1st stop: Istanbul, Turkey (June 27-28, 2009)

Greek words of the days: Kah-lee Meh-rah, which means "good morning" and En-da-xi which means "okay".

We arrived into Istanbul, Turkey around 1:00 in the afternoon on Saturday. Located on both sides of the Bosphorus -- the narrow strait between the Black Sea and the Marmara Sea, Istanbul is a bridge between Asia and Europe. It is also Turkey's most populous city with an estimated population of 12 to 19 million people.

After lunch, we disembarked the ship to explore Sultanahmet, also known as the Old City of Istanbul. We quickly found a taxi right outside the cruise terminal, and like just about anything in Turkey, it's all about negotiating and bargaining (something very foreign to Ray). So, Karen and I bartered with the taxi driver, Omar, who took all 7 of us to Sultanahmet for under 10euro's.

Our first stop was to Sultanahmet Mosque, aka Blue Mosque which was a striking sight from the outside. Built in the early 1600's, it is called the Blue Mosque because of its interior tiles, mostly on the upper levels and hence difficult to see! It has six minarets surrounding the huge dome-studded mosque. The architecture here in Turkey is very different from what we have been seeing here in Europe. Since it is a working mosque, we (along with all other tourists) had to enter through a courtyard towards the back. Here the women are provided scarves to cover bare shoulders, no bare knees allowed and all must remove their shoes. I have never been into a mosque before, so this visit was very interesting!

Our next stop was to Hagia Sophia, located just across the street. Originally a basilica constructed in the 6th century, it has since been converted to a mosque and now is a museum. Its huge 30metre diameter dome makes for another striking sight along this Turkish skyline. We hovered near a huge fountain in front, appreciating the mist of the water to cool us down in the tremendous heat.

We also found several carts selling roasted or boiled corn, Simit (a bread which tastes like a sesame bagel), and Dondurma -- a turkish ice cream made with orchid root extract (which reminded me a little like mochi ice cream). The Dondurma was very yummy and quite refreshing on a hot day. I also bought a box of fresh pistachio and hazelnut Lokum, aka Turkish Delight which I found to be quite delish!

We proceeded to the famous Grand Bazaar which is said to be the world's oldest shopping mall. With an estimated 4,400 shops lined under covered walkways in a labyrinth of side streets covering several blocks, it's very easy to get lost! Here you will find just about everything, jewelry, pottery, carpets, spices, belly dancing outfits (this was interesting!), etc. etc. etc...

We were all getting tired and hungry so we proceeded down to Yeni Mosque along the Golden Horn where we took in some of the sights before hopping on a taxi back to the ship to make it for dinner. That evening, Ray (true to form) had his turkey in Turkey! For those of you who have not been following our blog, he has had his Frankfurter in Frankfurt and Hamburger in Hamburg.

After dinner, we proceeded to the ships deck for an evening walk where we were pleasantly surprised to see a fireworks display illuminating right over the Bosphorus Bridge (the bridge connecting Europe and Asia). This was a perfect end to our evening before we called it a night.

The next day, we simply walked a short distance from the cruise terminal to a playground alongside the Bosphorus. While the kids played, David and I took a walk to the Dolmabahce Mosque and Dolmabahce Palace. Interestingly, the palace was built in the 1800's at the cost of 5 million Ottoman Gold Pounds, which is the equivalent to 35 tons of gold! This was the former home of six sultans and later became a summer presidential house.

During our walk back, David utilized his bargaining skills and purchased a Rolex for Karen who forgot her watch at home. After hooking up with the rest of the gang at the playground, we enjoyed a few refreshing drinks before heading back to the ship.



Dolmabahce Mosque (front), Palace in the distance

Sultan's Gate at Dolmabahce Palace

The ship departed Istanbul sometime after 4pm, but the girls and I were fast asleep resting up for the Captain's Cocktail Party and formal dinner that evening. Ray was updeck enjoying the view and some R&R from the girls!

That evening's show was "A Musical Odyssey" which centered around famous musicals such as Phantom of the Opera, Cats, Chicago and Moulin Rouge to name a few. The girls again just LOVED it. This time, we got great seats and sat close to the front center where the children had a perfect view of the stage.

The girls were so excited and full of energy after the show that we had a little "Musical Odyssey" production in our cabin that night!