Our fascinating trek was not only to the Middle East, but onward into Western Europe - starting in Egypt and ending in Barcelona, Spain. Here is how we planned the extensive exploration: We flew in a full five days early to Cairo, Egypt, before boarding Silversea's Silver Cloud, docked three hours to the north at Port Said, Egypt.
We had waited a lifetime to see what television, books, and classrooms had tempted us with - King Tut at the National Museum, Pyramids and much more. We did not have time to get to southern Egypt to explore the beautiful temples of Luxor and Aswan, destinations we hope to visit someday.
After our arrival into Cairo, checking into the elegant Four Season's Residence Hotel, and wearily glaring out of our window, there they were - the most wonderful sight to a history buff's imagination. The great pyramids of Giza were ahead in the dusty glaze on the horizon; we could see them from our hotel window!
We were in a land that presents wonders of our world that cannot be explained even today. The construction of the pyramids is still a mystery these thousands of years later. We were in their midst and quite excited!
We felt that private touring was the best and most practical way to visit this vast city of 23 million. With the help of the Four Season's Concierge we had arranged a car, and a well-informed guide and driver, fluent in English, for three consecutive days. We did this by e-mail in advance of the trip.
For a modest $65/day we arranged for the two of us for up to eight hours of touring each day. This was a superb bargain. We enjoyed a history-packed and engaging touring agenda daily, tailored to our individual interests, and with the ease of door-to-door service from the Four Seasons Residence.
We visited the Giza pyramid plateau, and in the Mid-South the Step Pyramid of Saggara and the museum and gardens of Memphis, Egypt. Then it was down to the Bent Pyramid of Dashur and its replacement, the Red Pyramid. These early pyramids were architectural prototypes for the later Great Pyramids of Giza that stunned the world, and remain as one of the last of the Great Wonders of the World.
Cairo had its own special magic, from hectic though functional traffic masses to the friendly smiles along our daily outings. It was nearing the time to leave the pampering ambience of the Four Seasons Residence Hotel and take our bus north to Port Said to enjoy the epitome of cruising's finest - Silversea's Silver Cloud.
The Silver Cloud: Silversea's cruise line has long been a part of the prestige realm of six-star rated cruise lines in a world where five stars is the norm for excellence. Silver Cloud lives up to this rating by delivering world-class cuisine in three elegant dining options nightly. And the Silver Cloud team offers sterling service from every staff member, subtly and without a feeling of being over-served.
At maximum Silver Cloud carries 296 passengers in an all-suite environment, an intimate number for finding life-long friends, without feeling crowded or inconvenienced by waiting in lines. There is a feeling on-board of elegance without pretense, and this special chemistry prevails ship-wide to offer a welcoming at-home feeling aboard.
The Silver Cloud offers world-wide varied itineraries for those seeking new frontiers, as well as many well-known and loved vacation stops. Ample deck space, a pool, whirlpools, a generous workout room, and movies to borrow for your suite … the list seems endless, and near perfection. Fascinating lectures and a variety of nightly entertainment helped make our visit to the Middle East and onward to Barcelona one of those special memories of a lifetime.
I recall Carol and I walking about Silver Cloud's eighth deck one evening, gazing above at the endless blackness of the heavens above winking with those diamond-like stars downward toward us. I was wondering - what ancient civilizations had come and had gone in these waters of adventure, what battles fought, what loves and passions tenderly experienced … now faded.
Silver Cloud was etching her own voyages into the chronicles of sailing history - she had come, visited, and now would go onward - but these silver-lined and cherished memories are ones we can take with us and we can savor whenever - and often. I know somewhere she beckons our return - on some distant sea to some yet-to-be-visited land.
