Merhaba from Istanbul!

We entered the south end of the Bosphurus, the channel separating the two continents and also connecting the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara, then turned into the Golden Horn (a horn-shaped inlet), and finally docked at the port of Karakoy.





Our first stop in Istanbul was the Grand Baazar, the world's first shopping mall with over 4,000 shops. The shopkeepers were friendly and less aggressive than expected. Because it was Saturday just before closing ( the Bazaar is not open on Sundays), they were relaxed and having fun. Their conversation starters ranged from, "You're from America? I LIVED in America!" to "I think I'm in love." (Addressed, of course, to the girls.). The shopkeeper in the photo offered to marry Clare - or was it Isabelle? - while his friend married the other in exchange for the two pillow covers we had just purchased. It didn't seem very fair, so we passed. (Notice his friends reacting in the background.)




















We paused to drink hot apple tea, designed to sustain and energize shoppers. It was delicious. And we did continue to shop till we realized we had no idea where we were. We'd arranged to meet our cab driver where he'd left us off, but where was that? Fortunately, I'd taken a picture of the gate we'd entered (see above), soon identified as Gate #9, "the leather gate" by the many vendors and a policeman who tried to help us. ((note to travelers: when you're lost, your camera is better than a map.)
















Early morning, and we're the only ones in the courtyard of The Blue Mosque. (We thought it opened at 8 a.m.). It was the only time we were alone the rest of the day. (Note our new scarves purchased the day before.)






One of the thousands of Istanbul's cats greets us as we enter the Mosque.
















The dome of The Blue Mosque, named for the blue tiles that adorn the inside walls.






















Where the women gather to worship.























Putting our shoes on after removing them for our visit to the mosque. (Don't worry, parents, socks were worn, and as you can see, shoulders and knees were covered.)





The beautiful Blue Mosque as seen on our way to Hagia Sophia.






























The interior of Hagia Sophia can hold Paris' Notre Dame Cathedral. Though filled with a thousand or more visitors, it seemed spacious and peaceful. The white circles are chandeliers, a modern addition. Originally a Byzantine church, it became a mosque during the Ottoman rule. The exquisite frescos were white washed which, ironically, preserved them. Now a museum, both the frescos and huge discs with the names of Allah in calligraphy, an Islamic decoration, reside together.






Isabelle is putting her thumb inside the Column of St. Gregory. Legend says that if you feel Gregory's "tears," your prayer will be answered. If you don't feel dampness, then you need to turn your thumb 360 degrees, a difficult feat! (We all felt his tears, thankfully.)





















The Basilica Cistern, a massive underground reservoir built by the Romans.





The Topkapi Palace where sultans reigned with their harems. Famous treasures are the Topkaki dagger with its massive emeralds, the Spooner diamond with its 80 plus carets, and the holy relics - David's sword, Moses' staff, Abraham's pot and the beard of Mohammad (yes, really!)





















A refreshing breeze from the Bosphorus cooled us just as it did the Ottoman royal families until their long rule ended in 1923.




















The Spice Market with the aroma of curry, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, tea and every herb and spice known since traders from around the ancient world first met here.















We walked back to the ship across the bridge over the Golden Horn, enjoying the breeze, fishermen, and families out for a Sunday stroll. This was our second and probably last visit to Istanbul, but Clare and Isabelle are promising to return someday.

Location:Istanbul

At Sea

Boarding Louis Cruise's CRISTAL in the port of Piraeus.





The lifeboat drill. (No, we don't wear our life jackets to dinner.) Our fellow passengers are mostly from Italy, Spain, France and Australia. Lots of families, many teenagers. A lively roster. We're happy the girls will be surrounded by young people from so many different countries. Not sure if they need a curfew, but ours is ten p.m.











Going through the Dardenelles.














Dancing on the windswept decks, our traveling ballerinas capture the moment! (photos by Isabelle and Clare)





Enjoying life at sea.



















Formal Night. The ladies looked elegant, especially the dynamic duo, but there was not a tux to be seen and very few ties, much to Jerry's relief and delight. (He was comfortable and handsome in his long-sleeved shirt.)



























Our arrival in Istanbul! A panoramic view of the only city in the world to straddle two continents, Europe and Asia. We were greeted by dozens of friendly dolphins, two of whom posed briefly for us.
























A skyline like no other - the Blue Mosque with its six minarets on the left (the Hagia Sophia -"Divine Wisdom" - behind it) and the Suleman Mosque on the right. Why six rather than the usual four minarets? Supposedly the sultan asked the architect for four GOLD minarets, but "gold" sounds like "six" in the Turkish language, and that's what the architect heard.

Location:Aegean Sea and Sea of Marmara

Our Day in Ruins

We begin the journal of our second full day in Athens with another photo of Wednesday's great adventures. Somehow missed this picture because I was too tired to figure out how to access it (at one in the morning.) But it's a nice way to introduce yesterday's trip when we drove southwest to the ancient city of Corinth, the Corinthian Canal and other ruins in the area of Argolis on the Peloponnisos. We call it "Our Day in Ruins."









First stop: the incredible achievement of the late 1800's, the Corinthian Canal which saved ships hundreds of sailing hours by cutting through the isthmus between mainland Greece and the Peninsula. Begun in 1880 it was finished in 1893.










The ruins of ancient Corinth where St. Paul visited, chastised and cajoled these early Christians. The mountain in the background is the Acropolis of Corinth. About 700,000 people once lived here, 400,000 of whom were slaves. St. Paul had lots to do.





Here's an architecture lesson: The first column, simple in design is from the Doric period, the second (snail design) is Ionic and the third, more complicated design is Corinthian. (You will be tested later.)








The plan of the original city.


We discovered this carving depicting a man in a boat. Makes sense in Corinth since many of its inhabitants were hard-living sailors. (Another reason Paul was faced with obstacles here.)


The Lion's Gate at Mycenae, built in 13th century BC. (That's 3,300 years ago if you're counting.) The heads of the lions were plundered.



Mycenae had a commanding view of the countryside.



The girls try out some modeling poses for their "life in the ruins" shoot. Hmm, could they be getting tired of posing for me?


The Northern Gate (the city's back door).


The Treasury of Atreus, a beehive tomb, often referred to as Agamemnon's tomb. It dates back to the 14th century BC. (This information comes from National Geographic Traveler provided by Clare, the Historian.)


The charming seaside town of Nafplio, original capital of Greece following the War of Independence from Ottoman rule in 1821. (Make your reservations now. Tourists have discovered its a great place to get away from it all.)


Gelato beautifully presented and gratefully consumed in the afternoon heat.



The Palamidi Fortress, a castle on the hill built by the Venetians in the 18th Century.


Another favorite resting spot.











Another proclamation by Isabelle. "OPA!"


The acoustically-perfect theatre at Epidaurus, built in the 4th century BC and still used for performances.


We were shy about performing, so we executed a few dance steps. A group of Italians, however, were not so shy and entertained us with snippets from various operas. They could be heard in the top row.


The adjoining sanctuary dedicated to Asklepios, god of healing, son of Apollo.


Papa "heals" the girls who are suffering from heat exhaustion. (It's either 103 or 95 degrees, depending on our driver Cosmos' interpretation or Papa's science education. We're going with Papa - it's 95, but felt like 103.)


One last photo of the Acropolis (taken at 10 p.m.)



A balmy evening, Chamomile tea and a lemon meringue tart. Once again, does it get any better than this?

Location:Argolis