More Adventures on Celebrity Solstice

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Friday, June 10, 2011
After a shower and breakfast in the Ocean View restaurant we went to a talk in the Equinox Theatre about Istanbul and Kusadasi. We were given some brochures on both which will be very useful. We were also informed that a shuttle bus would be running into the bazaar area of Istanbul so we booked it at $10 each.

We had dinner at a round table seating 10. A mother and teenage daughter from San Diego sat next to John. The daughter looked cranky and rebellious so the mother wasn’t having much fun. On my side there was an English couple from Bath. There were also some people from the 40 strong Arizona Bible Study Group. The couple we spoke to were a bit upset their tour did not include the Blue Mosque as it was a “Christian” tour.

Saturday, June 11, 2011
I am lying on the bed with a glass of wine and the call to prayer echoing in my ears as I look out at small mosque on the shore.

I woke up just before seven and looked out the window. The view as we came into port at Istanbul was enough to get me out of bed Ooooohing and Aaaaaaahing. We saw a mass of familiar buildings visible from the waterfront. The Blue Mosque, the Hagia Sophia, the Topkapi Palace. At 8.30 precisely we walked down to our shuttle bus and were on our way to the Bazaar in Istanbul. We decided to visit the Underground Cistern (Yerebatan) first. It was 10 L (Turkish new lire) each to get in. Apparently it was used in a scene from “From Russia with Love”, a James Bond movie. We were lucky to be there before the crowds and we enjoyed the etherial music playing as we walked along the boardwalks. It was used as a water storage facility from 532AD until the 16th Century and restored in the mid 20th Century. The columns come from different Roman structures. There are two Medusa heads used as column bases, one upside down and the other sideways. Whether this has any significance or was just a useful bit of stone is unclear.

Across the road was the Hagia Sophia. I learnt about these buildings in art history at high school and to actually see them was exciting. It was constructed in 537 AD and was a Christian church for 916 years. When the Ottomans conquered Constantinople the church became a mosque for 481 years. Now it is a museum, opened in 1935 after extensive restoration ordered by the great hero Mustafa Attaturk. The lime covering on the Christian mosaics was removed so once again they could be viewed.

While waiting in line we were approached by a carpet seller. This was a common occurrence throughout the day. They were invariably cheerful and all seemed to have an Australian wife and have a cousin in Wollongong. It cost 20L each to get into Hagia Sophia so we walked up to the top gallery and looked down to make sure we saw everything. This area was reserved for women during services as a Muslim Mosque and maybe a Roman Christian church as well.

The Blue Mosque, although free, took a while to get into because of the long queue. I had taken the scarf off John’s suitcase so I could wear it over my head but found the majority of people had no scarf or if they did just draped it around their shoulders. I got that wrong (or did they?). The ceiling was amazing but the crowd was dense so we didn’t stay long. The mosque was constructed in 1609-1616. It has 21,042 blue, green and white tiles in the interior and six minarets.

By now we needed a break so we had capucchinos in a café. John ordered them but did not understand the man when he said self service. Eventually I went in to order the coffees. The Turkish sense of humour was displayed by the waiter who cheekily demanded 1000L for the coffees instead of 10L. We watched an icecream vendor doing amazing things with icecream in a cone, twirling it and confusing the customers. I almost bought one just to video his tricks.

The Topkapi Palace was last on our list but I was really looking forward to it. Begun in 1475 it was extended and extended until it was abandoned in the 19 Century. It is twice the area of the Vatican but has been constructed around large squares and gardens so has a lot of open space. It cost 20 L each to get into the Palace but when we arrived at the Harem and found it was another 15L to get in we decided against it as there was so much else to see The Imperial Treasury houses are four rooms in all with a decorated throne at the entrance to each one. Some of the exhibits included the Topkapi Dagger and the Spoon Maker’s Diamond. We shuffled along with hundreds of others to get a glimpse of these treasures of gold and silver encrusted with precious jewels.

It was raining lightly when we left the Topkapi Palace. We walked until we found a kebab shop. Inside it was warm and we dried out. We ordered chicken doner kebabs but were a bit disappointed with our plate of chicken, tomato, lettuce, rice and chips (10L each).

The Bazaar was impressive in that the aisles were wide and the ceilings were domed and decorated. It has had 12 strong earthquakes and 9 fires, covers 30 hectares and has approximately 3,500 shops. Each street has its specialty whether it be jewellery or leatherware or carpets. That night John went up to the top deck of the ship (otherwise known as the lawn club) to look at the lights of the city. He said the important buildings and the bridge were all floodlit and looked spectacular. The lawn club in the daytime is where you can play bocce, golf, bowls and croquet or just lie on a rug with a picnic lunch. (Is this really a ship?)

Sunday, June 12, 2011

With half a day to see more of Istanbul we opted to walk around the port area and try and find something of interest. We walked past the Tunnel but seeing it was a metro we didn’t go in. John was keen to see the fishermen on the Galata Bridge so we watched them pulling in heaps of tiny fish which they put in jars and containers. There would have been 200 people fishing on the bridge with a gap in the middle to let boats through. The Galata Tower was my object as it was visible from most vantage points. We walked up steps and down hills and up more hills until finally we found it. Had we taken the Tunnel we would have arrived in five minutes. It connects the district of Galata with the district of Beyoglu. The subway is the shortest in the world and is only 750 metres long.

The Galata Tower is 61 metres tall but is also on top of a hill. There are supposed to be 143 steps or a lift but we used the lift and I counted 60 steps on top of that. At the top we had quite a good view of the Bosphorus, the Golden Horn and the Sea of Marmara. Its claim to fame was when a scientist named Celebi jumped from the top and flew to the other side of the Bosphorus Strait by using the wings he had invented in the 1700s.

We had a rather expensive coffee outside the tower and then continued to walk until we reached the Istiklal Street. We came to this via the Jewish Quarter which had security guards at each end and made us a little nervous. The Tunnel came out here and was met by an old fashioned tram which was full of people so we didn’t get on. The street was lined with embassies from Russia, Sweden and Denmark and a number of Christian churches and luxury hotels.

By now we were ready to get back on the ship. We had lunch in the Silhouette dining room, went up on the roof to watch Istanbul disappear as we moved away and then had a sleep in our room with the coast sliding past the window. My cold is getting better and the sleep was a big help.

Tonight we had a group of six at a circular table near the window. There was a father and daughter from South Africa, a couple from Maidstone, so we had Britain, South Africa and Australia on one table. We learnt that the health regulations had been relaxed so the bread now arrived in a bowl, the pepper and salt was on the table and best of all the books were back in the library. I borrowed a book called the “Descendents” set in Hawaii.

Monday, June 13th, 2011
We woke up feeling relaxed as we had a pre-booked tour with Ephesis Shuttle. As we “debarked” we saw a sign that read “John Curry”. Our guide was Melissa and she was very pleasant although a bit hard to understand at times. At least with a personal guide we could easily ask her questions. It was certainly nice to get into our a/c Mercedes Benz van and be whisked off to Ephesis in comfort. Once there Melissa stayed with us and talked about the various ruins as we walked. The highlight was the Terrace Houses which are now under permanent cover and have been unearthed from the hillside. The walls are covered with frescoes which were being uncovered as we watched. After leaving Ephesus we drove to Sirince (shirinch) Village which was quaint with white wooden houses and brown window trims. There were a lot of shops selling the usual tourist stuff but there were also local wines for sale. Melissa took us to a genuine ethnic restaurant where we had dolmades, stuffed zucchini flowers, olives, stuffed capsicum, spinach filled pita bread, and chicken skewers. We had a yoghurt drink and pomegranite juice.

The lunch was so filling I thought I would burst even though I fed most of the chicken to the cat under the table. On the way back we visited the Temple of Artemis which is only a column but was once one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Behind it is a monastery which used the Temple of Artemis as a source of building materials. It was peaceful there as there was a pond with ducks where there was once a massive temple.

After we were dropped off near the Bazaar it started to rain heavily. We stood under an awning until the rain eased and then went looking for stamps so I could post the postcards. In a gap in the rain we tried to get on the ship but another downpour started along with thunder and lightning. We grabbed umbrellas outside the ship for the last few steps but were wet through and went straight to our room to shower and change. We had to go back onshore to post the letters but didn’t stay long. After watching the boat pull away from the dock we had a nap after which we dressed for dinner. We sat with two Brits and a couple from Camden. We have exchanged phone numbers with the Camden couple, Chris and Pam.

Tuesday, 14th June, 2011
Today was a beautiful blue and white day. Blue sky, blue sea and white buildings. Today was John’s day, reliving his youth. From the time we pulled into the pier at Mykonos which did not exist in ’69 John was comparing and noting changes. He didn’t recognize anything until the shuttle bus took us around to the drop off point a five minute walk from the town. He was pleased to see the toilet block over the water was still there although now it has flush toilets which no longer empty into the sea and the little old lady no longer stands there collecting money from the visitors.

After a walk through some of the maze of streets we passed through to the other side of the town where we saw a row of windmills. Now no longer in use as windmills, some are private residences while some are shops. John was surprised at all the shops and cafes. These were all private homes with families when he was here last. Some had rooms to rent but certainly not the monotonous display of postcards, souvenirs and T-shirts. Other changes John noted were that the money is now in euros, not dracmas, shopkeepers now speak English, the narrow streets are no longer for pedestrians only but are invaded by motorbikes and small trucks delivering food to the restaurants. There has been a lot of development outside the main town, mainly of flat white houses for holiday makers. On the plus side the coffee is now drinkable as you can buy a capucchino.

Past the windmills we finally came to John’s beach where he slept on the sand in his sleeping bag in 1969. The taverna where he ate was still there although the staff were young and one had only arrived the day before us. We had two capucchinos and two enormous pieces of baklava which we almost finished.

The beach had a few pebbles but the water looked good so we took turns to have a swim in the blue green water. It was cold for the first minute but was fine after that. We were able to change in the Taverna and use their day beds and umbrellas.

It was back to the ship for lunch and then as we had a day shuttle pass we went back to the town for a last look around. Here we met Ken and Janet who were sitting with some friends in front of a taverna. They had lunch there so we had a drink with them. I was glad we didn’t order the food as it didn’t look very appetizing. John felt the quality of souvlakis had deteriorated since he first tasted one on Mykonos in 1969. Ken and Janet had hired a four wheel motorbike to ride around the island which would have been a lot of fun.

Wednesday, 15th June, 2011
At last a day at sea! A sleep in and a late breakfast. I have decided to reduce my food intake so only had muesli with nuts and seeds this morning plus a cup of tea. We decided to take a walk around the decks and spotted the indoor pool. So it was back to the cabin for our swimmers and a few laps of the pool. This area is well lit with natural light but covered so there is no need to put on the suncream. The chlorine in the water gave me red eyes for formal night, however.

Back to the cabin, a shower and then lunch. I chose mainly Mexican food, tacos etc. While we were eating icecream and a “low fat” dessert Chris and Pam appeared and joined us for a catch up. We booked the trip to Herculaneum which leaves at 1.00 pm. We meet at 12.45 so will have lunch on board before we go. Because we go ashore on tenders we may not go out in the morning. By the time we get there it will be time to come back so we might just pack and do things on the ship.

We were supposed to pick up our passports this morning but forgot so went to the Sky Observation Lounge this afternoon and found a children’s group in there. There was a great view of the bow of the ship so we decided to go back later for a drink. We had to go back to Deck 3 and Customer Relations to get our passports. Sometime soon we will have to do a big pack as the suitcases have to be out before 11.00pm tomorrow night.

I had a sleep this afternoon. John woke me and said he was going to the Observation Deck to look at the Strait of Messina. I said I would stay in bed and go back to sleep but I woke up enough to do a bit of this diary. When John came back we dressed for dinner (formal night) and after wandering around a bit we had a French sparkling wine in the Sky Observation Lounge, by now minus the children. There was a select group of second timers having a drink with the captain but near us there were people in shorts and even (shock horror) a smoker.

Before dinner we had our photo taken in our formal gear again. We got into the Silhouette Dining Room at 8 even though we had booked for 8.30. Dinner was very yummy with lobster, prawns and scallops on risotto a big hit.

We came back to the room, watched a Smithsonian talk on Rome and decided not to go out again. I’m ready for sleep.

Thursday, June 16, 2011
This is our last night on the ship. This time tomorrow night we will be in Toulouse, all going well. We have to get up early in the morning as we are debarking at 6.45 am. Then we have to get to the train station, change somewhere for Fiumicino, catch a plane to Toulouse, pick up a hire car, drive to our hotel and then and only then, relax.

This morning we spent packing as we did not have to leave the ship until 12.45. We had a cappuccino at 11.00 and then lunch at midday. The ship was very quiet this morning as most people had gone ashore on the long trips to Sorrento and Capri. We finally gathered in the Equinox theatre before going ashore on one of the ship’s life boats. Then it was into a bus and off to shock, horror, a cameo factory. It did have nice clean toilets but once back on the bus we were held up for another half hour!!!! There were three American ladies who must have been buying out the shop. They finally appeared looking quite unperturbed. A few people were muttering that they had spent an hour and a half seeing nothing but finally we were on our way and pulled into a carpark shortly after at the foot of Mt Vesuvious. As the day progressed the mountain became clearer and the huge hole in the middle of it became apparent. We looked down on Herculaneum from ground level. The city was covered with molten pyroclastic rock to an average thickness of 16 metres. People rushed to the shoreline on the edge of the city to escape in boats but they were killed by the high temperature of the blazing clouds exploding from the volcano. Their remains have been found in the boats along what was the water’s edge, now about a kilometer from the sea. As I walked down a passageway to where the boats would have been I could imagine the panic of people rushing to the water to escape the heat and fire.

Our guide was Mario. He looked a bit dilapidated, like Naples, a tooth missing, long stringy grey hair and a day’s growth but he was but extremely enthusiastic about Herculaneum. I enjoyed his commentary very much as it brought to life the day of the volcanic eruption. Naples looked even more dilapidated than I remember. We saw rows of shanty houses alongside the motorway. Whether they are immigrants or the poor and unemployed of Naples I don’t know but John kept singing, “Remember the back streets of Naples, two lovers begging in rags, each touched with a burning ambition, to shake off their lowly-born tags”.

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Photos

Mosque
First view from bed in the morning

Topkapi Palace
The view from our ship