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Greece Family Trip 2025
  • KS Lisa
  • Diane Journot
  • KS Lisa
  • Diane Journot

Greece Family Trip 2025

A 21-day adventure by KS Lisa & Diane Read more
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  • Greece Family Trip 2025

    Athens to Celestyal Journey Cruise

    May 31, 2025 in Greece ⋅ ⛅ 75 °F

    This morning we had an easy morning in the apartment getting packed up and ready to head to our cruise aboard the Celestyal Journey to begin our 7 day adventure. A Greek Island cruise was on mom’s bucket list which led us to taking this family trip.

    Christof picked us up for the 30 minute ride to the port. There were several larger cruise ships docked along with two very large sailboats.

    Boarding process was very quick and we made it to our suites very quickly. The suites are very nice and roomy with a large balcony. Mom and Dad are next door to Pam and I. The Journot’s and Hapner’s are on the opposite side of us. We split them up that way so that we’d always have a view of land no matter which side we docked on.

    We settled in quickly and went to the Smoked Olive for lunch. This restaurant is reserved for suite guests. The food selection was varied and quite good. I had an avocado salad, lasagna and a cake dessert with raspberry sauce.

    Afterwards David, Janet and I decided to walk the ship. We have a sun deck at the highest level of the ship that is reserved for suite guests. There’s a pickleball and basketball court on the same deck. At the spa, they gave us a tour….very nice. We have access to an area that has mosaic tiled heated chairs with a jacuzzi and steam room. The chairs look hard but they fit my back well and felt really good. I will be trying these out later for sure!

    At 4:00 we had to don our life vests and go to our muster station. After a lot of standing around we headed back to our rooms to return the life vests. Mike, Diane, David, Janet and I went to the Sail Away Party on Deck 12 in the Disco. It had advertised a free drink for everyone but instead was free flowing with the waiters coming by our tables quite frequently! Diane took one for the team and left early to go listen to the presentation on what the ship had to offer and excursions while we watched the ship leave port.

    We all went to dinner. Afterwards Mike, Diane and I went to the amphitheater for the ABBA show. The singing was good but the dancing was a bit stiff.

    Thankfully the beds in our rooms are quite comfy compared to the ones that were in our Athens apartment. Time for bed!    Read more

  • Greece Family Trip 2025
    1

    Day 1 of the cruise -dj

    June 1, 2025 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 68 °F

    We signed up for a bunch of excursions last night, so the first of many will be today. Before that though, I walked upstairs to the spa to get a tour. With our suites, we get access to extra areas, like a private hot tub, sauna, steam room and the thermal beds. These beds do NOT look comfortable. They are made of some sort of mosaic material and they look and feel hard as a rock. However… lay on one and… wow. Feels GREAT! Mom has already decided she needs one and thinks it can be powered by solar energy. But how to get one home… hmmm… Ha. I booked a massage package for tomorrow.

    Now, onto the excursion... Lisa, Janet, Mike and I went on the Panoramic Thessaloniki trip. Thessaloniki is the capital of Macedonia. First, we went to the Archeological museum. It was very interesting with lots of beautiful antiquities. I could spend hours in there, reading all about each exhibit. But…, it was onto the next site. We then visited the White Tower, which served as both fortification, as well as a prison. They performed executions on the top of the tower and said that the outer walls turned red with the blood of the people killed there. Creeeeeepy. While along the coast line, we also walked to see the statue of Alexander The Great. We then travelled to the top of the city, where we saw the old city walls from the Byzantine times. Beautiful views of the city. We could see St Paul Church from there as well. .We had a Greek beer while others shopped. Note the interesting bottle opener. Onto our last stop, St Demetrius Cathedral. This church was built over the site of Roman baths, which we saw the remains of on our tour. Very good guide and enjoyable tour.

    After dinner, Mike, Lisa and I enjoyed some traditional Greek music in the Blue Lounge. The trio (two men; one woman) were great - beautiful voices. One of the men played an instrument similar to a mandolin, a bouzouki. We had a shot of mastika, which made our full stomachs feel better. Lisa and I ended the day singing karaoke and our renditions of Bye, Bye Love and one other song that I can’t remember right now… Ha.    Read more

  • Greece Family Trip 2025

    Cruise - Day 1 - Thessalonki, Greece

    June 1, 2025 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F

    Today is our first excursion, Panoramic Thessaloniki. Mike, Diane, Janet and I boarded our bus and headed out. Our first stop was the Archeological Museum…..they had quite a few well preserved statues but the stars of the show ere all of the gold pieces in amazing condition that have been unearthed from the Byzantine era. Pictures do not do them justice as they were in dark showcases. They continue to unearth more as more sites are excavated. Next up was the white Tower on the waterfront. This is the city’s most famous site and part of the original fortification of the city. It was also used as a prison with beheadings conducted on the top of it. On the walk to the statue of Alexander the Great we went by a pirate ship. Here I discovered a Greek man for Jalyne (please see attached picture). He was so cute our little Asian helper from the ship almost ran me over looking at him as she walked by and I was stopped to take a photo! Also on the way were the electric scooters being fished from the sea…..apparently teenagers think it is funny to dump them over the wall. The sea is kind of stinky here and the guide said they don’t swim in the water at port because it is polluted; however, we saw someone fishing and wondered why they would want to eat the fish from there. The statue was very cool….Diane got a lovely picture of Mike who, unbeknownst to him, was standing under the lifted tail of the horse.

    Next we drove up to the top of the city and visited the old city walls with incredible views of the city and Aegean Sea. We could see St. Paul Church and on the way down the guide pointed out a doorway through the fortification wall with at led to a Monastery that Monks built on the spot that Paul converted Jews to Christianity.

    Our last stop was 5th Century St. Demetrius Church. It was a beautiful church and in the crypt below were remains of Roman baths and the site where Demetrius was jailed.

    Back aboard, we had another awesome meal and then Mike, Diane and I went to the Blue Lounge and had a Mashita which is a digestive liquor that we were introduced to on our first night in Athens. Sure takes away that overly stuffed feeling! There was a 3 person group performing that were quite good. One female singer, a male singer who also played a mandolin and a male keyboard player. They were very good!

    We decided to go check out Karaoke…..Mike was having none of it so went to bed! Chicken! Not a very good song selection if you like Country music and no one was singing. Diane and I sang two songs although I can’t remember what the first one was. The second was Everly Brothers Bye Bye Love. We were the only ones brave enough to sing first as it was dead when we arrived but afterward two ladies sang and completely butchered a song but sure had fun doing it.    Read more

  • Greece Family Trip 2025

    Day 2 of the cruise - dj

    June 2, 2025 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F

    Probably the best massage I’ve ever had today. It included a hot stone, a facial, an Indian head massage and foot/ankle massage. FANTASTIC. Apparently there was some drama in the spa area that Lisa and I both witnessed. All I know was there was a woman draped loosely in a towel that was unhappy. She was also about to fall out of the towel. Lisa can explain what she saw. Ha.

    All eight of us went on today’s excursion in Kusadasi, Turkey. Yes, we have all stepped foot on the Asian continent now. 😊

    Today we toured the House of the Virgin Mary, where it is believed that Mary lived out the end of her life, being taken care of by John. It was a lovely, yet small, home perched high on top of a small mountain.

    Next, we traveled to the ancient town of Ephesus. It was a long, hot walk through the area. According to the guide, we were walking two miles through the ruins. The ruins were fantastic. Apparently, Cleopatra and Mark Anthony built a home here as well, importing pink marble for the construction.

    The last stop was at a carpet-making store. It was very interesting to see how they extracted silk and also how they make the carpets. They were beautiful! We got the hard-sell, but we all made it through without parting with the $$$$ to purchase one. They served wine, apple cider and snacks, including the Turkish version of baklava, which was green in color and VERY yummy!

    After dinner, we watched the acrobatic show, which was very good!    Read more

  • Greece Family Trip 2025

    Cruise - Day 2 - Kusadasi, Turkey (Asia)

    June 2, 2025 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 82 °F

    This morning started with a nice breakfast and a view in the distance of a group of dolphins. I had a 90 minite spa appointment that included a hot stone massage, Indian head massage, foot and ankle massage and a facial. Ogan, from Bahrain, got a little carried away with the knots in my back but otherwise was very relaxing.

    Everyone in our group went on an excursion today to tour Ephesus. Our first stop was high on a hilltop to visit the house of the Virgin Mary. This is where John the Baptist took Mary for safety to live out her life after the crucifixion. Anne Catherine Emmerich, a Nun, is credited with helping to locate the home through her visions. The site has been visited by at least 3 popes who brought a rosary that is now hanging inside the home. There is water that runs from a spring that many believe has healing powers. There was an opportunity to light a candle here which Mike and I both did.

    The next stop was to visit the ruins of ancient Ephesus. We started at the top.of the city and hiked 2 miles down the hill through the remains of the town. It's amazing how well preserved some of the ruins are. Many have been lost due to earthquakes. Our guide explained how the Ephesians lived and what each area represented. The bathrooms were interesting....way too close to each other....this was the spot of much gossip as people did their "business". The library was very well preserved. It was very hot as the majority of the walk was in the sun.

    At the end of the walk was a shopping area with very pushy sale people. Pam and I enjoyed a cold, fresh pressed orange juice. Mom and Dad were waiting for us there.

    The next stop was a rug factory. They were absolutely beautiful! The demonstrations were very interesting. Afterwards they had snacks and drinks for us. A 10x12 rug was $6,500 all shipping included. If you were in the market for a rug it would pay your way here easily to buy a rug and turn it into a vacation versus buying at home.

    Back aboard the Journey we took quick showers and had dinner before enjoying tonight's show which was an acrobatic show to music.    Read more

  • Greece Family Trip 2025

    Cruise Day 3 - Herkalion, Crete

    June 3, 2025 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F

    Pam, Mike, Diane and I took an excursion to see the Kronoss Palace ruins. It was quite extensive in size. There was a Miconian walkway that was original to the first Palace built there. Sir Arthur Evans had excavated the Palace in the early 1900's. To be honest when I read the trip description I thought it was going to be a Palace thar was intact and not a ruin. I'm about ruined out! 😁

    Afterwards we went to a pottery shop and watched the owner make 2 pots. He made it look very easy but he's also been at it close to 60 years. His wife paints them as well.

    We saw lots of olive groves and vineyards on the trip. The countryside reminds me of Spain as it's arid.

    Back aboard we had a quick lunch. Diane l, Mom and I went to the spa and sat in the jacuzzi and then laid on the heated, tile beds....I fell asleep...it felt wonderful and really helped my back.

    Everyone but Pam went poolside and played 99 and Pitch. Janet was the 99 winner and Dad, Diane and I won Pitch.

    Mike, Diane, Pam and I stopped at the Pink Fizz at 7:00 for our free drink. Tonight's choices were a Tom Collins or Rum and OJ. They also served some light snacks. Next was dinner.....Pam and Mike had Octopus "balls" as their appetizer. We think we need to help them with the wording on their description as we got quite a few laughs out of it. Maybe Diane will post a picture of the menu.

    Next up, a revisit to the Blue Bar for a digestive. The same group was performing so we sat for awhile listening. Then we were off to the Disco for more karaoke.....again, no one was performing upon our arrival....Mike and I sang several songs together and Diane even joined us on one. The only other person that sang was a waiter. Sadly 10:30 rolled around and it was time to switch to Disco....looking at the crowd coming in we decided we weren't glittery enough to stay!    Read more

  • Greece Family Trip 2025

    Cruise - Day 4 - Santorini, Greece

    June 4, 2025 in Greece ⋅ ☁️ 72 °F

    Today started out very leisurely as we didn’t need to leave for our excursion until 4:00 p.m. Mom, Diane and I scheduled facials as they were 50% off. Stephenie did a wonderful job and my skin was very soft afterwards. Afterwards we went to lunch and then back to our rooms to do whatever (read take a nap!) before getting ready to go. Everyone went today except David.

    We had to be tendered in to the port and then took a bus up the steep incline to the top of the hill. One of those don’t look down if your side of the bus is on the outside edge! First stop was Megalochori. We got off the bus and walked through the small village enjoying the architecture and shops. We then drove to the west through small villages to Oia. They have little water to spare so their vineyards are planted in shallow webs. As Santorini and its sister islands are all part of a former volcano that collapsed, there is very little dirt. The underlying sediment is pumice. Our guide, Nikos, explained that because there isn’t much root structure the berries are smaller but much more intense. They produce three varieties of local wine. On a hilltop, near a monastery, they have cisterns to collect rainwater. They use a water purifying system to clean salt out of the sea for everyday usage but it is not drinkable. Our last stop was Fira where the famous double blue church domes are. Every city is filled with white buildings and is just beautiful! We stopped in Fira for dinner and to watch the sunset….just magnificent! Then back to walking and stairs to get to the cable car to take us down to the pier to catch the tender. I sat in the front car with Pam and Diane. Oh my goodness! It was SO steep and fast. The alternative was to take the winding stairs down…..only 587 steps! No, thank you! We’d already done more stairs than any of us imagined and logged over 10,000 steps not counting stairs! We were all glad to get back to our rooms and get a shower!

    Pam and I sat on our deck a bit and were treated to a fireworks show.

    Interesting tidbit…..we didn’t see any cemeteries. That’s because after a funeral the body is put in a crypt and taken out of the coffin so it can disintegrate. They can’t bury in the ground due to the pumice as the body wouldn’t disintegrate.

    It’s also pretty neat to be in the Caldera…..the bowl-like shape that was created from an eruption. The last eruption was in 1950; however, the island just off our ship is still active.

    We pull up anchor and leave at midnight…..53 minutes away……I think we’re fine! 😏    Read more

  • Greece Family Trip 2025

    Athens to Istanbul 6/7 - dj

    June 7, 2025 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F

    We disembarked from our cruise ship at 7:00 a.m. and headed to the airport. Janet & David were headed onto Corfu, Greece; the rest of us were flying onto Istanbul for our free stopover there. Pretty good deal with Turkish Airlines. If you fly roundtrip from the US to a destination other than Istanbul on Turkish Airlines, you’re allowed to do a free stopover in Istanbul, including 2-3 nights at a 4- or 5-star hotel in Istanbul. We arrived at our swanky hotel, Renaissance Polat Istanbul Hotel, and settled into our rooms. We had fabulous views.Read more

  • Greece Family Trip 2025

    Istanbul Topkapi Palace 6/8 - dj

    June 8, 2025 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F

    We had a nice breakfast at the hotel this morning, including Turkish coffee. The waitress was going to “read” my coffee, but she got too busy. Dad was not feeling great, so he decided to hang out at the swanky hotel room today. The rest of us traveled to Topkapi Palace so that we could see how the sultans lived. The grounds were beautiful with magnificent views of the Bosphorus. The buildings were very ornate. The museum housed a wide variety of artifacts, including an extensive collection of clocks, weapons, and other historically significant items. One part of the museum has a staff that was said to have belonged to Moses, as well as bones from John the Baptist.

    Lisa & I also zoomed through the Harem, which was HUGE and very interesting. Large rooms with elaborate wall coverings and bathrooms.    Read more

  • Greece Family Trip 2025

    Istanbul Tours 6/9 - dj

    June 9, 2025 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F

    Today was a full day of tours. We met our guide in the old Hippodrome area of Istanbul, which is now called Sultanahmet Square. This is the same area that we visited yesterday to tour Topkapi Palace. Our guide described the former use of this area, especially for chariot races. He also talked about the history of the columns in the square, including the Obelisk of Theodosius.

    We then walked to the Blue Mosque. It was built in the 1600’s and is a UNESCO world heritage site. The mosque is as beautiful as it is huge. Unfortunately, there was no easy way to enter for the tour, so we had to lift Mom up a few steep steps to gain entry. Thankfully, there was a ramp exiting. As lovely as the building was, there was a definite “stinky feet” odor. Fabreze, anyone? Ha.

    The next place that we visited was Hagia Sophia. This is a much older mosque/museum, having been completed in 537 AD, and is also a UNESCO world heritage site. It was massive, with some beautiful “hidden” mosaics. It is definitely in need of some TLC, but it is OLD.

    We walked around the area before grabbing an Uber. We had booked a boat trip on the Bosphorus - the narrow strait that separates the European side of Istanbul from the Asian side of Istanbul. Istanbul is the only city in the world that is located on two different continents. We enjoyed our relaxing boat trip before heading back to the hotel.    Read more