Saturday, May 5, 2012
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Pictures
Wi-fi in Greece was not what we were hoping it would be, so here are some initial pictures from our trip while we sit here in the airport enjoying the wifi hotspot at the Lufthansa lounge.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Happy Birthday, Friend!
It's Andy's 50th - huge day, we are very sorry to miss it. Happy birthday, friend!
Catching up ....
Monday - March 26
Our friend Bill surprised us by being up earlier than expected (their flight arrived late Sunday night) and we had a very nice breakfast with him (sympathizing on the *long* flight from California and the indignities of squeezing into coach).
Afterwards we were joined by Marc and ventured out to Topkapi Palace. Although it was a Monday and early in the tourist season, there was already quite a crowd, partly due to school field trips, with children happily saying "hello!" to us to show off their English.
(English is a mandatory school subject.)
The grounds of Topkapi are probably a bit nicer later in spring when more flowers would be in bloom; this day, they were pleasant. The palace had some nice artifacts to show off and some lovely tile and other decoration, but the management of "flow" through the facility was pretty much non-existent and it was frustrating navigating Dick thru to see the plentiful collection of ornamental swords, Islamic relics ("beard of Mohammed", etc.), and various jewels/gems. We decided to cut our time short and walk out around Aya Sofia to the plaza between Aya Sofia and the Blue Mosque and then back to the hotel for a rest and lunch prior to our 2 p.m. rendezvous with Bill and Marc's friend, Demet, and the driver that Jim hired to take us around the city to explore for the afternoon and early evening.
So far, so good. Jim set out on his own to see the Blue Mosque with promises that he'd be back in "plenty of time" while everyone else went for a nap.
As it turns out, it is here that the curse of daylight saving time struck. Jim had briefly enabled his phone to register with the network upon arrival Saturday morning and then switched it off once the time had changed.
Unfortunately, daylight savings time applied on Sunday, and while Dick tried telling Jim that the computer did not agree with Jim's cell phone, but Jim blew it off and was happily convinced he had one more hour than he did.
As a result, his ambition outstripped his resolve to leave plenty of time. Here is what he saw:
-- Blue Mosque: As one approaches the mosque from the Aya Sofia side, one is inevitably approached by someone trying to be "helpful". "I am not a guide, sir! The mosque is closed for prayers!" This is *plausible* as the mosque could close to visitors while prayers are being said. "Let me suggest you go see the Hippodrome …. it is just beyond my shop. Why don't you look at some carpets while you are here?" Ah, there's the come on. Usually it follows in a few sentences. The first time, Jim was savvy enough to not be dragged to the carpet shop, but stupid enough to believe the mosque really was closed. The second time this happened, he ditched the salesman and got into the mosque by a side entrance. Entering the mosque, he was struck by the colors of the stain-glass windows and the innumerable blue tiles that give the mosque its name. Some people were clustered together praying, some taking photos and/or reading from guidebooks. Compared to many western cathedrals, the mosque was more spare, but in many ways I thought all the more "holy" and "profound" for that.
-- Thinking there was lots of time, Jim wandered off in the direction of the Grand Bazaar. This is an old roofed structure with a few major crossways and lots of narrow side passages absolutely crammed with shops, many of which were selling trinkets, chotchkes, tourist junk, etc but several with leather, clothes, household items, etc. Full of tourists. Overwhelming. On a mission to get a few souvenirs for the nieces, he ultimately succeeded in getting some little "Ali Baba"-style lamps (for luck).
-- Then off to the "Spice Bazaar" just a little ways away toward the Golden Horn; although tempted by the Turkish saffron, thanks to our friends Lee and Mary Anne, we were well-stocked for spices for a while, although Jim wished he'd bought some of the red pepper paste (used in a lot of dishes) or the Turkish chili powder (we learned the next day it is not as spicy as regular chili powder, so maybe would be better for Dick's tender system).
-- Seeing that it was 1:30 according to his Iphone (remember, it is not registering with the cell network!), Jim shuffled home and walked into the hotel at 1:45 pm, apologizing for cutting it so close only to be shocked when Bill announced it was 2:45 and that the driver had been waiting 45 minutes. Oops. Fortunately (unfortunately?) our friend Demet (the ship's doctor on a previous cruise of Bill and Marc's) was running late too, and shortly afterward she called to explain her taxi was stuck in traffic. Once she arrived and we'd been introduced, off we went. We were very lucky to have someone who was knowledgeable about the city and spoke Turkish. She took us to a neighborhood, Eyup, that was a bit off the tourist track, and we had a very nice stroll around the park/mosque of the area, then drove up a winding road to a neighborhood perched on top of a hill overlooking the Golden Horn and the Bosphorus. There were a small cluster of restaurants and cafes, and we went into the Pierre Lotti cafe (a French ex-pat who managed to win the love of a woman in the sultan's harem! Those Frenchmen!). It was a great place to have some Turkish coffee and see the city.
-- Then off across the river to the Beyoglu section of town on the other side of the Golden Horn; we took the elevator up the Galata Tower (another overlook) and had beers while we watched the Bosphorus and learned more about Demet, her passion for art and her pursuit of an advanced degree in fine arts between stints as a ship's doctor for Silversea. Unfortunately, she was not going to be on our cruise but would be picking up the ship in Athens.
-- Finally, dinner time! Demet took us to the Cecek Pasaji, which is an old flower market area that had been converted to a series of small restaurants under one common roof. As you might imagine, our custom was avidly sought by the different restaurants; we opted for seafood, ordered some mezes, picked the (uncooked fish) we'd eat, ordered some good Turkish red wine (who knew Turkey produced a substantial amount of wine?), and talked about all the important things in life - art, spirituality and religion, family, travel, etc. Wonderful evening!
Tuesday - March 27
Our last day in Istanbul, and in our usual fashion we are booked until the last minute. We are signed up for a Turkish cooking class. The class is run by a youngish Dutch woman who has lived all over the world and in Istanbul for the past 7 years running a hotel/restaurant. Her chef in the kitchen was a Turkish man who we could not read at first -- very serious, all business; but as the class progressed, his humor and playfulness made for a lot of fun. We really enjoyed ourselves and learned some nice dishes. Turkish cuisine has some very different ingredients such as red pepper paste and a non-hot pepper flake called Turkish Chili, but they are ingeniously paired with fresh herbs (we used parsley - not a surprise - and dill, a surprise). We were joined in the class by an Australian couple from Melbourne. Conversation was great. We were all in violent agreement on the sorry state of the world.
Got to the ship with plenty of time. They were not as well organized as we would have expected. We got to the top of the gangway, Dick is in a wheelchair with two backpacks and my camera in hand and they very graciously hand him a glass of welcoming champagne. He manages to juggle it through the processing. Jim, pushing the wheelchair, just gave up on his and put it down at the first opportunity. Our 'butler' arrives at the room - Reggie from the Philippines - very pleasant as are all the staff. Bill and Marc are across the hall. Eventually we get to dinner in the main dining room after the obligatory life boat drill which Dick thought was very disorganized (they told us to grab any essential medications when we abandoned ship - with this crowd that would have a whole other lifeboat). (Jim: it was more thorough than other drills we've done in the past, but perhaps the Costa disaster is making everyone a bit more serious).
The food at dinner was quite good. Jim's beef in particular was up there with some of the best he's ever had. One has to be careful with the wine -- it would be easy to overdo it.
Wednesday - March 28
We ordered coffee and pastries to be delivered at 7 AM. It seemed like a good time since we don't sleep in. Well we slept until exactly 7 and only woke up because that is when the ship docked in Kanakkale, Turkey. A noisy process. The coffee arrived at the same time.
Talking about coffee [Dick], I haven't had a good cup since we got here. It's all instant. Yuck. And the milk is all Parmalat. Double yuck! When I get home I am going to drink a gallon of fresh milk at one sitting. I learned today that if you want a decent cup of tea you ask for chai and they give you a tea bag and almost hot water.
Dick had a bad day and didn't do very much at all. He probably overdid it the day before. Jim took the trip to the ruins of Troy. A strong imagination was required to do it justice (i.e. not that much there). The idea of Troy and the Schiemann story are what make it interesting. Also interesting that the harbor silted up so badly that the present-day river is over 2 miles away from Troy now. Perhaps the Gallipoli excursion would have been the more interesting choice. We saw the monument as we cruised out of port - pretty spectacular. Dick begged out of excursions and slept most of the day except for lunch with Bill and Marc. Jim, full of hope, went off to the card room in the afternoon looking for bridge players but his hopes were dashed. Afternoon trivia at 5 pm, on the other hand, was more promising. Challenging questions. What is "dipsophobia"? A fear of drunkenness.
We were invited to dinner with the chief safety officer but declined. Just not feeling that social. So we have decided to have dinner served to us in our cabin. Had a really good filet mignon and Jim has venison that he liked a lot (red cabbage with black pepper/cranberry flavoring, unusual but good).
Thursday, March 29 Kusadasi, Turkey
Now we are about halfway down the west coast of Turkey. This is the location of ancient Ephesus and the Virgin's house (the story is that she was brought there by John the Apostle; a stigmatic German nun had visions and described the location of the house in great deal). Dick had intended talking the tour of the last home of the Virgin Mary since it is the shorter tour but when he got up this morning he realized he just couldn't do it. Jim did though, and we will have lots of photos. The Virgin Mary house ("Mother Mary", as the guide kept calling her) was a nice quiet, peaceful spot atop a hill with a nice overlook of the sea and surrounding hills. Like many Catholic historic sites Jim has seen, the holiness of the site itself is a bit undone by the kitsch of the tourist-y junk being sold around it. However, there was a group of teenagers from Spain, Portugal or Italy who sang a song in the outdoor chapel area (the Pope has said Mass here on the Assumption apparently) and that was quite moving, as were the lighted candles and wall of intentions. Many thoughts about Mom and Dad. They would have loved this.
Ephesus is everything Troy should be - extensive, well-excavated, and much more intact. Much less imagination needed to get a sense of the place as it was in its heyday. Impressive for Jim: the population of the city was as large as 250,000 (calculated based on the seating capacity of the (huge) theater). The city had running water and a public sewage system. Bill and Marc got to take a tour that gave them much more access to the recently excavated living quarters (10,000 sq ft!) of a rich merchant, with some amazing artifacts preserved. The lives of the rich and famous …. always interesting.
Later: Jim gets back and we have lunch in the restaurant at the top of the back of the ship. It is a lovely day. Very clear but there is a cool breeze which is difficult for me. Jim then takes me for a spin around Kusadasi. Nice town. It looks very livable if you don't mind rug shops and their owners. I'm still not certain how to pronounce Kusadasi. I suspect that it something like Kushuh da shuh. There IS a Starbucks and we stop and have real coffee. I have a latte and Jim has a plain American coffee. What a treat.
Afternoon trivia is again fun - Jim is entreated to join a different team (flatterers) but doesn't earn his flattery pay grade; his only major help was on the question "What device brought lasers en masse into the home"? Answer: "CD player".
He is no help on the day's "phobia" question or group question. (What is a group of butterflies? A "flutter").
I have my first not great meal. Ravioli with scallops and the scallops smelled and tasted fishy. A risotto main course that just didn't taste good. (Jim opines that it was better than I portray.) A serious miss on an appetizer (mozzarella mouse with a pesto layer and a sweetened tomato layer sounded good, but don't try this at home kids!). Ah well. Our seats, on the other hand, were nice - a very comfortable banquette right near a window, with enough seating for new acquaintances from Canada to join us.
Major change of plans. We were supposed to land in Rhodes in the morning but apparently there is major strike there so we will have a day at sea, then go on to Cyprus. I like days at sea. They are very relaxing. But pity the excursions and entertainment staffs; there is much to schedule, reschedule and reprint. However, all is handled with aplomb.
Friday, March 30 Day at Sea
A leisurely read of the International Herald Tribune, then a cooking exhibition/wine pairing (risotto with truffles and duck breast on caramelized rhubarb, matched to a very nice Italian Barbera red). After lunch al fresco, Jim finds bridge players (all experienced players; he kibbutzes and picks up a few pointers). Then it's trivia time again, and this time Dick comes along and acquits himself well, Dick and Jim providing their characteristic bickering about how Dick knew the right answer to a question Jim didn't, etc. etc.
The usual, in other words. What do you call a group of hippos? Answer: a "bloat".
Dinner in the restaurant puts us at a table near the door whose main attribute is a comfortable back for Dick and Bill; service is unusually slow. Dick and Bill love their beef, and Jim enjoys the chicken. (A little chuckle Jim has at his own expense: the sommelier is a young man, Indian descent, named Robin; Jim was not impressed during the morning cooking/wine pairing and makes a "young upstart" wisecrack to Bill. Since dinner with Bill means an extra appreciation of the wines served with dinner, Jim's question about Fume Blanc vs. white burgundies draws an inquiry to Robin, who is encyclopedic in explaining the difference. Fume Blanc is a California invention based on Sauvignon Blanc (but done with very oaky flavor - the "fume").
White burgundies from France generally are blends of Sauv Blanc along with Semillon and Muscadel grapes. Bill smiles wisely and remarks that I learned a valuable lesson about overcoming my prejudices.)
Our friend Bill surprised us by being up earlier than expected (their flight arrived late Sunday night) and we had a very nice breakfast with him (sympathizing on the *long* flight from California and the indignities of squeezing into coach).
Afterwards we were joined by Marc and ventured out to Topkapi Palace. Although it was a Monday and early in the tourist season, there was already quite a crowd, partly due to school field trips, with children happily saying "hello!" to us to show off their English.
(English is a mandatory school subject.)
The grounds of Topkapi are probably a bit nicer later in spring when more flowers would be in bloom; this day, they were pleasant. The palace had some nice artifacts to show off and some lovely tile and other decoration, but the management of "flow" through the facility was pretty much non-existent and it was frustrating navigating Dick thru to see the plentiful collection of ornamental swords, Islamic relics ("beard of Mohammed", etc.), and various jewels/gems. We decided to cut our time short and walk out around Aya Sofia to the plaza between Aya Sofia and the Blue Mosque and then back to the hotel for a rest and lunch prior to our 2 p.m. rendezvous with Bill and Marc's friend, Demet, and the driver that Jim hired to take us around the city to explore for the afternoon and early evening.
So far, so good. Jim set out on his own to see the Blue Mosque with promises that he'd be back in "plenty of time" while everyone else went for a nap.
As it turns out, it is here that the curse of daylight saving time struck. Jim had briefly enabled his phone to register with the network upon arrival Saturday morning and then switched it off once the time had changed.
Unfortunately, daylight savings time applied on Sunday, and while Dick tried telling Jim that the computer did not agree with Jim's cell phone, but Jim blew it off and was happily convinced he had one more hour than he did.
As a result, his ambition outstripped his resolve to leave plenty of time. Here is what he saw:
-- Blue Mosque: As one approaches the mosque from the Aya Sofia side, one is inevitably approached by someone trying to be "helpful". "I am not a guide, sir! The mosque is closed for prayers!" This is *plausible* as the mosque could close to visitors while prayers are being said. "Let me suggest you go see the Hippodrome …. it is just beyond my shop. Why don't you look at some carpets while you are here?" Ah, there's the come on. Usually it follows in a few sentences. The first time, Jim was savvy enough to not be dragged to the carpet shop, but stupid enough to believe the mosque really was closed. The second time this happened, he ditched the salesman and got into the mosque by a side entrance. Entering the mosque, he was struck by the colors of the stain-glass windows and the innumerable blue tiles that give the mosque its name. Some people were clustered together praying, some taking photos and/or reading from guidebooks. Compared to many western cathedrals, the mosque was more spare, but in many ways I thought all the more "holy" and "profound" for that.
-- Thinking there was lots of time, Jim wandered off in the direction of the Grand Bazaar. This is an old roofed structure with a few major crossways and lots of narrow side passages absolutely crammed with shops, many of which were selling trinkets, chotchkes, tourist junk, etc but several with leather, clothes, household items, etc. Full of tourists. Overwhelming. On a mission to get a few souvenirs for the nieces, he ultimately succeeded in getting some little "Ali Baba"-style lamps (for luck).
-- Then off to the "Spice Bazaar" just a little ways away toward the Golden Horn; although tempted by the Turkish saffron, thanks to our friends Lee and Mary Anne, we were well-stocked for spices for a while, although Jim wished he'd bought some of the red pepper paste (used in a lot of dishes) or the Turkish chili powder (we learned the next day it is not as spicy as regular chili powder, so maybe would be better for Dick's tender system).
-- Seeing that it was 1:30 according to his Iphone (remember, it is not registering with the cell network!), Jim shuffled home and walked into the hotel at 1:45 pm, apologizing for cutting it so close only to be shocked when Bill announced it was 2:45 and that the driver had been waiting 45 minutes. Oops. Fortunately (unfortunately?) our friend Demet (the ship's doctor on a previous cruise of Bill and Marc's) was running late too, and shortly afterward she called to explain her taxi was stuck in traffic. Once she arrived and we'd been introduced, off we went. We were very lucky to have someone who was knowledgeable about the city and spoke Turkish. She took us to a neighborhood, Eyup, that was a bit off the tourist track, and we had a very nice stroll around the park/mosque of the area, then drove up a winding road to a neighborhood perched on top of a hill overlooking the Golden Horn and the Bosphorus. There were a small cluster of restaurants and cafes, and we went into the Pierre Lotti cafe (a French ex-pat who managed to win the love of a woman in the sultan's harem! Those Frenchmen!). It was a great place to have some Turkish coffee and see the city.
-- Then off across the river to the Beyoglu section of town on the other side of the Golden Horn; we took the elevator up the Galata Tower (another overlook) and had beers while we watched the Bosphorus and learned more about Demet, her passion for art and her pursuit of an advanced degree in fine arts between stints as a ship's doctor for Silversea. Unfortunately, she was not going to be on our cruise but would be picking up the ship in Athens.
-- Finally, dinner time! Demet took us to the Cecek Pasaji, which is an old flower market area that had been converted to a series of small restaurants under one common roof. As you might imagine, our custom was avidly sought by the different restaurants; we opted for seafood, ordered some mezes, picked the (uncooked fish) we'd eat, ordered some good Turkish red wine (who knew Turkey produced a substantial amount of wine?), and talked about all the important things in life - art, spirituality and religion, family, travel, etc. Wonderful evening!
Tuesday - March 27
Our last day in Istanbul, and in our usual fashion we are booked until the last minute. We are signed up for a Turkish cooking class. The class is run by a youngish Dutch woman who has lived all over the world and in Istanbul for the past 7 years running a hotel/restaurant. Her chef in the kitchen was a Turkish man who we could not read at first -- very serious, all business; but as the class progressed, his humor and playfulness made for a lot of fun. We really enjoyed ourselves and learned some nice dishes. Turkish cuisine has some very different ingredients such as red pepper paste and a non-hot pepper flake called Turkish Chili, but they are ingeniously paired with fresh herbs (we used parsley - not a surprise - and dill, a surprise). We were joined in the class by an Australian couple from Melbourne. Conversation was great. We were all in violent agreement on the sorry state of the world.
Got to the ship with plenty of time. They were not as well organized as we would have expected. We got to the top of the gangway, Dick is in a wheelchair with two backpacks and my camera in hand and they very graciously hand him a glass of welcoming champagne. He manages to juggle it through the processing. Jim, pushing the wheelchair, just gave up on his and put it down at the first opportunity. Our 'butler' arrives at the room - Reggie from the Philippines - very pleasant as are all the staff. Bill and Marc are across the hall. Eventually we get to dinner in the main dining room after the obligatory life boat drill which Dick thought was very disorganized (they told us to grab any essential medications when we abandoned ship - with this crowd that would have a whole other lifeboat). (Jim: it was more thorough than other drills we've done in the past, but perhaps the Costa disaster is making everyone a bit more serious).
The food at dinner was quite good. Jim's beef in particular was up there with some of the best he's ever had. One has to be careful with the wine -- it would be easy to overdo it.
Wednesday - March 28
We ordered coffee and pastries to be delivered at 7 AM. It seemed like a good time since we don't sleep in. Well we slept until exactly 7 and only woke up because that is when the ship docked in Kanakkale, Turkey. A noisy process. The coffee arrived at the same time.
Talking about coffee [Dick], I haven't had a good cup since we got here. It's all instant. Yuck. And the milk is all Parmalat. Double yuck! When I get home I am going to drink a gallon of fresh milk at one sitting. I learned today that if you want a decent cup of tea you ask for chai and they give you a tea bag and almost hot water.
Dick had a bad day and didn't do very much at all. He probably overdid it the day before. Jim took the trip to the ruins of Troy. A strong imagination was required to do it justice (i.e. not that much there). The idea of Troy and the Schiemann story are what make it interesting. Also interesting that the harbor silted up so badly that the present-day river is over 2 miles away from Troy now. Perhaps the Gallipoli excursion would have been the more interesting choice. We saw the monument as we cruised out of port - pretty spectacular. Dick begged out of excursions and slept most of the day except for lunch with Bill and Marc. Jim, full of hope, went off to the card room in the afternoon looking for bridge players but his hopes were dashed. Afternoon trivia at 5 pm, on the other hand, was more promising. Challenging questions. What is "dipsophobia"? A fear of drunkenness.
We were invited to dinner with the chief safety officer but declined. Just not feeling that social. So we have decided to have dinner served to us in our cabin. Had a really good filet mignon and Jim has venison that he liked a lot (red cabbage with black pepper/cranberry flavoring, unusual but good).
Thursday, March 29 Kusadasi, Turkey
Now we are about halfway down the west coast of Turkey. This is the location of ancient Ephesus and the Virgin's house (the story is that she was brought there by John the Apostle; a stigmatic German nun had visions and described the location of the house in great deal). Dick had intended talking the tour of the last home of the Virgin Mary since it is the shorter tour but when he got up this morning he realized he just couldn't do it. Jim did though, and we will have lots of photos. The Virgin Mary house ("Mother Mary", as the guide kept calling her) was a nice quiet, peaceful spot atop a hill with a nice overlook of the sea and surrounding hills. Like many Catholic historic sites Jim has seen, the holiness of the site itself is a bit undone by the kitsch of the tourist-y junk being sold around it. However, there was a group of teenagers from Spain, Portugal or Italy who sang a song in the outdoor chapel area (the Pope has said Mass here on the Assumption apparently) and that was quite moving, as were the lighted candles and wall of intentions. Many thoughts about Mom and Dad. They would have loved this.
Ephesus is everything Troy should be - extensive, well-excavated, and much more intact. Much less imagination needed to get a sense of the place as it was in its heyday. Impressive for Jim: the population of the city was as large as 250,000 (calculated based on the seating capacity of the (huge) theater). The city had running water and a public sewage system. Bill and Marc got to take a tour that gave them much more access to the recently excavated living quarters (10,000 sq ft!) of a rich merchant, with some amazing artifacts preserved. The lives of the rich and famous …. always interesting.
Later: Jim gets back and we have lunch in the restaurant at the top of the back of the ship. It is a lovely day. Very clear but there is a cool breeze which is difficult for me. Jim then takes me for a spin around Kusadasi. Nice town. It looks very livable if you don't mind rug shops and their owners. I'm still not certain how to pronounce Kusadasi. I suspect that it something like Kushuh da shuh. There IS a Starbucks and we stop and have real coffee. I have a latte and Jim has a plain American coffee. What a treat.
Afternoon trivia is again fun - Jim is entreated to join a different team (flatterers) but doesn't earn his flattery pay grade; his only major help was on the question "What device brought lasers en masse into the home"? Answer: "CD player".
He is no help on the day's "phobia" question or group question. (What is a group of butterflies? A "flutter").
I have my first not great meal. Ravioli with scallops and the scallops smelled and tasted fishy. A risotto main course that just didn't taste good. (Jim opines that it was better than I portray.) A serious miss on an appetizer (mozzarella mouse with a pesto layer and a sweetened tomato layer sounded good, but don't try this at home kids!). Ah well. Our seats, on the other hand, were nice - a very comfortable banquette right near a window, with enough seating for new acquaintances from Canada to join us.
Major change of plans. We were supposed to land in Rhodes in the morning but apparently there is major strike there so we will have a day at sea, then go on to Cyprus. I like days at sea. They are very relaxing. But pity the excursions and entertainment staffs; there is much to schedule, reschedule and reprint. However, all is handled with aplomb.
Friday, March 30 Day at Sea
A leisurely read of the International Herald Tribune, then a cooking exhibition/wine pairing (risotto with truffles and duck breast on caramelized rhubarb, matched to a very nice Italian Barbera red). After lunch al fresco, Jim finds bridge players (all experienced players; he kibbutzes and picks up a few pointers). Then it's trivia time again, and this time Dick comes along and acquits himself well, Dick and Jim providing their characteristic bickering about how Dick knew the right answer to a question Jim didn't, etc. etc.
The usual, in other words. What do you call a group of hippos? Answer: a "bloat".
Dinner in the restaurant puts us at a table near the door whose main attribute is a comfortable back for Dick and Bill; service is unusually slow. Dick and Bill love their beef, and Jim enjoys the chicken. (A little chuckle Jim has at his own expense: the sommelier is a young man, Indian descent, named Robin; Jim was not impressed during the morning cooking/wine pairing and makes a "young upstart" wisecrack to Bill. Since dinner with Bill means an extra appreciation of the wines served with dinner, Jim's question about Fume Blanc vs. white burgundies draws an inquiry to Robin, who is encyclopedic in explaining the difference. Fume Blanc is a California invention based on Sauvignon Blanc (but done with very oaky flavor - the "fume").
White burgundies from France generally are blends of Sauv Blanc along with Semillon and Muscadel grapes. Bill smiles wisely and remarks that I learned a valuable lesson about overcoming my prejudices.)
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Sarcapho-guy
The archaelogical museum is between Topkapi Palace and Hagia Sofia.
Getting into the museum proved to be a bit of an adventure as we were directed to a rough cobblestone ramp that worked its way up to a set of doors that looked olf and little-used. Right after we labored to the top of the ramp we were tolf apologetically that the doors weren't working. Dick managed the stairs up the main entrance and in we went.
Really, the museum's appeal depends on your attitude toward sarcaphogi.
I was intrigued, Dick .... Less so.
The heart of the museum is a set of sarcaphogi excavated in Sidon (Phonoecia) that were transported to Istanbul. The oldest are very Egyptian-style in blackish granite, the outer case the shape of a king with short beard.
The highlight of this part of the museum was the "Alexander Sarcaphogus" which is a rectangular casing in marble, the sides a sculpted bas relief of a battle. It must have been very colorful back in the day: a bit of color was left in some places and nearby was a wood model that suggested how vibrant and poly-chromatic it was.
The level below was full of artifacts from Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine periods.
Some spectacular Nicean stone pulpits told me that it did not take more than a few centuries for Catholic churches to gain their grandeur.
I also did not realize that Eastern Christianity went thru its own period where graven images were forbidden and some work of prior centuries was marred. I always thought of icons when I thought of Orthodox Christianity.
Apparently the "iconoclastic" period was started by a religious sentiment that people were worshipping the icons, not God. The similarity to Islamic belief is striking.
Getting into the museum proved to be a bit of an adventure as we were directed to a rough cobblestone ramp that worked its way up to a set of doors that looked olf and little-used. Right after we labored to the top of the ramp we were tolf apologetically that the doors weren't working. Dick managed the stairs up the main entrance and in we went.
Really, the museum's appeal depends on your attitude toward sarcaphogi.
I was intrigued, Dick .... Less so.
The heart of the museum is a set of sarcaphogi excavated in Sidon (Phonoecia) that were transported to Istanbul. The oldest are very Egyptian-style in blackish granite, the outer case the shape of a king with short beard.
The highlight of this part of the museum was the "Alexander Sarcaphogus" which is a rectangular casing in marble, the sides a sculpted bas relief of a battle. It must have been very colorful back in the day: a bit of color was left in some places and nearby was a wood model that suggested how vibrant and poly-chromatic it was.
The level below was full of artifacts from Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine periods.
Some spectacular Nicean stone pulpits told me that it did not take more than a few centuries for Catholic churches to gain their grandeur.
I also did not realize that Eastern Christianity went thru its own period where graven images were forbidden and some work of prior centuries was marred. I always thought of icons when I thought of Orthodox Christianity.
Apparently the "iconoclastic" period was started by a religious sentiment that people were worshipping the icons, not God. The similarity to Islamic belief is striking.
Nine hours sitting on a plane. Ugh! I hate flying. Thank God we are flying home on business class. Turkish Air's interior configuration is a little roomier than domestic lines, but not a lot. Slept in til about 11AM and had a late break fast in the hotel.
The hotel is small as is the room but not uncomfortable. The people are very pleasant. But the wonderful thing is the shower. It is like standing under a fire hose or waterfall. I could have stayed there all day.
We decided to have an easy day of it and went to the large park surrounding the Topkapi Palace. Nice park. It being Saturday there was a good crowd of people strolling. Jim pushed me in my wheelchair throughout. God bless him.
We ended up in a tea garden atop a bluff under the Topkapi palace and overlooking where the Golden Horn meets the Bospherus. The traffic in the water was impressive. Ferries connecting the Asian side to the European side were everywhere, large Cargo ships going north to Black Sea ports. and lots of private boats as well.
Turkish Tea: It is presented in a little samovar like contraption rather like a small teapot nested atop a larger one. The larger underpot contains boiling water. (see photo) The concentrated tea, I swear it is boiled, is very bitter and after pouring
some in your glass you then dilute it with the water in the lower post. It is still bitter and requires lots of sugar, which I would normally never put in my tea. I understand now why in Russian novels people hold sugar cubes between their teeth as they drink their tea.
There were storks nesting in the tree tops. Lots of them. I've never seen anything like this before and it was fascinating. The trees are mostly a form of Sycamore but thinner and taller than those we have in the US.
Dinner in the hotel and early to bed. This is rather strenuous for me.
Getting there
There was much to arrange for this trip, so it is worth noting how much our favorite travel site, tripadvisor.com, was helpful in giving insights and useful information. Ultimately, this site helped us with:
There was also much to consider in scheduling, but here Jim made a complete bungle.
AT&T managers were advised last year to take care arranging travel after April due to potential for strikes.
At first we'd decided we needed to complete travel by March 31.
There was also our friend Andy's 50th birthday on April 1.
There was also Easter ... But when was Easter??
First bungle ... Off to the internet to search. Got bad information, thought Easter was Apr 15.
Out travel agent found a Costa cruise to Venice in March (nice, but not as "Eastern Mediterranean" as Dick wanted) and this Silversea cruise ending Apr 6.
The Silversea itinerary was much closer to what we wanted, and it would get us home just before the AT&T "travel at your risk" period started. Hmm. No problem with an April 15 Easter also.
And what about mobility assistance? We finally settled on a Nova 330 collapsible transport chair with (very important) 12 inch wheels. The larger wheels will make it easier to deal with cobblestone which we knew would be a challenge in Istanbul. I will sing an ode to our Nova in a future post.
(side note: as i type this while Dick snoozes, the call to prayer is being sung. Marvelous!)
We had much to arrange before the trip.
- Istanbul hotel (Sirkeci Konak)
- transport from the Ataturk airport and renting a van/driver for a Monday adventure (Backpackers)
- Cooking class Tuesday morning (Cooking a La Turka)
- roll-our-own tour from Port Said via "Marvelous Egypt"
- Most importantly, helping us settle on use of a transport chair for Dick (much worry and differing reports re: whether the cobblestone and amount of uneven sidewalks would make it futile
There was also much to consider in scheduling, but here Jim made a complete bungle.
AT&T managers were advised last year to take care arranging travel after April due to potential for strikes.
At first we'd decided we needed to complete travel by March 31.
There was also our friend Andy's 50th birthday on April 1.
There was also Easter ... But when was Easter??
First bungle ... Off to the internet to search. Got bad information, thought Easter was Apr 15.
Out travel agent found a Costa cruise to Venice in March (nice, but not as "Eastern Mediterranean" as Dick wanted) and this Silversea cruise ending Apr 6.
The Silversea itinerary was much closer to what we wanted, and it would get us home just before the AT&T "travel at your risk" period started. Hmm. No problem with an April 15 Easter also.
Alas what about Andy?? ummm we forgot!!!!
And plunked down our money. And Easter is April 8??????
But the handbell choir is playing on Easter!
Fortunately Andy is forgiving! And young Andrew from bell choir's mom, Jennifer, agreed to direct the handbells and saved me from leaving the crew high and dry. (Thanks Jennifer!)
A welcome bit of news in December! Our pals Bill and Mark from Laguna Beach, CA decided to join us. After a bit of searching they decided they'd condescend to stay at our hotel in Istanbul, even though it fell a bit below their exacting standards. Also nice: they have a friend, Demet, who they met on a Silversea cruise a few years ago. Demet would be in town and offered to show us around a bit, so off to get a van/driver for the day before our cruise starts.
Next big decision: how to get to the pyramids in Egypt?
And could Dick manage ok with transport chair?
the cruise excursion called for too long a day and were discouraging about a transport chair, so thank you tripadvisor.com and Marvelous Egypt!
But the handbell choir is playing on Easter!
Fortunately Andy is forgiving! And young Andrew from bell choir's mom, Jennifer, agreed to direct the handbells and saved me from leaving the crew high and dry. (Thanks Jennifer!)
A welcome bit of news in December! Our pals Bill and Mark from Laguna Beach, CA decided to join us. After a bit of searching they decided they'd condescend to stay at our hotel in Istanbul, even though it fell a bit below their exacting standards. Also nice: they have a friend, Demet, who they met on a Silversea cruise a few years ago. Demet would be in town and offered to show us around a bit, so off to get a van/driver for the day before our cruise starts.
Next big decision: how to get to the pyramids in Egypt?
And could Dick manage ok with transport chair?
the cruise excursion called for too long a day and were discouraging about a transport chair, so thank you tripadvisor.com and Marvelous Egypt!
And what about mobility assistance? We finally settled on a Nova 330 collapsible transport chair with (very important) 12 inch wheels. The larger wheels will make it easier to deal with cobblestone which we knew would be a challenge in Istanbul. I will sing an ode to our Nova in a future post.
(side note: as i type this while Dick snoozes, the call to prayer is being sung. Marvelous!)
We had much to arrange before the trip.
- My running pal Astrid's sister Liisu agreed to stay at the house and tend to the critters but (gulp) there was much cleaning and picking up to be done!
- Silversea is a bit shi-shi and has a strong dress code, and I was (unlike me completely!) obsessing over this, so with Scott's advice, off to Nordstrom to buy a new blazer, slacks and a couple shirts so that I'd be fashionably attired (well, fashionable for me, anyway). Of course, nothing fits perfectly, so several trips to have adjustments made.
- Nellie (14 years and slowing down) and Dick both had a few extra health challenges to be managed. Drugs to be bought and shipped.
- Our regular UPS driver hurt himself, and the replacement driver botched delivery on several important items, so there were important shipments expected, missed and tracked/reworked.
- AT&T's (failed) $4-billion bet on T-mobile has had its impact on our organization's budget, and we were busily dug in with a complete replan of our 2012 efforts.
The meeting finished, and now it was time to catch the limo. Fortunately, Morris limo was right on time, and with my boss and fellow managers waving us on, off to JFK were we.
Our driver was from Morocco and was wonderful to chat with. We talked international affairs, US politics and culture the entire trip out. He was a pretty savvy guy as he knew just how to flatter us: "are you journalists? You know so much about international news!"
Well of course he got a good tip from us for that! (And we had a good laugh at ourselves later, thank you NPR and BBC world news!)
Our driver was from Morocco and was wonderful to chat with. We talked international affairs, US politics and culture the entire trip out. He was a pretty savvy guy as he knew just how to flatter us: "are you journalists? You know so much about international news!"
Well of course he got a good tip from us for that! (And we had a good laugh at ourselves later, thank you NPR and BBC world news!)
Our past travel where we arranged for use of a wheelchair at the airport for Dick had spoiled us and gotten us accustomed to being completely taken care of. Traveling with your own chair makes things a little different, we discovered. The first omen for how things would be came the moment we arrived at JFK, and no one was there to help me get our bags and Dick from the street to the check-in counter. So i did my best pack mule imitation and managed it.
Second omen: instead of taking our checkins the agent told me I had to lug everuthing to a dropoff area. More pack mule'ing!
Once rid of the bags and thru security (again, with no help at all from staff), we went off to find a beer and nachos.
Once rid of the bags and thru security (again, with no help at all from staff), we went off to find a beer and nachos.
Getting onto our Turkish air flight, we were able to get check the collapsed chair, and down the 777 we walked to our seats, which to our delight were not-quite-bulkhead-but-were-first-in-row for our section. Dick was pretty beat, but I of course *must* get my share of movies while in flight, and I was happy to start off with "Big Fish", that Tim Burton movie with Ewan Macgregor at his most charming, doing a passable southern accent. Fun movie if you can appreciate whimsy (good benchmark: if you liked "Joe vs. the Volcano", you'll like this one).
Then a relatively recent movie, "Another Earth", an indie drama, also very well done. From the trailer, I'd sort of thought the whole "Another Earth" idea itself was sort of corny, but the movie is very clever in how it uses the device in telling the story, so if one gets past obvious questions like "why aren't the tides completely screwed up by the arrival of another planet so close to ours!", I think you'd find the "human story" to be very powerful and the acting is superb. Great unexpected ending too that doesn't wrap everything up neatly.
The flight was uneventful, and was about 9 hours all told. Backpackers was there to get us, and while our driver wasn't chatty, he certainly did yeoman's work at the very end weaving us thru the old city streets and backed up traffic to get us to our hotel.
I'd arranged an early check-in with the hotel, and while we had tea and OJ, they got our room ready. The elevator of the hotel was about 2 ft by 2 ft (OK I exaggerate, it was 3 ft x 3 ft - just enough room for Dick in his chair and me to literally squeeze in). Our room, while a bit small (and missing a chest of drawers alas), is comfortable, and so we very gratefully had a 3 hour nap. We were in Turkey!
Istanbul (was Constantinople now it's Istanbul ...)
Thanks to our friend Cleo (via Jill, Vickie, Rich and Clay), that little ditty has been an earworm in our brains and now at long last we are here!
Our itinerary on this adventure:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
