Greece & Turkey cruise

A 12-day adventure by Cathy Read more

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Trip start
June 16, 2016
Greece & Turkey cruise Cathy Duguay
Tampa International Airport
June 15, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C
Despite my worries, the trip began without a hitch. The van was waiting when we dropped the car at Memorial Airport Parking and Dani met us at the Air Canada check-in counter soon after we arrived. The flight to Toronto was uneventful. I'm sure Larry & Dani appreciated my sprint to our next gate but we arrived in time for a bathroom break, if not much else. Athens here we come!Read more
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Greece & Turkey cruise Cathy Duguay
Athens
June 16, 2016 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C
After a long and mostly sleepless flight, we landed in Athens and found Nikki waiting in the lobby at the Athens Lotus Hotel. She'd already scouted out a deli where we enjoyed lunch and planned our afternoon. Since we were jet lagged & had been sitting for hours, we decided to walk to the National Archaeological Museum. Nikki especially enjoyed the ancient statues and was a wealth of information. Fading fast, we returned to the hotel for a nap before venturing off to dinner at an authentic Greek restaurant Larry had found recommended on Trip Advisor. It lived up to its billing & we particularly enjoyed the grilled veggie appetizer.
Walking back, I spotted what I assumed was a liquor store so we ventured in to pick up some wine for the cruise. The checkout process was a little sketchy. The guy on the floor held up the bottle for another guy in a booth above to see & price. Once all items had been added up, we put the money into a basket that had been lowered down. It was hoisted to the upper level & our change deposited into the basket & once again lowered. Maybe it was a bootlegging operation, but we got our wine.Read more
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Acropolis, Athens
June 17, 2016 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C
Some serious walking and sightseeing today. Nikki navigated the subway system and we arrived at the Acropolis bright and early. A long climb to the top offered spectacular views of the city. On the way up we imagined ancient citizens attending events at Herodeon. The Parthenon is impressive. Even that early in the a.m. there are lots of tourists with selfie sticks.Read more
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Erechtheon and more ancient wonders
June 17, 2016 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C
So many ruins! We explored Erechtheon, Areopagus Hill, Ancient Agora, The Temple of Hephaistos & The Tower of the Winds before surrendering to a break, a new hat for Dani & exploring the shopping in Plaka.Read more
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National Gardens, Athens Greece
June 17, 2016 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C
We needed some shade so we walked up the hill to enjoy the National Garden. Enroute we were enticed to partake in the "free wifi, cool AC and good food" of a cafe by a man on stilts. Promising to come back, we made our way to the gardens to cool off under the trees for a bit. Realizing we were close to The Temple of Zeus we made our way there, established that it was part of our ticket package and got a few cool pics. Again, Nikki was a wealth of knowledge but some of us were past absorbing much more. The tall man was calling and the cafe lived up to all his promises plus it was very economical. Then it was back to the hotel for another rest.Read more
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Lycabettus Hill,
June 17, 2016 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C
The funicular to Lycabettus Hill is at the top of what seemed like hundreds of steps and we arrived slightly out of breath only to wait for a half hour for the next trip up. We were entertained by the looping ad for Metaxa, a Greek brandy, as we anticipated the "fun" ride ahead, only to be disappointed that we were in at tunnel and there was no view. The vista at the top more than made up for it and we sampled the famed Metaxa along with more enjoyable fare at the restaurant overlooking the city. We got seriously lost on our hike down but met a lovely young lady & her son who had lived in NY & LA. She steered us back to civilization where we had a late dinner before heading back to our hotel.Read more
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The famous Sandal-Maker
June 18, 2016 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 35 °C
The girls were up early for our shopping excursion. We took the subway to Psirri where we found a flea market and purchased a few treasures. Our main mission was to find "The Poet Sandal-Maker to the Stars" but we were disappointed that he wasn't set to open until later in the day. While were peeked in the windows, one of the shopkeepers appeared & announced they'd be open in 10 minutes. Killing time, we explored the area & found a funky tea shop but only had time for a photo op. Returning to the now very busy sandal shop, we all made our selections and had them custom fitted. Three more happy customers for the famous sandal guy.Read more
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Piraeus Greece, The cruise begins
June 18, 2016 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 35 °C
A pleasant taxi ride to the port, followed by a calm & welcoming embarkation on The Windstar and before we knew it, we were sailing the Greek & Turkish Islands. We were thrilled with the luxury of our cabins, the friendliness of the staff, the fanfare of the sail-away to the overture "Conquest of Paradise" and the gourmet meal. We gathered on the top deck for a nightly glass of wine and were treated to the story of The Temple of Poseidon as we sailed off into the sunset.
This idyllic mood was broken in the middle of the night when an alarm sounded in our stateroom. Waking from a deep sleep, I wasn't at my best, but after fumbling for the phone & a somewhat frantic run through the ship in my pjs, I found a steward to remove the offending smoke detector. All's well that ends well, when I negotiated some free wifi for my trouble.Read more
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Mykanos, Greece
June 19, 2016 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C
We caught an early tender to Mykanos and were able to explore the white, catacomb-like alleys as the town was readying itself for the day. We strolled past the Church which was being whitewashed and along the shoreline to the windmills and did a little shopping.Read more
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More Mykanos
June 19, 2016 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C
After exploring the windmills, we ventured by bus to the beach where we rented some lounges under a thatched hut, viewed the nudes at the end of the beach & had a dip in the Mediterranean. A tidal wave almost washed away our belongings but we managed to save and dry out everything including Dani's sandals. We enjoyed a tasty Greek lunch and caught up on our social media before tendering back to the ship for another stirring sail away, followed by dinner, plus our nightly wine on the secluded spot near the Veranda.Read more
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Santorini
June 20, 2016 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C
We docked at Fira and took the cable car to the city of white seemingly suspended from the top of the mountains. We were in awe of the gorgeous views as we walked along the edge of the caldera and got a peek at the luxury hotels & homes perched on the edge of the cliffs.Read more
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The beautiful sights of Santorini
June 20, 2016 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C
After a long 1.5 hr climb, we stopped to clarify our location only to realize we were still a 2 hour hike away from Oia, our intended destination. Thankfully the bus stop was just around the corner so we abandoned our plans to walk and completed our trip on the very crowded bus.Read more
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Oia and the donkeys
June 20, 2016 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
Another amazing town jutting out over the water. We explored the back alleys & walked out to the 360 lookout, Fort Londsa, before deciding to go down to the port to catch a boat back to Fira & our ship. The steps down were treacherous and the walk hot & tiring. We were looking forward to a relaxing ferry ride. Unfortunately there was no ferry, or any way back to Fira except the bus at the top of the 100's of stairs we just came down. None of us could muster the energy for the climb and the only alternative was the donkeys. So despite our fear of riding, we decided on the donkeys. The herder must have thought we were in a hurry as he loaded us lickedy split and sent us off with Nikki's ride leading. Our donkeys continually jockeyed for the lead, as they pushed and nudged each other while racing up the stairs, dangerously close to the edge with us hanging on for dear life. Part terrified, part exhilarated, and laughing our heads off, we made it to the top. None of us had the wherewithal nor the courage to get a selfie with them, only their butts as they raced back down to the bottomRead more
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Dinner on deck
June 20, 2016, Aegean Sea ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
After our busy day, we a had a quiet dinner at Candles on deck and watched another beautiful sunset on the Aegean Sea.
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Rhodes
June 21, 2016 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C
We docked at Rhodes which is a beautiful Medieval walled city. The buildings are dark, castle-like, & very different from the brilliant white of our earlier stops. We toured The Palace of the Grand Master and walked the cobblestone lanes of the Old City.Read more
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Butterfly Garden
June 21, 2016 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C
We took a taxi to the Butterfly Garden located in the interior of the island. The butterflies are really colorful moths which are attracted to the scent of a tree sap found only in this spot. There were droves of them but they were difficult to photograph as they fluttered around very quickly.Read more
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Faliraki Beach and a feast at the casino
June 21, 2016 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C
The girls decided to get in a little more beach time, so we made the excursion by bus to Faliraki Beach. Hot sand but cool water made the trip worth the travel time. After a rest and a shower, all the passengers were treated to a night out at the nearby casino. We sampled a feast of authentic Greek foods, orzo, & wine and were entertained with traditional songs & dances from the region. Walking back to the ship, we were treated to a stunning full moon. A sail-away under the stars was inspiring as usual.Read more
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Bodrum
June 22, 2016 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
A short day in Bodrum exploring the castle and the Museum of Underwater Archeology. We took in the beautiful views of the harbor as we walked around the castle grounds. We enjoyed an ice cream in town on a very hot day. After a beer & some tea while people watching, we went back to the ship and did a little tanning & swimming on the rafts at the stern. Our day ended with a delicious on-deck bbq followed by line dancing led by the talented crew.Read more
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Ephesus
June 23, 2016 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
We were all blown away with the ancient ruins of Ephesus. This city, once a port but now 6 miles from the sea, was a prospering metropolis of more than 250000. Archaeologists have only excavated about 1/4 of the city. Walking through the marble lined streets & grand terrace houses really gives you a feel of what in might have been like in the 1st century.Read more
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Greece & Turkey cruise Cathy Duguay
Exploring Ephesus
June 23, 2016 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C
The Odeion Theatre, The Celsus Library, the intricate Terrace Houses, the public toilets & bath houses, and the Great Theater where St Paul was said to speak, are just some of the beautiful buildings uncovered in Ephesus.Read more
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Kusadasi
June 23, 2016 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C
Our taxi driver was waiting & gave us a running commentary of the sights & life of Turkey as we drove back to the town. Clearly he was very proud of his country.
We split up as the girls did a little shopping and enjoyed a drink at The Cafe Center Restaurant in the market. We cast off from Kusadasi with our last sail-away of the trip.Read more
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Day at sea
June 24, 2016, Aegean Sea ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C
Finally a day to sleep in and relax on deck as our ship sailed toward Istanbul. We read on deck, sipped some drinks & enjoyed the sights & landscape of Turkey as we worked on our tans.
On our last night on board we were treated to a talent show featuring music, dance, magic, and comedy by the always entertaining staff & crew.Read more
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Istanbul
June 25, 2016 in Turkey ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C
We docked at Istanbul on my birthday. Overhearing my family's birthday wishes at breakfast, our waiters made me some beautiful paper flowers to help me celebrate. Disembarking was quick, and we left our week of luxury sailing behind, as we scrambled into a cab to our hotel.
The Blue House was a very pleasant surprise. It was literally across the street from The Blue Mosque. We were greeted by a pleasant young lady at the antique wooden reception desk, and despite the early hour, our rooms were ready. We noticed the gleaming marble staircase, the comfortable waiting area, & impressive breakfast spread, as we were escorted to the old-fashioned, 2 person elevators. Here too, they got wind of my birthday and presented me with a fruit basket as we admired our quaint rooms with a view of the Mosque.Read more
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The Blue Mosque
June 25, 2016 in Turkey ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C
The Blue Mosque continues to be a place of worship and tourists conform to strict dress restrictions to respect the culture of the country, so we covered our heads and bodies and removed our shoes and entered this magnificent building. Our pictures don't do justice to the grandeur of the interior of the Mosque. Beautiful tile work, stained glass windows, a large expansive worship area for the men & a small enclosed room for the women. The grounds surrounding the area were pristine with the green grass & sparkling fountains and were a gathering spot for tourists and citizens alike.Read more
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Hagia Sophia
June 25, 2016 in Turkey ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C
Across the grounds from the Mosque is the imposing Hagia Sophia which was originally built as a Byzantine Church, then converted into a Ottoman Mosque and finally secularized and turned into a museum. Nikki had studied the art and architecture of the building and shared her knowledge as we marveled at its beauty.Read more
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