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.
What began as a low-key, relaxing day turned out to be quite an adventurous one! Once we grabbed a quick breakfast, we headed to the Solarium (adult only pool area), books and iPad in hand. We were lucky enough to snag one of the ginormous basketlike chairs, which could hold a family of four. As we read, we watched the tranqualizing Aegean waves ripple across the sea toward small islands. What a calming way to begin another beautiful day!
Our arrival in Santorini was uneventful, but we did opt for the Celebrity sponsored excursion. This enabled us to tender to the island before any of the other passengers (along with some friends we made through Cruise Critic: Fontaine & Nick and Lee & Karon). A short tender ride landed us in Athinios. There we waited until our bus drove us up the long, steep, and winding road to a local winery. There were picturesque views of the caldera and masterfully engineered vineyards. The bus dropped our group at the winery and we tasted the wine while exploring and taking in the beautiful scenery. It was a quick stop, then we were back on the bus for the main event: Oia.
Once we got off the bus, we totally ditched the tour group and headed off with our small group. Here in Oia, the views were simply stunning. The blue domed roofs and white washed walls atop the cliffs stood out brilliantly against the sea far below. We popped into a nearby church and I must admit, I was in awe. We've seen some beautiful churches since our adventure began, but nothing like this before! This tiny church was unassuming from the outside, blending with the shops and homes around it. But inside was a totally different story! Ornate and gorgeous, no...there are no verbs in the English language which do this church justice.
We began exploring this tiny town (always on the look out for The Red Bicycle, a restaurant recommendation from Jamie) and soaked in the beautiful views it had to offer. While the ladies shopped the men explored, sometimes where they shouldn't. We snatched up some great finds, including more books! Finally, we got directions to The Red Bicycle, but it was closed. Lee was kind enough to ask a local shopkeeper if it were possible to get in, and he gladly obliged. The manager opened early for us to share a bottle of wine, and we had the whole place to ourselves! The view from the restaurant was probably the best we had all day, and was well worth the prolonged search.
As you may (or may not) know, Oia is quite possibly the most beautiful setting at sunset. Unfortunately, due to our departure time, we are unable to tell you if this is true. We made our way back down the main street to the bus stop. Since we ditched our tour group (which only spent an hour in Oia), we needed to take the local bus instead. We took the short ride to Fira, the capital of Thira (the main island of Santorini), and explored some more. But first, we needed a potty break...and then we didn't. Some ladies found out (the hard way) that it was probably best to wait until we could find something that was more than just a hole in the ground with some cement around it. Of course the men found this hilarious, and were skeptical as to whether this could possibly be true. At that point, John was using the facilities, and the others wanted proof. Only at this point did the ladies realize (to our muted horror) there was a window and any person taller than 5'0" could see into the stall! I knew we would happen upon this type of toilet eventually, but was totally hoping the moment would never come. Later, Fontaine so wisely noted, "How is it they [the Greeks] invented the alphabet but they can't figure out plumbing?" Anyway, back to the adventure at hand!
Exploration of Fira was limited and was geared toward finding the cable cars (and something to eat). The path to the cable cars was clearly labeled, so we found a place to eat. Everyone was satisfied with their food and John enjoyed a Yellow Donkey, a beer brewed in Santorini. By the time we were finished with our snack it was about 20:00, just an hour and fifteen minutes before the last tender. Generally that wouldn't be a big deal. But, when there are only two ways down the cliff side (one the ladies vetoed: the 500+ "donkey steps"), the line for the cable cars is rather long.
As we waited a joke came to mind the tour guide told earlier in the day. What's the difference between a tourist and a hitch hiker? Anyone know? Five minutes. I didn't think it was a good time to bring that sort of levity to our semi anxious group at the time, so I abstained. And anyway...I'm not sure what we would've called ourselves. Just six Americans without their passports in a politically unstable Greece who missed their ship? Too long. A prize to anyone who can come up with anything better!
The wait atop the unusually cold and windy cliff seemed to last forever, but we finally made it to the ticket counter! From there, anxiety over whether we would make it decreased. And then we got our first close up of the cable cars. Holy smokes! Those suckers fit six to a car (enclosed, phew!) and only take three minutes to get from Fira to the port. The windy ride down was interesting, but quick. We hoped our adventure for the day would end here, but we were sorely mistaken. Our feet firmly on the ground, we scoped out the tendering situation. Final tender time was 9:15, and we made it just in time! There were three tenders waiting for passengers on our ship (a good thing considering there were at least 75 people behind us), the waves tossing them as though they were a child's toys. The ride back to the boat was manageable, although slightly unsettling. We finished the evening with dinner at the creperie (too late to make our dinner reservation) and what is definitely the worst show I've ever seen. (No, we did not stay for the whole thing; it would have been maddening.) As our ship pulled away, John was able to capture the beauty of Santorini at night...just gorgeous!
It was a wonderful day in Santorini, and I can see why it's such a popular destination. The calming effects of the blue and white landscape against the pumice stone and volcanic rock, with pops of color from a few daring Greeks make this island the most beautiful scene I've laid eyes on. Maybe we'll retire to Santorini one day. After all, who wouldn't enjoy walking out their front door to this view every morning?
Our day began with a late start, thanks to the late night at the opera. Another lesson learned: sleep is just as important as play! Of course that meant we missed something on our tight itinerary (Bargello). Once we had breakfast, the first stop was the Uffizi Gallery. The museum took us through the Rennisiance. Although I've seen art from this period, it was interesting to see how it evolved all in one gallery. Of course, the stand out pieces were beautiful (Birth of Venus and Holy Family). The gallery bookshop was when I hit the jackpot! There were books! Not just the kind of books you would expect, but children's books of all types (and in many different languages). No more searching for my Italian children's book (and I got another in Italian just for fun). The next search for books will be in Greece and Turkey, but not until the cruise.
We did a little roaming in the direction of our next destination: lunch. Another page out of RS's book and we were more than pleased! Cantinetta dei Verrazano is a quaint little restaurant, pasteria attached. We shared a plate of crostini and the tagliere di focacce (sampler of focaccia sandwiches); both were absolutely amazing! The real gem here was the service. Jonathan, the manager, was ever so helpful and very entertaining. An avid Red Sox fan, he was eager to talk sports and catch us up with what was going on in the American sports arena (baseball, hockey, basketball). We got a history lesson on the origin of the term "yankee" (Every Red Sox fan's next favorite team is the Yankees, right?), while Jonathan recommended some good wine. Actually, these were our first ordered glasses of wine. The finishing touch was our exit past the bakery counter...with purchase, of course (a shortbread cookie with chocolate filling and a meringue cookie--very good)!
I'm not sure what we were thinking, but next on the list was climbing the campanile. Ugh, how ridiculous! What cruelty to trek up 413 (the tower is 270 feet tall) stairs for fun. Who does that?! I'll tell you who--we do (and what seemed to be about a bazillion other tourists creating jams in the very narrow staircase). Once at the top, the view was beautiful and we were less inclined to complain about how much our legs hurt after the eleven and a half minute, steep, and narrow climb. After the much easier climb down, we went in search of some well deserved gelato.
As many of you know, John is a peanut butter fiend. He hasn't experienced withdraw symptoms yet, but I'm expecting them any day now. Each time we stop to check out the gelato selections, he's disappointed there isn't a peanut butter flavor. I suggested he begin looking for Nutella flavored gelato, since that is the spread of choice here. After lots of searching, we finally found some! He enjoyed it, but I could tell he would've preferred peanut butter. I passed on the gelato and tried some lemon sorbetto. It was good, but I think I'll stick with gelato.
A short break to shed what we accumulated throughout the day, and we were on our way again. The short walk to the Accademia was refreshing, as was the short line (thanks to the reservations John made). Once inside the congested museum, we listened to the RS walking tour. Michelangelo's David left me speechless. I know you can't possibly imagine such an instance, but it's true! Again, picture taking was not permitted, but this one time I may have bent the rules. (I don't think it said anything specifically about phones, and I turned the flash off). Unfortunately, tickets for the museum were €15 and the only notable piece was David.
We continued on with the RS Renaissance Walk. This took us through the Piazza del Duomo and the Piazza della Signoria, ending at Ponte Vecchio. I suppose the Ponte Vecchio could be compared to the Rialto bridge, but I'm not so sure. Yes, they are both bridges with great views and shops lining both sides...but this one just had gaudy touristy junk and expensive jewelry (talk about one extreme to the other). The Rialto had varied goods and was less crowded.
Anyway, it was time to explore! We came across another gelateria, Caffe delle Carrozze, with some interesting flavors. Finally John found his peanut butter! I chose an eclair-like flavor with bits of chocolate and pastry dough in it. We were both content with our choices. We began meandering through the streets and ended up purchasing a watercolor painting of the bridge from a local artist. Our travels ended up taking us to the Pitti Palace. Unfortunately, they were already closed.
Our dinner plans took us to Golden View Open Bar (another RS suggestion). The restaurant sits along the Arno River and has a beautiful view of the bridge. The vegetable risotto I had was wonderful, and John had his first taste of fresh pasta (gnocchi in a Gorgonzola and cream sauce with arugula). The food was great and the decor was...modern (in a good fun, interesting way). So began our final walk "home". Along the way we shopped at H&M (which allowed dogs?!), appreciated some Italian street painting (excited for Arts Fest already!), and got some gelato to share (amaretto, yum).
We've visited two Italian cities so far...I think it's safe to say that Venice is our favorite. It has more of a homey, small town feel to it (because it is). I like the fact that no matter where we went, we had no choice but to buy local products from locals. Here you need to be more discerning and really search for that experience.
Definitely looking forward to a full night of sleep in preparation for an early morning rise to drag our luggage through the streets to the train station. Watch out Rome, here we come!
Our final day in Venice proved to be quite the experience. We began by venturing out in the rain, umbrellas in hand, rain boots on our feet. A huge thanks to Stacy, the owner of our lodging, The Chef's Wife B&B, for the boots. I can't imagine our day would've been half as enjoyable without them! Although it was raining, we took our time getting to the Rialto Mercato. We took in the sights and smells of the city as we went. The smell of fresh baked bread filled the streets as children took their sweet time getting to school. We found a bookstore Stacy recommended, but they didn't have the book I'm looking for. I swear this city was made for me...a shoe store and a bookstore across the street from each other! Anyway, we finally made our way to the traghetto when another downpour began. That meant we had to walk in order to cross the canal. The plan was to walk across the Rialto Bridge at some point during the day, so why not now? It certainly was a sight to behold! It's amazing to build an entire city on pyles...but to build a bridge with shops along the entire length of it in that same city is quite a feat! From the bridge we made our way to the market. You know the happiness you get in your tummy when you walk into Wegman's and the first thing you smell is the ripe strawberries? OMG imagine that, but 20 times better! We made a snack out of fresh strawberries, apples, and parmigiano reggiano cheese. We perused the rest of the market, which was mainly seafood. There certainly were some interesting sights considering our lack of tastebuds for things that come from the ocean.
Once we finished our snack, we began to explore without much of a plan, just a general direction and final destination: the Frari Church. Along the way, we stumbled upon an amazing candy shop. John got a coffee and we got some candy to share. We haven't eaten all of it, but what we've had is to die for! Amaretto, and lemon and cocoa jelly candies...mmm! We continued the short walk to the church, and as we arrived the rain finally stopped. What a beautiful church! We listened to the Rick Steves audio tour, and it was definitely helpful. Since most of the display explanations are in Italian, it was a lifesaver! The tombs in the church were purchased by the wealthy, and boy is that clear...some of the altars are bigger than our house!
After we left the church, we just plain got lost. The intent was to know where we were in relation to certain landmarks. That went out the window awfully fast! A lot of time (at least an hour) was spent wandering aimlessly, just hoping to stumble upon somewhere to eat or find a restroom. That was probably the best lesson learned from this excursion...when you find a restroom, use it whether you need to or not! Those things are well hidden and hard to come by. Anyway...we eventually found a place to eat with some stromboli-like dish and it was just what we needed. After much brow furrowing, we ended up at the Accademia and gathered our bearings.
The remainder of the day was spent in St. Mark's Square. Because we spent a little more time than expected being lost, the afternoon was a little haphazard. First was the visit to St. Mark's Basilica. The basilica is stunning, with its intricate, storytelling mosaics and gothic architecture. The view from the balcony was beautiful, but nothing compared to those we were about to see!
From the basilica, we went straight to the Doge's Palace. I think this was more interesting for John. (And by this time my feet were killing me from walking in rain boots all day!) I digress...the palace was ornate and over-the-top (as we've found many of the sights are in Venice) with an enormous courtyard and detailed frescos. We also toured the prison. Pretty much what you would expect...stone walls and floors. Some prisoners were lucky enough to have wooden beds and chamber pots; others just the cold stone floor. The palace and prison are connected by the Bridge of Sighs. In the eighteenth century, the bridge was romanticized. The story goes that as prisoners made the journey from their sentencing in the palace to their time in the prison, they would stop on the bridge and sigh, as that would be the last they would see the beautiful city and sunshine.
We continued to the Correr Museum. It was interesting, but the best parts were the books and bookcases. I wish photos would have been allowed in there. Maybe my dad could help me build the floor to ceiling bookcases with glass doors, beautiful columns, and detailed carvings. Yeah, right! Back to the trip...from the Correr we traipsed across the square to the Campanile. The Campanile is the bell tower in the square. Lucky for us, the only way up and down is the elevator! As you can see, the view from the top was breathtaking!
Time for dinner! Thanks to RS, we ended up at Ristorante Antica Sacrestia. The food was delicious, but there was so much! The lasagna was interesting. I've never had meat lasagna with peas in it before. From dinner we went to find another bookstore, but when we finally found it (only slightly lost this time), the store was closed. Boo! This means I'm still searching for my book! Bonus points for anyone who can guess which book I'm hunting!
We headed back to St. Mark's Square for the RS walking tour of the square itself. The space is grand, to say the least. In the lantern light, it's even more beautiful than before! Throughout the tour, we came across the world's first digital clock (which keeps time in 5 minute increments). And for our fellow Penn Staters...are you ready for this?! The winged lion (found everywhere in Venice-flags, statues, labels, etc.) was St. Mark's symbol. Venice adopted the symbol in honor of him. There's a statue of a lion in the square which everyone has their picture taken with. Young and old wait in line, just for a picture with it. Sound familiar? So yeah, we totally did it! Unfortunately, the For the Glory flag was not on hand (another lesson learned). Again, we ended the day with some gelato. John got strawberry, which was delicious! Definitely no imitation flavoring, just fresh strawberries. The chocolate chip was good, too. The salted caramel from Grom is still the best. So, even though we're so far away, we still had great reminders of home today. After all, what's better in Happy Valley than ending the day with some Creamery ice cream and a walk on campus to the Lion Shrine?
In the end, we didn't get to do everything we had planned. We missed a museum, and no gondola ride for us...just not enough hours in a day! All in all, the city was everything we had hoped for, and so much more.
