Sicily redeemed

We did not think much of Messina but Catania is a winner. Mt Etna dominates and you can get a good view straight off the boat. We went into town and checked out the Roman theatre, Those Romans again. This time housing was allowed to be built over the top. I remember in Spain we saw a colosseum with a later church built into the arena.  It is amazing to see houses intruding into the Roman Theatre.  Many were demolished recently to reveal the theatre. We took a taxi around to the Lido. Private beaching is an industry. We paid 22 € for two lounge chairs and an umbrella only but the bottle of Prosecco was 12€ with a boy to carry it back to our spot. How civilised.

Mt Etna

Houses with a Roman backyard

Private Beach

Valletta highlight - Hypogeum

I have been to some old sites before but this is the oldest. Stonehenge came in at 5000 yar ago but thus was started 6000 yar ago at the surface and when they needed more room they started digging deeper. These guys were Neolithic types who could paint, sculpt and build using columns and arches. They lasted 3000 yar and at 1000 BC they disappeared.  Access is strictly limited to 10 people per hour, so I am glad I bought the ticket 6 months ago. The on site sales were for the end of August. After being buried for 6000 yar it only took 100 yar to cover the walls in green algae because of the hordes traipsing thru since 1902.  The site was closed for 10 yar until they figured out how to treat the walls and atmosphere in the structure. I have no photos as they are banned, there is an escort who watches your every move. This was still the best site on the trip. We used the Hop On Hop Off bus. These are a pain but do work. We walked across to the Tarxien Temple then got back on the bus for the Blue Grotto. We swam here which was refreshing and got back to the boat at 4:00 pm a 7 hour excursion.

Tarxien Temple - Skirted Woman

We swam here - first time I got out the GoPro

All at Sea on the 4th of July

If you make a special fuss for 130 Canadians on Canada Day well then what will you do for 1104 citizens of the USA.  One thing for sure is NOT to mention politics.  We are having a rest day and well earned.  We did not play the deck chairs game today. On Infinity numbers were slightly down eg 1800. Here on Constellation it is almost full at 2100 so pressure for sunbeds, with a mattress in the shade is like real estate gold. We could have got up at 6:00 am but slept in til 8:30 am bonus.  We did find padded chairs and a table for lunch so that worked out.  Right now it is siesta for us while I can see some people doing a type of aerobics on the pool deck.

Last night's exit past small islands

Crazy deck dancing below

Waking not sleeping

Kotor stands for Cats

They love cats here, there is even a cat museum.  We did the stairway to St John. We thought the 600 steps was big the other day, this was 1400 steps, crumbling and decayed in places. The view was high and long.  As you went higher there were blokes selling water at increasing prices. Down in the town the streets were old and we had an earned beer. Again the beach was stones and gravel so our shoes came in handy.

Half Way

Almost there

GOT City

We were last here 6 yar ago and over on Lokrum Island it was 8 yar ago so GOT was just getting going. But not now. GOT is the theme. We were wandering around Lokrum and there is a throne in this ancient room. They have a museum with exhibits and half of it is GOT. It might make some historians take a walk of shame. When we got back to Dubrovnik we checked out where the final GOT scene was shot on that small pier.

I could be a Hedge Knight

Arya boards her boat

Dubrovnik

Wot's Tsat?

To quote Julia Roberts but in this case we are talking 600 steps in a 1 km haul uphill to Tsat Castle. We are in Rijeka still part of Croatia and have one more day in Croatia tomorrow. This is a big day. We have been invited to the sail away party on the Helipad which is normally off limits. We had already booked Q-sine at 6:00 pm not knowing the schedule was changed to 7:00 pm for the show in order to get an adult show in at 11:00 pm. We stopped for a rest and a beer at 11:00 am inside the Tsat.. The waiter said do you want to pay in the corner?  We looked over at the corner and it wasn't even in shade. We said we could pay here just as easily but he said do you want to pay in the corner, much more slowly?  Eventually we worked out he was asking about paying in Kuna, which we had plenty of, as we were in the country three days. Are they ever going over to Euros?

Tsat

Last night's passage 9:45 pm

Infinity v Constellation

It's only day two but the the comparisons continue. The entertainment schedule and standard are tried and true. High quality cover type acts are brought on board, interspersed with the on board troupe which is orchestra (8),singers(6), dancers(8) and acrobats (2).  This is exactly the same formula on both Infinity and Constellation. This cruise is fuller ie closer to its 2100 compliment, so seemingly the staff are more stretched.  This ship is also having an upgrade but we found out it was only going to take 5 weeks.