Kusadasi/Ephesus, Turkey - July 31

King;s Palace - lunch x2

Back to Kusadasi – what to do??? LAUNDRY…and shop and eat İskender kebap.

There’s a tour coming up in a few days that we have scheduled to participate in that visits caves and it’s suggested that visitors wear ‘athletic’ shoes. Well, I didn’t bring ‘athletic’ shoes. I spotted some in the duty free when we were here a few days ago and today I picked them up. I’m pretty sure I’ll still not be going to the gym – not sure I could even find it!

I also picked up a ‘genuine-fake’ designer item for about 5% of what the real thing would cost. I can thank Chris for bullying me into it. I’m pretty happy with it.

Kushadasi cityscape

Lunch was pretty much a repeat of the last time we were here – beer, İskender kebap and this time calamari. It was also a repeat of the weather – hot, sticky, humid, sweltery, damp, thick etc.

Our pre-pre-dinner drinks started at the ‘Captain’s Welcome’ where the Captain and other senior crew introduced themselves to us. We met one of the dancers who happens to be from France. This is his first and last tour on a ship – although he didn’t say exactly we got the impression that he wasn’t loving it. Next pre-dinner drinks were at a bar where we have listened to a trio many evenings – they are good. They play pretty much anything, which they proved by taking requests. They were serious about these requests – when they said requests they meant it. They spoke to each one of the people enjoying them specifically “what about you lady?” OK…how about Billy Joel. ‘Sure’ they said…when they started the song and I couldn’t place it I thought I had stumped them (with the obscure Billy Joel.) In the end it was fantastic, Billy Joel’s ‘Honesty’ not the first song that comes to mind, but it was terrific.

Istanbul, Turkey - July 30

palace

This is the third and last of our three days in Istanbul. Once we start sailing this afternoon, it seems like forever since we’ve felt the sea breeze.

huge trees with these flowers on the palace grounds

Our adventure today is a visit to Istanbul’s Dolmabahçe Palace and Ciragan Palace (now a swanky Hotel.) The 2 of us are obviously out of place in a group of visitors from China. The guide and a museum worker even confirmed with us that we belonged!

The Dolmabahçe Palace, is a relatively new palace compared to some of the palaces we’ve visited - built between 1843 and 1856. This palace is something else. I would probably say I’m not so much into visiting palaces, but really I think I should say I’m not into visiting older palaces which is what we have tended to visit. It is obvious that this is younger than Versailles in France for example which I think is about 200 years older. The one thing that stands out to me are the incredible parquet floors. These are really amazing – tiny piece after tiny piece of wood assembled into different patterns with no nails. We weren’t able to take photos, so you’ll have to use the google to see.

palace fountain

The other thing about the palace that struck me was the use of crystal. Of course there were huge crystal chandeliers, but there were crystal balusters or spindles on the staircases. I have never seen anything like it - breathtaking. If you google this, the pics aren’t nearly as impressive as seeing it in person. And the google doesn’t give you the sense of humidity that the real thing does – however modern this palace is, they still didn’t have AC.

The visit to the palace was at a great pace, no standing around looking at something forever…we didn’t exactly sprint, but didn’t linger either.

palace

Next was tea at the Ciragan Palace, right on the Bosphorus. The setting was gorgeous as were the refreshments – champagne, tea, finger sandwiches, small hot hors d’oeuvres, sweets, Turkish delight of course and chicken breast pudding. Chicken breast pudding or Tavuk göğsü is a Turkish dessert pudding made with chicken and milk. It was a delicacy served to the sultans - today it’s considered a signature dish of Turkey. It wasn’t exactly my cup of tea…it wasn’t too sweet and it was a bit spicy – like cinnamon or clove, but it was a bit gelatinous which I didn’t care for. I’m glad I tried it, but I think it was the first and last time. I still can’t believe it was made with chicken, but the google confirmed it so it must be true!

palace

chicken breast pudding

peaceful fountain

Istanbul, Turkey - July 29

OK - so this was last night

empty pool area

Today is the halfway point of our cruise, which means it is when some passengers disembark and some embark. Our 20 day cruise is made up of 2 10 day segments. Sadly, today is when we say goodbye to Ron and Deanna. This is the first time we have been on vacation with friends and I have to say I would do it again in a hear beat. We didn’t spend much time with them in the daylight hours (just by chance) which meant we always had something to talk about over dinner.

We decided to have a lazy day on the ship – we were the only ones at the pool in the morning, but come noon when new passengers began to arrive it was busy.

on our way to dinner

After another safety drill, we set off to spend one last evening with Ron and Deanna in Sultanahmet the old part of Istanbul. We had dinner of İskender kebap and smoked the shisha water pipes. I have to admit the İskender kebap was a bit of a disappointment, but the company and atmosphere made it delightful. Today being the second of 3 days holiday after Ramadan means that the streets of Istanbul are thronging with people. I suppose the holiday could have nothing to do with the hordes of people, but wow – I don’t remember the streets being nearly as packed with people as they were this evening.  There were points on the sidewalk next to the cable car route that it was a shuffle-shuffle situation. A woman behind us got hit at one point – I don’t think she got hurt, but hit is hit.

Deanna doesn't look too impressed does she?

After saying a goodbye to Ron and Deanna we are on our way back to the ship. It’s about a 30 min walk back. Part of the walk is along the lower level of the Galata Bridge - that connects the old city (where we have dinner) to the newer part (where the ship is) – I hope I got this description right. This lower level has restaurants, cafes and a few clubs which are pounding music. Had I not been a bit woozy from the smoking it would have been a great place to stop on the way back. The great thing about Istanbul is that I expect to be back. As we left that area, we said to each other “next time”.

appetizers

Chris found a friend

Istanbul by night

Istanbul, Turkey - July 28

sail in

Today is the third time I have been lucky enough to sail into Istanbul – it is truly a sight to behold! We sail past the Blue Mosque, Aya Sofya, Topkapi Palace, Galata Tower and a multitude of other visually stunning sights.

bridge between Asia and Europe

After a leisurely morning lounging at the pool, we arrive in Istanbul around 2:00 for an afternoon cruise on the Bosphorus Straight. This started with the world’s shortest bus ride of about 5 minutes before we boarded a local sightseeing boat to sail around the Bosphorus, snaking through Istanbul between the European and Asian sides. The shore is lined with mansions, mosques, hotels, clubs and palaces. On board we sample Turkish tea – not apple tea, but regular black tea and a simit which is like a cross between a soft pretzel and a bagel covered in sesame seeds.

We make a stop in a village in the Asian side for about 30 min. This is a busy area of shops and cafes that are full of families celebrating the first day after Ramadan.

mosque minaret

palace on the Bosphorus

mosque on the Bosphorous

While it is a hot day the breeze from the boat's movement makes it comfortable.

Kusadasi/Ephesus, Turkey - July 27

iskender getting close...

Who would have ever described laundry as heavenly, but today’s clean load of laundry was just that! This is the first late morning we’ve had for a while, so it is very welcome. While each day we are out touring is fun and interesting, it isn’t restful or relaxing – a ‘down day’ is pretty nice. The ship’s laundry rooms can be places where brawls have been known to break out, but on days when most passengers are off the boat there the machines are wide open.

not a bad view to wake up to??

We spend lazy few hours wandering the town of Kusadasi while most on the boat choose to visit the archeological site of Ephesus. We were able to run the gauntlet of ‘yes, please’ calling merchants as they beckoned us into their shops or restaurants. The funniest of all being those calling Chris in for a shave. Of course shaving isn’t his favourite thing to do, on vacation he usually has a bit of a scruff on. Well…to these eagle-eyed barbers he was easy picking. A good hand-full of these barbers tried to get him into their shops for a shave. He was having none of it as you can well imagine. I wish he had as today will be a light blog day.

heaven - leave me here...

The very first time I was in Turkey, maybe 5 years ago, the best meal I had was İskender kebap. This is thinly cut, grilled lamb basted with hot tomato sauce over pieces of pita bread slathered with melted sheep butter and yogurt. Each time we’ve been to Turkey since, it is a pilgrimage to find it. I think it is actually Turkish ‘fast-food’ rather than haute-cuisine’, but so what? I LOVE IT! It usually comes with some kind of youghurt sauce only adds to the heavenliness of it. Salad of tomato/lettuce/cucumber also may come.

I recognize I’ve dedicated a lot of this entry to my İskender kebap, but seriously…it is the BEST meal I’ve had since being on vacation – and I’ve had some good food. If you are every lucky enough to be in Turkey and I say ‘lucky’ for a reason…give İskender kebap a serious thought. This was accompanied by Effes beer and hot chillies added by the proprietor.

The Kusadasi port is very tourist friendly and after checking out a few shops, duty free and the local Starbucks only a price comparison (more or less exactly the same price we  pay at home) we are back on board. After a brief hello to our favourite security guy ‘Mr. Ashley’ who somehow committed our names to memory so he mentions us by name each time we enter and leave the ship (of course this has spoken to us) we make a brief stop at the pool bar and are settled in on our balcony. We are on the balcony for about 1 and a half seconds before I realize I’ll melt here - it is a sweltery day…no breeze and a bunch of humidity. I’m not sad to have to take a nap inside the cabin in my comfy bed, so there it is for the next couple of hours. 

I was about to turn the lights out while Chris was still at the casino when he burst through the door and threw these chips at me. While not all winnings, more than half is. He's definitely a better gambler than I am!

Marmaris, Turkey - July 26

Ahhhhh, Turkey…can’t say it has ever let me down and today is no different.

As like pretty much every other day…we board a bus and spend the first and last 1.5 hours of today’s tour travelling to and from the tour’s location. I really don’t mind this part as we get to hear the guide’s spiel and also get in a 9 am nap. We have gotten into a bit of a bus groove – we sit close to the back which doesn’t seem desirable to most people and once all are on board and we see no one will need any of the empty seats I move to my own seat. This gives us a bit more room, we both get a window seat and certainly don’t take anything away from anyone. It’s a little bumpier at the back, but we don’t mind that.

not bad waking up to this

After the 1.5 hours drive thought the rather picturesque Turkish country side on the South Aegean Sea we arrive at the Dalyan river where we board boats that take us up and down the river. These boats are simple (read: no facilities) with benches on either side of them and a tarp-like canopy for shade – we don’t need much more. They do of course sell beer.

On either side of the river are many reeds, some resorts and restaurants mostly at the beginning. We turn around at a point (Iztuzu Beach) at a loggerhead turtle breeding ground.

We stop along the way for a look at the rock tombs (seen from a distance from the river.) These are very cool looking tombs built into the side of the rock that look like temples.

"we're on a great big convoy"

Next we get off the boat for a visit to the ruins of the ancient city of Caunos. This is a bit of a small site, but I’m not sad as it is HOT. One thing that is not ancient are the ‘facilities’. I’ve been waiting for when I will finally have to use a squat toilet on this vacation and thought today would surely be the day – no. We used a public toilet prior to getting on the boat and it was western and the facilities here where western. Now I do have to say there were squat toilets at the first stop, but I lucked out with a western toilet. I would be happy to squat if I had to (certainly better than having no facilities at all) but am happier to sit.

rock tomb

Lunch was fish at a riverside restaurant. We had a choice of fish, chicken or meatballs – we went with fish. The guide told us before that it would be cleaned, but that’s about it and that was about it. It was pretty easy to get the meat away from the bones and get a good meal. It wasn’t huge, but reasonable – I can’t see anyone getting fat on that diet. The appetizer was a plate of cheese, what I think was a baba ganoush and other more fattening options. I guess that’s where people could keep up their girth.

lunch

After picking up a bus-beer from a mini-mart, we are on our way home. The view all the way home certainly did not disappoint – mountainous, treed and the occasional village.

Being in Turkey always reminds us of our friend Memet who is from Turkey. We are especially reminded when we see boys selling water, or basically being entrepreneurial and industrious.

We were on the same tour as Ron and Deanna were today. This is the first tour we’ve been on together and will be the last (for this vacation) and it was a lot of fun.

tiny, but delicious

Dinner last night started with a tiny wagyu beef burger. I am typically not a burger lover, but I am a bit smitten. I’m pretty sure my brother would have been in heaven – with 20 more.

Santorini, Greece - July 25

seascape

hot, breezy, not too humid

Santorini is a very interesting Greek Cycladic island formed from a volcanic eruption. The population is about 15000. This morning we are first taken to a ruin of a windmill which we are told has become a symbol of Santorini – we don’t notice this symbolism anywhere else in our day on the island. This is mostly a photo-stop, the island with its volcanic caldera formation and sea is beautiful.

refreshment stop

admiring the view

refreshment stop

The main attraction for this tour is a visit to an archeological museum at Akrotiri village. Here we are given a look into the ancient way of life here. It’s a bit of a snore fest actually. It is indoors which I am very grateful for, and while not air conditioned, I’m thankful multiple times that we aren’t out in the blazing sun. While archeology isn’t exactly my thing, I’ve been to museums that have been much more engaging. We round out the visit with a Methos beer on the museum’s terrace – not cheap (5 euros), if it wasn’t for the heat, I would have thought I was in Norway, but not really…Norway was at least double.

We have lunch in a taverna overlooking the sea of what else…Greek salad and a gyro platter (shaved meat, pita, tzatziki, tomato and fries) wine and beer. This is a delightful spot. After about 10 minutes I’m not remotely hot as the sea breeze and shade provide a comfortable temperature.

archaeological site

Afterwards, we have 3 options to get down from the town of Fira perched at the top of a steep hill ) to the port to take a tender back to the ship– 1, take the cable car, 2 – ride a donkey, 3 – walk down the 500 or so stairs. The cable car line is crazy long (we later hear it was a 45 min wait), so we decide to walk (35 min.) It wasn’t bad except for a few slippery spots. We were in Santorini once before and it was very easy to

lunch view

get onto the cable car. Apparently there were 6 other cruise ships in town today – I think our cruise line should have been aware of this. I’m not sure what they should have done, but leaving seniors (or not seniors) and people with mobility issues (or not) with these options is not going to make them friends. I suspect there are some rather unhappy people because of this.

donkeys!

Oh well, in no time we are back on the ship and head to the closest bar for an icy cold champagne!

Dinner is at the ship’s steak pit, followed by the show and a bit of gambling.

more refreshments

Athens, Greece - July 24

Corinth Canal

Temple of Apollo at Corinth

37 degrees, but there’s a breeze and little humidity – not saying that it wasn’t blazing hot, but we weren’t drenched

There are 2 major cities on our itinerary this year and today we are in the first – Athens. Actually not really IN, but outside of. As we spent a few days here a couple of years ago we opt to go out of the city for our touring. We get off to a bit of a late start this morning as the port is very busy, so docking is delayed by about half an hour – no big deal.

cicadas

city of Corinth

We first visited an area called Argolis – this is in the northeast corner of the Peloponnese (the peninsula attached to main-land Greece.) The main attraction is its archaeologically. As we travel from spot to spot today we are on major highways. So far this trip the travelling has been on smaller, less major roads – mostly because we’ve visited small spots where there are no major roads.

Our first stop today is the Corinth Canal. This is a short photo stop and we are on our way once again. To view this canal we go to the middle of a bridge 200 feet above the water. The canal is four miles long, 75 feet wide and 26 feet deep and was only built in the 19th century. To me the numbers don’t mean much until we are out in the middle of the bridge. The canal is very far down and seems very narrow – it doesn’t look so narrow when a ship is inside it.

cheese course after dinner

Next on the itinerary is a visit to ancient Corinth where St. Paul lived and worked for a year and a half. The Temple of Apollo is a main attraction of the visit - seven of its original columns still stand. All around this part of the world we hear cicadas. These insects are like crickets that make a kind of buzzing sound, not like a bee, but more like a machine and it’s loud. It’s obvious right away whenever we get to an area with them. I got a not great picture of one. Lastly, we walked around the remains of Corinth’s Agora or Market Place.

Next is a visit to the ruins of ancient Mycenae. One of the cool things we see here are shaft graves and a Beehive Tomb, sometimes called the Tomb of Agamemnon. It is HOT, there’s little shade and the walk is a very steep and uphill – some people don’t bother.

Next is lunch of typical Greek foods. After a long day we return to the ship for a shower, a couple of drinks and a casual dinner.

considering bungee jumping

Speaking of dinner...last night we ate at the ship's French themed restaurant. It was good, but LOOOOONG.For a lot of the time we had to remind them we were there. Not that we had anywhere to go, but 2.5 hours is a bit long. Anyway...for desert you can choose cheese which comes on a wheeled cart  quite delightful!

ancient city of Corinth

Zakynthos, Greece - July 23

harbor view with our ship in the distance

Weather was warm, but overcast. I don't think I broke a sweat - this is new.

Zaykanthos, our port today is a sleepy Greek (Ionian) island where we visit a few tiny sights. Zakynthos is both the name of the island and the main town. It was all but destroyed by an earthquake and fire in 1953, this means there aren't any ancient ruins to visit.

monestery

We visit a village called Bohali, whose main claim to fame is the views of Zakynthos town and our ship in the harbor. Next we visit the Monastery of Anafonitria. This is a lovely small place where the visit is short. We follow our religious experience with a beer (of course) not worrying to finish it, as in this civilized part of the world, alcohol consumption is not as tightly gripped as it can be 'other places. Beer on a bus, on the street and in a park...OK, maybe we couldn't drink it in the church, but it can live with that. I thought it might be an issue in the church and monastery that I didn't have my knees and shoulders covered, but no problem.

water onions

One cool thing that we didn't see was the Logerhead turtles. These turtles live and lay their eggs on Zaykanthos, maybe next time. I would love to see this, The only wildlife we've seen so far are goats, turkeys, chickens and roosters - no sea life. We talked to a guy yesterday who say a water-spout which I would have loved to see.

We spent the afternoon at the pool and had dinner at the French restaurant.