October 20 - Wednesday - Kusadasi (Ephesus), Turkey

Kusadasi was a really fun city, and this was a very nice stop on our tour. We arrived somewhere near to sunrise and then we left somewhere around 11:00 in the evening. The weather was the most fantastic we've had, adding to our pleasure.

My only beef was that a Seaborn ship about the same size as ours docked on
our starboard side, meaning that when I sat on our verandah in the evening,
I was probably staring at someone sitting on their verandah across from me.
Yuck!


Seaborn Odyessy

It was a long day, but one we will remember for a long time. It was about a half hour or so to the house of Mary, our first stop. We saw some beautiful
scenes as our bus climbed the hills and navigated the curves.

View as we drove up mountain toward house of John and Mary

The house of Mary and the Apostle John wasn't as much interest to this pair
of Lutherans as it was to those who are Orthodox and Catholic, but it was a
nice stop. It's not large, and the inside seems to have been entirely turned
into a tiny chapel. As we walked through silently, there were many who
bought candles and then lit them and placed them in designated places once
we were through the house.


House of John and Mary

Ephesus was a major city back in its time, although now it is only an archelogical site. The Turkish goverment, in cooperation with archelogical
trusts from various places and, I believe, a group of Australian
archelogists have done a lot of work putting a lot of the pieces back
together. It's pretty amazing.


Celcius Library

What was of interest to this pair of Lutherans, at least to this one, was
thinking about what it might have been like when Paul was there (some of
these ruins are after Paul's time).


Ephesus Amphitheatre

Next, we visited a Museum near Ephesus, and it was very nicely done. The Turkish people have a way of putting together very nice small museums that
don't overwhelm you, yet large enough to hold your interest, and that are
topical to the place you visit. I loved looking at some of the faces of
these pieces found in the rubble - some of them were so beautiful. I don't
know how the ancient Romans were able to create these beautiful figures.


A few of the figures on display at the Ephesus Museum

And then there was the St. John Basilica, perhaps built over one John attended but it certainly wasn't in this state. This basilica has been destroyed, rebuilt,
converted to a mosque, and other things ... it has quite a long history.



Basilica of St. John in Ephesus

On our way back to Kusadasi, we stopped for a very nice four-course lunch at a five-star hotel and had some very good tasting Turkish cusine, accompanied entertainment by a group of dancers.

Dancers in traditional costume

Our bus dropped us off in town, and our guide took us into a carpet shop
where we saw another carpet demonstration. I have learned so much about
Turkish carpets. I had no idea. They are expensive, but if I were in the
market for such a thing, I would have bought one at the drop of a hat. Such
carpets! Such quality! Such beauty!

We walked, gawked, and shopped around in town for a few hours before we
returned to the boat. I bought two really nice back-pack-like bags from a
really funny and sweet young Turkish guy, named Alex, in a Moda Kilim shop.
One of the bags is leather; the other is leather and the same kind of fabric
that results when you make a Turkish carpet. It was actually fun parting
with my money. Alex was such a flirt and this old gal enjoyed it!

As the ship left the dock late night, heading toward Mykonos, Greece, I felt
a twinge of sadness. I never expected to enjoy Turkey so much. I find I will
miss it. Although I know we had a sheltered experience, guided to just the
right places by highly trained people, we were treated courteously
everywhere.

Goodbye, Turkey ... I'm so glad I met you. I would have never guessed how much I liked this country and the people I met.



Leaving Turkey for the last time

Our flikr Kusadasi / Ephesus pictures: Ephesus

October 17 - Sunday - Sinop, Turkey

We began to see Sinop on the horizon about 6:30 this morning. The port at Sinop is long, so it took us a while to come completely in and dock. Starboard is dockside today, so I was able to watch them bring the boat in, tie it up, lower the gangway, and see the Captain or the Hotel Manager (I think they are about the same rank, and I don't know who is who when I see them) go down the gangway to be officially welcomed by the Sinop representative.

Officially arriving in Sinop

Welcome to Sinop


Watching our docking and the official greeting is fun for me. Coming into port is always something I look forward to seeing (and I don't think I missed even one during our journey this trip).

Our tour was short today, but it was very, very good. We first stopped at what was once a private home in the 18th and 19th centuries, the home of someone fairly wealthy, I'm sure. The stop was optional for our tour guide, and it wasn't listed in our program, so it was a bonus for us, and very well done.

The home consists of four stories, three above ground and a fourth "fully finished basement," which was quite large.



Home of a wealthy family in the 18-19th centuries



Entrance

Each room was mocked up to look as it might have looked when it was occupied.



Interior view - perhaps main family area

 Then we went a short distance to the Archaeologial Museum of Sinop. The Museum is small and easily absorbed, with each room devoted to a theme.

This particular fresco is of the Archangle Michael slaying Satan, and it was in an area devoted to icons and frescos. I didn't know Michael slayed Satan ... but nonetheless, I loved the work.


Michael slaying Satan

Of particular interest to me was that there were English translations for most of the exhibits (wherever we went today).


Ancient glass bottles

 These people were prepared for Americans and others who speak English. It's the first place we've been where anyone has gone to this much trouble. I really appreciated it.
The outside of the museum is filled with gravestones, pieces of columns, arches, and other artifacts found during various digs.


Displays outside the museum

I had never heard of Sinop before we came here, but it has quite a history as a strategic trading location for thousands of years - yes, even in the BC era. Greeks, Romans, then Ottomans have conquored and occupied this place, and each has left its mark on the culture.

Next, we went to the Alaaddin mosque. We were allowed again to take no-flash pictures. This mosque was built under the Seljuk influence and, as such, does not have a prominent central dome. It's a beautiful mosque, and the lighting was wonderful for no-flash pictures.



The speakers platform

 As a textile enthusiast, I am always interested in the carpets. They are specially woven so that those who come to pray know exactly where their positions are and how to face Mecca. This carpet was particularly interesting, with each position separated not only horizontally, but vertically, with a temple-like shape pointing to Mecca.


Detail of carpet

I also liked the subdued colors. The mosque shown with a kind of golden light. We were left to roam about the huge area as we wished - but only in the men's area. I asked if I could go up the stairs and see where the women prayed, but I was told "No, that's the women's area." Because I don't share their cultural practices, I'm not sure of the significance, especially since I am a woman, too. I thought I might be allowed to go.


Women's area in the balcony

After the mosque, we went across the street to what was formerly the Pervane Medressah, which is now a handicraft center. Typical tourist goods are sold there, by private vendors, so I wasn't particularly interested except in one store the government runs which showcases local needlecraft work. I purchased a small woven table cloth there, one small enough to hang on our walls. I am always interested in something another woman has made with her hands (these cloths weren't machine manufactured). In our short tour this morning, lasting no more than three hours, we were treated twice with Turkish refreshments. They were yummy.


Wonderful snack, Turkish style

When we arrived back at the ship, the sun had come out, of course. It's a beautiful afternoon here. People on board (there are very few who are younger than 55) are running around in shorts (males and females), laying by the pool sleeping in lounge chairs, soaking in the jacuzzi, and milling about everywhere.

As we look out over our verandah, we can see that all Sinop has come out too, to walk the promenade at the end of the port, or to sail the beautiful blue sea.


A beautiful Sunday afternoon in Sinop



Sailing, sailing - a sunny Sinop Sunday

The ship's crew is working inside and outside on the boat, too. As I came in my room after lunch, I saw water pouring down onto our verandah from above ...


Swab the decks, Mate!

It gives new meaning to "swab the decks, Mate!"

Tonight, we are fortunate to be invited, along with two or three other couples, to celebrate the 5th anniversary of another couple's fifth date. How sweet it is. We will join them for supper, singing, cake, and champagne at 8:00. They have asked each of us to bring a few words of advice for a long relationship.

Shipboard friendships happen, and they're very nice, a jewel of the moment.
Tomorrow, Sevastapol, Ukraine, then a day at sea, and then Ephesus, our last stop in Turkey. This is not the Turkey I heard about in my youth. This is a kinder, gentler Turkey, a democratic Republic where more people have a chance. It's not perfect, but no where is. Life is always work, governments are always suspect, but the odds are a bit more even when the the light shines.

Tomorrow, Sevastable, Ukraine.

Our flickr Sinop pictures: Sinop

October 16 - Saturday - Trabzon, Turkey

Last night was some kind of night. Our ship rocked and rolled as we went through some kind of gale, with waves 18 or so feet. Usually, we've run at about 4 feet, and we could surely tell the difference. I woke several times, and I know Lauren got up at least once.

That was nothing, though, compared to what we've heard about. Apparently this ship, the Prisendam, an explorer-class ship (smaller than most), within the last year or two was sailing in the waters north of Scotland, ran into some kind of storm, and water broke through the front of the ship and flooded the stage area in the main auditorium. Fifty-eight windows were broken. It must have scared everyone to death, although some of those people are sailing this ship again and again. Wow. That must have been something else. Obviously, repairs were quickly made (within days? weeks? We're not sure.) and the ship was declared sea worthy and back on the waters again.

The charm of the Prisendam is that it is small and can go to places other ships can't. This ship sails around the world, and it's often the ship that checks out new ports for Holland America. I think it's the "Off the Beaten Track" of ships. I'm sure we wouldn't have been able to dock a bigger ship in many of the ports where we've been. This is a unique opportunity.

Oh, how we liked Trabzon! Our tour guide was nothing short of excellent - knowledgeable, good English, full of anectodal tidbits, facts, good history, and an earnest desire to give us value for our time and money. He went to school for four years to learn to do this, and he travels all over Turkey to give tours. He will be in Sinop tomorrow (but we don't know which tour) and in Ephesus when we get there (but again, we don't know which tour). Excellent.

We began our day in the rain, had some sunshine for a brief period later in our tour, and ended with rain threatening again.

Our first stop this morning was the Trabzon Hagia Sophia (St. Sophia) - one of four Hagia Sophias in Turkey. Two are in Istanbul (we visited the large one, the largest of the four), one is in Izmir, and the fourth here. 

Hagia Sophia in Trabzon

The Hagia Sophias were built as Greek Orthodox churches, the first under the Emperor Justantine (if I remember correctly), and were eventually taken over by the Ottomans and turned into mosques. It was a common practice to take an already existing church or temple and build an edifice of the conquoring religion over it, so it's not unusual that the Ottomans kept the existing churches and adapted them. The Hagia Sophia in Trabzon was built over a pagan temple to Apollo. The practice of the Ottomans was to plaster over the iconography because any representation of a human face or body in their place of worship is a horrible thing. Orthodox churches are just the opposite - they revere icons because they represent those things in heaven they most love.

Inside Trabzon Hagia Sophia



Inside Trabzon Hagia Sophia


Unlike the great Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, the restoration, when removing the plaster during the modern age (1930s and after) wasn't as successful in Trabzon. Perhaps because this is a minor Hagia Sophia, it wasn't as important. In its present condition, though, perhaps it speaks more to the spirit and heart than the more successful restoration in Istanbul.

Our next stop was the home of Ataturk, the father of modern Turkey. He must have been one exceptional and extremely intelligent man. His bio on Wikipedia is worth reading ... The home really isn't large, but it's certainly beautiful, with wonderful grounds to match. The home is high on a hill, up narrow and winding roads.




Home of Ataturk in Trabzon

 This perfect dahlia is from those grounds...



Dahlia in Ataturk's garden

Across the road from the home is a little mountain resort with some fabulous views ...

View from near Ataturk's home

Our last stop for the day was the Fatih Mosque down in the city.


Fatih Mosque

It was interesting to see a number of men across the street waiting for the call to prayer shortly after noon.

This is Saturday, so the crowd was rather small. On Friday, the weekly prayer and sermon time, I'm sure there would be many more. Our guide says that mosques are packed on Friday.

One more little note about Trabzon. It sits between the Black Sea and the lesser Himalayas, stopping all east-moving storms over Trabzon. It rains here more often than not, according to our guide, and they actually get snow in Trabzon.

We had a very nice visit. Tomorrow, it's Sinop, Turkey, then on to Sevastopol, Ukraine, followed by a day at sea.

Our flickr Trabzon pictures: Trabzon