By
Gypsy Rhapsody
(a 1977 Airstream Land Yacht that has been on a rest and recoup sabbatical...
but now she is back and ready to tell the world about
her adventures with Vannie and Dave)
While I have been on sabbatical, Vannie and Dave
have been on a 50th anniversary cruise in the Mediterranean,
celebrated Christmas in Texas and Louisiana, and
had a wonderful weekend with Vincent and Maddie.
Now, they are traveling across Texas heading to
Santa Fe, New Mexico for a housesitting gig.
I am going to attempt to fill you in on their journeys.
It's hard to keep up with these two.
Let's start with the cruise.
Vannie said that she posted a bunch of pictures
on Facebook, so I'll just touch on a few.
Gypsy Rhapsody
(a 1977 Airstream Land Yacht that has been on a rest and recoup sabbatical...
but now she is back and ready to tell the world about
her adventures with Vannie and Dave)
While I have been on sabbatical, Vannie and Dave
have been on a 50th anniversary cruise in the Mediterranean,
celebrated Christmas in Texas and Louisiana, and
had a wonderful weekend with Vincent and Maddie.
Now, they are traveling across Texas heading to
Santa Fe, New Mexico for a housesitting gig.
I am going to attempt to fill you in on their journeys.
It's hard to keep up with these two.
Let's start with the cruise.
Vannie said that she posted a bunch of pictures
on Facebook, so I'll just touch on a few.
The Viking Star
(the ocean yacht that is top dog)
had about 900 passengers
(the ocean yacht that is top dog)
had about 900 passengers
and about 450 employees.
This trip was called the Cruise to the Cities of Antiquity
and the Holy Land.
V and D were traveling with two of their best traveling buddies,
Jan and Chester Baudoin.
The map below is the route that they took. They began the cruise in Athens and ended it Rome.
Upon completing the cruise, they headed to Austria
for a 4 day cousin visit...John and Reta Hobart.
Here they are with their traveling buddies...
Jan and Chester Baudoin
This trip was called the Cruise to the Cities of Antiquity
and the Holy Land.
V and D were traveling with two of their best traveling buddies,
Jan and Chester Baudoin.
The map below is the route that they took. They began the cruise in Athens and ended it Rome.
Upon completing the cruise, they headed to Austria
for a 4 day cousin visit...John and Reta Hobart.
Here they are with their traveling buddies...
Jan and Chester Baudoin
The cruise left from Athens, Greece.
Dave is enjoying the view of Athens from the ship.
Of course, the Acropolis...
Dave said that is was visible just about everywhere you turned...
Kind of like the Eiffel Tower in Paris...
or the Statue of Liberty in NYC...
or the Space Needle in Seattle...
Dave said that is was visible just about everywhere you turned...
Kind of like the Eiffel Tower in Paris...
or the Statue of Liberty in NYC...
or the Space Needle in Seattle...
After visiting a museum in Athens,
Vannie said this was her favorite artifact.
Somehow, she could sooo relate.
The Sacred Island of Delos
A Greek Island
Delos is one of the most important
mythological, historical,
and archaeological sites in Greece.
According to Dave, the cats run the place.
Mykonos
A Greek Island
"The Islands of the Winds"
Mykonos Windmills
They were built by the Venetians
in the 16th century to mill flour
and remained in use until the early 20th century.
The Greek Island of Rhodes
The largest of the 12 Dodecanese islands
on the edge of the Aegean Sea.
V and D loved the old town...so many nooks and crannies.
The Dodecanese islands are known for their medieval castles,
Byzantine churches, beaches, and ancient archaeological sites.
Places to explore were endless...
Vannie said that they just happened upon
this delightful little lamp shop
as they explored the old town of Rhodes.
Cyprus
The Republic of Cyprus is on the southern part ...
and Turkey is to the north.
The capital city of Nicosia is the only divided capitol city in the world.
Vannie was enjoying the beautiful waters of the Eastern Mediterranean.
I see a graffiti artist left his mark...
Haifa, Israel
Vannie said that their tour took them to the highest point of the city.
Looking down over the city was magnificent.
The Bahai faith have cultivated many beautiful gardens in the area.
The old city is filled with sights of palm trees and dome shaped buildings.
The new part of the city is more modern.
This skyscraper is named Sail Tower and
is a government building. It has 29 floors and was completed in 2002.
It is 405 feet tall...short compared to the One World Trade Center,
which is 1776 feet tall.
Jerusalem
Vannie said that this building was a hospital.
This Jewish man overlooking the city caught the spell of the moment.
Olive Trees dominate the landscape.
Part of a door of one of the many churches in the city.
The influence of Christianity was evident around every corner,
although, as their guide told them, the Christian religion
is the smallest among the 3 of the area (Muslim, Jewish, Christianity).
Nazareth
In the time of Jesus, the population was less than 200.
Look at it now...60,000 people...
The Jordan River where John the Baptist baptized Jesus.
The easy flow of the river combined with the not-crowded atmosphere
made this stop so relaxing.
Dave said you could literally feel the Spirit of Jesus.
Jan and Chester baptize each other.
As did Vannie and Dave...
V and D said that this was one of their highlights of the trip.
Naples, Italy...sits on the Bay of Naples
According to V and D, this city was little on the dirty side,
but lovely people and great authentic pizza right
on the winding cobblestone streets.
Naples gives you a true Italian flavor.
Mt. Vesuvius
It looks so beautiful and calm in this picture, but
don't let that fool you. Geologists think that she is
overdue for an explosion.
Her most famous was in 79 AD which destroyed the
Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum.
Pompeii
Another wonderful tour...not crowded at all.
Dave said that was the perfect time of year to travel in this area.
The city was buried by thick layers of volcanic ash,
which ended up preserving buildings, artifacts and skeletons.
These were plaster casts of the men, women, children, and animals
that died in the explosion. Eerie, yet fascinating.!
Civitavecchia, Italy
This was the port city closest to Rome.
The ship was at port here.
It was a beautiful little city.
V and D loved exploring it on their own.
ROME
Beautiful day to see the magnificent reins of the city...
The Vatican
Later in the evening, as the sky turned a soft pink,
and the Christmas tree in the square was sparkling...
V and D experienced the awesomeness St. Peter's Basilica.
...and then, just like that, the cruise was over...
Bags were packed and goodbyes were said to new friends.
WHAT AN ADVENTURE!!!!
But...Vannie and Dave said let's not stop here...
Hey, we have cousins that are just a hop, skip, and jump over yonder.
So...meet the Hobarts...Rita, John, Jamie, Jeremy, and June.
Vienna, Astria
Loved visiting them...going to Christmas markets... playing with the kids.
Spend a whole day in Linz, Astria
It was a overcast day...even saw a little snow, but so worth it.
Bus, subway, train were the modes of transportation that it took to get there.
Dave's dad had been there during WWII. It has been a stop on his bucket list.
A day trip to Vienna...
Bus Tour, Coffee Shops, lots of walking...
Vannie and Dave finished off their 50th Anniversary Adventure with
beautiful music and ballet on their last night in Vienna.
They are feeling blessed beyond words.
It is good to give thanks to the Lord, and to sing praises to your name...to declare Your loving kindness in the morning, and Your faithfulness every night...Psalm 92:1-2
The Sacred Island of Delos
A Greek Island
Delos is one of the most important
mythological, historical,
and archaeological sites in Greece.
According to Dave, the cats run the place.
Mykonos
A Greek Island
"The Islands of the Winds"
Mykonos Windmills
They were built by the Venetians
in the 16th century to mill flour
and remained in use until the early 20th century.
The Greek Island of Rhodes
The largest of the 12 Dodecanese islands
on the edge of the Aegean Sea.
V and D loved the old town...so many nooks and crannies.
The Dodecanese islands are known for their medieval castles,
Byzantine churches, beaches, and ancient archaeological sites.
Places to explore were endless...
Vannie said that they just happened upon
this delightful little lamp shop
as they explored the old town of Rhodes.
Cyprus
The Republic of Cyprus is on the southern part ...
and Turkey is to the north.
The capital city of Nicosia is the only divided capitol city in the world.
Vannie was enjoying the beautiful waters of the Eastern Mediterranean.
I see a graffiti artist left his mark...
Haifa, Israel
Vannie said that their tour took them to the highest point of the city.
Looking down over the city was magnificent.
The Bahai faith have cultivated many beautiful gardens in the area.
The old city is filled with sights of palm trees and dome shaped buildings.
The new part of the city is more modern.
This skyscraper is named Sail Tower and
is a government building. It has 29 floors and was completed in 2002.
It is 405 feet tall...short compared to the One World Trade Center,
which is 1776 feet tall.
Jerusalem
Vannie said that this building was a hospital.
This Jewish man overlooking the city caught the spell of the moment.
Olive Trees dominate the landscape.
Part of a door of one of the many churches in the city.
The influence of Christianity was evident around every corner,
although, as their guide told them, the Christian religion
is the smallest among the 3 of the area (Muslim, Jewish, Christianity).
Nazareth
In the time of Jesus, the population was less than 200.
Look at it now...60,000 people...
The Jordan River where John the Baptist baptized Jesus.
The easy flow of the river combined with the not-crowded atmosphere
made this stop so relaxing.
Dave said you could literally feel the Spirit of Jesus.
Jan and Chester baptize each other.
As did Vannie and Dave...
V and D said that this was one of their highlights of the trip.
Naples, Italy...sits on the Bay of Naples
According to V and D, this city was little on the dirty side,
but lovely people and great authentic pizza right
on the winding cobblestone streets.
Naples gives you a true Italian flavor.
Mt. Vesuvius
It looks so beautiful and calm in this picture, but
don't let that fool you. Geologists think that she is
overdue for an explosion.
Her most famous was in 79 AD which destroyed the
Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum.
Pompeii
Another wonderful tour...not crowded at all.
Dave said that was the perfect time of year to travel in this area.
The city was buried by thick layers of volcanic ash,
which ended up preserving buildings, artifacts and skeletons.
These were plaster casts of the men, women, children, and animals
that died in the explosion. Eerie, yet fascinating.!
Civitavecchia, Italy
This was the port city closest to Rome.
The ship was at port here.
It was a beautiful little city.
V and D loved exploring it on their own.
ROME
Beautiful day to see the magnificent reins of the city...
The Vatican
Later in the evening, as the sky turned a soft pink,
and the Christmas tree in the square was sparkling...
V and D experienced the awesomeness St. Peter's Basilica.
...and then, just like that, the cruise was over...
Bags were packed and goodbyes were said to new friends.
WHAT AN ADVENTURE!!!!
But...Vannie and Dave said let's not stop here...
Hey, we have cousins that are just a hop, skip, and jump over yonder.
So...meet the Hobarts...Rita, John, Jamie, Jeremy, and June.
Vienna, Astria
Loved visiting them...going to Christmas markets... playing with the kids.
Spend a whole day in Linz, Astria
It was a overcast day...even saw a little snow, but so worth it.
Bus, subway, train were the modes of transportation that it took to get there.
Dave's dad had been there during WWII. It has been a stop on his bucket list.
A day trip to Vienna...
Bus Tour, Coffee Shops, lots of walking...
Vannie and Dave finished off their 50th Anniversary Adventure with
beautiful music and ballet on their last night in Vienna.
They are feeling blessed beyond words.
It is good to give thanks to the Lord, and to sing praises to your name...to declare Your loving kindness in the morning, and Your faithfulness every night...Psalm 92:1-2
Great synopsis of your wonderful adventure!
ReplyDeleteBlessings!