The Smirkonian Sightseer

Cadiz

Cadiz, Spain
Friday 12th October 2018

We spent around three hours ashore exploring mainly the coastal walkway of Paseo Santa Barbara. Some lovely gardens here. The old town with its narrow streets and striking plazas.

 

Ceuta

Ceuta, Spanish Morroco
Thursday 11th October, 2018

Koningsdam arrived at Ceuta around 1pm. This would be our first time setting foot on the African continent, if only for a short time. We went ashore for a quick look around the town. The beautiful city walls and navigable moats were very impressive as to the more modern architecture like the House of the Dragons.

Cartagena

Cartagena, Spain
Wednesday, 10 October 2018

Koningsdam arrived in the port of Cartagena around 9am. I’d never heard it it so I was pleasantly surprised by how clean and tidy the town was. Located in the south-east region of Spain, it has a naval base and several unique ruins including an impressive Roman theatre.

 

 

 

At Sea (again)

Onboard Koningsdam
Tuesday, 9 October 2018

Cruisy day at sea. Enjoyed a free lunch courtesy of HAL as we traversed to Mediterranean Sea from Italy to Spain. Late in the day we witnessed a storm as we passed Mallorca.

When in Rome

Roma, Italy
Monday 8th October 2018

Koningsdam arrived back in the cruise port of Civitavecchia. We caught a train into Rome for the day. This was our second time visiting Rome. Last here in May 2000. It was good to see some of those famous sights again.

Victor Emmanuel II National Monument

Trajan's Column

Not sure where we are. A surprise find on our way to Trevi Fountain.

Trevi Fountain, were ALL the tourism hang out!

Click!

Spanish Steps

Piazza del Popolo. One of my favourite places in Rome. 

The Vatican

Naples

Naples, Italy
Sunday October 7 2018

A day in Naples.

 

Basilica Reale Pontificia San Francesco da Paola - Piazza del Plebiscito.

Galleria Umberto I - a beautiful atrium in Naples.

 

The port of Naples with views of Mt Vesuvius and the Bay of Naples.

 

Koningsdam departs Naples just after sunset.

Leaving Naples, seagulls follow Koningsdam out to sea.

At Sea

A Day at Sea
Saturday 6th October 2018

Our second day at sea as Koningsdam leaves the Greek Islands passes back through the Strait of Messina for Naples in Italy. Storm clouds cleared to reveal a beautiful evening.

 

Santorini

Thira (Santorini), Greece
Friday 5th October 2018

Koningsdam arrived at Santorini and used shore based tenders to ferry passengers ashore. We decided to walk up the donkey track, avoiding the donkeys on the way. Breaking out in a sea of sweat we reached the top at Fira and quickly looked for somewhere to sit down and have a refreshment.

We decided to catch the bus to the village of Oia. Tony and I had stayed here back in 2007 and wanted to see the area again. So did thousands of others it seemed. Oia was very crowded but it copes with the tourist trade extremely well.

 

 

Athens hot spot

Athens, Greece
Thursday, 4 October 2018

Koningsdam docked in Piraeus. We boarded the Hop-On-Hop-Off bus that would take us to the Acropolis. Huge crowds, long queues and high temperature - actually it was a reported 25 degrees but felt a lot hotter! As we’d been here before we took a few photos from the adjacent  “slippery rock” then made our way down into Plaka for lunch.

Afterward we continued the hop on - hop off bus tour around Athens. Hot, noisey, traffic jams etc. Took forever just to cruise a few city blocks. Got off at the Olympic stadium as we’d had enough of the traffic and walked back to the Acropolis bus exchange for the ride back to Pireaus.

Koningsdam berthed at Piraeus .

 

Aboard the hop-on-hop-off Piraeus line tansfer bus, from the port to the Acropolis interchange. You can then take the Athens line for a tour of the city.

 

It's a short walk from the Acropolis down to Plaka.

 

The Plaka markets.

 

Our lunch spot in Plaka.

 

The Presidential Guard (Evzones) outside the Parliament building.

 

Is this the seat of power?

A short day in Katakolon

Katakolon, Greece
Wednesday 3rd October 2018

Next port of call was Katakolon. While some of the passengers enjoyed a day trip to the Ancient Olympia site, we decided to stay and have a look around the port and its many souvenir shops.

Corfu

Kerkira (Corfu), Greece
Tuesday 2nd October 2018

Tendered ashore, Corfu town was only a short walk away. On my wish list for this cruise, was to visit the plaques for Gerald and Lawrence Durrell. I’d read some of their books and seen the tele-movie My Family and Other Animals as well as the recent tv series.

From Boschetto Durrell Park we looked over the old fortress that’s separated by a moat. and them wandered the alleyways of Corfu and had some old favourites for lunch, moussaka with a Mythos beer. Then it was a brisk walk back to the ship tender as an afternoon rain shower came down.

Boschetto Durrell Park

Gerald Durrell plaque. There's a similar plaque for Lawrence nearby.

A moat separates the fortress from Corfu town.

The Old Fortress

Corfu town

Lunch

Koningsdam sailed out of Corfu at sunset. Next stop Athens.

Kotor

Monday October 1st, 2018. In the early morning, Koningsdam slowly manoeuvres through a calm fjord like entrance to Kotor, Montenegro.

It’s was our first port of call to use the ships tenders to go ashore. Kotor is nested at the foot of some wonderful mountains that surround us on all sides, adding to its isolated charm.

The climb to the old fortress is a popular ‘must do’.

A still morning as Koningsdam arrives at Kotor, Montenegro

Climbing to the fortress

View from the top at the Castle of San Giovanni

Our Lady of The Rocks

Konimgsdam heading to its next port of call.

Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik, Croatia
Sunday 30th September 2018

Our first port of call on our three week tour of the Mediterranean is Dubrovnik.

Koningsdam arrives in the port of Dubrovnik. 

 

Dubrovnik old town.

Walking the city walls.

Walking through the old town looking for lunch!

 

One of the entrances to Dubrovnik old town.

 

A cable take us to Mount Srd for a spectacular view of Dubrovnik.

A Day At Sea

Saturday 29th September 2018

A day at sea aboard Koningsdam, so time to explore the ship…

 

Just in case you forget what day it is.

 

Konningsdam was built in 2016 and operated by Holland America Line.

 

Plenty of entertainment to choose from.

 

The World Stage.

 

Roof open over midships pool deck.

 

A feature of the Konningsdam is the stair case that extends out over the sides connecting decks 9 and 10.

 

During the morning we passaged through the Strait of Messina that connects the Tyrrhenian Sea to the north and the Ionian Sea to the south, catching sight of the Aeolian Islands, Sicily and the western tip of Calabria (the boot of Italy).

Passing the Aeolian Islands

 

Passing by Sicily

 

The Strait of Messina

Civitavecchia

Civitavecchia, Italy
Thursday 27th &Friday 28th September 2018

The Italian cruise port of Civitavecchia is built on history and our departure point for three week cruise around the Mediterranean.

Fort Michelangelo

 

Fort Michelangelo

 

Porta Livorno is a very prestigious architectonical work by will of Pope Clemens XIII to connect Civitavecchia with its port.

 

Vanvitelli Fountain, a feature built into Civitavecchia’s defensive wall.

 

I have a fascination with tug boats.

 

MS Koningsdam, home for the next three weeks.

 

Kiningsdam departs Civitavecchia at sunset for Dubrovnik, Croatia.