Live From Riviera - Barcelona to Istanbul, 9/8/14

[smilin jack]

Nice pictures, I thank you for that.

 

I see you had a Bidet and a Binite, very nice.:):)

[Hambagahle]

Thank you for the wonderful photos! We also had an Oceania Suite on Riviera and I felt very homesick for it when I saw your pix!!

 

Do you know if by chance one can get an Aperol Spritz on board? I didn't see that on the drinks menu but it really has nothing to do with a martini.

[Aloha 1]

And now some pictures from our Ports of Call. First up, sailing in to Valetta, Malta.

 

 

Malta was the most heavily bombed place on Earth during WWII. The old RAF Aerodrome is now a crafts and local artisan center.

When the Knights Hospitaller were finally forced to abandon their stronghold on Rhodes to the Ottomans, they were given Malta to defend by the Spanish Throne and stopped the Ottoman Naval invasion of the western mediterranean in 1565.

Edited November 12, 2014 by Aloha 1

[Aloha 1]

Thank you for the wonderful photos! We also had an Oceania Suite on Riviera and I felt very homesick for it when I saw your pix!!

 

Do you know if by chance one can get an Aperol Spritz on board? I didn't see that on the drinks menu but it really has nothing to do with a martini.

 

I'm honestly not sure but it wouldn't surprise me that they would have it. The bars seemed very well stocked.

[Aloha 1]

Crete was our next stop. We hired a car in Agios Nikolaos and drove the 50 kilometers to Knossos, the seat of King Minos of Minotaur fame. The site is over 4500 years old and excavations continue today. Until the earthquake and tsunami disaster of 1635 BCE that destroyed Thera (Santorini), Crete was the dominant naval power in the Aegean. The reconstruction of the palace, while stunning is also fraught with controversy since much of the reconstruction was based on guesses not grounded in solid fact.

 

 

 

The paintings and their colors however are authentic. the colors determined from a few remaining shards of paint.

Edited November 12, 2014 by Aloha 1

[Aloha 1]

Crete was a bull worshipping culture. This restored bull horn monument has been found in other places in the Aegean. It may have been part of a ritual site or simply an ornamentation.

 

Edited November 12, 2014 by Aloha 1

[Aloha 1]

The opposite side of the coin was Thera, now called Santorini. Thera, was a colony of Crete. It's destruction by one of the most powerful volcanic explosions ever in 1635 BCE is said to have given rise to the legend of Atlantis. This picture looks out on the sunken caldera of what was once the island center. Every bit of land you see here was once all one island. If you go, make time to see the ruins of Akrotiri which has been called the Grecian Pompei.

 

[Aloha 1]

The Colossus of Rhodes was a Wonder of the ancient world. The two deer statues mark where it stood at the harbor entrance. The deer is a symbol of Rhodes.

 

Edited November 12, 2014 by Aloha 1

[Aloha 1]

Our travels included several stops at Turkish ports we had never been to. At Antalya, we went to the ruins of Perge and Aspendos, both ancient cities of the Ionian League. Below is the original Greek entrance to Perge built in 600 BCE.

 

After the Romans took control of Asia Minor, Perge became an upper class enclave not unlike, say, Palm Beach, Florida. It's patrons spent many drachmas on public works like the Agora pictured here.

 

 

The pillars are all original and over 2,000 years old.

[Aloha 1]

This modern looking building is actually 2,000 years old! Built in the 1st century CE, the Theatre of Aspendos is one of the most intact Roman buildings left. This is the front entrance of the theatre.

 

 

The inside is fully functional and plays are still performed here in summer.

 

[Aloha 1]

Having been to Kusadasi and the ruins of Ephesus several times, we ventured further inland to the Temple of Apollo. In it's time it rivaled the Temple of Artemis. Had it ever been finished. it would have been a Wonder of the ancient world instead of the Artemission.

 

The columns are over 130 feet high. My Son gives some perspective of the height.

 

This barrel vault tunnel gives entrance to the inner courtyard. It is original and over 2400 years old. Walking through it, you would think it was built yesterday.

Edited November 12, 2014 by Aloha 1

[Aloha 1]

The highlight of the cruise was the final port, Istanbul. Here is the Hagia Sophia, built by Justinian in the 7th century and the seat of the Orthodox Church at the time.

The interior is so large that the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris could fit inside it.

When Constantinople fell to the Ottomans in the 15th century, the Sultan ordered the Christian mosaics plastered over rather than destroyed when the church was converted to a mosque.That decision allows us to see their magnificence today.

[Aloha 1]

Stunned by the grandeur of the Hagia Sophia, the Sultan insisted on building a mosque even greater, the Sultanahmet Mosque.

 

 

The stained glass windows are stunning and unexpected.

Edited November 12, 2014 by Aloha 1

[Aloha 1]

Some interior pictures of the Blue Mosque. It's name comes from the extensive use of blue tiles from Izmer. We found this mosque extremely crowded and the longest wait to enter. Go early!

 

 

 

[Aloha 1]

What today is called "Old Town" in Istanbul was the Roman city of Nova Roma or, New Rome.

Founded in the 1st century CE, it became the eastern outpost of the Empire. There are still over 23 kilometers of original city walls built by the Emperor Valen standing.

 

 

[Aloha 1]

No visit to Istanbul is complete without a visit to the Spice Market and Grand Bazaar. Or, as my Wife called it, "the world's largest flea market". :)

 

 

 

[Aloha 1]

My DW deemed this the outstanding highlight of her visit to Istanbul. :D

 

[Aloha 1]

And last, a slightly grainy picture of our Ship sailing off to the Black Sea.

 

 

I hope you enjoyed the pictures and the banter. If I can answer any questions, please ask.

[Floridiana]

I love your report with its historic references. Great job with the photos, too.

[May B]

I also have enjoyed this very much. Thank you for the report!

 

Mr. B. and I recently took our first Oceania, also on the Riviera, and this brought back many lovely memories. Your experience was similar to ours in some ways and very different in others.

 

Ain't life grand? Keep enjoying.

[Hambagahle]

Great photos - thank you for posting them! (And thanks for the encouragement on the Apérol spritz!! Cheers!)

[My & Mau]

Really appreciate your time and effort in posting your pictures...looks like you had a wonderful time.

 

All the best, and Aloha:),

[Bimmer09]

Thanks for your excellent review- the photos really brought the ship and ports to life.

 

I am a Princess Cruiser currently but pop into the Oceania boards as O looks like a good fit for some future cruises. I get an email a day from O.

 

I think Valetta Harbor is the most beautiful and interesting I have seen. I took dozens of photos there (in my Ocean Princess review)

 

Istanbul is one of those must-see cities. Thanks for the photos there!

 

Norris

[Aloha 1]

Thanks for your excellent review- the photos really brought the ship and ports to life.

 

I am a Princess Cruiser currently but pop into the Oceania boards as O looks like a good fit for some future cruises. I get an email a day from O.

 

I think Valetta Harbor is the most beautiful and interesting I have seen. I took dozens of photos there (in my Ocean Princess review)

 

Istanbul is one of those must-see cities. Thanks for the photos there!

 

Norris

 

Thank you, for your comments. As a Platinum Princess cruiser for many years, I can safely tell you that Oceania will blow you away. The food is incredible, the ships and service beautiful. You do have to put up with all the incessant emails and mailings :) but please do pick a cruise and see what those of us on this Board have found!