Wrap-Up Part One

Our Greek odyssey ended three months ago and I'm still working through the thousands of photos we brought home.  The Holland America cruise aboard the HAL Oosterdam logged over 4000 miles in the Adriatic and the Med with 21 stops total.  Then from Venice (again) we went on to tour the northern Italian lakes district and then Milan. 

The Parthenon on the acropolis of Athens

Little did we know starting off that hot, hot day, but it had been declared free-for-all admission day for all Greek people!  Yay for them, not so much for us.  The crowding was elbow-to-elbow in places, sweaty, and crowd control iffy at best on the ancient steep stairways.  Mob scene.  But, hey, it's Athens -- ya gotta do it.

The Acropolis at Lindos, on Rhodes, another spectacular stop

On the way to Lindos we passed through the resort town of Faliraki, where Shannon's son Gus spent one adventurous summer working as a sidewalk barker for a restaurant/bar.

Kotor, Monenegro was our last stop before returning to Venice.  And it was a favorite.

A beautiful walled city

Kotor is known for its legions of cats.  Cats were encouraged long ago in Kotor because of their problem with legions of mice.

Pretty Momma
The Cat Museum there feeds cats with proceeds from the admission charge

Of course Kotor has an old mountain top fortress...

...with great views

Back in Venice, we spent one more night in that marvelously unique city before taking the train toward Milan.

Passing through Padua