7 Day Eastern Mediterranean, Adriatic, Croatia, Greece & Turkey NCL Cruise

            Wanted to Bolg from the Cruise Ship but during the day was too busy having fun and by evening too exhausted.  Neil actually was not well the first day of our cruise but was better shortly afterwards and able to enjoy the excursions.  We are in Germany now and it is Father's Day!  Decided to take the day off and just relax and catch up.

         Europe should be named "Place of Marble".  They use so much of it in all their buildings.  It is beautiful and lasts forever.  One wonderful thing about Europe is that they preserve and cherish their history and historical structures (their past).  The Architecture is amazing.  You can feel yourself being pulled back in time.  Where as in Canada we tend to tare down the old and put up new and more modern structures.  Don't get me wrong, I love the new age but our past is so important and tells a story of who we once were and how we came to be who we are today.  Maybe it is merely an appreciation that comes with age. 

         So back to the Cruise.  I think the best way to do this is break it up into the days we were in Port, so will tell you about each stop followed by a few photo's, then onto the next port in a new post.  We left Venice on the NCL Cruise Ship called the Jade on June 8th.  

          June 9th, our first port-of-call, we arrived into Dubrovnik, Croatia where we took a tour bus called "The Ultimate Taste of Dalmatia".  First stop was at the small Village of Ston where we visited an Oyster and Mussel farm.  We went on a boat out to where these items were growing in the Bay.  Here our guides pulled up fresh oysters and mussels out of the water, cut them open and served them raw along with some homemade wine.  Neil tried the wine but we both passed on the raw seafood.  Once we were back on shore we had a nice lunch with cooked oysters and some other traditional foods of the area.  Next, we went to the Village of Orasac where we saw a demonstration of how Olive Oil is made, the old fashioned way, in stone mill powered by a horse.  This mill is no longer used except for demonstrations.  They explained how Olive Oils differ in colour.  How olives are first green, then turn red, and then black.  I asked about the difference between Virgin and Extra Virgin Olive Oil and was told that there is no difference it is merely a gimmick, so don't waste your money.  We had a tasty snack with salad, bread and homemade cheese.  We had the opportunity to try some of their bottled Olive Oil.  It was so clear and light (not a heavy oil at all).  Lastly, we toured the walled city before heading back to the ship.