Petanque and darts were two games we didn’t get to try at the Egyptian resorts, so we tried them at The Dolmen. Rob’s style and accuracy improved dramatically after I defeated him and Gabby (Gabrielle, the cute and funny recreation person at the resort) 5-0. Over the next two days he defeated me 6-1 and 6-0 with a very methodical, deliberate and deadly style.
Gabby and Lynn showing off Lynn’s bulls-eye.Old dead eye showing how many games she won!
Tuesday – 2 June, 2015
Two Harbours/Three Cities Cruise (90 mins)
We postponed our planned harbour cruise from the week before to co-incide with a trip to the HSBC Office in Sliema to open a Euro account with them. The Two Harbours are the ones on either side of the promonotory on which the city of Valletta is located – Marsamxetto Habour to the NW and the Grand Harbour to the SE of the city. The Three Cities are Senglea and Vittoriosa on two promontories that project into the Grand Harbour and Cospicua inland from the other two. Vittoriosa was the original settlement of the Knights of St John before they moved across the Harbour to Valletta.
The start of our two harbour, harbour cruise around Valletta, starting from Sliema.St. Paul’s Anglican Cathedral from Marsamxetto Harbour.Fort Manoel, Manoel Island, Marsamxetto Harbour.St. Paul’s Cathedral up close.Valletta Grand Harbour entrance with Fort St Elmo in the foreground and the Siege Bell Memorial in the background.Port channel marker to the Grand Harbour.The Siege Bell Memorial and Tomb of the Unknown Soldier adjacent to the Lower Barrakka Garden (refer photos Week 1).Victoria Gate – the original entrance to Valletta from the Grand Harbour (refer photos Week 1).The very large Catamaran that takes only 90 minutes to get to Sicily.This old tub will take more than 90 minutes to go anywhere.One of many dry docks in the Harbour.An oil rig being refitted.A covered dry dock for super yachts.The watch tower at the tip of the Senglea promontory. It has alternate carvings of eyes and ears on the outside as a reminder to watchmen to watch and listen.The Maltese version of a Gondola.Fort St Angelo at the tip of the Vittoriosa promontory. The Fort later became a stone frigate, HMS St Angelo. Lord Mountbatten was Vice Admiral Malta during WW2.The Bighi Hospital near the town of Kalkara. In 1803 Lord Nelson recommended the presence of a naval hospital in Malta and Villa Bichi (Bighi) was converted in 1829.The channel markers of the Grand Harbour.Passing close to the port marker with Fort Ricasoli in the background.Keeping our distance from a large fishing vessel as we round the starboard marker.
After the cruise ended in Sliema, we sought out 60 Stella Maris Street where Hella used to live. The name plate has been removed by the door and the house appears to be empty these days.
60 Stella Maris Street, Sliema.Top end of Stella Maris Street.Back at Sliema Dock. Waiting for the bus ride back to St Paul’s Bay.
After our first week in Malta we decided to take a few weeks off and laze by the pool as we are now without transport having returned the hire car on Saturday. So far this second week we’ve been catching up with emails, the blog and some reading. The pool is very nice but the water is still a bit chilly.
18 May, 2015
This morning we awoke to heavy rain and chilly winds so we decide to check out the Malta Classic Car Collection and Museum which is just around the corner from the hotel. By the time we slept in and had a late breakfast the rain stopped but it was still cloudy. A quick 5 minutes walk and we are in the museum. While we were there we watched a fascinating film on the history of Jaguar Racing. Of coarse, Lynn now wants a V12 E Type.
The Malta Classic Car Collection. Outside with a Bugatti.Lynn always wanted a BMW. How’s this for size, dear?A bug eyed Sprite.
Lynn has often told me about some of her car issues she had when she was living in Canberra and regularly drove the 4 hour trip back to Albury on weekends to visit her family. She once owned a Ford Cortina that regularly failed to complete the trip home or back to Canberra. On most occasions she would summon her father who was a mechanic to rescue her and the Cortina from the side of the Hume Highway. We both have an unhealthy dislike of Fords.
Lynn hated her version of the Ford Cortina. It spent more time in the garage for repairs than on the road. Typical Ford…How about a crank start?The E Type Jag. Still stylish.A Corvette. Probably too big for Malta’s roads.
After struggling through the chaos of Terminal 1, Fiumicino Airport thanks to the fire in Terminal 3 a couple of days before, we landed in Malta, and collected the hire car which was supposed to be a Ford Focus or equivalent. Now as all my friends know I am not a Ford fan but Budget, in their wisdom, decided that a Skoda was an “equivalent”. Yeah, to a POS! Anyway it was only for a week and since Malta was such a tiny rock we weren’t planning to do many kilometers to see the whole island as well as Gozo. We arrived at the Dolmen Resort, St Paul’s Bay about 45 minutes after collecting the car.
This is Lynn’s 2nd visit to the Malta archipeligo (its islands of Malta, Gozo and Comino) having spent 2 weeks’ holiday here in the late ’90s when her Maltese friend, Hella Jean Bartolo, lived here. Lynn and Hella met at University College London in 1993 and remained close friends until Hella’s death from breast cancer in 2004.
The usual view from our hotel window overlooking St. Paul’s Bay. The Bugibba Dolmen in the foreground.Sunset from our balcony with Gozo on the far horizon.Our hire car… in what universe is this an equivalent to a Ford Focus??
10 May, 2015
As it was Mother’s Day, we opted to drive the top third of the island of Malta trying to avoid the towns.
A tiny church on the top of a cliff at Ahrax Point, at the northern tip of Malta.
And to check out Cirkewwa Ferry Terminal for our planned trip to the island of Gozo later in the week.
The old south quay at Cirkewwa. This would be very wet in a high sea.
Malta is heavily fortressed – from the times of the Order of St John to WW2. Nowadays you’d probably describe it as a fortified quarry.
Red Tower near Melhieha Bay.
And quite barren – reminiscent of The Burren, Ireland in lots of places, thanks to the limestone capping of the landscape.
Rugged limestone cliffs looking towards Anchor Bay, North Malta.
Everywhere we drove, lots of people dining out and a traffic queue to get back into St Paul’s Bay.
One of the huge number of churches in Malta. This one is at Mgarr.
11 May, 2015
A day in Valletta. After parking the car in the multistorey near the War Memorial, we took the tunnel through the city walls to the Valletta Waterfront and walked along the Grand Harbour towards Fort St Elmo. In Week 4 our cruise of the Two Harbours will give another perspective of the following 7 photos.
HMAS ANZAC moored at Lascaris Wharf on the Grand Harbour, Valletta.Victoria Gate at the entrance of the wall for access from the Customs Port.
At Customs House we took the steps up to the top of the wall.
Very nice terraced houses overlooking the Grand Harbour.
And walked to the Lower Barrakka Garden and its viewpoints.
Lower Barrakka Garden in Valletta.The Siege Bell Memorial adjacent to the Garden.
Next to the Bell Memorial is a sculpture representing the burial of the unknown soldier at sea.
The view of the Grand Harbour entrance from the Garden.And looking back down the Grand Harbour.The neo-classical temple folly in the Lower Barrakka Garden.
We then walked up Republic Street, known locally as Triq Ir-Repubblika.
The guards outside the Grandmaster’s Palace & Armoury in Valletta.The ornate 16th century-built Auberge de Castille, Valletta.
And visited the St John’s Co-Cathedral (Conventual Cathedral) and Museum.
Nave of St. John’s Co-Cathedral.
The Order of St John is the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta, also known as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, Order of Malta or Knights of Malta, and is a Roman Catholic lay religious order of, traditionally, a military, chivalrous and noble nature. It is the world’s oldest surviving order of chivalry.
One of the many colourful tombs of the knights of the Order of St. John embedded in the floor of the Cathedral and dated 14 May 1761.A chapel of the Church dedicated to one of the ancient Langues.A side street off Merchant Street in the heart of Valletta.Outstanding architecture in the heart of Valletta, featuring traditional, built-in balconies.The entrance wall of the old town of Valletta.
Tuesday, 12 May – Our tour of the southern third of Malta. We visited two adjacent ‘temples’ – Hagar Qim and Mnajdra near Qrendi – both under canvas. First excavated in 1839, the remains suggest a date between 3600 – 3200 BC, a period known as the Ġgantija phase in Maltese prehistory.
The Hagar Qim Temple.Doorway cut from a single slab of stone inside the Mnajdra Temple near Hagar Qim.Coastline near the Blue Grotto.The inlet from where the boats depart for the Blue Grotto.The Arch near the Blue Grotto.One of the many colourful Maltese boats in Marsaxlokk harbour.
13 May, 2015
Day trip to Gozo. Our first port of call is the small and picturesque seaside village of Xlendi situated in the SW of the island. The main buildings (restaurants, cafes and the lovely St Patrick Hotel) are located at one end of a rectangular bay, with steep cliffs on either side and a valley at the back of the village.
Our Ferry to and from Gozo.View of the bay and cliffs at Xlendi village from the coffee shop.The shallow bay at Xlendi.Walking around the headland of Xlendi.Looking back at St. Patrick’s Hotel.One of the fishing boats sheltering under the cliffs.The view of Xlendi from the northern cliffs.
Our next port of call, in our clockwise tour of the island, is the Azure Window and adjacent Inland Sea.
A fossilised shell imbedded in the limestone at the Azure Window.The Azure Window.The Inland Sea near the Azure Window.Coming out of the cave from the Inland Sea into the Med.Not sea sick yet…Exiting one of the many sea caves near the Azure Window.Entrance back through the cave to the Inland Sea which looks too small to go through.Exiting the cave back to the Inland Sea.
Our next stop is the Ta’ Pinu Sanctuary out in the middle of nowhere – a massive church. Considering the small population of both Malta and Gozo, each town has splendid churches.
The Ta’ Pinu Sanctuary on Gozo.
14 May, 2015
Visit to the Head Office of The National Archives of Malta, Rabat.
While waiting for our appointment time at the Archives we take a stroll through the narrow alleyways of Rabat and have a coffee in the delightful courtyard of the Wignacourt Cafe.
Wignacourt Museum Cafe at Rabat.
We were taken on a tour of the Archives including the Conservation Laboratory. It was heartening to see a photograph of Hella Bartolo in the foyer of the Archives, alongside the book which the National Archivist, Charles J Farrugia, produced in remembrance of Hella, Guardians of Memory. Hella had worked tirelessly locally and internationally to promote archival education and was President of the Friends of the National Archives, Malta at the time of her death in 2004. Hella’s death prompted Lynn to participate in Breakthrough Breast Cancer’s Weekend 2005 – a 60 km walk around London which raised GBP 5m for the charity.
Hella Bartolo.Guardians of Memory.A Maritime Tribunal record dated 1701 undergoing conservation at the National Archives.Leonard Callus showing us Government Notices of Regulations relating to the plague in Malta in the 1800s.
After the Archives in Rabat, we went ‘next door’ to the walled town of Mdina.
The walled town of Mdina, Malta.The access bridge through the old gate of Mdina.View from the battlements of Mdina looking towards St. Paul’s Bay.The church dome and bell tower in Mdina.Outside the Mdina office of the National Archives of Malta.
15 May, 2015
Lastly we visited Pembroke, an ex-military town, in search of Australia Hall which featured as several photographs in a National Archives pack, Malta Memories, World War I. The building was inaugurated in January 1916 and could hold over 1600 people. A place for the recreation, rest and amusement of the hundreds of convalescents in the hospitals of St Andrew’s, Pembroke and St George’s.
Ruins of Australian Hall built by the Australian Branch of the British Red Cross during WWI and subsequently bombed out in WWII.
Day 1 of Cruise. April 27th, 2015.
We were collected from our Fiumicino Hotel by our transfer driver. We had to collect another couple from their hotel in the middle of Rome so we had a tour back into Rome. 2 Hours later we were deposited at the Civitavecchia Cruise Terminal. Boarding was a bit frenetic but quite efficient. Lynn did her usual micro management of all the onboard details including lots of things that we didn’t really need to know about but it made her feel that she has a good handle on things and I didn’t have to do it. We dropped our hand luggage in our stateroom and headed to the Café on level 14 for a quick lunch.
We have a rather nice balcony Concierge Class Stateroom. We are due to cast off at 5:00pm so there is plenty of time to unpack and start to find our way around the Celebrity Cruises Reflections ship.
Our Stateroom inclusive of French Champagne.Just prior to departure in Civitavecchia.Time to open that Champagne.
Just before we cast off we have to do the usual emergency drill and it starts to rain heavily. I hope this is not a sign of the weather that we will get this week.
The first of many Pilot boats as we leave Civitavecchia.
Just out of Port and it buckets down and is blowing a gale. The ship seems very stable and even Lynn doesn’t feel that there will be any sea sickness issues.
The start of some serious drinking.
We end up drinking the entire bottle and consume the canapes while watching the departure and the heavy rain.
We had a very nice dinner that evening and went to a show in the massive two-story theatre. So far so good. Let’s see how we sleep. The bed is quite large and very comfortable. The very gentle rocking should help.
Day 2. 28th April 2015 – Full day at sea.
This is a full day sailing around the bottom of Italy and towards Santorini where we will drop anchor on Day 3.
The full day sailing will give us a chance to fully check out the ship. It is cloudy when we throw back the curtains but by the time we shower and dress the sun is shining and it looks like it will be a very smooth sailing day. By the time we have a lovely breakfast in the lounge we notice that we are passing through the Messina Straits between Sicily and the Italian mainland. Last time we were here it was with Wayne and Kay. Funny how it works out, but it seems that this will be the best view that we will get of Mount Etna since it was clouded over the last time that we were here.
Mount Etna as we sail past.I knew that Lynn was short but this lawn furniture is probably a little large for this lawn.
Yes, this is real grass on the top deck of the ship.
Perfect day to be on board.This is going to be a very fast 12 day cruise.
The biggest concern that we have is “Do we just laze around on sunbeds or do we get involved with some of the many on-board activities?” Lynn gets a Salsa lesson and I catch up on a movie. I am sitting here looking out at sea from our balcony writing this blog.
We check out future cruises and we get some information about 2 x 15 day cruises. One from Singapore to Abu Dhabi and from Abu Dhabi to Rome in 2017. This may be something to think about when we are planning the next long trip after Eliza’s wedding.
Looks like Brisbane Art.
As you would expect, there is a lot of artwork on board but we pass by this one a few times a day so I just couldn’t resist the obvious.
Nice day exploring the ship and watching a movie in the theatre. It is formal dining night tonight but we have obviously not brought evening attire so we take the opportunity to have sushi at the stern of the ship and watch the sunset at 8:30 pm. I could get use to this cruising lifestyle!
Day 3. 29th April, 2015 – Santorini, Greece.
April 29th and we approach Santorini. We will drop anchor at about 1:00pm and will depart at 10:00 pm. Lynn has been to Santorini before and I have no real interest in just walking around a town on the top of a cliff so we will relax on board while the hoards attack this little Greek Island. We will have had enough of Greece and Greek Islands by the time we spend 6 weeks over June and July.
Smooth sailing – The Grand Floating Hotel – and great weather as we approach Santorini.Fira. The little town at the top of the cliff.
Fira. You have the choice of over 800 stairs to climb the cliff or take a donkey or a cable car. Most people are smart enough to take the cable car but there seems to be quite a long queue. Oh, well, we will just sip champagne and watch from our ship.
A Costa liner is about to depart as we arrive.
We will be at anchor and tender boats will take passengers off to do the Santorini visit. It take about an hour and a half to tender all the people to shore.
One of the tender boats at Santorini.Arriving at Santorini.The cable car and path up to Fira.
Day 4. April 30th, 2015 – Kusadasi, Turkey.
We dock at Kusadasi so it is easy to take the short 300 metre walk to town to check out Turkey, the shopping and the people.
Nice job parallel parking the ship at Kusadasi (Turkey).It is expected to get to around 21 Deg C today but it is already above that.
Not sure that I need the vest. We drop in at an ATM and take out 200 Turkish Lira. It is about 2 to 1 so that is about A$100 (plus bank fees).
We arrived at Kusadasi about 9:00 am on April 30th and will depart at about 7:00 pm. It is an easy disembark process so we head in to town to check it out and perhaps do some shopping. I need some sports socks and boxers and Lynn needs some new polo shirts.
Unlike Egypt or Morocco, Turkey seems clean, structured and well built.
The locals are very friendly and a pleasure to deal with in the shops. Kusadasi seems very geared up for the cruising tourist trade and seems to be doing well. Prices are excellent here and there are some great bargains to be had.
Kusadasi shopping.
We had a little chuckle at the sign advertising “Genuine Fake Watches (see above). Kusadasi is known for high-quality fashion fakes including handbags, watches and clothing.
The view from the top of Kusadasi.
Kusadasi is also a very nice seaside town with great weather, clear water and lots of cafes and restaurants.
Beautiful weather today.
We spent the day exploring parts of the town and going through the Bazaars and shops. We went back to the ship for lunch but headed out again for some more shore leave.
The main Mosque and city square.
The main Mosque and city square are clean and tidy. Even the WCs are clean and cheap.
Lynn showing off her shopping.
We did some great shopping. I managed to get 10 pair of sports socks for Eu5! 4 pair of boxers for EU10! And Lynn managed to get 2 Polo shirts for Eu10. They seem pretty good but will they last more than one wash?
Kusadasi Fort at the entrance to the harbour.
The Port Castle is closed for renovations but seems in great condition and an imposing sight at the mouth of the old port. We had a walk around the castle.
Back on board.
The view of the main Esplanade of Kusadasi taken from our balcony.
What a beautiful sunny and warm day.
Time for aperitivo before we get underway for another day at sea before we dock at our next port of call, Istanbul.
Day 5. May 1st, 2015 – Day at sea.
A day at sea on our way to Istanbul, Turkey.
The lawn on the top deck. Wildlife included.
On the top deck there is a large grassed area (yes, real grass). As we cruise the Dardanelles we have a visitor chasing bugs in the grass. I wonder if he has a food and drinks package?
Traffic in the straits.
The straits are fairly narrow and there is lots of traffic coming and going to the Black Sea.
Gallipoli in the distance.
Unfortunately it is smoky and starting to get low light as we pass by Anzac Cove and Gallipoli. This may be a place to visit by car in the future.
Our new friends Gene and Mona. Mona must be a saint (see the halo) for looking after Gene for so long.
We met Gene and Mona at breakfast on the deck behind the Oceanview restaurant. It is Mona’s birthday today so we have dinner together and go to tonight’s show. Gene and Mona are originally from St. Louis but now live in Altanta, Georgia.
Day 6, 2nd May 2015 – Istanbul, Turkey.
Arrival in Istanbul and day 1 of 2 days touring the city. We arrive very early in the port and are hustled to a large tour bus for an 8:00 am start on our city tour. It is Saturday and it seems that the entire population of Istanbul is in the city for a day out.
The city is very clean and well maintained. The spring flowers (tulip festival) make the city centre very pretty. Today we start our 2 day tour of the city and it turns out that Gene and Mona are also on the same tour.
The Blue Mosque in Istanbul.Our first stop is the Topkapi Palace.
The grounds of the Palace (once the residence of the Sultans) are very pretty and the Palace has a number of museums and buildings to see.
The entrance to the Topkapi Palace.
Lynn thinks that the Palace entrance looks like a fairy tale castle. We see the Jewelery museum that includes the “Spoonmaker’s” diamond that is huge at 86 carats and, according to one of the many legends, was found on the beach in a pile of rubbish and traded by the finder for three silver spoons (looser!).
The Palace has an amazing garden with tulips in full bloom.In the queue for St. Sophia Museum.
Our next visit was the St. Sophia Museum. This is a 5th Century Church that was later converted to a Mosque and now a museum. This is the oldest intact building in Istanbul and is famous for its immense dome and beautiful frescoes. It is a warm 24 Deg C but the queue to get inside is about 45 minutes long.
St. Sophia Museum on the outside.
I hate queuing so it had better be worth waiting an hour in the sun.
St. Sophia Museum on the inside.
Yes, it was impressive to see how both religious cultures has integrated in this building and the quality and age of the building but to me it was just another church. Maybe we have seen too many major landmarks in the past 18 months.
The ancient drinking fountain in St. Sophia.The gardens are more impressive.The drinking fountain presented to the Ottoman Sultan by Kaiser Wilhelm.
Next stop is the Hippodrome. This is where there were chariot races much like the Circus Maximus in Rome. The area is now a Piazza with an Egyptian Obelisk at one end and a drinking fountain given to the Ottomans just before WW1 by Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany. Maybe this is a symbol of the end of both dynasties.
Another stolen Obelisk from the Temple of Karnak in Luxor, Egypt.
At the other end of the Hippodrome (Piazza) from the Kaiser Wilhelm fountain is an Egyptian Obelisk. This was mentioned by Assem when we did the tour of Karnak Temple.
Our next stop is the Grand Bazaar. This is supposedly the biggest in Europe and it certainly was easy to get lost. It is much cleaner and nicer that the one in Marrakech. It would have been nice to spend half a day here instead of standing in the queue at St. Sophia Museum.
At the entrance to the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul.
We didn’t need to buy anything as we had resupplied our summer clothing in Kusadasi. This would be a great place to buy any jewellery and clothing. The prices are good and, unlike other bazaars in Morocco and Egypt the sales people are friendly and not so persistent. They are still happy to negotiate but not aggressive at all.
One of many shops inside the Grand Bazaar.Grand frescoes in the Grand Bazaar.
Our guide, Eve, was even shorter than Lynn so she had an Orange umbrella so that we could find her in the crowd.
Our tour guide Havve (Eve) in Istanbul.
Our next stop was the Spice Market. As this is Saturday the Spice Market is packed solid with locals and tourists. We couldn’t move even at the entrance so Lynn and I decided to abandon the attempt and instead found a nice seat in the Piazza to sit and watch the locals come and go.
A flag vendor selling all types of flags including football team flags.
Our next stop was lunch just inside the old town Constantinople walls. The lunch was typical Turkish fare and was quite good but no Baklava.
A road through the ancient town walls.
Next part of the tour was a boat cruise on the Bosphorus. The Bosphorus is the stretch of water that separates Europe from Asia and splits Istanbul. After sitting in traffic in a bus in the narrow streets of Istanbul it is nice to take the boat cruise. There is a bike race through the city tomorrow (‘Tour de Turkey’ – not quite the same as the Tour de France!) so getting around tomorrow may be worse than today.
Lynn and Mona at on the Bosphorus cruise boat.Gene telling one of his “men only” jokes.
The boat cruise was a great way to see the city so it was a very pleasant hour plus tour.
The Celebrity Reflection on the left.
There are a few Cruise boats in town and ours is the biggest but the four mast cutter in front of us was the most impressive.
The Sultan’s Palace. Now a hotel.
All along the Bosphorus are impressive palaces, public buildings and converted hotels. Some hotels cost over $30,000 per night. I don’t think that we will be staying in one of these if we ever return.
A big day out for the locals.
It seems that the whole city is out enjoying a very nice spring day. This city has over 18 million people and every park and public place is buzzing with families having a day out.
The largest bridge joining Europe with Asia over the Bosphorus.The “Director” telling me to take a photo of the bridge (after I had done it!).Boats put up some reasonably large waves.Turning around and heading back down the Bosphorus.The ‘Maiden’s Tower’ lighthouse at the entrance to the “Golden Horn” of Istanbul.Our stateroom is near the top just forward of the last lifeboat.
The Celebrity Reflection has been very comfortable and we are still finding places on the ship.
Day 7.May 3rd, 2015 – Our second day in Istanbul.
Today we will be touring the Blue Mosque, the underground Cistern and visiting a carpet sales office (Oh no… not again!).
After battling the crowds yesterday and being told that there is a minimum waiting time of 30 minutes to get into the Blue Mosque, I was none too excited about today’s tour of Istanbul. However, due to the bicycle race most roads were closed and there were very few people in town. We went straight into the Blue Mosque and other than the need to work around the closed off streets instead of taking our bus, it looked like it was going to be easy going.
The Blue Mosque without lots of tourists around.
The Blue Mosque is so called as it is decorated with thousands of blue and white tiles inside. It was certainly impressive but only slightly better than the Mosques of Alexandria and Cairo.
The forecourt of the Blue Mosque.The ablution fountains of the Blue Mosque.Inside the Blue Mosque.Does she look the part?
After the Blue Mosque we headed across the road to the Hippodrome and the Basilica Cistern known as the underground Palace (Refer to “From Russia with Love” underground boat chase scene). This was the Palace’s underground water supply.
The “Director” ensuring that I get a photo of the race bicycle team cars.
Just for Lynn, I took a photo of the bike team cars but I thought that it was too dull to bother adding it to the blog.
The ancient city centre Milestone that marks the starting point for all roads from the ancient city.
The Milestone is located at the base of what remains of the Roman Aqueduct that fed the underground Cistern.
The ancient underground Cistern.
The Cistern was very interesting with 336 pillars and a vaulted ceiling. When it was built the water levels reached the roof but today it is only about a metre deep as it is no longer the city water supply.
At one end of the Cistern there are two Medusa heads.
One of the Medusa is on its side and the other is upside down. So far, other than the Bosphorus cruise, this is the most amazing part of Istanbul.
No crowds today.
Most parts of Istanbul city are very clean, neat and well maintained. So far there is almost no graffiti.
Left over from Anzac day?
We had our usual visit to the carpet sellers but at least this time it was quick and a bit interesting. We now head back to the ship to get ready to set sail for Mykonos, Greece and a boat cruise to the island of ancient Delos. It should have been a quick 15 minute bus ride back to the ship but all the access roads to the port are closed for the bike race so it took us about an hour to get back. At least we got to see a bit more of the area outside the city centre as we tried to find an alternative access to the port.
A clearer day in Istanbul.
On arrival yesterday in Istanbul the air was quite smokey. On departure the air is cleaner so I managed to snap off a few photos of the port. We shove off and head back south for an overnight sail to the Greek Island of Mykonos.
Day 8. 4th May, 2015 – Mykonos, Greece.
At 9:00 am we arrived at the port of Mykonos, Greece. We disembark and head off to our boat for a 30 minute ride to the deserted island of ancient Delos. Delos has ruins from the 5th Century BC where there once was a city of up to 30,000 people. The ruins are houses, public buildings, temples, synagogues and churches.
The port of Mykonos.
We had a three-hour guided tour of Delos in very warm, sunny Greek weather.
The remains of the main building in Delos.Nice day for a tour of the ruins.Pillars and mosaics of a Roman Temple.Nice view from this Villa overlooking the ancient port of Delos.An ancient Greek Temple in Delos with mosaic floor and a well in left foreground.
After Delos we returned to Mykonos for a walk around the main town. We had to go and see the famous old windmills that are now private houses and restaurants then we wanted to go and see where they filmed the last scene of the first of the Jason Bourne trilogy.
It seems to be a full-time job painting the building white.Mykonos with Mona. Photo taken by Gene.
We spent a little time walking the narrow streets of Mykonos.
‘Little Venice’ – Mykonos.
The many restaurants were very busy this early in the tourist season. The food smells were great and I am looking forward to sampling lots of Greek food when we return to Greece in June.
The bike rental shop location from the ‘Bourne Identity’ movie.The windmills of Mykonos with the “Director”.Could this picture be anywhere else?The blue sea, blue and white buildings of Mykonos.
Mykonos is pretty and could be a very nice place to spend a couple of weeks by the sea. But other than the many restaurants and shops selling expensive goods, there doesn’t seem to be much to do here. It is very much focused on the tourist industry and aimed at selling American Tourists things that they could get at home for half the price. Nice place to visit but I wouldn’t want to spend more than a couple of days here.
Great weather, clean island.Couldn’t resist taking photos on Mykonos. It really is this blue and this white!The sun, the sea and a boat… Perfect!
Day 9. 5th May 2015 – Piraeus Port, Athens, Greece.
We arrived early in the morning but we also had an early start today as we were driving about an hour and a half out of Athens to visit Ancient Corinth and the Corinth Canal.
We were up at 6:00 am and it was still dark out. The moon was full and out of our cabin balcony we had a view of the port area and to our left was a Greek Naval ship.
Full moon at dawn.
It was going to be about 27 deg C today so it was good that we started early. Our first stop was at one of the road bridges that crossed the Corinth Canal. From here we will visit the ruins of ancient Corinth and follow that up with a cruise down the canal. The canal was built by the French in 1893 by the same company that built the Suez Canal. Unfortunately this canal was soon disused as it was too narrow and too shallow for the normal ships of the early 1900s. Today it is only used for tourist cruises.
The canal cut through solid rock.The canal seems to blend into the sky.
Our next stop for our tour bus was the ruins of ancient Corinth. We saw the Temple of Apollo, Fountain of Glauke, Spring of Periander and Lechaion Road. We also found a store that hand made copies of the ancient Greek wine vessels etc. http://www.kilix.gr/en
I thought that it was worth adding the link to the blog for when we redecorate Brisbane. I am sure that we will misplace the business card!
The Temple of Apollo at Ancient Corinth.Examples of Corinthian Columns.
Our tour included a visit of the Corinth Museum which had some good examples of ancient pottery, glass, mosaics and statues mostly dating back to the 5th Century BC.
A statue in the ancient Corinth Museum.The “Director” suggested I take a photo of the Goat mosaic as we are both Capricorns (or old goats)?
After ancient Corinth we headed to a boat for the canal cruise. The cruise included a light Greek lunch and some ouzo.
The start of the Corinth Canal boat ride.
Amazing engineering for the period but not sure that they thought it through that well as the walls are too steep and regularly collapse due to boat wash. Within a few years of its completion, it was too narrow and too shallow for commercial ships.
The Canal from the back of the boat.
At the each end of the canal there are road bridges for local traffic. The difference in these bridges is that they don’t open or swing. The bridge actually sinks to the bottom of the canal to let the boats through then resurfaces for the car traffic.
The road bridge at the end of the canal.
After an easy bus ride back to the ship we re-board and head back to our stateroom for a well-earned rest. On opening the balcony door we noticed a strong smell of diesel fuel. I check out below and found that we were being refuelled by a tender.
Refuelling tender.
At 6:00 pm we shoved off and headed out for Naples. That means tomorrow is a day at sea. It will be nice having a restful day cruising back to Italy. We are due in Naples at 7:00 am on Day 11.
Day 10. 6th May, 2015 – Day at sea.
Day at sea heading back to Naples.
Day 11. 7th May, 2015 – Naples, Italy.
We arrived at Naples at about 6:30 am and we are due to depart again at 6:30 pm. As we have been in this area before and didn’t really like Naples we decide to have a rest day on board. We have internet access with our mobile WiFi so we catch up with emails and I manage to buy a few shares at a good price.
Naples Port from our balcony.The old Naples Castle behind our ship.
We cast off on time and head back to Civitavecchia, Rome at 6:30pm. It is our last night at sea so we are quite sad that the cruise will soon be over. We do the usual dinner and a show then back to pack our bags as we will be up early tomorrow to disembark.
Day 12, May 8th, 2015 – Return to Rome.
We arrive before we are out of bed but we are up early to get in an early breakfast before we head back to Fiumicino for an overnight stay and do some laundry before we fly out to Valletta, Malta tomorrow morning for the next leg of our “ever shortening” world trip.
Having fun with Alfredo at the Seccy Hotel in Fiumicino.Alfredo is very helpful and always with a happy laugh.
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