Gythion, Greece

This is a very small working town.  Kind of like Port Angeles would be if we had higher unemployment.  Lots of men in their 50s (or so) sitting around the cafes drinking coffee.  We found the ancient theater that dates from BCE, but there's not much there.  They have fish everywhere and a fast WiFi.  Finally able to get iced cappuccino.

Yesterday, after posting in Corfu, I went inside the church of St. Spyridon, the patron of Corfu.  There were head scarves in a basket to borrow although thankfully, apparently not mandatory as it looked like a guaranteed case of head lice.  After viewing the Saint, many people walked out and kissed the icons which were just poorly done pictures (I have been spoiled by the mosaics of Ravenna).  Again, glad this wasn't mandatory.  Also saw "Fish Spas" where clients sit with their feet in a trough of water and have fish nibble away the dead skin, and only 5 Euros!  Again, I passed.  One thing I did not pass on was the ubiquitous kumquat liquor.  It is lovely with club soda as a spritzer.
Last night had dinner with 2 American women from Sonoma CA and a Brtish couple from Cornwall. He is a retired bookie.  I have personally never known anyone in that line of work, so it was interesting .

Early return to the ship today.

Corfu, Greece

Now in the Greek Islands.  This one is the closest to Italy, so it has been a crossroads of East and West for centuries.  It is an Ionian island and was thought to be where Ulysses ended up when he escaped on his way home.  It has been conquered and ruled by just about everyone except the Turks ( a source of great pride).  Naively I thought I would see Ancient Greek ruins, Byzantine ruins, Venetian ruins, French ruins, Englis ruins all separate.  Of course they built one on top of the other, so it is a hodgepodge of various styles of architechture.  It is lush and green with lots of different plants.  We saw huge yuccas on the Hop On Hop Off Bus tour,  Awaitng my first authentic Greek coffee.

WOW! It's strong!  I may run back to the Fortress and up and down the steps a few dozen times with this caffeine buzz!  I think this would take some getting used to.  One of the specialties here is kumquat liquor.  It's lovely.

We have found that the buffet dining is actually better than the sit down restaurant for dinner.  Go figure.  They have a "grill" where you can get steak, lamb chops, salmon, chicken and lobster tails.  They also have fresh sushi.  Supposedly Oceania is known for it's food, but the main dining room has been a disappointment.  There are 4 "specialty" restaurants which have been quite good so far.  You can eat one time at each one, but we are angling to go back to the Asian one again as it was wonderful.

 Approach into Corfu

Cheesy souvenirs 

Corfu

 On the way into the fort with large canon below

 View from above

 I think this is a theater

Old English barracks

Great lunch!

Yes, a Fish Spa

And here they are getting their feet worked on by tiny fish

Sponges

 Dean's worst nightmare

Devotions at the cathedral

Everything olive

Big canon at the Fort

And more

Bari, Italy

Our last stop in Italy before heading to Greece.  This is a rather large town with a small and not terribly charming old town.  The big deal is the Basilica of St. Nicolas.  Apparently the early Barians stole the relics of St. Nick (yes, that one) from Turkey.  The architecture rather plain but supposedly from many different eras. No cool mosaics like in Ravenna.  Still the cappuccino is good and the WiFi is free.  I love listening to Italians.  They always sound like they are arguing.
Last night we had the most amazing lightening storm. It was like constant strobe lights for HOURS.  Much more fun than watching a show in the lounge (a ventriloquist, really) was watching the storm from our balcony.  Had dinner last night with a couple we had met several nights ago.  They are from Colorado by way of Alabama.  He is a retired civil engineer and she a retired pharmacist.  Haven't seen Jeffery, the New Yorker who orders only hockey puck hamburgers.  Maybe they got pissed off and left for home?
After we recuperated from our long hike yesterday, we walked around and around Kotor.  They are famous for their cats which are everywhere .  Here in Bari, it's dogs, lots of golden retrievers and a yellow lab that looks a lot like Gus.

 Bari

old Church

 with statues

Inside

Nice bakery

Kotor, Montenegro

Kudos to Dean for climbing the 1000+ steps to the Fortress here in Kotor.  The view was spectacular!  Kotor is beautiful as is everywhere in the Adriatic.  Cream colored stucco buildings with red barrel tile roofs. The entrance to Kotor is through a fiord. Everything is so OLD!
Last night we had dinner with a couple  from Dallas and one from England.  Nearly closed down the restaurant. The Brits all want to talk about our election and the Americans all want to ask the Brits about Brexit. Haven't found an American yet that likes either candidate. I keep telling them to "Feel the Johnson".

 Dried mushrooms in the market

Outer city walls

 One of the ubiquitous cats

 The Old City

More Old City

 Old church, note the one tower still isn't finished

 They do love their cats

 A very cerebral hotel

Beet and feta salad

Sunset Kotor

Dubrovnik continued

OK, I take it back.  The Wall is amazing.  Kept humming the Game of Thrones theme song.  Now in an Irish Pub listening to the Chicken Polka and American pop music from the 70s. Surreal.
Saw the oldest Pharmacy which was pretty cool.  I wish I could figure out how to put in photos.

 On the wall

 Yes, this is Game of Thrones material

 View from the Wall

 The walled city from the fort

 The fort

Dubrovnik, Croatia

Everyone raves about this place, but it is way too crowded.  It is like being on the Game of Thrones set which is cool.  Eating pizza (again ).  The crust here is like Dean's deep dish one.
Had lunch yesterday in Ravenna at a vegetarian restaurant: gnocchetti with stinging nettles (we had no idea what it was until we got back to the boat and checked it out in the dictionary in the library).  Last night's dinner at Red Ginger (one of the specialty restaurant a on board) was the best meal yet,  I had duck and watermelon salad and lobster pad Thai. Dean had some kind of Asian lamb chops,  Sat next to a nice couple from Colorado.  She is a retired pharmacist, he a civil engineer.
I guess we have to go up on the wall after lunch.  It is in the high 80s and intense sun.  My poor old  Northwest body isn't used to this!

Ravenna, Italy

Sorry Koper, Slovenia.  Spelled your name wrong and I haven't been able to edit.  Finished up the day in Slovenia with a trip to Pirin.  It's pretty little seaside town, but not much in the way of beaches,  In fact, in all of Slovenia they have only 35 KM of coastline and had to import sand from Africa to make one beach.  They do make good pizza though,  Mrs. Trump (the current one) is from Slovenia and the women there are generally beautiful.
Dinner last night on board was a piece of work.  We sat with a couple of typical New Yorkers.  Complain, complain, complain.  The old man (who had to be pushing 80) would only eat a plain hamburger with catsup and his wife made a big deal out it to the waiter.  He reminded me of my old male patients who can tell me how long their penises used to be.  You know the type.
Today we're in Ravenna.  Supposedly they have free WiFi everywhere but it doesn't work, so I bought a 2 Euro gelato (gave one up for the team) to get WiFi at the gelateria.  This town has a lot of mosaics from the Byzantine era 500-600AD.  They are amazing.  Wish I could download the photos.
Everyone here rides bikes, even young women in dresses.  As we are sitting outside the gelateria, listening to Beat It by Michael Jackson.  Of course!