The Med is Beckoning!

Well, it is autumn and, once again, the Mediterranean is calling to me.  So, I am about to head off for 7 weeks, visiting many places I've never seen before but also returning to some that I love.  As usual, I am a bit daunted by it all but I recently read something that gives me courage.  The quote was "As you travel solo, being totally responsible for yourself, it's inevitable that you will discover just how capable you are."  It is something I wish my younger self had believed in!

So, this trip will started in Spain where I will be staying at a seaside town called Sitges, not far from Barcelona.  I spent several days in Barcelona with a friend a few years ago and did an extensive tour there.  I find big cities a bit overwhelming, particularly when I am on my own, so picking a smaller seaside venue seemed a good place to start.  After several days there, I will head to Barcelona's port to embark on a ten day cruise called Islands of the Mediterranean - although not all the stops are islands.  The majority of ports will be new to me and, as there are no "at sea" days, it will be quite intensive.  I have tour booked each day.  Below is the map showing the cruise itinerary.  The only change from when it was published is that our stop in Cagliari has been cancelled and we will be having an "at sea" day instead.  That's okay as it will give me a chance for a rest and to catch up on my blog before we carry on to the rest of the ports.  

Following the cruise, I will be staying in Nice for 10 days, the first week of which will be in the apartment I've rented each October for the last 5 years.  I love the Cote d'Azur at that time of the year and waking up every morning and seeing the Med suits me just fine.  My friends from Switzerland, Roger and Kathrin along with their daughter, Alina, will join me there.  Then, after a weekend on my own in a hotel, I will fly to Cappadocia in Türkiye to meet up with Atahan, the guide and now a friend, I met several years ago and have now done 4 tours with.  For two and a half weeks, we will explore the southeastern regions of that country which I haven't seen before.  However, our ambitious itinerary also includes returning to some favourite spots I visited last year along the "turquoise coast".  I will return home from Istanbul in early November.  Fingers crossed my energy level and my back problems won't prevent me from savouring each and every minute.  Thanks for following along.  I hope you find something interesting in my posts.

Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts.  Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime – Mark Twain