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Mare Nostrum
  • Chuck Cook
  • Glenda Cook
  • Chuck Cook
  • Glenda Cook

Mare Nostrum

We will cruise the sea that the Romans called "Mare Nostrum," our ocean. We are expecting to sample the history, the art, and the cuisine of the sea that for 2000 years was the center of the world. Read more
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  • Trip start
    November 5, 2013
  • Mare Nostrum
    Sunset at Civitavecchia
    Civitavecchia, an Industrial Port

    Boarding the Ruby Princess

    November 5, 2013 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F

    We arrived at the airport in Rome about 7:00 AM local time after boarding in Charlotte, and changing airplanes at JFK Airport in New York. Because we could not board the ship, the Ruby Princess, until noon, we had an extended bus tour of the city of Rome. We passed the Baths of Caracalla, and the Colosseum. We also skirted Vatican City, though we did not go in through the gates. I think Princess was just stalling until they could get our staterooms ready. Then we had to drive north to Civitavehcchia, where our ship was docked. It took quite a while. Even so, at around 4:00 pm our rooms were ready and we boarded the ship with no problems. The Ruby Princess is a lovely vessel, somewhat larger than the Coral Princess, on which we sailed through Alaska. At dinner Glenda and I were the only ones at a table for eight.Read more

  • Mare Nostrum
    Vesuvius at Dawn
    Antonio, our GuideRuins of PompeiiThe Last Moment of LifeAmphorae Preserved as Though NewFinal Moment of a Dog Killed in the Eruption of VesuviusDirections to the BrothelTheater of Pompeii

    Pompeii-City of Terror

    November 6, 2013 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 59 °F

    We sailed overnight from Civitavecchia to Naples. Our guide Antonio was quite knowledgeable. He lives in Herculaneum, and has apparently done a great deal of study on his own about the events related to the various eruptions of Mt. Vesuvius. It was especially interesting to see a brothel that had recently been excavated. Very graphic direction signs carved into the street pointed the directions to the establishment. There were casts made by the volcanic ash of dogs and people frozen into statues in their last moments of terror. Amphorae were preserved as though they were new. Pompeii is a snapshot of the last moments of a major city experiencing the end of the world. We toured Pompei, visited a cameo factory store, then toured the Amalfi Coast by bus, stopping in Sorrento for lunch and some free time. Then a boat took us to the island of Capri. Of particular note was the Krupp estate, founded by the nineteenth-century German entrepreneur. Again we had no table mates at dinner on the ship.Read more

  • Mare Nostrum
    Roadway Cut by Roman Slaves
    Walking the Wonderful Streets of SorrentoNeapolitan BeautyBay of Naples from SorrentoExcellent Craftsmanship

    Lunch in Lovely Sorrento

    November 6, 2013 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 66 °F

    We stopped in Sorrento for lunch at a wonderful restaurant called Da Gigino. In our free time that followed we visited a store that specializes in the most beautiful marquetry I have ever seen. We also wandered around the Catholic church and had refreshment at a lovely sidewalk cafe. Afterwards we took a steep stairway down to the wharf to board the boat to the island of Capri. The cut was made by slave labor in Roman times. One can only imagine the death and tragedy connected to its construction. Sorrento is absolutely beautiful.Read more

  • Mare Nostrum
    The Two Brothers
    Capri HarborThe Funicular Railway to the Top of the CliffAn Old Monastery, Now a School

    The Isle of Capri

    November 6, 2013 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 68 °F

    The afternoon at the Krups estate was phenomenal. It is beautiful. It is trendy. It is magnificent. We even saw Ralph Lauren just hanging out in front of his house. The Greeks were the first recorded residents of this paradise. The name comes from the Greek word "kapron," which means "hog." So I suppose one could call this place "Hog Island." The meter of the song from the 1940's notwithstanding, the accent of the name of this place falls on the first syllable. It is the Isle of KAP-ri, not the Isle of ka-PREE. The German Industrialist built a lovely park around his palace, which can be visited by us mortals now. The views of the "Two Brothers," as well as the rest of the lovely rock formations can be seen easily from its vantage point. The sides of this island are cliffs, many of which have roads and paths cut by Greek and Roman slaves in antiquity. Old monasteries, now used as schools and residences, complete the charm of this lovely island. A funicular carries a visitor to the top of the cliffs and back down in complete comfort.Read more

  • Mare Nostrum
    Mount EtnaWine TastingFormal Night

    Around the Toe of Italy

    November 7, 2013, Tyrrhenian Sea ⋅ ⛅ 72 °F

    Today is a Sea Day. In the afternoon we attended a wine-tasting. There was a Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon costing $134 per bottle. It was good, but it was not $100-more-per-bottle worth of good. I ordered a $40 bottle of Mondavi cabernet for my table wine at supper. It will take a week for me to finish the bottle. Since today was a sea day, tonight’s dinner requires formal dress. Just before dinner, we attended the Commodore’s Show, for passengers who are members of the “Captain’s Circle” (those passengers who have cruised with Princess before).Read more

  • Mare Nostrum
    Sunrise in the Caldera
    Katie Explains Ancient PotteryGreek Orthodox Church in SantoriniThe Villiage of Oiya (Pronounced EE-ya)Greek Windmill in OiyaSunbathersSite of the Eruption of TheraShadow of the ShipThera from the Sea

    Explosive Santorini

    November 8, 2013 in Greece ⋅ 🌬 70 °F

    In the morning the Ruby Princess anchored off Santorini. Our excursion group met in the Princess Theater at 8:00 AM. Our guide was a woman named Katerina, “Katie.” She took us all over the island. We especially enjoyed the free time we had photographing the town of Oia (pronounced EE-ya) on the north of the island. She brought a very interesting presentation at the archaeological museum, which related that there has been found a tree trunk destroyed in the eruption of the thirteenth century B. C. Carbon-14 tests place the eruption sometime around 1630 B. C. I have been trying to figure how such a date might fit in with the Exodus from Egypt. Pharaonic chronological records, as I recall from seminary, place the date of the Exodus sometime around 1240 B. C. Still, the notion that the Thera (“Fera” is the pronunciation of this word by its Muslim conquerors, who were unable to pronounce the “th” sound) eruption caused the Red Sea to recede, then to destroy the Egyptian Army in a tsunami are intriguing. Karen and Bob Crone from Atlanta were assigned to our table.Read more

  • Mare Nostrum
    Library of Celsus
    Restoration of Upscale Roman NeighborhoodRoman Wall DecorationsExcavated Roman VillasStatue of Arete, Excellence, at the Library of CelsusTheater at Ephesus, Where St. Paul PreachedThe Grand Passageway from the Port to the TheaterReputed Home of the Virgin MaryErgin, our Guide

    Ephesus, Second City of the Roman Empire

    November 9, 2013 in Turkey ⋅ ⛅ 57 °F

    Although Kusadasi is the gateway to Ephesus, it is a charming city in its own right. Our guide, Ergin, was a bit older than our other guides, but he was fantastic--well informed, competent, and with a dry sense of humor. Ephesus was the second city of the Roman Empire, a major port until it was silted up in the fourth century. Failure to drain the increasing swamps resulted in mosquitoes that caused epidemics. By the fifth century the city was abandoned. It was a major center of the Christian Church. We saw the tomb of St. John. In medieval times there had been a basilica constructed over the site. Now it is a simple tomb in the ground. The library of Celsus is magnificent even in its ruined state. What is reputed to be the house of the Virgin Mary is the site of Roman Catholic pilgrimage. Only one column remains of the Temple of Diana. We had an excellent five-course Turkish lunch, complete with folkloric dancers. After lunch we went to a carpet cooperative, but, of course, with our acquaintance with the Capels, had already learned enough to buy the carpets we need.Read more

  • Mare Nostrum

    Kusadasi, The Bird's Nest

    November 9, 2013 in Turkey ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F

    The name Kusadasi means "the bird's nest." It is the center of activity on this part of the Turkish coastline. Missing the political turmoil of Istanbul and Ankara, Kusadasi has its own quiet take on Turkish culture. We had an excellent Turkish lunch, complete with folk dancers and very entertaining musicians. The city is a wonderful venue for shopping and just hanging out. We were given a tour of a local rug merchant's shop with a demonstration of rug manufacturing.Read more

  • Mare Nostrum
    Ancient Greek TheaterLions of DelosMosaic Showing AlexanderThe Original Lions of Delos are Now Indoors in a Museum

    Delos, Birthplace of Greek Gods

    November 10, 2013 in Greece ⋅ ⛅ 61 °F

    Our guide for Mykonos and Delos was Irene. Delos was the home of the Greek gods. This was the sacred island on which the gods were born. Unable to support life now because of the lack of water, the only resident is the overseer for the archaeological sites. The biggest challenge, I suppose, is getting an adequate water supply. One interesting characteristic here is the light. It is palpably bright. Many artists enjoy coming to these islands simply to appreciate the quality of the light. Of course, as in Arizona, one component of the light is the arid air, which makes for insufficient rainfall.Read more

  • Mare Nostrum
    Windmills of Mykonos
    Courtyard of the MonasteryThe Ruby Princess in Mykonos

    Mykonos

    November 10, 2013 in Greece ⋅ ⛅ 70 °F

    Mykonos is an absolutely charming island that boasts a little town with ancient Greek windmills, and a black basalt beach. There are lots of places for eating, shopping and drinking, and for just hanging out and enjoying La Dolce Vita.Read more

  • Mare Nostrum
    The Parthenon
    The Parthenon, Built in Honor of Athena Parthenos, (the Virgin)Karyatids on the ErechtheumTemple of HephaestusThe Odeon or Contert Hall

    Athens: The Acropolis

    November 11, 2013 in Greece ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F

    The acropolis in Athens is ground zero for the culture of the western hemisphere. The Parthenon affected me as deeply as it did when I saw it the first time as a twenty-one-year-old student. The proximity of Egypt, Greece and Italy explains a great deal about the spreading of art and culture in the ancient world. As we were sailing from Italy to Greece it occurred to me that western Greece and the “heel” of Italy are only about forty-five miles apart. On the acropolis we saw not only the Parthenon, but also the Propylaea, the Odeon and the Treasury. The magnificence of these buildings is overwhelming. What a tragedy that much of the damage to the Parthenon occurred because it was used as a target for Turkish artillery practice.Read more

  • Mare Nostrum
    Zeus or Poseidon
    Museum of Ancient History, AthensAncient Greek AmphoraKhouris

    Athens: The Museum

    November 11, 2013 in Greece ⋅ ⛅ 70 °F

    The museum at Athens makes every other exhibition of ancient Greek artifacts look pale. This is the mother lode. Here we see the development of Greek statuary from its stiff Egyptian antecedents all the way up through the creation of statues that almost seem to move and breathe.Read more

  • Mare Nostrum
    Piraeus, the port of Athens
    Greek Orthodox Church at PiraeusSchool Children on the PlakaOne Fantastic Cup of CoffeeThe Arch of Hadrian in AthensRepairing the Olympic StadiumModern Olympic Stadium Built on Ancient FoundationsShopping on the Plaka

    Athens: The City

    November 11, 2013 in Greece ⋅ ⛅ 68 °F

    Walking on the Plaka, sipping coffee at an outdoor cafe, seeing the lights of the Piraeus, and enjoying the re-creation of a Greek stadium for the modern Olympics--all of these are part of the modern Athens. It is a city that is rooted in the past, but with a powerful present and a vibrant future.Read more

  • Mare Nostrum

    Katakolon: The Port We Missed

    November 12, 2013 in Greece ⋅ ⛅ 61 °F

    Katakolon is the gateway to Mount Olympus. The day we were to visit the weather was rainy and stormy with heavy winds. Our captain wanted a particular berth. He was advised that to get it he must go out of the port and loiter for a few hours. He did so. When he returned to Katakolon, the harbor master refused to give him the only berth the captain thought safe, so we skipped Katakolon and Olympus, and sailed on up the coast.Read more

  • Mare Nostrum

    Sissi: Beauty and Tragedy

    November 13, 2013 in Greece ⋅ 🌧 61 °F

    Empress Elizabeth of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, known to friends as Sissi, was a beautiful woman with a very unhappy life. Her husband was not interested in her. Yet she dutifully bore an heir, who was a serious disappointment. Her getaway from the Hofburg Palace in Vienna was this seaside resort she built for herself. She was fanatical about two things: her beauty, and Greek mythology. She would spend hours each morning arranging her long, lovely hair. She also built this monument to Achilles and the stories associated with Greek gods and demigods. Finally she was assassinated as republican fever swept across Europe in the prelude to World War I.Read more

  • Mare Nostrum

    Corfu: The Paleokastritsa

    November 13, 2013 in Greece ⋅ ☁️ 61 °F

    The Paleokastritsa is a roadway on the island of Corfu (Kerkyra) that goes up into the mountains, past monasteries, extravagant vistas, and quaint coffee shops. We took advantage of all of these features as we explored a wonderful island.Read more

  • Mare Nostrum
    Corfu By Night
    Waiting TablesA Dog's Life in CorfuChurch of St. SpyridonVenetian Architecture in CorfuTown Plaza, CorfuMouse IslandCorfu Elegance

    Corfu: The City

    November 13, 2013 in Greece ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F

    The island of Corfu (Kerkyra) is a wonderland. It has been domanated by Venetian, Austro-Hungarian and English rulers. The result is a wonderfully cosmopolitan island that bears the stamp of the whole of Europe. Technically Greek now, we saw the house in which Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh, was born. The buildings look Venetian. Every language, including English and French, are widely spoken here. The food is wonderful. The ambience is intoxicating. Corfu has become one of our favorite places in the world to visit.Read more

  • Mare Nostrum

    The Chef's Table

    November 13, 2013, Adriatic Sea ⋅ ⛅ 52 °F

    One of the joys of taking a cruise occurs when the ship offers something akin to what Princess Cruises calls "The Chef's Table." On the Ruby Princess it involves a trip back to the kitchens to see how the meals are prepared. Of course there are samples, ice carving, sugar sculptures and other delights to tickle the palate before one even sits down at the table. When that moment finally arrives, one is seated at a luxurious formal table setting with wines paired for each course. My problem was that though I never drink in excess, I was so preoccupied with the interesting table conversation that the steward continued to refill my wine glasses without my being aware of it. No wonder it was such a delightful meal! The desserts were works of art. The whole meal was a memorable experience.Read more

  • Mare Nostrum

    Dubrovnik-An Unexpected Treasure

    November 14, 2013 in Croatia ⋅ ⛅ 66 °F

    We were not expecting much from the city of Dubrovnik in Croatia. How surprised we were! I had heard that there were some buildings here from the ninth century. I did not realize that the whole ninth-century town is still intact behind the original walls. The main churches are those of St. Mary and St. Blaise, the patron of Dubrovnik. He miraculously repelled a Turkish invasion. A seventh-century wall around the old harbor leads to the church of St. John. Although we had few expectations of Dubrovnik, the fact that the old city is clean, whole and intact impressed me. One shopkeeper excoriated a man who allowed his dog to foul the street. Dubrovnik has recovered from the artillery shelling it endured in the Serbo-Croatian War in 1994. The main street and the palace of the Rector of the old Republic of Raguza were very impressive.Read more

  • Mare Nostrum
    St. Mark's Square from the Water
    Approaching the Port of VeniceLeaving the Correr MuseumA Ceiling in the Doge's PalaceTympanum Over the Door of St. Mark's BasilicaEntrance to the Doge's PalaceSanta Maria Della SaluteSylvia

    The Wonders of Venice

    November 16, 2013 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 55 °F

    Venice is magnificent! I stood on the balcony taking pictures as the ship entered St. Mark’s Basin. We went on an organized tour of the Doge’s Palace with our guide Sylvia, a very witty and capable young lady. Glenda and I chose to forego the tour of the glass shop so that we might visit the Correr Museum. The collection there is incredible. We bought two books on Venice, one on the Doge’s Palace.Read more

  • Mare Nostrum
    Gondolas Ready
    AltaquaForty-dollar PizzaFrozen BrideSt. Mark's SquareScarf DisplaySansovino's Base for the Tower of VeniceDetail of the Doge's PalaceMasks

    Worship and Water, St. Mark's

    November 17, 2013 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 55 °F

    We worshipped at St. Mark’s Basilica. We had to walk on little platforms to avoid the ankle-deep water flooding St. Mark’s Square. Even though the service was in Italian, I felt more at home there than in any United Methodist Church I’ve attended in the last decade. We made a lunch of a small pizza and coffee at a sidewalk cafe in St. Mark’s Square. The privilege of eating that small meal in that location cost $40! We finished touring the Correr Museum. A leisurely walk back to our shuttle boat yielded some excellent photographs. The beauty of Venice’s art and architecture is overwhelming. Since we are ending one cruise now, and beginning another, we got a new set of messmates. John Ward and his caregiver Jenna from Norwich, England joined the table. John, who trains racehorses, was paralyzed three years ago when kicked in the face by a mare. His spinal cord was broken in the accident. Jenna is his nurse who travels with John. Also new at the table were Jim and his wife Pat, from rural Australia outside of Perth. He is a retired sheep farmer, and she is a retired nurse.Read more

  • Mare Nostrum
    The Corinth Canal
    Glenda on the BoatThe AcrocorinthosFishing in the CanalThe Old Pacific Princess, TV's original Love Boat

    Corinth Canal

    November 20, 2013 in Greece ⋅ ⛅ 61 °F

    We took the bus to Corinth where we boarded a boat for a trip down the canal. It is remarkable that several ancient and modern attempts to cut a canal here failed. We saw the Acrocorinthos in the distance, but were not able to visit there. It was a lovely, leisurely cruise in an impressive feat of engineering.Read more

  • Mare Nostrum

    Kusadasi and Ephesus

    November 21, 2013 in Turkey ⋅ ⛅ 68 °F

    I was running a little temperature so I decided not to get off the ship for the visit to Kusadasi and Ephesus. We had been here before, so it seemed to be a good day to rest and recuperate. Glenda spent some time going around and photographing areas on the ship.Read more

  • Mare Nostrum

    Hagia Sophia, The Gate of Heaven

    November 22, 2013 in Turkey ⋅ ⛅ 61 °F

    Today is the fiftieth anniversary of the assassination of John F. Kennedy. We arrived in Istanbul about 7:00 A. M., and the first sight I saw from our balcony was the Hagia Sophia. It also turned out to be the first place we visited. It is not difficult to imagine the Emperor Justinian entering through the imperial doors, to reenact liturgically the grand drama of the cosmos in the Holy Eucharist. For a thousand years this was the central church in the world. It was the Vatican before the Vatican mattered. It was the Gate of Heaven.Read more

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