21 September, Istanbul Turkey

Another day in Istanbul. The goal today was to visit some of the main tourist attractions here. This is a bit more complicated than it seems. Istanbul is the world's fifth most popular tourist destination and when you are here that becomes obvious. For the main attractions you have to queue and for religious sites there is a further complications. Muslims are called to prayer five times per day and no visitors are allowed in mosques during that time. So our first target this morning was the world famous Blue Mosque (The Sultan Ahmet Mosque). This incredible  structure was built in the 1600's during the Ottoman Empire period.

After queueing for about an hour we were finally at the entrance to the mosque. The ladies had to don scarves to cover the hair, and we were all required to take our shoes off.

It was all worth it though, to see this incredible space and its dome, completely covered in intricate mosaic patterns is a stunning experience.

We spent about 30 minutes here before moving on to the adjacent Hagia Sofia. The current building which was built around the year 530 AD (yes that's around 1500 years ago) was built on the site by the Roman Emperor Justinian on the site of an earlier Greek structure called Hagia Sofia which is Greek for "Holy Wisdom". Most other structures which date this far back are only available to us as ruins but this building is still in fantastic condition. It is amazing to stand inside it and to realise it was built 500-600 years before any of the great European cathedrals.

After the defeat of the Crusaders and the rise of the Ottoman Empire this once Christian church was converted to a Mosque, and it served in this role from the 1330's to the 1930's when it became a museum. Once again, standing inside the building fills you with amazement that there were artisans who could build such a structure 1500 years ago.

There are lots of signs of restoration inside. Apart from scaffolding to reach the dome there is also a lot of work to restore the Christian mosaics which were destroyed or covered up during the Muslim takeover.

After negotiating the queues and working our way through these great monuments it was time for a break. Istanbul has fabulous restaurants and on arriving I noticed they have fantastic pastries etc. so we found a nice place for a coffee and a treat.

Our final visit for the day was to the Basilica cistern. Once again a structure dating back to around the 530's. Built again by the emperor Justinian the cistern was built as an underground fresh water storage. Water was delivered here by aqueduct and stored underground.

Once again, we were amazed by the size and workmanship of this incredible structure. It is difficult to believe it has stood here for 1500 years. Istanbul gives you a completely different perspective on antiquity and history.

Tomorrow we are booked on a boat cruise of the Bosphorous Strait - a great way to get a different view of the marvellous city of Istanbul.

20 September - Istanbul, Turkey

A fascinating day yesterday. We left Kusadasi in the evening and dined in the San Marco dining room knowing it was our last night after nearly 4 weeks aboard the Constellation. It was time to say goodbye to all the excellent staff who looked after us both in the cabin and in the dining room. The service on board, as well as the experience of sailing with the Celebrity Constellation has been outstanding. Coming into Istanbul through the Dardanelles and the Sea of Marmara is a unique experience. As you approach this incredible city which is almost the size of New York, familiar landmarks start to appear on the horizon. Hagia Sofia, the Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace all glide by on the port side as we came in to berth. The ship berthed at about 2 pm, but we were still able to spend one more night aboard so, in the afternoon we went for a walk into the city to familiarise ourselves and to get hold of some local currency, the Turkish Lira. Later in the night, on a warm balmy evening I went for a stroll on Deck 11 to get a nighttime glimpse of the city. The ship seemed totally deserted and I took a photo of the pool deck with not another person in sight.

Finally, this morning at about 8:00 am it was time to say goodbye to our home at sea and to find a taxi to the Tan Hotel in the city. I still can't believe that the four of us, plus all our luggage fitted into a medium size Fiat sedan. It meant that some suitcases travelled on our laps, but fortunately it was only a relatively short ride.
One we were settled into the Tan Hotel it was time to explore our surroundings, in a couple of hours we walked around the Grand Bazaar (4,000 shops in one great market), the Blue Mosque, the Hippodrome and Hagia Sofia.

The historical significance of Istanbul is amazing. Located in the Hippodrome is an Egyptian obelisk which was first made in Egypt in 1140 BC, and was moved to Istanbul (Constantinople) by a Roman Emperor in 340 AD. The Egyptian hieroglyphs look like the were carved yesterday and they are over 3000 years old. Tomorrow we will start visiting some of these outstanding sites in earnest. Our hotel is located right in the middle of most attractions as well as great markets, shops and cafes.

18 September - Kusadasi, Turkey

Once again our trusty Captain Nicolas delivered us overnight to our next destination which is the port of Kusadasi, in Turkey. The key attraction for us here was the ancient city of Ephesus, which was first established as a Greek settlement in 300 BC and became one of the largest and most important cities of the Roman Empire in subsequent years. The city became 'lost' when an earthquake in the 600's changed the coast line and the city became landlocked and malaria ridden. The city was rediscovered by Austrian archeologists in the early 20th century and the excavation work continues to today. It is estimated that about 10% has been excavated.

We joined our bus tour at 8:30 and were greeted by Mahmut our guide, who as well as speaking excellent English also turned out to be the president of the local restoration society. His explanation of the role of Ephesus showed what a major cultural and trade centre it was. Thirteen Roman emperors visited here, as did Anthony and Cleopatra and St Paul. Excavation is slowly exposing broad marble lined boulevard, shopping centres, houses and public buildings.

One of the most impressive buildings is the Ephesus library. When you stand in front of it I'm amazed that it was a centre of learning nearly 2000 years ago.

One of the most moving sights are the numerous remnant of old buildings lying around with inscription in perfect Greek letters which means someone laboriously carved these letters into the stone some 2300 years ago. As we reached the end of the Ephesus valley one of the most stunning sights is the amphitheatre which was used for public events including gladiator contests and unfortunately the spectacle of 'throwing Christians to the lions'.

To imagine some 20,00 people attending events here is very powerful. After the Ephesus tour we attended the obligatory shopping and carpet weaving opportunities and then just after noon we were back to the ship and ready for lunch. Kusadasi is a beautiful Mediterranean city. Very modern and very clean with lots of shopping, accommodation and restaurants. Hotel rooms including breakfast cost about $20/night. This afternoon we did some shopping and Rosa bought a beautiful cream leather jacket which looks great on her. Tonight we sail for Istanbul where we stay on the ship for one night before disembarking the next day - the end of our cruise and the start of the next part of our adventure.

17 September - Athens, Greece.

After a relaxing day at sea, we arrived early this morning, in Athens the capital of Greece. After a leisurely breakfast we made our way to the ocean terminal to find a taxi and driver that could take us to the key sites in this incredible city. It didn’t take long for Lefteris to offer us his special tour of 4 to 5 hours for only 30 Euro each - pretty good value. Lefty spoke pretty good English and in no time we were being shown some incredible harbour side views full of multimillion dollar yachts which looked ideal for exploring the Greek islands in style. 

The site on top of our list was of course the Acropolis, a very high plateau which houses many of the ruins of the ancient Greek temples located here including of course the world famous Parthenon. We had 90 minutes to explore this absolutely incredible area which involves a great deal of climbing and clambering over rocks which have housed these wonderful buildings for the past few thousand years.

As well as the Acropolis we also visited the Temple of Zeus, the site of the original Olympic Stadium and also watched the changing of the guards outside the Presidential palace.

Altogether a great tour, and by 2:30 we were back on the Constellation ready for lunch.

Tomorrow we arrive in Kusadasi and here we have a tour booked to the ancient ruins of Ephesus.

16 September - Sea Day between Malta and Greece

Today is our last full sea day of our cruise. We are en route from Malta to Athens in Greece and will arrive there at 07:00 in the morning. Like most sea days today was a chance to relax and recover from the previous day’s touring. At 11:15 today we were scheduled to undertake a tour of the bridge. Opportunities to visit the bridge and the engine control room are extremely limited and we were lucky to be offered both. So at 11:15 we underwent the security procedures and were escorted to the navigation bridge where one of the officers gave us a detailed run down of the procedures and controls used to take the ship from one port to the next, and to dock the ship once in port. 

Then it was time for lunch again and then our standard procedure for sea days - John and I go for a 2 mile walk on the treadmill, and then the girls join us for a nice soak in the whirlpool hot tubs. This is then followed by some more relaxation on a beach lounge and afternoon drinks (Blue Moon beers and Singapore Slings). 

All this rest should prepare us for the strenuous climb up to the Acropolis and the Parthenon in Athens tomorrow. 

Finally, this is our little home away from home, cabin 2183.

15 September - Valetta, Malta

Today we were scheduled to arrive in Malta at 2pm and sure enough by about noon we could see the hills of Malta on the horizon. It seemed like no time before we were sailing along the coast of Gozo and then Malta itself. The entrance into Valetta harbour is probably one of the most spectacular sights we've experienced. It is an absolutely stunning sight.

Rosa watched our arrival from the Reflections Lounge and found it a very emotional experience. Arriving by ship it must have reminded her of the experience of her parents departing from here by ship all those years ago.

After our arrival, and a quick lunch the four of us boarded our bus for a tour of Valetta and Mdina.
Victoria our tour guide did a terrific job of showing us all the historical highlights in the brief time (4 hours) we had available.

One of the highlights in Valetta is the St John's Cathedral. This must be one of the most spectacular churches in the world. It was built in the 1500's by the Knights of St John.

After completing our tour we finished the day with some Maltese beers (Cisk) at a waterfront cafe right in front of the ship.

13 September - Almeria, Spain

Once again, a new port at breakfast, this time Almeria in Spain.
This beautiful old city in the South of Spain was occupied for several hundred years by the Moors, and the main remnant of this period is a Moorish fort called Alcazaba on a nearby hill. We left the ship after breakfast and headed in the general direction of the fort which is visible from the ship.
The view from the fort back to the port was stunning.

Spent the rest of the morning strolling around and checking out some of the shops. As with most of Spain though the shops all close for siesta at around 2 pm and don't re-open till late afternoon.
So, after a couple of beer and coffee stops it was time to head back to the ship.

Tomorrow is a sea day and the next day we reach Malta.