A brief sojourn on the Explorer of the Seas in the Mediterranean

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Caroline holding Mount Stromboli out of the Tyrrhenian Sea.

After completing a transatlantic cruise on the Explorer of the Seas from Florida to Barcelona, we stayed on the ship for an extra 9 days to visit stops in France, Croatia, and Montenegro before ending in Ravenna, Italy. Back to backs, as they are referred to in cruise lingo, are a blast when you get to stay in the same room. No packing and unpacking, easy embarkation, and you know your way around the ship already!


We are comped $6 in casino credits per cruise. We generally pool our credits with friends (Randy and Sue) and split any profits.  This time... score!

We arrived in Villefranche-sur-Mer (France), near Nice, and set out on a long walk. Caroline had completed this hike on a previous trip, but I was nursing a calf injury back then and had to turn around after a mile. This time, we hiked the entire 10.3 miles in 4 hours!










Next, we stopped in La Spezia, Italy. Our goal was to hike the trail along the coast, leaving La Spezia by train. We met another couple, Chris and Joe, on their way for a similar adventure. The coastal trail was hard at times, with climbs up and down valleys. But the scenery couldn't be beat!





These are the markings we followed for the hike.



It's a small world! Who could have thought that we would meet
 Caroline's niece on this trail! Here they were, on a rock climbing vacation, and taking a break one day for the views. We turned a corner, and ... a welcome surprise!









We returned to the ship for some more ship activities... pickleball, evening and ice shows, volleyball, the gym, and, of course, the scenery!

The grand drape (house curtain) of the main stage was exceptional.









Then, Dubrovnik, Croatia! This was my second time here, and our plan was to walk to the old city (about 2 miles) and, if it didn't appear too crowded, to walk the walls of "Kings Landing".












On to Kotor, Montenegro, to visit Our Lady of the Rocks, an island supposedly made from rocks deposited by seafarers commemorating a safe return, a tradition that started in 1452 and continues to this day.








On our next visit, we plan to challenge ourselves with a hike to the top of this fortress.

This was a tender port, requiring small boats to transport passengers from their ship to shore. The trip to shore was easy, as you pick up a timed ticket prior to disembarking. The trip back was a long wait, with everyone wanting to put in a full day, then returning in late afternoon.


Our last stop was Zadar, Croatia.  We visited Krka National Park for the second time. Our first visit was affected by heavy rain. Not so on this trip... beautiful weather!







The cruise was over! But we still had a few days of adventure. We disembarked in Ravenna, Italy, and took a train to Venice. Venice was another story!












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