May 31st, 2009 - Kusadasi Turkey (Ephesus)

One of the things that Alex wanted to do on this trip was visit Ephesus. Since our group wasn't up for touring another place with ancient ruins, my friend Debbie invited her to join their group. Alex was SO excited to be going to Ephesus. This next series of photos is from her day at Ephesus. She had such a great time with Debbie and Rich.

The Celsus Library

Alex having lunch on their tour.

Alex and my dear friends that took her on this great tour.

Alex learning the art of Turkish rug making.

Our ship in Kusadasi

May 29 & 30, 2009 - Istanbul Turkey

~Istanbul Turkey~

The sail into Istanbul was probably the coolest thing about Istanbul for me. We sailed in on a Friday, so it was a big prayer day. You could hear the chanting going on from speakers that were all over the city. It was one of the most exotic sounds I have heard.

The view from the sail-in. The Blue Mosque on the left of the picture and the Hagia Sophia on the right. The Blue Mosque built in 1616 and known as the Blue Mosque for the blue Iznik tiles in the interior.

One of the first things we did when we got off the ship was catch the tram to the Sultanahmet. This is where we toured the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia. This was very interesting. These are the boys standing in front of the Haghia Sophia - Built in 537 as a Christian church but converted into a mosque in the 15th century. Since 1934 it has been a museum.

I was really surprised by the interior. I can't believe that this isn't better kept. It seemed to be falling down around itself. I would think with a treasure as big as this one, more care would be given to retain it's upkeep.



Here is the old alter... and a little cat was sunning himself by the spotlight.

Bob at the weeping pilar - it is said to have healing powers

Inside the Hagia Sophia - an old Christian symbol on the ceiling.

Here are the boys trying Turkish coffee. I wish I would have gotten a photo of what this stuff looked like before they drank it. It seriously looked like a mud pie.


The Haram inside the Topkapi Palace. This was the most interesting place of the visit. The Haram was a closed world occupied by the Sultan's wives, concubines, and children.

All of us on the tram to Palace. The tram system in Istanbul is great! It was very easy to tour on our own. I am very glad we didn't spend huge money on tours here. Everything was right there together and the tram was actually WAY faster than anything with wheels.

Deb and Rich outside the Hagia Sophia

Everyone stopping for a Turkish refreshment.

One of our last stops was the Grand Bazaar. This is one of the world's largest buildings, containing 61 covered streets. It is 3,305,000 sq ft. The bazaar is the world's oldest covered market. To say it was intimidating would be an understatement. This picture is one of the gates leading into the bazaar. There are twenty two of these gates.

This is inside the market place and only one of the streets. This is the jewelry isles.

This is the Baghdad Pavilion - built by Murat IV in 1639 to celebrate his capture of the city of Baghdad the year before.

Bob in the circumcision room - he was very uncomfortable in this room.

The Sultan's apartments... can you just imagine him sitting around here with all his girls.

Tile in the Haram

View from the Topkapi Palace... you can make out the back of the ship.

May 28th, 2009 - Mykonos Greece

It was another perfect day in the Mediterranean and we were docking in Mykonos. This is my second time here, so all us girls planned to do was wander and shop and eat!

The windmills of Mykonos are famous. They used to be used to grind wheat but now they have been turned into residences. I can't imagine living in one... there is a constant stream of people outside your door taking photos. They are super cute though!

This is a cute dessert/coffee shop that we found on one of the alleyways... Alex really wanted some real Greek Baklava and this place had it. It was such a cute place and the owner was adorable to say the least! You must go here if you are in Mykonos. It is called Suisse and boy is it good!

This is a shot of "Little Venice".

A cute little hotel in Mykonos.

All the walkways in Mykonos look like this. It is extremely easy to get lost. The alleys go everywhere but sooner or later you come to a big square and you can get your bearings again. It is very cute here, but I can't imagine what you would do here for more than a day.

May 27th, 2009 - The Greek Isle of Santorini - Almost heaven!

The entire group headed out for a day on Santorini. It is the most beautiful island I have been on. This was my second time here so I knew basically where we were going. There were 12 that I needed to keep track of :) The tenders from the ship drop you here where we are standing. From here there are two ways up to the city of Thira... cable car or donkey (or you can walk the donkey trail... I don't suggest it)

Most of us opted for the cable cars. It was 5euros a person and the line wasn't bad at all. The boys, of course, decided they wanted to go by way of the donkey... same price.

The rest of the pictures can speak for themselves...

This last shot was great... We had all split up to wander for a few hours with a meeting place at the end of the day. Our family stopped in a hillside cafe and I went to use the restroom... there was a window in the bathroom, so I looked out to see the view, and there were Minda and Steve having a drink below. Pretty cool photo.