AFPF Travelogue

The total miles we have made: 6.680 KM (3.607 sea miles, 1 mile = 1.852 M) we had 45 cooks. We sailed the first day from Italy to Itea the Greech peninsula. The first day on sea was very calm and we were laying in our deckchairs. On de left hand we saw the coast of Italy and on the right at first Sardiny and Sicilia. We saw the sunset on the deck, it was so beatiful and peaceful, it was a special evening for it was my birthday and I told my husband nothing to say about it.

On 9.30 was our dinnertime (there were 2 times) and during the dinner I did not expect it at all, the master of the restaurant stood aside me and asked : "Mrs van Woerkom ?" Yes that's me. He hold a card in his hand, I thought it was a fax-message of our kids, "It's your birthday today". And then he start to sing with the serving boys behind me": Happy Birthday to you" and all the people, about 300, song. I was glowing pfff and then a cake with a candle were served. I never forget this.Therefore I was a special day.10th Octobre we slept well that night and we were in Itea.

Itea the peninsula from Greek in an Azur blue bay, the entré to Delphi. Delphi is the most famous sanctuary and orakel from the Greek antiquities offered to Apollo, the God of the good and the beautiful.There was a Belgian speaker, who told us all about the world of the Mediterrane. On the 11 Octobre we went through the Canal of Corinthy. 6 KM long and our ship was 22.00 M and the canal 24,00 M , so there was 1 M on both sides. The Azur was led by a pilotboat. The wall on both sides are 80 M high and 8 M under the water level, so you can imagine how excited this was, all passengers on the deck in the evening, with all lights on, music was playing, going slowly and carefully through the canal. Did the captain fix it, without damage. Sometimes he attacked the walls and later we saw the damages. At 2.00 0'clock midnight we got through and we were in the Gulf of Saronika.

To Volos on the 12th Octobre, a area of woods, mountains and small villages, full of olive trees. We drove in bus to above and from high we could see the olive trees like a long green river, so beatiful and behind the city of Volos, a really big modern city, with University, so the students don't need to go to Athene. Everything is there. The 13th Octobre we are on the road (hhhhhhhaa) on the sea of course to the Black Sea, we reach the Bosporus, which connect the sea of Marmara with the Black Sea. We got a beautiful sight on Istanbul, the only city who lays in 2 continents, namely Europe and Asia. Istanbul is divided in 2parts and every day 1,2 miljoen people go from one part to the other and visa versa.

Then we are in the Black Sea. Under 155 Meter the sea is dead, may be caused by growing foul by the Russian factories and boats.

Now we go to Odessa on the 14the Octobre. We are now in the early Rusian state. The Rusians came on board and checked everything and our time flows away. Finally we can go off. Stamp in the passport, we have to fill papers,what kind of jewels and money we had with us.

Odessa the biggest city of The Black Sea

His lenght is 50 Km along the bay. Again in the bus. Imagine 11 busses with people visiting Odessa. 3 already away (1 until 3) so we went in and everything must be checked again. My husband and me stepped in the wrong bus, so we could not go out for number 3 was already off. Yes it was me looking wrong on the paper. For that bus 2 members too much, however we were allowed to stay. Pfffffffffff, again glowing. People in Odessa don't look cheerfully, no laughing faces, dressed grayish and without fantasy.

Many beggars, even children asking for dollars. Trying to sell postcards. Ashaming so few money for postcard. $ 1. In the 90 Odessa belongs to Oekraïne, not any more to Rusia. The streets are very bride and wide ,beautiful very old trees. It is a pleasant to walk. The architecture of the buildings got from the French and Italians, classic - Barok.

Coming in the city at first you see the imposant Potemkin-stairs from 1837. Looking from downstairs upside you can see the steps only, from upside looking down seeing the passages. The Potemkin is very famous with 200 steps. The movie-manager Eisenstein made a movie about the Rusian revolution in the year of 1925 on this stairs.

In the centrum we are visiting the Oespensky cathedral in Rusian and Byzanthin style. In this cathedral (blue) all the treasures have been hided by the people during the war and after they brought it back.

The opera belongs to the most famous of Europe, like Paris, Milan and Vienna. In Barok style. However still repairing during a long time.There isn't money enough for. While people worked in it, they found under the floor a lot of broken wine glasses and they remoted all. And quess the akoestiek was also disappeared. So the floor had to be filled up with the broken glasses again and the akoestiek was there again. Fantastic .

Odessa also have a labyrint of 800 km under the ground. It has called the "Catacomben". Without a quide you get lost and therefor an underground can not be build in this city. A hiding-place during the war (1940-1945) So we have seen Odessa in an birdflight and back to the Azur, for every hour longer must be paid. Now we went to Yalta on the 15th Octobre.

YALTA

Yalta is laying also in the Black Sea and belongs to the Oekraïne too. Yalta is a very famous touristic place, like The coast of the Azur. It has the climat of the mediterrane. The aristocrates wanted to imitate it like Nice. Yearly more then 1 milj. tourists are coming here. You know Gorba had also a vacation-house in his time here. Now we are going to the palace of the Romanovs and here in this palace the Conference of Yalta was here and the papers has been signed by Rooseveld, Churchill and Stalin in 1945.The table and chairs are still there and we could touch it all. We walked in all the rooms looking at all the pictures of that 3 famous men. ( Knowing now all about Stalin, bahhhhhh) A part of this palace is a centrum for healty now.

From Yalta to Istanbul

ISTANBUL
on the 16th Octobre 

The modern Istanbul more then 8 mil. Inhabitants. The Aya Sofya the biggest church of the Christian world . In 1453 the last Christian mess and Mehmet de Conq. Made a moskee of it.Topkapi palace of the Osmanian sultans is very interesting to visit. It is like a city with moskee, libraries, stables, kitchens, schools and places for the harem etc. 4000 people could live in the Topkapi-palace.

The sultans were very rich and every sultan built the palace bigger and bigger. We were in the harem and we saw the grill high in the wall. the sultan , he was there, looking for a woman. The women could not see him. When he had made a choice, for that woman it was a honour to sleep with the sultan. Before she got a jewel and how more jewels how more favouritly she was. When a child was born she got here own departures and servers. Huuuuuuug. There was also much jealousy , intriges among the women.

In the museum we saw all the treasures and dresses of the sultans. Only the sultan did not walk under the gate of the palace going inside. He was beared (?) by men. Then we went into the bazar. 4000 little shops are there. Selling golden rings etc. Bags, leather coats etc. We bought apple tea. I like this.

The men of the shops don't let you go, they are always around you asking :"Do you want this, do you want that to buy". Nice prices and always too high. Say the halve and the Turkish man makes higher price and then you make a deal. Back on the Azur we are going to Mykonos one of the most famous , touristic island of the Cycladen.

MYKONOS

Now it is the 17th Octobre and to the Greece island Mykonos. Mykonos the white village,with the blue windows,the rose bougainville is a really Greek village. On Mykonos we step up another small boat to Delos, the island of the temples of Apollo. Winthin ¾ hour we are in Delos, the island.

As the goddess got a twin (Apollo and Artemis) the Greek decided to build a sanctuary, and later the island became bigger and bigger. In the Helenitic and Roman time trade were very important and slaves were sold . So the island by this became very rich . In the 1st Century v.Chr. Delos was destroyed by Romans and never rebuilt. The island was empty and other Greeks from other islands came here to steal all the treasures and materials. And again the French archeologs rebuilt it in an museum. Going through all we got a picture how it was in that time. There was always a Dutch speaking guide with us and they told us with great enthousiasme.To our last place now on the 18th Octobre Katkolon.

KATKOLON

Katholon on the Ionisch coast, where Olympus must be. Here the first Olympic games were played. In 776 v.Chr. organised for the first time. We had paid for the trip, however we decided not to go with. For this time we have seen enough stones(my hb brrrrrrr at least) not anymore. We want to be lazy and only just walking and sitting on the terras and drinking capacino. We went off the ship. We took beatiful pictures of the bougainvilles and wallked above and could smell the oranges. Little shops with beautiful articles and I did not buy something. Now we are going back to Genova again.

LAST DAY ON SEA ON THE AZUR

the 19th-20th Octobre our last day. It was really heavy . It was windy and the sea was not quiet. I became ill and took my pils. Helps a little bit at first ,while packing our clothes I get worser and worser. I lay on my bed and nothing helps getting better. My husband Leo draged my on the deck outside and looking at the horizon I got a little bit better. In the evening how awful the dinner, I had to eat something. I began to eat bread, bread and more dry bread. I did not leave bread for the other. Never mind I was the only at the table with it. Don't drink sprinkling water, or other, they said. So later I got better.

Our last day we had to go on bus 19 hours to Holland. Because I took pills the day before I was like a zombie in the bus. Hahhaha and now I could sleep the whole route back to home.

Now our trip was over in the morning. We met a lot of nice people.Belgians Dutch speaking and French speaking. The buffets ware great, I could not eat always so much as I wanted. On board there was always entertainment. Twice there was a captain evening, we had to to go welldressed.We played table-tennis and fittness.

Being home I was still sea-sick. It was like I was still laying in my bed surging from the left to the right. Maybe next year to Norway the Fjorden. ?????? I hope so.