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A Cruise to Turkey, Croatia, and Greece and the Islands

A November 2007 trip to Athens by NiceGinna

View of the Blue Mosque from our balconyMore Photos

With good friends we left Nice and flew to Istanbul to board an Ocenia Cruise through Turkey, the Greek Islands, Croatia, and Athens. It was our first cruise and a great way to see a lot in an easy way.

  • 12 reviews
  • 4 stories/tips
  • 87 photos

The ApricotBest of IgoUgo

Hotel | "We Differed on the Rating for this Hotel"

View of the Blue Mosque from our balcony
We headed to Istanbul for our cruise several days ahead of time so that we would have plenty of time to explore this city which we knew we would probably never see again. With friends we had booked The Apricot Hotel. The location of the hotel was excellent, within easy walking distance of almost everything we hoped to see. We had booked an "upgrade" to our room and were put in the "annex"; we had to walk to the main buidling for breakfast which David didn't like. Also, the lighting system in the bathroom was strange - it went on automatically and was supposed to go off automatically but didn't. The first night we had to sleep with the lights in the bathroom on. On the other hand, we had a balcony and huge window with a great view of the Blue Mosque, which I loved. I would wake in the early morning as the chanting call-to-prayer went on and see the Mosque in the distance.

Breakfast was included and was very good. For a medium priced hotel it wasn't bad.
  • Member Rating 2 out of 5 by NiceGinna on March 12, 2009

Blue MosqueBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "The Blue Mosque is the #1 Tourist Site in Town"

The Blue Mosque at night
The Blue Mosque was built in the early 1600's. The exterior, which is beautifully lit at night, is a mountain of turrets and domes with six minarets. The inside is tiled in blue with a blue painted dome.
  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by NiceGinna on March 12, 2009

Topkapi PalaceBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Topkapi Palace is Breathtaking"

Entrance to Topkapi Palace
Topkapi Palace, the home of the sultans from the 15th to the 19th centuries, is a large compound; its most impressive area is the harem where the women and children lived, including the concubines. Here one finds intricate tile work, dazzling stained-glass windows, and exquisite tortoise-shell and mother-of-pearl doors and shutters that give you an idea of the opulence of their lifestyle. Elsewhere in the Palace are rooms displaying rich robes, suits of armor and weaponry, furnishings of silver, crystal, and porcelain, often jewel-encrusted. There is also a library, an indication of their interest in education and knowledge.
  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by NiceGinna on March 12, 2009

Topkapi Palace
Sultanahmet Square Istanbul, Turkey
+90 212 5224422

Balikçi SabahattinBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "The Highly Recommended Balikci Sabahattin Does not Disappoint"

David enjoying his blue fish
Balikci Sabahattin had been recommended to us by several world travelers that we know so we went out of our way to find it for lunch. We sat outside under the grapevines, with decorations of fresh produce - pumpkins and gourds, tomatoes and lettuces, and melons - piled around us. With a bottle of the local Antik white wine, we set out to enjoy our lunch. We started with meze - a small plate of fava beans and another of cold cooked spinach that was especially delicious. Then on to the main event: David ordered the blue fish which he thought was excellent but nothing like the blue fish he had caught and eaten so often in the Caribbean. I had the sea bass which was also wonderful.

It was an expensive place, a bit of a splurge, but wonderful.
  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by NiceGinna on March 12, 2009

Balikçi Sabahattin
Seyit Hasan Koyu Sokak 50 Istanbul, Turkey
+90 212 4581824

Cruise on the Bosporus with Lunch in Anadolu KavagiBest of IgoUgo

Story/Tip

Sailing up the Bosporus
We were lucky enough to have a spectacularly beautiful day for a cruise on the Bosporus. We raced over to the Ferry Port so as not to miss the 10:35 sailing up the waterway to near the Black Sea. There we left the boat and had a wonderful lunch in Anadolu Kavagi - sea bream and sea bass and baklava for dessert at Kavak Doganay, a restaurant right on the water. Then we caught the next boat sailing back to Istanbul. A great way to spend a day.

The Mosaic MuseumBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "My Love of Ceramics Lead Me to the Mosaic Museum"

Herding the geese - Mosaic Museum
This Museum is really just a roof over a magnificent stretch of Byzantine mosaic floor picturing a hunting scene with deer, rabbits, elephants, monkeys, and other animals and human figures. The shading on the human faces and the musculature of the animals and warriors is amazing.
  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by NiceGinna on March 12, 2009

The Mosaic Museum
Arasta Carsisi, Sultanahmet Istanbul, Turkey

Boarding Our Ship on Oceania Cruise LineBest of IgoUgo

Story/Tip

There's our ship!
This was our first organized tour of any kind. We chose a cruise because we would be able to get a taste of several places without the bother of unpacking and repacking. We were welcomed on board with an extensive buffet lunch, a prevue of the wonderful meals to come. Although cruises are famous for fattening up people, I actually found it easier to watch what I ate! Each morning I had oatmeal with fresh berries - where they found the fresh raspberries, blueberries, blackberries in November is beyond me but they were delicious. For lunch, again I hit the buffet and made myself a huge salad. I convinced myself that the desserts would never be as good as they looked and pretty much kept away from them, except when we ate in one of the "special" restaurants, which we did four times.

We had chosen a stateroom with an "obstructed view" which meant that one of the lifeboats was hanging in front of our large window. We still could see out. It would have been nice to have a balcony, since we were sailing in such nice weather, but there were plenty of places outside on the decks to sit and read or walk. And this way we saved quite a bit on money. You can save even more if you can stand on "inside" cabin, but we decided we couldn't do that.

The ship offered many "excursions" at each stop but we found that this usually wasn't necessary. We studied up beforehand and went on our own. The excursions are pretty pricey.

Ephesus Was Our First StopBest of IgoUgo

Story/Tip

Basilica of St. John, near Ephesus
Ephesus was a major reason for choosing this cruise and one of the great archeological sites in the world. The four of us rented a taxi for the day and he drove us out to the site, stopping along the way at a couple of interesting places, including Selcuk to explore the ruins of the Basilica of St. John, said to be built over his tomb. Then we arrived at Ephesus: he left us there and said he would meet us at the other end of the excavations, whenever we were ready.

The porticoed streets, paved with mosaics and lined with shops and temples. lead to the famous Library of Celsus and the Great Theater which held 24,000 citizens. We also visited the Terraced Houses - a separate ticket but a MUST SEE. The houses - more like condos, one on top of the other - are filled with artistically painted walls and mosaic floors with intricate designs. It must have been quite a life for the citizens!

RhodesBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "The Island of Rhodes, Where Knights of the Templar Lived"

Palace of the Grand Master
Our next stop on the cruise was the Island of Rhodes. The harbor is where the Colussus of Rhodes once stood, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The Knights of St. John (Knights of the Templar) came here in 1291 and controlled the island until 1522 when Suleyman I, sultan of the Ottoman Empire, conquered it. Within the remaining massive walls is the Palace of the Grand Master, filled with mosaic floors moved here from the island of Kos. How does one move a mosaic floor?! Apparently it is done by laying cloth over the mosaic pieces and gluing the cloth down, then carefully lifting it. Along the street leading to the Palace are the smaller palaces of the various factions of the Knights, whether from Provence, Italy, or another State. The Archeological Museum is housed in the 15th century Knights' Hospital. One of the items we were surprised to see was a display of magnifying glasses used to make tiny engravings and for painting details. There were also small cups with spouts and a sieve on top for feeding babies. Each display was of a specific burial plot, whether of a child or a woman or a man and had artifacts specific to that person. Very personal.

Instead of returning to the ship, we had a nice Greek lunch - Greek salad and lamb chops - outside inder a tree at a restaurant in the Old Town. A perfect day.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by NiceGinna on March 12, 2009

DelosBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "The Uninhabited Island of Delos, Apollo's Birthplace"

The famous Terrace of Lions at Delos
Our next stop was the Island of Delos. Our cruise line had arranged for us to stop here on a Monday when the island is normally closed; we could not go ashore unless we took one of the "excursions", which of course we did. And it ended up being a good idea - we never would have gotten as much out of the day on our own. Our guide Danai was wonderful and the ruins on the island are not well marked for an independent visit. Delos was the birthplace of Apollo and to honor him no one was allowed to be born or die on the island. And still no one lives here. The most famous site is the Terrace of the Lions, located near his birth site, a row of somewhat Egyptian-looking lions carved in the 6th century BC (only replicas are on the site; originals are in the museum), guarding the sacred area.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by NiceGinna on March 12, 2009

MykonosBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "The Beautiful Island of Mykonos Was our Next Stop"

There I am, arriving in Mykonos
That afternoon we arrived in Mykonos where we were "tendered" ashore (taken in a boat instead of being able to walk). This is a famous resort of jet setters, with stark white walls over the blue sea, blue painted balconies, and cascading fuschia. A dream. The most interesting area is "Little Venice", a row of picturesque restaurants and shops hanging over the sea. It's an idyllic spot to share an afternoon tea or an evening drink in time to watch the sunset. Nearby are the famous windmills of Mykonos.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by NiceGinna on March 12, 2009

SantoriniBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "The Spectacular Island of Santorini Was our Next Stop"

Santorini from the funicula
We were again tendered ashore at fabulous Santorini, to take the funicula up the steep slopes formed by a volcano. In 1650 BC the volcano erupted, causing the center to sink - this center is now where the cruise ships anchor. The explosion caused a huge tsunami believed to be responsible for the destruction of the Minoan civilization on Crete. The views from the funicula and from the top were outstanding.

We visited the Museum of Prehistoric Thira (another name for Santorini) which was fascinating with its wall paintings - flowers, figures, and even blue monkeys - from earlier than 1000 BC. Only 2% of the ancient archeological site has been excavated. One of the most beautiful pieces was a table for sacrificial offerings painted with lively dolphins.
  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by NiceGinna on March 12, 2009

Corfu Was Our Next Port of CallBest of IgoUgo

Story/Tip

Corfu
Our next stop was Corfu Town, a town with many influences from occupations by the French, the British, and especially the Venetians. Two fortresses loom above the old town with its narrow alleyways and ochre tints more reminiscent of Italy than other Greek islands with their stark white buildings. The four of us enjoyed a Corfu lunch of Greek salad, sofrito (lamb with garlic, vinegar, and parsley), pastitsada (beef in red sauce served with macaroni), again with the Italian influence rather than the Turkish influence found on many other islands.

Olympia GreeceBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "This is Where the Olympics Started"

From the Museum at Olympia
Our ship docked not far from Olympia and we took a train to the site. The summer before there had been terrible fires and the results were obvious, with blackened hills near the Greek ruins. But luckily they were not harmed. We first visited the Museum on the grounds and then explored the sacred temples and the sites for the games which originated in 776 BC.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by NiceGinna on March 12, 2009

DubrovnikBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Dubrovnik is a Jewel of a City"

The harbor of the Old Town of Dubrovnik
We had been lucky enough to travel to Dubrovnik the previous year and spend several days here. This time we were part of the crowds of tourists arriving off the cruise ships, a quite different experience. We went on our own walking tour, including the walls of the city which afford you great views of the sea and the tiled roofs of the town itself. The Placa, built in the 1600's, is the main thoroughfare, a creamy marble boulevard through town where there are several churches, many restaurants, museums, and historical statues and buildings to see.

Orlando's Column is one of the major sites, a statue of the warrior who was supposedly Charlemagne's nephew. It was erected in 1419 to honor him because he helped the people of Ragusa fight off a Saracen attack in the 9th century. It represents Dubrovnik's independence and freedom.

The Pile Gate is the outer gate where there was a drawbridge that was raised each night to protect the townspeople.

The Cathedral was built over a long period of time to the design of an Italian architect and finally completed in 1713.

The Onofrio Fountain was built in 1438 as part of the town's water supply system.
  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by NiceGinna on March 12, 2009

Athens GreeceBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Our Second and Probably Last Visit to Athens"

At the Archeological Museum
We'd been to Athens 19 years before on our honeymoon. At our age, we expect that this will be our last visit. There were two places we wanted to revisit - the incredible Archeological Museum and then the long climb up to the Parthenon. Our ship would be there one night and then we would disembark and go home the next day.

So the day we arrived, we took a train into the city and went directly to the Museum. We walked through, remembering some things we had seen the last time and seeing things we'd missed. One thing we had read about was the Antikythera Mechanism, perhaps the world's first computer, designed as an aid for navigation 2000 years ago. Amazing.

Then on to the Plaka where we had lunch and the long climb up. Somehow it didn't seem as bad this time - they have definitely made some improvements to the climb, although it's not something to put off until your old age! Sadly they were doing a lot of work on the Parthenon (as usual!) so it was covered with worknets, but it's still an inspiring sight. And the
  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by NiceGinna on March 12, 2009

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NiceGinna
NiceGinna
Evanston, Illinois

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