Birds

Mute Swan

I had hoped to see a few birds on this trip and that is what I saw – a few. Winter is not the best time for birding in the northern climes and birding was not the focus of this trip anyway. There were no specifically birding expeditions. We left the good binoculars and longest camera lens at home. I hoped that if necessary the 250mm on the small zoom lens we did bring would be good enough for identification pictures. What I managed to see were birds that happened to be in the same places we were. There were entire days when we would see no birds at all. Other days only the very common birds showed up: rock pigeons were everywhere; house sparrows were everywhere except Italy; gulls on the water of course; and several types of crows were also common. So in three months I am satisfied with the 31 total species and quite pleased with the fact that 12 of them are lifers. 

Black-headed Gull in winter plumage so no black head

I was a bit disappointed that we only saw one seabird on our cruise, the Yelkouan shearwater. The Mediterranean does not have a lot of seabirds, but I was hoping for more than one. The only other birds I saw on the cruise were a few on the island of Delos, but I was unable to identify any of the small, quick-moving little brown jobbies (LBJs in birder talk).

Common Buzzard. He was quite far away, but the camera did see this.

The second lifer showed up in Vernazza flying far above us. The common buzzard actually was quite common as we would see them in a couple more places. The only other bird we saw there was another common bird in the US: the Eurasian collared-dove. This bird has expanded all over the US in just a few years after first finding its way to southern Florida in 1982. 

Chaffinch

Montepulciano was no better even though we spent several days driving around the countryside. We saw many pigeons and jackdaws (a kind of crow). Then as I was walking through town one day, I spied a new bird which sat for several minutes on a wire giving me good looks and a picture. I was able to identify him finally as a Chaffinch. 

Wallcreeper in flight. The camera caught the id marks.

The best birding was in Orvieto where we saw five new birds. The first was the most exciting. I have read on some blogs about the wallcreeper being a nemesis for some birders. As we walked out of the museum behind the cathedral, I saw this bird creeping high on the wall of the cathedral. No binoculars so we observed from a distance and took a bunch of pictures. I even managed to get a couple of shots of him flying a few feet across the wall. Since he was creeping on the wall, I had hopes that he might be this elusive wallcreeper and was excited to confirm that in the bird book that evening. 

European Goldfinch

Italian Sparrow

I had been hearing birds every morning in the farmyard of the house we were staying in, but the birds refused to stop within sight as I walked through the garden. Then a couple of days before we left, I looked out our second floor bedroom window and was delighted to have very good views of three different birds. All turned out to be lifers. The European Goldfinch and Sardinian Warbler were easily identified. The goldfinch has a distinctive face and the warbler is one of the few birds with dominant red eyes. The third bird I had assumed to be a common house sparrow like we have all over the US and Europe until I looked in the bird book and discovered that in Italy, the house sparrow is replaced by the similar, but different Italian Sparrow. 

Yellow-legged Gull

In Sorrento, I spent a couple of afternoons at the beach while Linda rested so I could focus on the gulls we had there. Gulls can be difficult not only because there are several similar species, but also because they change looks as they age. Some of the larger gulls take four years to get their adult look and each year they sport a different look. I was sure that I was seeing Black-headed and Yellow-legged Gulls, but had hopes that there were more. All my closer inspection showed was those two gulls in different plumages. I was disappointed, but the effort was worth the time, especially since I had one of the best meals on the trip at a little beach restaurant while I was studying the gulls. An appetizer of seven different marinated fishes with bread was more than enough for lunch. The half carafe of wine only helped make the long afternoon more pleasant. 

Black Redstart

Robin

The other surprisingly good birding spot turned out to be Herculaneum, one of the sites destroyed by Vesuvius and now an excavation open for visitors. The Black Redstart and Chiffchaff joined the small list of new birds there. Again, it was the ability to get good pictures that confirmed the identifications. 

Mute Swan - a beautiful bird on shimmering Lake Lucerne

Red-crested Pochard

Linda spotted the final lifer while we cruised on Lake Lucerne in Switzerland. She was looking out the other side of the boat and noticed a small group that looked different. Indeed they were. Red-crested Pochards are not uncommon, but the five we saw that afternoon on the lake are the only ones we  have seen. 

Perhaps another Redstart, but I don't think so.

For anyone interested here is the entire list, lifers in bold

Greek Isles: Yelkouan shearwater

Italy: Common Buzzard, Eurasian Collared-dove, Black-headed Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Rock Pigeon, Italian Sparrow, Magpie, Robin, Jackdaw, Hooded Crow, Chaffinch, European Starling, Eurasian Blackbird, Wallcreeper, Sardinian Warbler, European Goldfinch, Gray Wagtail, Black Redstart, Chiffchaff, Red Kite, Great Tit

Switzerland: Mute Swan, Tufted Duck, Great-crested Grebe, Red-crested Pochard, Mallard, Great Cormorant

Holland: Eurasian Coot, Gray Heron

Mykonos and Delos

The iconic windmills of Mykonos

 Mykonos is supposedly the party town in this part of the Greek Isles so we spent most of our time exploring the island of Delos, famous as the birthplace of the twin Greek Gods Apollo and Artemis.

Approaching Delos

First established as a sanctuary to Apollo, the good of light, harmony  and balance,  in the 9^th century BC Greeks from all over their world would gather there to pay homage to Apollo and his sister, the Moon goddess for the next 600 years.

Delos became the major port for the region after it was declared a free port in 167 BC. The population grew to at least 30,000 as Delos became the epicenter of all trade in the region. Over 750,000 tons of cargo would pass through the port each year. Because Apollo was the god of harmony and balance slavery was not allowed and the island became a multicultural melting pot of different religions and nationalities. Shrines and temples to other gods were built such as the one honoring Poseidon by the Lebanese. This came to an end when it was attacked and looted in 87 BC and again in 69 BC by enemies of the Romans. Gradually the city fell into decline and was eventually abandoned. 

Today Delos is a city of ruins and a UNESCO World Heritage Sites because of its archaeological significance. Archaeological excavations began in 1872 and continue today. The museum unfortunately does not give its subject a proper display. Housing one of the most important collections of ancient Greek sculpture and a UNESCO World Heritage Site is a simple building with little in the way of explanatory description. The ruins are poorly marked. However, with our guide’s help we were able to get a good feel for the importance of the ruins and the power of the sculpture. He did tell us that new money is coming from some philanthropist to build a new museum that will be more in keeping with the importance of the subject.

We saw several floor mosaics. This is in the Dolphin House.

Fortunately for us, the morning rain gave way to sunshine and we were able to really appreciate the beauty and breadth of this magnificent ruin. Our guide led us through the excavations pointing out the birthplace of Apollo, several shrines and temples, athletic venues, the theater and homes of the many who lived on the island. I took the optional hike up the trail to the top of the island (only 112 meters above sea level) where Zeus watched the birth of his children and I had some magnificent views of the island and its surroundings.

We returned to Mykonos at noon where we had lunch in ‘Little Venice’ overlooking the bay before wandering the narrow maze of streets back to our shuttle. Linda enjoyed the calamari while I had an excellent Greek salad that I had expected to be a small appetizer. Streets were deliberately built in a seemingly random pattern as defense from invaders. Today, they are filled with shops selling jewelry and other items typical for the tourist trade. Another fun day in paradise.

Olympia

We floated into the small Greek village of Katakolon this morning about 9:00. By 9:45 we were clamoring onto one of five buses that would take us to the site of the ancient Olympic Games and then for lunch and wine/food sampling at Agriturismo Magna Grecia. Another ten buses would join us in Olympia – one of the pleasures of large cruise ships is that you are seldom alone. Even had we chosen to arrive at Olympia on our own, we would still have been joined by these other 500 friends and not had the benefit of a local guide. One does have to make choices.

We were impressed by this site. 150 years ago when they began the excavations, nothing was visible, not even the 30 foot tall columns. Today, we are able to walk on the same ground the original Olympic athletes and their fans enjoyed thousands of years ago. Except for a few sensitive areas, the entire excavation is open for exploration. The only rule is that you may not climb onto the stones. This freedom of movement allows one to fully enjoy the site. You can even race in the stadium as the athletes did so long ago. Or, if you prefer, you can just sit on the grass embankment and watch these pseudo-Olympians show off their talent.

Entrance to the stadium. The arch extended the entire distance of the path.

Remains of Zeus's Temple. Note the pieces of columns.

Earthquakes and time have destroyed the buildings, but a little imagination aided by the interpretive signs allows the visitor to go back in time and get a sense of the importance of the games. I knew that the Olympics were a time of peace, but had no idea that this period lasted for three months each year. Games were not held just at Olympia, but also at three other sites in Greece. It is incredible to think that these warring city states would agree to lay down their arms for three months each year when we see the security necessary to stage the games today. This does not seem like we are getting any smarter.

The Olympic Flame starts here for each Olympics

Cheaters were 'honored' here. The inscription included the name of the athlete, his family, and his town.

We aren't the first to honor sponsors for their gifts.

A highlight for me was seeing the water system they had for the athletes and spectators. A small aqueduct system fed running water the full length of the stadium so that people had easy access to water for drinking at any time, something necessary in this hot, humid climate.

Columns from Zeus's Temple

Olympia was also the site of one of a massive statue of Zeus, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. I’m not sure of the dates, but at some point it was moved to Constantinople where it would be destroyed by Christians eliminating the competing gods. Built with a wooden frame covered in gold and bronze, the metals would be removed and the framework burned. Today, we westerners (most of us anyway) see this kind of destruction as a reprehensible destruction of our history and heritage, but we can see with ISIS and the Taliban that there are still people today who see anything not of their religion as a threat.

Hermes

We visited the archaeological museum after our tour of the site itself. This museum is well-organized and interpreted with good signage in three languages. The most important piece is the superb statue of Hermes of Praxiteles, one of the best examples of sculptures from the period. I was most impressed by the impediments from the Temple of Zeus. These are the sculptures that adorned the triangular space above the front and rear of the temple. One of these tells the story of a chariot race for the daughter of the king. The other shows a classic mythological battle between the Centaurs and the Lapis.

Spectators

We followed our trip to the Olympic Games with a visit at a more modern agritourism business, the Magna Grecia farm where we sampled olive oils and wines and were treated to a Greek meal and dancing. It wasn’t Zorba the Greek, but it was fun and tasty and sated us for the time being.

Our day ended with a walk down the one street of Katakolon for some final shopping in Greece where we were able to finish our Greek Christmas shopping and Linda was able to complete her jewelry set. She started with a t shirt in Corfu and then needed gold jewelry to complete the ensemble so she got something from each of our three other stops on this cruise. Be sure to ask her to show it off when we return. 

Katakolon

Olive Tree

Santorini

We had a great tour of Santorini. I think it might be the most beautiful place we have visited and we did not see it at its best since the sky was mostly overcast all day. Small patches of blue sky just don’t provide the highlights the blues and whites deserve. Nevertheless, the beauty is still awe-inspiring. Unfortunately, these pictures only hint at the beauty.

The natural beauty of Santorini begins with the 3500 year-old caldera created when an eruption destroyed the cone of the volcano submerging it beneath the blue ocean leaving one crescent-shaped island with cliffs facing west to the sunset over the remaining small islands that draws lovers from all over the world. This natural beauty is enhanced by the stunning architecture. Pristine white buildings topped with arched roofs are interspersed with blue domes and the occasional red or pink doorway. Narrow marble walkways show off the island’s wealth.

The villages of Santorini perch high above the sea providing an interesting and perhaps scary ride or walk from either of the two ports. From the new port cars and buses negotiate seven switchbacks up the cliff side. Alternatives from the old port include a recently-built gondola or a donkey ride. Riding up on a donkey might not smell very good, but riding down can be a dicey proposition as the donkeys don’t seem to be aware of the fact that the rider’s legs are scraping the side of the cliff. Nor are they worried about how fast they might be going as they rush down the trail to reach the food and water that awaits them at the bottom. Walking is another alternative if you don’t mind the smell from that ‘stuff’ the donkeys leave behind. We chose the gondola.

One of the crew on our shuttle boat

The tour we chose here began at Santo Winery perched nicely above the cliff. We tasted three tasty wines: a dry white, a dry red, and a sweet desert wine which I liked although Linda did not. The vines are twisted into a circle to protect the grapes from the harsh sun and winds as they grow and also helps irrigate the vines as the morning dew drops to the ground where it can reach the roots. A shortage of natural water sources makes this important. In earlier days water reached the island by boat. Today, desalinization plants supplement the collected rainwater making the circular twisting of the vines important.

A huge crowd was no obstacle for this pourer

 The tasting process was highlighted by the pourer grabbing two or three glasses at a time into which she splashed an ounce or so without spilling a drop. Never have I seen anyone pour so much wine so quickly or take care of so many busloads of tasters at a time. We also had the option of a tasting tray. Our visit was too short to try even the six glass tray, never mind a tray of twelve or eighteen, especially since they were full five-ounce pours. I’m glad the Colorado couple we saw with the 18-taster had a driver.

Yes, those are tasting glasses.

From there we drove along the coast to Oia, the town everyone who ever had an inkling about visiting Greek Isles has seen pictures of. A picture of this white-walled village with its iconic round blue rooftops adorns most travel agency walls and every website that has anything to do with the Greek Isles. Blue and white are the colors of the Greek flag so when the country has been conquered by outsiders this was a way to show patriotism. Today, it is probably the law.

The old fort

Nightlife is concentrated in Fria, the capital city, but both Fria and Oia have many restaurants and tavernas to choose from. Guests staying anywhere on the island make sure they have a table in one of them to watch what must be one of the most romantic sunsets anywhere. If not in one of the restaurants, they will be sitting on one of the many terraces at Santo Winery. We stopped at one of these restaurants in Fria for a couple of drinks. While we did not get to see one of classic sunsets, we were still treated to some drama as the clouds did part enough to show us what we can look forward to on our next visit.