29 July 2026 Yesterday's lecture had been about Palermo with highlights from its long history from Greek colony to Roman republic to Arab rule to Norman Conquest to Kingdom of Sicily to unification with Italy. In other words, the history of the world is encapsulated inside this tiny island, and to be honest, for people like us in holidaymaker mode, it is not so easy to follow. Like all previous lectures to date, we are led into an exciting array of invasions and overthrows, o

28 July 2026 Yesterday's sea day was a chance to relax and to gather my strength for today because I am going mountain climbing this morning. We sail into Giardini Naxos, Sicily this morning and anchor not too far from the shore. We will be getting a tender in again this morning. Thank goodness there is no sign of the two humungous ships that we came across two days ago in Kotor. Mount Etna dominates the landscape and there is a cloud over the peak. Along the coastline are li

26 July 2026 We zig-zag back across the Adriatic overnight, arriving in Kotor, Montenegro in the early morning. We had to get up very early because the way into the city was spectacular and we did not want to miss it. Fjord-like, the high rock walls of a sunken river valley sometime during or after the last ice age provides us with spectacular views. An absolutely monstrous ship, the P&O Azura, is shadowing us and anchors not too far away from us. We are using the ship's tend

25 July 2026 Overnight we cross the Adriatic Sea, landing in Bari, located on the 'heel of the boot' that is the shape of Italy. It is a later start today being 9:30 AM and our tour leaves the pier exactly on time. After a quick drive around the old and new cities, which stand side by side, our shuttle buses stop is pointed out before the bus returns to the promenade and the entrance to the old city or Bari Vecchia. We walk through an archway, which leads to a narrow laneway