Istanbul Blue Mosque

Posted on May 17, 2025 by Helga

Saturday

Dear Elsie

Today we woke to the most amazing sounds. Chirping, quacking, clucking and wailing, there was a menagerie of birds and cats in the neighbourhood. It was also the day it poured with rain in Istanbul, so we stayed in for most of the day. We did venture out in the morning with the intention of going to see how long the queue was at the Blue Mosque. It’s an iconic landmark in the old town of Istanbul and highly recommended to see. The queue, snaked, in steady rain, around the entire establishment so we decided to pass and take refuge in the hotel for most of the day. I watched some You Tube and at about 3pm went down to the lounge for some hot chocolate. Julian was already there with a new friend….

The friend had no loyalty.

We decided to head on out into the drizzle to see if the queue at the Mosque had improved. It had indeed, so we got in line took our shoes off and made our way inside. This is the queue from the entry portico…

The ceilings are vast as are the pillars holding them up.

From the outside courtyard…

The Mosque & Istanbul have featured in a number of James Bond Movies. From Russia with Love (1963), the World is not Enough (1999) and Skyfall (2012). We left the mosque and wandered through the Grand Bazaar where we bought a couple of souvenirs, surprisingly at a better price than outside the precinct. By the time we got out of the bazaar, it had stopped raining and for a brief period there was also a tiny bit of sunshine.

Back at the hotel, I’m putting this together before we go out for a bite.  A less busy day in the city due to the rain, but we were glad to see inside the mosque while in Istanbul.

Acts 17:24-25
The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And He is not served by human hands, as if He needed anything. Rather, He himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

Posted in Day to Day Blogs | Tagged , | Comments Off on Istanbul Blue Mosque

Last Little Leg of our Holiday

Posted on May 16, 2025 by Helga

Friday

Dear Elsie

Today we arrived back in Istanbul for the last little leg of our holiday. It began with some beautiful sweeping views of the Asian side of the city that began its life as Constantinople. He founded it in 330AD.

We hung around the ship for the morning and I got work done with this view…

Just before 12 noon we went down to our specified meeting place and found no one there, so without further ado, we found the exit and disembarked.

After getting through passport control, we found our luggage and then headed out to the Taxi stop. We had paid the equivalent of R200 to get us to the port at the start of our cruise. Now they wanted Euro 20 to get us back. We decided to forgo that and walked out the dock to the next taxi rank. It was a bit of a schlep because we had to drag all our luggage, so imagine my (I hate my life) moment when they also said Euro 20! That resulted in much haggling, which I also don’t enjoy before eventually we settled on R300,  including the tip. The pain was not over as we inched pitifully through bumper to bumper traffic.

We finally got through the traffic jam and soon got to our hotel. After settling in, Mike and Julian took all our washing to the laundry and that was helpful. I worked in the afternoon and then around 5pm we took off to find out where the Blue Mosque is.  It is an 8 minute walk away.

This is the view from the main square where there is also a tall obelisk.

It is imposing, but what is even more startling is how long it has been there for…

It’s got a fascinating history. It was erected at this point in 390AD but was originally from the 18th dynasty of Egypt (around 1479 BC). Remarkable that it has stood here for so long.

We walked past ancient walls, bustling tourists and pleading carpet sellers before arriving at the Bosphorus and walking to the restaurant for dinner.

Back at the hotel, the light is fading and I will soon be asleep. The hotel is very centrally located; our room is spacious and comfortable and we can see the river (just)

We are very grateful to have had a month away and thus far, all has gone well.

Psalm 108:4-5
For great is your love, higher than the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

 

 

Posted in Day to Day Blogs | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Last Little Leg of our Holiday

Ephesus!

Posted on May 15, 2025 by Helga

Thursday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day we we went to Ephesus! We didn’t have any expectations of these ancient buildings in Turkey, so we were very surprised, It is very extensive, covers a large area and huge chunks of these 2000 year old buildings still exist. There has been a massive amount of restoration. To get there, we cruised overnight from Athens to Kusadasi. Out of Greek and into Turkey

One of the helpful things was John’s book. John had loaned us a book on Ephesus which shows what some of the buildings used to look like. I carried it 1000s of kilometers and today had the opportunity to use it while walking through the city.

It was a remarkable journey back in time. Ephesus was founded in BC10.

Earthquakes did further damage over the passing of time, so major restoration projects are underway. This is the “little” stadium…

The Fountain of Trajan was a major water source.

The Curettes Road is a main thoroughfare.

Monument-of-Memmius goes back to the 1st Century AD. 

The Temple of Hadrian…

The most impressive building is the Ephesus Library.

Teddy came too.

After the Library, there is the Marketplace where Paul would have preached. He spent 3 years in Ephesus.

This is the colonnade along side the market place.  Paul would have walked these streets. And the Gospel he preached cause an uproar.

Acts 19:

“26 And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia. He says that gods made by human hands are no gods at all. 27 There is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited; and the goddess herself, who is worshiped throughout the province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty.” 28 When they heard this, they were furious and began shouting: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” 29 Soon the whole city was in an uproar. The people seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia, and all of them rushed into the theater together. 30 Paul wanted to appear before the crowd, but the disciples would not let him. 31 Even some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, sent him a message begging him not to venture into the theater.”

The main theatre under restoration. Just to think all this happened here!

The sea, a number of kilometers away reached Ephesus via a River. This is the Harbour Street. At the end of it there would have been the water. The river silted up cutting Ephesus off from the Aegean Sea.

It was altogether a fascinating visit and we feel very privileged to have had the opportunity to visit here. Certainly a highlight of our trip.

We returned to the ship via a weaving centre which was really interesting, although a hard-sell event! All their carpets are hand woven and very expensive.

Back on-board for our last night, I admired Kusadasi from the deck.

And now we are back on the move heading back to Istanbul, where we dock tomorrow at 10am.

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

 

Posted in Cruising, Day to Day Blogs | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Ephesus!

A Day in Athens

Posted on May 14, 2025 by Helga

Wednesday

Dear Elsie

We did it! Today was the day we arrived in Athens and got to visit the Parthenon and the Acropolis.  First sight of the coast….

There are a few ships in port and this gives rise to 1000s of people visiting Athens today. We were taken by coach and it took about an hour to get through the morning rush hour to the Acropolis. First look from the car park…

Follow the signs..

30 Euros for a ticket & then up the stairs with everyone else.

Once through the turn-stile it was more stairs up to the ancient ruins. First stop –  Theatre of Dionysus Eleuthereus. This all goes back to 5BC

Then it was onto the Parthenon.

Massive marble stones. When I see these columns I always imagine Samson pushing them over!

From the front. Constant care and restoration required.

We were given a guided tour around the area including seeing the Erechtheion temple. These buildings would have been here when Paul was here.

The views of Athens were amazing.

You can see the remains of the temple of Zeus. The middle column of the right set blew down in a storm.

At the viewing site, the largest Greek flag in Greece is raised and lowered each day.

Houses below the Acropolis…

From the top, we walked down to the town below. We found a great little coffee shop – it produced a strong tasty cappuccino, a clean loo and excellent WIFI. Then we strolled through the streets.

I bought a couple of things from this shop.

Our visit concluded with a city tour which took us past even more ancient buildings. Athens, steeped in history and we  got to walk these roads. So much history. I wonder what Paul would think of Athens today.

Acts 17:16-17
While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there.

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

 

 

 

Posted in Cruising, Day to Day Blogs | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on A Day in Athens

Teddy Goes to Katakolon

Posted on May 13, 2025 by Helga

Tuesday

Dear Elsie,

Today was the day we arrived in Katakolon, Greece and I remembered to take Teddy along for the ride! We had a late breakfast, I did some work and then we sauntered into town. Katakolon is the main port for Olympia where the first Olympic Games were held. They are about 30km away. We have been there before, so we chose to hang around the little town centre for an hour or two. We browsed through the many souvenir shops on the main road.

Then we took a walk..

We passed the most enormous mulberry tree I’ve ever seen.

We took the lower road back to town. It runs along what seems like a disused railway line with cottages lining the road.

We also got down to the beach which had a fine view of the ship in port.

Back in the village, we admired the fun train (one day I’ll go on it!)

As we made our way back to the ship, we found an even better view spot of the ship. Julian took a photo of the two of us.

I took a photo of teddy and the ship…

Julian took a photo of what I looked like taking a photo of teddy and the ship…

Back on board, we had a rest before going to the cappuccino bar.

And not long after we shipped on out of Katakolon.

Hopefully, we will be able to catch the ship south again one day and no doubt when we do, Katakolon will be a scheduled port.  The Olive Wood is the best shop! We bought salad spoons made of olive wood. A lovely family run shop with very friendly people.

One of the (crazy) other things I did today was I weighed myself! There is a scale in the gym. After 18 nights on the first cruise and 6 nights so far on this cruise, the abundance of food has not gone uneaten! Bountiful breakfasts and sumptuous 3 course dinners have to do some damage! I weighed 71kg the day we left (16th April), undressed in the morning. Today I weighed 72.7kg with my clothes on in the afternoon. Take a kilo off for clothes  = 71.7kg. That’s crazy, it’s hardly any weight gain at all. For me, no lunch is the trick. It’s been a game-changer.

Tomorrow, Athens! We’ve never been there before.

Psalm 107:29-30
He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed.  They were glad when it grew calm, and He guided them to their desired haven.

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

 

Posted in Cruising, Day to Day Blogs | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Teddy Goes to Katakolon

Day on the Adriatic Sea

Posted on May 12, 2025 by Helga

Monday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day we spent cruising gently down very calm water of the Adriatic Sea. This is our route. We left Trieste (just above the S of Slovenia on the map below) and are headed for the red marker.

That is Katakolon in Greece, where we will probably get off and have a little wander.

The day began before 6am. When I woke up I had this unexpected sight. Yesterday morning was sunrise, this morning the moon!

I did some work and then went deck walking for half an hour.

Sunbeds by the hundreds waiting for occupants who will soon arrive.

After that I went straight to the buffet and picked up breakfast, which I enjoyed on my balcony. We all did our own thing this morning.

I had a busy work day with 4 calls. Turns out I worked 6 hours. We did have a break by going to the Cappuccino cafe for a cappuccino just after lunchtime. Life unfolding on the ship…

Meanwhile, we also had front row seats to an enthusiastic game of Italian Hide and Go seek by a couple of the sweetest little girls – about 5 year olds. The counting going on…

It was so sweet to watch them scuttling into little hiding places. Plenty of spots on this ship, that’s for sure.

Back to work I went and now it’s time to stop. I think I’m going to go walking again. Our dinner time has been pushed to 6.45pm, so I have a little time. We are also back on Istanbul time so an hour ahead of South Africa.

Psalm 107:23-24
Some went out on the sea in ships; they were merchants on the mighty waters. They saw the works of the Lord, His wonderful deeds in the deep.

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip

Gran xx 🙂

 

Posted in Cruising, Day to Day Blogs | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Day on the Adriatic Sea

Tramming in Trieste

Posted on May 11, 2025 by Helga

Sunday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day we landed in Trieste, Italy. Because our cabins are under a massive upper deck, we don’t get much sun, but today we got a lovely sunrise.

The morning on the ship was a bit messy, overcrowded, queue-filled and bustling. It took ages for port authorities to allow us off, so even though we docked at 9am, we only got off the ship at 10.30am or just after. Breakfast was crowded, the exits were crowded and then when we went to catch the tram in Trieste, that too had us squashed in like sardines for the up-run. That was the downside of the day. Moving on! We got to see some very picturesque sights of Trieste and took some great photos of the ship in it’s berth. It is enormous!

Mike was our tour guide and did a fine job showing us what he had learned. This is the city square, with the massive government building.

We saw the oldest part of the city. It’s an ancient Roman amphitheater, construction of which is said to have begun 1st century BC and extended into the 2nd century AD.  It was buried with the passing of time and re-discovered in 1814. In 1938, it was excavated. Today this is what remains.  This is from street level.

And this is from the opposite side in the gardens above. The photo above was taken from in front of the red brick building, which you can see in the picture below.

In its day it could seat 6000 with the lower seats still intact. If these rocks could speak, they would have stories to tell. Perhaps the announcement of Jesus death was pronounced from this stage.

We walked through the city to the tram station, passing the old canal as we went.

Mike had read about the tram and some people said it was marvellous – others said it was overcrowded and they packed people in like sardines. Our experience veered towards the latter!  Taking photos wasn’t easy on the upward journey. Squashed between Julian and Mike with about 10 people crammed into a confined space, just turning around to look out the window was challenging. But I did get this castle turret.

Most people got off at the top of the hill. We stayed on for the downward journey and found a more comfortable seat with an open window. The return trip was pleasant enough and we got to enjoy the views.  Lots of trees covered the hillside.

You can see the ship bottom right. 

Just before we got off, Julian took a photo of us on the tram.

We made our way back to the ship, where Mike chatted with the locals.

We had great views of the ship…

And we identified where we are on the ship. The arrow points to the dividing wall between our two cabins. The white line above it is the overhang of the deck.

Back on the ship we could see where the tram went…just to the left of the arrow head is the castle turret we saw on the way up.

So altogether a memorable day in Trieste, Italy, a city we had never been to. There are some good hikes around here too. Those will be for the next time.  Then it was time for an afternoon rest.

Tomorrow is a sea day! I love those!

Psalm 107:1
Give thanks to the Lord for He is good and His love endures forever.

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

 

 

Posted in Cruising, Day to Day Blogs | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Tramming in Trieste

Beating Around Bari

Posted on May 10, 2025 by Helga

Saturday
Dear Elsie
Today we arrived in Bari. This was 6.10am. First look at Bari…

Our clocks turned back an hour so we are back on South Africa time. We were up early as our excursion left at 7.30am.

Our first stop was Polignano Al Mare. This is a very plain new town with a beautiful seafront old town. It has lots of old limestone buildings and Venetian architecture with alleys and picturesque courtyards  & stunning views.

We walked around a bit before sitting down for a cappuccino in this square.
From there it was on to what will be one of the most memorable visits. We drove through the province of Pouille. The region is famous for olive oil. Apparently there are 60 million olive trees – it’s said the area produces the second highest amount of olive oil after Spain. There are olive trees as far as the eye can see.

Also scattered across the landscape are these conical buildings used for livestock mainly. These ones are attached to a homestead but they are regularly seen on their own in the middle of orchards and fields.

The province is also known for almond orchards and vineyards. We soon arrived at the caves of Castellana.

We were lead down a lot of stairs to the caves which are 28m below sea level.

I got down to the bottom first and took a photo of Mike and Julian on the stairs above.

The biggest cave is 60m high & has a massive hole opening to the sky. The caves were excavated in 1938. Taking pictures from inside just don’t do them justice.   The stalagmites and stalactites were incredible. There were so many of them of different sizes and shapes appearing like owls and dogs, of ogres and jellyfish. None were hand crafted. They all just formed with the passing of time.

Looking up into the hole.

We walked a 1km circuit coming out below the hole at a different angle..

When we got out, we found the hole from above.

I put my cell phone over the barrier and took a pic. You can just see part of the stairs below.

They were amazing. All in all a good visit. We got back to the ship at 1pm and had a restful afternoon. Tomorrow we arrive in Trieste.

And now we are about to go to dinner.

Psalm 104:24
How many are your works, Lord!  In wisdom you made them all;

It’s not about now- we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip

Gran xx

Posted in Cruising, Day to Day Blogs | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Beating Around Bari

An Afternoon in Corfu

Posted on May 9, 2025 by Helga

Friday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day we glided gently into Corfu. The Mediterranean is calm and easy cruising.  

The pilot came to take us in…

We arrived at 1pm. I went upstairs to take a first look at the island and found we were directly below a flight path…notice the plane just above the left side hill..

I suddenly heard the jet overhead.

View of the old town from the deck.

We were not alone in Corfu. Berth buddies…


An hour or so later, we boarded a coach and set off for a very pretty beach town called Paleokastritsa.  It had a monastery which was built in 1278. It has been restored and is  still operational. Mike outside the monastery.

Below is inside the chapel. It’s not big and very ornately furnished. My late Greek Orthodox Dad would have loved it.

The view from the monastery.

Afterwards we went to the little town and had cappuccino. This is the town of Paleokastritsa and it is idyllic. This is the view coming down the hill from the monastery.

The beach..

Teddy on the beach…

Then we were taken to the old town of Corfu.  Ancient buildings very influenced by the Venetians who spent 400 years ruling Corfu. Skinny buildings…

Big buildings…

Colonnade

Corfu Fortress

I knew of Corfu from my teens when my O-Level set work was Gerald Durrell’s My Family and other Animals. He used to drive these roads & go all over the island attending to sick animals both domestic and farm. In those days agriculture was a main source of income for the island. Now it’s been taken over by tourism. It was good to see a tiny bit of the island.

We walked back to port along the coast and admired our ship from the landside. It’s not small..


We’ve got a full weekend because tomorrow we arrive in Bari & Sunday we will be in Trieste.
I won’t be long out of bed tonight!

Psalm 104:33
I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.

It’s not about now- we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip

Gran xx

Posted in Cruising, Day to Day Blogs | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on An Afternoon in Corfu

Through the Dardanelles

Posted on May 8, 2025 by Helga

Thursday

Dear Elsie
Today was the day I began the blog early in the morning.
6am.
A place we’ve never been, seen or know much about. After quietly cruising out of Istanbul at 11pm last night ( I was fast asleep), I woke at 6am to find our ship in the Dardanelles.

Such a historic Strait, laden with history across the centuries. With land close by, we passed rolling tree covered hills with odd villages and buildings along the way.

The red flag etched out on the hillside is a telling sign we are still in Türkiye. We glide past Eceabat. I should be working but I keep jumping up from my desk to take photos!

The early morning call to prayer has been replaced by the thunking of the deck staff putting up sunbeds. Scarfs and skirts are replaced by sunhats and swim-suits.

Mike went off to the gym. “Work” he said, “the internet was super slow last night, so get some work done in case that happens again.” Ship internet using Starlink has never let me down. I’m not convinced I’ll have a problem, but dutifully got to work.

The pilot vessel meantime followed us along the waterway.

There were some sights to see…

As we began to exit the Dardenelles, we saw the last of the Turkish flags…

The pilot vessel appeared and the Turkish pilot hopped off.

The pilot appeared on the back deck of his boat and waved to all of those who were waving at him. He took a photo or two and then off they went. Very quickly we were in the open water of the Aegean sea – the interesting hillside sights gave way to broad sea-scapes with the occasional islands. We soon passed a large Greek island with a multitude of windmills. They seem to be on every hill & mountain top of every island we pass.

This afternoon, we went downstairs to the coffee shop and had coffee. There is a glass lift so I went and caught it up a floor while Mike took a photo. I think the lady thought I was mad!

Soon Julian will message to ask if I am ready to walk, so I’d better end up here and be prepared.

Psalm 104:31
May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in His works—

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

 

 

Posted in Cruising, Day to Day Blogs | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Through the Dardanelles

On the Ship in Istanbul

Posted on May 7, 2025 by Helga

Wednesday

Today was a day filled with excitement and joy! Great news from home plus we got on the ship in Istanbul. Not all onboarding experiences are equal and today’s was one of the more tedious ones.  We caught a taxi to the port for the sum of R200. There were loads of cars as we approached the port and we got into a long queue to get through the check-in process. The longest queue of all was the passport one –  completely out of the control of MSC, it took a tiring 53 minutes to get through that queue.

But once we were through, it was quick and easy to get onto the ship, which is much bigger than the Fantastica.

First stop was to find the technical desk and get our WIFI. I did some work this afternoon and we settled into our cabins. We have cabins next to each other which is always fun.

The views of Istanbul from the ship are quite spectacular. These are the views from our cabin. When we booked, they gave us these two cabins but said there was an ‘obstructed’ sea view. When I saw we were deck 13 I knew we would be high up and wondered how there would be an obstruction. Turns out it’s the overhang of the deck above.

Below, a refueling vessel arrived to fill the ship…

Lots of lovely views of Istanbul from the deck.

Behind our ship…

We enjoyed a walk on the deck and eating at the buffet. There was lots of food on offer.

Next we are going to do some more walking.

Psalm 104:27-28
All creatures look to you to give them their food at the proper time.  When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are satisfied with good things.

God’s hands are open.

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

 

Posted in Cruising, Day to Day Blogs | Tagged , , | Comments Off on On the Ship in Istanbul

Having a Ball In Istanbul

Posted on May 6, 2025 by Helga

Tuesday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day we had a ball in Istanbul. But not everything goes perfectly when travelling and today we did a few things that would make our return trip on 16th May more comfortable. We changed hotels. The hotel we are currently in is very homely. They have tried to make things comfortable. The bed & linen is fine. On first glance the bathroom looks updated and functional, but it turns out there are a few underlying issues that made me decide to cancel our next booking and find another place. The shower leaks, so water is always on the floor & the tap in the sink is either full blast or a trickle. Also there is mold on the walls around the window. But the real deal-breaker is the internet or lack thereof. I am so dependent on a decent connection that the slow, intermittent, erratic WIFI had me looking elsewhere. I found it 2 buildings away & that’s where I’m sitting now, sipping the strongest of (complimentary) Turkish coffee at 7.23pm knowing that most likely my poor sleep pattern will disintegrate even further! But I’ll catch up eventually. I actually can’t finish it. I’m already feeling I’m getting palpitations! I’ve had this much and Mike had a sip.

Dinner arrived with this …

This was my pasta..

And this is the view..

The day began with a breakfast down at the coast, with this view..

Then we headed to the tram line and bought an Istanbul card which was about R300 for the card and credit for trips on the tram, bus or ferry. We hopped on the tram….

And buzzed up the line and down again and then back to where we began.

By then we were in need of refreshment, so had a coffee and went back to the hotel. I did some more work (I had worked between 5am & 7am, when the internet was as good as it could be). Then we hit the road – this time we caught the tram to the stop closest to the ferry. This was a good trick because tours of the Bosphorus start at about 25 Euros. Our trips on the ferry cost  the equivalent of R17 each! Our ferry…

Front of the ferry on the Bosphorus…

The bridge where West meets East 

Part of the Asia side..

Asian side of Istanbul – the port we stopped at. We had to get off, go through the gate again, tap our card again and get back on.

The Western side…approaching our port..

We then chose to walk the 4km back to our hotel instead of taking the tram.

By then it was dinner time and we were ready for it. A good solid day in Istanbul.

Thinking of Stacey tomorrow. An important meeting for her.

Meanwhile, Julian has just over an hour to go before he lands in Istanbul. Tomorrow, we check out at 9-30am and we are off on another cruise.

Psalm 104:19 & 24
He made the moon to mark the seasons, and the sun knows when to go down. How many are your works, Lord! In wisdom you made them all;

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

 

 

 

 

Posted in Day to Day Blogs | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Having a Ball In Istanbul

We Arrived in Istanbul

Posted on May 5, 2025 by Helga

Monday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day we woke up in Istanbul! Our arrival last night went off as well as we could have hoped. We landed at 7.15pm, local time, taxied for half an hour before coming to a stop outside the airport terminal building. Istanbul airport is enormous. We walked for miles to passport control which went quite quickly. Our luggage took us a few minutes longer, so from landing to the appointed airport transfer meeting point was just over an hour. We were shepherded to an underground parking garage where a large car with a smiling Turkish driver soon appeared. We were the only passengers. Off we went with Mike checking his cell phone map and watching our progress. Eventually, we encountered a humungous amount of traffic. Apparently there was a big soccer match on and the stadium was emptying. It took us more than an hour to arrive at the hotel – we arrived at about 9.45pm.

After a good night sleep, I did some early work on spotty internet and then we went for a walk to find 1. An ATM (tick), 2. a laundry (tick) & 3. Breakfast. After drawing money & identifying the laundry, we walked down to the coast. This is the Bosphorus River. There is no barrier along the water’s edge. I wonder how many have fallen in.

We found a breakfast place and bravely ordered the Turkish breakfast special…it was all very tasty, just not our traditional fare

The cappuccino was amazing.

We came back to the hotel because I had a work meeting. While I was at that, Mike took the washing to the laundry. When he got back, I finished up and we set off to explore the sights and sounds of Istanbul. It is a loud, busy, car-filled, cat filled, tourist filled city where the dominant business people are  20-50 year old male smokers! We went to the Grand bazaar.

It was a crowded and reminded us of Dubai’s Souk with lots of gold, silver, carpets, clothes, porcelain and of course food!

Julian’s favourite….Baklava

Street food.

What was really interesting and noticeable are all the men. There were very few women shopkeepers. The bazaar, even though indoors was a smoking zone.

We came home, had a nap & I’ve now done the blog. Mike has picked up the laundry. We are about to head on out again for dinner.

It’s been a good day. We are getting ideas for when we return after our cruise. Tomorrow night Julian arrives.

Psalm 104:5
He set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved.

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

Posted in Day to Day Blogs | Tagged , , | Comments Off on We Arrived in Istanbul

In Rome for a Moment

Posted on May 4, 2025 by Helga

Sunday

Dear Elsie

Today is the day we arrived in Rome. We came by ship overnight from Palermo, Sicily. The closest port is the city of Civitavecchia which is much bigger than expected. Our first look were these chimneys.

We had good breakfast and then vacated our cabin by 8am. We went to deck 7 where we found we would disembark via airbridge. The crew were setting up the departure point.

At the appointed time, we gathered in the lounge at just after 8.30am, we were escorted off the ship, along the airbridge. We’ve never come off a ship like this before.

From there it was passport control, we picked up our luggage and left the terminal building. It all happened very fast, so we ended up having an hour and a half wait for our transport to the airport. That arrived at about 10.15am and it took us more than an hour to get to the airport. I had not been successful checking in online, so with the airport internet and plenty of time, I tried again. Turns out, I needed to put in Mike’s Türkiye visa number & then it all went through but I couldn’t choose a seat. We got in the queue to check in our luggage (were first in the queue) and we had to wait an hour there for check in to open. Time just passes by and soon the very organised Turkish check in staff arrived and the whole process was done in no time at all.

Now we are sitting upstairs at Rome airport using their free WIFI to do this blog. Over the years blogging while travelling has got easier and easier. Everywhere you go, there is free WIFI. It makes it so convenient.

We are drinking 2.30 euro cappuccino which are pretty good. This is my current view….

We are excited about flying to Istanbul. I’m not sure about the hotel we are going to but the people seem friendly, respond quickly and have been very accommodating.

We do love Italy! I want to return to Sicily – it seems to have a laid back rural existence. While we are leaving the country today, we do have the occasional day back here during the upcoming cruise. This has been a day in transit, so it’s a shorter blog. Teddy says hi.

Psalm 104:2-3
The Lord wraps himself in light as with a garment; He stretches out the heavens like a tent and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters. He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind.

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

Posted in Day to Day Blogs | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on In Rome for a Moment

Sicily Surprised Us

Posted on May 3, 2025 by Helga

Saturday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day we went to Sicily! And it surprised us. Fuerteventura at the Canary Islands was expected to be lush and tropical. Today, we expected Sicily to be barren and featureless – it was far from that – beautiful and historic. Our arrival was spectacular. The pilot came out to meet the ship…

Sun rising over the deck.

The port from the deck.

We had a very early breakfast & then got ready to go out for the day. It was an hour’s drive from Palermo, the capital (population 700000) to Cefalu (population 70000). Cefalu began as an ancient fishing village before a King visited and found its beauty alluring enough to move there. It instantly gained popularity and now it’s flooded with tourists most the year but particularly in the summer months.

Cefalu – pronounced Chif-a-loo.

The main event at Cefalu is by far and away the impressive Duomo built in 1142.

Inside is an aisle, an altar and then the most impressive mosaic display dating back to the time of its building.

We bought tickets for 10 Euro each which enabled us to go up the towers and also to take a closer look at the mosaics.

The cross is “only” 16th Century

There is also the Silver Tabernacle

We climbed the (only) 76 steps up one tower, walked across to the other and then down its stairs. These are the photos.

If walls could speak, what stories could be told over the last 883 years

Walking between the two towers…

We took a walk around some narrow roads and alleyways

We found a little restaurant that had 4 amazing attributes – a stunning view, good coffee (black only for Euro 2.5o), WIFI and a free loo!

Cefalu beach..

Then it was back to the ship, but the wonderful tour guide offered to drop us off in the centre of Palermo so we could go check out Italy’s biggest Opera House – a whopping 7000 square meters.

It goes on and on and on…

Once we had taken photos of every side, we strolled back to the ship through the adjacent square where the horse and carts park.

We have had an amazing day in Sicily. I would love to return.

This evening is all about packing. We leave tomorrow at about 8.30am to start the disembarkation process and catch a taxi to the airport at about 10am. There is going to be some hanging around, but I’d rather hang around at Rome airport than at the Cruise terminal where there is absolutely nothing to do.

We’ve had a memorable cruise. Turkey awaits!

I’ve got some meaningful gems from Psalm 104

Psalm 104
Praise the Lord, my soul. Lord my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty.

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

 

 

 

 

Posted in Cruising, Day to Day Blogs | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Sicily Surprised Us