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Greece 2025
  • Joann Pyne
  • Joann Pyne

Greece 2025

Five weeks cruising around Greece En savoir plus
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  • Joann PyneGreece 2025Voyageur

    Athens

    21–24 oct. 2025, Australie ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    We left Crete, and I travelled to Athens for four days while Jo and Len continued to Italy and Oman. Spent four days in Athens exploring some of the most famous landmarks in the city, including a guided tour up to the Acropolis and the Parthenon. The Acropolis museum was a fascinating collection of beautiful marble statues and metal work, such as jewellery, armour, and funeral offerings. etc. Great food, friendly people, easy movement around the city streets and plenty of sites to see. On my first night in Athens, I came across a little tavern that had a great blues band rocking the streets and the patrons.

    Once bitten!!!    En savoir plus

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  • Joann PyneGreece 2025Voyageur

    Turin

    22 octobre 2025, Italie ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    We flew into Milan yesterday, stayed in Vercelli overnight, and travelled to Turin today. Had a wander around Vercelli and caught up with Linda for lunch and dinner. Linda chose great spots for both meals. It’s always great to catch up, but super exciting to do it in Italy.

    We sampled the local specialty drink, created in 1763. It’s called Bicerin and is a mix of ganache chocolate, coffee and cream; its taste is described as bittersweet. It is served layered in the glass, and you mustn’t stir it. While it sounds absolutely amazing, let’s just say it’s probably an acquired taste.

    Len did some sightseeing and took some great photos.    En savoir plus

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  • Joann PyneGreece 2025Voyageur

    Verona

    24 octobre 2025, Italie ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    Called into Verona to catch up with Linda again. What a great city. We will be coming back here for a longer stay. Visited the Ancient Arena, which is still used today for concerts and had the best brunch at Linda's favourite deli. We chose the cheese, meat, bread and accompaniments, threw in a bottle of prosecco and ate it on their back veranda beside the river.En savoir plus

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  • Joann PyneGreece 2025Voyageur
    Ancient burial moundsA portrait exhibitionThe palaceThe fortsThe soul

    Muscat

    25–29 oct. 2025, Oman ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    We arrived in Oman at stupid o’clock this morning. Thankfully they let us check into the room so we had a shower, a nap, breakfast , and then hit the road. We visited the very large, very grand and very comprehensive Museum of Oman. It was pretty spectacular. We then looked at the two forts that guard this very modern and wealthy city. At sunset we visited the large Muscat Souk. The ceilings were amazing. We got a t-shirt but no gold jewellery. LOLEn savoir plus

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  • Joann PyneGreece 2025Voyageur
    The entrance to the date souk
    The entrance to the date soukFort entranceThe murder holeThe Sultans roomPano of the fortThe date storeLen, me, and 1000 disapointed OmanisWhat we thought we would seeLen enjoying dinner at Bait Al restaurant

    Nizwa

    26 octobre 2025, Oman ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    Nizwa is an ancient capital of Oman. It’s about a two-hour drive across some really amazing highways. We passed some beautiful date farms and other dots of green spaces along the way. The main attractions at NIZWA are the fort and the souk. The fort has been completely renovated and looks as it would have in the 17th century. It has lots of interesting elements - like ‘murder holes’ - holes in the floor right after a door to capture intruders. There was also a date store where the dates were stored in 70 kg bags made of woven date palms. The bags were so tightly secured that the juice would ooze out and be collected for use in the kitchens - or for boiling and pouring over invaders trying to get into the fort!

    The souk was laid out with seperate buildings for meat, vegetables, kitchenware and another just for dates. The other important product sold in the souk is Frankincense. The world’s best Frankincense is said to come from Salalah in the south of Oman.

    When we got back to Oman, we went to Al Bustan beach to see the amazing bio phosphorescence as reported on facebook. Nada - the sea was clear of any algae! Afterwards we had dinner at a popular restaurant in the old town.    En savoir plus

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  • Joann PyneGreece 2025Voyageur
    The Oman Museum at nightThe Oman Palace

    Opera House and the Grand Mosque

    27 octobre 2025, Oman ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    Today we explored the opulance of Muscat. We started the day early at the grand mosque. As expected it was amazing, as it is built to accommodate 20,000 worshipers A major feature is the prayer carpet which covers the huge floor of the prayer hall. It contains 1.7 million knots, weighs 21 tonnes and took four years to produce with over 600 workers. The other spectacular element in the interior is the chandelier. At 14-metres-high it fits nicely into the mosque which is 90 metres high, it was the world's largest chandelier, prior to the 2018 completion of a Mosque in Abu Dhabi.

    We also visited the Royal Opera House which has a very impressive program. Tickets range from $40AUD to $280 each depending on the seat and the show. So very accessible for most people, however we then paid $25AUD for two coffees at the coffee shop!    En savoir plus

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  • Joann PyneGreece 2025Voyageur

    Oman

    28 octobre 2025, Oman ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    Our four day stopover in Oman has been great. We probably should have done more research to get more out of the trip. But would be happy to come back for another stopover. It’s a very very laid back and friendly country, with people ready to share a joke and a smile. There is also plenty to see and do. The south boarders onto Yemen and is actually very green. So we are keen to explore that area. The food has been interesting and as a major trading port for 1000s of years, there is a real mix of influences. The coffee is another interesting experience. It’s very weak as it is drunk in small cups all day. The flavour of coffee is not as strong as it is flavoured with rose water and spices, and usually accompanied by one or two dates. There was a coffee/date station in the foyer of the hotel that was in hot demand most of the day. Oman is also the home of high quality Frankincense. It is a resin from the Boswellia tree which grows particularly well in parts of
    Oman. We have bought a large bag home with us - we will declare it at customs check it is okay to bring in.    En savoir plus

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  • Joann PyneGreece 2025Voyageur
    1

    Algarve Coast

    30 avril, Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Nothing can take away from the rugged and magnificent coast line of the Algarve. The south coast of Portugal has more than 3,000 years of history with the Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans (who referred to it as Lusitania) and Moors all staking their claim at various points in history.

    The Romans changed the structure of the region from the 1st century BC developing the production of salt and minerals, introducing a new type of agriculture, based on huge agricultural estates (latifundia) and planted vines and olive trees. The Romans built roads, bridges and large villas. They also introduced the Latin language from which the Portuguese language eventually developed.

    However, the Portuguese language also has around 1,000 words of Arabian origin with ‘Algarve’ itself being one of them. As the Roman Empire fell in the 5th century, the Algarve was occupied first by the Suebi then by the romanized Visigoths along with the rest of Iberian Peninsula, around 300 years later, Islamic armies under Tariq ibn Ziyad crossed the Straight of Gibraltar in 711 and started to conquer the Iberian Peninsula. Moorish rule in the Algarve lasted for more than 500 years (711-1250)/    En savoir plus

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    Fin du voyage
    24 octobre 2025