Denise had  visited Athens in 1964 and had memories of a coach tour to the Acropolis with Beatles songs playing in the background. Remember Eight Days a Week?!!

Porch of the Caryatids (Denise Photo from 1964. We had a nicer day.)

We chose to join a Cunard tour here and while we are now sure that we are not big tour people, in Athens this worked, as viewing the Akropolis was part of a group effort with at least 25 tour guides and buses at the same time. No way to get far from the madding crowd. Also Athens was basically closed for the Orthodox Easter weekend, so options were limited anyway.

We stopped first at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

The honor guard performs an interesting, slow motion, drill.

Our first view of the Acropolis.

We fought our way up onto the hill in company with all the other tour guides speaking various languages and bus loads of tourists from all over the world. All seemed to concentrate on the Parthenon and it was impossible to hear anything! The Parthenon was finished in 432BC and dedicated to the goddess Athena, the patron of Athens. Considerable renovation is being undertaken on the site to stabilize it and give a better idea of how it looked. It is fascinating to see the new column pieces waiting to be put into place.

Jacks

Tourists

Roofing Tiles

We managed to escape the crowds on the rear side, where there is a view over the city of Athens towards the port of Piraeus. We could admire the Queen Elizabeth in the distance.

We also managed some photos without the hordes near the Erectheion, an ancient temple to Athena and Poseidon built around 406 BC. Supporting part of the roof are the famous Caryatids, or female figures as supporting columns. All are replicas as the originals are kept away from the corrosive air of Athens in the Acropolis Museum. One original can be seen in the British Museum, as it was appropriated by Lord Elgin, along with the Parthenon marbles, back in the 19^th century.

Compare with Denise’s 1964 photo, note that the steel supports are gone.

Beautiful Ceiling detail

The Erechtheion

Side view

Denise at the Erqchtheion

We then took advantage of free time and wandered the streets before finding a café, where we could sit outside and enjoy a sandwich.

REALLY big bubbles!

View of the Acropolis

Romanian Musician. (Support live music, I bought his CD.)

A little more wandering and then back to the ship.

Taking on Fuel from a Lighter

Unfortunately the weather was dull and overcast as we passed through the Dardanelles but the sun came out as we reached Istanbul. We were going to have a beautiful day in one of the most spectacular cities on earth!

The Dardanelles with Gallipoli on the left.

Istanbul’s two most famous mosques as the sun rises.

Istanbul’s two most famous mosques.

Denise had visited Istanbul in 1964 and had really enjoyed her visit. So we splurged and ordered a private vehicle and guide so that we could see as much as possible and not be constrained by a coach tour. And it proved to be an excellent choice as we were able to add an extra visit to our day.

We started our visit by walking up the Hippodrome to the Blue Mosque. Another “Ben-Hur” moment. Byzantium was famous for chariot racing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chariot_racing

The “German” Fountain.(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Fountain)

Tap on the German fountain.

Sea Gulls rule!

Obelisk

Hagia Sophia in the background.

Interior of “German” Fountain.

Denise and Guide

The Blue Mosque is everything you expect; simply stunning. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sultan_Ahmed_Mosque)

Couldn’t resist a bit of moon/aircraft/minaret.

We passed muster with the guards at the entrance and Denise was not required to add a long skirt to her outfit though she did cover her head. Part of the interior is reserved for Moslem men, of course, but there is a large area for tourists and the beautiful mosaics of the interior can be admired.

Perfect place for the family tourist shot.

Column

Nothing can prepare you for the sheer size of the building.

Vast open space.

Dome

Minbar. Would be a pulpit in the Christian church. The symbolism is literally that of a stairway to heaven.

Ceiling mosaics

We then headed to the Hagia Sophia, which was built as a Christian church, then used as a  mosque, and is now a museum and under extensive renovation. It is simply huge. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hagia_Sophia)

Almost nothing can prepare you for the sheer volume of Hagia Sophia. Expand this image and take in the size.

It is also interesting in that the Turks are removing some of the Moslem frescos, which had been placed over the Christian mosaics to hide them so that you can see the building in two styles. Quite fascinating.

Politicians never change – the emperor and empress making offerings to the Virgin and Child. Politics aside, the mosaic artistry is amazing.

Virgin and Child on the ceiling; a view to Heaven.

Mosaic in context.

We wandered through and also climbed the stairs to the upstairs balcony for the best views.

Blue Mosque from Hagia Sophia.

Ceiling

Bookmarked Marble

Finally, we came to this, the cenotaph of Henricus Danolo.Henricus Danolo was the Doge of Venice who directed the sacking of Constantinople in 1204. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enrico_Dandolo) Ironic that despite all of the conflict between Christians and Muslims, it was the conflict between Christians themselves which caused the greatest damage. (And, of course, made it possible for the Muslims to take Constantinople.)

And, for a bit of human (and bird) scale:

Hot lunch!

Clean, and happy, bird.

Our next stop was the Cistern. Denise had not visited this previously so neither of us knew of it and we added it to our itinerary. A most interesting part of the former water system for the Topkapi Palace, it is no longer in use except as a tourist site. Fascinating to visit and see the carp swimming in the water in the dark. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica_Cistern)

One of the most amazing sites we have ever visited.

Medusa head column base.

Carp in the Dark

“Hen’s Eye” Column

And on to the Topkapi Palace Museum. Here we saw various exhibits of life under the sultans and grabbed a sandwich at the snack bar. The views over the Bosporus were amazing, but we found the palace itself a bit flat.

The Queen Elizabeth from the Topkapi Palace.

Fountain

Apparently the tulip beds are famous but we were a little too late to enjoy them. One shady bed at Topkapi was still in flower so we appreciated that!

Finally, after a quick visit to the souk, we returned to the ship.

Istanbul’s answer to Tyson’s Corner. (Denise got lost here as a child!)

Ibriks for Turkish coffee and an trumpet?

Domed ceiling in the market.

You want it, they have it.

The weather was perfect, we had an excellent guide and had enjoyed an excellent visit.

Denise and Guide.

Leaving Istanbul Harbor

Commonwealth Monument at Gallipoli.