August 31, 2008 - Day at Sea

A lazy day at sea was in order after three busy port days. Passengers relaxed, slept in, sunned, got massages and caught up on their reading. Even on board seminars were held - presented by our own passengers wishing to share knowledge about places they have been, photos of far away places not yet visited by many.

Enjoyed swimming in the aft pool and receiving a massage by Marietta, the ships Asian massage therapist. I was so relaxed I actually almost fell off to sleep.

The food is good on board - especially the desserts (much to my waistline's dismay).

People are enjoying the trip and itinerary, We decided to delete a port of call having visited it late last week before the cruise. The dry climate in and around Kotor, Montenegro was experiencing wildfires when we were there last week. Any while the evening was lovely with the small walled city lit up and the small restaurants serving up everything from pizza to pasta and fish - our stop would only allow us a 4 hour daytime stay - We did not want to chance the fires still smoldering - muddying the blue skies with a smokey haze - especially since we could not stay until evening. A longer stay in Corfu was planned along with another day at sea. Disappointing to some - most agreed that they change was a good one.

Tomorrow we come alongside Corfu at 8 am with a departure of 11:45. Should allow everyone to enjoy this beautiful, Greek port to its fullest. More tomorrow!

August 30, 2008 - Dubrovnik

Sailing into Dubrovnik this morning was magical. Situated on the southernmost part of the Republic of Croatia, Dubrovnik is the administrative seat of the area and is rich in cultural and historical monuments. A Unesco World Heritage site, one just has to gaze at the walled city from the sea to understand what an immense undertaking it must have been to construct such a sight.

Two large Costa cruise ships in port today helped make my decision to stay on board until later in the afternoon- after the hoards of cruisers leave on their floating cities!

Evening in Dubrovnik is even more enchanting than daytime. The sun going down over the walled city - swallows darting through the long alleyways, out for their evening meal. Several of us went into town to enjoy a typical Croatian. We found a lovely tavern that appeared to be a popular place for the locals - just what I wanted! After an enjoyable evening we strolled back to our tender while enjoying a gelato. Someone told me that if you walk while eating a gelato - it doesn't count... sounded logical to me.

Tomorrow we have a day at sea and I am looking forward to having no place to go. I plan to just relax and enjoy the ship and our passengers. Good night from Dubrovnik!

August 29, 2008 - Hvar, Croatia

Another early morning. It is not often we are afforded such an unobstructed view of the sunrise and, while the soft covers and bedclothes are tempting me to sleep in, the sunrise wins out.

We stopped in Hvar, Croatia today. The island is more lush than our previous stop with a wide variety if subtropical vegetation. Small kiosks selling fresh cut lavender greet us as we disembark our tender in town. The aroma beckons me to linger and sample the differences in variety from one seller to another. I gown lavender in the small Texas Hill Country town where I live so I am feeling a little tug at my heart as I stroll through the stalls.

For 30 Kuna, we choose a small water taxi to take us round trip to the FKK beach, Sv. Jerolim which is a long established nudist friendly beach. The island vegetation extends almost to the water line in some places and we select a spot on the rocky beach that offers a little shade from the relentless midday sun. With the sea at our doorstep, we dip frequently to stay cool. Many passengers opted for a casual afternoon at the beach while others lingered in tow shopping. An island tour of Hvar was also offered for those wishing some cultural exchange. The three hour tour visited several historical monuments with a stop in picturesque Starigrad, a small seaside fishing village known for is large, photogenic bay. Another stop in the small farming community of Vrisnik, passengers were welcomed into a local family home for wine tasting and local cheeses. 8th generation farmers, the familly's welcome was warm and informative. We set sail in a little while for Dubrovnik. I look forward to sailing into this quaint walled city that we visited a few years ago.

August 28, 2008 - Mali Losinj, Croatia

Sunrise over the Dalmation coast was unbelievable. Shortly after the bright, orange ball of fire found a resting place in the blue, cloudless sky, many began their day doing yoga up on deck. Others sipped their coffee and nibbled on fresh, warm pastries by the pool. Our destination today is Mali, Losinj. After a leisurely morning of catching up with old friends, obligatory muster drill and crew introductions, we are off to the nude beach which is a short walk from town.

Losinj has been inhabited since prehistoric times and its first mention in history was in the late 14th century. Mali Losinj grew into a popular maritime port in the 18th century, Our 45 minute stroll to Rovenska Bay, along narrow trails marked by low stone walls that have stood for centuries I spy a sign up ahead... FKK. Free Body Culture (in German) - or, nude beach! How civilized the Croatians are about public nudity. We Americans could learn a lot from these people who have long embraced the au naturel sunbather. There is no tall rock promontory or privacy fence line separating he FKK beach from the rest of the bay. No hidden, out of the way, amenity-free beach for naked people. We rent an umbrella and a couple of chairs and settle in for a couple of hours, Life is good. We make our way back to the ship on the last tender from town, A wonderful meal followed by a Star Clipper Sloop Shop FASHION SHOW (of all things!) ends a perfect day out.

August 27 - Shove off from Venice

August 27, 2008

Hot, thirsty, laden with goodies found down the small and crowded alleyways of Venice, we approach the gangway of our ship. The Star Clipper looks comfortable in her surroundings; not at all out of place like some of the large passenger vessels in the Port of Venice today. We are excited to begin the journey with our passengers. This is a long awaited trip for all of us and we look forward to the memories that we will make together over the next 17 days.

Welcome Aboard!

Bare Necessities is welcoming all passengers on board the Star Clipper today for our exciting voyage.

Leaving today for our exciting trip to the Mediterranean

We are packed and ready to go:



Melanie, Nancy & Tom are leaving today for the pre-cruise and will welcome all our passengers onboard when arriving in Venice or for the second trip in Athens.

From August 27th to September 6th, 2008 our journey takes us to the following places:

VENICE (ITALY), LOSINJ (CROATIA), HVAR (CROATIA), DUBROVNIK (CROATIA), KOTOR (MONTENEGRO), CORFU (GREECE) , YITHION (GREECE), SANTORINI (GREECE), MYKONOS (GREECE) and back to ATHENS (GREECE)

From September 6th to 13th we will be in:
ATHENS (GREECE), PAROS (GREEC), KUSADASI (TURKEY), RHODES (GREECE), RETHYMNON (CRETE), MILOS (GREECE) and back to ATHENS (GREECE)

See you onboard!!