ZECO TRAVEL TALK

After cruising the Kiel Canal and officially entering the Baltic Sea, we were excited to begin our adventures in some of Europe’s most historic cities and towns. Ronne, on Denmark’s Bornholm Island, was so quaint and we walked past colorful houses capped with clay tile roofs and gorgeous blooming gardens before sitting down to an amazing lunch—a banquet of local dishes with fresh vegetables from local gardens, and a Danish apple crumble dessert that practically had us moaning!

We spent the next day in fascinating Gdansk, Poland and our morning tour gave us a somber lesson in the history of Solidarity, well-presented by local guides. We then strolled the pedestrian-only streets of Old Town, enjoyed delicious coffee and some fun shopping, and visited magnificent St. Mary’s, the largest brick church in the world. Our next country is Lithuania!

Gorgeous weather and Turkey’s amazing sites continued to wow us. We headed to Cyprus on a short flight; our hotel here is surrounded on three sides by the Mediterranean—just lovely! In Nicosia, we explored the narrow streets of the old town and its 400-year-old Venetian walls, then made our way up and into the foothills of the Five Finger Mountains to the Bellapais Monastery… I’m not sure what was more impressive, the Gothic construction or the incredible views of the harbor town of Girne below. The ancient Kyrenia Castle in Girne has been transformed into a series of museums and we really enjoyed our time at the Underwater Archaeology Museum which was impressive, especially the partially reconstructed shipwrecked sailing ship.

I can honestly say that our lunch at what appeared to be a roadside stop was one of the best meals I’ve ever had. We sat outdoors on a patio under a thatched covering, looking out over a small marina and the sea. The food was out of this world—there were no fewer than six mezes (small plates), including one with yogurt made at the restaurant earlier in the morning. And I seriously think we need a moment of silence for the olives! I have no idea what they do to them but they were like eating little bits of gold. Then, if that wasn’t enough, a local fish arrived at our places—whole, head and all—grilled to perfection. Thankfully our guide Yasar was there to help filet mine or I think I’d still be trying to work every last little piece off the bones!

Heading east over the mountains we visited the old trading center of Famagusta and its beautiful Cathedral of St. Nicholas, now a museum. And the Monastery of St. Barnabas was just superb with its iconic Christian art, probably the best we’ve seen. Our last site visit here was the ruins of Salamis with a 5,000-seat amphitheater that was used for artistic performances, rather than gladiator games. We also found some of the most beautiful mosaics of the trip. We are now on our way back to Antalya to board our gulets for five days of sailing along the Turquoise Coast…

Our time in Turkey is flying… In Ankara, The Museum of Anatolian Civilizations was fantastic; the exhibits are so well done and transport you through the different time periods and cultures. We had a wonderful lunch at an old Ottoman home within the ancient Citadel in the heart of the city, then had a rare chance to visit rooms not usually open to the public in the Mausoleum of Ataturk, thanks to our great guide, Yasar.

In addition to the amazing sights, the trip has been a gastronomic extravaganza! The produce is incredible… I have never heard so many different interpretations of “yummy,” and over an orange! Our favorites have been the grilled vegetables with wonderful sauces, and the always abundant olives in so many varieties…

Our drive to Cappadocia was fascinating. On the way we stopped at the Valley of the Monks and the Zelve monastic settlement, where three valleys of rock-carved cave homes and churches converge, some decorated with primitive paintings. In the evening we watched a performance of the Whirling Dervishes which was just fantastic—mesmerizing, really. Read more

We had a phenomenal last day in the Canaries… Lanzarote ended up being the favorite island for many of us, including the birders! It felt so laid back, clean, gorgeous and quiet. When we reached Agadir, Morocco, we set off inland to the wonderful village of Taroudaunt which is often nicknamed “Little Marrakech.” The sights, sounds, and smells of the local market were so inviting—and worthy of a thousand photographs: yellow saffron, red curry, brown cinnamon and green mint… the heaping piles of dates that look like mountain peaks; the baskets and bushels of fresh fruits and vegetables; bouquets of flowers; the array of exotic jewelry; and, of course, the gaudy, sequined, and leopard print tops and skirts! Tomorrow, Casablanca!

So far, Terceira is a highlight on our Azores trip! The island has the perfect combination of “island feel” with its colorful pink, red, blue, and bright yellow buildings, and “Euro feel” because of the quaint, cobblestone pedestrian streets and outdoor cafes with umbrellas and wicker chairs—charming! We were able to come alongside which gave everyone the freedom to come and go as they pleased from the ship. We all enjoyed the walking tour and our guides very thoughtfully brought along local maps for everyone. Half the group explored the cultural sights and the rest of us went hiking to an overlook. We then drove to one of the island’s natural wonders—a cave, which is actually a hollow volcano with 227 steps down to its floor.

On a scenic drive it became clear that there were more cows than people on the island; the guides joked that the ratio was two to one! This evening 33 folk performers came on board—a record number—and the lounge was packed. Everyone loved it, and the Captain’s welcome cocktail and dinner was the perfect follow-up act, and a delightful end to a wonderful day.

Last fall, one of our wonderful and generous long-time travelers, who wishes to remain anonymous, came to us with the opportunity to jointly offer a Zegrahm Travel Scholarship. Its purpose was to fund a trip for a worthy teacher or educator who could apply what they learned to helping young people better understand our world. To find this recipient, we sent out an e-mail announcement to our past-traveled clients seeking nominations for the scholarship award.

Needless to say, we received many terrific nominations and thoughtful letters which we turned over to the donor for the final selection. It was clear to this person right away who would receive the scholarship: Patti Richter, from Conway, Washington, a 4th grade teacher at Conway Elementary School. Her nomination came from a Zegrahm traveler—the parent of two students at Patti’s school.

The detailed and heartfelt letters from Patti’s students demonstrated the love and respect they feel for her—as a teacher and as a person. They wrote: “She is the nicest teacher in the world…” And, “She is welcoming new people to another world of excitement…” And “She is very very very smart…” And, “She will be the happiest person that she will ever be…” And, “She deserves to have the time of her life…” And, “When she walks in she always puts a Big Smile on your face…” And, “You should pick her!” Read more

Circumnavigation Of The Black Sea

We had a wonderful time on board Le Levant, a luxurious cruise ship, circumnavigating the Black Sea for two weeks in September. The history and culture of that part of the world are fascinating, and the lecturers on board did a great job.

When we received the brochure for the trip from the MIT Alumni office—who sponsored a group of 22 people—we knew right away that this would be our 8th MIT-sponsored trip. We also knew that we had an extraordinary personal opportunity that no one else on the trip would have—to visit the city of Varna, Bulgaria, the last port of the trip and the birthplace of our adopted grandson. Read more

We’ve come back from our Romania trip with so many memorable images and moments to sift through… Despite the country’s ongoing battle with government corruption, it is such a beautiful place and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the medieval cities, such as Sibiu, Cluj, Sighisoara, and Brasov. The fortified churches and monasteries are out of this world, and the painted monasteries of Bukovina are still something I can’t get over. But beyond the major sights it was the villages, the landscapes, the fir-clad mountainsides, the horse-drawn carts, the horses decorated for a wedding, the “from another era” funeral ceremonies, the dancers… Those were the real highlights.

One of the best times was our visit with an older couple who single-handedly have collected an incredible assortment of objects: archaeological pieces from an dig the man participated in, wooden carvings, old vests, agricultural objects, paintings, and everything having to do with making butter. But his main legacy is–andwill be–that he has been teaching the children of the village the traditional dances and music. Read more