Our World Cruise

 The past 4 days added 3 more "bucket list" places I could check-off. They were cool, cold and wet, and cold and windy, but I didn't care. When we docked in Katakolon, Greece our included excursion took us to the site of the first Olympic Games. The games began in 776 BC on the Peloponnesian Peninsula. The stadium had a capacity of 45,000 all MALE spectators but overseen by a single woman goddess/princess. All other women were under penalty of death (thrown off a cliff) if found to be on the grounds. We walked the grounds and viewed the additions made to the site over the years. The last olympic games were held here in 393 AD.  That is a total of 293 games (there were a few years where a game was cancelled). There were games for women called the Heraia, in honor of Hera, wife of Zeus. They had a footrace that was only 5/6th the distance run by men. The images of the winners were said to have been painted on the walls in the Temple of Hera. When Athens hosted the 2014 game

 March 16-20 We spent 2 days each in Venice, Italy and Dubrovnik, Croatia with one day in between in Zadar, Croatia. Today we have a sea day which we are all happy about as we can rest. Tomorrow we have three different stops in Greece which will become Week 14.  Venice has to be one of the most beautiful and historic cities we have visited. The canals, architecture, art, religion, and history just overwhelms one's senses.  Due to Covid restrictions we were not allowed to travel about on our own, we had to stay in our tour groups the whole time (Italian law). So, no going to a small restaurant we found a few years ago for spaghetti bolognese. We decided on two tours- Murano Island and St. Giorgio Maggiore Church and then the Hidden Venice on Foot. Both were perfect except the weather was cold and somewhat cloudy.  Murano Island is famous for their glasswork factories and have been since the 13th Century. There are two stories told about why the Doge of Venice removed all the glass f