On the High Seas

On the High Seas

Sunday morning we set off for the Haghia Sophia again in search of a couple of geocaches. Unfortunately, the geocache application on Lynda’s smart phone was not working properly. (Editorial comment from Tim: Evidently it is not such a smart phone after all!) The good news is that we happened into an area of the Sophia we had not seen the day before and discovered five small mausoleums of five of the Sultans and their families. The sarcophagi were disappointing. They were plain felt covered boxes as opposed to the ornate sarcophagi of the Egyptian pharaohs. Some of the sarcophagi had what looked like turbans setting on top of them. We have no idea what that was all about. The small buildings in which the sarcophagi were located were another matter. Each was different with ornate tiles and calligraphy on the walls and ceilings. Very impressive. We were required to take off our shoes upon entering each of the mausoleums.

We had been told on Saturday that the Spice Bazaar would not be open on Sunday, but we decided to go to that area anyway just to see a different part of Istanbul. Near the Spice Bazaar we came upon “The New Mosque”. It is call the New Mosque because it is only 350 years old. In our travels all over Europe we have enjoyed going into the different churches and cathedrals that we encounter and that was not going to change in Istanbul. While not as large or as ornate as the Blue Mosque, the New Mosque was still impressive. Had we gone to the New Mosque first, we would have called it “breathtaking”. Because of seeing it after the Blue Mosque it was merely “beautiful”. Much to our surprise and joy the Spice Bazaar was open. We wish that there was some way to provide you with video that included sound and smell. That would be the only way for you to understand how exciting an environment the Spice Bazaar was. It was terribly crowded and the noise from all of the shop owners hawking their wares was deafening. Lynda was in her element bartering with the shopkeepers over prices on pistachios, saffron and parched corn. Besides all of the spice stalls, there were shops for jewelry, ceramic ware, cheese, fish and meat, and candy. We spent well over an hour in the Bazaar and had a great time.

After leaving the Spice Bazaar, we collected our luggage and took a cab to the port and boarded our ship. We are on the Silversea Cruise Line ship, “Silver Wind”. It is the smallest cruise ship we have been on having only a little over 200 passengers on board. We were greeted with a glass of champagne as we boarded, were whisked through the boarding procedures and shown to our cabin. It is probably the largest cabin we have been in with a nice sitting area complete with a sofa and two occasional chairs. A particular luxury is the walk in closet. Lynda made the comment that our closet on board ship is larger than the closet in our bedroom at home before we remodeled. Did we mention the bottle of champagne on ice that was waiting for us when we entered? As our luggage had not arrived yet we went to lunch. On our way to the dining room every crew member we met greeted us with a warm smile and a “Welcome Aboard”. After lunch we walked about the ship acquainting ourselves with the location of all the different public rooms; the different dining rooms, the theatre, the different bars, the casino, the different bars, the shops, the library, the spa, and the different bars. While we were unpacking, the young woman who is the butler for our room stopped by to appraise us of all the services she would provide. She was particularly interested in being sure our mini bar was stocked to our satisfaction. The ship did not actually disembark until 11:00 p.m. so we spent the rest of the afternoon finishing our unpacking, reading and napping. Our ship has an open seating plan at dinner allowing guests to dine when and with whom they want. Upon entering the main dinning room we were asked if we wanted sit by ourselves or with other passengers. We opted for sitting with other passengers and ended up having a wonderful time. There were three other couples. The first couple was from Tampa, Florida having moved there a few years ago from Brighton, Michigan. The second couple was from the island of Guernsey off the coast of England having recently moved there from a village located between Winchester and Andover, west of London. The third couple was from Houston. The wife had spent the first 26 years of her life growing up in London. She was rather loud, profane and opinionated but was the catalyst for very lively dinner conversation. After dinner we went to the Panorama Bar, by ourselves(!) and enjoyed an after dinner drink watching the ever changing lights on the bridge over the Bosphorus River. Lynda then retired to our cabin while Tim went to the top deck to watch the ship leave port. The skyline of Istanbul was spectacular. It is dominated by mosques. Tim counted at least ten mosques on the European side of the river. It was a beautiful sight to behold. Tim’s brother had told us that Istanbul was one of his favorite cities in the world. We can see why. Istanbul is an exotic city, filled with a diversity of sites and friendly people. We would come back to Istanbul in a heart beat.
Monday-

Today we spent the whole day at sea. When we left Istanbul we cruised through the Marmara Sea. About 10:00 this morning we entered the Dardanelle Straits. It was a scenic cruise with several interesting villages. One in particular had a very large fort on the straits. About 1:00 we sailed into the Aegean Sea. It was a very relaxing day for us. In the afternoon we went to a dance class offered by a Ukrainian couple who are dance competition champions. Later, Lynda went to a lecture about our port tomorrow, Ephesus. Tim took a tour of the navigation bridge. Unfortunately, he was unable to actually steer the boat. In the evening there was a champagne reception hosted by our ship captain. The highlight of the day was dinner. There is a small restaurant on board called Le Champagne. There are only seven tables, it is by reservation only. They offer a five course fixed menu. You can opt for a special wine pairing with each course but it is very expensive so we just ordered a nice bottle of chardonnay to have with our meal.. Tonight’s menu featured lobster. All of the courses except dessert contained lobster. The first course featured four small appetizers, each containing lobster. The second course was a lobster terrine. It was a small piece of lobster tail wrapped in thinly sliced carrot and spinach leaves. The plate also featured two small dollops of cream, one with a small piece of citrus and the other with a tiny bit of caviar. The third course was a Lobster Nage. This is basically a broth with a small bit of lobster tail cooked in its own juices. The fourth course was surf and turf, a small piece of lobster tail paired with a filet mignon. The filet literally melted in your mouth and the lobster was excellent. The final course was a dessert. It was a orange bit covered with meringue and a bit of macaroon. Lynda thoroughly enjoyed dessert. Tim, of course, wanted chocolate. We felt like we were judges at America’s Iron Chef and the secret ingredient was lobster. Our dinner lasted almost three hours but did not seem that long. The service was impeccable and the food delicious. We have been impressed so far on the cruise with the food. Not only the quality but the quantities are small so you don’t feel stuffed when you leave a meal. Tomorrow we have our first shore excursion at Ephesus. Film at eleven.

Lynda and Tim