home). Arguably, the enjoyment quotient might have been higher had we been away longer… or at least my batteries would have had more time to recharge. We’ll try to address this catch-22 over the next couple of trips by bringing Emerson along.

All in all, we’ve had a good time, added five new countries to the count, and got to spend some quality time together. That’s pretty good for little more than a week!

Given the big lunch, I think we are skipping dinner tonight.

Here are the photos:

The plan specifically called for:

1. Find a taxi at the port
2. Find an English-speaking taxi driver
3. Drive to Sezana.
4. Return directly to Trieste.

That was the plan. And, largely we followed it… except for difficulties in finding a taxi, an inability to communicate with our driver, being driven (without request) into the Slovenian countryside, and my being hit by a car while in the aforementioned Slovenian countryside (I’m perfectly fine, Mom!).

All in all, it was the best day ever!

Here’s how it actually played out:

1. No taxis were available at the port. We had to walk to the train station. En route, we found a lone taxi sitting at a stand.

2. The taxi driver did not speak English. However, I was fairly certain he understood what we wanted (thank you, Google Maps). And, I negotiated a rate… 30 euro (one way or roundtrip was unclear). So, we departed for Sezana!

3. The drive to Sezana was blissfully uneventful. The driver even stopped on a hillside overlook to allow me to take a picture of Trieste and its harbor. We arrived in Sezana within 15 minutes or so.

Sezana is a fairly unremarkable, modestly industrial town. It lacks any real points of touristic interest. We took a couple of quick pictures (of the post office or some such thing) and the told the (now confused) driver to take us back to Trieste.

4. The return to Trieste is when things started to get interesting. We left Slovenia and reentered Italy. Then we entered Slovenia, again. Curious. At this point Libby started to quietly freak out. The driver pulled off onto a side road and wound us into a vineyard. He told us this was an area for good wine. Next we pulled into a driveway. Before we knew it, he was out of the car (meter still running) talking to some l lady. He motioned us out of the car. We complied and were brought into this small, family-owned winery. We were shown hams curing, wine aging, and an unusual “hidden” door that looked like side of the caves. The taxi driver seemed especially pleased to show us mold on the walls: “natural,” he said. We were also able to look down into the limestone caves, which this area–The Karst–is best known for. I would have bought some wine (even though we didn’t sample any, as our “tour” was unannounced), but I was afraid Libby would kill me (as she was very obviously unhappy about our detour — Libby’s generally less trusting of strangers and less open to unplanned “adventure”). So, we left. However, before getting into the car, I tried to snap a picture of the winery. At this point, our driver backed into me and hit me with the open car door. It was a minor mishap… and I was not hurt. The driver was very apologetic. I thought it was funny. Libby was less amused. Nevertheless, I get to claim that the first (and I hope only) time I’m ever hit by a car was in Slovenia!

After this, we returned to Trieste and the port. We were back by 10:00am. The driver actually wanted to charge us less than the negotiated rate. However, I insisted and paid him more. He was a good, honest, and friendly fellow who wanted to ensure we experienced the real Slovenia, especially the gourmet foods and wine for which the Karst is well known.

We will definitely return to Slovenia! Heck, I might come back to Trieste too (which is, actually, an attractive city with friendly people).

It’s this sort of random adventure (once all is safe and sound) that we love about travel!

I’m just sorry I didn’t get any wine! Oh well, next time.

This is the last day of our cruise. Tonight, we return to Venice (which should be beautiful as we sail in around sunset). This afternoon, we plan to have lunch in the Pinnacle Grill and then pack for our trip home tomorrow.

Here is a photo of Trieste and a (blurry) view from inside the taxi:

The tender dropped us off at a pier in the middle of the historic city center of Split, directly opposite Diocletian’s Palace. Unlike the ruins of antiquity that we have seen at many ports on the cruise, Diocletian’s Palace has been used, maintained, and ‘modernized’ over the centuries. As a result, it’s something of a hodgepodge of architectural styles and periods. For example, Diocletian’s mausoleum was turned into the city’s cathedral. And, in an ironic twist, the bishop–who Diocletian had executed while persecuting Christians–now rests there (while Diocletian’s own remains are nowhere to be found).

After doing Rick Steves’ suggested self-guided walking tour of Split, we spent a couple of additional hours just exploring the historic city center and Riva (waterfront). We’d hoped to hit one or more of the town’s art museums, but being Monday most were closed.

We returned to the ship in the early afternoon for lunch. We ate in the main dining room today. Service was a bit slow (not that we were in a rush), but the food was decent or better. After lunch, we took a nap… which was a treat.

Tonight is formal night #2, which probably means the Lido again or just room service. We had zero interest in doing the ‘formal night’ thing, because really that’s just an added hassle for a vacation such as this one.

Tomorrow is Trieste and (hopefully) Slovenia!

I’ll end with a picture of Split — this is the cathedral located in Diocletian’s Palace:

Our small breakfast arrived by 7:00. After coffee and a muffin, we prepared to go ashore. Because of debris near the pier, we anchored in the bay and had to use the ship’s life boats to reach the town.

We tendered to the shore earlier than expected (8:30 rather than 9:30). The city of Kotor is fairly small, especially the historic city center. We spent a leisurely morning strolling through its narrow streets (the city was controlled by Venice for nearly 400 years… and it shows). We visited a few churches and scrambled partway up the fort’s path to have a panoramic overlook of the city. Being a Sunday morning, both cruise passengers and locals were out in the summer sun, enjoying some relaxation. Overall, there’s not a lot “to do” in Kotor. It’s sort of like a less touristy version of Salzburg set in a Norwegian-like fjord. It provides a pleasant way to while away some time and makes Montenegro seem like a little bit of paradise on earth (which, I presume, the country might just be.)

We traveled back to the ship after noon, and we had lunch at Tamarind. The soup and salad courses were both very good. Unfortunately, the dim sum menu was a bit of a let down. For lunch, the restaurant only features a fixed menu of multiple items in single, bite-sized portion sizes all delivered on one plate. It felt sort of like eating off of an appetizer platter (fine), but it wasn’t very akin to a traditional dim sum experience. It would have ‘worked’ better had the individual items been more (or equally) enjoyable.

Later this afternoon, I attended a cooking class / demonstration in the Culinary Arts Center. It was on the use of spices to build flavor, as featured in tandoori chicken and coriander rice. I thought the sample at the end was surprisingly good. All in all, I like HAL’s Culinary Arts Center and the related programming. It’s enjoyable and actually somewhat enriching, unlike a lot of “edutainment” on cruise ships.

Our sailaway down Kotor Bay was one of the coolest that I’ve ever experienced. Many of the locals, waving white shirts (as seems to be some sort of seagoing tradition), came out to see our departure. The local priests and nuns also ran the church bells, while the Nieuw Amsterdam blew the ship’s horn in response. Numerous smaller vessels escorted us (from a sage distance) and while many people aboard them screamed “Holland” at us (in honor of the World Cup match tonight) — to which we replied with short ‘toots’ of the ship’s horn. All in all, it was a memorable experience.

Dinner tonight was in the Lido. For whatever reason, the main dining room never seems to beckon to us. I also tried the HAL pizza tonight from Slice. It was decent: about what I expected.

The ship’s put on a huge party in the main showroom for tonight’s match. Holland is the clear favorite on the ship, but they had opposite sides of the theatre decorated for each team. HAL also provided a buffet of appetizers and snacks. And, I assume, drink specials. We came back to the cabin to read (though I’m watching the game out of the corner of my eye).

Tomorrow is Croatia!

Here’s a couple of photos of the Bay of Kotor and also one of the Culinary Arts Century:

Our tour to Albania began at 8:00am aboard the Nieuw Amsterdam. We collected our passports, left the ship (Corfu! Another “country” per TCC guidelines.) and went as a group to Greek passport control for our departure to Albania. The immigration department was completely overwhelmed and remarkably understaffed. It was a scene of mass chaos and utter confusion with numerous tour groups converging on this checkpoint. After 30 minutes or so, Libby and I made it through security and to the “Blue Dolphin” (our ship to Albania). By the time we made it to the (now late in departing) boat, the locals had already begun to rebel… yelling at the crew and otherwise complaining about “the Americans.” It was great!

About an hour late, our hydrofoil departed. Next stop: Albania!

The hydrofoil trip lasted about 30 minutes before we arrived in Saranda. First impression: mostly modern but also ‘nicer’ than I’d expected. I think Libby got it right: the surrounding beaches sort of look like “the Albanian Riviera.”

Saranda is currently ongoing a building boom with the growth of tourism since the end of communism in 1990. We saw numerous hotels under construction, though tourism is still in its infancy. Most overnight tourists are Albanians, as well as people from Kosovo and Macedonia. Most others are “day trippers” like us from Corfu.

Anyway, back to the infrastructure. The country currently only has one airport, nearly 300km away. Likewise, the roads are less than ideal: indeed, the road to Butrint was under construction, literally, while we drove in it. Due to the condition of the road, it took nearly an hour to drive the 24km to Butrint.

The park and archeological site at Butrint were very enjoyable. It contained ruins of the Greek, Roman, Byzantine, and Venetian periods–sometimes built on top of one another. We both found this milieu very interesting… as we didn’t know what would be around the next corner. Plus, the landscape–a forested park at the tip of a peninsula that smelled of wild bay leaf–was very captivating.

Butrint: two thumbs up!

On the route back to Saranda, we learned more about the history of Albania during the communist era. In particular, the years of 1976-1990 were ones of extreme isolation during which Albania had nearly no outside contact. Indeed, such outside contact (e.g., watching Greek television) and travel (e.g., entering or leaving the country) were prohibited. It remains poor. The average wage is only about $300/mo. But, the people are very happy to have their freedom and enjoy the progress they’ve made.

We had a nice lunch at a castle overlooking Saranda and Butrint. After lunch, we drove back to the port of Saranda and boarded the hydrofoil for the trip back to Corfu. All in all, Libby and I were really impressed with Albania. It was a great day trip!

Tonight, we had dinner at the Pinnacle Grill, HAL’s signature alternative dining venue. It’s sort of vaguely steakhouse themed. What can I say? Overall, it was good. But, we live in the “Land of Bern’s.” And, you can’t beat Bern’s. So for the money, it was worthwhile. Highlights: the French onion soup and Grand Marnier chocolate lava cake. Lowlights: the jumbo shrimp cocktail and Libby’s veal chop. My steak was good… as in above average but not great.

After dinner, we booked ourselves (using the onboard cruise booking deal) for a 14-day cruise in Asia in 2012. We also booked Emerson on this cruise as well. After all, who doesn’t want to fly to Hong Kong with a two year old? Besides, she’ll be on the Antarctica trip with us in February as a one year old! It’s a good itinerary: Hong Kong to Osaka (I think)… via China.

Later tonight, we are going to hit the show. We haven’t checked out the onboard entertainment yet.

New update on the itinerary snafu: no optional tours to Slovenia. Also, the time in port is very limited (7am to 2pm). This means we will be going there on our own, with no real guidance, and without much information. I’m thinking we’ll just take a taxi or maybe a train from Trieste to someplace in The Karst region on Slovenia. For my intrepid traveling friends: suggestions posted on the blog (based on experience or Internet research) would be appreciated!

Today was great!

And, tomorrow is Montenegro!

Here’s a photo of the ruins at Butrint, Albania:

http://www.paulandlibby.com/index.php/2010/07/cruise-day-3-katakolon-olympia-greece/ We awoke to cloudless skies in the Ionian Sea while sailing into Greece. Yesterday, HAL’s tour guide, Tom, described Katakolon as “the Skagway of Greece.” We can see why. It’s a tiny little town with a single main street, creatively named, well, “Main Street.” also like Skagway, it’s nearly sole purpose seems to be serving cruise tourism.

Our breakfast was delivered to our cabin around 8:45am. As usual, HAL’s room service did not disappoint. We enjoyed our meal and morning coffee on the balcony.

At 10am, we went to a presentation and Q&A session with the President & CEO of HAL, Stein Kruse. The ship has a lot of HAL’s top brass aboard for the inaugural cruise. In fact, we had the culinary head of the line, Master Chef Rudi Sodamin, at the table next to us last night at dinner. Sadly, the Q&A featured a lot of minor complaints–mostly from HAL’s ‘mature’ clients (who clearly have lost their perspective on real ‘problems’ in life)–about trivial issues (e.g. too large of meal portion sizes, too cool of air conditioning, etc. and so forth). Two interesting data points from the talk: 1) HAL will continue to sail to Antarctica despite having to comply with new regulations, and 2) HAL will likely build future ships that are larger than the current PanaMax standards (and thus, by definition, larger than anything in the current fleet).

At 11am, we attended a cooking demonstration with the guest chef, Lars Kronmark of the CIA in Napa. He presented a series of Greek small plate dishes — all of which should be fairly easy to prepare at home.

This afternoon we listened to the port lecture, which was modestly informative. We’ll have five days of ports in a row. We then return to Venice and fly directly home.

We then went to sign “The Wall” which is, well, a wall that the guests and crew of the Nieuw Amsterdam are signing during this inaugural cruise. It will be etched, protected, or otherwise made to last and then installed near the atrium on the main deck of the ship. That means Libby and I will be memorialized on this installation of HAL-sanctioned nautical graffiti. I wonder how much this eats up of my 15 minutes of fame?

We had a late lunch in the Lido buffet. It’s just like Veendam: better quality but a seemingly more limited selection than others cruise lines. The limited amount of “self-serve” opportunity also makes it a less enjoyable experience, as the PITA factor is higher.

Not sure what’s on the docket for tonight. It’s ‘formal night,’ which we will be skipping. It might be little more than room service, al fresco dining, and maybe a movie for us.

Anyway, I’m now writing this post on our balcony while (trying to) enjoy an adult beverage. Sadly, HAL is no Stub and Herb’s (a reference my MN peps will get) and only offers a rather pedestrian selection of crappy to minimally acceptable beers. The weather is perfect on this beautiful day on the Adriatic. I’ll leave you with this photo of my view…