On our way!

Thanks, Catherine, for a safe ride to the airport. And Angela, for the delicious breakfast. We are all checked in and our first of three flights is on time. Here we go!!!
Chicago, Chicago

Layover #1. Chili’s for dinner. Now we wait.
Frankfort, Germany

Our second flight was over 8 long hours. Upgrading to Economy Premium was nicer than Coach, with larger recliner seats, large blankets and meals with menus, real plates and utensils. The pillow workedLeia mais
Viking Jupiter

It’s 2:00 AM in Istanbul Turkey. We swiftly got through customs and by the time we got to baggage claim our Viking greeter had already retrieved our luggage. He guided us to our vehicle. It tookLeia mais
Istanbul Turkey

Our morning started with a beautiful waffle breakfast onboard. Then we headed out to our tour. Istanbul, previously Constantinople, is a city of 13 million people. The hilly and winding cobblestoneLeia mais
Mosques & Markets

On our tour we visited a small mosque. Our knees and heads had to be covered, our feet bare. Muslims pray at 5 set times of day after being called to prayer, noon being the longest. The men and womenLeia mais
The Spice Market

At the Shozey Spice Market we sampled Turkish Delight & learned the remedies of several different teas and spices at a booth a family has operated for several years, spending way too much money, butLeia mais
Turkish Baths

The Hammams, Turkish Baths, are a big part of Turkish culture. The Cagaloglu is a 300 year old bath house offering several different “services”. We were each taken to our private changing roomsLeia mais
Dining & Departure

Back onboard after our tour of Istanbul we dined at the Chef’s Table restaurant which offered a fixed 5 course dinner with wine pairing. The first course of sweet potatoes topped with a creamy blueLeia mais
Canakkale Turkey

Today we traveled into the Asian portion of Turkey. Our first stop was Canakkale, a seaside city with a beautiful Clock Tower, Canakkale is famous for their ceramics, dating back to the 17th century.
Explorer Club party & Dinner

After enjoying cocktails we attended the get together for past Viking guests where we enjoyed champagne and appetizers of sushi, crab cakes & prosciutto. At dinner Sharon was able to enjoy herLeia mais
Trojan Horse

In Canakkale is a Trojan Horse. There was a movie filmed here, and after the movie, the horse was left behind. Also, French cannons scattered around memorialize WW1.
Galley Tour

I don’t ever remember seeing this much stainless steel in one place! The galley went on and on, from smaller kitchens for specialty restaurants and room service (breakfast being most busy) to theLeia mais
Relax!

Today was our day to relax. We skipped our excursion which we were told was a smart thing to do. We slept in, had a leisurely lunch and I enjoyed a wonderful facial in the ship’s spa. We walkedLeia mais
Rhodes Old Town

Rhodes, the 4th largest of the Greek isles, is the most well-preserved, with the Old Town built in the 11th century BC. It was developed as 3 separate city states by people who shared a language andLeia mais
Rhodes Grand Palace

The Grand Palace was originally a hospital for the Knights of Rhodes. It served as a fortress, headquarters and palace for the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes. To be a knight, one must beLeia mais
A drive along Rhodes East Coast

After lunch on the ship we took a drive around the island. The guide was very difficult to understand but the views were breathtaking and the stop for Greek snacks and Ouzo was interesting.
Lobster Night

Lobster was the star of the show in both the Restaurant and the World Cafe for dinner this evening. We chose the restaurant with Lobster Thermidor and Cherries Jubilee, sat on the pool deck andLeia mais
Crete!

Crete is economically supported by farming, mostly with grapes and thousand of olive trees.
Grapes are grown for raisins and wine. The winery that we visited served us three wines and a snack. We areLeia mais
Countryside of Crete

From our ship, docked in Heriklion, Crete, we took a ride through the hilly roads of Crete. There are 2472 islands in Greece. The isle of Crete is the largest with about 600,000 residents in its 24Leia mais
Evening Onboard

This is our last full night onboard. We experienced Greek food in the Old World Cafe, watched the sunset and enjoyed the Farewell entertainment. The staff and crew were introduced (ratio 2 guests toLeia mais
The last supper onboard

Back from our final tour we ate lunch, napped, packed & ate again. It’s 10PM, our bags are ready for pickup and we will try to rest until our 2:30 AM departure for the airport.
National Archaeology Museum

There are 37 museums in Athens. The one chosen for our tour was much more interesting than I expected. The art, dating back to the 7th century BC was explained, the different materials used, howLeia mais
Athens!

Our last day on the cruise took us to Athens. Our tour started just after our breakfast room service.
There are 7 hills in the city. Usually the acropolis is at the highest point, but that being tooLeia mais
First Leg Home

1:45 AM came early, but we were not the only passengers leaving at 2:30 AM. Now waiting to board our 6:30 flight from Athens to Vienna.