The first day after sailing was beautiful. The seas were calm and the ship itself has a different personality to the last one. People do not seem as high strung as the last one. Though I suppose we do not have the pressure of an extended length cruise to contend with and add to people’s temperment. Split was larger than we expected and you could see Diocletian’s Palace from the port and it was an impressive site against the backdrop of the city. It was at one point the city itself. All life happened within the walls of the palatial grounds. The area at one time being the estate of the Emperor Diocletius. Over the years the town around it developed and subsequent eras added or changed the original building, adding Medieval architecture and modern buildings to the grounds.
The tour was not up to par but it was still an enjoyable day. We had one day at sea which was uneventful. I will say that this seems like a very efficiently run ship. Apart from everybody’s key cards not working the first day there really haven’t been any problems. There have been a few notable cutbacks since our last cruise. The first and most noticeable is that cabin stewards have had a doubling of their duties. So where you are able to talk and get to know your steward, now they have very little time. It is the same way in the Lido dining room. They have also gotten rid of trays in the Lido. I never liked the trays but I have to say where before you could get your food in one run now it takes a few more.
The next day we got to Athens. We decided to get up early to beat the crowds and we did a tremendous job. When we got there only a couple buses from one other ship were there. We got right into the Acropolis. On the way as we turned a corner the Acroplis came into view. The hills and the Temple complex (actually a series of complexes) came into view. The sun lit it up and it was an impressive site that commanded itself as the center of the city. Athens was built up all around it and as we ascended the MANY steps the city winded all around hills and valleys in and around the city.
The Acropolis is made up of several temples most dedicated to one or more visages of Athena. They were under renovation and so there was a lot of scaffolding around and on the buildings. The whole site was just breathtaking and fairly preserved. We all got a lot great pictures. Down the slopes of the Acropolis hill we went to see other sites like the Temple of Zeus, the old market place, etc. The Athenians were wonderful. We had our first Gyro in Greece there and it was awesome. The pita was grilled and the lamb was so tender and seasoned perfectly and on it was just about the best Tzatziki sauce I have ever tasted. Greek is my favorite back home but I can honestly say I haven’t had anything that came close to this.
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