With the amount of time I had to be in my own head, life epiphanies were basically happening every other day.
Venice, Italy (15-17/5)
With some issues (my plane being delayed due to strikes in France and falling in a water bus), I made it to Venice!
I absolutely fell in love with this place. There is something so quaint and romantic about all the canals and bridges. I really enjoyed exploring on my own, being able to do what I want when I wanted.
Also, I took a really information tour (shout out to 'Discovering Venice' tours) and saw all the main sights - San Marco Square, San Marco Basilica, the Doge's Palace, Bridge of Sighs, Ponte di Rialto bridge, etc. A previous Bishop had passed away, so they were setting up the square for his funeral the following day.
Kotor & Budva, Montenegro (18/5)
I took one of the ship's excursions today - a four hour bus/walking tour of "seaside resorts of Budva and Kotor". I had preferred to go on a high speed blue cave adventure, but it was cancelled.
I didn't retain much from the tour guide, minus the fact that Montenegrin people are apparently very lazy (as she repeated this fact several times). Apparently under their Commandments, they "eat, drink and siesta".
Besides that, I learned that Budva is the oldest town on the Adriatic coast and Venetians had a strong influence on Kotor and the surrounding area. The area, especially the mountains, was spectacular (but I didn't think there was anything special about the place driving between towns).
Corfu, Greece (19/5)
Today, I explored on my own and didn't do any excursions (but did pay to take the bus service in to the center of town). We were dropped off near the Old Fortress, so I decided to pay the €2 and see what was inside. I ventured up to the Acropolis/lighthouse and then back down around the sea walls and church. There was also a cafe with free wi-fi, bless.
I left the fort to go do a bit of shopping down all the different alleyways. Somehow I also found the "New" Fortress. The last bus shuttle went to the ship at 2:00pm and it was 1:00pm and, due to my directionally challenged mind, I was lost in Corfu. With the confusion due to the time change that morning, I panicked that it was actually 2. It wasn't and I made it back to the ship in one piece.
Piraeus (Athens), Greece (20/5)
Learning Greek 101:
"Kalimera" - Good morning
"Yassou" - Hello
Athens was probably the place I had the least interest in visiting, so I booked a tour to make the most of my day (and not get lost).
On our way to the Acropolis (duh), we learned that the city was named after Athena. Athena and Poseidon both wanted to rule the city, but Zeus declared that Athena's gift of wisdom would be more valuable to the city's inhabitants.
We passed a building they used in the 2004 Olympics, before walking up the Acropolis to see the Parthenon, Temple of Athena Nike, the Erechtheion and the Propylaea. The Acropolis was built during Greece's "Golden Age" (5th Century BC).
We also saw the Dionysos and Odeon Theaters, the National Garden, Panathion Stadium, Parliament Building, Hadrian's Arch, the University, Temple of Zeus and more.
Mykonos, Greece (21/5)
I planned on today being a day of solo exploration, shopping and enjoying the sun. It was a bit more windy than I was expecting, but, overall, probably one of my favorite stops on the trip (maybe because of all the white buildings with accent colors or maybe because of the friendly stray cats).
In on the first few shops I went into, the owner (?) was overly friendly. He wanted me to take off my sunglasses, told me I had beautiful eyes and held my hand a bit too long. On the plus side, he showed me Mykonos sights on post cards that I needed to see while there.
I found the thatched windmills he had mentioned. They were built in the 16th century and used to grind wheat. Also, I ate a meal on a seaside restaurant. By meal, I mean I had iced coffee, hummus and a banana/chocolate crepe. Heaven.
Kefalonia, Greece
Today we docked in the Argostoli port and I took the "Melissani Cave and Agios Andreas Monastery" tour. Making our way to the cave, we stopped in the fishing village of Agia Effimia and passed the beautiful Myrtos Beach.
When we arrived at the underground cave-lake, we learned that it was transformed by an earthquake, which caused part of the tavern roof to collapse. In the turquoise waters, the only thing that resides are eels (so no swimming for moi).
After a day at sea, we docked back in Venice, I got on a plane (and then train) back to Wales. I could have easily continued my time in Europe (minus the fact I had no plans at the time), but I wanted to go back to the UK to have one last week with everyone and say goodbye.
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