Rome to Kelowna

 Athens to Rome Cruise

Flight home to Kelowna

February 11, 2026

This morning Agnes and I were up at 2;30 am so we could get down stairs to grab a coffee and a croissant before getting on the bus at 3:00 am.  From the cruise ship terminal it was a one hour drive to the airport.   I was feeling pretty tired as yesterday had been a long tour day and I had gotten only a few hours sleep.  I was also feeling pretty anxious as we didn't leave the terminal until almost 3:20 and the first leg of flight home was at 5:55 am.  

Finally the bus pulled out and the 1 hour drive was actually 70 minutes.  So my 2;55 window was down to 85 minutes to drop luggage off and get boarding passes, clear  airport security, clear immigration, and make my way to the gate.  Fortunately it all went smoothly and we were at the gate with 20 minutes to spare.  

The first leg of the flight home was from Athens to Amsterdam.  However after we were on board a 35 minute delay was announced as the Amsterdam airport was fogged in and had reduced capacity.  Again fortune smiled upon us as we had a 3 hour layover in Amsterdam.  

The flight from Amsterdam to Vancouver was just before noon so there wasn't much chance of getting any sleep on the way home. However the KLM fight was really good and there were quite a few movies to watch.

In Vancouver we sailed though immigration and the machines worked great.  We were  really pleased to see our luggage come up on the luggage carousel.  

Agnes and I had booked a hotel in Vancouver and had planned to over night as we had thought we would be too tired to make the last leg home to Kelowna.   However we felt great.  The shuttle bus came and whisked us off to the hotel.  

In the morning we got dropped off at the airport for the 45 minute flight home.  Being Westjet there was an hour delay due equipment delay.  The plane was a really beaten up old commuter plane and the arm rest on my seat was missing.  Packing tape was used to cover the jagged metal.  It was only a 45 minute flight. 

Kurt was there at the airport and drove us the final few miles home. 

What a great trip.  So many great sites and great memories. 

Terry 

 

   

Rome

Athens to Rome Cruise 2026 

Rome

February 10, 2026

This morning when we awoke we found that the ship had already docked in Rome.  This was the last full day of the cruise as tomorrow we are on our way home.  The tour was going to be a long one as it was scheduled for a full eight hours.  This meant up early for a good breakfast and onto the tour bus by 8:00 am.  It was a 2.5 hour drive into Rome from the Rome cruise ship terminal in Civitavecchia.  

The tour started with a driving tour of Rome to take us past some of the highlights of Rome.  The guide was saying that to see Rome a person needs a stay of around two months.  But we had only one day so a quick drive tour was in order.  After the drive tour we were dropped off in the center of Rome with a map and told that we had 3.5 hours on your own to go and see the one sight which interested you most.  Agnes and I picked the "Wedding Cake" which is the massive white marble Altare della Patria (Alter of the Fatherland) or Vittoriano, located in the Piazza Venezia. It was built from 1885 to 1935 to honor the king of Italy Victor Emmanuel II, the first king of a unified Italy.  It was about a 20 minute walk though the maze which is Rome streets.  

Agnes and I climbed all of the steps to the very top as the view of Rome is absolutely incredible.  You can see the colosseum and the surrounding ruins of the Roman Forum .  Even though we climbed all the stairs we did not see any of the museums which are enclosed in it.  It is an amazing structure.  

After the big climb we still had a 20 minute hike back to the bus and then a 2.5 hour ride back to the ship.  We didn't get in until 5:30.  

A last supper up stairs in the ship's buffet and back to the room to get packed.  Our luggage had to be outside the room in the hall by 10:00 pm and as we had an early flight out to Rome the next morning we had to be down stairs to await transfer to the airport at 3:00 am. 

What an exciting day.  What and exciting trip.

Terry 

Naples

Athens to Rome Cruise

Naples 

February 09, 2026 

This morning our ship is docked at the main cruise terminal in downtown Naples.  This huge edifice was built in 1939 by Mussolini.  It features two huge bronze horses on the main towers of the terminal.  I am sure it looked a lot grander in 1939 than it does today.  Naples was not bombed during WW2 so there are a lot of buildings in downtown which date back to the 1500's.  

The tour was a walking tour of Naples and as we were right downtown we set off with our guide.  She started off the tour with a lesson in why Italians use so many hand signs in their speech.  The hand signs date back to Roman theatre where there was no sound systems so hand signs were used to help the audience understand the play.  She covered everything from: hurray up - a hand facing up with fingers wiggling, you're stupid - index finger pointing at your head, to I will kick your butt - both hands making right angles with index finger and thumb. In Canada and the US we use this sign to denote size.  She was just hilarious.  

The fist site was the Black Castle (Castel Nuovo Maschio Angioino) which was built in 1266 by King Charles I of France.  It is still in use today as a museum and hosts everything from counsel meetings to weddings. 

Second stop was a huge mall called the Gallery Umberto I.  It was built in 1887 and was the first steel frame building in Naples.  It is a masterpiece of architecture. Every square foot is covered with travertine frescos depicting scenes from Roman mythology.  It was built to replace the squalid conditions of the city center which had been the scene of numerous cholera outbreaks.  Today it houses upscale shops and boutiques.  

From there we wandered through numerous tiny narrow side streets which were less than 8 feet wide.  Lots of tiny cafes, bakeries, tourist junk shops and everything else.  Clothes handing to dry from upstairs balconies, really quite a sight.

The last stop on the tour was the Basilica Di S. Francesco Di Paolo.  It sits right across the square from the royal palace.  The Basilica was originally started in 1809 and after a few stops and redesigns it was finished in 1837.  It is very different from all of the Gothic or Baroque Cathedrals which are very colourful.  It is very gray in side with muted colours.  This maybe because it was built 300 - 500 years later, or maybe because it is a basilica as opposed to a cathedral.  

Back to the ship to enjoy a wonderful lunch of lamb curry in the the buffet before retiring to the Explorers lounge for a gin and tonic. Its a hard life. 

Terry   

Messina Italy

Athens to Rome Cruise

Messina Italy

February 8, 2026 

As we left Valletta last night just at dusk the city lights were coming on an illuminating the old town and the fortress' which surround the harbour.  They were truly beautiful.

This morning we awoke to see the see the statue of Madonna della Lettera, who guards the entrance to the Messina harbour.  This statue has been on guard for almost 90 years but Madonna della Lettera has been looking after Messina since 42 AD.  

On the bus tour we were off to see the narrowest part of the straight which separates Sicily from the main land.  On the way we passed a fish market where a fish monger proudly displayed his catch of a huge squid.  The straight of Messina is only 3 kms wide and while there has been some talk of building a bridge but  it is impractical as there is a huge fault which runs down the straight.  Once there Agnes couldn't help herself and hammed it up for the camera. 

The tour continued as a walking tour down town. We stopped for a Granita an d a cannoli at a local side walk café.  A very refreshing stop.  I was a little surprised to see quite a few of the building still displaying Fasces, which is the symbol of Italian fascism from the time of Mussolini.  The fasces is a bundle of wood bound with a leather binding and sometimes with an axe. 

The last stop on the tour was the Cathedral of Messina.  The entire town of Messina was destroyed in a huge earthquake in December 1908.  So the entire town was reconstructed.  A lot of this construction was done under Mussolini's rule. As a result the Cathedral is quite modern but none the less absolutely stunning.  Mass was proceeding as we visited the Cathedral so we got to hear the pipe organ.  Out side the cathedral is the bell tower.  It has the worlds largest and most complex astronomical mechanical clock in the world.  Everyday at noon it goes through a 10 minute sequence. The cathedral emerges from a sand box, followed by a roaring lion who has a huge roar, a crowing rooster who has a huge loud crow, and parade parade of angles around the Madonna della Lettera.  Sitting in the sun watching the action was great.  It was very impressive.

It was a short walk back to the ship.  Unfortunately it was Sunday so all the shops were closed. 

Terry  

Malta Day 2

Athens to Rome Cruise

Valletta Malta

February 7, 2026

Today's tour was a harbour tour of Malta.   We loaded onto buses and were driven to Sliema which is the ultra modern part of Malta and is on the main part of the island.  Valletta which is the old town is on a peninsula and was built in the 1350's by the Knights of St John.  From the buses we transferred to our harbour tour boat (Minor grumble - There were three bus loads on one boat making it kind of crowded).  It was a magnificent day for a harbour tour as the sun was out with a very light breeze and temperatures close to 20 C. 

The Sliema harbour has hundred if not thousands of sail boats and motor yachts of all sizes and descriptions.  Lining the harbour are modern high rise buildings with a beautiful pedestrian walk.  The pedestrian walk was just humming with people out for a stroll or enjoying a drink in one of the many open air cafes.  It looked great.  

After cruising this harbour the tour headed over to the main harbour of Valletta.  The north side of harbour (south side of the peninsula) has the fortress of Valletta where our ship the Viking Star is tied up.  On south side of the harbour is several dry docks including a very large dry dock built by the Chinese as a gift (?) to Malta.   There is also an area which is reserved for very exclusive yachts and their owners.  I spotted the Pegasus VIII which is owned by Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Also in the harbour was the 83 meter LEONA which is owned by Prince Faizelbin Abdullah bin Abdullah Ziz Sawud, son of the late King Abdullah.  It was tied along side the yacht Ranui out of Wellington NZ which is alleged to be own by a RFID tycoon out of Wellington NZ.

 

Back on board the ship in time for another go at the buffet.  On the ship as a passenger and off as cargo.  

What a beautiful if not totally chaotic place Malta is.  Definitely on the must return to list for a more in depth visit. 

Terry 

  

Malta - Valletta

 Athens to Rome Cruise

Malta's WW2 History 

February 6, 2026

This morning we docked in Valletta which is the capital of Malta.  I was really excited to see the walled city of Valletta which was built by the Knights of St. John in the 1300's AD.  Everyone who has sailed the Mediterranean has at some time occupied Malta.  However the Knights of St. John have had the largest impact.  

The focus of the tour today was Malta's WW2 history.  So we were on the bus and whisked off the the National War Museum which covered all of Malta's war history but we by passed all but the the WW2 section.  The British were in really bad shape in the early part of the war and Malta was just about to fall but a last ditch effort was made and huge convoy was sent with supplies.  The tanker Ohio, which  was the fastest and largest tanker of the day and only a couple of other ships limped in but it was enough to hold out.  

From the the museum we were off to the underground command post.  We were lead down a lot of very steep steps into this limestone cavern which housed the allied command center. The tour guide handed the mike over to the museum curator who then walked us through how all the big boards worked and covered Operation Husky which was the invasion of Sicily.  He was absolutely fascinating.  

From there we were off to see the Rotunda of Mosta .  It is huge cathedral which is modeled after the Vatican.  During WW2, while a service was in progress a flight of bombers came over and droped a 500kg bomb. It penetrated the ceiling of the dome but did not explode.  None of the 300 people were injured. You can still see the place in the ceil where the bomb came through and the original bomb is on display.   It is now the church of the Miracle Bomb. 

Outside the you can enter the WW2 bomb shelter which was a cave dug into the limestone.  It is only about 6'6" high inside and each person was only allocated a space of 2 sq ft.  As I was going down there was a moment of claustrophobia. Luckily I could see a light on ahead and it passed.  I can only imagine what it was like being in there and hearing the bombs exploding outside.  

What a wonderful tour.  What a great day exploring a tiny slice of Malta's history.

And what a wonderful tour of Malta.  It is really high on my list places I want to come back to explore. 

Terry 

 

Sea Day Feb 5

 Athens to Rome Cruise

Sea Day 

February 5, 2026

As we left Cofu last night the wind was just howling.  There tops of the waves were cut off and spray was flying horizontally. However I did manage to get one last parting photo of old town Corfu as we left.  The wind was whipping up the waves pretty good and it was a fairly rough night with lots of rolling on board the ship.  The seas have continued to be quite rough all day today.  More than a few of the passengers are under the weather.  

Being a sea day as we travel from Corfu to Malta there were no shore tours so I thought I would catch a few photos of the ship.  The Nordic design carries though the ship with lots of blues and whites.  It is a very nice palette with no garish colours.   Agnes and one of the ship's officers hammed it up in the Oceans Café which is the main buffet for a quick photo.  All of the stair cases have scenes form the Bayeux Tapestry printed on the back wall of the stair case.  Even though everyone is on board to day the ship does not seem crowded as there are lots of places to sit and lots of quiet places.  

While the food over all has been quite good, I would not say exceptional.  Service especially in the specialty restaurants has been poor and inconsistent.   Getting into the main restaurant for supper is a total gong show.  The line up starts 20 minutes before the restaurant opens and by time it opens there is a huge line of probably 45 minutes to get seated.  Service is "ok" (dammed by faint praise).  Service in the buffet for drinks, coffee, table clearing exceptional.  The staff in there really hustle.  

All of the staterooms are veranda rooms and are again in the blue and white motif.  I shower is great with a wonderful spray head.  The find of the trip goes to Agnes'  Amazon purchase of these magnetic hooks. We have lots of extra places for coats and what ever. 

Tomorrow is Malta where we have two nights. 

It was so nice to have a rest day. 

Terry