Phoenix-Chicago-Frankfurt, Germany-Venice, Italy, Dubrovnik, Croatia

Nov. 11
Aboard the Star Princess
Nov 8,9
We left Phoenix at 3:30 on Nov 8 and arrived Chicago 3 hours later. In Chicago we boarded Luftansa Airline headed for Frankfurt, Germany. This was an 8 hour flight,...a LONG 8 hour flight. Jack and Suzi got some sleep, however, Al and I didn't fare as well. Al was in an aisle seat and I was in a window, however, we weren't together! At any rate this was a super flight for service; we even got real, hot, airplane food! And the drinks were free--something unheard of now days!

We arrived in Frankfurt the next afternoon....tired, but never the less, on our way. It was cold and rainy in Frankfurt and we were hoping it would be not a sign of things to come! While in Frankfurt I really, really wanted to call our Grandson Danny who is stationed there. However, I the pay phones outsmarted me and I couldn't figure them out and I couldn't figure out how to buy a phone card either!!!! I also tried to buy two bottles (small) of water, but the price for these outsmarted me as well...$13.22 US for two bottles of water...I DON'T THINK SO! Of course, I had no Euro's yet. So we waited for our plane instead.

Our flight from Frankfurt to Venice was a little more exciting. The first hour was fine, I got some sleep as did Al...however, the last 30 minutes was a bit more exciting as we BOUNCED over the Alps! I would have to say it was one of the roughest flights we have been on in years and years! Arriving in Venice, we waited over 45 minutes for our bags. Apparently the baggage handlers are not part of the airport service and they had gone on strike that morning! After getting our bags, Princess Cruise Lines met us with a bus and off we went to the Star Princess. We got settled in our rooms, freshened up a bit and went to dinner...it had been almost 10 hours since we ate. We are in anytime dining and we all had a great prime rib. At our table was a young couple and I started chatting with them. He is a LA County Fire Fighter and she was with the LA County Sheriff's Department, but recently transferred to the DA's office as an investigator! Now, what are the chances we would meet a couple that resembled Billie and Dan that much! Matter-of-fact they even looked alot like them! After dinner we all decided we were too tired to do anything. Suzi and I tried to explore the ship, but we were too tired to do even that!

Nov. 10 Venice
Up early and off on our first tour...Venice, City of Canals. We left the ship at 7:30 a.m. and took a boat to the dock in Venice. From there we met our tour guide and we walked to the Murano Glass Factory. We saw a glass blower make a vase and a glass horse. Facinating! Venician glass is beautiful. We had an opportunity to go into the "show room"...very expensive. Suzi and I decided even a small piece was out of our price range. I might add at this point that the Euro is 1.62 to our dollar! OUCH! One of the reasons we felt the glass was out of our price range.

From there we had a short walk to St. Mark's Square. What a beautiful place. The Piazza is huge, with shops and cafes all around it and of course the vendors selling their wares. And the pigeons! I have always heard about the pigeons in St. Marks Square and there they were! One of the most beautiful churches I have ever seen is here as well - St Marks. The Basilica of San Marco was built in 830 to house St. Mark's tomb, then rebuilt again in the 11th century. Because of the intricate and rich decorations it is referred to as the "Golden Church". We didn't go inside, but just the outside was absolutely facinating. One thing we all have noticed is the "Winged Lion" which is the emblem of Venice. We learned this represents the winged Lion of St. Mark the Evangelist. The saints bones were brought here from Alexandria in 823 and reburied in the Basilica.

From the church, we went to Doges Palace, which is actually connected to the church. The palace became the heart of Venetian goverment from the 9th century. A Doge was the chief executive , an elected official with power over life and death. Doges palace houses great many paintings as well as paintings on the ceilings and very ornate ceilings of gold. Very awe inspiring and all of us were spellbound by the beauty. We walked forever in the Palace and climbed lots and lots of stairs, which wasn't the best for Al and he was tiring quickly. We crossed the Bridge of Sighs, which link the palace to the prison and was named for the prisioners who would be walked across to the prision from the palace after sentencing and they would "sigh" at the last sight of sunlight they would see from the small windows on the bridge before being led into the dark, windowless prision. We walked through the prision, and all of commented on the size of the rooms, which were fairly large, but they would house several prisioners together in these rooms. Back over the Bridge of Sighs and into the palace once again we went. Our tour guide told us about the "ladies of opportunity" that were very common in early Venice and at one point there were over 11,000 of them.

From there we walked a short distance to board our Gondola for our Gondola ride. This is something I have always wanted to do and it was well worth it. Actually, Venice is made up of 118 islands, with over 150 canals and 400 bridges. Getting in the Gondola was interesting... the four of us and a couple from Oregon were in the same Gondola. The Oregon couple (more on them later) got in first, then Suzi, myself, Jack and finally Al. Now, as most of you know, Al has a hard time getting around and isn't very agile....we were worried about him getting in the Gondola without either him falling in the drink or putting us in the drink. Thank goodness for Jack who helped get Al in and settled in a very low seat. (Suzi and I were worried about getting him out but we both decided to enjoy the ride first.) The ride was everything I ever imagined it would be. The narrow canals, the houses and businesses on the canals; we noticed that some of the lower floors of these buildings were no longer used due to Venice "sinking" and some of the doors were rotted out. Venice floods over 200 times a year, not from weather from tidal flooding. The houses and buildings along the canal were so pretty, it is hard to describe just how beautiful they are. We went under the Bridge of Sighs, which legend has you are suppose to kiss your partner under the bridge. There were many Gondola's on the canal we were on and some power boats as well. After a 40 minute ride we were once again at the Gondola dock...now we had to get Al out of the boat without putting us in the drink. Thankfully the gondolier had the foresight to dock us at a better dock and had help waiting to assist Al out, along with Jack once again.

The couple from Oregon was one of those "small world" experiences for me. I was born and raised until 5th grade in Grants Pass, Oregon. This couple not only was from Grants Pass, he was the principal at Fort Vannoy school I attended and my aunt taught at and my mom worked at. Of course he didn't come to the school until after I left, however, he knew the previous principal, Mr. Mahoney and knew my aunt! Her last year teaching there was his first year as principal there! Talk about a small world!

Before we knew it we were on the boat back to the ship and no time to shop!!! Arrivderci Venice...this is definitely a place to return to someday and spend a week or more.

Once back on the ship it we did the required "life boat/jacket" drill. After that we went to lunch, then Al went back to the room to rest while Suzi and I explored the ship and Jack went to the gym.

It was our first formal night on board, and I have to say we all clean up very well. Also had pictures taken last night. After another great dinner, Al and I went back to our room and Jack and Suzi went to see one of the shows.

Nov. 11
Up again early and today we are in Debrovnik, Croatia. Our tour today was a "Taste of Croatia and old Debrovnik". We tendered in early this morning and on to the tour bus. Our first stop was a restaurant outside of Debrovnik for a taste of local wine and dried figs. Yes, dried figs. The wine turned out to be more like drinking "Drano" as Suzi put it. ICK! Of course Jack and Al liked the wine, but I had to agree with Suzi. While at the restaurant we found a cat, or it found us and Suzi and I were trying to figure a way to smuggle it back home with us, but we were convinced to leave it there. The cat had the markings of our cat Josephine that we brought home from Saudi many years ago.

Our next stop was the town of Cavtat. This part of Croatia is a major tourist area and that is their major industry as well. While driving to Cavtat we saw where many houses were bombed out during the Serb/Bosnian war in the early 1990's. This part of Croatia is a narrow area and the border to Serbia and Montenegro is only miles from where we were. Also, last August the area was devestated by a wild fire and we were amazed at how much damage was done. Cavtat is a major tourist area along the Adriatic Sea. We had time to have a cup of coffee here....yum, European coffee -- I had forgot how much I loved it.

Next we stopped in the old town of Dubrovnik. Even during the last war the old town survived. It is built inside a huge wall and is very picturesque. Jack and Sue took the guided tour, while Al and I decided we had to use the bathroom and would tour on our own. Now, the bathroom was interesting and I looked around to see where Rowland was! It was unisex (you couldn't get this one wrong Rowland!!) and when I entered the stall I started to giggle. It was nothing more than a whole in the floor, I had to stand up and pee! I haven't done this since my last visit to Europe...so once again I am experincing the "toilets of Europe."

A bit of history about Dubrovnik. At it's peak, Dubrovnik was a very successful competior of Venice and one of the most prosperous commercial powers in the world. The Slavic name "Dubrovnik" means "well wooded" and highlights the qulity of the hardwood forests in this area. The city was founded around 640 when the Avars raided the Greco Roman town of Epidaurum and the fugitives fled to the rocky coast. The built their town inside a wall to protect it from enemies from not only the land, but sea as well.It has been occupied by Turks as well as Slavic people and the native language is Serbo-Croatian. In 1667 an earthquake demolished the city. Over 4,000 people were killed, which was over half of the population then. The city survived only because of the many ships and citizens that were in foreign ports at the time of the quake. Nepolian built a fortress high on the hill above town and also occupied one of the many offshore islands. In the 19th century it was part of the Austiran empire, then it was passed on to Yugoslavia after WWI. In 1991 when Yugoslavia broke apart, this area became Croatia. Because of its prosimity to Bosnia and Serbia, Dubrovnik took a severe pounding during a seige of several months. The death and destruction was as bad then as it had ever been in the cities long history. However, the old city was somewhat protected because the UNESCO flag flew above a "world heritage site".

After our tour of old town we once again boarded a tender and back on board ship. Tonight we are dining in the one of the "restaurants" on board instead of the dining room. Tomorrow we will be in Corfu.

I would like to include pictures in my blog, but can't figure out how to transfer them from camera to this computer on board. I will try and figure that out! So until the next blog....we are wroamin with the Waddicks!