Trip in Review: Sarah's Take

Well, it looks like John took the easy road on this one! I certainly can't duplicate, so I've taken a different spin on the lists. This was a fun trip full of surprises and lessons learned.

Things I Learned on Vacation (either because of it, or in spite of it)

• The best places to shop are the markets and bakeries.
• Sleep is not overrated.
• On the weekend, be sure to make dinner reservations.
• Take full advantage of sea days to recharge your batteries.
• Live a little...it's okay to return to the ship at the last minute. (As long as you do indeed return.)
• Don't be cheap--try out the specialty restaurants.
• Make the most of your time in port. Check out the must see sites and the roads less traveled.
• Always, always, always have snacks on hand.
• Download and use the free Rick Steves audio tours (and preview them).
• Do your homework ahead of time--have at least a little background knowledge before visiting a new city or site.
• It's okay to "waste" a day in port. Relax and take cues from the locals. Get caught up in what they do, not what the tourists do.
• Embrace the people you meet during your trip (locals and tourists). Make new friends!
• Participate in activities on the ship (other than happy hours and spa treatments). Go to trivia and other contests.
• If you plan to stimulate the economy, share the wealth. Don't save souvenir shopping until the last minute (and last city).
• Must-haves include: Rick Steves books, journal or notebook, MP3 player, clothing for layering.
• Take full advantage of Cruise Critic for--organizing tours, transportation, and learning more about the ship and ports of call.
• Regardless of your planning, truly take to the heart the suggestions of those who know best (owner of the B&B you're staying in, etc.).
• Invest in the appropriate RS phrase books. They're worth their weight in gold, especially when ordering from Italian only menus!

Top 5 Gelato Flavors

1. Salted Caramel

2. Limoncello

3. Biscotti

4. Melon

5. Nutella

Travel Tips

• Venice, Italy: Get lost...literally.
• Florence, Italy: Enjoy the gelato, it's the best. Seriously, find out if you'll be there during the gelato festival and check it out if you can. (We missed it by a week.)
• Rome, Italy: Check out local listings before visiting. Find out what the locals are doing and try to participate or observe.
• Santorini, Greece: Do not use the donkey stairs.
• Istanbul, Turkey: Use the public transportation system. It's easy and will make your life significantly easier.
• Kusadasi, Turkey: When on a tour, don't allow yourself to get roped into going to a carpet shop (or leather shop, or any other type of shop) with the promise (yeah right) that there is no pressure to buy anything.
• Athens, Greece: Get to the Acropolis first, like as soon as they open. You'll notice a huge difference in the crowds between the time you arrive and the time you leave.
• Mykonos, Greece: Take the time to people watch. If you don't go to the beach, be sure to at least dip your feet in. You can't travel to the Med and not put your feet in it!
• Amalfi Coast, Italy: Take your time exploring the towns along the coast. Don't pack your day so full so that you're rushed out of them before you've had your fill.

Photo Superlatives

Best Reminder of Home (Venice, Italy)

Italy's version of the Nittany Lion.

Best Reason to Visit Italy (Florence, Italy)

Nothing beats a cone of gelato while people watching.

Best Reason for Chiropractor Visit upon Return Home (Rome, Italy)

The best pieces to check out are always on the ceiling.

Best Reason to Miss the Ship (Santorini, Greece)

Really, the only reason to miss the ship is the view here.

Best Combination of Art and Worship (Istanbul, Turkey)

Intricately painted tiles show off the handiwork of Turkish artists while the sliver in the dome indicates the direction to Mecca for worshiping.

Most Serene Moment (Hills above Ephesus, Turkey)

Mass in Latin, solemn walk through the House of the Virgin Mary, drink of healing water, and finally a simple, powerful prayer.

Most Accurate Depiction of Our Thoughts on Ruins (Athens, Greece)

Yes, even when you think they've ended, the ruins continue, even through that small opening. Not just this time, but every time!

Best Place to be a Pirate (Mykonos, Greece)

Nameless, identical streets are only part of the maze which deterred pirates from invading and looting in this cozy, beautiful town.

Saddest (Pompeii, Italy)

Not only the end of the road for our trip, but quite literally shows the devastating end of a flourishing civilization (look carefully for the area where wheel ruts begin and end, where road reconstruction stopped when Vesuvius erupted).

Best Representation of Driving in Italy (Amalfi Coast, Italy)

Narrow, windy roads with tunnels and cliffside impeding the ability to detect oncoming traffic...I'm glad we let Mario do the driving!

I'm so very happy we chose to write this blog together. Now we'll always have something to remind us of our trip! We had a great time, no regrets, and I'm ready for another vacation already!

Trip In Review: John's Take

Sitting back at home relaxing with our dog sleeping nearby, I've been pondering the experience that we just had.  To start off, it was, without a doubt, the best vacation of my life and one of the best overall experiences I have ever had.  We learned a stunning amount about the history of the world and saw sights which I have had pictured in my head since I was a young child.  We made new friends, relaxed (just a little bit), and enjoyed wonderful cuisine both on land and on the cruise ship.  I found Italy to be a most amazing country and hope we get to return there many times over the course of our lives.  The cruise itself was also wonderful, both the ship and the staff.


I am not as capable at writing these posts as Sarah is (as you may have noticed), and have decided to sum up my experience with two lists.  The first one is a list of my rankings of each place we visited in terms of how much I enjoyed each.  The second is in terms of how much I would like to go back to each place.  There is actually quite a bit of difference between these two lists.


So, here we go.  First, the rankings for enjoyment of each place we went:

1. Istanbul, Turkey - The history of this city was fascinating with an almost unending supply of top notch museums/buildings.  The only let downs were the Grand Bazaar, and to a lesser extent, the Bosphorus cruise.  The overnight stay really let Istanbul shine.
2. Venice, Italy - A charming city.  Even the touristy areas were not overwhelmingly busy when we were there, and once we got off the beaten path, Venice was even more amazing.
3. Naples, Italy (Amalfi Coast and Pompeii) - The Amalfi Coast was stunning.  The scenery was unbelievable, and the towns, particularly Ravello, were beautiful.  Pompeii was a worthwhile stop, even with our fatigue of ruins at that point.
4. Athens, Greece - This proud country shined when depicted through the history of Athens.  The Acropolis was a sight to behold.
5. Florence, Italy - Our two days in Florence were delightful.  The town was so easy to walk around in, and we were never at a loss for good food.
6. Rome, Italy - Of course the Vatican and the Colosseum lived up to their billing.  But Rome was so much more hectic and busier than Venice and Florence, and after four days of the freedom of walking almost everywhere, having to rely on the metro was a bit of a let down.
7. Kusadasi, Turkey (Ephesus) - Ephesus was probably the best of the many ruins of the trip.  The House of the Virgin Mary was very spiritual. Kusadasi itself was forgettable.
8. Santorini, Greece - This ranking is deceiving.  Santorini is beautiful (almost as much so as the Amalfi Coast), but we were rushed due to the short time in port and the time consuming process of getting back to the cruise ship.
9. Mykonos, Greece - It was a nice place to relax and stroll, but nothing about Mykonos really popped.  I think this is just on cruise ship itineraries because it is a popular resort destination and it is easy to get to for ships.

Now, the rankings for which places I would most like to return to:

1. Venice, Italy - I could wander around Venice for a week without getting tired of it.  It would probably be even better since we could almost totally stay out of the major tourist areas (Rialto, Saint Mark's).
2. Naples, Italy - While I wouldn't go back to Pompeii, I could similarly spend a week in the Amalfi Coast without getting tired of it.  There are also many other points reachable from Naples which I would like to see (Capri, Herculaneum, Mount Vesuvius, Naples itself).
3. Rome, Italy - Our two days in Rome were severely constrained by the large number of must-see sites which limited our ability to just explore, in addition to the lackluster weather on Sunday.  I think Rome could really make an impact on a return visit.
4. Santorini, Greece - I would like to return to Santorini for either a longer stay in port or, ideally, for a few nights in a hotel.  I could just sit in Oia for hours and hours and stare at the caldera and then the sunset.  I'd also like to explore the island.
5. Florence, Italy - There are quite a few more things in Florence I would like to see and do, but of our three overnight stays in Italy this one was the one which felt the most comprehensive and complete.
6. Athens, Greece - We had a busy day which covered most of the major sites.  Athens would be a good return visit as a jumping off point for other locations in Greece and to pick up anything we missed.
7. Istanbul, Turkey - Our whirlwind trip to Istanbul saw us visit almost every site I have interest in there.  The notable exception is the Mosque of Suleman the Magnificent.  The pushy nature of the shopkeepers there (not just in the Grand Bazaar) also really limits my interest in returning.
8. Mykonos, Greece - I enjoyed it, but the only reason I would want to go back to Mykonos is to try out their famous beaches, but there are many other places that also have famous beaches.
9. Kusadasi, Turkey - I got everything I needed to out of Ephesus and the other ruins.

Some of these rankings above have a very fine line between them, particularly in the first list.  Every port was excellent.  It was the trip of a lifetime.  Hopefully one of many.  I am glad we decided to chronicle our journey in this blog for everyone to read and for our personal record.  I hope you enjoyed reading it.  Until our next trip, arrivederci!

History and the Ephesians

Today marked our last day in Turkey. At about 9:30 the ship pulled into the port of Kusadasi, on Turkey's western coast. Kusadasi is a resort town, very popular with foreign tourists and Turkish vacationers. We were not here to relax, however. Kusadasi is also the access point to the ruins of Ephesus, an ancient Greek/Roman town. After getting off the ship, we had about an hour to kill in Kusadasi. Everything within walking distance of the dock was tourist shops, so we just meandered until 11:00 when we met our vehicle and tour guide, Emre, from the company Ephesus Shuttle. We shared the tour with Nick and Fontaine, Dwight and Maria, and Peter and Margot.

After about a half hour drive, we arrived at our first stop of the day, The House of the Virgin Mary. This house is in a secluded location on a mountain above Ephesus. It is believed that St. John brought Mary here for protection a few years after Jesus's death, and that she lived the last years of her life in the house. A number of popes, including John Paul II and Benedict XVI, have visited the site. It is a very serene location and a mass occurring outside the house made our visit even more spiritual. After visiting the house we lit candles, drank water from the spring near the house that is said to be some of the purest water in the world, and left wishes on a wall to be burned by a priest. I greatly enjoyed this visit and found it to be a very meaningful experience.

After descending down the mountain, we entered the ruins of the ancient city of Ephesus. Recall how I said we had a half hour drive from the port. Ephesus used to be a port town which was situated on the coast. Over time, the nearby river silted up the area and pushed the ocean further away. These ruins are actually the third incarnation of the city, as it had been moved twice due to this silting. The issue is still occurring to this day. The ruins of Ephesus (which are only 18% excavated) are a sight to behold, a sprawling town of marketplaces, temples, houses, and more. The site makes the Roman Forum look like a bunch of pebbles comparatively. There were three places in the ruins that were highlights. First was the Terrace Houses, the houses which the rich of the city lived in, still under excavation. The second was the Library of Celsus, a reconstructed facade of the library of the city, which was, at its time, the third largest library in the world. The third was the Great Theater, where Christianity was preached by St. Paul; he was beaten for it. The picture to the left shows a lion mosaic on a floor of a child's room in the Terrace Houses. The pictures below show us in front of the Library of Celsus, and also the Great Theater.

After leaving the ruins of Ephesus, we got some takeout Turkish food from the shop outside the site and ate it on the bus as we headed to our next site. It would have been nice if we had been given time to eat at a non-touristy Turkish restaurant instead, and this was one of only two disappointments with the tour. Our next visit was to the Basilica of St. John. This set of ruins is the site where a church was built to honor St. John. This church was ordered by Justinian during the decline of Ephesus, and so it was built with reused materials and was devastated quickly by the passing of time. We saw the baptistetry, the area where the altar was, and also the tomb of St. John. Of course, the bones of St. John were removed from the tomb and are now in Italy. We then made a quick stop at the Temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, which is now nothing more than two pillars. The picture to the left shows one of the pillars (complete with stork's nest on the top), with the Basilica of St. John in the background.


On our way back to the ship, we encountered the second disappointment of the tour. We were suddenly taken to a carpet shop, a stop on the itinerary which was not discussed at any point prior to about 5 minutes before arrival. For a little bit of credit, the shop we were taken to is the one shop that Rick Steves recommendes in his guidebook for buying carpets in the Ephesus/Kusadasi area. We were treated to a nice demonstration on the making of rugs, Turkish drinks, and a very non-pushy salespitch. We endured the ritual and then headed back to the port. We had an early dinner, checked out the hot glass show on the ship, then retired. It was overall a very enjoyable day, and I cannot imagine a more impressive archaeological site than Ephesus. tomorrow brings Athens, and what is sure to be an interesting look at the history of the world.

Istanbul, take two

Today was only a half day in port, so we did our best to make the most of our short day in Istanbul. We thought it best to go with a Celebrity sponsored excursion so we wouldn't miss the ship. The excursion was comprised of three parts: an hour and a half cruise down the Bosphorus Strait, a stop at a jewelry store (that sneaky cruise line!), and some time at the Spice Bazaar. We boarded the bus and our guide gave us an overview of the day. No one seemed thrilled about the jewelry store, but all were excited to stimulate the Turkish economy (again) at the Bazaar.

After a very short bus ride across the Galata Bridge, we boarded a smaller boat with other Celebrity passengers and prepared for our narrated sail along the Bosphorus. The cruise took us past our ship and we were finally able to get a good look at our flag! The cruise was uneventful and the narrator difficult to understand. Seriously, it was like listening to the teacher from Charlie Brown for the majority of the trip.


The strait was littered with fishermen eager to sell their catch to the restaurants below the bridge-talk about using fresh and local products! We have tons of pictures from the cruise, but of course can't remember what 90% actually are (or we never knew in the first place). A well known Turkish tale goes something like this:

A king (or sultan...not sure) was warned by a witch that on her eighteenth birthday, his daughter would be bitten by a snake and die. In order to ensure her safety, he had a tower built in the middle of the Strait so that it would be impossible for a snake to bite her. When she turned eighteen, the king was thrilled that the prophecy hadn't come true. So happy that he went to visit his daughter, celebratory basket of fruit in hand. The basket also happened to house a snake. It bit her and she died.

Sound familiar? I thought so! Well, believe it or not, this is the tower which coincides with the tale. Pretty crazy, huh? Unfortunately, neither of us can remember the name of the tower; sorry!


So, we're cruising along and I finally whisper in John's ear, "I don't want to go to the jewelry store." I know, music to every man's ears! His happy response was expected and he jumped at the opportunity. After talking with the guide, we determined it would be easy to separate fom the group after the cruise and meet at the Spice Bazaar. At one point John declared, "Under no circumstance will I go to that jewelry store!" This ended up being the quote of the day and we all used the starter, "Under no circumstance..." for the remainder of the day.

So, we made the short walk to the Bazaar with Denise, Fontaine, and Nick and had extra time to shop there. This certainly ended up being a fantastic idea, as it gave us time to stroll leisurely. (Envision an indoor farmer's market.) We even had time to explore a neighboring market less visited by tourists. The scene of the market enveloped us as we entered. Vendors beckoned us to visit their shops, while others played to our sense of smell and let their products speak for themselves. Mounds of fresh spices and teas packed crammed vendor stalls, and yet others were plastered with brightly colored ceramics. The scent of fresh baklava married nicely with frequent and kind offers of green apple tea. Samples of Turkish Delight every few steps made it seem as though we never set foot off the ship! We browsed in a few shops, and after about half an hour we made our way through the entire marketplace. This gave us the chance to compare prices and deide what we really wanted to purchase. But, it also gave us time to do something else.

Just outside the Spice Bazaar is another, much smaller market--the pet and plant market. We thought it would be interesting to check it out, to delve deeper into Turkish culture. Well, we did, and it was interesting to say the least! The first thing we laid eyes on was a group of large plastic jars filled about halfway with water...and eels...and leeches. As we meandered our way through the narrow walkways we came across fruit trees wrapped in burlap, ready for transport and roses in just about any color imaginable. The plants in the market were simply stunning! Unfortunately a large potion of the market was pets (or supplies for them). Many types of fish swam in aquariums, and we heard cats meowing and dogs barking from somewhere upstairs. Cages lined storefronts from cobblestone to ceiling with birds: ducks, peacocks, guinea hens... You name it, they had it! Still other outdoor cages housed bunnies, hamsters, puppies, and kittens. Totally made us miss Glory and we left soon thereafter. I know one thing...PETA would have a field day with that place and its' small, overcrowded cages. There was one good thing about this market. All of the vendors knew we were tourists, and so no one badgered us to buy their product. I guess customs isn't always bad! Anyway, back to the Spice Bazaar for the real shopping! Some purchases of note: tea, various spices, and of course, a big box of Turkish Delight. Thus ended our fun in Istanbul.

We hung out with Nick and Fontaine for the rest of the night. After a game of trivia (lost in sudden death) and a quick listen in on the a capella group onboard, we headed to dinner. The men were more than happy since cheese stuffed meatballs and filet mignon were on the menu. Yes, they each ordered both. We heard the a capella group again, then settled into the movie theatre for Bridesmaids. Absolutely hilarious! I guess that one can be removed fom the Netflix queue now. After a busy day, our heads hit our pillows hard. tomorrow will be another busy day. Thank you, Constantinople for the beautiful sights in your city. Here's hoping we'll be well rested and fully charged for our last day in Turkey!

Istanbul, Old and New

Today began our two days in Istanbul, Turkey. This overnight visit to Istanbul was one of the primary reasons we chose this particular cruise, so I was greatly looking forward to the day. We met up with a couple in the morning to join us for our tour of the historic part of the city. We had booked a tour with the company Private Tours in Turkey, and our guide met us outside the port at 08:00. Unfortunately, our originally booked guide was unavailable due to a family situation, but another guide, Hale, filled in for her. We hopped onto the city tram, which easily whisked us away to the historical core of Istanbul, the area known as Sultanahmet. Our first stop was the Hippodrome, a square which is situated over an area originally built by Constantine for chariot races in Constantinople. The obelisk shown to the right was originally an Egyptian obelisk, carved in about 1500 BC. The part of the obelisk in Istanbul is only the upper third, as it was chopped in pieces for transport to Constantinople.

Following our walk through the Hippodrome, we entered the famed Blue Mosque, which was stunning from both inside and out. As is customary in mosques, we removed our shoes and walked on the carpet in the mosque in socks or barefoot. The mosque was built in the early 1600s and received its name due to its ornate blue tiles on the inside. According to Hale, the building was originally to be constructed with golden (altin) minarets, but this was too expensive, so the sultan ordered six (alti) minarets instead.


Next on our tour was Hagia Sophia, a museum which was built as a church in the sixth century by Justinian (a rebuild of an earlier church by Constantine which was destroyed). When the Ottoman Empire took control of Constantinople in the 1500s, it was repurposed into a mosque and the Christian mosaics were plastered over. In the twentieth century, it was secularized and turned into a museum. Since then, work has continued to reveal the Christian mosaics, and as such, the church is an incredible example of both Christian and Islamic art and design at the same time. This can be seen in the interior picture below. The second picture shows the exterior.

A short walk away was the sprawling complex known as Topkapi Palace, the former palace of the Sultans. We explored a number of different sections of the palace, but the most notable included the treasury (filled with a huge number of jewels), and the Harem. The Harem was the part of the palace in which the Sultan lived, along with the his mother (who served as the de facto queen, as almost all sultans did not marry), servant eunuchs, concubines, and his favorites, who were the women chosen by the Queen Mother to keep company with the Sultan and bear him children. The entire Topkapi Palace was overwhelming, and we easily spent the most time here of any site of the day. The picture to the left shows just one of the courtyards of the Palace.


After the Topkapi Palace, our tour guide pointed us in the direction of a nearby restaurant which served cuisine which she described as "the same as we would cook at home". We all ordered far too much of the delicious food, and took a much needed break from all of the walking.

Our next stop was the Underground Cistern, which was built in the sixth century (during Justinian's time) in order to provide fresh water to the blue bloods of the city. Turns out it didn't really matter what the blue bloods did with their water, since most of it was poisoned with lead from the aqueducts (built using lead) and drank from lead cups. The term blue blood refers to the more noble people of the city, whose fairer skin meant that their veins appeared blue below their skin. The working class and slaves had darker skin from being in the sun, and as such, their veins appeared green, and they were called green bloods. The cistern was an extremely peaceful place, which included some neat architecture, as well as some very cool carvings of Medusa which were transplanted here. It is an interesting take on early recycling, as all of the columns here were used from other structures.

Our final stop of the tour was the Grand Bazaar. We found the bazaar to be overwhelming, and a large mismash of the same goods over and over. Since nothing has price tags, you are forced to speak to the shopkeepers to try and determine the value of goods and compare pricing; a tedious task, when even saying hello to a shopkeeper can then make it difficult to extract yourself from conversation with them. Even with these difficulties, we did our part to stimulate the Turkish economy with a few choice purchases.


Following the Grand Bazaar and approximately 8 hours of touring, we hopped back on the tram and made our way back to the ship. We parted ways with Hale, who proved to be a wonderful tour guide. We were quite pleased with the insights she provided and the little tricks she used throughout the day to save us time in lines and elsewhere.

We took a brief rest in our room, and then made our way back out in what at that time was a relatively steady rain in order to take in the modern side of Istanbul. There is a pedestrian friendly street, Istiklal Street, which according to RS provides a nice counterpoint between the Istanbul of the past and present. We originally planned to take a taxi, however, after one turned us down (for reasons unknown to me), we found our way to the funicular, which proved to be a cheap and easy way to reach Taksim Square (on one end of Istiklal Street). By the time we reached the Square, the rain had died down and we wandered the street for about an hour, shopping for books for Sarah, among other things, and also securing some baklava. The very busy pedestrian street had a number of upscale shops and was a whole different world compared with Istanbul's Old City. We were very glad to have made the journey. We hopped on the funicular and took the short walk back to the cruise ship. One very late dinner later, we rested for the the night, ready for more Istanbul in the morning.