In August, 2000 we spent two weeks with Grandma Alice cruising through Italy, Egypt, Israel, Cypress, and Greece. We flew into Milan, Italy, then traveled by rail to Genoa, birthplace of Christopher Columbus. After visiting a few churches and the Genoa Aquarium, we boarded the 800-passenger ship Costa Allegra for an 11-day cruise calling on Naples and Catania (Sicily), Italy; Alexandria and Port Said, Egypt; Jerusalem and Bethlehem, Israel; Limasol, Cypress; and Rhodes and Kythera, Greece. The girls loved the ship, especially its youth program, and also enjoyed most of the shore excursions. They were particularly excited at seeing the pyramids in Egypt and touring the excavations at Pompeii. Less of a hit was the Holy Land, where the major religious sites in Jerusalem and Bethlehem did very little to amuse them. Of our many fascinating experiences, highlights included the pyramids and sphinx at Giza, the stark frozen drama of ancient Pompeii, and the tiny unspoiled Greek island of Kythera.
After disembarking the ship in Genoa, we returned to Milan, where we toured the Duomo and dined nicely on typical Milanese cuisine. All in all, the girls did very well on this long and challenging trip!
In the impressive aquarium in Genoa, Italy
Touring the excavations of Pompei, buried under the ash of Vesuvius nearly 2000 years ago. Mt. Vesuvius is visible in the background.
Chloe and Celeste frolic in a crater of still active Mt. Etna, near Catania, Sicily
Celeste sits on a sarcaphagus case in an ancient underground temple near Saqqara, Egypt
By the step pyramid of Saqqara, one of Egypt's oldest archaeological sites
Sure, it was 105 degrees, but the girls really enjoyed the epic scale of the pyramids at Giza
By the Sphinx at Giza, Egypt
We narrowly missed the violence by the Western Wall (Wailing Wall) in Jerusalem, Israel
Chloe and Celeste get up close to the exact site of Christ's birth in Bethlehem
We stopped by this beautiful garden in a private home in Limasol, Cypress
Grandma Alice and Mommy enjoy the view from the acropolis of Lindos, on Rhodes
We were tempted by the yummy octopus drying outside this taverna in the old crusaders fortress on Rhodes
The girls stopped to pet every kitty cat on the Greek island of Kythera. This tiny unspoiled island, dominated by a church and ruined castle overlooking its pristine harbor, turned out to be a highlight of the trip.
By the ruins of an ancient castle, we admired the view over Kythera's harbor, including our ship
Ringing the church bells high above Kythera, Greece
Adding a splash of color to an already brightly colored landscape, the girls wade in Kythera's harbor as we await a tender boat back to our ship
