What a wonderful week it has been! We have thoroughly enjoyed the first half of our Mediterranean cruise. We stopped in Crete (twice), Mykonos, Istanbul, and Athens.

After a few days of gogogo in Italy, we had a relaxing day at sea to kick off the week. We got in a workout, did a lot of walking on the ship, and saw some great musicians perform. For dinner, we went to one of the specialty restaurants here on the ship, Butcher’s Block by Dario. The Dario in the title is an Italian butcher extraordinary and the meal was unique and delicious.

The next day, we were in Chania, our first stop in Crete. This was also our first time in Greece, so that was exciting. The island is pretty big, one of the biggest in the Med, and the mountains in the center of the island still have snow on the peaks. We took a tour that first took us up into the hills to visit an old monastery. It was the site of a pretty dramatic episode in the fight for independence from the Turks. Many townspeople had taken refuge there, but they were overrun and slaughtered. Since it is Holy Week, churches are decorated for Easter. Inside. We could smell lilies and other flowers. Outside, the air smelled of herbs. We then visited the small town of Reythymno, an old fishing village with a beautiful Venetian harbor. We finished our day on the island with a wander around Chania.

The following day, we were again at sea, bound for Istanbul. This stop was definitely one of the reasons we chose this particular cruise. The journey through the Dardanelles (a narrow strait separating Europe and Asia) was scenic and lovely on its own. When we arrived in Istanbul the next morning, it was just breathtaking. The cruise port is right in the middle of the vast city and we could see mosques and other buildings everywhere. We got off the ship as soon as we could and wandered the streets a bit, buying a simit (ring-shaped bread coated in sesame seeds) for breakfast. We met our tour guide at the German fountain. He took us into the Hagia Sofia. It’s one of the most culturally significant buildings in the world. It is 1500 years old and the dome is truly impressive. Due to the sweep of time and history, it has been a church of the Eastern Orthodoxy, a catholic cathedral, and a grand mosque. It still has Christian mosaics that have been preserved for their cultural importance. We then went to the Cthedral cistern, an underground limestone reservoir that is structurally held up by hundreds of different columns that were appropriated from other structures. It’s nice and cool in there and occasionally, you feel a water droplet falling on you from the ceiling above as surface water seeps through the ground and into the cistern. We visited the Blue Mosque, a working mosque that is decorated on the inside with thousands of blue and white tiles. We went to the Egyptian bazaar, where they well spices and tea and many other things. We hopped on a boat for a trip up the Bosphorus strait and a different view of the city. It’s such a busy but beautiful place. We stopped for a lunch of durum, a grilled meat wrap, and walked back to the ship. It was a great day!

we made a stop at Mykonos, our second Greek island. We didn’t have much planned for that port. We just wandered around the town to see the famous sites, like the church that’s really five church piled up, with one right on top, and the windmills. It’s a pretty little island. It was good to have a quieter day after Istanbul and before the next stop, Athens.

We again hopped off the ship as soon as possible and took public transportation into the city from the port of Piraeus. Figuring that out was the first adventure of the day! We went to see the treasures at the National Archeaological Museum. It was like an art history textbook come to life. So many famous finds, like the Mask of Agamemnon and the bronze Poseidon statue. So cool. Then it was on to walk through town and meet up with our tour for the Acropolis. Our guide was knowledgeable and did a great job. The whole thing was great and to be in that world-famous spot was thrilling. The views of the sprawling city of Athens from the hill was impressive.

For Easter, we were back in Crete in the capital of Heraklion. We had a drive across down the island and then a cruise in the Mirabello Bay. We were able to see the island of Spinalonga, a fortification built by the Venetians, but more recently used as a leper colony. It was a beautiful and quiet day, as most businesses were closed so that people could spend the holy holiday with family in celebration.

The ship has been lovely and we have enjoyed so many aspects of this trip. Connections are a bit slow, so staying connected is a bit of a challenge. Beyond that, it’s been  joy. Talk to you next week from Spain