Tempting cruise options for this year, next and even 2023 abound
Pent-up demand for getting back out in the world is erupting as lock-downs end and borders reopen. Money saved by staying home this past year is being spent making up for lost...
Tagged: Istanbul
Blood sucking leeches in Istanbul
When I first saw the large pickle jar of leeches in the outdoor area of the Spice Market in Istanbul I was totally creeped out. They clung to the sides of the...
Bargaining is key when shopping at the Grand Bazaar
This Grand Bazaar textile merchant offered us apple tea as he gave his asking prices in three different currencies with a discount for cash. Transactions with most of the 4,000 merchants...
Small world of Crystal Serenity
These street musicians in Istanbul stopped their lively playing when the call to prayer rang out. When Dave Ashley reached out by email after reading last month’s story about my Mediterranean cruise...
Muslim attire uncommon in secular Turkey
Istanbul’s ancient history is revealed in its architecture, which includes the Haghia Sofia, built in the 532 as a magnificent Catholic basilica and converted into a mosque in 1453. But the city...
No fear in Turkey among Ottoman slippers, mosques of Grand Bazaar
Wide walkways in the Grand Bazaar had their origin in the 1400s, when it was built on the trade crossroads between Asia and Europe so camels could carry goods to merchants inside.....
Awaking in Istanbul
A multitude of masks is showcased in this shop window in Venice. Waking in Istanbul early Tuesday ended my magic carpet ride through the southern Mediterranean with the longest day imaginable. It...
Venice to Istanbul next week
I’m home now, recuperating from surgery, but will join a cruise leaving from Venice on Sept. 30 – just a little more than a week away. I’m pretty wobbly after general anesthesia and...
Recent Comments