Turkey Day

Today is Turkey Day, rightfully named due to the one day in-between Bulgaria and Turkey. Right now the ship is anchored outside Varna, Bulgaria. Around 7pm tonight the anchor will be lifted and I’ll be on my way to Turkey. I should arrive in Turkey tomorrow around 7am.  I plan on waking up around 5:30am for the sunrise and the berthing of the ship. Apparently it is a right of passage to wake up for sunrise as the ship pulls into Turkey, because it is absolutely breathtaking watching the sun illuminate all the mosques and monuments along the Bosporus.

Back to Turkey day…this morning I had 2.5 hours of Global Studies learning about the past and current political situation and history of Turkey. I don’t have any other classes so I will be using my extra time to catch up on sleep, study for an Italy in the Age of the Renaissance Exam, Study for a Global Studies Exam, and figure out what to do in Turkey. Tonight at pre-port I will be learning more about places to see and discover in Istanbul.  So far my plan includes: City Orientation, the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, The Grand Bazaar, The Spice Market, Old Town, Turkish Baths, and an overnight trip to Cappadocia. I have no idea how I am going to fit all of these activities into only five days! I also need to meet up with my Negotiation for Value partner Ben and engage in a negotiation for our paper due at the end of the class. SO MUCH TO DO.

The next three weeks are going to be a blur.

Bulgaria

An Amazing Night

Last night around 9pm the ship passed through the heart of Istanbul, Turkey! It was aboslutely beautiful sailing through the city while it was all lit up. From the ship I was able to see the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. While winding through the city the ship passed under two spectacular bridges all lit up.

AND THE BEST PART.....FIREWORKS!!!

Two round of fireworks were lit off from the shore as we passed.

This was by far the most incredible part of the voyage.

Right now it is the last day of classes before Varna, Bulgaria. The ship is sitting out in the middle of a bay anchored outside of Varna...we arrived a day early. SO for the next 24 hours of classes, preports, and exams I will be teased by Varna so close...but so far away.

Short Post on Greece

Currently I’m halfway through the first of two class days between Greece and Bulgaria. In the next 36 hours I have an exam, quiz, group meeting and papers to start…so I’m going to keep this post short.

Greece was amazing…minus the public transportation strikes. The first day I arrived the metro was under construction and I had to take a bus into Athens, but that’s a story for another day. The second and third days in Greece the taxis were on strike. The fourth and fifth days riots became more intense….and the day after we left there was a rumor circulating that the ferry system was going to be on strike. Utter chaos!

I was able to make it into Athens, see the Acropolis and the New Acropolis Museum ( I left 20 minutes before Hilary Clinton showed up) and see the parliament building. The next day I took a SAS day trip to Delphi, which was absolutely gorgeous! Then I spent two days in Mykonos running around the island and hanging out. The last day I walked around Pireaus and spent the last of my euros at the supermarket.

Greece has the best food so far! And it is the cheapest. Two euros for a Gyro…not bad!

Next stop is Varna, Bulgaria…which former SAS’ers described as Las Vegas on a beach. It is a new up and coming European beach community with casinos, shopping malls and beach bars. I have a cooking class through SAS and a Jeep safari planned otherwise I’m just going with the flow.

Greek Facts/Observations

-F-Harry-Stow (the American phonetic spelling) means thank you in Greek. It's the only word I know and always comes in handy with the locals! They appreciate the effort to speak their language
-Do NOT pet the stray dogs
-Marble is dirt cheap, wood costs and arm and a leg
-Gas is 1.69/Liter about $9 a gallon
-97% Greeks are Greek Orthodox and take their religion very seriously
-The Greeks are extremely proud of the 2004 Olympic games in Athens
-Most restaurants are served family style :)
-There is a gyro shop in every neighborhood
-Gyros are either chicken or pork. Lamb gyros are only in America.
-Greek food is delicious.
-I'm in love with Greek meatballs
-Make sure to validate your bus ticket...or pay a 72 euro fine!


The past two days have flown by. I made it into Athens despite the metro being down and the bus system being the worst form of transportation EVER. So far I've seen the Acropolis, the New Acropolis Museum, the Parthenon, and Delphi. Tomorrow I have a 6:15am trip to Mykonos for 2-3 days depending if the ferries are still running and riots don't break out from the Greece debt plan being voted on Thursday.

Today all the taxis in Greece were on strike due to debt reconstruction currently being put together...this certainly made my SAS trip very interesting...but more on that later

Minor Mistake

The ship berths...not births. ooops.

'Twas the Night Before Greece

The past two days I have been bombarded with information about Greece. Today in Global Studies I learned about the Classical Greek period and the current Greece Situation, which consists of growing interest rates, the inability to borrow money from the private sector, and the possibility of defaulting on it’s massive amounts of debt. It was interesting learning all the background that had been fueling the Greek riots a month earlier. Supposedly within the next couple of days Greece is voting on a specific plan on how it will meet its debt obligations…hopefully it doesn’t become violent.

Tonight is the logistical and cultural Greece pre-port where they will continue to talk about Greece’s growing problems with the EU. After pre-port Tina and I are going to figure out our plans for the next five days.

 Tomorrow morning the ship ports in Piraeus, Greece at 0800. Hopefully I’ll wake up early enough to catch the ship pulling into port….something I still haven’t gotten around to. After the ship births, I plan on racing off to the Acropolis before the heat of the day sets in. Rumor has it; it’s supposed to be 94 degrees while in Athens. 94 DEGREES. Insane.

I also have a day trip planned to Delphi. Delphi is the ancient Greek site of the Oracle, which was dedicated to the son god Apollo. It is set high in the mountains and was a pilgrimage site for Ancient Greeks looking for answers to every kind of question imaginable.

The 3rd and 4th days I’m going to Mykonos…the famous Greek Island with old windmills and white washed houses. I’m excited to take a break from writing papers and relax on the white sand beaches.

I’m so excited for Greek food!!! I plan on eating my body weight in Gyros and Greek salad. YUM.

After Greece I have two more midterms before arriving in Varna, Bulgaria.

Croatia Thus Far

Dubrovnik, Croatia is absolutely beautiful.  It’s a great destination for a little bit of relaxation before a full itinerary in Greece. The past three days have fun full of sun and oppressive heat!

Day one: Walked to old town from the port (about 2 miles) in 90 degree weather with Sammy, Karen, Taylor, Alex, Emily, and Franny. Once we all passed through the gates to the old town we realized the 10kn bus= $2 is well worth the price. After adventuring through the town for about 2 hours we caught the bus back to the ship for FDP’s. Franny and I visited the village of Osojnik up in the hills about 30 minutes outside of Dubrovnik. We visited the town church and a family house where we enjoyed a folk show and dance. Dinner was delicious. The first course we cooked ourselves! We were brought raw bacon and olive tree branches carved into a spear. We roasted the bacon over the fire and ate it with homemade bread. The main dish was pork and delicious potatos. Overall a great day!

Day two: Franny and I left the ship at 7:30am to hike up the city walls before it became oppressively hot. After we walked the town walls we grabbed a ferry to Lokrum, and Island 15 minutes from the old city. The island was absolutely gorgeous! It was full of forest and botanical gardens. The best part: wild peacocks! Just roaming around wherever they pleased with their babies. Crazy. Franny and I also went for a swim in the ocean off a rock beach…which we later discovered was a nudist beach. I ended the day by finding an Internet café with Drew.

Day three: The most relaxed day of all. I slept in and left the ship about 1pm. The ship left port and had to anchor in the middle of the bay because a huge cruise ship needed to dock. In order to get to land we had to take the lifeboats back and forth from the ship to the port. Quite the experience. Once safe on land Karen, Tina, Rachel, Alex, Taylor, Emily and I all took the bus to a rock beach and went cliff jumping. It was quite a sight seeing us hangout with the locals.

Tomorrow is my last day in Croatia. I plan on sleeping in, going to the internet cafe, and grabbing some seafood for lunch. Then it's homework time and paper writing!

1.5 days at sea, .5 left

The past day and a half has been pandemonium. 5 classes, 3 papers, and one group assignment later…I’m still alive…barely. All I can say is that I’m overly excited for Dubrovnik, Croatia tomorrow for some much needed R&R

Yesterday everyone on the ship was exhausted from traveling all throughout Italy and getting back into the grove of school.  It’s a lot harder to start studying after you’ve just seen roman ruins 12 hours earlier, but, the crew and faculty decided to reward our hard work by playing Harry Potter Deathly Hallows prt1 over the TV system making schoolwork slightly more tolerable. The ship is also putting together multiple trips to a movie theater in Croatia for students interested in watching the new Harry Potter movie. I’ve decided to pass on the opportunity because I’d rather enjoy my time exploring Dubrovnik…but die-hard Harry Potter fans are overly excited.

Another exciting event yesterday: VOLCANOES! The ship passed right next to an active volcano, and the thing was still steaming. It was absolutely insane. The ship also passed through the iconic Straits of Messina in-between the main landmass of Italy and the island of Sicily.  This strait was made famous by Homer in the Illiad and the Odyssey and is the home of the two “monsters” Scylla and Charybdis. For those of you who know your Greek mythology…you know exactly what I’m talking about! And for those of you who don’t have the slightest idea what I am talking about, SHAME ON YOU. Google it!

Today in Global Studies I learned about the city of Dubrovnik and the multiple hardships it has been through in the past 10 years. The city still is enclosed by pristine walls from the Roman era and sits on the edge of the Adriatic Sea. Once a part of Yugoslavia, Croatia broke over after months of civil war and thousands of casualties. The city was bombarded with shells and artillery in the early 90s, before gaining it’s independence. Also, from civil war Bosnia, Montenegro and Serbia were also created from Yugoslavian territory.

I was told that on my visit to the city I would still be able to see the effects of the civil war: bullet holes in buildings and brightly colored red roof tiles from rebuilding the city.

While in Dubrovnik I plan on walking on the iconic city walls and adventuring around the city. Hopefully I can find a sea kayaking and snorkeling tour Croatia is famous for. I also plan on taking a day trip to Lokrum. Lokrum is an island right next to Croatia that has an old monastery and overgrown gardens, wild peacocks, and a salt-water lake. Supposedly it is suppose to be absolutely gorgeous. If I have enough time I’m also thinking about taking a 15 minute bus ride to Montenegro (allowed by SAS) to check out the country.

I hope everyone back home had a great 4th of July!

Italy

Italy exceeded all my expectations! Venice, Florence, Rome, Verona, and Pisa were absolutely incredible. I can’t believe how fast the past six days have passed!

My trip tour guide affectionately known as “Mama Anna” was a true Italian. She walked, talked and breathed Italy. She was the best tour guide I have ever had! Her knowledge of Italy was incredible and she always had a smile on her face no matter how many times she was forced to count our group of 43!!! Our whole tour group known as the gems became very close very fast. I made some great new lifelong friends. Now every time we see each other we scream “SEMESTER!” and “STICK LIKE GLUE” in our Mama Anna accents! It’s always funny.

Here is an overview of the past six days.

Day 1: Woke up at 7am to shower, finish packing, and grab some breakfast. I met up with 42 other students including Drew, Emily, and Alex in the union to start the Gems of Italy tour. I managed to fit 6 days worth of clothing into my backpack! Job well done! Lots of other students had full rolling duffle bags, which def. was a hassle. After a short Naples city bus tour (Yes, Naples was dirty) I arrived at the train station and headed out on a train to Rome. Around 2 hours later I switched trains and headed to Venice. A total of 8 hours of travel later….I arrived at the hotel in Mestra and went to bed early to prepare for a full day in VENICE!

Day 2: Visited the Islands of Torchello, Burano, Murano, and the main island of Venice. Torchello, which had an old church built out of stones and adorned with tiny pure gold mosaics was stunning. The island itself was picturesque Italian countryside with few houses and beautiful stone bridges. Burano, and old fishing village, had brightly painted houses of every color. The houses served as a way for fisherman to be able to view their house from the water. Murano was a tourist’s paradise! It is famous for Murano glass, only produced on this one island and sold all over the world. I toured a glass factory and watched a craftsman make a vase and stunning glass horse figurine. After Murano, I took a tour of the main island, enjoyed a group dinner of pasta and veal, and ended the day with a gondola ride. As the group took our private boat back from Venice, we watched the sunset across the lagoon. A perfect ending to a perfect day!

Day 3: After another early morning wakeup call I took a 90 minute bus ride to Verona, home of the two star crossed lovers: Romeo and Juliet. I visited Juliet’s iconic balcony and attempted to find Romeo’s door…but no luck. The night before reaching Verona my roommate Emily and I watched Letter’s to Juliet. In the movie multiple women are seen taping notes to the wall underneath Juliet’s balcony with questions about love. After seeing this, we both decided to write our own letters. Unfortunately, the whole letter business was only in the movie and you had to walk in a random door to drop off your letter. Graffiti and locks were placed all throughout the courtyard in front of the balcony. The guide explained that the locks were couples declaring their love for one another. After a few hours in Verona, I made it to Florence. After a group dinner everyone hit the town for a concert.

Day 4: Started the day with a tour of the Academia and saw the famous statue of David by Michelangelo. I was a whole lot bigger than I expected….it’s 16 feet tall! Then our tour guide gave the group a total of 20 minutes in the famous Florence leather market, which didn’t even come close to enough time. I could’ve spent hours there! The market was full of jackets, purses, bags, belts, shoes, and scarves. EVERYTHING. After purchasing three bags, I cut myself off and got back to the meeting point just in time to take a walking tour of Florence. After the walking tour I hopped on another bus to Pisa and took the classic tourist photo holding up the leaning tower of Pisa. Finally around 11pm the bus pulled up to the hotel in Rome. I was absolutely speechless when I stepped off the bus and saw the dome of the St. Peter Basilica lit up only three blocks away!

Day 5: A full day of Rome! I had an early morning tour of the Coliseum and Roman Forum. I was most surprised by all the roman ruins right in the heart of Rome. It was so exciting to be able to actually see all the ruins I had been learning about in my Global Studies course. Around the Coliseum and Roman Forum there were REAL AUTHENTIC pieces of marble columns and stones/bricks that people were able to sit on. I can’t believe they would place such ancient artifacts on the ground for people to sit on. It still blows my mind. For lunch our group stopped at an AMAZING pizza place for margherita pizza and wine YUM! Best wood fire pizza of my life.  I also had a guided tour of the Vatican and St. Peters Bisilica, which was overly crowded. After a couple hours of free time I had a group dinner which was in a back alley and country-ish. It was very cute. I also had a walking tour at night of the Trevvi Fountain, Pantheon, and a couple squares.

Day 6: I started out the day with a scavenger hunt that finished atop a small “mountain” which overlooked all of Rome. The hunt took around 3 hours and everyone was ready to fall asleep ASAP…but since we had 4 hours of free time Alex, Emily, Drew and I met up with Karen, Tina and Taylor and grabbed some lunch together. After lunch I got on the bus to meet the ship back in port. I had about 30 minutes to unpack before the same group decided to head out and grab dinner at an amazing pizza place. We walked in and the owner told us he would just bring us a little of everything. And by a little….he meant LOTS. THREE HUGE PIZZAS. So good.

Overall, I fell in love with Italy. The people were friendly and willing to help. The history of all the buildings and towns blew me away. One of the best parts of the trip was driving through Tuscany and seeing all of the small medieval towns on top of hills lit up in the dark. I’ll never forget Italy, and to make sure I threw a coin in the Trevvi fountain so that I will find my way back to Rome.

Tomorrow I plan on going into port with Tina and Drew to find a place with Wi-fi to upload some pictures to the blog…so keep posted!

Italy

Tomorrow we birth in Naples at 0800! As soon as we birth, I’ll be on my way to Venice. The trip takes ~5 hours by train. I’ll be spending the next 2 days in Venice then I’ll move on to Verona, Florence, Pisa, and Rome. When I get back to the ship Thursday July 7th, I’ll have one more day in Civitavecchia, Italy, which is the port right outside Rome…about an hour train ride.

I’m looking forward to all of the historic Roman ruins and huge cathedrals I’ve been learning about in my global studies course. And…of course..I’m overly excited about the food! Brick oven margherita pizza YUM!

I’ll be out of touch the next six days as I navigate my away around Italy!