Miaminice

The Terrace Houses are an extra section of Ephesus and well worth visiting. In some parts the mosaics and wall paintings are incredibly well preserved. IMG_0874.mov

When we reached the ancient city, we had managed to beat the big tour buses and the temperature was still bearable. We had been to Ephesus before. However, every time we walk down the ancient road in Ephesus we can’t help but feel awestruck. To imagine that this city was once home to over 250,000 people and to see how beautiful and advanced it had been thousands of years ago is simply magnificent. Of course Selda gave us a lot of information on the sites while we made our way to the Terrace Houses, which helped complete the images in our heads. IMG_0841.mov

Celebrity Ascent - June 2024 - Greece, Turkey & Italy - 8 - Kusadasi When we had breakfast in the morning, the large Kusadasi sign greeted us from the hillside and the castle on Pigeon Island was illuminated by the bright sunlight already. This time we had breakfast quite early because we had once again booked a tour to Ephesus with a highly recommendable company called Ephesus Shuttle. Starting early is key for two reasons: 1. beating the crowds and 2. avoiding the heat. As soon as we were able to get off the ship, we walked through the terminal / market building and found our lovely guide Selda already waiting for us. Together we walked to our van and when the driver opened the door, all we could say was WOW. The interior was customized and very luxurious. So the ride to Ephesus was comfortable and Selda used it to give us some basic information on the area and Turkey in general.

The Diogenes Restaurant was our destination there. Great food and friendly service in the welcome shade under the canopy of the trees make us come back every time. I usually love their freshly prepared Moussaka but, paying respect to the heat of the day, opted for goat cheese salad with cherry vinaigrette - delicious! We continued through Plaka until we reached Ermou Street again. Since the thousand year old Panagia Kapnikarea church in the middle of the shopping area was open for visitors, we took the chance and walked in. After some shopping at the local Hondos Center, comparable to Walgreens or Boots, we took the next X80 bus back to the port of Piraeus. We enjoyed the sailaway at the Sunset Bar again and chose the Cyprus Restaurant for dinner. IMG_0775.mov

Following the wide pedestrian street leading past the Akropolis Museum we walked down the hill again and entered the Plaka area once again. IMG_0749.mov

After a friendly chat with the owner we continued through parts of Plaka past the Hadrian’s Library and rounded the park of the Agora until we reached the entrance of the Akropolis. IMG_0721.mov Even though it was still early in the day, it was very hot already. Across from the Parthenon there’s a rock providing incredible views of the famous temple towering over Athens. Today we welcomed the views and the breeze up there. IMG_0735.mov

Celebrity Ascent - June 2024 - Greece, Turkey & Italy - 7 - Athens I often say Birgit and I are creatures of habit - and our visits to Athens are the best proof. Instead of a bucket list of sites to see in Athens we have a personal list of go-to places. We started the day by having a healthy breakfast at Eden Cafe with a view of the familiar Terminal B before we ventured out to Athens. Athens is very easy to reach and Terminal B is perfectly connected. There’s no need to walk to a train station or anything. Right after you exit the terminal you’ll find the stop for the X80 bus. The X80 bus takes you straight to a stop for the Akropolis and one at Syntagma Square for a bit over €4. When we left the terminal, a bus was already there. We hopped on and half an hour later we stood in front of the parliament building at Athens‘ Syntagma Square. Of course a photo of the iconic Evzone guards and their slow motion march is mandatory. IMG_0695.mov We didn’t wait for the change of guards and walked straight down the main shopping street Ermou and then turned left for our first stop. The Le Petit Village Bistro. When I discovered this little gem in Athens almost 10 years ago, the courageous owner wasn’t sure he would survive the depression in Greece and yet he was brave enough to open this café. Good quality friendly service and reasonable prices prevailed. Whenever we turn around the corner off the main shopping street and still find the Le Petit Village we are so happy. Today we had a cheesecake croissant and when Birgit took the first sip of her iced cappuccino all I heard was “Ohhhh, soooo good!” So for almost 10 years the Le Petite Village is definitely the best place for fresh lemonades, smoothies and lovingly prepared homemade snacks - sweet or savory.

Celebrity Ascent - June 2024 - Greece, Turkey & Italy - 6 - Santorini Sailing into the caldera of Santorini is always fascinating. And whenever we see the whitewashed houses clinging on to the top of the steep brownish red cliffs, we ask ourselves why on earth the founding fathers of Santorini went through the effort. We jokingly said that one of the elders said in his defense: “Wait and see, in a millennia or so, the tourists are going to come!” And they sure do! We have been to Santorini many times and experienced nightmarish days with five or six big cruise ships anchored just off Fira’s port. Today, along with Ascent, there were only two other, smaller ships present. A welcome change. As always, we took our time and waited until the first rush had already taken the tenders over to the pier before we also boarded a tender boat. On the island we took the stairs up the hill, dodging the donkeys also making their way up and down the steps. Since we had originally planned to visit the island with friends we had booked a car. On the tender boat we had talked to a nice father / daughter couple from the UK and since they didn’t know how to get to Oia, we asked them if we could give them a ride. So I picked up the car and then we all headed over to Oia to take the signature photos of the colorful houses and domes. On the way back to the car we met them again and together we drove back towards Fira. Birgit and I had planned to drive past Fira and have lunch at the Santo Winery. Our two new found friends joined us and together we enjoyed the view and the food at the winery before we eventually headed back to Fira. The rental car station was at the quieter upper end of Fira. We knew a nice bar close to the station which just called for a visit. So we all agreed to stop at Volkan on the rocks for homemade lemonades, Greek yogurt and more views. Late in the afternoon we took the stairs down to the port again to take a tender back to the ship. For dinner we decided to visit the Oceanview cafe for a change. So after sunset we enjoyed some fantastic buffalo chicken wings and a burger on the outside deck until the moon rose over the cliffs. A spectacular sight and perfect ending to a great day.

in some way, we miss Blu – because we’re just used to it and because the personal service is just great. However, especially on the E class, the 4 restaurants make it easier. They are all very nice and all have a much quieter ambience than the large dining room ships. So to be honest, there was no way to justify the huge price difference. Aqua would’ve been more than double the price.

Made it 😁👍 finally the upload worked . sponsored by Massimo Dutti‘s free customer wifi 😁 Mein Film.mov

@debgreg or you go to the hidden gems right away and visit Ischia 😁 All jokes aside… we talked to some other people on the ship about their experience on Capri. Some found it amazing - probably because of the feeling of having been to Capri. It does have a reputation. The other half said, that they expected more and thought it didn’t live up to the hype. Just like us. We are privileged and have been to both places. Birgit went to Capri full of anticipation and immediately found Ischia much nicer. So of course we would recommend Ischia. However, that’s just our thoughts and feeling. if you go or went to Capri and love it - perfect! The goal is to have a good time, isn’t it?!

I’m sorry… I give up trying to upload the video. I’ll just post the pictures instead. IMG_0428.mov

I noticed… I will try to upload again

Celebrity Ascent - June 2024 - Greece, Turkey & Italy - 5 - At Sea Our sea day routine is always the same… no rush, no plans, no schedule - just relaxation. It started with the usual breakfast on the outside deck of the Oceanview Cafe. Then we grabbed some lattes and went up to the Sunset Bar area. Quiet, empty… beautiful 🤩 Later on Birgit enjoyed the sun for the afternoon and I did my usual photo tour of the ship before torturing myself at the gym for a few minutes. While touring the ship I also walked through the lunch buffet. I have to say, extraordinary would be the correct description. A beautiful selection of food - Italian, Greek, Latin, Asian - presented in such a beautiful way that it looked more like a piece of art than a buffet. Bravo Ascent! For dinner we enjoyed a perfect Filet Mignon at the Rooftop Garden Grill - just like Captain Dimitrios and his off duty brother Tassos, who had dinner there as well. Today I will present the ship photos as a video to you - take 5 minutes time off to join us on the beautiful Ascent. 😉 Mein Film.mov

Celebrity Ascent - June 2024 - Greece, Turkey & Italy - 4 - Naples In the morning of the first day of the cruise we looked down on Naples from the back of the Oceanview Cafe and were pleasantly surprised. It has been many many years ago that we have seen the port area without the huge and never ending construction site of the Metro Linea 1 which forced visitors to walk around scaffolding and trenches. Now it was an open space with a large entrance to an underpass and direct access to the Metro L1. We didn’t have any plans for the day. Herculaneum, strolling along Via Tribunali - THE place for traditional Neapolitan street food - had been possible options. While looking down on the Molo Beverello ferry pier just behind Ascent and seeing all the jet ferries leaving for Ischia, Capri or Sorrento I asked Birgit: “Do you want to go to Capri?” It has been many years since I had been there last. Actually since my childhood… when I was a little kid my parents and I used to go to Ischia for holidays once a year and sometimes we’d take a ferry over to Capri. Birgit agreed and so we started our way down my personal memory lane by walking over to the ticket booths to buy a ticket. There are different ferry companies and each have their own timetable and ticket booths. So if you don’t want to mix lines or get the tickets for the return trip later on the island, check out which company offers times suitable for you for both ways and get the tickets at the booth. The prices of all lines are very similar and you need to factor in approximately one hour for the trip. We purchased tickets with SNAV for 11:10am to Capri and 14:50pm back to Beverello - giving us a comfortable buffer to all aboard time of 5:30pm. The total price of the tickets was €100. The journey over to Capri was smooth and an hour later we set foot on the island. The narrow strip of the port area is lined by countless restaurants, and of course, the staff trying to lure the tourists in. Capri town is further up the hill. There’s a footpath up the hill for the ambitious visitors and a funicular for people preferring the more comfortable method. Trying to keep in shape, we decided to walk up. On top of the mountain, you reach a piazza surrounded by the typical shops and more restaurants - and of course more tourists. We bought two granitas and enjoyed the view across the gulf over to Naples. Then we decided to walk around for a bit. Without talking about it, we both felt a bit disappointed. Capri somehow did not live up to its name and we felt it was overrun and overrated. The charm and beauty I remembered from my childhood days just wasn’t there anymore. So after a short while we decided to walk down the hill again and even considered taking an earlier ferry back to Naples. Halfway down the hill we stopped at a garden café and killed some time, before we eventually returned to port to take the ferry back to Naples. A few years back, on a previous visit of Naples, Birgit and I had taken a ferry to Ischia. Exchanging our impressions of the day, we both fully agreed that Ischia was the nicer place. It felt it was more inviting, more charming, not as overrun and definitely more accessible to people with mobility issues. So if you’re thinking about doing one or the other, we definitely recommend Ischia! When we got back to Naples, we still had enough time to walk up the newly created square and to stroll through the impressive building of Galeria Umberto I. When it was time to return to the ship, we took the stairs down to the metro and took the underpass leading directly to the port. In typical Italian understatement, many banners and posters proclaimed the new station to be the nicest underground station of the world. It was big, but we think the nicer parts must probably be lower underground in the actual subway area. However, the huge entrance to the station right at the port terminal really provides many possibilities for cruise passengers. You can now take the L1 Metro straight to Napoli central station from where you can easily take a train to Herculaneum, Sorrento or Pompeii. For sailaway we enjoyed a cool drink at the Sunset bar chatting with some friendly fellow passengers. For dinner we chose the Tuscan restaurant. We really enjoy the choice of restaurants on Edge class ships. Each one of them pleasantly designed and offering a more quiet ambience in comparison to the single, large main dining room on other ships. Eventually all the walking of the past few days, took its tall and we went to bed right after dinner. Even without our usual routine of stopping at Al Bacio.

yes, it’s basically the same. Maybe a bit smaller. However, you need to see that you choose a PO which is not obstructed by a davit of the lifeboats. #6236 is great.

As some of you might know fro our previous reports, we usually book Aqua Class because we simply enjoy the more personal ambiance of Blu restaurant. However, to be honest we only allow ourselves a certain travel budget. The problem is that we love to travel … and we are privileged to do so. Traveling and seeing the world with open eyes and an open heart is like a never ending university for me which shaped my life. So in order to be able to keep paying for tuition, we scaled down a bit this time. Edge class ships have a nice stateroom category offering a good compromise - PO, Panoramic Oceanview. A more affordable price but floor to ceiling windows giving us the light we like. So let me introduce stateroom PO 6236 to you…

As usual we had booked our transfer to Civitavecchia with Bob’s Limos and as usual they delivered… when we ca,e back from breakfast at 10am, the car was already there - even though we had arranged 10:30am. So we just got our luggage and hopped in. When we got to the port around an hour later, we dropped our luggage and checked in. Not even ten minutes later we looked down on the Martini Bar.

Celebrity Ascent - June 18, 2024 - Greece, Turkey & Italy - 3 - Embarkation Day In the morning of this day we decided to have breakfast at a small cafe we had walked by the day before. It was just a street below Piazza Navona and not far from our hotel. Being welcomed by a very friendly waitress we immediately knew that the decision wasn’t bad AT ALL but still made for a good story. The food was fresh and delicious. So we can highly recommend Molly‘s Garden Cafe to all of you.

Thank you all for following along ☺️ I just like to add the reason why my narrative might sometimes be a bit short - besides the fact that after > 16 km in over 30C even I was beat. 🤣 Birgit and I have a FB group where we post a daily recap. The texts are made for that group and I am trying to put it all into a nutshell. Depending on the time of the evening, and maybe the size of the pizza, a smaller or larger nutshell. As long as I don’t have to use the slow ship‘s wifi I paste the text into Cruise Critic and add the photos. For another group I also translate the writing into German. Anyway… if there’s anything you want to know, let me know!

Following a good rest and cool shower we headed over to Trastevere once more and had dinner at the La Canonica Restaurant which we had noticed the evening before. A nice signature Cacio e Pepe Pasta and a Pizza Diavola marked the end of our day. The 24k step count sure soothing our conscience. IMG_0279.mov

Saying hello to the statue of Romulus and Remus we walked down on the other side and headed towards the Colosseum. Whenever I see this magnificent building I have to think about one of my all time favorite movies, Gladiator and its epic soundtrack. We turned right at the Colosseum and strolled along the Circus Maximus towards the old Jewish quarter. Just another corner and we reached the hidden entrance of our hotel. Believe me, after 20000 steps in the heat, the cool hallway was a very welcome sight.

Filled by the delight and happy we continued our tour past the giant white marble Emanuele II monument at Piazza Venezia and climbed the steps up the Capitoline Hill. On top of the hill, just before you walk down to the Forum Romanum on the other side, there’s the Musei Capitolini. I turned to one of the staff at the entrance and asked for the Caffeteria and only answered Birgit‘s quizzing look by saying “you’ll see” 😉 A few minutes later we were having drinks on the rooftop terrace overlooking Rome from the Capitolini - the former epicenter of ancient Rome.

However, we had a different reward in mind already. Close to Piazza Navona we know a small hole in the wall Porchetteria serving typical street food - delicious Porchetta Sandwiches.