David Kotz

Epidaurus

From the port of Nafplion we visited the ancient Greek theater and healing village of Epidaurus.

The Peloponnese, a major peninsula that forms the southern portion of Greece, is the site of many prehistoric and ancient Greek archaeological sites. Today we toured Epidaurus, the site of an incredibly large and intact Greek theater (still used for performances even today), and a small village of temples and lodgings used as a site for healing.

The theater seats 14,000 people, and is renowned for its excellent acoustics. Modern measurements indicate “that the astonishing acoustic properties may be the result of the advanced design: the rows of limestone seats filter out low-frequency sounds, such as the murmur of the crowd, and also amplify the high-frequency sounds of the stage.” [Wikipedia]

The rest of the complex included temples and lodgings for pilgrims who spent a night at Epidaurus; “In their dreams, the god himself would advise them what they had to do to regain their health” [Wikipedia]. There are still stone slabs on which ancient pilgrims have inscribed testimonials about the miraculous healing of their conditions.

Overall, a fascinating site. Check out the photo gallery for more.

Corinth Canal

An hour-long transit of the narrow Corinth Canal – barely wider than our own ship.

The Peloponnese is a vast peninsula that forms the southern portion of Greece, and is attached to the mainland by the incredibly thin isthmus of Corinth (see map below). The Romans once built a wall across the isthmus to protect the peninsula from the mainland.

This narrow strip of land separates the Ionean Sea from the Aegean Sea, and forces ships to sail around the entire peninsula to reach one from the other, a 700-kilometer (430 mile) journey. Even in antiquity, sailors dreamed of digging a canal to shorten the voyage – with the first attempt dating to the 7th century BC. Finally, in 1893, a viable canal was completed [Wikipedia]. Our own ship, Le Bougainville, is nearly as wide as the canal – with just 2m to spare on either side – and is thus quite an exciting transit! See the photo gallery.

Isthmus_of_Corinth — Map of the area, and (inset) of Greece, from Wikipedia.

Delphi

We docked in Itea for a visit to ancient Delphi, the site of the major Greek oracle.

We docked early this morning in the small port town of Itea, for a morning visit to the ancient oracle of Delphi. Will the weather on our trip continue to be this amazing? Maybe we can find the answer here! Read on and check out the photo gallery.

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Olympia

A brief visit to the ancient site of Olympia, where the Olympic Games were founded (and held every four years).

We docked for a few hours in the small port village of Katakolon, our first stop in Greece, where a short bus ride took us to the original “Olympic Village”. This place, Olympia, is the site of the ancient Olympic Games, a purpose-built village used once every four years, where the athletes would gather to train and compete. Once again, the weather was spectacular and we enjoyed a lovely guided tour around the excavated ruins and accompanying museum. Read on, and check out the photo gallery.

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Taormina

We anchored in the bay of Naxos as the first rays of the sun struck the steam billowing from the craters of Mount Etna.

I rose early to watch the sunrise over the Mediterranean sea, sitting with my tea and pastries in the café at the rear of the ship as it cruised slowly into the port of Naxos, Sicily. The sky was totally clear and the wind completely calm. As the day brightened and the lights from seaside Sicily towns faded, Le Bougainville dropped its anchor in the harbor, where Mount Etna dominates the surrounding hilly landscape. When the sun finally rose above the sea behind us, its first rays illuminated the cratered peaks of Etna’s 10,912’ mountain summit – and the steam clouds emanating from its five active craters. Read on, and check out the photo gallery.

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Siracusa

A quick visit to the ancient Greek city of Siracusa (Syracuse) in Sicily.

After a calm overnight cruise from Malta to Sicily, we arrived just before sunrise in the port of Catania, with the aim of spending the morning visiting Siracusa (Syracuse), the modern capital city of Sicily and the site of ancient Greek and Roman cities. It was colonized by Greeks in 734 BC, and “for some time stood as the most powerful Greek city anywhere in the Mediterranean.” Read on and check out the photo gallery.

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Malta

A two-night visit to the historic capital of Malta, a tiny island nation in the middle of the Mediterranean.

We began a week-long World Affairs cruise of the Mediterranean with a short flight to the small island country of Malta, which sits in a historically strategic location in the Mediterranean sea. This tiny island country has been inhabited for over 5,000 years, and has been settled by the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Spanish, French, and British, not to mention the pre-historic communities who left behind the world’s oldest free-standing stone structures. Malta’s culture and language are thus a unique mixture of many influences.

Read on and check out the photo gallery.

Map of the Ponant Cruise — Route of W&L’s “World Affairs” cruise on Ponant’s “Le Bougainville”

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Bellinzona and the Tibetan bridge

A daytrip to the Italian corner of Switzerland, with a hillside hike culminating in a tremendously long suspension bridge.

The weekend weather forecast for Zurich and all of northern Switzerland was looking rather wet, but I really wanted to squeeze in one more hike before the fall chill sets in. An officemate suggested Bellinzona, the capital of the Italian-speaking corner of Switzerland – the canton of Ticino. This small city is often overlooked next to its glitzier lakeside neighbor, Lugano, but has a lot to offer. UNESCO recognizes its three medieval castles as a world heritage site, and the surrounding hills include a web of well-organized hiking trails. Read on, and check out the photo gallery.

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Oxford University

I made a quick visit to Oxford University to give a research talk in the Computer Science department. My schedule allowed a bit of extra time to explore, and (with the help of two generous graduate students) I was able to see some of the major colleges within the university, as well as some of the main shopping district. The campus (and town) is impressively old, with elegant academic buildings at every turn. A quick climb to the top of the tower on University Chapel gave me an excellent vantage point to see the overall layout, and one student’s tour included a stop in the Hogwarts dining hall – better known as Christchurch College dining hall. Impressive place! More photos in the gallery.

Cambridge University

I made a quick visit to Cambridge University, to deliver a talk in the Computer Science department and to visit colleagues there and at the neighboring Nokia Labs. The schedule allowed me a little time to wander the courtyards of Jesus College, where I had spent the night, and its beautiful chapel – the oldest building still in use at Cambridge. (Astonishing, in this 250th year of Dartmouth College, to visit a university that was already five hundred and fifty years old when Dartmouth was founded.)

I decided to walk from there to the distant CS building, through the streets of Cambridge. (Sadly, most of the historic campus exists in walled compounds, like Jesus College, only open to members of the university.)

It was fascinating to walk along streets named after famous scientists, or for that matter, through the Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematics. (Not far from the Bill Gates CS building or the Gordon Moore library, actually.) Lovely day!

More photos in the gallery.