The Greek Islands

It's 6am on a barmy morning with a coolish breeze coming off the water as we float towards our first port of Katakolon, Greece in the Greek Islands.
This is the gateway to Olympia, birthplace of the modern Olympic Games in 776 B.C.
Sitting here on my deck chair snuggled in a soft robe and a couple of beach towels enjoying the quiet early morning.

I can just make out the line of low mountains dotted with lights of the Greek islands still aways in the distance over the smooth waters below, they are in dark greys and soft navy blues with hint of mauve and pink as the night sky gives away it's hold to a pretty early morning sky.

We are not due to dock or another 2 hours but like a kid in a lolly shop I want to such in some atmosphere after being on board for 40 hours since we left Venice. But all good had a day to read up a bit of my Kylie book and do our first cooking class on board. The rest of the cruise will now be stopping everyday at different ports in and around the Greek Islands, while heading into Istanbul in Turkey then back through the Island  with our final port back in Venice for 5 nights prior to picking up a hire car and heading south for 40 days.

This ship Holland America is much smaller than the last only having 2000 passengers and sooooo much quieter, no screaming rich kids, it's more of a older sett of Americans, English with a few Aussie.

Waiting in Venice to board and a couple behind us say I know you !!! We stayed with you at The Retreat a few years ago ... oh and by the way I'm Jen, Ruth Burrs younger sister your dads cousin, opps I'd better behave then...

We are now pulling into berth to a familiar looking dock and surrounding as this was one of our stops last year so we will be exploring a different section today. From my vantage point I can see all the ground staff setting up the gangplank and rolling out  the red carpet ... all looks very posh below... Girls in Toga's all looking very Grecian  ready for the typical cruise photos all now in readiness for our departure so catch you later.