Adriatic Coast on Thomson Spirit - What an itinerary!
The Itinerary kicks off with a flight to Corfu and having been there on several occasions once on board I just explored the ship and did not go into town. We set sail overnight and headed for Montenegro to the port of Kotor, sailing into this beautiful town was incredible as the world’s most southerly fjord enveloped us. Once docked I set off to discover the town which all though quite small it was great to meander through all the cobbled streets.
Next day was spent ‘at sea’ as we sailed all the way up the Adriatic coast to Slovenia and the port of Koper; much more of a strategic working industrial port than Kotor but the town itself again was well worth a look around.
And then onto Venice, the jewel of the Adriatic. It is often said that if you are sailing into Venice in the morning it is wise to get up early and witness the spectacle. I did but was disappointed by the fact that we arrived early, and we were already pulling into the docking area. The usual way to go into Venice and St. Mark’s square is by water taxi but I decided I wanted to see a part of Venice not normally seen by the tourist. I set off on foot. I wandered in via the road system which operates on the south east side and after crossing a bridge or two found myself lost in a maze of narrow streets, canals and bridges it was fabulous, armed only with a good sense of direction and the odd map now and then telling you exactly where you are I headed off to the famous square.
As I got nearer the more touristy areas it became extremely busy with sightseers of many different nationalities. The Square did not disappoint and although the queues to go up the bell tower were quite large it was worth it in the end with some great views but surprisingly from every angle you could not see one Canal as everything is so compacted.
After this and a well-earned very expensive beer it was off to the famous Rialto Bridge. Then back to the ship but on one of the Vaparetto’s water buses. Sailing out of Venice I got an idea of what people were saying about being there first thing.
Croatia next and the emerging popular port of Split, the walk into the old town took about 15 minutes and the heat was intense so need to stop for a little refreshment before wandering round and discovering this vibrant town with street traders and more cobbled streets with shops haphazardly placed all this surrounded the main area of Diocletian’s Palace which has a touch of Covent Garden about it.
Dubrovnik was amazing I took a taxi into the old town from the port (about £6) again a fortified old town but still fascinating to walk around. I spotted a cable car (about £10) going up the mountain and thought it might be a great vantage point – It was superb (see photos).
The ship was excellent value and although we had inside cabins, they were spacious. The food was excellent only problem was there was too much of it. Plenty of entertainment and staff were very good. They even managed to fulfil my request that our friend who was 50 got a seat on the captain’s table.
It is very difficult with so limited an amount of words to properly do these places justice so if you need any more information just drop me a line.