Dubrovnik, Croatia

The first time I took a Mediterranean cruise, I mistakenly thought that a round trip cruise would be more convenient than a one-way cruise. Therefore, the round trip I chose did not include Dubrovnik as a port call. However, had I chosen the one-way, Dubrovnik would have been a stop. Therefore, this time around, I was thrilled that Dubrovnik would be a stop on this cruise, especially since I had heard numerous people rave about how amazingly beautiful it is.

Dubrovnik has marketed itself lately as the "Pearl of the Adriatic." And when you visit the small medieval Old Town area, you can see why it has the nickname it does. The turquoise color of the crystal clear water seems to sparkle under the glow of the Adriatic golden sun. Combine that with the natural beauty of the orange and red tiled roofs of the Old Town and you have quite the scene laid out before you.

When I awoke in the morning, the Croatian coastline with it's numerous small islands that dot the ocean on it's southern end could be seen. In the early morning hours we glided along the calm seas passing by islands big and small. As we approached the Dubrovnik harbor area, the ship began to slow. Just up ahead of us was a gorgeous bridge that appeared to be relatively new. The architecture and construction of the bridge was impeccable. This was my first sign that Croatia was going to be far different than anything that I had imagined.

Over the past quarter century, Croatia has been known to the outside world more as a war-torn country rather than a tourist destination. After many years of fighting, peace now rules the area, and the citizens have slowly begun to rebuild their lives and their towns over the past decade. And with the peace and serenity brought by the end of the war, the tourists are now starting to return.

When I knew we would be sailing to Croatia, I'm not quite sure what I expected to find. But I can tell you that I didn't expect to find what very lush and verdant country, with a sea so pretty, and towns so quaint. If I hadn't known the background of this tumultuous and turbulent area, I'd never have guessed the horrors that its residents must have gone through.

Once the ship docked, we made sure that we were near the front of the line to get off the ship. Our plan for our day in Dubrovnik was to take a taxi to the Old Town and climb the city walls as early as possible. From reading previous traveler's reviews of Dubrovnik, we understood that the later in the day you climbed the wall, the more likely it was to be crowded and hot, as the wall tends to absorb all of the sun's heat.

As soon as we departed the ship, there was already a line of taxis waiting for passengers. And there was a sign clearly posted with fares to certain locations. The cost of a taxi from the pier over to the Old Town was 10,00 Euros and only took about 5 minutes. Old Town is located approximately 2 miles from the pier. Our taxi driver dropped us off right near the Pile Gate, which is the main entrance for tourists into the Old Town.

When we arrived, we already saw a number of other tour buses here. Luckily, there wasn't yet a line to climb the city wall. Once we had our tickets in hand, we began to make the trek up the steep stairs to get to the top of the wall. Upon reaching the top of the wall, there are signs directing walkers that the wall is one-way, counterclockwise.

The first thing that strikes you when you reach the top of the city wall is the copious amount red, orange and brown tiled roofs. Every building contained within the city walls has this distinctive roof coloring. The buildings that have been rebuilt since the end of the war sport a much cleaner and newer looking orange, almost red colored, tile. The older buildings that survived the bombing during the war sport a dirty orange, almost brown colored tile. However, these buildings that made it through the war are few and far between. From the top of the wall you can look down right into Old Town. You can see it's main pedestrian thoroughfare as well as all of the smaller side alleys that branch off of it.

As you begin the walk around the wall, you finally start to see the Adriatic down below you. There's a small little cove nearby the Pile Gate, and this is where adventure seekers can book kayaking trips that take you out in the water so that you can get a sea level view of the enormous city wall. You'll notice as you walk around the wall, at strategic corners there are watch towers that have been built as well as cutouts where cannons would have been placed and aimed out towards the ocean in order to prevent attack from the water by invaders.

The journey around the entire city wall easily takes a couple of hours, more or less depending on how much you stop along the way. As you approach the ocean and the harbor area, the wall is pretty much entirely a downhill walk. As you begin to move away from the water again, the walk is pretty much an uphill walk, with some parts of the wall displaying rapid changes in elevation and steeps steps to maneuver. It seems as if every corner of this walk brings different views, a glimpse at a bell tower, a look at a beautiful church, the ever present red and orange tiled roofs, the views down steep and narrow alleyways, a look down into the backyard of a residence with children playing, a look down the main street of the city packed with tourists. The advice about starting the walk as early as possible is a prudent one. Even at the early hour we started we found it to be extremely hot on the wall, and as we kept going, it just felt hotter and more oppressive. Unfortunately, there wasn't an ocean breeze to be felt at all. By the time we made the last uphill climb to the top of a watchtower at the highest part of the wall, it was blazing hot. In a way, it was almost a welcome relief to make it all the way around the wall, back to our starting point, and back down the steep stairs and into the city.

We spent the balance of our time in Dubrovnik walking around the Old Town. As we made our way up the main road of the Old Town leading from the Pile Gate to the harbor, we noticed that the most popular shops along the main street, bar none, were the various ice cream/gelato shops. Not one to ever pass up a chance for gelato, I had to stop and get some. The gelato at least served as a temporary combatant to the high heat and humidity. I had read that the gelato in Dubrovnik was supposed to be even better than gelato in Italy as it was made from cream with a higher fat content. I don't really know if it was better than gelato I had in Italy, but it sure did hit the spot at the time.

The town itself was incredibly crowded with tourists. Not only was Ruby Princess in town, but 3 other small ships were anchored off shore in the harbor area of Dubrovnik. The main street was packed with shoppers and diners enjoying a mid day lunch break in one of the many outdoor cafes. As we wandered into some of the side alleys, we discovered that for a block or two surrounding the main street, even more outdoor cafes existed. But beyond that, that is where the residents of the town resided. Back in the alleys, up the steep steps and narrow walkways, that's where the real lifeblood of the city can be found. Wandering back towards the harbor, we came upon a small square that was hosting a small outdoor market. We wandered into a very understated church to look for rest for our tired legs and a reprieve from the rays of the sun, only to discover that the church we entered had been bombed during the war and was only recently repaired. Pictures of the devastation and destruction were on display inside the church.

By early afternoon, we felt that we'd seen what we came to Dubrovnik to see, and we had conquered the wall. We were ready to return to the ship. As we exited the Pile Gate, we saw that there was a great number of ship passengers milling about, mostly those on organized ship excursions waiting for their motor coaches to pick them up. Across the street we saw the taxi stand, and as there was already quite a line forming, we decided to get in line. By the time we got into a taxi, as they now seemed quite scarce, the driver informed us that a ride back to the pier would be 15,00 Euros rather than the posted 10,00 Euros due to the traffic. We were too hot and tired to argue. However, in the end we did feel that it was worth it. While the trip from the ship to Old Town had only taken 5 minutes, the return trip from Old Town to the ship took almost 25 minutes in bumper to bumper traffic.

By 6:00 pm, every passengers was back on board and accounted for. Ruby Princess dropped her lines and began sailing away from Dubrovnik. I don't know if I'll ever make it back out to Croatia, but I'm glad that I had an opportunity to visit this very interesting, and beautiful country on this trip. Croatia wasn't quite what I had expected it to be. Surprisingly, it exceeded my expectations. If this was a sign of what was to come for the rest of the cruise, well then we were in for a whirlwind.

Venice - Sailing down the Grand Canal

Booking a cruise that starts in Venice was one of the best decisions I've ever made. After having spent 1.5 days wandering the streets and canals of Venice, being able to sail out of Venice down the Grand Canal to begin my cruise was an amazing experience. Other than perhaps sailing through the Stockholm Archipelago (which I loved for different reasons), sailing down the Grand Canal was one of the best cruising experiences I've ever had.

After having spent the morning wandering through Venice only to return to the ship tired, hot and hungry, our sailaway was the elixir we needed.

Ruby Princess began pulling up her lines at about 1:00 pm, and shortly thereafter we began to pull away from the pier. The Captain slowly guided us out of the port area and to the entrance of the Grand Canal.

The best piece of advice I could ever give to anyone is to be out on an open deck well in advance of sailing through the Grand Canal. I made the mistake of not going up to the pool decks on Decks 15 and 16 untle we had already started sailing. By the time I reached the pool deck, every square inch of space from bow to stern was packed 2 or 3 deep with passengers eager to watch our sailaway through the Grand Canal.

This was a perfect day for a sailaway in Venice, the sun was shining brightly, the crowds on the island were thick, and albeit the temperatures were a little warmer than most of us would have liked, that was all quickly forgotten as everyone gazed with wonder at the beauty of Venice.

Seeing Venice from this prospective, from the top deck of this mega cruise ship, puts the city in a whole new light. As we slowly sailed past small little canals that run through the city, we could look straight down through the canal into the heart of the city. We could see gondoliers plying their gondolas along side the ship, vaporettos were ahead of us, beside us, behind us, there were multi-million dollar luxury yachts moored up at the docks, and there were people in their personal speedboats and sailboats out for an afternoon sail on the water.

And then there were the people. There were people walking all along side the shores of the Grand Canal, but their numbers began to grow in size as we approached St. Mark's Square. Off in the distance we could see the square with the Campanile standing tall in the middle and the distinctive domed roof of St. Mark's Basilica. From our perspective the people on the island looked more like a huddle of ants scurrying about along the shore line. When we finally reached St. Mark's Square, it looked like a swarm of ants. The crowds that stood in the square, along the banks, everywhere as far as the eye could see, were enormous. And I know that the one thought that was on my mind was, "I'm glad I'm on the ship and not on the ground...."

Before I came to Venice, I never imagined that I would like. Now, not only do I like it, I think I fell in love with it. With its charm, it's beauty, and its very unique character. How can it get any better than sailing down the Grand Canal with Andrea Bocelli's "Time to Say Goodbye" playing over the loudspeaker system. Magic.

Venice - Rialto area

Of the four bridges that now cross the Grand Canal in Venice, Ponte de Rialto, or the Rialto Bridge, is the most iconic of all of Venice's Bridges. From atop this lovely bridge, you can get amazing views of both sides of the Grand Canal. In fact, this bridge is known as one of Venice's most romantic spots, as couple after couple find their way to the top of the Rialto Bridge and share a loving kiss. I personally found this area of Venice to be absolutely beautiful.

Part of the fun of exploring Venice can be found in wandering through the alleys and getting yourself lost. You know, however, that you're never truly lost because, after all, you are on an island. And eventually you'll find your way to posted signs on the sides of buildings that say "Per Riato" or "Per San Marco." Those signs will have directions indicating which way to Rialto Bridge and which way to St. Mark's Square.

While lost in those back alleys, I stumbled upon a great many small outdoor cafes in small squares, Italian meat shops, cheese shops, boutiques, Murano glass stores, gelato shops, souvenir stores, pharmacies, and all sorts of mom and pop type stores where the locals would go. And getting yourself "lost" in these back alleys really allows you to get away from the hustle and bustle of this major tourist city.

Eventually, after much wandering, you'll find yourself at the gorgeous Rialto Bridge. You'll notice that both sides of the Grand Canal that line the bridge are filled with outdoor eateries, as well as gondola stations and other private boat docks. The area is also packed with people. The bridge itself is wide enough to house small stores down the center of the bridge, and leave both of the outer sides of the bridge open for tourists to enjoy the view and do a little people watching. At night, this area comes alive. The outdoor cafes string lights outside that glow and glisten off the water. The moon shines high above the canal, giving off just enough light for the gondoliers to navigate their way in and out the tiny canals. The mood is electric and romantic. It's no wonder that this city is a city for lovers. The night we wandered over to the Rialto, there were 2 American girls who stood at one of the bridges crossing a small canal who began to sing operatic music. Their voices were beautiful and it only added to the mystique that is Venice. You could spend hours, if not days, just wandering through the area.

When we finally decided to take the vaporetto back to Piazzale Roma to call it a night, we found the vaporettos to be so incredibly busy, almost to the point of being dangerous. As a vaporetto would approach, the people who were waiting clamored to board the vaporetto as they didn't want to wait for the next one to come. Everyone pushed and shoved their way on board. If you weren't careful, you'd just be run over. Once the boat was literally filled to capacity, to the point where you couldn't fit another person in, the vaporetto would shut it's doors and continue on. Meanwhile everyone on board was stuffed in like sardines. It was certainly quite the experience.

The next morning, we left the ship as early as possible so that we could get a look at an early morning Venetian day. This was Monday morning and we figured we'd run into the morning commuter crowd. When we reached Piazzale Roma and hopped on the vaporetto towards Rialto, it was just past 7 am. However, there were almost no crowds whatsoever.

As soon as we approached the Rialto area, on the opposite side of the Grand Canal to where St. Mark's Square is located, we passed by a morning market that was just setting up. We immediately got off at the next vaporetto stop, crossed the Rialto Bridge, and then made our way back in the direction of the market.

Right on the banks of the Grand Canal was a fairly large morning fruit, vegetable, meat, and fish market that the vendors just started setting up. As there is no motorized vehicle traffic in Venice, all of the fruits and vegetables had to be brought to the market either by a person wheeling a dolly full of goods, or by boats that were loaded down with goods. The fruits and vegetables that were being sold looked incredible. They were such bright and vibrant in color, everything from huge bell peppers, to tiny grapes, to strawberries, tomatoes of every variety imaginable, blueberries, blackberries, beans, melons, and the list goes on. The goods just looked so fresh and delicious.

The fish market surrounded the fruit and vegetable stands. There was many varieties of fish, squid, octopus, shrimp and other seafood for sale. Adjacent to the fish market were a couple of butcher shops that were selling all sorts of meats, including meat from animals that were unidentifiable to me.

On the banks of the Grand Canal, adjacent to the fruit and vegetable market, was one of 7 traghetto stops that cross the Grand Canal. As there are only 4 pedestrian bridges that cross the Grand Canal, one of the other ways to get across is via a traghetto. Traghettos are basically old gondolas that have been completely stripped of their seating. There are two oarsmen on each gondola, and for 0,50 Euros, they transport people back and forth from one side of the Grand Canal to the other at 7 different strategically located spots along the Grand Canal. Once you hop on board, you stand the whole way across the Grand Canal. It's cheap and its fun and it was quite the experience.

After taking the traghetto back over to the St. Mark's Square side of the Grand Canal, we wandered through some of the side alleys to discover that this early in the morning, Venice is such a quiet and peaceful city. We occasionally ran into shop owners cleaning up their shops in preparation for opening later in the morning, and there were the occasional workers walking their way through the alleys to get to work. But for the most part, it was deserted. We eventually wound up back at the Rialto Bridge again. Since the bridge was pretty much void of people, we decided to go to the top of the bridge and just enjoy the view of this lazy Venetian day. Looking down the Grand Canal, with vaporettos slowly making their way up and down the canal, and watching as the sun began to rise into the sky was one of those memories to last a lifetime. The view was so pretty, and the location so popular, that we even saw a wedding couple come out to the bridge with a photographer to take wedding photos.

After lingering awhile longer, we eventually made our way out of the Rialto area. But we took with us mental snapshots of the beauty of the area and of the city, that will remain with us forever.