Dispatches from Pepper Schwartz

Jun

24

Greek and Turkish Diary: The Ancient City of Ephesus

Posted by Pepper Schwartz

The next stop was Kusadasi, one of the most popular seaside resorts in Turkey and gateway to Ephesus, a world treasure, and a place I visited many years ago. I don’t remember seeing Kusadasi then but it is retail central, with an attractive harbor walk full of restaurants, jewelry and carpet shops. I gather, however, locals find it noisy and miss the far more humble fishing village it used to be.

We didn’t stay long. With a quite lovely and articulate guide to help us understand Ephesus we drove for about a half an hour to join the hordes at the ruins. Note to self: remember last time you were here? It was unbearably hot. New note to self: it was unbearably hot this time too. Pick new season next time.

Well, you might reasonably ask, if it was so ridiculously hot, and you’ve been there twice, why would you go again? The answer, oddly enough, is that even though we are talking about a city created by the ancient Romans, the place keeps changing. Continue reading »

Leave a Comment | Filed Under Cruises, Ephesus, Europe, Greece, Romance, Travel, Turkey

Jun

23

Greek and Turkish Diary: A Jaunt to Bodrum

Posted by Pepper Schwartz

We sailed to Turkey and I found the port at Bodrum to be a nice surprise. I hadn’t been to this city before and didn’t know what to expect. What I got was a luxury development, a town that increases tenfold in the good weather months (which is just about everything except January and February) and, because it is on the Turkish mainland, has become a destination resort for urban Turks and world travelers.

The port is about a seven euro (or 16 lira) ride from the center of the city. The road into town goes by what looks like a lovely hotel with a smashing view (Diamond of Bodrum), good looking apartments and condos, and settles down into a bustling, clean commercial center that is a short walk from the historic castle in the harbor.

Continue reading »

1 Comment | Filed Under Bodrum, Cruises, Europe, Greece, Romance, Travel, Turkey

Jun

22

Greek Diary: The Medieval City of Rhodes

Posted by Pepper Schwartz

Pulling into Rhodes is at first glance disappointing. The island has a big population, it’s the fourth largest Greek island, and the first thing one sees are big collections of condos and other modern buildings. This is kind of startling after Mykonos and Santorini have become your models for Greek islands.

However, as the boat turns to dock in the harbor abutting the medieval part of the city Rhodes Town comes into view, and it satisfies. The medieval fortress walls are impressive and the castle behind it is visible from the water. It’s “younger” than the ruins we have been seeing—and vaults us into visions of knights rather than Greek Gods. It’s actually refreshing to see a whole new kind of city. Continue reading »

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Jun

21

Greek Diary: On to Santorini

Posted by Pepper Schwartz

There may be no equal to Santorini as a romantic destination. I looked forward to seeing this island most of all because of how breathtaking I thought it was when I sailed into the caldera fifteen years ago.

Sometimes my memory exaggerates places — but in this case, not a bit. Santorini, seen by sea, is totally compelling. By day, it looks at first like snow is dusting the mountain — by night, it is a mass of twinkling lights, and you half expect everyone to break into dance and song a la Mama Mia. Continue reading »

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Jun

20

Greek Diary: Mykonos

Posted by Pepper Schwartz

I had been having worse and worse sore throats and then finally it got intolerable. My voice was two octaves lower than normal, and while the Lauren Bacall effect had its charms, pain in swallowing and being unable to sleep did not. So early in the morning I went to the ship’s doctor, with, I have to admit, a little bit of attitude.

I don’t know why I expected the ship’s doctor to be primarily a “say ah, and take an aspirin“ kind of person—but I did. I am happy to say, I was very wrong.  He gave me a thorough physical and did a  blood test which he analyzed while I was still in the office. I left loaded with effective medicines—and a new respect for the Azamara’s medical program.

Then I was off to Mykonos—an island I had not visited before. The small island has become popular for its beaches and its liberal attitudes. I was surprised, for example, when the first postcard place we went into after getting off the tender had erotic gay and heterosexual postcards. Shows you how out of touch I can be. Everyone else knew that Mykonos is gay and sex friendly, and we found adequate proof of that when we went on a bus ride, and then a boat ride to Paradise Beach and several beaches past that. Continue reading »

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Jun

18

Greek Diary: Nauplion

Posted by Pepper Schwartz

This is a new stop for me — I had never heard about this part of the mainland, but it is an important area of the Peloponnesian Peninsula. The postcard entry for boats is seeing the Bouts island fortress — young by Greek standards, old by mine. The little island was built in the fifteenth century and has seen a lot of conflict in its day. Now it looks charming — a description I am sure would insult it’s builders. I gather that it was converted into a hotel for a while and then abandoned. It would make a fabulous place to stay.

We had coffee on our balcony and as far as romance goes — I would say do anything you can to get a balcony — and use it. Just sitting out there in the morning — taking in the view and taking time to get rid of the morning fuzzies — is centering. It helps that the coffee on the Quest is dark and delicious. Continue reading »

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Jun

17

Cruising Greece: On board the Azamara Quest

Posted by Pepper Schwartz

The ship that will take us around to the mainland of Greece and Turkey and to the islands of Mykonos, Santorini and Rhodes carries about 700 lucky people. It’s a new line but loading went smoothly and we were delivered to our cabin with a minimum of fuss and a maximum of nice touches. There was the cold towel, and the cold champagne when we entered and the assurance that our luggage would magically appear in our room. (It did.)

The  ship looks a lot like a Four Seasons inside — elegant dark wood, curving staircases — it’s easy to forget this is a boat. The cabin itself was lovely but somewhat narrow and the shower did not speak romance to me. Happily, we were upgraded to a suite  (low on the hierarchy of suites that Azmara has but a huge improvement over our previous cabin). The suite has everything I want in a cruise room — a private balcony with room enough to eat and lounge and a bathroom that two people can use without elbowing each other in a territorial power grab for sink space.  Most important to me: there is a tub and a shower two people could use together if they were inclined to do so. Continue reading »

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Jun

16

Greece: One of the World’s Most Romantic Places

Posted by Pepper Schwartz

It’s been quite a while since I’ve been to Greece, so when a longtime friend offered to share a room on a tour of the Greek islands on the Azamara Quest, I jumped on her offer!

The boat will board in Athens, so we came a day early to see a bit more of the city than I’d ever allotted time for. I’m glad I did. Many people are told to skip Athens, and while I understand that the city is gritty and the traffic can be horrendous, that advice is  wrong. (I say this even though we had a tough time getting to our hotel because several streets were blocked off  because of a one-day strike).

Still, Athens not only has the Acropolis and Parthenon dominating the skyline of the old city, but the old city itself is a worthy destination for romantic moments. Continue reading »

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Jun

9

Bali: The Most Romantic Place in the World

Posted by Pepper Schwartz

Bali. Bali. Bali. The combination of so many environments that are aesthetically magical and welcoming, and the spiritual cast of the entire island make Bali hard to top for romance.

Romance is not just votive candles and soft music — it is an attitude and almost a feeling of being blessed to be alive. It is also when everything around you is “just right” because a few discordant notes (like being hassled on a perfect beach or hearing raucous noises beneath your balcony all night) can ruin the whole composition.

So what are the specific qualities that make Bali my number one choice for romance? Continue reading »

Leave a Comment | Filed Under Asia, Bali, Indonesia, Romance, Travel

Jun

3

What makes romantic travel Romantic?

Posted by Pepper Schwartz

There are trips — and then there are romantic trips. A romantic trip is one you take with your honey, or the person you hope will be your honey, or occasionally, a place that helps you find a honey! A romantic vacation is one that cements or improves a relationship, a trip where the magic of the room, the view, the activities or the service make you feel more alive, more special, and more in love.

Romantic trips have a special kind of magic — but that diffuse kind of definition doesn’t give you specific guidance on picking the best-of-the-best choices for your next trip. That’s why I am going to be writing about the great places in the world for romance. I will start with my top ten in the United States and my top ten elsewhere — but it will go on from there. Right now though, I want to tell you what they all have in common — and what you should look for.

They all must have: Continue reading »

Leave a Comment | Filed Under Bali, Indonesia, Romance, Travel

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