Merry Christmas from the Farmers 2011

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Tour Discounts Available for 2013!

EF has notified me that they are offering a $150 discount to anyone who signs up for the Berlin, Prague, Krakow, and Budapest tour by February 29, 2012.

The current total adult price with this discount is $3,534 (excluding travel insurance). You can go here to enroll. The tour number is 1115941.

Rick Steves Europe TV Shows

Rick Steves' wonderful 30-minute TV episodes on traveling in Europe can be viewed online...on demand and free! Scroll through the many shows to find these episodes that will elaborate more on our destinations for our 2013 tour to East Europe.

Prague and the Czech Republic

Poland Rediscovered: Krakow

Budapest: The Best of Hungary

Berlin: Resilient and Reunited

The Czech Republic: Beyond Prague

I've found they view best for me when using Google Chrome.

Join Us for Our 2013 East Europe Tour - Slide Show

We are planning our next tour and it will be to East Europe to the countries of Germany, Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary. The 10-day tour is June 17-26, 2013.

On this tour we will visit the great cities of Berlin, Prague, Krakow, and Budapest. Highlights will include the Berlin Wall, Prague Castle, Auschwitz-Berkinau, and an evening Danube River cruise!

And if you would like to see the slide presentation of the sites we will visit on this tour that I presented at our introduction meeting Oct. 9, simply click on this link, or click in the box below. (Note: I have found it works best when viewing with the Google Chrome browser.)

East Europe 2013 Tour

More PowerPoint presentations from Sharan Farmer

Click on the forward button in the middle of the screen to start the show. To advance the slides, click on the forward button at the bottom left to view this size. To view full screen, click on the square in the lower right corner of the slide show and simply click your mouse on the screen to advance the slide show. Enjoy!

2013 Tour Itinerary

Berlin, Prague, Krakow & Budapest Tour

(Germany, Czech Republic, Poland, and Hungary)

June 17-26, 2013

DAY 1

~Fly overnight to Berlin.

DAY 2

~Arrive in Berlin.

~Walking tour of Berlin

DAY 3

Berlin, Germany –

~Guided tour of Berlin.

~The Berlin Wall fell in 1989, the symbol of the Cold War.

~Visit Checkpoint Charlie Museum, named after the crossing point in the Berlin Wall, documents successful escape attempts from East Germany.

~Brandenburg Gate, former city gate, is the most well known landmark of Berlin.

Day4

Dresden, Germany –

~Travel to Dresden and tour the city.

~A city completely destroyed in WWII, today Theaterplatz square is graced by the Zwinger Palace, the most important late-baroque building in Germany.

~Continue travel to Prague.

DAY 5

Prague, Czech Republic –

~Take guided tour of city.

~Prague Castle complex, the largest medieval castle complex in Europe, is a mix of palaces, churches, and fortifications.

~Visit St. Vitus Cathedral, part of the castle complex, contains the tombs of many Bohemian kings and Holy Roman Emperors.

~Visit the Golden Lane, named for the many goldsmiths who did business there in the 15^th century, leads from the complex and is lined with medieval shops.

~The famous astronomical clock features the hourly procession of the twelve apostles led by Christ.

~Charles Bridge, built in 1357 over the Vitava River, is lined with 75 statues and connects old town to Prague Castle.

~Take walking tour of Prague.

DAY 6

~Travel to Olomouc, Czech Republic

~A step back in time to a 1,000-year-old city in Moravia, the Czech Republic’s most beautiful and historic region.

~Continue travel to Krakow, Poland

~Visit Auschwitz and Berkinau, Nazi concentration camps where over one million men, women, and children lost their lives during WWII.

DAY 7

~ Take guided tour of Krakow, Poland seeing Wawel Hill and Glowny Square

~Visit Wawel Cathedral, the 1,000-year-old coronation site of Polish monarchs, houses many of the nation’s treasures.

~Visit Wieliczka Salt Mines, continuously producing table salt from the 13^th century until 2007, features exquisitely carved statues and an entire chapel and chandeliers – completely carved from rock salt by the miners!

DAY 8

~Travel through Slovakia and the Tatra Mountains to Budapest, Hungary

DAY 9

~Take guided tour of Budapest.

~Visit Matthias Church, 14^th century church in the heart of the castle district, was the coronation site of the last two Hungarian Habsburg kings.

~Visit Budapest Basilica, the largest church in Hungary, is home to the sacred relic of King Stephen I.

~Take a walking tour of the city seeing Fisherman’s Bastion and Parliament.

~Enjoy an evening Danube River cruise to highlight all the city’s beautiful sites.

DAY 10

~Depart for home.

2013 Tour General Information

East Europe tour to Berlin, Prague, Krakow, and Budapest

(Germany, Czech Republic, Poland, and Hungary)

--We are traveling with EF Educational Tours.

--This is a 10-day private tour June 17-26, 2013 especially for our adult group.

--The current all-inclusive tour price is $3,915 per adult.  This includes the $95 enrollment fee, current departure fees*, program fee, private bus, adult supplement, 8 overnight stays in double rooms with private baths, roundtrip airfare from DFW, all breakfasts and dinners, 4 sightseeing tours led by licensed local guides, 1 sightseeing tour led by our tour director, 3 walking tours, admissions to sights per itinerary, and full-time EF tour director. Included entrance admissions are: Checkpoint Charlie Museum, St. Vitus Cathedral, Golden Lane, Auschwitz and Birkenau, Wawel Cathedral, Matthias Church, Budapest Basilica, Wieliczka Salt Mine near Krakow, and an evening Danube River cruise in Budapest.  *Departure fees are subject to change according to the airport tax. 

--The $95 enrollment fee is waived for those who have previously traveled with EF.

--The optional $145 All-Inclusive Insurance Plan covers medical and accident, baggage and property, flight delay, 24-hour emergency assistance, and tour cancellation and interruption. The insurance is not required, but I do recommend it. The insurance is automatically billed to all travelers and must be paid upon enrollment or within 30 days of enrollment. If you do not want it, you must decline in writing. Once you decline it, you cannot get it back.

--This tour requires at least 25 participants for the private bus at this price. If there are fewer, the fee increases by approximately $30 per traveler.

--Each participant must have a roommate or be subject to a single supplement charge. (However, there are several who have signed up without roommates, so it is possible that those who sign up now as a singles will have roommates later and save a single charge.)

--The minimum amount required at the time of enrollment is $95 (or $240 with insurance).

--Enrollment options:

1. Internet: enroll online quickly and easily at http://www.eftours.com/enroll. Our tour number is 1115941. (The lower student price appears first; the adult supplement appears on the next page after you register with your birthday to provide your age)

2. Phone: call 1-800-665-5364.

3. Mail: send in the enrollment form in the prepaid envelope provided.

4. Fax: complete the enrollment form and fax to 1-800-318-3732.

--Payment options:

1. Manual payment: pay $95 ($240 with insurance) with enrollment, required $250 due 30 days later, and the rest you may pay as you please as long as the balance is paid by March 1, 2013.

2. Credit card or direct bank debit: pay $95 ($240 with insurance) with enrollment, then the balance is automatically divided into small, manageable monthly payments deducted monthly from your checking account or credit card. With this plan you have 2 more months (until May 16, 2013) to make payments (30 days prior to departure) and do not have to worry about late fees.

--When registering, you MUST put your name on the application EXACTLY as it is on your passport or birth certificate. This is the same name that will be put on your airplane tickets (and passport if you don’t have one yet) and the names must match. Married women use your married name. EF requires you include a middle name (or maiden name if that is on your passport) for enrollment.

--You will need a passport to travel abroad. If you have one, make sure it will be valid at least six months after our return in 2013. Adult passports are good for 10 years; children’s passports are good for five years. If you do not have a passport, then wait until about 6 months prior to departure to apply.

--Once we have organized our traveling group, I will keep you informed of everything you need to know. I will have meetings a few months prior to departure. Until then I will keep you informed on sites we will see, what to expect, what to pack, how to obtain currency, where to shop, how to get passports, inform you of airline flights and hotels…everything you need to know through my travel blog at http://luv2go.blogspot.com.

Right now you just need to decide if you want to join us…and we hope you do!

2013 Tour to Eastern Europe

Where to next?

Athens and the Islands 2011

Make your own free picture slideshow

Chance and Jo Wedding

Slideshow customized with Smilebox

Sharing Trip Photos

Now that you are home and rested, it’s time to play with those thousands of photos you took of beautiful Greece! Here are a few options for you (the titles are links to the sites):

A. WALGREENS – I created a photo sharing site on Walgreens just for our tour. Go to the Walgreens site , click on Photo at the top, and login at the top right with the username and password I sent you in an email. To upload photos you took for others to see (and share!), just click on “Upload Photos” in the upper left under Photo Home and click Agree to the Copyright Statement.

Name the album with your name, pick a date and write a description, then Select Photos. Now go to your trip album on your computer and hold the shift key to select multiple photos at one time. Each one will load into your Walgreens album.

You can order from Walgreens directly from your computer (I love this feature as I sit at home in my PJs and edit pictures, send them to my local Walgreens, and they are ready in an hour to pick up…and I can pay in the store! Way easier than sitting for hours in store.) And many times Walgreens offers 10 cent prints via email messages (I just get photos ready to print and let them sit in a folder on my computer until I see a deal and then they are ready to send at a minute’s notice).

I also like that sometimes Walgreens offers email deals for a free 8x10 or a free collage photo. No other purchase is necessary. I just send it through my computer at home and go pick it up…for FREE!

But you do not have to order photos from Walgreens that others upload to our site. To view any album, even if you do not upload any photos, simply login and click on any album to view photos. You can click on View Slideshow to see all the photos in an album, or just click on any one photo to view larger. If you want to choose a photo to add to your own album on your computer, simply click on the photo to make it larger, then right click on the photo and choose “Save Picture As…”, find the folder on your computer, and just make sure it saves as a .jpg. Then print as you please.

B. PICASA – I like using this free photo editing program from Google. I especially like it because it allows me to lighten those photos I took that are too dark (no flash allowed places) and actually see what was inside. It also will let you straighten a photo when you were a little crooked when you took it so all buildings don’t look like the Leaning Tower of Pisa! I also like that I can crop out unwanted items, too much sky, or zoom in to the main feature of a photo. When I get through editing, I appear to be a much better photographer than I really was!

Other features include adding sepia tones, making it black and white, and other color enhancing tools. I like that it will crop my pictures to exact print sizes…4x6, 5x7, 8x10 because a digital camera usually takes a more square photo, but that is not the size that is printed commercially or that fits into albums or frames. It lets you choose what you want cropped out of the picture rather than the photo printer. What it will not do…clear up your blurry photos. Sorry!

C. SMILEBOX – This free site is like an online scrapbook. You take your online photos and videos, add their designs and music and create slideshows, scrapbooks, greetings, photo albums, invitations, and collages. You can share your creations on Facebook, email, blogs, print at home or store, or burn to a DVD. It’s fun to play with and easy to use. I used it as our Christmas greeting on the blog last year and it would be perfect to share your favorite trip photos with friends and family.

D. PHOTO STORY 3 – This free download for creating a slideshow with your trip photos adds another new dimension…your voice! Easy to use, Photo Story 3 lets you add your photos, music (theirs or your own), and record your voice narrating each photo. This is a fantastic way to work in all those fun stories that a photo reminds you of. For complete details on how to use this tool, go to my library technology blog LUV2LEARN2.

E. TRIP WOW – This free slideshow creator from Trip Advisor adds another unique feature. In addition to putting music with your photos, you can also create an Indiana-Jones style animated map that shows our route on the trip!

You can download the slideshow you create on the site to your computer or burn it to a DVD. You can also share with family and friends via Facebook, email, or another web site.

Enjoy!

Photography Tips

Always take the traditional postcard photo of all the important sites, but don’t forget to take plenty of pictures with people in them too. After all, it’s the friends we make that also make the trip. And of course, you want the “I Was There!” photos too. With digital photography and plenty of memory cards, you can take as many pictures as you want!

Budget Travel magazine in their March 2011 issue offers some tips to perk up your photo album:

1. Group Portraits – do something different! Traditional stare at the camera over someone’s shoulders does say you are there, but not how much fun you are having. Ham it up!

2. Food/Meal Photos – Some of our travelers take pictures of every meal because someone is always asking what they ate while they were there. Try something new. Avoid looking straight down on the plate. Shoot at an angle to get the entire place setting. Use your camera’s macro setting (look for a flower icon) to capture the textural details of food.

3. Hotel Room Photos – Lamp light rarely provides enough light. Check out when you have the most natural light (hard to do in a cruise room with no window, right?), but you can do so with the hotel. Mornings and evenings usually provide the most sunlight, so open the curtains and turn off the flash. Better yet, also capture something local through the window as you shoot from an angle, but not directly out the window.

4. Panoramas – It’s hard to get a sweeping effect in one measly photo; everything is so tiny it loses its effect. See if your camera has a stitching function (see your user manual) and take several pictures that “stitch” together to create one large panorama. Even if you don’t have that function, try sitting your camera on a ledge or other steady surface and move it slightly to get the bigger picture. Then put the pictures together yourself.

5. Don’ t just shoot the “big picture” of the Parthenon or other iconic structure or scene. Yes, do get that photo, but then focus on the smaller details (statues in niches, carvings, trim, towers, doors, etc.) and snap those photos too. You simply can’t see all that in the big picture.

6. Reflections – Try shooting the photo with just the reflection instead of the object and its double. Add another element to the photo for something really interesting.

7. Flash – Turn it off when shooting through a window to avoid glare.

8. Flora and Fauna – It’s a family joke, but one we put into practice. We never take trip photos that we don’t cover the flora (flowers in the church garden) and the fauna (any animals we see).

Rick Steves, the travel guru, also offers some photography tips:

1. New angle for an old sight – Again you always want to get the classic postcard shot, but look for a new and unique angle for additional shots. Shoot a bell tower through a horse’s leg (statue!) or lay your camera on the floor to shoot a beautiful ceiling. Think outside the box.

2. Capture the personal side of your trip – Don’t forget to shoot the locals…and you interacting with the locals…or the picnic on the beach…or the sunset over your shoulder (get a friend to do that one!)

3. Vary your perspective – Shoot close, far, low, high, day or night. Don’t always center your shot. Use something in the foreground to add color or depth, like flowers closeup and the site in the background. Catch the reflection of a site in someone’s sunglasses.

4. Break the rules – Sometimes shooting into the sun makes a great silhouette. Experiment with existing light.

5. Best lighting – Early morning and late afternoon. Take advantage of it

For more photography tips, go to the LUV2GO archives on the left for Februrary 9, 2009.

Telling the Digital Video Story

So, you’ve decided to take the photography plunge and record your trip via video. With lots of tiny foolproof video cameras out there (the flip video, for example, or the video feature on your digital camera), taking video is not as cumbersome as it once was.
Here are some tips for shooting better videos as shared by Budget Travel magazine July/August 2010:

1. Tell a story – Every video should have a narrative (beginning, middle, and end). Record you getting ready and at the airport, fun action times on the trip, and you asleep on the plan home!

2. Video at the right time of day – The best light is early morning and late evening. Of course, that doesn’t mean ignore the rest of day!

3. Interview other people – Even though there are times when you will narrate, also get some fellow travelers to talk you through a site…or better yet , persuade them to video you narrating a fun time!

4. Use the zoom – Zoom in from a wide-angle to a close-up, or zoom out from a detail to the full scene. You don’t have to stay at the same perspective all the time.

5. Be your own tripod – Shaking in video is annoying. Reduce the movement by keeping your knees loose and your feet wide. Filming with one hand? Brace your other arm across your chest for stability.

6. Be patient – Take the time to line up a good shot.

7. Back home…and editing – When putting together a video that is interesting, be prepared to cut. Think about when you look at others videos…and wish they had edited hours of static mountain shots!

8. Set the mood – consider adding a music soundtrack to your video. Some video editing software allows you to add voice-overs after you get home.

9. Make it a real docu-video – Some editing software allows you to insert graphics (say a map) and credits at the end. Here are some samples of free video editing software to download. And more free video editing software...this site is overload! But you might find something you like.

Tips from ones who just visited Greece

Things we learned from our guest speakers:

1. Bring a refillable water bottle with you at all times.

2. Greece is known to take siestas in the afternoon. It is not unusual to find places closed for hours in the afternoon.

3. Greece is warm…much like Texas weather.

4. Churches and monasteries require ladies to cover shoulders and knees, but many times they provide thin draw string skirts to cover with.

5. Although the cruise ship states there will be a semi-formal night, they said that only applies to a waiter service restaurant and not all restaurants require that. They saw ladies and men in slacks (not necessarily dresses) and never saw anyone turned away. But don’t try to get in the nicer restaurant in shorts or swimsuits.

6. Photos inside churches and monasteries are not allowed. Buy postcards or books. Some museums don’t allow photography and none will allow flash. Always ask and respect their rules.

7. VAT (value added tax) is like our sales tax. If you buy something expensive (over 120 euros), then ask for a tax free checque to complete in the store and give a copy to customs on departure to get the VAT refund. Don’t bother with small purchases. You may be asked to show the goods and/or the receipt so keep it.

8. On the cruise you will give them your credit card number and use your room key to make any charges. Tap water and coffee are free, but alcoholic beverages, sodas, tea, etc. cost. If you drink a lot, then you can buy beverage cards, but they are expensive. Or you can charge an individual drink. Drinks and bottled water are cheaper on land than the ship. Bring some back with you.

9. You will leave your passport with the cruise ship when you board and get it back when you debark.

10. They said the Greek preferred the Euro (cash) over the credit card. And the Greek barter. Once they were offered a tour photo book for 20 euro, but walked off. The vendor followed them and then asked for 5 euro! Another vendor came up and offered the same book for 3 euro! Barter, barter, barter!

11. The electricity in many hotel rooms and the ship is “turned on” by putting the room key in a slot by the door. However, if you leave things to charge while you are out of the room, you must take your room key which shuts off the electricity. Leave the roomie’s room key if possible and take yours. If not, then ask for a second room key. You may not get one, but you can ask.

12. Their excursion recommendations: Did not take one in Mykonos, just walked around on their own. Their most highly recommended is the one in Kusadasi. They did both the Ephesus and the House of the Virgin Mary. On Patmos, they did the Monastery of St. John & the Grotto of the Apocalypse. They said the Tour around the island excursion only drives by these sites but does not stop. On Rhodes they did Old City and Philermos and spent half a day walking around as there is lots to see in Rhodes. On Crete, they did the Knossos Palace. They said some others on their tour did the wine tasting one but was not impressed but they couldn’t say for sure (matter of taste, it seems). They absolutely loved Santorini! They did the excursion to Oia Village. They said their tour director once did the sailing and volcano excursion but it was very hot. The choice to do any excursion is totally up to you. You don’t have to do any, but they said that the information they got from the guides was the reason they liked them so much.

Podcasts for Greece

You may have your trusty guidebook, but another option for getting information about sites on our tour are podcasts that you can download to your iPod or iPhone.

Podcast: A multimedia digital file (audio or video or both) made available on the Internet for downloading to a portable media player, computer, etc.

There are all types of podcasts. Some simply provide information, while others may serve as an audio for a walking tour of a site. (I used one at Versailles last trip, it gave a room by room description of all I was seeing. Awesome!) Just listen to several and decide if it is what you are interested in. Then download the ones you want to take with you. Here are some places to start and they are all free:

Five Free Podcasts (from Greek vocabulary to Greek food to an overview of Athens sites)
National Museum of Archealogy in Athens
The Agora, the Acropolis, and Parthenon
The Amateur Traveler (video travel podcasts from all over, scroll and look for ones from Greece - click previous entries at bottom)
A Trip to the Parthenon
Rick Steves Greece (free in iTunes store)
Rick Steves Europe - Athens, Greece (scroll to episode 56, free iTunes store)
Rick Steves Europe - Santorini's Black Sand (scroll to episode 112, free iTunes store)
Rick Steves Europe - Athens' Ancient Acropolis (scroll to episode 138, free iTunes store)
Rick Steves Europe - West Turkey: The Ancient City of Ephesus (scroll to episode 58, free iTunes store)
Acropolis and Parthenon (available free through iTunes store)
Learning Greek (free iTunes store)
Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece (iTunes store free)
History of Greece (iTunes store free)
Spirit of Place - Delphi (scroll to episode 30, free iTunes store)

International Cell Phone Update

I have an iPhone and went to the Apple store to ask about international service. Don’t waste your time going there. They know a lot, but this falls under your local service provider.

So, next I went to the AT&T store and they were very helpful. Most important…they said they do not cover service on a cruise ship or close to the ship! Cruise ships have their own satellites (or whatever they use!) and it costs a lot more.

AT&T charges $5.99 for the World Traveler Plan plus phoning in Greece is an extra $1.29 per minute. The big expense of using smart phones overseas is the data roaming charges. Be sure to turn off data roaming to avoid these unexpected charges.

AT&T users can pay $25 per phone for up to 20MB of data. Data roaming is anything that can be updated on your phone, such as texting, email, internet service, apps that update i.e. weather, time, money exchange rates, GPS, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Any app that you already have downloaded that has static/stored information to access (camera, language translator, etc.) will not use data roaming. Neither will your iPod or downloaded podcasts on your iPhone.

To see just how much 20MB is for your phone, (if you have AT&T service) go to www.wireless.att.com/global and click the Data Calculator.

The rule: Check with YOUR phone service provider to find exactly what they offer for your phone.

Tip for using iPod on your iPhone: Turn on the airplane mode in Settings. You will not need to purchase any special international plan to use your iPod only.

Tips for making an iPhone battery last longer:
1. Lower screen brightness (Settings>Brightness).
2. Push email: Turn off the Push feature and set it to Manually instead (Settings>Mail, Contacts, Calendars>Fetch New Data). The iPhone checks for email only when you actually open the email app.
3. GPS checks: In Settings>General>Location Services, you’ll see a list of all the apps on your phone that are using your phone’s location feature to know where you are. You can probably turn most of them off and save battery. And that is all data roaming too.
4. Notifications: Similarly in Settings>Notifications, you see a list of apps that are allowed to display pop-up notifications (those blue text bubbles that look like text messages). Turn off the ones you don’t need.
5. Background apps: Quit all apps that are still open and not being used. Double-press the Home button to open the multitasking app switcher. Hold your finger down on any icon until they all start wiggling. Tap the little X close boxes to manually quit open apps.

Time

Greece is 8 hours ahead of Central Standard Time. Getting sleep on the overnight flight is important. We will not nap when we land in Athens. Waiting to sleep until bedtime will help get over jet lag.

When calling home, remember they are 8 hours behind us. They won't be as excited to hear from you if you wake them in the middle of the night!

Try out this World Clock Converter.
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Group Travel

Number one rule: be flexible! Sometimes…life happens and we have no control over it. It could be raining, a scheduled site could be closed for repairs, road construction, flat tire, transportation strikes, etc. We just need to be flexible and deal with it. Less stress makes for a more enjoyable vacation.

Number two rule: be on time! Consider the group before staying in a site too long. It makes the entire group have to wait and could cause us to miss some time at the next site.

Number three rule: be patient! There will be a lot of personalities…it’s a big ship!
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Money and Tipping

Greece uses the Euro. I recommend getting some Euro before departure (if possible) for water or food in Madrid (or your layover airport) or on arrival in Athens. Shop around and check for charges for conversions. Keep up with the local conversion rate at XE Universal Currency Converter.

Then use an ATM card to get Euros while in Greece. Avoid making a lot of withdrawals because banks will charge a finance fee for each transaction. Check with your bank before departure.

Using ATM cards and credit cards is recommended over travelers checks. Contact your bank and credit card company and let them know to expect charges from Greece, the islands and Turkey, as well as any airplane layover stops as you may make purchases in these airports.

Some travelers actually open a separate checking account for their ATM travel money. That way if the card is stolen it does not drain your entire funds.

How much do you need? Consider the excursions you want to take. They can only be purchased on the cruise ship. Lunches on land are on your own. All meals are provided on the ship, but if you want to eat on any island, it will be on you (unless you pack a picnic from the cruise buffets!). If you drink tap water, it is free with meals, but if you want soda, bottled water or an alcoholic beverage at any meal it is on you.

Also remember souvenirs. Any transportation other than the provided tour bus, cruise ship, or excursion transport will be on you, such as a city bus or subway to a walking tour.

TIPPING
Bring with you the following tips:
Tour director - $6/day x 9 days = $54 US (Will be with us throughout the tour and the cruise)

Bus driver - $3/day x 5 days = $15 US

The tour director tips and the bus driver tips I’ll collect our last night and we will present to them as a group.

Tips on the cruise: You will have a shipboard account and $10/day x 4 = $40 US will automatically be added for staff tips. Check on your shipboard account the night before we leave the ship and give yourself time to question any charges. It will save time and stress on debarking day.

Local guides: It is totally up to you if you think the guide has been exceptional to tip individually 1-2 Euro, but it is not required.
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Flights

EF will send etickets and I will forward those on to you. Those of us flying out of DFW will meet at the departure gate after checking in and going through security. This will help save time without anyone having to wait on anyone else.

Some out of state travelers will meet us in Athens. You will need your passport (the one thing you cannot leave home without!) to check in.
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Packing

Rule #1 (Actually it's the ONLY packing rule!) – Pack light! You can have one checked bag and two carry-on bags, but I don’t recommend large suitcases because you have to porter your own luggage. You should plan on one average size suitcase (rolling is your best bet) and a backpack or under the airplane seat size bag. I do not plan to check my bag but use the smaller size and carry on both bags. Your call.

Tips:
--roll clothes to prevent wrinkles and save space or put a day’s set of clothes in 2-1/2 gallon Ziploc bags.
--put toiletries, camera, and a change of clothes in your carry on…going and coming.
--pack extra camera batteries and memory cards.
--prescriptions need to be in original bottles. Ask your pharmacy if they can provide you with smaller bottles with labels.
--will need an electric voltage converter and a Greece plug adaptor as Europe electrical outlets are different from US. They are 220v instead of 110v. I recommend getting a universal adapter and converter kit available at Walmart or Target. View more information about electrical standards around the world.
--pack some extra garbage bags for dirty or wet clothes. Pack extra different sizes of Ziploc bags for a variety of reasons.
--pack easy traveling snacks (not ones that crumble or melt). Sometimes dinner or lunch is late depending on the schedule.
--put a copy of your passport in your bag and keep your actual passport inside your clothes in a neck or waist pouch. Also keep the majority of your money in this same safe place. Just take out the daily amount of cash. Also watch out for pickpockets!
--make sure that any day visiting a religious site that shoulders and knees should be covered (if you’re in shorts, wrap a shawl around your waist, slip on wind pants)
--toiletries should be packed 3-1-1….gels, aerosols, liquids are no more than 3.4 ounces in only one bag that is no larger than one quart. Try to get as many in travel size as possible. This bag will need to be out and go through the security scan outside your luggage. Too many toiletries or health and beauty aids in too large sizes is the number one way to save space in luggage.
--wear comfortable shoes!! Don’t bring new ones you haven’t broken in. Bring a spare pair in case a strap breaks or they get wet. I like Teva brand, and I've bought them on clearance racks, Ross at a discount, and on Amazon.
--pack a journal and write, write, write. Remember the fun!
--weather is expected to be warm…probably very warm (OK, hot!). But it never hurts to bring a light jacket just in case. Pack a hat, light weight shirt, and sunscreen for sun protection.
--always need an umbrella or a rain jacket.
--don’t forget your swimsuit for the pool or the beach! On one of the islands, you may just opt out of excursions and enjoy a fabulous day on an exotic beach!
--avoid packing valuable jewelry. Less is more.
--travel alarm. There are wake up calls, but sometimes they don’t always go through.
--share some things with roomies (i.e. hair dryer, curling irons, etc.).
--ladies, try bringing a lightweight sarong that can double as a towel, shawl, picnic cloth, skirt, scarf, coverup, etc.)
--wear your most bulky shoes and pack the lighter ones.
--It’s an overnight flight so try to get sleep. A neck pillow really helps! There are inflatable ones that save space in luggage and those comfy, cushy ones that I just drape on the outside of my luggage handle and don't pack.
--throw in a fabric softener sheet to keep your suitcase fresh.
--pack a flat duffel or backpack that you could use as a second carry on to hold souvenirs on the return flight.
--always have some tissue in your pocket…just in case there is no toilet paper at a pit stop.
--information on this blog is meant to be printed and used as your travel guide, so you only need to print the parts you want. However, if you want a published guide, I recommend the Dorling-Kindersley Eyewitness Travel Guides. They are detailed, lots of pictures and diagrams, and my favorite...but they are heavy! There is one for The Greek Islands and one for Athens. Try Half-Price Books or the used ones on Amazon.
--bring a watch…even if you have cell phone, to make sure you are on time when you need to be.
--the cruise has a semi-formal night, so pack something nice. Men do not have to wear a jacket, just a button shirt. Ladies can wear a dress or slacks, no formal long dress is required. Also there is a Greek night so wear something blue and white that night.
--checked bags should not be locked for possible security checks, so use a twist tie on the flight. You can lock them during the trip. Also if you check your bag, tell the check in attendant to check your bag all the way to Athens..and then make sure the tag they attach says Athens BEFORE they put it on the conveyer belt!

Check out this site on what to pack for Greece.
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Hotels

European hotels are somewhat smaller and less glamorous than US hotels. They usually have smaller elevators. It may be faster to use the stairs.

Continental breakfast is served each morning by the hotel. Expect cereal, breads, juice, coffee and tea; sometimes there has been more…according to the hotel. Dinners, other than the cruise, will usually be outside the hotel. Group dinners are pre-set menus.

They do not supply wash cloths, so bring them if you use them. All hotels do not have hair dryers. If you need one then pack a travel size. Share one with your roommate. Bring a battery-powered travel alarm. Hotels have wake up calls but sometimes rooms get missed.

European hotels often use large room keys that must be turned in to the front desk when leaving the hotel. Occasionally they use plastic swipe cards as room keys and those cards may be necessary to activate lights and power in the room. Place the card in a slot on the wall near the door of the room to turn on lights in the room.

Also it is rare if they have an English speaking staff. Shower pressure may be weaker if the hotel is an older building with older sewers. Rarely is there an ice machine or ice or TV or air conditioning. But all hotels will be clean, safe, and comfortable.

Oh, and by the way...do not expect ice in any beverage served in a restaurant. And tea is usually hot. When we ask for iced tea, they stare at us like we have two heads. Whoever heard of such nonsense, they think! So if we are lucky enough to get iced tea...shout yoo-hoo!
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International Cell Phone Service

Option #1: First and foremost, contact your service provider. Many providers have international plans that can save you a lot of money. If you have a smartphone (i.e. iphone), be sure to turn off data roaming because that is what really racks up the charges. Just check with your provider and get advice for your phone.

Option #2: Each of you received an EF flyer about ekit international cell phones and packages from EF. Contact EF if you are interested.

Option #3: EF also offers an ekit phone card for $20 talk time from public phones. I used one of these in China last year and it worked great to check in back home.

Note: Do not use the phones in hotel rooms to make international calls. It costs a fortune!
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Greek Island Cruise Update

You will definitely need to go to this link – 4 Day Greek Cruise – and print it out. It is the updated cruise information for our tour with the most current prices for shore excursions and updated information about such things as dress, meals and drinks, payments on board, accommodations and amenities, and tipping.

Note that even though they will tell us the name of the ship 2 weeks prior to departure, do not be surprised if there is another ship in port. Louis Cruise Lines reserves the right to change ships but guarantees the same ship standard.

Important: cabins on the cruise ship are very small. Your room will be below deck and may not have a porthole but will have air conditioning and private bath. Everyone will be roomed in twin rooms, but don’t plan to stay in your rooms! There is much to see and do!

All meals are provided on the cruise. The above document will tell the times of each meal. Drinks are not included but price for drink packages are listed.

Dress is primarily casual but expect a semi-formal night. There will be a Greek night where everyone is encouraged to dress in blue and white. For excursions, wear comfortable walking shoes and note that bare shoulders and shorts are not permitted at religious sites.

Gratuities are not included in your cruise fee. Expect $10 per day to be added to your shipboard account for tipping of staff. This is in addition to the tips we will have for the EF tour director and the EF bus driver. Our group is a private tour and we will be the only ones on the bus, but of course we will be with others on the cruise. Currency on board is the Euro. Shipboard accounts only accept cash or credit cards.

All shore excursions are booked through the cruise line while on the ship, not EF. Note these changes/additions from previous posts with this current brochure:
1. The cruise now offers a 3-hour walking tour of Mykonos for 44 euro. Is it worth it? You can probably walk around by yourself with a guide book cheaper. But read up on it and see if you need the extra help.
2. Ephesus and the House of Virgin Mary excursion is now 65 euro (not 62). Ancient Ephesus excursion is now 62 euro (not 59). The increases are to be expected. The brochure we had when we first started was from 2 years ago.
3. Monastery of St. John and Grotto of the Apocalypse is now 51 euro (not 49). Tour of Patmos Island is now 39 euros (not 34).
4. Rhodes and Lindos ½ day excursion is now 53 euro (not 52). Old City and Philermos excursion is now 54 euros (not 47).
5. Knossos Palace excursion is now 58 euros (not 56). A Taste of Crete excursion (formerly called Panoramic Heraklion and Wine Tasting) is now 54 euros (not 52).
6. Excursion to Oia Village is now 55 euros (not 53) and the Santorini sailing and volcano is now 55 euros (not 52).

Ephesus, Turkey

Our visit to Turkey on the cruise is a stop at the port resort of Kusadasi on Tuesday morning from 7 a.m. until 12 noon. You may choose to stay in town and shop or perhaps spend the morning at one of the local beaches, such as Ladies Beach.

Or you can opt for one of two optional excursions to the Ancient city of Ephesus. Both excursions are the same, except one also includes a stop at a small chapel and the House of the Virgin Mary known as the house where Virgin Mary resided after the crucifixion and spent her last days. Although the site is controversial, the Vatican has sanctioned this site for pilgrimage.

A tour guide will lead us on a walking tour at the site of Ancient Ephesus which begins at the entrance through the Magnesian Gate. Here you will also see the Odeon (concert hall), the Fountain of Trajan, the steam-heated Baths of Scolastika, the Temple of Hadrian and the Latrians, and the famed Library of Celsus.

We will also visit the Great Theatre of Ephesus where St. Paul is believed by many to have preached. It is the largest theater in antiquity having a capacity of 24,000 and noted for its remarkable acoustics. From the theatre we will walk along the Arcadian Way where Mark Anthony and Cleopatra once rode in a procession as newlyweds.

On the drive back to Kusadasi, we will stop at the Basilica of St. John which was erected over his grave in the 6th century AD by the Emporer Justinian. Just downhill lies the site of the ruins of the Temple of Artemis (Diana), one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

The temple was described by Philon of Byzantium: “I have seen the walls and Hanging Gardens of ancient Babylon, the statue of Olympian Zeus, the Colossus of Rhodes, the mighty work of the high Pyramids and the tomb of Mausolus. But when I saw the temple at Ephesus rising to the clouds, all these other wonders were put in the shade.”

Here's a tip: pronounce the town's name "koo-SHAH-dah-suh" if you want to sound like you know what you're doing. That's the correct Turkish pronunciation. (The clueless pronounce it "KOOS-uh-DASS-see.") It means "Bird Island:" kuş = bird, ada(sı) = island.

Flight Schedule

EF will post the flight schedule online 21 days from departure. You can access it online then by going to the EF web site and logging in. Use your account number as the username and type in your password.

To see a list of flights, click on Tour Details in the left blue box. Scroll down and click on the Flight and Hotel Information tab.

However, I received a phone call from our tour consultant and he has already given us our flight schedule! I will email it to you in a separate private email.

Wine-Tasting Optional Excursion on Crete

The second optional excursion on the island of Crete is a panoramic tour of Heraklion and a wine-tasting tour of the beautiful country south of Heraklion beginning at the Venetian lion-guarded port. The bus tour heads south of the city to the famous wine producing area of Peza through breathtaking landscapes of countrysides and vineyards as old as Minoan times. The first stop is a modern winery where you will see the updated procedures of wine making and sample some of the delicious Cretan wines. Your drive continues through rural villages to the village of Archanes, the municipality in the area. On the way, you will make a photo stop at Vathypetro to view one of the oldest farmhouses of Crete, dating to the Minoan period. The tour continues through the island’s hilly countryside where olive groves and vineyards have existed for 4,000 years. In the village of Archanes, which is 10km south of the Palace of Knossos, you will visit a quaint market town with many restored sandstone houses dating from the Turkish period. At a local tavern in the village’s tree-shaded square, you can sample an assortment of Cretan snacks and locally-produced wine. There will be free time to browse the village before the return to Heraklion and the ship. As I said in the Optional Excursions post, my friend did not have anyone on his tour take this excursion so you will need to decide if this is your kind of activity or not. I'm sure our EF guide and the cruise director can offer assistance too.

Palace of Knossos

One of the optional cruise excursions on Crete is a visit to the Palace of Knossos about 30 minutes from the city of Heraklion and lasts about 3 hours. We will be docked in Crete on Thursday from 7 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. The excursion costs around 56 Euros (subject to change).

Knossos was once the capital city of the prehistoric Minoan civilization and thought to be the basis for the original underground labyrinth housing the mythological Minotaur. This half-man, half-bull was born of King Minos’s wife, Pasiphae, and slain by Theseus. We will be able to visit a portion of the excavated and partially reconstructed Palace of King Minos and the surrounding area.

There are many palaces on the island of Crete, but Knossos is the largest and most sophisticated with over 1,000 rooms and an elaborate drainage system, flushing toilets, and paved roads. All the more amazing because this palace dates to around 1700 BC! The first palace, built around 1900 BC, was destroyed by an earthquake and these ruins date almost entirely from the rebuilding.

Unlike other Minoan sites, the Palace of Knossos was restored by Sir Arthur Evans between 1900 and 1929. Although his version of the reconstruction is controversial at best, it does give us an idea of life in the Minoan civilization.

The Palace houses the Hall of the Royal Guard decorated with frescoes and shields, the Hall of the Double Axes, the King’s Chamber housing the alabaster throne amid paintings of griffins and lilies, and the Queen’s Apartment adorned with murals of dolphins and spirals reminding us of the legend of the labyrinth. The original frescoes are in the Archaeological Museum in Heraklion.

The King’s Chamber and the Queen’s Apartment may be closed due to temporary restoration but can be viewed from above. Go here for a 3D virtual reality tour. Be sure to click inside each photo to scroll around for a 360-degree view.

This is an excellent introduction video to Knossos and the part Sir Arthur Evans played in its excavation and reconstruction.

The remaining time will be spent browsing in Heraklion. Since the museum is closed for restoration until 2012, a special exhibit of its most famous holdings is available, but the entrance fee is not included in the excursion price.

If you are game to try and visit Knossos on your own, here is a site that will give you some tips.

The Island of Crete

One of our island stops is on the island of Crete at the port of Heraklion from 7 a.m. til 11:30 a.m. – a 4½ hour stop. You will be free to roam around the city of Heraklion on your own or opt to take one of two excursions provided through the cruise line. One is to the Palace of Knossos and the other is the Panoramic Heraklion and Wine Tasting tour.

Crete is one of the largest islands in the Aegean Sea…and one of the most rugged. It is also home to the Minoan civilization which lay buried for nearly 3,000 years until Sir Arthur Evans discovered this archaeological wonder. Magnificent palaces at Knossos, Phaestos, Malia, and Zakros show just how sophisticated the Minoans were.

Over the centuries, the island fell under the rule of the Romans, Byzantines, Venetians, Ottoman Turks, and finally Greece. The most southerly of the Greek islands, four great mountain ranges traverse the island which stretches from east to west.

Crete’s capital of Heraklion (or Irakleio) lies on the northern coast and is famous for its Archaeological Museum which houses the world’s greatest collection of Minoan art including the famous frescoes from Knossos and the Phaestos Disc, which has yet to be deciphered.

The museum, which began in 1883, also houses such great works as the Snake Goddess, Bull’s Head Rhyton, the Minoan Double Axe, the golden bee pendant, and the Bull Leaper.

The museum has been closed for renovation since 2006 and is scheduled to reopen in 2012, however a temporary exhibit of its most famous artifacts is in a building nearby. We will visit on Thursday and the museum is open from 8 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Heraklion’s harbor is dominated by a vast Venetian fortress of Rocca al Mare and Crete’s Historical Museum is on the waterfront. Housed here is El Greco’s View Mt. Sinai and the Monastery of St. Catherine, his only painting in Crete. El Greco, whose real name is Dominikos Theotokopoulous, was born in Crete in 1545.

Also in Heraklion is the Plateia Eleftheriou Venizelou, a pedestrian zone with cafes and shops around the Morosini fountain. Facing the square is the restored Venetian church Agios Markos built in 1239 and now used for concerts. Also of note is the headless Roman statue that graces the 16th century Bembo Fountain. A place to stop for coffee!

Here's a 360 view of the port of Heraklion. This video is in Greek (I think!) but the pictures give you a good overview.

Travel Safety Concerns

I know that you have been watching the news lately of the growing unrest in North Africa and other areas of the Middle East. This past week there were even riots in Athens. And I realize that you, like me, were concerned about traveling to Greece in light of these headlines.

I contacted EF this week and expressed our concerns for safety and the protection of our investment in our June trip to Greece. I received an answer and want to share with you what EF has said. (Note: Anything in quotation marks, is an exact quote from our EF tour consultant.)

“EF will never put our travelers in harm's way. If the US State Department issues a travel warning we will not send any groups to Greece.” This EF did for Egypt trips.

“No EF groups stay in Athens. We made that move over a year ago. Instead we have our groups stay in Glyfada, a smaller beach/resort town 30 miles south of Athens. Therefore, groups will not be in Athens for anything other than scheduled sightseeing.”

“Our office in Athens keeps us updated about the situation and if there was an actual flare up while you are on tour we will make sure to steer our groups clear of any danger.”

On our trips we request, and it is standard for most tour companies, to stay near city center so that we are in walking distance of at least some of the city’s attractions on our own time. In light of last year’s protests over the country’s financial woes, EF has already taken steps to protect its travelers by moving the hotel location outside of Athens.

Since we are a private tour group with our own bus, then we have control over when and where we can go and make adjustments if need be. This will be a plus for our group.

Glyfada, a southern suburb of Athens, is known as the ‘Beverly Hills’ of Greece and home to many of Greece’s millionaires and celebrities. One of its most famous residents was Aristotle Onassis! This fashion-conscious suburb is known in Greece for its upmarket cafes, well-known restaurants, boutiques and cosmopolitan summer clubs…doesn’t sound like too bad a place to stay!

“In the event that a travel warning is issued you can pick alternative destinations or receive future travel vouchers. Or, if the entire group decides they do not want to travel you can always use the EF Peace of Mind program to change your travel plans.”

Although the Mediterranean area is in turmoil, it does not necessarily mean we will be near any of the problems or that Greece is a dangerous place to visit. If we consider that Mexico, our next door neighboring country, is in worse shape and travel warnings HAVE been issued there, then a European might frown on traveling to Texas because it borders Mexico.

Those of us in Texas are not afraid to live here, but in this perspective I understand why a foreigner might be apprehensive by just listening to the news about Mexico. So until there is a travel warning issued, I believe we are in no danger in Greece.

Oia Village

One of the optional excursions available while on the island of Santorini is called Island Tour and Oia Village (about 53 euros). My friend has recommended this tour if you want to see both the capital of Fira (or Thira) and Oia.

Located at the northern tip of the island, perched on the cliffside, sits the typical Greek island village of Oia which is famous for its spectacular sunsets. There are several really neat videos on YouTube that show just that. The cliffs get really crowded at sundown!

Since we will be on Santorini from 4:30 – 9 pm, I am not sure which town (Oia or Fira) we will be in for sunset. That’s a question for our tour guide.

The excursion takes us by boat to Athenios Harbor, where we then travel by bus on one of the most winding roads in the Cyclades. Oia is the island’s third port and was quite the commercial center before damage from the 1956 earthquake.

Reconstructed after the earthquake, Oia is well-known for its beautiful architecture –white and pastel-colored houses with red pebble walls clinging to the cliffs, Venetian sea captains' mansions, skafta cave houses, and blue-domed churches. A restored 19th century mansion houses the Naval Maritime Museum.

Staircases lead down to Ammoudi fishing harbor with its floating pumice stones and red pebble beach which boasts a tradition of boat building.

Oia was used for several scenes in the movies The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, parts I and II.

This video is a good overview of the village of Oia.

The Island of Santorini

When anyone pictures the Greek islands, it is Santorini that comes to mind first with its picturesque white-washed villages and the iconic blue-domed roofs that sit precariously along the cliffs overlooking the Aegean Sea and its black sand beaches.

Santorini was settled by the Minoans in 3000 BC and in 1450 BC the volcanic island erupted with such force that it left only the present day crescent shape island. It was a circular island before the volcano blew out its middle and the tsunami it created devastated the island of Crete, another of our destinations. It is the island of Santorini that many believe is the lost kingdom of Atlantis!

Originally named Thira by the Dorians who settled here in the 8th century BC, it wasn’t until the 13th century that the Venetians coined the name Santorini after St Irene.

The capital city of the island is Fira, or Thira, which sits on the inside of the caldera, or crater, overlooking the tiny island of Nea Kameni. Devastated by an earthquake in 1956, it has been rebuilt, terraced into the volcanic cliffs with domed churches and barrel-roofed cave houses (skafta). Many cliffside restaurants offer stunning views of the caldera…and the amazing sunsets!

The tiny port of Skala Firon is 885 feet below Fira and is connected by a cable car (about 4 euros) or by mule (about 5 euros) up the 580 steps. Of course, you can walk up and down the steps, but you have to dodge the donkeys AND what they leave behind!

Fira is primarily a pedestrian town and its most well-known street is Agiou Mina, for it is here you will find the 18th century church of Agios Minas with its distinctive blue dome and white bell tower which have become the symbol of Santorini.

Also in Fira is the Archaeological Museum which houses the famous frescoes from Akrotiri which were remarkably preserved by volcanic ash. The best known are The Young Fisherman, depicting a youth holding yellow and blue fish, and The Young Boxers, showing two young sparring partners with long black hair and almond-shaped eyes. The murals are shown on a rotating schedule. The museum may be closed however by the time we arrive.

There are two optional excursions offered on Santorini. One is Santorini Sailing and Volcano, a smaller boat cruise around the active crater of Nea Kameni. Refer to the previous blog outlining the excursions for an in-depth description and recommendations. The other will be addressed in the next blog on Oia.

We visit Santorini on Thursday evening from 4:30-9 p.m. Enjoy this video on Santorini.