Istanbul, October 29th -30th

This morning was different, yes our breakfast came ... but we were not moving slowly into a port. Actually we had about 4 more hours until we reached the Istanbul port.

It was cooler on the balcony, it could have been the speed we were moving - but it felt about 5 degrees lower then the rest of the trip. This is what we saw while eating breakfast ...

this is behind us.

We had left the Mediterranean (Aegean) Sea, passed through a narrow channel and we are now in the Sea of Marmara (meaning Marble) ... This body of water connects to the Black Sea on the OTHER side of Istanbul.

So we enjoyed breakfast and began packing our bags. They would need to be packed and outside our rooms by Midnight. We would be heading home the next morning.

Around 11, we headed up to the deck to check out the lunch options and the view ... we were getting closer to Istanbul.

the shore line looked quite different then the previous ports ... these shot were taken through the window at our table during lunch:

the 6 minarets(the spikes), indicate that is the Blue Mosque:

the 4 here, Aya Sofya ...

Topkapi Palace...

the other side, actually Asia ...

This is the bridge that connects Europe and Asia

Asia:

Europe:

Sorry for the rail in the image

On our way to the dock

Once we docked, our group met in to prepare for our city tour, again we would be loading on to busses and show around. I was not exactly sure where we were headed, but that was typical. We then learned that October 29th is Turkish Independence Day, like the 4th of July. This was a big time day of celebration. That accounted for the number of flags we saw on the ride in, but that also meant the Grand Bazaar was closed. Aaron would not be getting a Genuine Fake Watch. But our tour would now include the Blue Mosque.

It was a drastic difference getting on the bus in this thriving metropolis compared to the other ports.

The water used to come right up to this wall ...

From the bus, the blue mosque

From the bus, AyaSofya

AyaSofya, was initially built by Justinian as a christian church. Then it was converted into a mosque as the rulers changed - now it is a museum.

Aaron is standing next to one of the columns of Marble - HUGE

When Aya Sofya was built it was a church .... there are christian images and mosaics all over. When it became a mosque, instead of tearing out and destroying the images - they covered them with thick plaster. In essence preserving them!

the alter in the front ... the center window would be center, notice the alter to the right, facing EAST. When it was transformed to a mosque, the people had to pray facing east ....

Self portrait, by the alter ...

aaron trying to surprise me ...

walking over to the Blue Mosque

courtyard of Blue Mosque

to enter the Mosque, we had to take off our shoes, and we thought Aaron might have to wear a skirt wrapped around his shorts ....

He was cleared, his shorts were long enough ....

the carpet was so soft ...

inside the Blue Mosque ....

The inside - it was a prayer time ....

columns ...

shoes back on ...

but should he have sat here ... if you can read on the steps it says "Do Not Sit Here"

After the Blue Mosque our bus took us to a small shopping area, but again because of the holiday most were closed. So we headed back to the ship, ordered room service (coffee and hot chocolate - awsome mixed!) and got prepared for dinner.

For the final night, RTV6 planned for us to go out on the town for dinner. We ate at Zeyrekhane (i have no idea how to pronounce it!) "Turkish Cuisine at the heart of Istanbul"

We did not just dine, RTV6 rented the entire place, it was ours to hang on the terrace over looking water and the city - wonderful views ....

a mosque lit up ...

on the terrace, sipping "fig juice" it was not the best ..... must be an acquired taste?

The beacon lights are close to our ship ...

inside the restaurant:

at our table :

Aaron made a special friend:

special music

special dancer, from what we could understand, this belly dancer was one of the top in Turkey!

Dinner, Authentic Cuisine ... this was beef wrapped in a pastry, like Beef Wellington .... and a large sprig of lettuce

main dish .... my dad's comment: i looks like someone already ate it.

But it sure did taste good!

dessert ... Sultans Fingers .... not so good (to me)

chocolate cookies, i was too full for even a taste, but Aaron liked them

Hot tea, with an apple flavor, i did like this!

the tea came with small spoons .... Aaron was up for the challenge

Karen and Paul, Mr McDonalds!

Jacki and I ....

Then it was back to the ship, our bags needed to be packed and ready for pick up in 1 hour!

We did not order room service for our final morning, instead we got all packed up, vacated our room and headed to the breakfast buffet ...

When it was time our "color" was dismissed from the ship. WE relocated our bags in the terminal and loaded up busses for the airport to head home ....

Drive to the airport ....

our ship across the "Golden Horn"

Fishing boats in the Sea of Marmara

It took about 45 min to get to the airport, then another hour to get through security and checked in ... then a second round of security at the gate - Turkey does not play!

We had a 3 hour flight to Munich, we raced through customs, another security check and right on to the next plane. For our 9 hour flight to Chicago ... granted we were gaining 6 hours on the flight it was still a long day!

We arrived in Chicago with no issues, glided through customs, found our bags, dropped our bags off and learned our 9:45 flight was delayed .... 2 hours!

We made our way to the gate and found Mr McDonalds was treating RTV6 to McDonalds:) I enjoyed a happy meal, Aaron ... had something. My mind is foggy.

It was nice to be "home - almost.

The flight from Chicago arrived in Indy at 2, my dad picked us up and we where in our bed by 3:15am .... 9 am in Greece! We slept about 5 hours, then began moving getting ready for Aaron's Dads Retirement Party .... 43 years with GM.

What a trip, this was simply amazing.

Aaron and I had not even IMAGINED that the Lord would have planned something like this for us. Even now, after being home two weeks, I cannot believe it.

The Lord is good, and he is true to his promises. PRAISE THE LORD!

GRACE AND PEACE!

Mykonos, October 28

Once again, our breakfast arrived as we were pulling into Mykonos, the most Northern Greek port we visited. While in Rhodes we learned that October 28th was a national holiday: OXI DAY, (oshy) - it is commemorated with military, student and union marches and parades. The Greek flag flies on almost every building. OXI DAY celebrates the very firm "NO!" (OXI!) of the Greek government to the capitulation ultimatum of Mussolini in WWII.

The sun was just breaking through the clouds. We dropped anchor and had plans to meet some of our group by the tenders around 9:45.

Thanks to Jackie O, Mykonos has become the most popular of the Aegean islands.

This island is one of the smallest of the Cyclades (same group as Santorini)

First looks:

The first inhabitants of Mykonos were Cares, then the Phoenicians, Egyptians, Cretans and Ionians.

In 1207, Mykonos was conquered by the Venetians.

In 1537 the island feel under Turkish occupation. 1830 Greece won its independence from Turkey.

Between WWI and WWII visitors arrived to visit the archaeological ruins of Delos.

During World War II, the island was under Axis occupation.

In the 50's tourists began to visit Mykonos on their way to see the ancient ruins of Delos. Delos is an uninhabited island now, but similar to Ephesus the ruins have been uncovered and offer a deep look in to life. It was our hope to take a boat over and visit this area, but because of the rough water we did not make it over to Delos.

Instead we had a wonderful walking tour with MANY surprises!

As we rode the tender in:

Tender Dock, love the little chapel!

The harbor, lined with shops and restaurants:

Petros and his girlfriend ( aaron took this pix, I was 50 ft away)

our ship is in the background

A church around the corner,

Church:

another view, the clouds were looking dark ...

A shop on the square, most shops were closed due to the holiday

cool door ... to a shop

fave shot, missing Foster my blk cat @ home:) He posed perfect!

Winding narrow streets, the white paint made the walk slippery ...

first view of the well-known windmills:

aaron studying the clear clear water:

I am here too, we are in an area called "Little Venice"

we continued winding through the streets

Then we heard bells, and followed the sound - the picture did not turn out great, but the ropes are attached to the bells and men stood outside ringing the bells

two high school students dressed for OXI DAY:

A student band, probably middle school

Military lines up ... for someone important ...

the small church was very cool

the walk way was cleared .....

The band played a short tune, like an annoucement, and a dignitary stepped forward. Our guess, the mayor?

Preparing to enter the church

We stayed and watched the pageantry ... then continued on our way

A new view of little venice,

Heading towards the windmills,

We continued to walk through the streets ...

aaron wandering...

a church:

a church:

the inside of a church ... through the window:

We found our way back to the harbor, on the opposite side ...

something was about to happen....

the band was back!

flags ...

we got in rows ... and the parade came right by!

the parade moved from youngest to oldest .. it was awesome!

After the parade, the street was crowded!

we moved to the beach ...

Then we came upon a dance, i think by high school age students

WE took off to meet the group for lunch, the place we planned to meet was closed for renovations!

But we saw Petros again, could not believe the cats were right there too.

So we wondered and found a place for snacks.

back in little venice for some snacks ... we sat and enjoyed many good eats. A number of people from our group wondered by as we sat and ate - they joined us.

this was a giant lobster ...

after our snack, Aaron and I headed back to the main street ... much less crowded

harbor

the harbor

opposite the tender dock

waiting for the tender back to the ship ....

on the ship for a late lunch

naps ... then time for tea. Ms Georgia (she grew up in Athens) picked up some sweets in Mykonos ... she did not want to be in the pix, but how could I resist!

close up ... everything was so tasty.

We did share, there ended up being about 20 people for tea.

from the tea room,

anchor was up at 4:45 and we were heading to Istanbul

as we headed out of Greece ...

off to dress for dinner .... no shots of our final "dress up " night.

But I did have lobster for dinner!

We hung out with the group, tried to watch the entertainment "Ballroom Dancing" it was worse them the MoTown (dubbed wo-town by Aaron) Aaron and I ended up watching some football in our room and fell asleep.

Off to Istanbul, 311 nautical miles, we would be in port at 2pm.

GRACE AND PEACE!

Rhodes, October 27

The pattern has developed, breakfast arrived and we watched the boat pull into the port. We would be docked today - this was quite a feat. The ship was heading straight to the port, stopped turned 180 and pulled in side ways to the dock, now the ship was positioned to sail straight out. I suppose I am amazed at this because I personally have trouble parallel parking on dry ground - not to mention dealing with water and currents.

First look of Rhodes.

Brief History of Rhodes, Greece

This is the furthest south we traveled ... the island is wrapped by Turkey and Asia-Minor. The island was probably once part of the turkish main land, separated by one of the frequent volcanic eruptions in the region.

Rhodes is the 4th largest Greek Island (540 square miles) The island is one of the most popular vacation spots in the Mediterranean. This island has seen many rulers: Persia, Rome, the Knights of St. John (like Bodrum), Ottoman Turks and finally Greece in 1947.

Rhodes is part of the Dodecanese Island group.

The island used to be home to Colossus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It was a HUGE statue of Helios, the sun god. It stood 131 Ft. It was built 305 BC to celebrate a victory over the Macedonians. It took 12 years to build, using bronze. The statue was in the harbor to greet incoming ships. An earthquake in 227 BC caused it to topple over and it was never rebuilt.

Rhodes consists of two distinct areas - the Old Town and the New Town.

We took a bus tour of the the New Town, and a walking tour of the Old Town.

The day was BEAUTIFUL!

FROM THE BUS:

Mandraki Harbor:

Speculation that the Colossus stood here, between the deer statues:

Heading toward the beaches:

wow BLUE BLUE water ....

again from the bus (we are so close to the edge!)

The bus stopped for this scenic shot:

We posed:

Other direction of scenic shot

tilt:

The Rhodes Acropolis Ruins, most cities had an acropolis, situated at the highest point ....

This was opposite the scenic view.

This was the area for games, like the olympic stadium in Athens.

From the Bus tour, we exited the bus and began the walking tour of Old Town, starting with the Palace of the Grand Masters. The original structure was built in the 14th century, by the Knights of St John. After surviving an earthquake .... but was blown up in 1856 by an accidental explosion. The Italians restored the building in 1930 for Mussolini. The present structures are 20th-century Italian reconstructions.

The first sighting of the Palace and the walls around the Old Town

a little gypsy boy with his dog ...

entering the walls of Old Town

turing the corner - can you feel the excitement!

The Palace, we still had a ways to wind around to actually enter.

The main gate, we did not go in this way - they were working on restorations

The entrance we took

The courtyard:

cool window

still in the courtyard

the grand staircase:

there is NO rail!

the view out of the window, at the top of the stairs ...

one of the many GIANT rooms in the palace, this is the Chamber with Colonnades

a large fireplace ...

venetian chandelier, all blown glass

the "office", another chamber

We also saw a number of mosaics, they had been moved from the island of Kos

back outside,

the cobblestone walkway, if you look close the stones are tiled up on the edges, not laying flat.

looking out to the Old Town

Mosque of Suleiman, built in 1523, commemorates Suleiman's conquest of Rhodes.

Heading down the Street of Knights

This street is lined with Inns of the Tongues ... or nationalities of the order of St. John.

France, Itally, England, Germany, Provence, Spain and Auvergne. In my mind, it was like each counties had an embassy ....

The street lead directly to the harbor, the knights would "muster" here to defend an attack.

If you look close in this image ... can you see the juxtaposition of the cruise ship in the distance!

INside one of the Inns, I think Spain?

This was the French Inn, sticking out from the building are alligators. To be a knight, they believed you must slay a dragon, the alligator seemed close ... our guide said.

the street we just walked down:

getting ready to "get lost" in old town

upside down self portrait ...

a shop under the stairs ...

Old Town

getting some inspiration

Ruins, with in the Old Town walls

Our exit from Old Town, we might make it to the boat for buffet lunch.

just outside the gate

The wall lined street. The water used to come up to the water.

walking back to the port

from the dock, checking out the wall

from the deck of the ship, we made it up to lunch before 2pm.

When we pulled into the port there was ship parked here, Royal Caribbean. What a view when they left ...

Finally a Sunset!

Aaron and I made it up for Tea, then got a special surprise:)

This is the ridge with the acropolis ruins ....

Looking a little ragged ... need to head up to dress for dinner.

But then we began to leave Rhodes ... and I just had to get those shots!

Now up to dress for dinner.

My first appetizer ... a crabmeat with avocado ...

then the escargot ... after I enjoyed them. Instead of butter, they were smothered with pesto!

Aaron had Lamb Chops

my dinner, filet and brussel sprouts

ended with the cheese plate again:)

The group headed to the show lounge for the Motown Gold performance ... 2 words. NOT GOOD.

We headed up to the top of the ship for the 50's and 60' music - MUCH BETTER!

not sure if you can see ... what a nice husband he is holding the purse while they dance:)

Final shot of the night ... Aaron and Todd Kane ... TWINS, just like Arnold and Danny:)

The ship was heading FAST (yes we could tell!) to Mykonos, 171 nautical miles

GRACE AND PEACE!

Daily Devotion - today

Before I share about Rhodes .... I had to share this from my devotion:

God Calling

Remember no day is lost on which some Spiritual Truth becomes clearer. No day is lost which you have given to Me to use. My use of it may not have been apparent to you. Leave that to Me. Dwell in Me, and I in you, so shall ye bear much fruit. The fruit is not the work of the branches, though proudly the branches may bear it. It is the work of the Vine, that sends its life-giving sap through those branches. I am the Vine and ye are the branches.

I pray for NO days that I question how God used me. I ask for Him to open my eyes to see all the glorious ways that He is moving in and around me.

Hitting the Jewelry Studio today ... I am consciously fanning the fire the Lord has placed in me!

*** business plug: now is the time to think about finding that unique handmade gift for: teachers, co-workers, friends, family .... I am ready to create for you! ***

GRACE AND PEACE!

Bodrum, October 26th

Before I start, I must give a shout out to my sister Sawah ... the 26th is her Birthday:)

Happy Birthday Sawah!

This morning was similar to the others, room service woke us up with breakfast and we watched the ship pull into port. It was a hazy morning, which in fact turned into a downpour! While it created havoc for us, this area had not seen any rain in 5 months! And eventually the sun did come out as you will see in the later images.

From our balcony,

Twisting out over the water to get a forward shot. FYI, the orange is the lifeboats.

the boat was now moving sideway to the dock ... it was on the other side of the ship.

Tied up, our view of Bodrum from the balcony.

Now that we are in Bodrum, most people ask what is the significance of this port ... well, at least that was my question. Here is what I learned: the city was first known as Halicarnassus - dating back to the 13th century BC. This place is OLD!! Excavations reveal the 5,000 year history of this town. Homer (not simpson) tells in the Illiad that the Carians helped defend Troy. In the 6th century BC the Persians ruled. Around 353 BC it was the capitol of Satrap of Caria, this was brilliant time for the area. Famous for its trade, sailing and boatbuilding.

The most prominent feature of Bodrum today is the castle of St. Peter. The origins date back to the Knights of St. John. This was a group that began in the 11th century with a church and a hospital in Jerusalem ... while they were devout Catholics, they did not deny care to anyone. When the knights came to Brorum, they named it Mesy, not knowing they were in an ancient city To build the castle, they used any usable parts from the tomb of King Mausolos. (Mausoleum!)

This fortress became known as the Castle of St. Peter, the Liberator. This was the sole place of refugees for all Christians on the West Coast of Asia during the time of the crusades.

The castle has undergone several uses ... a military base, a prison, and a public bath. Now it is one of the finest museums in the region.

I say all that to set up our tour of the Museum ...

Let me first tell you about the treacherous trip from the boat to the terminal to the bus.

Our excursion group met in the show lounge all ready to go, then we heard the thunder and our guides delayed having everyone exit the boat - until the storm passed. Which was a nice warm room. When we finally began our exit of the ship we were given umbrellas, as we stepped off the ship to the dock more then half the umbrellas turned inside out. The rain was not falling down, but coming at the side and the wind was wicked. Aaron and I hurried trying not to slip along the dock into the terminal. We found our bus and settled in. The drive to the castle was about 15 min. During the drive we learned that Bodrum is the hot spot to summer for wealthy Europeans. The boats where magnificent!

On to the museum, entering the castle, love the umbrellas ...

on our way, the rain was still coming down ...

the road map:

into the castle ...

As we moved through the castle, stone reliefs had been placed in the structure, depending on who was "using" the building ...

First view from the top of the castle

View of our ship ...

A relief from the Crusades

The castle, right on the water

A non-christian relic ...

Moving from the outside to the inner sections of the castle

A church, then Masque ... now holds a replica of a shipping boat

No umbrella, the sun is drying all things out

Shipping Vessel:

some of the containers found off the shore:

these containers held olive oil ...

Aaron checking out items found through archeological dives:

an olive press ... it was HUGE!

A courtyard

the walls

next we entered the "glass hall"

at one time the Venitians inhabited this area ... they created beautiful blown glass

The museum was completly black, with lights under the vessels.

It almost seemed like we where underwater.

a demo:

a pretty flower :)

a new view, we where climbing higher in the castle, this is a view of the "old harbor"

ships used to drop anchor and take tenders in ....

now they have a dock on the other side of the castle ...

so many masts ....

the shore leading to our ship

top of the castle

inside one of the towers (notice the SUN!)

our ship is in the background

These boats were huge, rough estimate at $300,000 each, from the boat expert on our trip

A second courtyard, turning into a beautiful day ...

one of the towers

ariel view of castle and old harbor

Following the tour, Aaron and I took the bus back to the boat for room service, cheeseburgers, chocolate shake and fries - YUM!

Returning to the ship, on the dock we got an excellent view of the harbor opposite our room

the castle

After lunch we took naps, then went up to afternoon high tea ... enjoyed classical music tasty scones and tea. Then we got ready for dinner, this was the night to "DRESS" we also would be dining with the Purser, she runs the hotel /money side of things on board.

We had a surprise, docked right next to us was a million dollar yacht ... it was pretty fancy!

We had a cocktail party on the back deck with an excellent view point down into the ship.

Aaron chatting with Paul, aka Mr.McDonalds (he owns 3 in the Greenwood area)

Bodrum at night,

I started with soft shell crab ... yum!

salad ...

this was "da bomb"! Flaky white fish, with diced apples in a light cream sauce ... yum!

Following the example of Todd, I had the cheese plate for dessert - YUM!!!

leaving Bodrum ... the blue lights are the yacht

We set sail at 11pm, heading for Rhodes Greece, 70 nautical miles

GRACE AND PEACE!

Kusadasi, October 25

Europe observes Daylight Savings Time PTL! We received an extra hour of sleep. Did it help - absolutely!

We ordered room service for breakfast again, this time we were ready. The boat was almost to Kusadasi, Turkey so we enjoyed our breakfast as we entered the port. This port we would dock, which provides an easy way on and off the ship. We would be able to move as we desired on and off ...

views from our room

bird island, from our room as we prepared to dock

a zoom, see the castle ...

the dock ....

we were about to turn the propellors and travel sideways to the dock ...

directly out of our balcony ...

After our breakfast, we decided to attend the Enrichment Lecture ... Insight on Ephesus and Kusadasi, by Dr Paula Smith. I think Aaron and I were the youngest people there, but we sure learned plenty!

just some of it .... i did not take notes, but should have!

Kusadasi started as a small fishing village, and now year round has a population of 60,000. In the summer the number doubles. The reason for the draw, the proximity to Ephesus ... one of the most important archaeological sites in the Mediterranean. (Ephesus, as in Ephesians, the letter written by Paul) In that time, Ephesus was on the sea ... it was an important trading port and the sacred center for the cult of Artimis (the fertility goddess) Ephesus like most cities in Asia Minor became a Roman city, then a Christian one. Now as you will see it is only ruins, abut 5K from the shore.

After the talk, I went up to the front of the ship to check out the port .... we were meeting some of the folks in our group to take a taxi together, but I had some time to explore.

The other side of the port:

There was a HUGE ship next to us, this is only half.

Self Portrait, front of the ship ...

back of the ship ... love the sun in my eyes, you can actually see the blue blue water.

Then I heard what can be best described as a Drum-line ... there were traditional Turkish dancers on the dock, I tired to zoom.

It was time to meet our fellow travelers, Maggie and her Mom, as well as Todd and Jacki Kane. We had decided during dinner the previous night that we would find a cab that would take us to Ephesus. We exited the ship and made our way through the port. As we exited the boat, we walked along the dock and then through the port terminal. This lead to the bus tours, shopping and taxis.

We wadded through the shop owners trying to get us to make purchases and found the taxis, this was NOT difficult:

these stations where EASY to spot. Todd did the talking and got us a good deal for round trip passage.

This is a fishing port, right next to the cabs, this man was cleaning fish with a number of cats waiting for any cast offs ....

In the cab, Jacki next to me ... you can also see Maggie's pony tail

Leaving the port, that is the BIG boat.

from the cab out to Ephesus:

The driver dropped us off at the Entrance Gate to Ephesus and would pick us up at the Exit in 2 hours ...

our first views:

pipes created for the PLUMBING system:

Part of our group hired a guide to take them through the ruins, we joined up:

The first area of our visit was in the government section of the city.

One of the promenades, all marble!

Kurets Street.

These stairs lead to the Odeion, used for concerts and government meetings:

the "theater"

on our way out of the theater

ruins of possible homes:

Aaron studying the booklet, taking a rest:

the guide lined the group up ... they looked like they were in trouble:)

again on the promenade, we learned that they had street lights. They stood over 6 feet tall and burned olive oil .... imagine this street lit up!

must be something important ...

Hermes 3rd, 1 century AD

Hadrian Temple, this was the "most beautiful" building on Kurets Street ... this temple was named after one of the emperors...

detail of the arch:

this was located by the Hermis sculpture, a type of square or meeting place

I found these guys interesting, they were sweeping off the marble ... really, there was dust and dirt everywhere.

this is an important relief ... Nike, can you see the swoosh in the flowing gown?

As we turned the corner, more of Ephesus was revealed ....

this street was lined with shops, it was a market place.

shops ...

the mosaic floors in front of the shops ....

I think this cat was posing for me ....

Traian Fountain, 102-114 AD. The excavation is complete and the structure is partially repaired:

Public Latrines ....

Everyone took a turn, hearing some inspiration from Aaron. Above, Sara and Brian. Below Todd, Brian, and Maggie

The MEN used to gather to use the bathroom, this was a major social opportunity for the guys.

The ladies used the bathroom at home.

One of the major gates to the city center .... sorry I do not have the name

the library .... yes two story, 2nd century ...

we did not go inside .... but continued on our journey to the Great Theater

along the marble street - there were these latches, they would open so you could check the underground sewer system ... how sophisticated!

This is the Grand Theater, where Paul preached to thousands in Ephesus ... before he was chased out by the merchants. They chased him out because they made their money selling the idols of Artemis and he hurt their business. This Theater has perfect acoustics. Without microphones the speaker can be heard in all areas.

Aaron sharing the WORD .... looks very natural!

back towards the library...

this was also a market place the theater, self portrait

Harbour Street ... at the end of this marble walk was the WATER!

just to say it again, at the end of this street was the WATER!

a rendering of what this street may have looked like

Behind us, the gymnasium just to the left of the Theater,

This tour was amazing, and we also learned that only 10% of the city has been excavated! Truly amazing. After a 2 hour tour of the Ephesus ruins, we exited to find our cab. But first we had to move through persitent shop owners.

gotta love that McDonalds is everywhere!

Genuine Fake Watches ....

on our way home, we stopped at a rug company. These are all handmade turkish rugs, they are gorgeous, starting at about $2,000. Needless to say Aaron and I did not make the investment.

our ship, those ropes where HUGE!

we returned to the ship for lunch, about 1:55. The buffet was closing at 2. OUr group filled our bellies. Maggie, Tina, Jacki and Todd ventured out to shop. Aaron and I opted for a nap, then a stroll before dinner.

We walked around the bazaar right by the terminal, while we napped it rained. Pretty good plan on our part. We enjoyed this walk, the store owners did not push their goods on us. Surprising I know!

Some head tilting needed:

this was a busy corner, like times square, video and all!

the beach, starting to get dark, our ship is the bright lights

dinner was at Portofino's, this is the "private" reservation only dinning room.

The room was all RTV6 people.

This evening we only had to make a few choices, this was the salad ... greens and mackerel

I tried it, very fishy - like tuna.

Aarons Dinner: veal i think?

my dinner, eggplant lasagna

Dessert ...

After dinner, a group headed off the ship to a bar near the dock. We all had to be back on the ship by 10:30 ...

Jacki and I, not bad self-portrait shot

Maggie and I, not a self portrait shot ...

Aaron and I, upside down self-portrait ...

Really, in Turkey? Starbucks and McDonalds - world wide!

We were the last people on the ship. Right as Todd stepped on they radioed and began to undo the ropes. We went up to the top of the ship, Galileos to watch us leave Kusadasi ...

Leaving Kusadasi ....

On to Bodrum, Turkey ... 111 Nautical miles

GRACE AND PEACE!

Santorini, October 24

We slept like rocks, at 7:30 the door bell rang to our suite with a call "Room Service" we had breakfast in our room. We both thought they were early ... but simply we were exhusted!

The ship was still moving, out the window we could see land. We rolled ourselves out of bead, wrapped in toasty robes and watched the ship slide into the port enjoying our breakfast.

From the balcony ...

The first tender took off from the ship at 9am heading to Athinios, Santorini. The rest of us stayed on board until 10, when the ship relocates to Thira, Santorini, Greece.

This was the original view from our room of the port - Thira.

Original view it changed through the day, we learned that the water is so deep the ship cannot drop anchor, therefore the captain maneuvers the ship around the area through the day. WOW!

Still looking a bit ragged, we hopped on board a tender to take us ashore. Warning, I take a lot of "self portrait" shots.

As we stepped off the ship, we were given three options of getting from the port to the town of Fira ... the town is 890 ft above the port. The choices: walk 580 steps, ride a donkey (580 steps) or ride the cable car.

CHECK out the BLUE sky! WHEEW

This is a shot right outside the cable car entrance ... for 8E we opted for the "quick" ride. With the possibility of walking down.

The ride was spectacular! Just one shot from the cable car.

Previously, we decided that we would just walk around the town, not have anything planned. We knew that the area had winding roads, but that we should be able to find our way back to the cable car ... so we wandered!

First shot off the cable car, pretty amazing to see these buildings built on top of each other.

tilt your head for a proper angle ...

just around the corner, a shot into the sea

From the top, a shot of our ship and the caldera ... which is still and active volcano. Our ship is the smaller of the two.

We then began winding through the small city, full of shops ... and walked until we could see the water on the other side.

We found ourselves no longer in the winding shop filled streets - but we did see the water on the opposite side of the island ....

This will be a shot I zoom and crop with the two blue domes they are churches ... I learned that the blue color we see so often in Greece is a Holy color and it keeps evil away. LOVE that color blue!

A hotel, over looking the water ....

on our way back to find the cable car, we sat and watched the traffic

From here we walked back to the cable car, worn out - ready to head back to the ship for lunch. It was about 1pm. Opted NOT to walk down the donkey trail. There were a few brave souls that did make the trek, so we could all live vicariously through them .... they dubbed the trail the Donkey Doo Trail.

We found our way back, and got MORE spectacular shots .... our ship is the only one still at port.

the steep cliffs .... from the cable car

Shot down to the port .... from the cable car

The tenders ran every half hour, so we had some time before we headed back. I then took shots of some blue doors ..... sorry, again the tilting of the head is necessary.

check out the clear water ...

Once back on the ship, we headed to the lunch buffet. We ate on the outside deck and took more pictures ....

a tender leaving port heading to ship

view of Oia ...
view towards Athinios ....
Back to Fira ... can you see the winding road, 580 steps ... the Donkey Doo Trail,

From lunch we headed to the suite for a nap ... there was a reception on the 11th deck for our group. This would allow us an optimal view as we head out of Santorini. Please remember, the ship is moving and it is getting dark - the shots are not the greatest, but I think you get the point:)

Fira, the lights are along the Donkey Trail ... the winding trail was to slow down the pirates.

Towards Oia,

Oia,

This evening was lovely, it was still about 70 on the ship, very comfortable! From the cocktail party we headed to dinner ....

our table - making the plan for Kusadasi, Turkey the port October 25th.

I did not get pictures of our meal, but here are our desserts ... they we SOO good!

Following dinner we made our way to the show lounge for the entertainment ...

Comedy Magician Harry Maurer.

Aaron was selected to be part of the show, we really thought we had selected seats far enough away from the stage, but he found him. Aaron became a celebrity on the ship - we are not surprised! :)

Following the show we turned in for the night - again exhausted. Lucky us, Day Light Savings time in Europe ended that night and we got an extra hour. We again put in for breakfast room service, 8am, hoping to get better adjusted to the time.

Our heads hit the pillow and we were off to Kusadasi, Turkey .... 139 nautical miles.

GRACE AND PEACE!