August 12 the Spirit departs la Serenissima

We had a change of Captain mid cruise, unsure why.

Still don't know who he is, other than a name change on a letter.

 

I have seen the cruise director as we leave the ship for tours, other than that, he's absent.

Such a far cry from others like Moss.

Interesting! Thanks for the update

spins - looking forward to hearing more and more pictures from your cruise - when you have time. Here or on the Cooler.

We have also been to Kotor, actually a few times. The sail in and out is of course lovely, and the town is nice to wander around, but the only time we did an excursion from there it was, like yours, not good. A long drive up a switchback narrow road, with the same (admittedly lovely) view from everywhere on the way up, then some awful wine and nibbles at virtually a shack restaurant at the top. Then a long drive back. My advice to people visiting Kotor would be just take some time to wander, or if you are very fit, climb up the steep hill which you see from the ship.

It sounds as if you enjoyed at least most of your trip ,

Lola

Not to start all over again, but here are some shots of Venice from the plane coming in on August 10.

Not to start all over again, but here are some shots of Venice from the plane coming in on August 10.

Appreciate these great visuals of Venice from your airplane. No need to feel bad for "starting over". Never can get enough good pictures from and of Venice. Keep it coming!!!

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 153,502 views for this posting.

I haven't a clue who the cruise director is.

I haven't seen him.

 

HD is Flávio.

Food and beverage is Damien.

 

Don't recall the name of the Captain, haven't meet him either. It's not Mino.

 

Cruise consultant is Barrie.

Thanks for the wonderful commentary and photos. So glad you enjoyed your voyage.

Any idea when Flávio gets off the ship? Did you ever find out who the cruise director is? Allan King is on the Shadow, Kirk D is on vacation, I don't think Fernando is back yet, so just curious who the missing CD is! Did you ever find out who the new Captain is before you got off the ship? And if you know who the Stars Supper Club duo is, that would be great to know. Thanks so much...we board in early September.

Not to start all over again, but here are some shots of Venice from the plane coming in on August 10.

No better way to start a trip than with a flyover of the city you've been studying for months prior to your arrival. Such a great preview!

My advice to people visiting Kotor would be just take some time to wander, or if you are very fit, climb up the steep hill which you see from the ship.

 

Lola

Second this. Fun hike and spectacular views. Can't beat the price either!

I was on this one, too. Very impressed by the ship and its staff, enjoyable itinerary, friendly fellow travelers. I probably won't cruise the Med again in August, as the heat defeated me on occasion.

Great photos from the plane. Thanks.

Welcome home.

The third port of call was the island of Hvar, Croatia. Touted as the sunniest island in the Adriatic, it lives up to its name. Here, scientists study the sun, and there are observatories dedicated to the sun and its tides. Apparently the sun has tides as well as the moon.

Our first stop on our jeep tour was a hilltop dominated by a fortress built by Napoleon, and not open to the public. It is reserved for the scientists who study the sun. Our jeep driver was an affable guy, who joked about his driving. One does need to know how to drive switch backs and in dirt, but in the main, we were on fairly decent roads.

A view of the Spirit in the harbor from the hill. We did have to tender in.

The island's main industry is tourism. The water is clear blue and the beaches are many. Once you leave the coastline, it is less crowded and spectacular.

The hills are defined by stone walls and terraces on the slopes, these walls were built without mortar, and initially built by the Greeks 2500 years ago. The Croatians call them the Macchu Picchu of the med.

We next drove to an abandoned village, Malo Grablje. The town was emptied by the 1950s, and it is being overtaken by nature. A single resident has returned to his ancestral home and reclaimed it, building a restaurant and using solar energy.

The third port of call was the island of Hvar, Croatia. Touted as the sunniest island in the Adriatic, it lives up to its name. Here, scientists study the sun, and there are observatories dedicated to the sun and its tides. Apparently the sun has tides as well as the moon.

Appreciate these super, wonderful pictures and details. Excellent!! Keep 'em coming! Looking really good and interesting.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 202,301 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

Water is a problem on the island, and is collected in cisterns. As you can see the water in this trough was pretty green, and was surrounded by hundreds of bees who didn't seem to mind the color.

The communal olive mill.

The feeling one gets walking here is eerie. Yet I was told that the former inhabitants can still lay claim to their real estate if they want it. Many now live in California. To buy real estate is not an easy process, and according to our guide, one must have a really good lawyer.

The island used to be known for its lavender, which is particularly aromatic and prized for its oil. The plant loves the rocky sandy soil. There were many islanders who made a fortune from lavender, until the French began planting it and harvesting it as well. Now tourism is the big money maker.

We went to pick lavender for ourselves, and I agree, the aromatic properties were delightful.

The picture below is of a Trim, a stone field shelter near the wild lavender we picked. These shelters were built for the farmer to get out of the sun and intense heat. While this one was round, there are square versions. Interestingly there is no keystone, and it is somewhat of a mystery how these were built.

A view from the road to the north east side of the island.

What a fascinating place to visit!

Next our little caravan of jeeps took us to the top of Svet Nikola, the highest point on Hvar and the third highest mountain in Croatia at 2,060 feet.

We passed by lavender and rosemary growing wild in derelict fields. The driver did stop to point out one area of land which appeared well tended, and it's olive trees, fruits and herbs were growing well. The farmer devoted time to his land, but we were told, he was in the minorty as most people didn't want to work that hard.

We also passed by a few black pines, which have survived from the ice age. There aren't many left, as they were also prized by the Venetians for building and were over forested.

The island also has vineyards, while we didn't taste any of the wine, we were told it is quite good. I didn't lean over the edge, but the vineyards were somewhere below!

Our last stop gave us time to meander through the market before we wandered back to the tender, and through the throngs of tourists.

This is another island I would travel back to. Once you get away from the crowds on the coast, the island is breathtakingly gorgeous.

Along our jeep route, on the back dirt roads,our driver stopped to exchange a few words with a gentleman in an old car going in the direction of the coast. Afterwards our driver told us we just saw the champion fisherman in Hvar. It's that kind of place, small enough for the locals to know one another and stop to say hello. That can be both good and bad I suppose, but the sense of community and camaraderie is special.

Will be next in more depth.

Fabulous pics Spins......sounds like you've had a lovely trip.....

S[emoji4]

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Thanks all and Sophia,Herman, JP, Emtbsam and Terry.

Our next port was Kotor, Montenegro. The sail in is beyond words. We have been here before, so I was up early to watch.

The prize is the town once you have traversed some of the most beautiful waterways I have seen.

We have been told this was a fjord, but our guide told us later it was not a true fjord, but carved out by an ancient river. I don't know the technicalities, I just enjoyed all of it.

Stunning photos spinnaker2! Thanks for taking the time to post them!

Wow, Candy... great stuff and thanks for sharing.

We may need to have El Larro drop our camera for us too!

Beautiful photos. Makes us want to do that cruise!

Beautiful photos. Makes us want to do that cruise!

Yes, Candy is continuing to offer up wonderful pictures from these great areas. Glad that Kotor worked out so well for you and that you were up EARLY to do that unique sail-in. For Emtbsam, you definitely need to cruise in these areas. We want to go back and see more. Hear looks super. Need to visit there and other special locations along that scenic coast.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Super loved Dubrovnik!!! See more details and lots of great visual samples/examples at this link. Have had over 32,778 views on this posting and appreciate those who have tuned-in and dropped by.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1439227

Wonderful Kotor and nearby Montenegro? Check these postings. Have had over 30,759 views on this posting and appreciate those who have tuned-in and commented.:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1439193

Below is the winged lion of St Mark in Kotor. As you approach the sea gate which was built in 1555, you see this panel on your right. This was the symbol of the Republic of Venice when they ruled over Kotor from 1420 to almost 1800.

The sea gate with its motto left behind from Tito era.

St Triphons Cathedral

Avocat

Black cat

The River gate looking up towards the walls and the old power station