Snowlock64

Geo: 42.0912, 11.7968... read more

Geo: 37.9792, 23.7166We awake to grey skies and rain in Piraeus. Not what we had expected. The captains announcement the evening before had said clear skies and 75 degrees. Anyway we showered and headed to the Oceanview cafe for breakfast. Reflection is docked at the far end of the passenger port. Piraeus seems to be dived into two ports. One for passenger vessels such as ferrys, jetcats, hydrofoils and cruise liners and then the cargo/tanker port in the distance. Whilst eating breakfast we spot a large plume of black smoke rise up in the distance in the vicinity of the cargo port. We see little fire boats race out and start dousing it with water. It is too far to make out exactly what 'it' is but the smoke soon subsides.Reflection is docked much further out ... read more

Geo: 36.4044, 25.3959Today we are in Rhodes. Rhodes Town to be specific. This is my second time here having visited in 2015 on Celebrity Constellation. I recall that time being extremely hot and the pair of us getting a little lost and ending up walking almost an entire circuit of the old town through the dry moat that surrounds it. We also recall an encounter with a group of Nigerian Women selling wristbands who were a little zealous in the selling of said wristbands. From memory they would offer to shake your hand and then with some sleight of hand tie a band onto your wrist and then demand payment. We were prepared.We sally forth from Reflection heading towards St Mary's Gate which is the first point of entry into the old walled city. We recall ... read more

Geo: 35.7191, 19.5934We sleep in later today. We had planned on eating breakfast in the Opus dining room but we have left it too late for that and so Oceanview it is. It's quite busy. Being a sea day there is no place else to go. We sit outside and although it's sunny the cool wind is still being a nuisance. Still after a shower, coffee and a fresh breeze we are definitely awake now.Back at the cabin we grab kindles and iPads intending to find a quiet spot to settle. The solarium unsurprisingly is very busy. We grab two loungers on the pool deck but it's too chilly and exposed unless you lie in the sun. We head down to deck 5 where the steamers chairs offer a sheltered hideaway where we stay until it's ... read more

Geo: 38.1922, 15.5566As we awake Reflection is situated about 5 miles off the sea east coast of the volcanic island of Stromboli. After Etna and Vesuvius she is the third of Italy's three active volcanoes. Today she is shrouded in cloud and so we cannot see much of her. Reflection continues southward towards the straits of Messina. As we approach we see two small boats with some men shouting very loudly. Someone is swimming the straits from Sicily to mainland Italy. It's only three miles so hardly compares with the English Channel but am sure it's a challenge nonetheless. We dock in the busy port shortly after 10am and not longer after guests are pouring out from Reflection to meet their tours guides. We know that many of the most popular tours to Taormina have been ... read more