July 10

We docked at Yalta and, as we were approaching the dock around 7:00am, we noticed the beaches filled with bathers.  We had another hot & humid day as we visited Crimean palaces of the Tzars and other Russian nobility.  We drove up mountains on narrow winding roads and first visited Alupka Palace which wasn't very elegant.It was quite crowded and not a showpiece.  Getting out of there on the bus was an experience because cars & vans were parked all along the sides of the road with barely enough room for a bus to pass.  With vehicles going both directions there was quite a road jam with horns honking and drivers cursing each other.  We finally got to a wider road area and pulled over at an area with souvenir & snack shops for an overlook view of Swallow's Nest Castle, a noble's fairytale style castle perched on top of a cliff overlooking the Black Sea.  It was a stunning view but the castle was too distant to make a visit.  The final stop was at Livadia Castle, once the home of the Romanof family and the location of the Yalta Conference with Roosevelt, Churchill & Stalin in 1945 to discuss the end of WWII and each country's roleafter Allied victory.  It was a very elegant palace and a lot of Romanof family artifacts were on display as well as photos & displays of the Yalta Conference.  This was a very worthwhile visit.  We returned hot & sweaty to the ship for a late lunch and then went back into the city and strolled the Promenade along the Black Sea waterfront.  Before dinner, back on the ship, there was a cocktail party for frequent guests of Regent.