Another day at sea is not so bad

Yesterday we had an unscheduled day at sea.  The previous night as we were sailing towards Yalta, our next scheduled destination, the captain announced that a crew member had suffered a serious accident and we were heading back to Istanbul for an emergency helicopter evacuation.  We would therefore not make it to Yalta as scheduled but would skip Sevastopol the following day and go to Yalta instead.  This resulted in an additional day at sea, most of which we spent working on reworking the tour to the village of Balaclava and the Valley of Death (site of the famous Crimean War battle inmortalized by Tennyson's poem "The Charge of the Light Brigade"). This is after all a cruise to the Black Sea and this was a very important part of it for us.

The Crystal tour desk team came through for us (and six others) and organized an even better tour out of Yalta which would take us to the Valley of Death and the Village of Balaclava but also to a most amazing former Soviet submarine base built in Balaclava during the cold war, which is now a museum.  The base was built to withstand a nuclar attack and provide shelter to thousands of members of the Soviet elite for a period of up to three months. It was so secret that during the cold war the name of Balaclava was erased from all maps of the Soviet Union. Although no submarines remain, piles of bombs, mines and torpedoes are everywhere.

Rock of Reconciliation - Valley of Death

Battlefield in the background

Monument to the Russian Soldiers

Schematic of the submarine base in Balaclava

Submarines entrance

Anti-nuclear attack doors

Arsenal

Submarine batteries

Unrestored tunnel

The Crimean mountains form an impressive background to the town of Yalta, a favoured summer place of the Russian aristocracy during the 19th century.  After the tour we went back to Yalta and had an opportunity to see the town, including Nevsky Cathedral, a precious gold-domed orthodox church.  We enjoyed a walk along the wide seaside promenade; full of music, colour and beach-goers.

We made our way through a street market where produce stalls competed for space with sidewalk petshops; we saw the plaque conmemorating Franklin D. Roosevelt's participation in the Yalta conference of 1945 - a conference that resulted in the restructuring of Europe post World War II, and we bought fresh Ukrainian pastries.  Yalta was lovely.

Produce stalls

Pets for sale

Beachside promenade

Nevsky Cathedral

Boardwalk

  

Yalta nestled against the Crimean Mountains

Tonight we head for Odessa.

I take a peek through the closed curtains; we are quickly overtaking a cargo ship cruising alongside, a hundred yards away.  It is barely dawn and we are transiting the Dardanelles, a narrow straight between Europe and northwestern Turkey which connects the Aegean Sea with the Sea of Marmara.  The Sea of Marmara, an inland sea which splits Turkey into its European and Asian parts is connected to the Black Sea by the Bosphorus Straight.

I throw the curtains open and jump back into bed, we have a day at sea to plan.  A sea day on a Crystal ship is just what the doctor ordered; there are so many things to do that it's hard to slow down and make sure we leave plenty of time to do nothing at all.

Blake heads to the Promenade deck for a three mile run, I have an eight o'clock appointment at the spa.  The Promenade deck on Crystal (both ships) is a rarity on cruiseships nowadays.  It is a wide, teak-clad, wraparound deck perfect for jogging.  You can also get a good workout by picking up a "walk-on-water" vest (a vest loaded with mini weights that you can adjust to your liking) or a pair of Nordic walking poles, or ditch the good intentions and simply sit on one of the teak sofas and watch the world go by.

Promenade Deck 

We meet for a late breakfast of apricot french toast and pancakes, fresh squeezed OJ, small apple-chicken sausages, bacon and plenty of fruit.  The Lido guys hover over making sure we have everything we need.  By now they know what we like and are constantly tempting us with drinks, ice cream and fresh-baked cookies.

We then head to the Hollywood theatre for a lecture entitled "Legendary Landmarks of the Black Sea Coast" followed by another one entitled "Modern Greece and the West: Two Centuries of Troubled Independence".  Crystal does this well; it employs an impressive roster of world-class presenters who offer balanced lectures covering the gamut of topics, from destination specific pieces to world affairs, from environmental matters to literary reviews, they cater to every taste.

As we finish a light lunch Istanbul comes into view; we're sailing into the Bosphorus Straight.  We make our way to the observation deck from where we get a wonderful introduction to Turkey.  Minarets and palaces flank the straight, Europe and Asia withing spitting distance of one another.  I feel so happy and priviledged to experience this moment.

Hagia Sofia

Mosques and Minarets

Dolmabahce Palace

Istanbul is huge.  Twelve million people live in this incredible city where east and west meet and blend.  It spreads in all directions from the banks of the Bosphorus in a jumble of mosques and towers, modern buildings and multi-million dollar mansions. We sail under the Bosphorus Bridge, snapping pictures left and right, drinking in the beauty and the historical significance of this marvelous place.  Some two hours later we sail past the remnants of an ancient tower and see the mouth of the Black Sea approach.

We go to the Avenue Saloon for a pre-dinner drink and have a great time in the main dining room; we've hit it off with our table mates and truly enjoy their company.  Afterwards we catch the show (Curtain Call) and then go to the Palm Court for a little dancing.  We have the dance floor practically all to ourselves but it is quickly becoming part of the nightly routine.  By now the Crystal sextet guys know the songs we like the most and we are happy to dance a few hundred calories away before calling it a night. 

Samos

Within spitting distance of Turkey, one km from it in fact, is the Greek island of Samos. Despite being closer to the Turkish coast than it is to the Greek mainland, the character of this island is definitely Greek.

We arrived in Samos on yet another gorgeous hot and sunny day and docked right in the centre of town.  After an early workout and a yummy late-risers breakfast we made our way to shore. Walking along the wide waterfront promenade lined with restaurants and cafes, but also with hardware stores, banks and other such mundane commercial outifts, we realize that this is not precisely a tourist mecca; While there are plenty of historical and archeological sites within a few kilometres of Vathy, the capital, there are not many tourist attractions in town. It is nevertheless a very pleasant port town rich in Greek tradition and natural beauty.

The pedestrian-only main shopping street sports as many butcher shops as it does kitchy souvenir stores. I score three gorgeous and unique (at least I haven't seen others) pillow cases with flat weave designs depicting typical Greek motifs. We make our way to the cathedral to admire the beautiful iconography and then to the archeological museum which turned out to be closed.

The island's economy revolves around agricultural products (primarily olives, grapes and a delicious Moschato wine), but is also dependent on tourism.

After a few hours in town we made our way back to the ship for a bit of pooltime and downtime.  We have been sailing from port to port for the last few days and are missing the opportunity to enjoy the ship. Tonight we sail towards the Dardanelles and tomorrow we sail through the Sea of Marmara and transit the Bosphorus Straight en route to the Black Sea.

Mykonos

The quintessential Greek island, Mykonos awaited us under the bluest of skies. As we often do, this port day was largely unplanned and our sole aim was to wander about for as long as our feet would let us.

First off the unexpected colours; despite the gleaming white of every building, colour is everywhere. Blues dominate but they can be found in all shades and hues. Reds surprise you and yellows make magical, infrequent appearances. The iconic windmills are a testament to the howling winds which buffet our ascent to the hilltops today.

No less alluring is the shopping and we can't manage to escape without contributing to the local economy in some small measure.

Tomorrow Samos. Our last port stop in Greece. Then, on to the Baltic Sea.

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Navplion, an enchanting island

Navplion, our first top after leaving Athens, is a gem of an island in the Peloponese which has played a major role in sea trade since the Bronze Age. The first thing that struck me was how european it feels and it is for a reason; there is a strong Venetian influence permeating the old part of town, including unexpected sightings of the Venetian lion here and there. This was due to the XIV century conquest by the Venetians who then lost it to the Turks in the 1500s to eventually regain it and lose it again, on a off over the next few centuries... you get the picture. As a result of this power struggle Navplion ended up with three fortresses, all within first sight of the port.

Palamidi and the mighty steps

First and foremost, the mighty citadel of Palamidi; built in 1714 it sits atop of a mountain and 857 (some say 999) steps lead up to it. This fortress served as a prison until 30 years ago.

Bourtzi Fort

Tiny Bourtzi Fort or Castel da Mar, built by the Venetians in 1472, stands at the entrance of the port and can be accessed by boat only.

Then there is the Akronafplia Fortress, the oldest of the three, parts of which can be dated back to the Bronze Age. By the way, it was also used as a prision for political prisoners until 1956.

But there is so much beauty and quaintness to Navplion, from its winding narrow streets and red roofs to the breathtaking sea views and beaches, it must go on the list of places to one day go back to. The gelato (one of those fine Venetian legacies) is outstanding and must be had.

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Serenity and Corinth

We embarked on Thursday and, following a poolside lunch and a nice glass of champagne and being so warmly welcomed by the crew, we set out to explore the ship. This is our first time on the Serenity. It is bigger and its layout is different than its sister's the Symphony. This, coupled with the fact that it is sailing at less than half of its capacity, makes for a lot of, maybe too much? elbow room. Because of this, although the ship is just as beautiful, it feels a little less intimate than the Symphony. Nevertheless, we have quickly found our favourite hangouts, including the Avenue Saloon where Marcie Castro entertains at the piano with unending energy and good humour.

Avenue Saloon

Our cabin

We have a gorgeous balcony cabin - as I write this post I have my feet up on the veranda and keep getting distracted by the beauty of the bay of Samos in front of me. The temperature is in the very high 20s on a sunny cloudless afternoon.

But getting back to the beginning:

That first evening on board felt weird. It is the first time that we are on board a cruise that is not sailing until the following evening. I must admit that it is convenient to be on board and enjoying all the amenities a full day ahead of sailing without any risk of delayed flights or such causing you to miss the ship. On the other hand, it felt strange not to feel the ship's motion that first night.

The following day we took a tour to Corinth and a crossing of the Corinth Canal. The canal connects the Aegean Sea to the Ionian Sea through a stretch four miles long and 70 feet wide, limiting traffic through the canal to one vessel at a time. Roman emperor Nero began the construction of the canal but it came to a halt upon Nero's death. It was finally completed in the late 1800s by the same French company which later attempted (and failed) to build the Panama Canal.

The Corinth Canal

The Canal opening into the Ionian Sea

The ancient city of Corinth, a very wealthy, aristocratic Greek city state where forward, liberal ideas were born, sits nestled by the sea. Its ruins still manage to paint a vivid picture of its past; a wide marble paved avenue lined with shops, bathroom and washing facilities which visitors used to clean themselves upon entering the city, the requisite gymnasium and lots of marvelous columns. Impressive statues, mosaics, ceramics and other archeological finds abund in the small site museum.

Corinth

Corinth

Nero

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