July 7, 2014 Trying to Catch Up

June 30, 2014 – Mediterranean Cruise – Istanbul – Day 2

Last evening was perfect. The minibus picked us up at the hotel for the drive to the tour docks. These are past the cruise ship terminal. As we passed the cruise ship dock we could see Insignia at her berth. She had arrived in the morning, but her passengers would stay board overnight.

At the tour docks we boarded our vessel for the dinner cruise. We went to the top deck where we were served a welcoming beverage. Sine other hotel vans had not arrived we watched the traffic on the Bosphorous. This connects the Sea of Marmora to the Black Sea, and is active with tankers, cargo ships and a multitude of ferries. The ferries have many stops for The Old City, The New City and the Asian side of Istanbul. They run like buses.

Shortly after we cast off, we went to the first deck for dinner and entertainment. Dinner was wholesome but unexciting. The entertainment consisted of dancing rag dolls followed by folk dancers before the featured event, the belly dancer. She was very good, and did well at involving the guests. I respectfully declined her offer to dance with me. She promptly recruited a young man a third my age. Guess she was being polite.

After the entertainment, the disc jockey switched into dance mode. His first set ws two slow numbers that Alice and I danced. We were joined by four other couples for the first number. The first half of the second number had three couples on the floor. The second half had one, us. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We could not believe that we, who dance so rarely, were dancing in Istanbul. We loved it.

After dancing we went back to the top deck to take in the lights of the city. There are two bridges that cross the Bosphorous. They take traffic from the European side of Istanbul, where the tourist sites and business districts are, to the Asian side, which seems to be primarily residential.

There are many beautiful homes and palaces along the shores. Both bridges have light display at night. The one closest on the European side is the fourth longest suspension bridge in the world. It has an elaborate array of LED lights that are automated to present a constantly changing light show.

We returned to the dock, and were driven back to the Amador Hotel. It was a perfect evening. We are still pinching ourselves.

After another good breakfast, we walked down the hill on a different street headed toward Topkapi Palace. We had arranged with the hotel for a  late checkout at 2:00 PM. Thank goodness we did. The palace is huge. The grounds are very expansive and the trees are ancient. We would love to know what they have experienced over their many years.

The palace building are large and many. They served government and administrative purposes as well as the private needs of the sultans. The gardens, ponds and fountains are beautifully maintained. The crowds of visitors only brought congestion at a few buildings, the Treasury, filled with jewels, and the armory, where we saw many types of weapons and protective gear.

After a delightful four hours here, we headed back to the hotel. The desk manager called a taxi for us. The porter brought our luggage down. By the time he got it down the taxi had arrived. The desk manager had told us the fare would be about ten lire. Luggage crammed into the small trunk, we headed off after thanking everyone at the hotel.

About two blocks the driver muttered ”Oh, meter” and turned it on. We had been told that a frequent scam was to pretend to forget to turn on the meter and then over charge for the missed portion of the trip. I finally found the meter which was under the dash, and watched it click away for two blocks. That was .25 lire. At the port the meter showed 9.41 lire, but the driver said 15 lire. I gave him the 15 which in my thinking included an ample tip for unloading 4 bags. He drove away disgusted. Too bad.

We wheeled our bags to the gate and showed our passports. We were allowed through and directed to the terminal. There, we were met by Insignia crew members, who took our bags. We entered the terminal passed through security and were quickly checked in by the greeters for Insignia. Soon we were aboard and directed to the Terrace Café because our stateroom was not ready. It was 2:30. We had left the hotel at 2:00. Talk about bang, bang service.

Just as we sat down in the Café, it was announced that all staterooms were now available. Lunch would wait. We headed to 6052. It is vey elegantly appointed, but somewhat cramped. The shower is the smallest we have ever had, except for the one on the Russian riverboat. Maybe we will grow used to this.

Elena, our cabin stewardess, stopped to introduce herself, and make sure we were satisfied with everything. We assured her that we were. Then we went back to the Terrace Café for lunch. This is the buffet service on Insignia. It, too, is very elegant with excellent selections. We enjoyed a quick meal. This would be dinner, as we had a panoramic tour of Istanbul scheduled for the evening. After scouting out the ship we prepared for the tour.

The tour was a ride on an open decked bus. It took us across the Bosphorous bridge to the Asian side and then back to tour the Old City after a drive past Taksim Square and across the Golden Horn. We passed several sites that we had already visited. It was fun to see them lit up. Before returning to the ship, we made a stop at the square in front of the Blue Mosque. This was again full of people breaking the fast with family and friends. It was very festive, just like our first night in Istanbul.

Back onboard safe and sound we slept like babies.

July 1, 2014 – Mediterranean Cruise – Istanbul – Day 3

First, let me say that I am writing this on July 5^th from our veranda. I am looking out across the harbor at the beautiful shoreline of Corfu Town. Ferries are coming and going, planes are landing on an approach directly over the ship and the temperature is in the low 80’s with no clouds and the most beautiful blue water imaginable. I hope to get this blog caught up today.

After a quick breakfast we left the ship and walked a few long blocks to the tram station. Because this was not an interchange station we had to buy tokens at 4 lire or $2 each. This meant that our round trip to the area of Hagia Sophia would cost $4 each, $8 total. A taxi driver had just quoted us $15 each way. Not only was this cheaper, but far faster, since the trams do not get bogged down in the horrendous Istanbul traffic.

In 5 stops, 15 minutes, we were in line to enter the Blue Mosque. Alice and I had worn long slacks and had covered our shoulders as well. She only had to put her scarf over her head and we were properly attired for entry.

The mosque is very impressive. Its size is one thing, but the beauty and number of the tiles covering the ceilings and walls is what really overwhelms. Our amazement at the artistry and craftsmanship of the people who built these sites so many years ago grows with each new visit.

We left and walked through the square that has become like home to us. It was not as crowded since it was mid morning. There were no people there waiting to break their fast.

On the other side of the square we joined another line. This time we were waiting for tickets to enter Hagia Sophia. Upon entering we were again awed by the enormity of this house of worship. Its dome was the largest in the world for 500 years before modern architecture surpassed it. The vastness of the worship space the served first as a Christian church, then as a mosque and now as a museum is stunning. After absorbing the main floor, we went to a sign that said ramp to upper level. This was indeed a stone ramp that maneuvered back and forth to get us to the balcony on the upper level. The engineering that went into creating the ramp is impressive. The views from this balcony were even more impressive. We finally went to the other end of the building to take the ramp down to the main level.

Thoroughly amazed. We walked to the tram stop and returned to Insignia. We had 45 minutes to prepare for the Safety Drill. This was unlike any other drill we have experienced. Our muster station was in the Grand Dining Room. After directing us to tables organized by lifeboat we were checked in, given verbal instructions and then ushered out to our lifeboat station. We don’t get the reasoning behind the internal mustering, but so be it.

Once we were dismissed from the drill we watched Sail Away, paid a visit to Happy Hour and had dinner in the Grand Dining Room. It is open seating on Insignia. We opted to share a table, and dined with a couple from Perth and a couple from Auckland. We enjoyed a marvelous dinner with their great company, and then we crashed.

July 2, 2014 – Mediterranean Cruise – Kusadasi

We arrived in Kusadasi shortly. Our shore excursion was scheduled to leave at 1. Because we have been here before we chose an excursion that did not include Ephesus. Instead we went to the ruins at Klaris and Metropolis.  There were only 6 of us on this tour in a minibus. We had room to spare and a guide who was extremely knowledgeable. Facts and details kept flowing from him, and there were no questions he could not answer. Best of all his English was perfect.

These are considered lesser sites. While hundreds of thousands of tourists visit Ephesus, only a few  thousand see these two. We were the only tourists at each site. Metropolis is the larger of the two sites, and it still has a lot of digging to be done. We did see the amphitheater, the baths, some dwellings and the administration buildings. Much is very intact. It is a lot smaller than Ephesus, but very similar in content. It did require a lot of walking up and down hills and stairways, but we managed nicely.

July 3, 2014 – Mediterranean Cruise – Santorini

We arrived early in the morning, and anchored in the caldera where the ferries land. This is more centrally located on the island, and the tour busses are able to meet the tenders right at the shore.

Again, we have visited this port before. In May, 2009 Sean and I spent the weekend between 2 weeks on a sailboat in the Greek islands here. Then Alice and I drove the island in October to wee what Sean and I had been up to. This time we chose to see the island by private boat. 12 passengers were driven in two vans to a harbor where we joined the crew of 3 on a catamaran.

Our first stop was the red beach for a swim. Then we motored into the wind until we reached appoint where we would be able to tack into the caldera. The captain was excited. The wind was blowing at 25 Knots. He said we would be flying. He set the sails with a double reefed main. Off we went. We did a steady 7.5 knots into the caldera. We passed Insignia at her new anchorage below Fira Town, and continued on around the various islands.

What a great time we had. It was a very congenial group. The captain and the two young lady attendants were all from Slovenia. They do this for seven months and then return home for the winter. The captain has been doing this for 15 years. The company he works for has 6 other boats on Santorini. He did all of the sail management and piloting by himself. What neat job to be able to do something you love and get paid for it.

After the sail, the vans took us to Fira. Here we walked up the hill of the main street, and took the cable car down to the tender dock. Shopping was at a minimum. Most of the shops were jewelry. The few clothing stores did not meet our tastes, and the fabric stores had no appealing designs.

July 4, 2014 – Mediterranean Cruise – Zakynthos

Today is Alice’s birthday. We had a nice breakfast and headed of on a tour of Zakynthos. This small Ionian island is mountainous and was devastated by an earthquake in 1953. As aresult the towns have been rebuilt. There are still a few pre-earthquake buildings left standing as a reminder of how things were.

Our guide took us first to a high observation point where we could view the whole city and much of the island.

From there we proceeded to a church where the entire inside was destroyed by fire many years ago. The congregation is slowly restoring it. Two men are wood carving the ornamentation to match the original design. There work is all done by hand. The detailing is extraordinary. They have completed most of the work but do still have a good bit to go.

Our next stop was a Taverna high on a cliff looking over the sea. Here we enjoyed some Ouzo with a light lunch. A local couple and a small boy danced some traditional Greek dances for us. Audience participation followed with the Finns sitting out this one. A beautiful ride through the countryside took us back to Insignia.

After showering and changing we headed to Tuscano, the Italian specialty restaurant, in celebration of Alice’s milestone birthday. We shared a table with 2 couples. One couple from New York was onboard to sell coin-based jewelry in the shop. The other couple was from Denver and had worked at Los Alamos for the government. We had a fun time. But Oceania let us down. Holland America always present a birthday cake for dessert. Oceania blew it. Alice was not honored. We mentioned the gaff to the host on our way out. He was surprised and said he had no notice of it. As he talked he kept looking through his lists. He stopped abruptly. He began apologizing profusely because he had found Alice’s name on his list, but did not know how it could be missed. We need only to remind him the next time we dine ther and he will take care of it. Oh well!

July 5, 2014 – Mediterranean Cruise – Corfu

That brings us to Corfu. Our early tour took us to a monastery high on a cliff on the other side of the island. It was beautiful, and so were the views. Then we drove to a viewpoint to see a small island known as Mouse Island. It is just offshore next to the landing approach for the international airport. We were more interested in the landing planes than the island.

Our final stop was at the old fort built to guard the city. From this point our guide took us into the old city where we stopped at another beautiful church. We then had about an hour of free time before returning to the fort to board the coach for the trip back to Insignia.

Alice and I used this time to locate a ship approved jewelry store that carries the Pandora line. We have decided that for her birthday Alice should start a necklace (she does not wear bracelets) with Pandora charms that are local to our travels. We found the shop and started the collection with a Lucky Eye for Greece. This is our last Grecian port. The charm is very pretty, and we will be sure to look for more charms at our remaining ports.

Caught up at last. Now I have to work in some photos, but first we are off to dinner in Polo, The steakhouse specialty restaurant. We hope this is better than Tuscano was last night. So far we rank the dining options Grand Dining Room, Terrace Café then Tuscano. We will know in a few hours where Polo fits.

The sun is getting lower, and the light on Corfu is getting richer and richer. I hate to go in, but we do not want to lose our reservation