We attended a lecture on the port city of Aqaba, Jordan and the town of Petra that is well known for its red sandstone carvings. We will be visiting Jordan for two days on our return to Rotterdam.

Lunch is available in the main dining room most days where you can select from several soups, salads and appetizers to start. Next you can choose from several main dishes like a burger of the day, pasta, a fish, or maybe an Indonesian dish or something unique. Lastly there is always the dessert menu to tease you with items you would never have at home but are difficult to turn down on the ship. We shared a table with an older woman from Iowa today who was very interesting. She is traveling with a group of 48 from Road Scholar, formerly known as Elder Hostile. She has taken 45 trips with them over the years. The Road Scholar group has its own onboard lectures as well as tours in each port that are included in the price of their trip. I’m curious what the price of the cruise is through Road Scholar.

Our afternoon included a lecture on the changing nation of China by Werner Salinger. China’s development has been extremely fast in comparison to other developing nations and the world is scared about it future development. Can this country that has such an impact on the entire world continue to grow and develop or will it falter and take the rest of the world down with it?

Mark attended another watercolor class where he painted a stained glass window in a rainbow of colors in the background of a large leafless tree. Kent went to the gym and sauna to burn off lunch. The weather was cloudy but the temperature continued to rise and was in the low 70’s today so we walked around the deck for 30 minutes. Yeah!

The evening’s entertainment was a production show called Iris and performed by the ships ensemble of singers and dancers.

We began our transit of the Suez Canal at the town of Port Said about 3:30 in the morning. Some of those who were very interested in the canal were out on deck at this time of morning to be sure not to miss a moment of the transit. Since we will be transiting the canal again on our return to Rotterdam, we slept in until much later.

The Suez Canal connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through Egypt. The canal opened on November 17, 1869 after ten years of construction. The canal is at sea level so there are no locks to transit. The canal allows ships to transit between Europe and South Asia without having to go around Africa. The canal is approximately 120 miles in length and about 79 feet in depth. In 2014 construction was begun at the cost of 8.4 billion dollars to create a bypass allowing ships to transit more quickly and to increase capacity from 49 ships a day to 97 ships a day. The new bypass channel opened on August 6^th of 2015. Prior to the new construction, the canal raised five billion dollars a year in revenue from ships transiting the canal. A small sailboat may be charged only $500 to transit while an oil tanker or a container ship may pay tens of thousands of dollars. It takes about ten hours to transit the entire length of the canal. Ships are only allowed to sail at a slow speed to prevent a wake that may cause damage to the shoreline.

The canal splits Egypt into two regions. The western portion is part of Africa while to the east of the canal you have the Sinai Peninsula that is part of Asia. The western shoreline is very populated with agriculture, houses, mosques and large cities. The eastern shoreline is mostly barren desert. There is one large bridge for automobiles to cross the canal and one train bridge, which is a swiveling bridge with one section on each side of the canal. We exited the canal about 2:00 in the afternoon at the town of Suez.

The weather had finally begun to warm up. The skies were clear by the afternoon and guests had replaced their winter coats with shorts and swimwear. The evening’s entertainer was a young magician/comedian by the name of James Long. He is a very talented magician but his delivery was a bit slow.

This was the first of eight sea days as we make our way to Muscat, Oman. We attended a lecture on the shore excursions available for our upcoming stops in Oman and the United Arab Emirates.

We had a new lecturer named Brian Stoddard who spoke about the island of Crete and the roll that Crete has played aver the centuries due to its location in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. We also attended a lecture on India and how the prime minister wants to raise the country’s GDP to equal that of China’s. His conclusion was that due to the lack of a single common language in the country that this would be extremely difficult.

In the afternoon Kent attended an Indonesian tea with several friends while Mark walked two miles on deck and worked on the community puzzle in the library.

The evening’s entertainment was a singer from England who had a very nice voice.

Iraklion Knossos Pottery

Iraklion

Iraklion Knossos Labryinth

Iraklion Port

Iraklion is a town located on the island of Crete and is the largest of the Greek Islands. With approximately 175,000 inhabitants, Iraklion is the fifth largest city in Greece. According to Greek mythology, goddess Rhea hid the newborn Zeus in a cave on Crete, where nymphs brought him up and protected him from his enemies. It is also on Crete that Zeus took the form of a bull to seduce the maiden Europa.

We visited the Palace of Knossos archaeological site considered the center of the elusive and mysterious Minoan civilization. At the palace we visited the labyrinth built to confine the fabled Minotaur (half bull, half man), born out of the union between King Minos’ queen and a bull. Legend has it that the king fed his enemies to this monster until the secret of the labyrinth was finally unraveled. This extensive complex was first discovered in the late 1800’s and by 1900 a full-scale excavation was begun by an archaeologist names Mr. Evans. The excavations lasted for more than 40 years and the site has now been fully uncovered and partially restored. We also visited the living quarters of the king and queen, the storerooms, potters’ workshop and the theater.

Knossos has been partially rebuilt to allow you to see how the enormous complex may have once looked. It is believed that the site was built more than 1,700 years before Christ when 60,000 inhabitants lived in the area. The labyrinth included more than 1,4000 rooms and more than 600 people were thought to live within the walls of the complex. Both stone and wood were used to construct the complex including the use of large cypress trees for the columns. The columns were made of cypress trees turned upside down so that they would not continue to root after they were cut into columns. Earthquakes are very common in this area and it is believed that a volcano erupted on a neighboring island causing the partial wood structure to burn and collapse the entire structure.

Large pottery vessels were used to store wine, olives, olive oil and figs. Frescoes painted into wet plaster were used to decorate the walls. This must have been an incredible complex when it was in use.

After lunch back onboard the ship we walked with our friend Tom into the town of Iraklion to have a look around. The town has many nice streets filled with sidewalk cafes and shops of all kinds. Public parks and fountains are found throughout the town. The harbor houses many sailing vessels along side an Italian fort built many years ago.

The weather continues to be very cold and not very pleasant. We had rain and hail while we were out and the nearby mountains are covered in snow. The sun did come out shortly but not enough to raise the temperature much. The evening’s entertainment was a comedian by the name of Kevin Devane.

When we returned to our cabin for the night we had a letter in our cabin regarding upcoming safety precautions as we leave the Suez Canal towards Oman. The letter states that we will be having high powered fire hoses mounted on the deck, we will be traveling at speeds of not less than 17 miles per hour and guards with binoculars will be on deck 24 hours a day. In addition to this, they ask that we keep our cabin blackout drapes closed during the night to reduce the visibility of the ship from outside. We also received emergency alarm information and notice to vacate our outside cabins and move to the interior hallways in the event a suspicious watercraft approaches the ship. No word yet on whether they will be adding the razor wire to the exterior of the ship. We had this installed in 2013 when we travelled from Sri Lanka to the Seychelles.

The evening’s entertainment was a comedian by the name of Kevin Devane.

Athens Lunch Spot

Athens Ruins

Athens Olympic Stadium

The weather has not improved much and it was cold with a predicted high for the day of 42 degrees. The skies were mostly cloudy although we did have a few glimpses ofduring the day. Most people went out bundled up in scarfs, jackets, hats and gloves.

Athens is the capital of Greece and is the largest city in Greece with a population of 665,000 residents. The greater metropolitan area is much more densely populated with an estimated 3.75 million people. Athens is estimated to be one of the oldest cities in the world dating back some 7,000 years.

We took a panoramic bus tour that took us to Panathinaiko Stadium where the first modern Olympic games were held in 1896. The stadium is constructed of white marble and was recently reconstructed. We drove by Adrian’s Arch, the statue of Lord Byron and the Temple of Olympian Zeus. We saw Constitiution Square and the former Royal Palace where the Evzones National Guard keep watch, in their traditional costume, over the tomb of the Unknown Warrior.

We stopped near the Acropolis and began a walk on foot around the Acropolis, passing an old partially restored theater, stopped at a lookout to take photos out over the city and then into the Plaka. The Plaka is the old historic neighborhood with winding streets, neoclassical architecture and many open spaces filled with ruins. We had a family style lunch at a local restaurant including roasted pork, moussaka, salad, bread, meatballs, a cheese turnover, wine and ice cream for dessert. We then had some free time to wander the streets of the Plaka where you find many souvenir shops and many restaurants. Not much unique or interesting to me.

Athens overall is very congested with traffic and is not a particularly beautiful city. Graffiti lines the streets; many of the buildings are in need of paint and repair. Most of the monuments are now secured and you pay an entrance fee to access them, although most are under some type of scaffolding and restoration. English is spoken by some of the locals, but many do not speak English, so communication with the locals can be difficult at times.

The entertainment on this evening was a young Flamenco and Spanish guitarist by the name of Dimitris Dekavallas.

Our cabin staff does a great job of keeping our cabin in shape. We have beautiful white bed linens with a large white comforter, white bath towels and bathrobes. They make up the room in the morning while we are at breakfast and tidy up again in the evening while we are at dinner. At night we get a towel animal of some variety left on the bed along with two chocolates and a room service menu for breakfast. The ship is in excellent condition and is well appointed. Our clothes are either shrinking in the ship’s laundry or they are already becoming tight from all the good food. We hope to get more deck walking exercise when the weather improves. Sweating out the fat in the sauna isn’t working for Kent.

On this day we attended a port talk by KK on the next two ports of call; Piraeus and Iraklion, Greece. Lunch was enjoyed in the dining room before an afternoon lecture on Russia and the 1991 Coup.

The evening’s dinner was a Gala Dinner, meaning that it was a more formal occasion when the women dress in nice gowns and some of the men wear tuxedos. We elected not to bring our tuxedos this trip so we wear suits and ties instead. The menu on these nights is a bit more luxurious with shrimp cocktail, prime rib, lobster and escargot or something similar. On most evenings you have a selection of a hot or cold soup, a couple of appetizers and a salad to start. For the entrée you can select from pasta, a beef, a fish or a vegetarian dish. They are all accompanied with a vegetable of some type and maybe a potato. Desserts always include several choices like a cake, ice cream, a sundae, fresh fruit, crème brulee or a fruit crisp.

The entertainment after dinner was a variety show with the comedian juggler and the guitar player that had performed earlier in the week.

Malta Grand Harbor

Malta Street

Malta Harbor Front Shops

Malta Church Interior

The rain seems to be following us and today was no exception. Our tour this morning was called the Legacy of the Knights referring to the Knights of St John that came to Malta in 1530 and stayed for 268 years. The knights were a Christian group that transformed this once sandstone island into a flourishing island with a mighty defense and a beautiful city coveted by much of Europe. We traveled by bus to the city of Vittoriosa, once the capital of Malta, to explore the old city gates, the beautiful narrow streets and the gorgeous ornate churches and knights’ houses. Many of the churches are elaborately decorated with gold leaf ornamentation, hand painted ceilings, elaborate altars and many tombstones.

Napoleon and his troops landed here in 1798, ending the Knights’ rule of the island. Many countrys held control of the island over the years before Malta achieved its independence from the UK in 1964 (although British forces remained on the island until 1979). The island is located only about 50 miles from the southern tip of Italy in the Mediterranean Sea. It is considered one of the smallest and most densely populated countries with 450,000 inhabitants (and 300,000 cars) on an island of 122 square miles. Malta’s economy is dependent on foreign trade, the manufacturing of electronics and textiles and limestone resources. Malta is a popular tourist destination due to its warm climate, recreation areas and three UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Valletta is the capital of Malta with a population of only about 9,000 in the historic city high atop the ocean cliffs. This is a city of Baroque buildings from the 16th-century onward, although much of the island was heavily bombed during the war and has since been rebuilt. From the port you can take an elevator up about ten stories to the old city with beautiful views out over the harbor.

Most of the narrow city streets are lined with four story buildings facing the sidewalk and many have balconies with either wrought iron railings or enclosed wooden balconies protruding out over the sidewalks. The old city is only about a ½ mile in length and is surrounded by water, high cliffs or deep waterless moats built into the sandstone hillsides. Nearly every building is constructed of the local sandstone. The sandstone is very soft so many of the building facades are weathered and in need of re-facing. Most of the sidewalks and streets are made of stone as well. The city is very beautiful, even on a cool (a high of 55 today) and grey day.

We stopped into a coffee shop to get out of the rain and had a taste of two local delicacies called galletti and ġbejniet. These are small flaky pastries filled with cheese or sweet peas. We also tried a honey ring that is a pastry ring about ten inches in diameter filled with a mixture of chocolate, ground nuts, dates and honey. It made me think of a fig newton cookie and was not very sweet. We looked for, but couldn’t find the fried date-filled brownie as those shops were closed.

After dinner with Tom (London) and Joakim (Berlin) we enjoyed the evening’s entertainment: another piano concert by Naki Ataman. This performance was a collection of 20th century music with many familiar pieces.

This morning, KK, the location guide, gave a talk on the port of Malta that we will be in tomorrow. She gives general information on the ports apart from the shore excursions that are offered on the ship. This is great information for those who are interested in exploring on their own, or if you have additional time in port after your shore excursion.

We attended a special luncheon, including champagne, for mariners in the main dining room. After lunch Werner Salinger gave a lecture on President Putin and his efforts to make Russia great again.

Mark attended another watercolor painting class while Kent went to the gym and the sauna.

The entertainment on this night was an award winning Latin and Spanish guitarist by the name of Vincenzo.

This morning was a Holland America Mariner award presentation ceremony for guests who have reached milestones in travel with the cruise line. Kent and I received silver medallions for having reached over 300 days of travel with the cruise line.

The afternoon included a lecture on the upcoming shore excursions in two ports we will visit in Greece. We also attended a lecture on the European Union and the upcoming referendum in Britain about getting out of the EU. Werner Salinger, the lecturer, discussed the absorption of the flow of immigrants, the long-term survival of the EU as well as other aspects of the union. He believes that Britain should remain a member of the EU.

The evening’s entertainment was a young (27 years old) standup comedian who is also a juggler by the name of Jon Udry. He has a very dry sense of humor that took a little getting used to but in the end it was a good show.

Malaga Harbor

Malaga Bullring

Malaga Cathedral

Malaga Main Shopping Street

Malaga is located on the northern shore of the Mediterranean Sea approximate 60 miles east of the Strait of Gibraltar and 80 miles north of Africa. The population is about 800,000 in the metropolitan areas and is the sixth largest city in Spain. Malaga is known as a tourist destination due to its location on the Costa del Sol or Coast of the Sun where they have mild winters, warm summers and 300 days of sunshine a year.

Pablo Picasso, the famous painter and sculptor, was born in Malaga, as was the actor, Antonio Banderas. The family of Pablo Picasso gave the city of Malaga a collection of his paintings that are now housed in a wonderful museum here.

Kent and I took a short panoramic tour of Malaga that took us on a drive through the city to see the highlights before dropping us in town to explore on our own. From high atop the surrounding hillside, we could get a great view out over the city and the harbor. We drove by the bullring that is still in use today; and yes, someone still has to die in the bullfight (man or bull).

Malaga is a city of contrasts, with both old historic buildings with beautiful wrought iron railings situated next to sleek modern buildings. The old historic district is mostly pedestrian only and the charming meandering streets are filled with shops and eating establishments. Most are small unique shops rather than the major worldwide brands you find in every city around the world today.

We visited the Carmen Thyssen Museum housed in a beautiful 16^th-century city palace. The collection focuses on Spanish artists of the 19^th and early 20^th-century. The collection of paintings, depicting everyday life and landscapes, were very impressive. The museum is very modern, beautifully clean, and well illuminated and the art was well presented.

We stopped for lunch at a small bar in the old historic district where we had fried calamari, ham and cheese croquettes and shrimp in a dish of garlic oil with bread. Most of the tapas items on the menu were priced at four to six euros per plate. Soft drinks were considerably less at one-euro-fifty, compared with three euros in Amsterdam and Rotterdam. Still the size of the bottles is considerably smaller than you would find in the US.

We wandered along the botanical gardens with lush tropical landscapes, shady paths and ornamental fountains before exploring the beach. In 1972, Kent had studied Spanish and lived with three old ladies in some part of Malaga close to the beach. He wanted to find things that looked familiar. Unfortunately, many things have changed since then, including his memory, so nothing much seemed familiar to him except the bullring. He was happy to visit Malaga again and to relive those old times, including playing the castanets!

The evening entertainment was a gentleman by the name of Naki Ataman who is a wonderful pianist. He takes you on a tour of 19 countries through a visual slide presentation accompanied by him playing the piano non-stop for one-hour.