I'm glad I'm not trying to read all this. It must be so disjointed and I know the grammer and spelling must be atrocious...
April 3, At Sea, Cruising the Bosporus, the Marmara Sea, the Dardanelles and into the Aegean.
It's lesson time again. It was early up to sail through the Bosporus and see what we had missed in the fog and mist of our earlier trip into Istanbul. The Bosporus is 20 miles long, and varies from half a mile to a mile and a half in width. Currents from both the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara are swift. The Black Sea's is 10 inches higher than the Sea of Marmara. Nearly 40,000 ships use the strait annually. Like in the Golden Horn, chains were hung across the Bosporus to prevent warships from reaching Constantinople.
The Bosporus figures prominently in Greek mythology. Bous means "cow" and poros, "crossing.." According to legend, Zeus had an affair with a beautiful woman named Io, but when his wife, Hera, discovered it, she flew into a rage and transformed Io into a cow. To further punish Io, Hera created a determined horsefly to sting her constantly. In a desperate attempt to escape the fly, Io jumped across the strait Cow Crossing.
As we traveled down the Bosporus the ship made a rather sharp and sudden turn to port. We listed a little --(the degree of list depends on who is telling the story ---some of the old and timid were sure we were going to capsize) and suddenly heard a great surge of water. The water in the pool rose up over the edge in a great wave, poured over the Lido deck and ran about a foot or 18" deep down the edge of the deck. There was much scrambling as folks rushed to chairs and held their feet up as high as creaky joints would let them. I imagine that on the bridge someone had a chewing out.
Things were pretty dull after that but it was a cool but clear and sunny day so we were able to see the mosques, palaces and bridges clearly. We had visited one of the palaces, the Beylerbeyi Palace, located along the river a few days before so it was interesting to see just how massive it is from the water.
I forgot to mention that the national flower of Turkey is the tulip. Tulips were in Turkey before they became so prolific and popular in Holland. According to our guide, the gardens at the Beylerbeyi were planted with thousands of tulips. For guests amusement, candles were placed on turtles' backs, life, and the turtles set loose to wander through the tulip garden. An ancient version of Tiptoe Through the Tulips?
From the Bosporus we entered the Sea of Marmara and then the Dardanelles. Just as the Bosporus was strategically important so is the Dardanelles. I wrote several weeks ago of the Anzac forces and the tragic losses during the attack at Gallipoli. Cruising the Dardanelles we saw where it all happened and once again heard the horrendous story.
High on the hillside at Gallipoli and visible to ships passing below are the words
Stop, oh passerby.
This earth you tread unawares is where an age was lost.
Bow and listen, for this quiet place is where the heart of
a nation throbs.
I tried to put the picture of the memorial here but I think it came out at the top of this page.
Friday, April 4 day 91. Santorini ,Greece
Santorini is part of a small, circular archipelago of volcanic islands located in the Aegean sea, about 124 miles southeast from Greece's mainland. It is a member off the Cyclades group of islands and has a population of about 13,700 in the off season. Last year it was in the news when a cruise ship went aground and sank. Oil booms still line the spot where the ship went down as it is still leaking fuel.
The island is beautiful, mountainous, the roads tortuous, and the blue and while buildings clinging to the mountain sides postcard perfect. Many of the homes have curved roofs to remind people of the earlier days when folks lived in caves with walls in front of the opening.
A cable car or donkey takes you up and down the mountain to the picturesque village of Oia.
Santorini has many vineyards and markets a few wines. Because of the strong winds the vines are trained to grow in circular shapes and resemble vine baskets in the vineyards.
Saturday, April 5, At Sea
Sea days are supposed to be restful but this was another exhausting day. Two new Explorations Speakers have joined the Amsterdam and we had a talk on Diorletian the Dalmatian (the ruler not the dog) in preparation for our visit to Split, Croatia on Wednesday. In the afternoon, it was the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
The jewelry shop on board brought on a representative from a Murano glass jewelry shop and I picked up a couple of small pieces. Most of the Venetian glass pieces are beautiful but some of the larger vases and light fixtures are a bit gaudy for my taste.
It was formal night and since we’d be in Venice tomorrow and not much chance of many at the dinner table I decided we would celebrate Karen’s birthday. We had wine all around, then more wine, toasts to Karen, and a birthday cake. The waiters gathered around the table and sang Happy Birthday....in several different languages! Sorry she couldn’t be there but we all enjoyed the celebration.
Sunday, April 6. Venice
I wish I could have seen what the Amsterdam looked like cruising up the Grand Canal to her berth. We had a commentary on the history of Venice as well as the landmarks and points of interest as we sailed in. It was very exciting to see St. Mark’s Cathedral, the Doges’ Palace and all the other things we’ve read about. And from the 9th deck of the Amsterdam! Fortunately Holland America arranged for “shuttle boats” and thus saved us the cost of the shuttle bus or a water taxi. The exchange rate is 1 Euro = $1.67 US.
In simple terms that means it costs a little more than 75 cents to use the public toilet! And $17 for 2 beers.
Alan and I wandered around the Riva, St. Mark’s Square, stopped for picture taking at the Bridge of Sighs, and did all the touristy things. We wandered back alleys and canals until we found a little store selling pre-paid phone cards. Off we went to find a phone...couldn’t get the card or the phone to work, found another phone, same story, finally found a phone, got through to an Italian operator and couldn’t understand a word.
Finally, after a couple of hours, we gave up. So hi to everyone we were going to call.
Anyone want to buy an Italian phone card? Never used.
It was too cold for a gondolier ride although a few hardy souls had booked an evening trip for one and went out huddled in blankets.
Venice is crumbling, too expensive for most people, 30% of the housing is unoccupied because no one can afford to live there but it is still magical.
A bit of history...the buildings of Venice are built on bundles of pine trees stripped of branches and laid lengthwise in the mud and muck. Because of the lack of oxygen most of them are now petrified but occasionally a bundle rots or shifts and the floor of the house has to be torn up to replace it. Wood for the piles was cut in what is now western Slovenia and in regions of Croatia.
Monday, April 7 Venice
We took a Holland America tour to Verona, city of Romeo and Juliet. The trip was about an hour and a half, pretty slow once we reached Verona as they were hosting the Italian National Wine Festival. Between Venice and Verona we passed many, may vineyards, miles of green vegetable fields and in the distance, the snow capped Alps.
We had no preconceived ideas about Verona and were pleasantly surprised to visit a very old city (at least the old city portion) with fascinating architecture, balconies, balustrades and the like. There is an arena which looks like a small coliseum. Operas and other events are held in the arena in the summer. Of course I had to have a gelato....chocolate chip as it was the only flavor I recognized.
At our coffee out stop (aka the wc) the attendant must have trained with the Gestapo. She demanded 050 euros before letting anyone in the door. I was one of the lucky ones with a 50cent Euro piece so I was able to go into a stall. When I went to come out....right, the door wouldn’t unlock. I twisted the knob and the lock button for several minutes, then started banging on the door. I could hear the ladies in line chatting away but no one seemed to hear my banging or yelling. Finally, what sounded to me like the voice of an angel said, “I think someone is trying to get of there.” Madam Nazi unlocked the door, glared at me and returned to her money collecting. No one said this trip would be boring.
Another sail away party.....another dinner.....another show.....and tomorrow Split, Croatia.
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