2nd July 2015 Venice and Dubrovnik

It was 1000 when the pilot came aboard to guide us into Venice and to assist us to get around a couple of tight corners tugs hooked up front and back.
We stood at the bow along with most of the ships complement and listened to an expert commentary as we steadily negotiated the lagoon channels of Venice.
What an exciting way to enter this romantic old city, we have been before by rail and water taxi but this was a whole new experience being so high we could see all of the prominent landmarks and get really good bearings. Small craft darting everywhere, water transport of all descriptions including water taxis, buses, ferries you name it it’s darting somewhere, barges carting goods sliding smoothly in and out of narrow canals and amongst it all the iconic gondolas. I could watch it all day long. We also saw Giorgio Armani’s huge black very flash private boat.

When we were talking to Lisa in Santorini she told us our good friends Reni and Friederike in Switzerland wanted to come down to see us when we got to Venice. We tried contacting them but had no luck so when we arrived in Venice we were none the wiser as to what was happening.
Sea Princess berthed at about 1200 and we took a water shuttle the few kilometres to St Marks Square. We wandered around aimlessly, sight seeing but also looking for wifi and tried contacting the sisters on several occasions to no avail. Around 1830 we had done enough sight seeing and decided to head back to the ship both of us were as sick as dogs and sweating like pigs.
Back at the shipping terminal we found a wifi hot spot and this time managed to contact Reni and Friederike and after a quick shower and change of clothes we headed back to St Marks Square arriving about 1930 (7.30pm). Here they were two wonderful sisters Reni and Friederike looking no different to when we saw them last in Australia a few years ago. We had a nice re-union and left it as late as possible to head back to the ship. Having established where they were staying we had a 20 minute walk to their hotel the next morning and quite out of character by 0900 we had polished off a magnum of sparkly. Sailing at mid-day and the girls having to drive six to six and a half hours back to Switzerland we sadly parted company.
How fantastic is that they drove over six hours just on the off chance they would catch up with us, what fantastic people and they gave us a present as well.

1st July 2015 Dubrovnik Croatia.

‘Dubrovnik is a beautiful stone jewel hugging the Adriatic Sea.
This picture-perfect medieval walled city offers ancient stone buildings, narrow cobbled streets and fortified ramparts rising above red-tiled rooftops.
Stradun is the city's focal point and main artery while Dubrovnik's streets are blessedly free of vehicular traffic. Despite the heavy damage inflicted by shelling in the early '90s, Dubrovnik has been restored to its prewar beauty.
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the old city remains the pride of the Republic of Croatia.
For six centuries Dubrovnik was an independent republic - an oligarchy ruled by patrician families. The Republic was overthrown by Napoleon in 1808.’ – Tourist brochure.

Overnight to Dubrovnik we arrived and crept into the harbour at about 0800.
It’s believed that Dubrovnik was founded in the 7th century A.D. However recent excavations hint that a major population thrived here as early as the 9th century B.C.
Dubrovnik is on the Balkan Peninsula at the very southern tip of Croatia on the Dalmatian Coast of the Adriatic Sea.
Population in 2011 was 42,615

A lot of people were doing tours but we had decided to walk the walls of the old fortified city. Shuttles were provided for a nominal fee to transport us the 5kls odd to the old city. It was hot and very crowded but interesting and great views from the city walls which are said to have been constructed in the 13th century. From the tops you can overlook both inside and outside the old city and it was fascinating to look over the sea of terracotta tiles and look down tight lanes and alleyways where local traders sought to relieve the never-ending stream of tourists of their Kuna the local currency. On the outside you can look down into the crystal clear water of the Adriatic Sea.
We had lunch in the old city baked squid and potato it was tops and later the obligatory Gelato. We found a small market and purchased beautiful cherries, peaches and nectarines just enough for a couple of days.
One drawback, a lot of people travelling in these areas still smoke and we found it quite offensive especially when having a meal and cigarette smoke drifts into your space.

2nd July Today we are steaming around the Italian coastline in dead flat conditions at one stage we had Italy on the starboard side and Sicily to port, at the narrowest point it is probably less than a kilometre apart.