This was our second cruise on one of the Windstar ships and for this trip our friends Roger and Lani came along. Before we boarded the Wind Spirit, we had an extra day to explore Istanbul.

We took a local tour to see the Hagia Sophia, the large Christian church that was later converted to a mosque, the Blue Mosque with its ornate interior, and Topkapi, the former royal palace. However, the guide also took us to some other interesting places.

Of course, we had to go to the Grand Bazaar with its hundreds of shops and stalls where you can buy and barter for souvenirs, jewelry, carpets, pottery, etc.

It was eleven o'clock and loudspeakers anounced that it was time for prayers. Men appeared from every where, some washed their feet, and entered the mosque. Women were not present.

For lunch our guide took us to a nice restaurant with a view of the Bosphorus.  

On Saturday morning, before we boarded the ship, we took a walk along a street where the local people shop. Produce, fish (with the evil eye), and Turkish ice-cream, that tastes and acts like toffee, it was all there.

In the afternoon we boarded the Wind Spirit and proceeded through the Dardanelle, the narrow passage way between Istanbul and the Mediterranean. Since antiquity it has seen numerous conquests and battles, including the infamous WWII try by Churchill to secure a passage to Russia's Black Sea.

Our first port-of-call was Kusadasi, a harbor along the southwestern shore of Turkey. We had signed up for a tour of Ephesus, probably the best preserved city of the Roman Empire.                   Back to Pompeii

The buildings (such as the library above), the amphitheater and statues are magnificent even after nineteen centuries. Archeological digging is still going on. We only include a few pictures here, but we could show several pages of interesting photos and descriptions.

The town of Kusadasi is geared towards the tourist who visit the Roman ruins. We watched some women as they hand wove Turkish carpets. Roger, who loves old tools, bought this weaving combs and had to try it out on one of the looms.

The entertainment that evening included a local dance group and a belly dancer who made a big hit with the men and ladies alike. Then we set sail for our first Greek island, Rhodes.