Nothing is more rewarding than an early morning walk after a thunderstorm. This is what we did on our stop in the Dalmatian capital Dubrovnik after Crystal Symphony docked yesterday morning. Crisp air, blue skies and a nice breeze made for perfect climate to discover this walled city.
Our guide Dennis took us on a walking tour of this Mediterranean marvel of a city made hyper famous with the HBO series Games of Thrones. This also explains the massive influx of visitors that clog up the narrow passageways in the afternoon hours daily during summer. Fortunately, we navigated this maze early enough to avoid the heat of the day and we also avoided the 4000 guests of Norwegian Epic which arrived in port by 11am.
Back on 1/1/23, Croatia became the latest country to join the Euro and as a result, pricing is now more transparent than on my last visit here in early 21. Sticker shock did kick in as the climbing of the fortification walls now runs €35 per person which is close to double what it was before the currency change. While a thrill, the large crowds and cost deterred our group from taking to the 3000 step ramparts on this occasion. It is however, a fantastic way to see and experience this UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Our ship next docked at the Greek Penopolese port of Kataklon for a day of Olympic adventures. My traveling companion and I booked a private tour to avoid the crowds as three ships were in port at the same time. We got underway in a Mercedes with our private driver/guide Nikos and made our way to the historic archeological site of Olympia.
I had no real expectations of this visit and I was blown away by the dimensions of this complex. built over 2500 years ago, it was the permanent home for the quadrennial games of Ancient Greece in both Greek and early Roman times (which I didn’t know).
Still an active site of excavations, this sprawling complex of athlete and spectator housing, sporting venues, and honorary halls is mesmerizing to see, especially given my travel colleague Julie Skinner is herself a medal-winning Canadian curler. It was emotional to see and hear her stories connecting to this “sacred” site.
Our day evolved around the 27 Holland America line groups, 5 Crystal tours, and 2 Emerald Azzura programs that clogged the site. We were there first and were able to pivot to the nearby Olympic museum as the crowds grew too large. Fortunately, the majority of cruise tours did not include air conditioned museum which made it a pleasure for us.
The museum houses an informative selection of statues, bronze collectibles, and a miniature replica of the entire site as it would have looked 2500 years ago. It was well worth the time as everything was well labeled and educational texts brought the stories to life. All in all a fabulous day down history lane in Kataklon.
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