Galleries

In this blog I will share photos from several ports that did not receive blogs dedicated to them.  After the photos, I summarize my thoughts and lasting impressions of the world cruise.

This blog will offer photos from four Italian cities: Sorrento, Ostia, Pisa, and Lucca.

The Greeks affected the whole world with their ideas, foremost among them the concept of democratic rule.  Greece gave rise to philosophers including Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.  Greek architecture was adopted first by the Romans, but later around the world, including the columns seen in US government buildings in Washington DC.  The Greek language gave rise to words in science, religion, and history that have been adopted by other countries’ languages around the world. 

There are many hamams in Istanbul, both ancient and modern.  The hamam we visited was built in 1741 and bills itself as the last hamam constructed during Ottoman Empire.

The Pyramids were constructed between 2600-2500 BC. That means that they are the oldest manmade structures in the world.

Karnak Temple in Luxor, Egypt, is the second most visited Egyptian tourist site after the pyramids. Karnak is said to be the largest walled temple complex in the world, built, decorated, and modified by over thirty different pharaohs over a period starting around 2000 BC for the next 1300 years.

Wadi Rum is the landscape used in the hit movie The Martian (starring Matt Damon) and countless other movies.

Saudi Arabia could become a great destination for tourists at some point in the future.  They just aren’t there yet.

The medieval walled city of Dubrovnik has been called “the Pearl of the Adriatic.”  The city dates from the 7th century, and existed as a prosperous independent city-state during the Middle Ages, known for its diplomacy and wealth.