2012 SFC Istanbul's Cistern

One of the things I have loved about having my cousin Ashley and her family join us on the summer family cruise is that she loves to research the places we go.  She is the one who found out about swimming with the dolphins in Sevastopol.  Believe me, I am more than thrilled to turn over some of the "cruise director" responsibilities to her!!!

I really had done NO research on Istanbul, so when she suggested visiting the Basilica Cisterns, I jumped at the chance.

Which way do we go??

It's Sunday, and traffic is brutal.

We had a short wait in line....

Time enough to learn that the cistern was built in the sixth century to store water for the city.

Once underground, it takes my eyes a few minutes to get accustomed to the dark.

But the cistern is a place of great beauty- light and shadow and reflection.  Superbly staged.

The stillness of the water makes it almost impossible to see where the water stops and the reflections begin.

Fish thrive underground in the cool water.

The darkness made photography difficult...I would love to go back there with lots of time and a tripod!

In the northwest corner of the cistern, two columns with Medusa heads were repurposed in the building of the cistern.  Roman recycling!

Why placed sideways and upside down?  Supposedly to negate the power of the gorgon's gaze.

The Basilica Cistern is a must on any tour of Istanbul.  I can't wait to return!

2012 SFC Istanbul's Spice Market

Now that we were once again on land, one of the places I was really looking forward to visiting was Istanbul's Spice Market.

Now, if you know me, you know I am a foodie.  I am especially fond of spices and condiments.  And I love a collection of small stores and stalls anywhere.  So adventuring to the Spice Market sounded like an ideal outing.  And it didn't disappoint.

Just out of the cab and waiting for the others!



Turns out they took so long because their cab was involved in an accident--but everyone was okay.  Experience EVERYTHING in Istanbul, we all say....

I wish someone would invent internet smell-o-vision---it was AMAZING.



My head started to spin off just one meter into the building.



Not just spices, but dried fruit, coffee grinders, crockery, tiles, veils, shoes, hats--just about anything imaginable.



I wandered for about an hour, and kept coming back to this stall.



This very kind gentleman, Moustafa, spent almost half an hour with me discussing saffron.



I ended up buying several kinds, along with an amazing spice blend for meat, some tea, and....well, just about anything I thought I could take back home with me.  I could have spent hours more there.

Heck, I could have spent MONTHS.

2012 SFC- Istanbul

Ok, so they threw us off the ship had us debark Crystal Serenity. Curses, foiled again.

But we still had a great day in Istanbul ahead of us.

Well, after we got the luggage sorted. We didn't need all our luggage with us for our inland excursion for the next few days, so we took the majority of it to the airport hotel where we would be staying before flying back to the States.

 I usually get the task of handling this, but this time Buzz and Ed took the task.  I was happy to see them loaded up in two taxis--glad for once it wasn't ME!!!



In my best Sarah Palin imitation...

"I can see Asia from my barstool."



Mary Cecile was her regular pretty self.



And Hutch was fascinated by the patio's water feature.



Julia has some amazing talents.





One needs to know how to do these things.  She will be a hit at cocktail parties when she is older.

We visited the Spice Market and the Cistern, then stopped for some street food.



And...well.....some of this.



Throughout the long day, some wires got crossed at the Ritz Carlton  and housekeeping thought that Buzz and Mary Cecile were a honeymoon couple, not father and daughter sharing a room.  Much hilarity ensued when we found that the room had been appropriately decorated.



Rose petals and heart-shaped balloons covered all available surfaces.



It's just one of those typical things that happen to us when we travel together.

2012 SFC Breakfast with Friends

Of all the sights aboard a Crystal ship, this is the one I hate to see.



This means the "welcome aboard" flags are being hoisted.  Which means I have to debark.  As in get off the ship.  As in leave.

(One day I vow I am going to sail on back-to-back segments so I can actually enjoy a debarkation/embarkation day).

I have tears in my eyes, but the crew is always smiling.



 Some of the Lido guys.  If there is a greater, more hard-working bunch of guys in whole world, I'd like you to show them to me.



Mary Cecile and Julia had breakfast with their beloved Lauren.



JuJu, in fact, decided to BECOME Lauren, and kidnapped her name badge.





Great friends.



Another beloved friend, Harry- the  ice cream guy!!!



Wait, JuJu--you can't be TWO people at the same time!!!



Sweet precious Benjamin.







Hotel Director Christian Krempl (what a cutie!!) was probably very confused as to why I was in tears.  He doesn't know yet that I cry  EVERY TIME I have to leave!!!!



All too soon (one of Crystal's favorite phrases in their tour excursions book....) it was time to walk down the gangplank for the last time on THIS trip.

But stay tuned....we still have four more days in Turkey!!!!

2012 SFC- Istanbul

It's views like this from Crystal Serenity that make me love waking up in the morning.



It was another picture-perfect day for our sail into Istanbul.



Europe meets Asia once again.





Istanbul is a city of opposites.  Ancient meets modern. Cars zooming and stopped traffic. High-rise buildings and small shop stalls.





Our exploration tour didn't start until the afternoon, so I had time for a quick lunch with my friend Bart, Serenity's Head Sommelier.   We had been trying for nearly two weeks to find some time between his busy work schedule and my busy touring schedule to get together and catch up on each other's lives.  Took us  until the next-to-last day to do so...but we did!

The Crystal team had arranged for a local vendor to provide lunch on board for those who wanted to sample authentic Turkish shawarma.



WONDERFUL!!!!!



It's these kind of touches that make Crystal so special.

So we hopped on a bus to do a quick overview tour of Istanbul.  Don't laugh, but one of the quick photo-op stops I was really interested in was the fish market.



Ok, maybe you aren't surprised, knowing that I am a foodie.  Or that in Middle-Of-Nowhere, Georgia, the fish of choice is catfish.  Nothing as exotic all all these.

Well, next it was on to the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia.



I had a "pinch me" moment--I couldn't believe I was in Istanbul!!  Emerson was all smiles, too.




Did I mention traffic?





We stopped along the Salacak waterfront for some coffee and tea.



And then it was back to the ship for one last dinner in the Crystal Dining Room.

Our Sommelier friends gathered with Alix and me for a silly shot.



Such a dear bunch.  They are so kind and knowledgable.  So much fun to be around.

Julia saw the size of her "Miss Steak" on the junior cruiser's menu.



And a gathering at the Avenue Saloon again, with some of my favorite people on the planet....Cousins Bill and Suzanne, and brother Ed and sister-in-law (I should drop the "in-law") Julie.



Alix got a quick photo with my friend Ross, finally off duty and able to get off the ship and enjoy some shoretime!



But friend Afzal was still in charge at the Crystal Cove, so we had to snag a quick pic there with him.



I know I have said it before.  Crystal's ships are magnificent.  Spacious, luxurious- nothing spared and every need thought of.  But it is the crew of these wonderful ships-- the men and women who work day and night- who make cruising with Crystal such a delight.

This was the sixth summer we had cruised with Crystal.  Some crew members come and some go, but there is always a large group of crewmembers who welcome us back.  Maybe it is because we are a crazy bunch.  Maybe because we seem to be always laughing and having fun.  Maybe because we make an effort to get to know the crew.  I don't know what it is that creates the bonds of friendship.

But it is the crew of the Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony that make cruising with Crystal so special.

That's why I think of so many crew members as friends.  Why I think of some of them as family.

That's why I think of it as "home"- a safe place where I am loved.