May 4 Istanbul Turkey

So we sailed from the Aegean Sea through the straits of Dardanelles and Bosporus into the Black Sea where Istanbul sits on the southeastern part of Europe and also Asia Minor. So we have European Turkey and Asian Turkey.. Today is overcast and dreary, and raining a bit, somehow it seems right,the weather seems to fit Turkey, but off we go on our tour.

First stop- the Mosque of Sultan Ahmet which is also called the Blue Mosque, we stand in a long line in the rain, get to the door and have to take our shoes off and put them into a little bag and carry them all wet and dripping. The Mosque is stunningly beautiful, amazing, so ornate on the inside, gorgeous blue tiles all over the walls and a magnificent ceiling. It felt very holy to me,it was huge and vast and yet it felt warm and welcoming. A portion was roped off where the MEN could go and pray, the women were segregated to the back of the mosque,this society is not very respectful of women in any way. Outside the Mosque is the Hippodrome where all the political struggles and uprisings of the Byzantine Empire used to take place.

Next we visited St Sophia originally built in 532 AD and over the years has been a church, a mosque and a museum. The dome is huge and most impressive...strangely the inside has gorgeous fresco's of Mary and Jesus,as well as huge banners with turkish writing from the mosque.
On to the ancient Bascilica cistern built in the 6th Century, under the city used to supply safe water to the city during the attacks when the city was under siege, it has 336 marble columns and is 2.4 acres in size, part of the James Bond movie from Russia with love was filmed here...it was damp and kinda creepy.....

Last stop, The Grand Bazaar, big highlight of Istanbul, and it is closed cause it is Sunday. The shops around it are open, so we wander, check out some amazing lighting shops with beautiful blown glass. I found a cool restaurant with authentic Turkish bread and food. In the front window of the place two women sat on cushions and made the flat bread, spread out and worked the dough and cooked it on these grill things, some of them they stuffed with spinach, cheese and minced meat. The meal was good, served by men in fluffy pants, vests and a red fez, it ended with apple tea, must say I was diggin that!! Interesting city and people!

may 3 Ephesus (Izmir) Turkey

Izmir is one of the oldest cities in the Mediterranean, it is surrounded by mountains and olive groves, and the blue Aegean Sea. The drive to Ephesus is through fields or farmland, fig trees, olive trees, fruit trees and mountains.

Ephesus is one of the most beautiful ancient cities in the world and considered the 7th wonder of the ancient world. It was built in the 3rd century BC and dedicated to the goddess Artemis. The ruins are amazing and they have done an incredible job piecing them back together. We visited the Amphitheater, Library of Celsus, Temple of Hadrian, Scholastic baths..aka toilets or a slab of stone with holes lined up where the men would go every morning and shit and chat. also saw Lower Agora, state agora and Odeon.

Next stop a beautiful garden of roses also home to the carpet makers...we got a demonstration of how the silk is spun out of the worm cocoons and how the carpets are weaved...so much work!! The silk carpets take months to make. I could not resist buying a beautiful angora wool rug, made in the mountains in this little town, all the colors in the rug come from natural dies, saffron, crushed bugs and flowers, the angora wool is a unique gray color in its natural state. They folded it up and stuck it in a carry-on bag and off I went!!!

It's My Birthday!! In Mykonos Greece!!!!

Quite a way to wake up on the big day....in port at Mykonos! Another beautiful Greek Island... this one very cosmopolitan, attracting lots of artists and intellectuals from all over the globe..also known for it's fabulous beaches!! The capital is Hora, with a cute harbor with little fishing boats..as well as some pretty swank yachts!

The streets are narrow and whitewashed, everything stands out against the beautiful sea and sky, and lovely bougainvillea, I can't help snapping pictures everywhere...someday maybe everyone will get a peek. The town seems almost not real it is so beautiful. At the end of the street around the corner a bunch of little taverns sit on the water and overlook the windmills of Mykonos.

I am serenaded by a table of maybe 10 at one of the little outdoor restaurants, with a loud Happy Birthday!! We join them for some lunch...and more exploring lovely Mykonos!

And back on ship for formal night in the dining room and Birthday party for me!!

may 1 Santorini Greece

I awake to a gorgeous view out the window this morning!!!!!!!! Santorini Greece!! in the Cyclades, Aegean Sea is one of the most spectacular landscapes in Greece and in the world. As I look out the island surrounds us and set high up on the cliffs are all white villages, contrasting against the blue sky, it is breathtaking, seriously! They look like snow capped mountains!

The island forms a crescent around the submerged volcano. The entire center of the circular island sank into the sea when the volcano erupted. It is called a caldera and is the largest one on earth. The volcanic cliffs are red, brown and greenish and are walls of pumice stone...that used to be mined from the island. The road winds up the sheer cliffs from the port to the top of the island, covered with low lying bushes, which turn out to be their vineyards.

There are 13 villages around the island the two most famous and impressive are Oia and Fira. Fira is the capital of Santorini and the largest village all perched on a cliff, with houses, churches, shops and restaurants carved into the cliff side. We visited Oia 1st, it is set way out at the end of the island and is absolutely stunning!! I wandered the narrow paths, wandering down corridors for secret views into houses set into the cliff, pools, real infinity pools...all looking down on the deep blue Aegean Sea. the churches with their blue roofs, match the bright blue sky...it is just as it looks in all the incredible photos you see....

We travel on around the island, vineyards, donkey's, terraced land and the beautiful beaches. We arrive in Fira and head to a lovely restaurant for lunch... with a view so distracting it was hard to look at the menu and order. The baked feta and greek salad were perfect, and lovely Greek wine. We wandered through the narrow streets and shopped, heading for the tram to get back down to the boat..or the donkey ride down the huge cliff...I had a skirt on and was a bit alarmed about riding side saddle down a cliff...so tram it was... Only regret is not being able to see a sunset from Oia!!!

4.29.08 at sea 4.30.08 Iraklion, Crete

another day at sea cruisin back up from Egypt and back into the beautiful islands of Greece. This stop at Crete we are on the other side of the island from where we let the medical emergency off. We are at the port of Iraklion.

Iraklion is a pretty little town sitting up above the sea. We spent the day wandering around the city with it's lovely cafes and small winding streets. The day was sunny and warm and we ate lunch at the big square in the center of town, lined with outdoor cafes. I could eat Greek food all day! Back to shopping and wandering, we turn down a small street and find a cool little area with really chic restaurants and bars loaded with trendy young people. I had to check my watch, yep a weekday at 2pm and all these people are out socializing. It was a very cool place and vibe....

Continued back down the streets toward the water. Spent some time checking out the boats in the marina and the old fort sitting at the end of the pier. The water here is crystal clear and blue,blue,blue, makes me want to jump in!!!!!

Iraklion is also the largest city on Crete and the home of the palace of Knossos. A little history..Knossos is home of King Minos whose wife gave birth to Minotaur,half-bull, half-man.