Glenda Cook

Glenda Cook

traveled in 69 countries Read more🇺🇸Asheboro

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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
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Mare Nostrum
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
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Mare Nostrum
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
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Mare Nostrum
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
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Mare Nostrum
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
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Mare Nostrum
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
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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
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Mare Nostrum
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
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Mare Nostrum
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
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Mare Nostrum
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
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Mare Nostrum
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
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Mare Nostrum
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
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Mare Nostrum
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
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Mare Nostrum
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
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Mare Nostrum
Leaving from Charlotte
November 4, 2013 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 54 °F
We left from Charlotte and flew directly to Rome.
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Alaska 1
Journey's End
September 17, 2012 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 68 °F
On Monday September 17 I woke early to take some early morning pictures of the Vancouver sunrise. It was as beautiful as the sunrise on the first day of the cruise. Leaving the ship, our home for a week, was hard. The bus driver taking us to the Vancouver airport tried to be funny. We boarded our plane and set off for a bumpy flight to Chicago, and then on to Charlotte. Glenda’s mother picked us up at the airport, and we returned home to Asheboro about midnight.Read more
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Alaska 1
Winding Down
September 16, 2012, Coastal Waters Of Southeast Alaska And British Columbia ⋅ ☁️ 66 °F
The next day we were at sea, headed for Vancouver. Since I did not have a map, I could not identify the many picturesque little islands we passed. I assume all had names, but some were so small I would not be surprised if they are nameless. In the clouds and mist, they were ethereally lovely. Even though at sea, we had one of the most interesting excursions of the trip, and we did it onboard. The “Ultimate Ship’s Tour” takes one from the engine room, to the laundry, to the food preparation area, to the housekeeping areas, to the theaters, all the way up to the bridge, showing the inner workings of the Coral Princess. We finished with canapes and champaign, and even received a complementary bathrobe from the laundry. The group even had its picture taken with Captain Fabio Amitrano.Read more
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Alaska 1
Misty Fjords
September 15, 2012 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 52 °F
The morning of September 15 as we were about to arrive in Ketchikan, we saw our most exciting whale viewing yet. Naturalist Kathy Slamp came over the ship’s loudspeaker to point out some humpback whales at the ship’s eleven o’clock position. Actually, Glenda and I had already sighted the spouting. As we were watching, we saw several simultaneous spouts, and Slamp said that she though that this might be a sighting of the whales “bubble netting,” forcing fish into a concentrated area with exhaled bubbles. Suddenly, all of the whales surfaced at once. They were indeed “bubble netting.” Glenda was overcome with joy at the sight. A boat soon took us up Rudyerd Bay, past New Eddystone Rock, to the Misty Fjords National Monument. The scenery was spectacular. However, rather than appearing as misty fjords, the air was clear and the sun was brilliant the day we visited. They were, nevertheless, indescribably beautiful.Read more
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Alaska 1
Whale Watching
September 15, 2012 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 32 °F
At 6:00 am on September 14 we docked at Juneau and had a few minutes to cruise downtown. We spent most of our time on the second floor of the Tongas Trading Company in its outdoor provision store. Glenda was looking for some earmuffs to replace the ones she lost. I joked with her that they must have fallen overboard because we were both very careful to make sure that our stateroom stayed neat with everything it its place. I told her that a whale had stolen her earmuffs and must be wearing them for his trip to Hawaii. I brought my old binoculars on the trip, the 7x50’s that I bought at K-Mart in Raleigh when I was in seminary. It seems that a lens or a prism has been jarred, because they are no longer properly aligned. I saw a pair of 16x50 Bushnell binoculars at the Tongas store, but they are asking $100 for them. I thought the price to be a bit high. (When I returned home I found an identical pair that Amazon.com is selling for $60.) Returning to the ship we boarded a bus that took us to a smaller dock where we boarded the whale-watching boat. We spent most of the morning on the bay, and in fact, did see a few humpback whales spouting and surfacing. I got a few decent pictures of some flukes and of one “spy hop.” Back on land we got some excellent hands-on photographic instruction as we hiked the East Glacier Loop Trail. Finally we were at the Mendenhall Glacier itself, which afforded ample photographic opportunities. I think our guide’s name was Scott. He is a former National Park Ranger, and an extremely knowledgeable naturalist and photographer. At about four o’clock in the afternoon, we left Juneau for Ketchikan.Read more
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Alaska 1
Skagway and the Eagle Preserve
September 13, 2012 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 46 °F
On the morning of September 13 we docked at Scagway. I got a beautiful picture of the Star Princess tying up on the dock behind us. We had some time to tour the town before a ferry took us to Haines. The guide humorously described his life without Taco Bell and McDonald’s. We went out from town about half an hour’s drive to our excursion to the Eagle Preserve. We fitted up with boots and wet gear, then boarded inflatable boats for a trip down the river. We saw several juvenile and adult eagles, and passed a modest Tlingit village. Our oarsman, Elise, was able and affable. We were able to board the inflatable with Mollie and Will, our new friends from Charlotte. He is a retired police officer. After the ride we were all treated to hot chocolate as we divested ourselves of our rubber boots and pants. It was interesting that we saw quite a few juvenile eagles, and a few adults. It is remarkable, though, that one sees as many eagles on telephone poles in the cities as in the eagle preserve.Read more
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Alaska 1
Glacier Bay
September 12, 2012 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 52 °F
On September 12 we had a day at sea and a presentation by the ship’s naturalist, Kathy Slamp, before the ship sailed into Glacier Bay National Park to view Johns Hopkins, Margerie and Lamplugh and other adjoining glaciers and saw some majestic scenery. We also had a presentation by one of the Park Rangers before entering Glacier Bay that put most of the audience to sleep.Read more
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Alaska 1
First Glaciers
September 11, 2012 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 50 °F
Upon arriving at the ship, we went through the safety drill, then went to dinner. We found our dinner companions to be very interesting people, including two homosexual Roman Catholic priests, and a Mormon woman who had been in a polygamous marriage. They will be our mess mates throughout this cruise. I rose early, about 5:00 am on September 11 to learn my way around the ship. Very few passengers were awake to see the glorious sunrise I photographed. I attended a photography class. We saw the Hubbard and Reid glaciers.Read more
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Alaska 1
First Sight of the Coral Princess
September 10, 2012 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 48 °F
The next morning, September 10 we boarded a train near the Denali Princess Lodge for the trip to Whittier, where we would meet our ship, the Coral Princess. It is amazing that we had already done so much, and had not even yet officially begun our cruise. As we traveled South, our guide, Matt, gave a wonderful narrative of the natural history of Alaska. Mount McKinley (I prefer to call it Denali) remained clear, and Glenda and I both got some excellent photo shots. As we turned southeast of Anchorage, we saw the site of the town of Portage, which was destroyed in the earthquake of 1964. Only the roof of one building remained. Looking south across Turnagain Arm, I was impressed with one mountain, which, when viewed from the northwest looking southeast, resembles a truncated pyramid. It kept my attention for several minutes. There in the water we made our first significant sighting of aquatic mammals, a pod of belugas. A trip through the one-lane tunnel soon gave us our first view of our ship, the Coral Princess waiting for us in Whittier.Read more
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Alaska 1
Denali and the Nenana River
September 9, 2012 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 32 °F
In the morning we were scheduled for a nature trip into Denali National Park, but an unexpected snow storm had closed the roads into the park. The scene in the lodge was pandemonium, as guests crowded the front desk waiting for information about their delayed or cancelled excursions. Ours got underway around 11:00 am, and while we were in the park, it started to snow again. We were only able to go into the park about fourteen miles, but what we saw was magnificent. That afternoon we were taken in a bus south, near Panorama Peak, where we were taken on a jet boating excursion on the Nenana River. There was also a nature education element which taught us about trapping and gold prospecting in Alaska. Our boat captain’s name was Scott. It seems that everyone in Alaska who pilots a boat or an airplane is named Scott.Read more
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Alaska 1
Four-Wheeling in the Wilderness
September 8, 2012 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 43 °F
That afternoon we took a bus up to the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge. Besides the extravagantly glorious scenery, I found it especially interesting that there is a bush pilot airport which used to be a P-51 Mustang base during World War II. When we arrived at the lodge, we enjoyed an ATV (all-terrain vehicle) adventure in the rain on beautifully remote trails west of Healy, Alaska. Glenda was a bit afraid of the ATV’s, never having ridden one, so she and I got a tandem ATV, which drove just like a golf cart. Ours had a windshield and the rain on it made visibility almost impossible. I was exhausted when we finished, so we returned to the Denali Princess Lodge to a hearty supper.Read more
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Alaska 1
Jerry Sousa, Iditerod Champion
September 8, 2012 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 32 °F
In the morning we went to the Talkeetna training center of Jerry Sousa, a contender for the championship of the Iditerod dog sled race. We followed in a four-wheeler and the dogs led their four-wheeler on a course around the outskirts of Talkeetna. They washed off in a cold stream when they finished their training run, then we went back to the kennels. Glenda fell in love with a little black and white dog named Willow. We went back to Talkeetna where I set up to photograph Denali. Eventually the clouds cleared and I got a decent shot.Read more
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