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Christmas Turkey
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Christmas Turkey

Sad that the Albany Olds couldn't make it, but ready for fun nonetheless. A driving tour of Turkey before a Roman rendezvous with the Knox boys. Read more
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  • Trip start
    December 7, 2023
  • Christmas Turkey
    Don't all airport transfer vehicles have hot pink LEDs and star lighting?
    Coffee or salt scrub in the Hammam? Why not both?!Where Commando meets Ken. Ok, maybe more Ken.

    Jetlag hack

    December 8, 2023 in Turkey ⋅ 🌧 7 °C

    Ok. Here are 3 first world solutions to preventing jetlag:
    1 - fly business class with your kids on other planes
    2 - appropriately timed and dosed melatonin and caffeine
    3 - pick an arrival hotel with a fully equipped spa and HammamRead more

  • Christmas Turkey
    I couldn't figure out this contraption at breakfast. I'll try again tomorrow.
    The "Blue" mosqueHence the nicknameThis embodies Istanbul. One altar in line with Jerusalem, the other in line with Mecca.BB8 appealed to ancient civilisations.One of many Roman cisterns connected by aqueducts.The lighting changes and sculptures added to the experienceThe cisterns became the backdrop to a couple of Hollywood blockbusters.3MIL demonstrating the right way to do it after I walked away empty handed from the carpet store.

    Gas Delivery

    December 9, 2023 in Turkey ⋅ 🌧 6 °C

    We eased into Istanbul with a tour of the mosques and cisterns, before taking on the psychological warfare of bargaining in the upmarket carpet stores and the bizarre. I prepared my backstory: I have many children and a dog to feed and I sweat all day as a gas delivery man.Read more

  • Christmas Turkey
    1Entrance required 2 X chromosomes or castration. It was also a one way ticket. It's changed right?!
    1The many fountains were positioned to provide sound cover for secret conversations.The 6th biggest diamond in the world. Would've bought it but not even top 5.2Napoleon's dilemma: What to buy the Sultan who has everything? How about a ring with my face on it!2A weapon displayed in the armoury. I'd die of embarrassment if I was taken out by a pineappleOut came the sun so out came thousands of fisherman on the busiest bridge in IstanbulCatching up on a lifetime of low legume intake2Try this! We tried to barter our children for Turkish delight, but he was only interested in Oma.Who put that crane there? View from the rooftop hotel barRandom street food dinner: stuffed mussels. Looked great, but we'll put it down to experience.

    Oma by the kilogram

    December 10, 2023 in Turkey ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C

    Beautiful sunshine showed off the palace today: a multi building complex that housed over 4000 people in its heyday. This was a place of opulence, artistry, academia, but also much intrigue and skullduggery, most of which centred on the famous harem. Then came the spice bazaar which was full of jovial salesmen.Read more

  • Christmas Turkey
    We had the entire ferry size boat to ourselves with our own private captain
    We disembarked to a town full of cute houses, cats and cafes. The Inner West of Turkey.Many of the wooden houses were super cute with beautiful balconies.Some were not so pretty, but it all adds to the charmTurkish crows are grey and black!24/7 police presence in front of one of the handful of synagogues.Lots of cats but even more dogs. They seem to like us and follow us everywhere.Mega gingerThis is for JonahMy nocturnal wanderings led me to a Turkish Folk singer in a smoky room - not sure which was worse

    Eurasian Cruise

    December 11, 2023 in Turkey ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    We were the only ones crazy enough to book a river cruise on the Bosphorus in December. We ended up with a private cruise along the river that divides Europe and Asia. Fortunately we turned around before entering the Black Sea or encountering any drones.Read more

  • Christmas Turkey
    Fairy Chimneys formed by a layer of soft volcanic ash sedimentary rock beneath hard igneous rock.
    3Would you like to cli.....? Ok have fun2The soft layer erosion left most of the formations looking like penises. Not this one tho.. Guesses?4The guide said it was an eagle. Everyone else agreed. No! It is a rabbit. Please back me up.1A natural. Enjoying herself while being given constant instructions from oma. Wrong!The beer that came with this caused a ruckus from a conservative local who stormed out!1Utopia Cave hotel poolThe setting for our evening experienceThe leader of the Dervishes. His voice was deep and soothing4Amazing! I didn't achieve the described trancelike state. Maybe I wasn't concentrating hard enough

    Tailspin

    December 12, 2023 in Turkey ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    Today was a very full day! We flew to Cappadocia this morning, then off to the red river (source of the clay that we would see put to good use), onward to the rock formations (known as the "Fairy Chimneys") and finished with the mesmerising Dervishes. No wonder my head was spinning.Read more

  • Christmas Turkey
    The 8 level underground complex kept the Christians safe from invaders. 1 way door lock!
    There was a morgue, a wine press, a kitchen and on and on down 8 levels.A bit of schadenfreude seeing Opa work his way through the cramped tunnels.Pigeon homes are spotted throughout the hills.Apparently dried fruit is good for your healthWe were now familiar with half of these. It's fun to keep trying new ones.We also tried new drinks: spicy turnip juice and local unsweetened yoghurt drink2My thoughts exactly, but I managed to finish mine.Enjoying the fickle sun on a cold day at the monasteryThe monks built multiple little chapels before they got bored and built a nunnery

    Failure to launch

    December 13, 2023 in Turkey ⋅ ☁️ 4 °C

    We sat in the van for an hour waiting for clearance, but the wind remained too high for our balloon trip. Boo! We still had fun exploring the underground Christian escape cities and the cave monasteries. Tomorrow we won't have time to try again, but we've planned a drive by on the way to the airport so that we can see the balloons if conditions are better.Read more

  • Christmas Turkey
    The weather was better today. At least we got to set them lift off on the way out
    2 domestic flights bookended by 2 decent van trips took us from Capadoccia to Kusadasi on the Aegean2We flew over some stunning landscapes..Apparently!1Home for the next 4 nights.

    Go West

    December 14, 2023 in Turkey ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Ok, it's a bit hard to jazz up a transit day. The highlight was the touch and go at Istanbul. The approach was all over the place, he overshot the runway, hit the tarmac and took off again! I was worried that another failed approach would see us diverted to another airport. The poor old woman in front of us literally pooped her pants. No photo sorry.Read more

  • Christmas Turkey
    The sprawled ruins of Hieropolis. Today would be a cardiovascular test for the Olds.
    At times the green, rocky hills and cool air felt like tramping in ScotlandThermal roundaboutWorshippers of Hades could enter the tunnel where noxious fumes provided enlightenment or death.On to the thermal pools: Photographers offered professional shots complete with angel wings for hire4I opted for a homemade recreation of the little mermaid. Anyone know a good chiropractor?I was the only swimmer but we all enjoyed the milky blue waters of the terraces.Hard to capture the levels, colours and scope all in one photo. We took dozens of shots trying!The terraces were on the edge of a cliff and were made of dozens of tiered pools.Up close they were made of still blue chalky water that promises to cure all that ails ya.

    Up Where They Play All Day In The Sun

    December 16, 2023 in Turkey ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    It poured rain for the entire journey to Pamukkale, bathed us in sunshine while we were there, and poured rain for the entire journey back. Pamukkale is home to the ancient ruins of Hieropolis and is famous for its thermal springs and travertine terraces.Read more

  • Christmas Turkey
    Eye of the tiger
    Isolated ruins amongst the treesA giant jigsaw puzzle in the forestThe temple of Athena1The unscripted result when Bel suddenly requests Gladiator poses.With a sun like that this could only be the temple of ApolloWhich had some seriously big-boy columnsBig-girlYes it wasThe same country where a guy went apoplectic because a waiter offered me a beer.

    One Small Step for Elliot...

    December 17, 2023 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C

    ... One giant leap for Opa. Today was a challenging day for those with joints missing a bit of cartilage. I'm sure we all used up a few chondrocytes on the hills of Priene. The ruins there would be called mountainside if they were in Australia. We all (hopefully) thought it was well worth climbing the giant steps to see Athena's monuments in a mossy, tree entwined setting which was somewhat LOTRish. More monuments followed before an excellent fish lunch and a lazy afternoon back at the hotel.Read more

  • Christmas Turkey
    Today was essentially a transit day plus no photos were allowed inside the palace so it'll be brief
    1Amazing Riverside location. There's always something special about a warm sun on a crisp morning.To be honest the palace was a little bit sad. For starters a harem now seemed out of placeThe home court advantage of Topkapi was lost to chase modernityThe ingredients were there but it lacked elegance - they had in spades when they did it their wayIstanbul airport continues to impress. 9 minutes from street to gate ready.A tribute to all the village dogs who followed us along the way

    Divide and Conquer

    December 19, 2023 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 7 °C

    Today we split up after a morning stroll around the Sultan's palace. We flew off to Rome to collect Jonah. The rest will stay on for 2 more nights before joining us in Barcelona. A volcano in Iceland also erupted today so hopefully it doesn't interfere with our rendezvous in Barcelona. Oh yeah, hope the Icelanders are all fine too!Read more

  • Christmas Turkey
    1Working out the perfect laundry venue based on price, distance, turnaround times and the lunar phase
    What to do before a degustation meal? Go on a food tour! Our guide, Greta, was the one on the left.Stop 1: the Deli. Could find the same stuff in Leichhardt but the stories add magic & flavourRoman pizza. Crispier than the original offering from Napoli but just as good.Move over Peroni. Might be the pizza talking but this is now my favourite Italian beer1The restaurant for the main course housed a section of the old theatre in the basementPerfection. Don't ever offer me Turkish coffee again.Secret women's businessPer Me Giulioterrinoni proved to be an excellent restaurant for dinner. Can you spot the prawn?A quick visit to the hotel rooftop to say arrivederci Roma before bed

    Rome If You Want To

    December 20, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C

    I did want to and it was wonderful. The day started with a game of pass the parcel. The music stopped and I was gifted with Jonah's laundry which we classily arranged for him to give to Heather the night before at an Embassy soiree. We were then free to concentrate on eating our way through Rome for the rest of the day. The food and the locals were amazing, but there is something special about meeting good friends overseas.. we're not really a huggy bunch, but I think we all felt the love (or the vino!)Read more

  • Christmas Turkey
    Hi Jonah!
    Desperate times for some at Rome FCOSqueezing the last few drops out of all the Covid inspired status match offerings before they expireCelebrity Infinity. Was a plan B after NCL pulled the plug. Hopefully not too stuffy.The Gang on the gangwayFirst impressions: a little dated, but some nice places to hang out.Not as many onboard activities for the young'uns but they'll make their own fun.

    Vamonos

    December 21, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 6 °C

    Hi Jonah!!! We extracted our smelly baby from his hotel full of smelly boys armed with fresh clothes and a bar of soap. He was soon a new boy. The timing of the gathering was tighter than we'd normally plan, but besides a minor delay for the Turkey crew, we all made it to the port on time. Celebrity Infinity will be home for a while touring the Canary Islands and Morocco.Read more

  • Christmas Turkey
    We take our intra-family competitions seriously
    Fortunately the food improved after our first samplingLooks like l just played out in Big 2We now have 2 over 18 to scab freebies from the Captain's welcomeAngry birds is a good incentive on a treadmill.1A member of our group carried this bag everywhere. Cash, Passports? No. Bananas!

    No chicken dinner

    December 22, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    Tragically there are no winner medallions for our trivia efforts here. Seeing as we have all 5 of us we are mainly focusing on our own thing: family Pickleball, family cards, family eating. It feels like there is a lot more time without the need to schedule our day around character meet and greets. Tragically I'm missing the Disney lounge tunes in the corridors.Read more

  • Christmas Turkey
    There's always one
    Our dune buggies hit 90kph with no windscreen. Elliot is still picking pebbles out of his hair1Growing wine grapes on the side of the volcanoIt was a decent hike on gravel to the base of the calderaInside the volcanoYou should see him when he's really excitedNext stop "the crack". Our bouldering kids enjoyed this one moreLots of dumb "crack" photos to choose from.. I'll keep it classy1So much easier when the ship is at port

    Christmas Canary

    December 24, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Our first port: Lanzarote in the Canary Islands.
    Merry Christmas to everyone back home especially Mum and Dad who were originally on this trip but couldn't make it.

  • Christmas Turkey
    We explored the island with Maria... A lovely elderly lady with a background in forest management.
    22C at the coast, sub-zero at the summit 1 hour's drive away. 4 climates in-between.Yes it was another volcanic island, but the geology and plant life here were amazingSolidified lava flows.Rocks, volcanic ash and wind seemed to be the perfect cocktail to bring out the crazy in the kids.Especially one of themThe butt whack: teenage sign of affectionWhat's that about imitation and flattery?Mixed clientele at our tasty & good value lunch stop

    The Biggest Bird

    December 25, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 9 °C

    December 25 was spent on the largest of the Canary Islands: Tenerife. It was a happy day but also a very sad one because there were lots of reminders that Mum and Dad couldn't make it. Spent the daytime exploring the various microclimates of this fascinating island..finished the night alone on deck with a glass of red and thinking of them. Kerry O'Keefe soon cheered me up on 702.. Go Aussies!Read more

  • Christmas Turkey
    This is why I'm banned from being the selfie taker despite having the longest arms
    1Black sands, colourful buildings and blue skies.Soccer and beach volleyball I get but they also have basketball courts on the sandBeautiful housesA familiar friendTree lined avenuesOne of us is comfortableEphesus peach wine - going man style for his 21st!4Happy birthday Elliot! 21, finished uni and starting work in March. Where did our baby go?

    21 Today!

    December 26, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    Happy Birthday Elliot! His birthday was gentle and sweet natured just like him. We stopped at La Palma but decided to just walk around the port as our schedule was quite hectic. This suited everyone. We were able to explore the pretty town, grab coffee and then chill on board. Elliot was never the one to crack open a keg - he had a cocktail at dinner and then we shared a bottle of fruity wine that we brought from Turkey. We didn't finish it!Read more

  • Christmas Turkey
    3Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore
    No dome, and a minaret so big it contains a lift.1Completed in 6 years with local materials. This is a retractable cedar roof that covers 25K people3Washy. Washy. Happy, happy.Boy contemplates new horizons.1Girl... I have no idea what she is contemplating.Compensating for Opa1Pigeon PlazaA gimmicky speciality restaurant onboard. It was actually quite violent!Don't worry. He survived.

    Here's Lookin' at You, Kid

    December 28, 2023 in Morocco ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Personally I prefer "She may not look like much but she's got it where it counts, kid" but that would be Tunisia and this was Casablanca - our first stop in Africa. I was supposed to watch the movie before coming here, but I forgot so Rick's cafe didn't do much for me either. There is a new mosque which dominates the sea line. It is very different to the Turkish mosques and much more laid back in respect to women's attire.Read more

  • Christmas Turkey
    Parklands, greenery and a beautiful coast with a great surf
    Hercules cafe where he slept before his 11th labour (collecting golden apples)1A rooftop view of the souk. The prayer call could be heard from the minaret.Where the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean. Fortunately they are the same level.Couscous from the home of couscous. I still don't like it.Luckily we could follow Ahmed in the Souks otherwise we'd still be thereMaking use of a wider streetMusic runs in the family3Elliot of Arabia6Deep undercover ASIO

    Out of Africa

    December 29, 2023 in Morocco ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Our final African port, Tangier. It certainly lived up to the hype as the most beautiful Moroccan city. It is vibrant and green with narrow, hilly streets that you could get lost in for weeks. Our guide, Ahmed, was just as full of life as the city and made the day more fun. Thanks, Ahmed!Read more

  • Christmas Turkey
    Cadiz is all palm trees, orange trees and beautiful architecture. The 1st city to repel Napoleon.
    Europe's gateway to the Med - it has been the target of everyone including Pirates. Trade always won1Wealthy merchants melted cannon to protect their houses on street corners2The lady of Justice confirms my opinion about lawyersLess talking, more eating... Garum is a traditional sauce of fish guts & other goodnessMore drinking, more talkingA Sherry and pork venue. Who knew?Fried tiny prawn omlete and anemone.Biggest smile was for the price-tag. 16E for 7 hot drinks and more churros than we could finish1Men's room. I wish I'd seen the women's.

    Cadiz Nuts

    December 30, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    We did a tapas food tour today with Charo. Initially we thought Charo was a bit like a school teacher, but we soon realised that she was a larger than life figure who seemed to know everyone in town and had a firm, fixed opinion on everything...or as Lara put it, she out-Oma'd Oma. It was a fantastic tour of Cadiz as well as an opportunity to sample all sorts of dishes. The highlight was pork slices, wrapped around breadsticks accompanied by sherry.Read more

  • Christmas Turkey
    Couldn't stay up until the balloon drop
    1The only decent act on the ship. Guy looked like Steve Ong's Filo cousin from front on.1Cool when it's Goofy leading. This has more of a Nursing Home calisthenics feel to it1NYEClosed...I always assumed it was the cockatoos making a mess of our drivewayProper coffee at port before returning to the ship

    How About Them Oranges

    December 31, 2023, Western Mediterranean ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Happy New Year! Today is our last day. It is a port day in Valencia. Everything is closed for the public holiday so we decided to just go for a quick walk and relax. Our only mission: to find a Valencia orange.Read more

  • Christmas Turkey
    Goodbye Celebrity Infinity. Hello Barcelona.
    Every hotel should have these1My dad would be annoying me with his "Good without being Gaudi" line at every cornerMcGazpacho? Elliot wasn't happy with this addition to his meal.Preparing for tomorrow's photo session/walking tour16E per stick! Lucky Mud hasn't been charging us. We'd owe her a fortune.Paella was made by fishermen utilising all the scrap in their nets to feed their families.Hopefully we can recreate this Sangria complete with the secret ingredientThe final product1Like most things, the fun was in the journey.

    Barthelona

    January 2, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    It's been a long time between drinks, but we are back in my favourite European city after nearly 14 years. You still have to keep an eye on your wallet but it wouldn't be as fun without a little bit of danger. Today we were probably in more danger from the Sangria than the pickpockets as we drank our way through a paella cooking class.Read more

  • Christmas Turkey
    The tour started at Barcelona Cathedral and took us all the way to Parc Ciutadella
    The grungy, street art region of El Born would be the backdrop for many of the shots on the way.Lola was our Argentinian photographer. It was fascinating to watch how she framed her shots.1It was also fascinating how we all became instantly compliant1It was actually fun to stroll around having photos taken2Maybe a little too much funThis is an apartment block behind Elliot. You wouldn't need a big screen.2Coffee stop demonstrating the benefit of travelling in numbers: "1 of each, please"A strange Barcelona tradition based on an old comic: Little people taking a dump. PassDiablo calamari. None of the sauce was wasted.

    Strike a Pose

    January 3, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    We thought it was much better value to ignore all the cruise ship photo offers and get a photography session/walking tour in Barcelona. It was a fraction of the price and a lot more meaningful. I won't get the photos for a few days so I'm sure I'll swap some of my dodgy efforts on this page in due course.Read more

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