Istanbul, Turkey

Mon, June 24

By the time we had finished breakfast this morning, the ship had berthed at Instanbul and we caught a glimpse of domes and minarets before disembarking this afternoon for our tour.

We made our way straight to the Topkapi Palace – centre of the Ottomon Empire for several centuries until the last Sultan was exiled to Cairo in 1923. There are extensive grounds inside the palace walls featuring beautiful Byzantine architecture, elaborate mosaics, courtyards and stately gates.

We visited the Harem Quarter where 800 concubines once lived. It has a highly complex floor plan, consisting of several buildings and hundreds of elaborately decorated rooms. The walls were decorated with the most beautiful tiles, gold leaf and mother-of-pearl. Interesting that they did not have much furniture as they used cupboards and shelves built into the walls for storage.

We were given time to browse amongst the fine collections of gold, jade, and various items decorated with diamonds, emeralds and rubies. The pride of the Imperial Treasury is the Spoonmaker’s Diamond, which, at 86 carats, is the fifth-largest in the world. We also saw the famous Topkapi Dagger, encrusted with precious jewels. Unfortunately no cameras were allowed!

We could not leave Turkey without enjoying a carpet demonstration. Here we were able to see a carpet being made by hand on a loom as well as seeing and feeling all the different types of carpets, whilst sipping apple tea followed by a glass of Ouzo.

Our final destination was the Grand Bazaar (the rooftops of which were in the movie Skyfall) – over 4,000 colourful shops fill this covered marketplace, the largest in the world. Its origins go back to the 1400’s. We could only spend a short while here as it would have been so easy to get lost, but it was a great experience and we got the chance to haggle for a few souvenirs. While we were walking there, we could hear the muslins being called to prayer.

Given the political protests prior to our visit, we were lucky to catch a glimpse of this beautiful city. There is still so much more to discover there.

Topkapi Palace

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600 year old Sycamore tree

Harem

Harem

Queen Mother’s room

Carpet weaving

Grand Bazaar

Mytilene, Greece

Sun, June 23

This morning we had to tender for the first time to the beautiful island of Mytilene dating to the 11th century B.C. Population 100,000 and the 3rd largest island in Greece, it boasts more than ten million olive trees. So it was fitting that we visited the Olive Press Museum to find out the history of olive oil production. Very interesting exhibition of the first steam-powered factory built in 1887. The machinery has been restored and is in use today.

Although the island welcomes tourists you will find no huge resorts and hotels here. It is still a very simple and unspoilt island; very fertile with vegetation right down to the sea. We saw gardens for the first time since leaving Singapore and roses seem to do particularly well here.

Houses are painted in pale colours, beige, pink or blue, mostly two storeys and look quite spacious.

There are many styles – Neo Classical, Baroque, Gothic and European; amazingly, they all blend in. Rustic stone mansions with gardens filled with jasmine, palms and fruit trees. Small wrought iron balconies – very lovely.

As it was Sunday, all businesses were closed. All (and I mean all) the men in the small villages were in the cafes. Where are the women, we asked, to which our tour guide explained that they were all at home cooking. No females were in sight as we passed through several villages; the only exceptions being the souvenir shops and around the port.

Of course we had to visit some churches with their beautiful icons and impressive chandeliers, and we could not help but notice the imposing Mytilene Fortress built in the 5th century to protect the island from pirates.

Beaches are pebbly however the water is sparkling and crystal clear and you can either swim for free or pay two Euros to swim in the area with banana lounges, a bar, music and umbrellas.

We loved Mytilene – what a great holiday destination!

Athens, Greece

Sat, June 22

Our tour began with a stop at the Old Olympic Stadium; built on the foundations of a 4th century B.C. stadium, this stadium hosted the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. The only marble stadium in the world, this is where the Olympic torch is lit.

Next was a guided tour of the National Archeological Museum of Athens. We took so many photos here; it houses one of the richest collections of Greek antiquities in the world, including the Mask of Agamemnon and the Statue of Posideon. We also spent a lot of time in the exhibition of the Antikythera shipwreck which is dated to 60-50 B.C. Treasures recovered included bronze and marble sculpture, glass vessels and golden jewellery.

We then drove on to the highlight of the day, climbing 80 steps through the Propylaea, the gateway to the Acropolis, the Pantheon which is an immense structure and the sacred site of Erectheum and the graceful Porch of the Caryatids. We walked on some of the original pavement – very carefully – some areas were so worn that a type of membrane had been laid with concrete over the top for safety.

After all this exercise we went to a lovely restaurant for a buffet lunch, lamb meatballs, pasta, moussaka, a filo cheese pie, greek salads, breads accompanied by red and white wines…delicious!

After lunch we walked to The Plaka, a shopping district with cobblestone lanes, colourful stores, tempting cafes and local tavernas.

We liked Athens very much. The people are so friendly and it is a lovely city. No highrise here, as no building can be higher than the Acropolis. We packed a lot into the day and it was great to finally get back “home” to have a refreshing swim. We ate so much at lunch we didn’t need to eat any dinner!