Today was our last day out and about and we certainly made the most of it. We left the hotel in Naples at 7:30 am and drove down to the port. We got the tickets for the ferry, met up with our guide Gino and then boarded the ferry. The weather was pretty wild today. There were showers throughout the day and the most significant thing was that it was very rough on the way from Naples to Capri. The ferry was riding way up on the swell and then thumping back down. Most of the group were pretty green by the time we got to Carpi and I am not sure if there were any who actually threw up. The was a large group from somewhere in Asia and whenever the boat felt like it was floating before slamming back down they all went “oooohhhh”. It was pretty funny. Many of that group were apparently out the back of the boat throwing up over the side. I was fine until I started reading and then all of a sudden I thought that reading should stop very quickly. I closed my eyes and relaxed for the rest of the trip and I wasn’t too bad until the boat stopped and then it really kicked in. I had a fizzy drink when we got there and that helped settle my stomach. Some of the others needed a bit more time to settle. We were planning to take a small boat around the island but due to the very rough conditions we had to forget that idea. Instead we hired 2 small buses and drove up to the top of the island and along what is called the “mumma mia road”. It is called that because it is just stupid. I mean that in the nicest possible way. It is build almost hanging off the side of a cliff and it is a little scary for someone not too fond of high places. I would say have the group thought it was very exciting and the others were on my side and tried hard not to look… We saw the top town, called Anna Capri then drove back down to the main town for free time which included lunch. It rained a bit during that time which was a bit of a shame but we have been so fortunate with the weather for the program we cannot really complain about a little rain today. It would have been nice to have a calm sunny day for our last day of the tour and the one that we were planning a relax but it was still nice. At the appointed time we caught the Funicular from the town down to the port where we met out ferry back to Naples. There were many of us not looking forward to the return journey. Brett was pretty ill on the way over and spent some time hunting for a helicopter for hire but could not find one. A large number of the group found a pharmacy and got a supply of travel sickness pills which were consumed with gusto – and according to the recommended dosage of course. We were a little worried as the ferry for the return journey was smaller than the one that brought us over. Fortunately the return journey did not seem as bad. Maybe it was the pharmaceutical assistance but we arrived back in Naples in much better condition than after the morning journey. We were met by our coach which took us back to the hotel we stayed in last night to collect our luggage. We then set out for Rome, a journey of 3 hours.

We arrived around 8:15pm and found another coach waiting for us. We hurriedly checked in a boarded the next coach for the short trip to the Piazza Navona where we were having dinner at a local Taverna. It was a great dinner and so much food! We ate until we could not move well and then made the return journey to the hotel. We are now almost in a coma from the long day and large amounts of dinner and are thinking about sleep. Tomorrow we leave at 9am for the airport and our flight home.

Cheers,
Michael

So, to today’s program. We left Rome bright and early and drove down the coast towards Naples. We have been very fortunate with the weather for the whole trip and today was no exception. It rained over night and also during the day a little but not while we were at the 2 sites on our itinerary. The sky was even blue at Pompeii for our tour. Pompeii is past Naples so we drove past Naples and on to Pompeii where we arrived about 10:30am. The drive from Rome is a little more than 3 hours and we had a stop along the way for a toilet and a drink. When we arrived at Pompeii we were met by Gino and he took us around. I thought it was the quickest tour I have had of Pompeii but it was actually about usual, our group is just the slowest I have taken so there was lots of waiting which meant we were not able to see as much as we normally do. We then went to a restaurant for lunch that had pizza and pasta. My table all had pasta. It was a tomato sauce on spagetti and I was very excited that it had Vesuvio cherry tomatoes in it. Vesuvio is what the Italians call Vesuvius. There are some different fruits and veggies grown in the area and the volcanic soil gives them a very good flavour – particularly the tomatoes. After lunch we drove for about 25 minutes to reach Herculaneum. Gino took us around that site also. It showed a little that he was finding our slow progress a strain but to be fair it was our last day of archaeological sites relevant to the curriculum and it has been a busy program. Herculaneum proved to be very impressive as it is in much better condition that Pompeii. It is also a fraction of size and there are only really 2 streets excavated. It is also a good site to give you an understanding of how catastrophic the eruption of Vesuvio really was. The archaeologists had to dig down some 25 metres through the hardened volcanic mud (now stone) to expose the ruins. This fact however has left the site in a very good state of preservation. There are some great frescoes.

Tomorrow we go to Capri for our last day together and it is going to be a bit of a treat and relax. We will have the opportunity to swim through the Green Grotto. We have to catch the Jetfoil from the port in Naples out to Capri first thing in the morning then will do our tour of the island before heading back in the afternoon then returning to Rome.

I have to mention – after Herculaneum, someone asked Gino, our guide, if we were all going to his place as he said he was from Sorento. It was like someone had pushed a button. He launched into a long explanation about how he was divorced and how much it cost him. He said that if he knew how much his divorce would have cost he would have kept her. I cannot give a full run down of what he said as this is a G rated website but everyone one on the bus was almost rolling in the aisles with laughter. It was a full comedy routine. Very funny although a little inappropriate in places. He will be with us tomorrow for the trip to Capri.

Cheers,
Michael

We have 2 days of touring left. Hard to believe it is nearly over. On one hand the tour feels like it has been going for ages and at the same time it has been blindingly fast. As this is my fourth trip overseas this year I am pretty worn out. I worked out the other day that when I get home I will have been over seas for 105 days of this year. No wonder I am a little weary. The groups seem to have had a good time and the students here with me seem to be enjoying themselves also. I was chatting with a few this afternoon who were thinking about just how much we have seen in the past few weeks.

Tomorrow we start early again and drive down the coast to Naples. We will visit Pompeii and Herculaneum and spend the night in Naples. The next day we have a relaxing, non-study day at Capri.

Cheers,
Michael

We woke up at 5am this morning and got ourselves ready for the day. Breakfast at 5:45am and then off to the bus at 6:25am. The drive to the airport was a little more than 30 minutes and check in was pretty smooth. Our flight departed on schedule at 8:45am and we were on the ground in Rome at 10am by Rome time as planned. Just before I forget, we had to set our watches back by an hour in Rome. We left at 8:45am and the flight was 2 hrs and 15 mins and we landed at 10am Rome time so back an hour. Just working that one through in my head – it has been a long but good day!

Rachel, our guide for Rome, met us at the airport and we started with a bus tour of the city to get our bearings and see some of the many buildings, land marks and other relevant things before the bus dropped us off next to the Colosseum. Rachel arranged our tickets and then took us on a tour through the site. We then had a little more than an hour for some lunch before meeting to have the tour of the Roman Forum. As we left the restaurant we were in for lunch we noticed it was raining – we had been sitting inside. There were only 4 of us together in the place I ate and the others were all over at different places. It is always amusing, but as soon as we noticed (slightly dismayed as we didn’t want to get wet) that it was raining, there was a guy there selling umbrella’s. Remarkable. There were a few guys selling them and maybe 10 minutes after we all purchased an umbrella, the rain stopped and the sun came out. Always seems to be the way. At least now I have a really cheap umbrella that will be sure to turn inside out if the wind should be any more than noticeable. Very amusing situation. It was funny hearing everyone comparing the prices they paid – I paid 2 euro more than I needed to!!!

We did the Roman Forum and then headed for the hotel. It is only a 3 star but I actually think it is great. The location is brilliant. We could ask for a better location but that would definitely be greedy. It is only a short walk to many places. The staff are good, the food is good so far and even the beds are very comfy. The name of it is the Nord Nuovo Roma and I recommend it if anyone is looking for good accommodation at a reasonable price in Rome. It reviewed quite well on Trip Adviser also. Anyway, we have had dinner and are either back in our rooms to get ready for bed (me) or out and about exploring Rome (most of the group I think). Rome is a very safe city and great place to visit. You still have to use your common sense but otherwise it is great.

One note for anyone planning a visit over this way. Keep an eye out for counterfeit bank notes. In the group today we had a 20 euro note and a 10 euro note that are fakes. I am the proud owner of the fake 10 euro note. It is very noticeable if you are looking for it but not if you are in a rush and not paying attention. I am now looking carefully at the change I get at shops and from vendors particularly. I cannot even remember where I got it from. Needless to say, the shop owners look carefully and are not interested to take it. Can’t say I blame them.

Anyway, tomorrow Rachel will take us through the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel. We will also see St Peters. That will take 3 or 4 hours and then we will have half a day free to visit as many of the other places in Rome that we can before the day is done. The next day we around down the coast to Naples to visit Pompeii and Herculaneum. Only 4 nights to go including tonight…

Cheers,
Michael

Tomorrow morning we depart early for the airport. We are flying from Athens to Rome for the last few days of our program. We should be in Rome by 10am local time. I believe that Rome is an hour different to Athens. I cannot remember at this stage if it is an hour forward or back – I will let you know tomorrow which way.

We are all a little weary today after the day off yesterday. I am not sure why. Perhaps it is a case of we have been very busy and once we stopped… well… Anyway, tomorrow we are back into it again. When we arrive in Rome we will have a city tour and then visit the Colosseum and Roman Forum before we check in to the hotel.

I would also like to give a big happy birthday to my sister. Many happy returns for Monday!!!

Cheers,
Michael

Today, Brett, Jim, Mark, Jen, Lisa, Julianna, Suzanne and myself went to the National Archaeological museum. We spent a couple of hours there and saw some very interesting things. They have the gold death mask found at Mycenae which is known as Agamemnon’s mask. They also have Nester’s Cup which was made famous by Homer I believe. There was also a temporary coin exhibition which is showing a collection of coins that have depictions of Greek gods on the reverse side. Sadly for me, due to the current economic problems in Greece, there is a shortage of guards so the Egyptian collection was closed. Very frustrating for an Egyptologist like myself. Maybe next time I will get to see it. After seeing the museum we went up to the top of Lycabettus Hill. It is the best view in Athens. We had to catch a taxi from the museum up to the office of the Funicular – that is the cable car/train that takes you to the top of the hill. At the top we first admired the view for a while then went to the cafe for lunch. The cafe is at the top of the hill and not only does it have the best view in Athens, the food is good too.

After lunch we all walked back to the hotel. Tonight I did some washing and organising for the week. The trip has been passing very quickly. We now have a week to go before it is time to head home. The last 19 days have passed very quickly and I am sure the last 6 days before our flight home departs will pass equally fast.

Tomorrow we take our city tour of Athens and visit the Acropolis and the Agora among other things.

Cheers,
Michael

Ancient Corinth is a very relevant site for those interested in the missionary journeys of the apostle Paul. At the site, Jim, Mark and Antonis gave good explanations of the relevant information. There is also a small museum at the site and we visited that before we walked around the ruins. When we arrived at the site Jim asked it we were visiting Acro Corinth. Above Ancient Corinth, in fact, towering above is a huge out rocky outcrop and perched at the top is what was the acropolis of the ancient city. Although, what is there now is a crusader period fort I believe. Anyway, when we told Jim it was not of the official program he looked somewhat disappointed so I had a chat with Antonis to see what we could do. Antonis made a call to see if we could do it and with approval we left the lower city and headed off. While we were driving Jim was talking on the mic and giving us some very interesting information and because he was concentrating on the information he was giving the students he didn’t notice that we were driving up to the top to visit Acro Corinth. I was actually a little happy about that myself as I had not been to the top. When got to the parking area just as Jim finished talking to I announced that as a treat for Jim we had added a short visit to the program. Without Jim of course the program would not have happened in the first place so it was great that he was happy about the addition to the program. It was actually a pretty great place for all of us to visit and although we only had 30 minutes it was well worth it. The view is just spectacular.

Our driver for the week, Stavros, will not be with us again. His son is getting baptised on Sunday so he is off that day and Monday we just have a transfer to the airport for our flight to Rome. I asked Stavros how far we have traveled in Greece since he and Antonis met us at the border with Turkey last Monday. He had been keeping track for me and told me that we have traveled 1,400 km. Adding that to the 3,100 km we traveled in Turkey we have now covered 4,500 km. Not a bad effort in 2 weeks.

After the site was done we set off for Athens. We have a free day tomorrow which we are all looking forward too. We have been on the go for quite some time and are looking forward to a day at our own pace. We are also at this hotel in Athens for 3 nights and that is going to be a treat also. We had a nice dinner and some of us are exploring and some of us (and I am not saying the older members of the group specifically) are turning in. Tomorrow there are many different plans so we will see what the day brings. Our next official appointment is Sunday morning for the tour of the city and the Acropolis, Mars Hill and the Agora.

Cheers,
Michael

We drove through some very beautiful countryside along the way. Greece is such a great place to travel through in a coach – you get to see so much more. Eventually we reached the Epidaurus and at the site there is a very small museum – small yet with very interesting items to see. There is also one of the best preserved Greek theatres in the world, and definitely the one with the best acoustics. We spent some time there and the students took turns trying out the acoustics. There was some singing and some speeches. Brett even sang in front of the group – his first public appearance as a singer. Jenica sang a song and she was impressive. Quite a voice. When we finished at the theatre – pretty much when they kicked us out because they wanted to close the site and go home – we got on the bus and set out for the most amazing town in Greece in my personal opinion. There is a very nice town on the coast, protected by UNESCO as world heritage and it is called Nafplion. We arrived and checked in, got ourselves organised and then for dinner we went to a restaurant. The food was amazing. Everyone was very happy and had a very satisfying meal. I am sitting in the lobby of the hotel at the moment and members of the group are coming and going, all looking happy. I have noticed that there are a number of people eating ice cream and I know from previous experience that there is a nice shop just around the corner that sells very good ice cream. I was not going to have any tonight but seeing everyone enjoying it my resolve is becoming increasingly weak. I think I will have to go for a little wander down the street, just to see if the ice cream shop is still open. Maybe I could just have a quick look and see what flavours they have. I wonder if they have caramel…

Cheers,
Michael

After we finished our visit to the Monasteries we set out again on our coach for Delphi. It was another 3 and a half hours with a toilet break to get to Delphi. We arrived around 8pm and went directly to a local taverna where our dinner was tonight. It was a great meal. Some nice Greek starters and then a chicken and rice main which from the noises of the group was pretty good. We then had yoghurt and honey for desert. It was delicious honey. The hotel is just around the corner from the taverna so we just walked around the corner, down some stairs and a short distance up the street and checked in. It is a very nice little hotel in Delphi village. Delphi is a very small village in the hills and is a great little place. Very pretty.

Tomorrow, we will walk from here to the archaeological museum and once we have seen the museum we will walk through the archaeological site. We then drive for another few hours to the Epidaurus theatre. That will be our second site for the day and then we will continue on to the nicest little town in Greece (in my personal opinion). Nafplion is now protected as a world heritage site and is such a great little place. If you ever come to Greece you have to spend a day or two there. If you have been there already you will know what I am talking about. We will also have dinner at a little restaurant in the town. I ate there with my last group in early October and it was very good.

Our guide Antonis is doing a great job and our driver Stavros put in a sterling effort today. He drove for many hours and the roads were wet and extremely narrow in some places as it wound up and down the mountains.

Cheers,
Michael

The internet is not so good here so I will add more detail about today and also the information from tomorrow in my next post which will of course be tomorrow.

Cheers
Michael