Tuesday, May 31, 2022

Cruise: Turkey and Greece, cont. #14

                                             Cruise: Turkey and Greece, cont. # 14

Covid and mask update:

Prior to Haifa (where we boarded), our ship was not allowed to stop at Lisbon or Barcelona due to Covid cases on board. Must have been very disappointing for the healthy passengers. These passengers have left the ship long before we arrived.

The ship regularly tests. Passengers testing positive are quarantined on a separate floor. The ship is able to designate an entire floor of staterooms because there are so few passengers on board.

Most passengers wear masks in public areas. They all wore masks in the large entertainment venue when it was time for mandatory testing. But, the same passengers rarely worse masks during the evening entertainment. Huh?

 "Some" (new) passengers were NOT allowed to board in Athens as they tested positive. They were re-assigned to a hotel. After the quarantine period, it would be possible to fly to another destination where the ship would be visiting....at their own expense.

Friends of ours were on a Tauck (European) River cruise. Only 70 passengers. However, 35 tested "positive" and were confined to a local hotel for five days. They couldn't return to USA. They were retested and came out "positive" again. Quarantined for another five days.

                It's time for more exploration: Cesme, Turkey)

                        Standing on "main street" in a small village

                                  Roman ruins everywhere we looked

                 Roman Amphitheater: Friends, Romans and Countrymen...

Artichoke farming helps the local economy. Unlike Oxnard/Ventura where the fields are solid plants, on this island, the artichoke plant seems to be growing in randomly.

                                          Approaching Patmos (Greek island)

The eyes of this doll is significant. Throughout the islands, T-shirts, ceramics and other items depict eyes which represent "getting rid of evil" and therefore, "good luck."

                                                Local beer. Quite good on a hot day

                        Typical small village situation: Men kibitzing about the day 

                                    "Zorba" agreed to have his picture taken

 We discovered this fun, funky place near the village plaza area. The tables are made from different types of scrap material. Chairs are painted with different colors. It was too early to eat something. However, the smells of great cooking were wafting throughout the alleyway.

Today's menu: "What would you like to eat? All of our Specials of the Day are fantastic. We also have excellent signature dishes."

"Do you have anything that's Gluten free? I'm highly allergic to peanuts. I don't like bell peppers or anything fried. Is your fish, fresh? Hmm. I'll just have a cup of coffee.

                                                         "Marina Time"

In areas where the boat can anchor in calm waters, guests can participate in a variety of fun water sports.

Kayaking in open waters is a different experience than paddling in the Oxnard marina

                                                Happy place - Happy time!

Monday, May 30, 2022

Cruise: Turkey and Greece, cont. # 13

                                                      Cruise: Turkey and Greece, cont. # 13

                            Selections, quality and presentation - always great!

                      Old fortress from Crusades era protected Bodrum (Turkey) harbor

We came across this road sign on the way to the fortress. It reminded us when we spent a week (on our own) driving in Turkey. Izmir was one of our stops. This was a real adventure. No one spoke English in the smaller villages. It was difficult to order food. However, everyone understood, "Ein beer!"

                        Not the easiest way to reach the top. OSHA would not approve!

                                            Cannons were the "new" technology

                                              Typical crusader's shields/crests/emblems


Plenty of interesting nooks and crannies


Huge collection of items discovered underwater

Underwater movies emphasize how carefully the divers must be to insure everything remains intact


                                                    Interesting pieces



There are more "things" lying around (buried or underground) in Turkey than any other nearby country





Just think about how much "stuff" has yet to be discovered


Old razor and gold jewelry

                                        2000 year-old ship. Notice rotted wood

                        Missing head of statue was just discovered

      Large, modern sailing ships (5 cabins) can be chartered to explore nearby islands

                                       A Turkish hero and contemporary heroes 

Bodrum (405) Traffic

We had an opportunity to visit an old village.
People actually live in some of these places

We "stepped" back in time (pun intended).
Droppings were everywhere from a variety of farm animals that walked the same path we did on our way to see a local weaving business.

          Depending on the complexity, a carpet can take several months to a year to finish

Taking wool and turning it into yarn

                                             Yarn colors based on local plants

This sweet woman made a "tortilla" type pancake baked over a fire.
She then filled it with spinach and cheese. 

               Quite good! We also had homemade cookies and local wine

Rooms were filled with carpets made by other villages

                   Carpets were spread out for all to see, and buy...No we did not buy one.

                                                                Mooooo....!

                                    Finished the day relaxing in one of the Jacuzzi's

                                                We love eating outdoors