Today is Sunday, August 27. First and foremost, it is Tyler’s SWEET SIXTEENTH birthday!!!! Happy, happy BIG birthday, Darling Tyler! May this year be but the beginning of many more safe, healthy, and happy years to come!
Today was an at-sea day for the most part. We did get up early (6:00 A.M.-ish) to see some historic sites in the Dardanelles that we were passing. The sun was still just rising but we were able to see a major fortification and a huge sign honoring the soldiers.
The rest of the day was pretty much an opportunity to catch our breath and prepare for the high-energy city of Istanbul. We docked at 3:30 P.M., and watched the process from the bow of the ship. The pier is extremely modern and huge compared to many other ports, I hear. However, today was a beautiful hot and sunny day, so the views were stunning. From our ship’s bow we could see the Galata Tower, the Topkapi Palace, the Blue Mosque, and similar historic landmarks of this city once known as Constantinople! Istanbul is uniquely situated on two different continents: Asia and Europe. We docked on the Asian side. Passengers are welcome to come and go as we please, as long as we are back on the ship for tomorrow’s 3:30 P.M. all-aboard. John and I stepped into easily accessible parts of Istanbul and returned on board. We had an opportunity to hear one of the calls to prayer while ashore. Lots of “passport control” checks in Istanbul for non-residents coming into and exiting the country. Our ship hosted an authentic Turkish feast, followed by a performance by the Turkish Breeze and two local belly dancers. The band and the dancers are local artists who came on board to entertain the passengers. Tomorrow, bright and early, John and I will go on an excursion into Istanbul to include some major landmarks, even the Grand Bazaar. I.m sure we will have some more pics after our visit there. BTW, the food is different—and delicious!
Tomorrow, August 28, is another special day because it’s AUBREY’s birthday!,,,When we sail away from Istanbul in late afternoon, we will head to Mykonos.
Our Travels 