Kusadasi/Ephesus Turkey

Whooppieeee! Today dawned bright and sunny with temperatures around 60 degrees, and getting warmer! With a clear blue sky the day was going to be great. We met our tour guide at 9am just outside the port terminal and were off for Ephesus. Just 30 miles North Ephesus was established as a trading port and religious center 3000 years ago. Found while laying track for a railroad, it is the Aegean’s best preserved ancient city. Only about 20% has been uncovered, but was can be seen it is easy to envision life as it was 2000 years ago.

While there, we also saw the Basilica of St. John, the House of Mary, the remains of the Temple of Diana, and the terrace houses. I can honestly say that if you ever visit this area Ephesus is a must see. Plan on spending a couple of hours minimum and it’s best if you have a knowledgeable guide with you.

By now it was lunch time so we stopped at a small local restaurant where we had a delicious home cooked lunch. It definitely was not a place that a typical tourist would find and was located along a very narrow road in the middle of the city.

On our way back towards the port we did make a stop at a ceramic factory to see how they are made in this area. It was very interesting to see how they are all hand painted so no two pieces are ever exactly the same. They are however very close. When you see the finished product you can readily appreciate the amount of time involved in creating each piece.

All in all we had a most enjoyable tour and our guide was fantastic. Tomorrow we are in Santorini. With luck we will have wonderful weather once again.

Cheers!

Sevastopol Ukraine

Once again we woke to sunny skies and temperatures around 60 degrees. A great day for taking a tour of Sevastopol. For those who may not know, Sevastopol was established by Catherine II after Russia gained control of the region in 1783. The harbor was fortified and the Russian Black Sea Naval Fleet came to the port in 1804. Today it still remains primarily a military city, and the Russian Fleet still has ships docked here.

After meeting our guide, we were off to the East and the city of Bakhchisarai to see the Khan’s Palace, which was begun in the 16th century, and now houses the Museum of History. While there we were able to see the palace and suites, the state council and courtroom, the harem, the palace mosque, and mausoleum. Also located there is Fountain of Tears which was built in 1764.

After spending some time at the palace, it was back toward Sevastopol, where we stopped at the Jewish Welfare Center which provides support for about 4000 jews living in the city. At that point, the tour went downhill. Because of possible miscommunication between the tour operator and us when it was booked, we assumed that because they asked for US dollars for the tour that we would be able to use them or Euros for lunch. As it turned out that was not the case. We were told by our guide that she didn’t know of a restaurant in the city that would take anything but local currency.

At that point we decided that we would cut the tour short after visiting one more area, the Panorama Museum, which recalls the 349 day defense of Sevastopol during the Crimean War. I can recommend this museum for anyone who decides to visit the city.

Beware however that most of these tourist places do require a entry fee and it must be paid with local currency, and there is a small fee as well for using the toilets in these places. We are quite upset at our tour operator who did not inform us of these extra fees or that fact that they only accepted local currency. There are some small kiosks around the city that will accept US dollars or Euros, but any “government” run institution will not.

My personal opinion is that they are still struggling to get out from under the old Russian regime and while prices seem to be quite reasonable, be prepared.

Tomorrow is a rest day at sea thankfully, and then it’s back to Turkey and the cities of Kusadasi and Ephesus.

Cheers!

Varna, Bulgaria

We arrived in Varna at 8am to a clear and sunny sky (YEA!!). Varna is the second largest city in Bulgaria, and sit’s on the eastern coast on the Black Sea. Modern Varna is fast becoming the gateway to the Bulgarian resort area as they struggle with the trials of becoming an independent nation. While there isn’t really a lot to see in Varna, to stroll around the city and see the people and how they live can be interesting.

We had another private tour booked and met our guide and driver outside the port terminal. The first place we went was outside the city to an area of ruins. These ruins are of unknown origin and are somewhat unique. The area consists of beach type sand complete with seashells, and numerous rock formations that appear to be collapsed columns suggesting a city/town environment. We were told that several geologists have visited the site and studied it but still have not confirmed it’s origin.

From there we went to the Aladja Monastery which provides a fascinating look at a traditional religious retreat. The monastery is a collection of cave dwellings that were carved from the limestone cliff face. Originally approximately 100 monks lived there until hunted down by the Turks and killed. It was very interesting walking through the dwellings and trying to imagine what life was like for the monks that lived there.

From there it was off to the remains of the Roman Thermae or Baths. Built in the 2nd century it was quite intriguing trying to imagine what the original structure looked like. It is a very large area and was one of the largest baths built.

After visiting a few other areas of the city, it was time for lunch. Once again, it was taken at one of the local restaurants where tourists rarely find. Located on the oldest street in the city, it was very nice and the food was superb. The picture today is from inside the restaurant.

As a general note, the prices of things in Varna appear to be very reasonable. We tasted some local wine at the restaurant and enjoyed it very much. I asked where we could purchase a bottle, and they took me around the corner to a very small grocery type store where I bought two bottles of it for about $3.75 per bottle.

Tomorrow we are in Sevastopol Ukraine. I have hopes that we have time to see the Russian submarine pens during our tour there but there may not be enough time to get there.

Until tomorrow, Cheers!!

Istanbul Turkey

Istanbul, a city on two continents; Europe and Asia. When approaching the city you can’t mistake it for another. The unforgettable domes and minarets of more than 135 mosques rise through the landscape along the Bosporus Strait. Twelve major civilizations have ruled, and their legacy is imprinted upon the city.

The most famous mosque is the Mosque of Sultan Ahmet (the Blue Mosque). It gets its name from the 21,403 azure colored tiles on the walls creating the illusion that the air is blue. The 16 balconies on its six minarets honor the 16 sultans of the empire.

Right next door is the Hippodrome, inspired by Rome’s Circus Maximus, and was the most important place in the city. Beneath the whole thing is the Roman-era Aqueduct of Valens, also known as the Basilica Cistern. Nearby is the Ibrahim Pasa Palace.

A short walk away is the Suliemaniye Mosque and the Great Mausoleum of Sulieman. Last but not least is the Topkapi Palace which served as home to the sultans and the royal court until the mid-19th century.

And of course no visit to Istanbul can be called complete without a trip to the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Bazaar.

The weather was cool, remaining around 58 degrees with a brisk wind, and early afternoon there was a quick rain shower. Another delightful lunch was had at a local restaurant down one of the small alleyways where a lot of the local workers frequent.

We are off on our way up the Bosporus Strait toward the Black Sea and tomorrow we will visit Varna Bulgaria.

Cheers!

Athens Greece

Sorry about not posting yesterday, but given it was a sea day, and after three intensive port days in a row, we vegetated.

On to Athens. First, let me say that one day in Athens does not even begin to touch on things to see. We had a private tour booked and were picked up at the dock at 8am as soon as we got off the ship. In order to beat the crowds we headed directly into Athens and the Acropolis. Arriving there at around 8:20 we were some of the first people to go in. And was it ever worth it. We spent about 45 minutes there and by the time we left, it was already getting quite crowded and talking with others from the ship who got there later, it got really packed later in the day.

In addition to the Acropolis, in the same area is the Propylea (the huge entry gate), the Temple of Athena Nike, the Roman Agora of Athens, and the Parthenon. Words cannot describe the sights you see here. Suffice it to say that the pictures you may have seen do not come close to doing it justice.

In addition to the Acropolis area, while traveling around we saw the Temple of Zeus and went into the Archaeological Museum, which housed numerous artifacts from all over Greece.

Once again we had a fantastic lunch at a small local restaurant that locals go to and was recommended by our guide. Fortunately he went in with us and made some suggestions for lunch and assisted interpreting for us as the staff there spoke very little English.

After lunch we made a quick stop by the Plaka (one of the main shopping areas) where we picked up some excellent Greek olive oil and a bottle of wine.

One interesting thing we noted about Athens was the number of what we thought were stray dogs wandering around, even in the Acropolis. When we asked our guide about them, we found out that they are fully supported by the city. They capture them, spay and neuter them and then release them. After that the city feeds them and takes care of their vet needs. Talk about a dogs life!!

Tomorrow we arrive in Istanbul around 4pm

Naples Italy

Yea! We got a break today, and the sun was out all day and the temperature reached the mid 60’s! With just a few white clouds around, it was a “picture perfect” day. Our tour guide was waiting for us on the pier after we docked this morning. The plan was to follow the coast line around to Sorrento, and making a stop at a couple of the smaller villages along the way, having lunch, then on the way back make a stop at Pompeii.

Leaving Naples behind we started out along the coast. The scenery was absolutely fabulous, and the sea was very calm and blue, and the mountains made a delightful backdrop. We made several photo stops along the way, passed through several small villages until we reached the village of Positano. We stopped there for about an hour so that we could walk around and look at the shops and churches there.

Carrying on from there we reached Sorrento around noon, and did a drive through the city. After a short tour of the city, we stopped at a local pizzeria for lunch, where we had a true Italian pizza. It was the best pizza we have ever had and now we are spoiled and probably will never by another commercial pizza in the US again.

After lunch we were off again heading back toward Naples and made a stop at Pompeii. Because we had to be back onboard by 4:30 we only had about an hour there which wasn’t even enough time. Pompeii is much larger than we thought and we barely saw a third of it before we had to leave. It was amazing to us the amount of work that has been accomplished in restoring the original city from the ashes. You could probably spend 3 hours or more there and still not see it all.

But we are back onboard and ready for a sea day tomorrow. It’s been a tiring three days of tours and we really can use the break. April 4th we hit Athens and start up again.

Cheers!

Roma, the name conjures up images of love, the coliseum, the forum, and of course Vatican City. On a day similar to yesterday, the day started out partly cloudy and as the day progressed, clouds began forming. By early afternoon there were a few scattered rain showers but nothing like we had the day before.

We met our driver at 7:30 and it was off to see Rome. By the time we arrived there, my first thoughts were thankfully we were not there during the height of tourist season. The traffic in Rome rivals Washington DC.

But, our trusty driver knew the city well, and managed to get us around without a lot of trouble, and we went to the Parthenon, the Vatican and saw the Sistine Chapel, the Coliseum, the Forum, the Spanish Steps, the Catacombs, Trevi Fountain, and many other sights around the city. And we had another fantastic lunch at a small local café.

After a very long and tiring day we arrived back at the ship shortly after 6pm. Tomorrow is Naples, Pompeii, and a couple of other places for another long day.

Until then, Cheers.