By morning we are anchored in the Santorini caldera.
And at 8:30 a.m. we are hiking on Nea Kameni island in the center of the caldera.
We take the bus to Oia, stop for lunch at Thalami Traditional Cafe, and enjoy the view.
Then it’s back to Thira, a stop of Greek coffee at Classico Cafe, and the cable car trip (better than walking or riding the donkey) down the caldera cliff for the tender boat back to the Louis Cristal.
Today is about history.
First stop – Patmos, to see the Holy Cave of the Apocalypse and Monastery. This is where John wrote the Book of Revelations.
Then it’s back aboard the Louis Cristal for lunch and the four hour cruise to Kusadasi to see the spectacular Ephesus Archaeological Site.
It’s Chocolate Buffet night aboard the Louis Cristal and the desert artisans on staff have gone overboard 🙂 creating some incredible and delicious late night treats.
By now the group is settling into a comfortable rhythm. Wake up in a new part of the Aegean, tour an island or a city all day, find a cafe for a Greek coffee in the afternoon, then enjoy dinner and the evening entertainment on the Louis Cristal. Today at Mykonos is no different.
We explore the island, then stop at Alley for a Greek coffee.
The shop is located on a classic Mykonos street.
Next we walk over to Little Venice …
… and then explore the famous Mykonos Windmills.
It’s a sunny but brisk day.
Next stop – Ristorante Casa di Giorgio for carpacio octopus.
We end the afternoon at Sunset Cocktail Bar for more octopus, a bottle of wine, and then the sunset. Then it’s back to the Louis Cristal for dinner.
By mid-day we reach Izmir, Turkey.
In cafes lining the streets on the bus ride into the city it seems like the entire town is wearing Fenerbahçe jerseys in honor of the favored local football club. After a bus tour of the city we spend some time at the Izmir Clock Tower Plaza. There are street vendors selling everything …
… and those that aren’t happy that I have a camera.
In the afternoon we visit the Karsikaya Bizaar, an older vibrant neighborhood filled with markets and shops.
Last night we sailed through the Dardanelles from the Aegean Sea to the Sea of Marmara. I’m up early on a very brisk morning as we approach Istanbul.
The first stop is Topkapi Palace, a place I’ve want to visit ever since seeing the 1964 heist film Topkapi with Robert Morley, Maximillian Schell, and Peter Ustinov.
From Topkapi we walk to Hagia Sofia …
… stop for lunch at Buhara Restuarant, and then on to the Blue Mosque.
Next we tour underground Istanbul and see the Basilica Cistern, built in the 6th century to store rain water.
Tomorrow is Easter Sunday, so at midnight aboard the Louis Cristal we attend Greek Orthodox Easter Mass.
View from the balcony ...
Michael S. Liberman