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Symphony of the Seas

Royal Caribbean Cruise

National Conference

October 19-26, 2019

Symphony of the Seas is Royal Caribbean’s new ship, another World’s Largest Cruise Ship.

Pre-Cruise party in Miami was hosted by MSC Cruises.

We had a special early boarding this morning to get on and explore the ship.

Fun gifts in my cabin

Some pictures of my cabin

Sail away from Miami party in Christy’s Crown Loft Suite. It’s two floors and very comfortable.

See you next week Miami!

Royal Caribbean hosted an amazing welcome cocktail party for us. The food and drinks were plentiful and the music was the best. They brought in a great classic rock cover band, Phoenix. They kept the party going and people dancing

Sunrise from my cabin

Morning walk around the ship

Great to get back to my cabin after work all day to find a nice gift from Vicki Freed

Cocktail party tonight

Stroll through Central Park to dinner at Chops

Thank you Josh Fernandez from Disney for the wonderful dinner!

Beef Carpaccio

Wedge Salad

Side dishes, forgot a pic of my filet!!

Molten Chocolate Cake for dessert

Fun pic from outside the restaurant

Went to see Hairspray, it was so good, Broadway caliber!

Another full day of work and now a Glow Party hosted by Norwegian Cruise Line!

The ladies from Holland America

MSC Cruises and Viking Cruises

GOGO Vacations and David Crooks

Paul Gauguin Cruise Line

Rail oilers and CIE Tours

Beautiful dinner at Wonderland with Holland America Line

Good morning St. Maarten

Carnival, Celebrity and Royal

Spending the day at Bikini Beach on Orient Beach over on the French side of St. Martin

Dream Vacations in St. Martin

Nancy and I had a delicious lunch on the beach

Back on the ship for another cocktail party

New England style Seafood dinner at Hooked with AmaWaterways

Welcome to San Juan, Puerto Rico

Old San Juan is so beautiful

Had to stop and see the umbrellas

Barrachina is known as the birthplace of the Piña Colada

Local Puerto Rican food was so delicious

More of the old town near the water

As we seat sail it’s time to get ready for our Awards Ceremony!

Photos pre-awards ceremony

Debbie Fiorino was named the Godmother of AmaWaterways newest ship!!!

I was so excited to be named Top Producer for Disney Cruise Line, Paul Gauguin Cruises and Hurtigruten Cruise Line!

This was the most exciting, being named in the Top Ten Agents of 2018!

The After Party at Dazzles

Drew Daly

CEO Brad Tolkien

Another Top Ten agent, Naomi

Josh Fernandez from Disney

Another Top Ten Agent, Melissa

Diane Horan from AmaWaterways

Drew Daly and Don Graff, CFO

Some great women

Celebratory dinner with Drew

Late night fun!

Last day at sea and a full work day

Tonight’s cocktail party is Oktoberfest! 🥨🍻

My first dinner in the Main Dining Room did not disappoint

Perfect stop for our last day!

Breakfast Mimosas with the girls

Swimming with the pigs in the Bahamas was so much fun!

Time to relax in our cabana

More pictures around the island

I did it! The tallest water slide in North America.

It was funny to have the elevator doors open to someone playing the piano!

The end of another amazing conference!

Woke up to this beautiful sunrise in Miami

Lunch at the Centurion Club in Miami before my flight home. Until next year….

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San Juan 19

Symphony of the Seas

October 2019

National Conference 2019

Awards Ceremony Night

Welcome to San Juan, Puerto Rico

Old San Juan is so beautiful

Had to stop and see the umbrellas

Barrachina is known as the birthplace of the Piña Colada

Local Puerto Rican food was so delicious

More of the old town near the water

As we seat sail it’s time to get ready for our Awards Ceremony!

Photos pre-awards ceremony

Debbie Fiorino was named the Godmother of AmaWaterways newest ship!!!

I was so excited to be named Top Producer for Disney Cruise Line, Paul Gauguin Cruises and Hurtigruten Cruise Line!

This was the most exciting, being named in the Top Ten Agents of 2018!

The After Party at Dazzles

Drew Daly

CEO Brad Tolkien

Another Top Ten agent, Naomi

Josh Fernandez from Disney

Another Top Ten Agent, Melissa

Diane Horan from AmaWaterways

Drew Daly and Don Graff, CFO

Some great women

Celebratory dinner with Drew

Late night fun!

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St. Martin

Symphony of the Seas

October 2019

Good morning St. Maarten

Beautiful St. Maarten

Carnival, Celebrity and Royal

Spending the day at Bikini Beach on Orient Beach over on the French side of St. Martin

Dream Vacations in St. Martin

Nancy and I had a delicious lunch on the beach

Back on the ship for another cocktail party

New England style Seafood dinner at Hooked with AmaWaterways

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Israel

November 10th

We didn’t want to leave Jordan but it was time to go to Tel Aviv. Back over the border again and to the brand new airport in Eilat.

Our hotel is the Intercontinental David in Tel Aviv. Tel Aviv is on the Mediterranean Sea and is a very modern new bustling city, what a difference from Jordan!

November 11th

Today was the first day of our conference and everyone was excited.

Dad and I had a really nice dinner at the hotel.

November 12th

This was a morning I will not forget. I was eating breakfast in the hotel and my dad was still upstairs. I heard the sirens but didn’t know what it meant. Then hotel staff made everyone go downstairs to the shelters and knocked on every room door. Many people were in their hotel robes because they were asleep.

Israel killed a militant leader with strikes before dawn yesterday. They retaliated and launched missiles to Tel Aviv, where we are. Israel shot them down but they are continuing. This picture was taken by someone outside our hotel. Two mussels were shot down over our hotel.

It was very scary but we are all okay. They closed all non essential businesses and schools. Our tours in Tel Aviv were cancelled and it was very quiet all day.

Two days ago we were in Jordan and crossed back over into Israel to fly out of Eilat. We were on the plane sitting on the tarmac for over an hour with 4 other planes and none moving. Then they told us to all go back to the terminal because the Israel Military closed all Israeli airspace for 3 hours for drills. We didn’t think much of this at the time and eventually took off for Tel Aviv. But now we know why.

That afternoon we went to explore Jaffa, a neighborhood in Tel Aviv. Jaffa, the ancient port town, has existed for thousands of years, but today it is one unified city with Tel Aviv, which was founded in 1909. Both Jews and Arabs live in Jaffa, and that’s reflected in the flavors of the neighborhood. There are old narrow streets, ancient buildings and a beautiful beach. We decided to explore Jaffa’s famous flea market, Shuk Hapishpeshim and see if anything was open.

A perfect sunset over the Mediterranean.

Today’s security alert email I received this morning.


Thankfully the restaurant we were going to tonight re-opened. Our dinner with the ASTA group was in Jaffa at Hazaken Vehayam or Old Man and the Sea.

It is a popular restaurant known for their 20 dishes that they put out on the table with a delicious freshly made flatbread.

Next was an amazing grilled sea bream that I ate with more of the toppings!

The waiters loved putting on a show, they all tried to out do each other with stacks of dishes and who could carry the biggest one and the crowd cheered! It was a great evening.

November 13, 2019

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Dome of the Rock has been called Jerusalem’s “most recognizable landmark”. It is located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem. You can see it as the golden dome in across the valley from us on the Mount of Olives. This was our first introduction to Jerusalem today, so excited to explore this city!

Next stop was the Israel Museum, you will notice an urn-shaped building with the Israeli Parliament behind it, this is the Shrine of the Book which houses the Dead Sea Scrolls and artifacts discovered at Masada. It was amazing to actually see the Dead Sea Scrolls right in front of you, no pictures were allowed.


Mahane Yehuda is also known as the Shuk, it is a great market in Jerusalem that sells everything and smells wonderful. There is a great atmosphere in the market and I happily ate my way through!

A neighborhood in Jerusalem

The Western Wall, or “Wailing Wall”, is the most religious site in the world for the Jewish people.

It is in the Old City of Jerusalem and is the western support wall of the Temple Mount. It is a small segment of a much longer ancient retaining wall. Also of the four original retaining walls, the western one is considered to be closest to the former Temple, which makes it the most sacred.

November 14, 2019

The Church of Christ’s birthplace is in Bethlehem, it was a welcome respite in the bleak city. Thanks to our guide who knew all the police and guards in the Church, we were able to skip the 3-4 hour line to see and touch the birthplace of Jesus, marked by the Star of Bethlehem. The Church has three sections, the main section is Greek Orthodox and is cool and dark with no pews and open sections of the floor showing original mosaics from 395 AD. To the left and front, and the way to the Grotto, the place of Christ’s birth, is Armenian Orthodox. The Catholics have the site of the manger and the adjoining altar next to the Nativity Grotto. It was humbling to be amongst so much history and standing in one of the oldest continually operating churches in the world. I found it surprising that it only became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2012.

The entry to the Church was lowered in the 1500’s to stop looters from driving their carts inside.

Parts of the original mosaic floor from the original church.

The chapel at Shepherds Field marks the place where, according to Catholic tradition, angels first announced the birth of Christ. It adjoins the remains of a 4th-century church and has three beautiful painted murals. They depict the annunciation of the angels, the shepherds and their flock and the Christ Child in the manger.

“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And the Angel said to them, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people” Luke 2:8-10

Below this room is the Tomb of King David. It is important because according to the New Testament, Jesus is considered to be a descendant of King David’s dynasty.

Masada is one of the greatest archaeological sites in Israel but by King Herod in 30BC.

It was the Jews last stand against the Romans after the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD. The 960 people living at the top of Masada chose to commit suicide rather than to fall into the hands of the Romans alive. Their deeds left behind a saga of courage, heroism, and martyrdom.

November 16, 2019

Thank you Air Canada and Sheena Hung for a wonderful experience traveling to and from Tel Aviv, Israel!

To see what I did before Israel, see my blog post about Jordan. Go to menu, blog, Middle East, Kingdom of Jordan or click here: 

http://travelwithlorifoster.com/2019/11/06/jordan/

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Barbados

August 2019

Super excited to visit Barbados, one of the Caribbean islands I haven’t been to! I am going to Sandals Barbados and Sandals Royal Barbados.

After losing my suitcase on the last three trips, I was happy to see it being loaded on the plane!

We were greeted and checked in at the Concierge Lounge.

That sky looks dark!

My comfortable room

Views from my room

Had to get my toes in the water!

GM Patrick Drake is a welcoming host

Welcome cocktail reception for us

Appetizers at Soy Sushi Bar

Dinner at Butch’s

After dinner drinks at the piano bar

Good morning Barbados while drinking my coffee at the Royal pool

Walking to class

Morning class at Sandals Barbados

I love the swim up suites

My favorite place is the rooftop pool. There’s not only a pool but a spa, a bar, a restaurant, places to relax and the best view in the whole resort.

The Jerk Shack is one of my favorites!

The relaxing spa

Donut Shop

The Piano Bar at night is so much fun for sing-a-Kong’s!

Relaxing on the beach

Bombay Indian Cuisine was wonderful!!

Fun night out enjoying all the nightlife Sandals offers

Breakfast at the French restaurant

Relaxing at the rooftop pool

Lunch and swimming at the beach

French restaurant for appetizers

Watching them set up for our party

Great evening on the beach for our farewell party and dinner

Fun night out bowling and then the English Pub

 Last day at Sandals, enough time for a leisurely morning and swim

See you next time Barbados!

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Moscow, Russia

June 30, 2019

Arrival into Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport was a nice change from the airport in Split! Plus there were many airport clubs!!!

First thing I did was eat after the horrible dinner served.

Cabbage Pie, Lentil Soup, coffee, wine and sparkling water at 1am.

Just what I needed after my nap.

The club was nice and well needed!

Nothing feels better than a shower after a long flight. It woke me up and got me recharged for visiting Russia for the first time.

My little towel and amenity package.

I better be ready for this, it’s been in the mid nineties all week!

I tried to order a car around 3:30am but Uber here requires you to update and get their new app. The cell signal was terrible down here and I couldn’t get on their WiFi. So then I went to the other app my guide recommended a few weeks ago. But ordering a car used my credit card, and even though I had a travel notice for Russia it didn’t look legitimate to the bank. So of course I tried again, not a good idea. Next I asked the taxi company desk and they wanted 1600 Rubles ($25) but I had only taken out 1200 Rubles, because I didn’t think I would need cash because of the apps and would get cash in the city rather than the airport. So after a few minutes the guy felt bad for me and tried to order a taxi from his app, but I couldn’t pay for it. So he was helping me get it working on my phone….an hour later I was about to walk out and pay the tourist rate and my phone service got better and I was able to order the taxi, for 700 Rubles!!

My driver was a tall Asian-ish looking guy, he drove very fast but was nice. We did our best to communicate but it was tough going back and forth, I just gave up. We made it into Moscow in less than a half hour.

Wow it was cold when I got out of the car! The forties feel real different after being in the nineties for the last week and living in California. Plus it was damp, had rained earlier in the evening so the dampness made it feel colder.

I thought I remembered everything for today, even had a warm jacket….but I forgot shoes, I had on flip flops. My feet were freezing and I felt like people were looking at me…or my feet!

The Moscow Metro map

The sun was rising and the streets were fairly empty save for a few late night partiers. I started with a walk down Tverskaya Street, Moscow’s version of Champs-Élysées, through the city towards the Kremlin and Red Square.

The most beautiful supermarket I’ve ever seen is Yeliseev’s Food Hall! It was also one of the first supermarkets in the world.

It’s not only beautiful but has some amazing products here, I wish o could ship and bring home some groceries!

It was once the home of Russian Princess Zinaida Volkonskayause. The crystal chandeliers, traditional wooden cases and elaborately-carved pillars are beautiful.

Continuing my walk down Tverskaya Street.

Approaching the Kremlin

Looking at the State Historical Museum of Russia with Red Square behind it.

Looking at the Kremlin buildings, Red Square is right behind that building.

This building below you should recognize but probably won’t. Currently it is the Four Seasons Hotel.

Here is how you will recognize it:

My first glimpse of St. Basil’s Cathedral in the distance!

Surrounded by the Kremlin in Red Square

Ruins Grotto in Alexander Gardens is a monument to the victory over Napoleon, this is actual rubble from buildings attacked by Napoleon’s forces.

This was a monument to the House of Romanov to commemorate the 300 years of the reign of the Romanov dynasty. But after the revolution, the monarchy monument turned into the revolutionary one-the names of the Romanovs were replaced with the names of revolutionary figures of all time; and the remaining attributes of the previous government were eliminated.

Alexander Gardens stretchs along all the length of the western Kremlin wall and was the first public park in Moscow. It’s beautiful and a great respite from the city.

Resurrection Gate to Red Square-see St. Basil’s in the right arch.

Quick stop for breakfast and coffee. Syrniki (сырники) are slightly sweet cheesy Russian pancakes served with sour cream or fresh fruit, they were tasty.

Kazan Cathedral Казанский собор, love how colorful it is.

Below is the State Historical Museum of Russia.

GUM is the main department store in many cities of the former Soviet Union it was known as State Department Store during the Soviet era. This one in Red Square is the most popular and beautiful.

This is the part I have been soooo excited about!!! Seeing St. Basil’s Cathedral. My guide Mariam was great, I learned so much about history and events that happened here.

Lenin’s Tomb where his body has been preserved and on display since he died in 1924, I didn’t get to see it because it wasn’t open yet.

Benefits of being here at 5am!

Check this off my travel bucket list! Looking up at St. Basil’s Cathedral as it looms majestically over Red Square with the Kremlin and Lenin’s Tomb surrounding me was overwhelming. Standing where countless historical and political events in history have occurred was surreal!

It is so beautiful-the colors and the onion domes! It is actually smaller than I pictured but just as impressive.

The Moscow Metro has beautiful stations. This wasn’t even one of the pretty ones but still impressive.

Too the Aeroexpress back to the airport to avoid traffic.

Has to bring home Russian vodka.

Matryoshka are the wooden dolls that are all different sizes and nested inside each other.

You have to drink vodka in Russia, right?

Finally heading home 💗

Our route over the arctic.

There’s Los Angeles

Would you believe they lost my luggage again????

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Last Day in Split, Croatia

June 29, 2019

I was sad to wake up this morning and leave my cabin. It was such an amazing cruise that I did not want it to end. Katarina Cruise Line definitely knows how to island hop along the Dalmatian Coast and I will continue to send my clients here for their vacations. I will most likely send more because this trip taught me more about Katarina that I didn’t know before, like their 60 different ships and they are definitely each for a different kind of traveler and budget. Thank you Katarina Line for this wonderful experience!

Off to spend the day in Split, my flight is at 7:40pm so I booked a culinary tour this morning!

Off to the fish market to choose what we will be eating for our lunch today.

We took a whole bunch of these “scampi” as they call them here. Just like large head on shrimp but with a harder shell more like a crawfish and a bit bigger.

There was so much to choose from, and so many new things that I don’t see in the markets at home. It was very exciting to learn about some of the local seafood and how they prepare it. I also loved how a lot of the seafood is prepared with lots of garlic, olive oil and parsley!!

I chose a nice plump and bright red Scorpionfish, excited to try it, a popular choice among locals here.

This lady was so sweet, she packs all of those jars of anchovies herself. She showed us how she salts them and then how she uses special oil, etc. She let us try them first, nothing like the anchovies you buy in a can that are too salty! These had flavor and meatiness to them, I bought a few jars. I am sure my son Rowan will love these, he started eating anchovies at 2 years old-so an extra jar for him.

The stories about the locals were just as much fun as learning about the fish! This guy has been here every day for 30 something years, the only English he knows is, “the fish is very very fresh” and he was very proud to proclaim it about his offerings.

It took a while but I finally got this gruff monger to smile for the picture.

One of my choices is the local tuna, she is filleting the fish I chose. I had the local tuna sashimi style in Dubrovnik and it was amazing, so I’ll try it grilled with garlic, olive oil and parsley.

Back to the kitchen to drop off our fish choices and then to the green market.

We had some time in between so slowly made it to the market as we stopped along the way to appreciate the beauty of Split.

I love the Austrian influence of this building that was from the Hapsburg rule that occurred after the Venetian rule ended when Venice fell to Napoleon. You feel like you are in Vienna here.

The outer edges of Diocletian’s Palace and one of the four gates that allow entry into the city.

Made it to the green market, another shopping adventure.

We dropped off our vegetables and told them what time we wanted to enjoy lunch. Then off for more exploring.

We ventured out of Diocletian’s Palace to an area higher up with beautiful views of Split and the perfect cafe for a well needed iced coffee.

We worked up a hunger going up all those steps and incline in the heat. Looking forward to lunch and a glass of wine!

Split is a beautiful place.

I found a mini-Stanley in a shop in town. He was so adorable!

The Game of Thrones and Harry Potter Store.

Lunchtime!! Diocletian’s Wine House is a beautiful restaurant right in the palace walls. There’s inside seating with air conditioning and outside seating. Since it was in the nineties today, we opted for inside!

Here is one page of their menu, but we had a custom menu made for us!

Scorpionfish with lemon and seasonal vegetables wrapped in a flaky phyllo packet was probably the best fish dish I’ve ever had in a restaurant!

The grilled local tuna and vegetables was really tasty.

Buzara is a very popular Croatian dish served along the coast. It’s the scampi shrimp I described above with mussels and baby clams. They are cooked in a lot of garlic, wine, olive oil and parsley. There is also a little tomato and fresh breadcrumbs that thicken the sauce. Dipping the fresh made crunchy loaf of bread into the bowl was heaven.

The sad part of the trip, heading to the airport to leave this area of the world that I absolutely adored! So I checked the weather at my next destination…..

Looks chilly to me! 😬

The airport in Split is very small and they are in dire need of an upgrade and expansion. It was crowded and hot and once you went through security, no bar, no seats available and no plugs to charge anything! I did find two plugs that worked but there was a line if people for each! So I sat on the floor and hoped that my three hours would go quickly.

Off to Moscow with a terrible airplane meal, thankfully I was so exhausted I slept most of the almost 4 hours.

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Bol & Omiš, Croatia

June 28, 2019

We woke up to a beautiful day but very windy. Everyone was excited to go to the Great Horn beach in Bol on the island of Brac. Unfortunately we were not able to due to the high winds.

The two pics below are of the famous beach from above-not my pictures.

We were scheduled to spend the whole morning at this beach and swim. We were so disappointed but of course understood.

The wind was so strong we couldn’t even sit out on the sundeck!

Thankfully it still was a beautiful day so the Captain cruised to the other side of the island that was protected from the wind and we searched for a place to swim now that it is calm.

Everyone is looking and eagerly waiting to swim!

This area looks pretty good.

We’re all like little kids who can’t wait to play!

Our lunch today was amazing! Gnocchi in a Parmesan sauce and baby lamb chops, which I really don’t like but enjoyed these!

Omiš is our stop after lunch, it is back on the mainland not far south of Split.

Look at the dot right above Splitska, that is Omiš at the mouth of the Centine River.

View from above (not my picture)

Time for an afternoon of river rafting on the Cetine River!

It started out calm but it was so hot out we couldn’t wait to get splashed.

And cool off with a swim!

Morena jumping off the rock.

Ready to go!

So much fun and the perfect weather.

Getting ready for the Captain’s Dinner tonight, our last night.

Cocktails to start

Beautiful sunset as we arrive into Split, our final stop and where we started.

The dining room set up nicely for the special dinner.

Captain Dino makes his speech

Local Tuna Carpaccio

Mussels

Captain Dino’s favorite local musicians. They were really good and fun! Everyone enjoyed their entertainment during dinner.

Seared Local Sea Bass

Molten Chocolate Cake

Fun times dancing then a trip into Split.

Wandering through the maze of Diocletian’s Palace.

This picture came out better than the one I was taking.

Not easy to find your ship when they are all tied together so you have to walk through each one to get to the next-and they all look similar!

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Hvar, Croatia

June 27, 2019

This morning we start our journey to Hvar. Hvar is another island in the Adriatic Sea and is best known as a luxurious summer vacation destination. It is also known as the sunniest island in Croatia and for its beautiful and fragrant lavender fields. Hvar Town has swanky hotels, elegant restaurants and it is the place to see and be seen-rubbing shoulders with posh yachties and hundreds of young partygoers.

Good morning from the MS Maritimo!

Breakfast onboard is really nice, there’s a nice variety from meats and cheeses, to fruits, muesli and yogurts to eggs, bacon and breads.

Later on in the morning we stopped for our daily swim and there was a tiny beach not far from where we anchored so we took the dinghy to explore.

Nevin and I ready to explore

I loved walking around the shallows near the rocks and looking for sea creatures. I saw a lot of sea urchins, made me really hungry but I don’t know how to open them to eat them! There were also a lot of sea slugs, which I don’t like to eat! So it was tough to walk around on the pebbly bottom but fun to explore!

While it was beautiful, I preferred swimming from the ship, no worries about walking on the bottom!

Fun with the floats

My cool toes in the water

Morena, one of our hostesses

Just watching the swimmers as I dry off

Look at that water!

Captain Dino going over the maps with us.

Beautiful lunch today! Our starter was grilled zucchini and eggplant rolled around soft cheese.

There is the harbor in Hvar with the 13th Century Fortress keeping watch over the town.

We couldn’t get a place to dock, it was so busy. So we went for another swim to kill some time and then had a local wine and olive oil tasting onboard.

Time for a nap!

Walking into Hvar town on the beautiful promenade.

Ready for a night of fun!

Our hostesses Morena and Natasa

Cocktail Hour in Hvar

The main square is anchored by the Renaissance-era Hvar Cathedral.

Notice the worn step on the left side under the bottom of the door. That is the side the commoners would use.

The pjaca, is what they call the main square which is the largest square in Dalmatia. Originally part of the bay, the land was filled in and fully paved in 1780 and the fountain in the square dates back to 1520.

More beautiful side streets.

If you look at the top of the picture, you see the holes in the building around the windows. These were for a pole to be put in and either used as a pulley to bring things up to their home or hang a wet blanket for natural air conditioning.

The beautiful Pjaca

We went to dinner as the sun was setting.

Thinly sliced octopus, local tuna tartare, sea bass ceviche, oil cured anchovies, and white anchovies.

Beef carpaccio, local sharp cheese, beef Tartare, butter slices, liver pate, carmelized onions and arugula salad.

Fried calamari

Local catch-baby clams, mussels, grilled squid, grilled tuna, huge prawns called scampi.

Summer night life in Hvar is one of the best on the Adriatic. The town is alive at night and partying goes on all night long!

We took a long walk after dinner and the island started to get going. Music was starting, the bars and cafes were filling up.

We sat out here at these high tables, there was a balmy breeze and a great fun vibe. We sat with a bunch of friends and had a really nice evening.

Good night Hvar!

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Katarina Line & Korčula, Croatia

June 26, 2019

I slept well on my first night onboard and woke to the sound of the engines starting at 7am. Breakfast is between 8-9am so I went up to grab a cup of coffee and see us leave Split. There’s not much motion on the ship, pretty smooth but I guess we are in semi protected waters with all the islands around us. Dalmatia is what they call this area of coastline and it is where Dalmatian dogs come from. They say their spots represent the islands and no two are the same. There are actually

The morning was spent relaxing onboard while we cruised. It was so nice, I really enjoy the sundeck and there is a small jacuzzi up there we used to cool off while we were cruising. We stopped before lunch and had a really nice swim. The water is refreshing, not too cold but cold enough that it feels great because it is hot, low 90’s! It is also so clear and pretty, I love the color. Thankfully we are cruising during the heat of the day and the breeze keeps us cool and comfortable.

Just look at that water!

Another ship similar to ours, same company too.

My home, MS Maritimo

Lunch was fabulous today!

We stopped at a nice cafe for a refreshment while in Korčula.

Look at that water!

Walking along the promenade into the Old Town. The island town of Korčula is best known as the birthplace of Marco Polo and often referred to as a “mini” Dubrovnik because of the medieval stone ramparts and towers. The town has striking Venetian architecture that makes it beautiful with bright flowers spilling over the limestone blocks with azure blue seas-I LOVE Korčula!

Old Town’s main entry is the Great Land Gate or Veliki Revelin.

St. Mark’s Cathedral

Korčula town was laid out in a fishbone pattern. They really knew what they were doing when they built the town and they are still reaping the benefits of this layout today.

The Main Street goes through the town like the spine of a fish. The streets come off the spine at each side like the bones but the left and right sides are different.

The streets to the left, or west, are straight and allow the cool Maestral winds into town like natural air-conditioning. The streets to the right, or east, are curved to keep out the evil Jugo winds. These Bura are winds in Croatia that control the coastal weather and are tied to the everyday lives of the people, everything from weather, vegetation, architecture and tourism.

Looking down this street you can’t see the end due to the curve.

Looking down this street you can see the water at the end because it is straight.

The outside of the old town has a ring street around it with fabulous cafes on the water with views of the azure blue water.

I just love these streets, so atmospheric!

I have been perusing many of the jewelry stores in Dubrovnik, Split and now here in Korčula to find a Konavle button necklace. These filigree style old buttons are now sold as necklaces, rings and earrings. I found this jeweler making them and finally bought my own necklace.

Dinner tonight was a more local type of dinner in Korčula and a real experience.

We rode into the island away from the coast and up higher in elevation. Then walked up a country road to find this amazing spot!

The gregarious owner greeted us with a local drink and some dried figs while he told us about this place, the area and growing up here.

We learned how to make a local type of pasta.

We went up to the high point and learned about the changes here since he was a child. He pointed out the places of interest and where the school was and town.

We had a big family style table with beautiful views all around us.

The food was so fresh and so delicious. There was also a local red and white wine that paired perfectly with the meal.

Korčula changed many colors during sunset. After our big family style dinner we decided to take a nice walk, it was a beautiful night and had cooled off nicely. The views back to Korčula town as the sun set made us stop and take a picture every 5 minutes!

We stayed here and watched the sun as it dipped below the horizon and the colors were gorgeous!

Good night Korčula.