The Black Sea 2016

The Black Sea aboard the Island Sky
September 25 - October 6, 2016

I am looking back on this trip with the greatest appreciation for the tour operator and all the guides, drivers and assistants that made this trip a tremendous success. Despite the recent coup d' état  in Turkey against government institutions, we noticed very little disruption of our itinerary. I think this was largely due to the careful planning and behind the scenes security that seemed to be around during most of our outings.

But on to the adventure:

I arrived in Istanbul in the late afternoon and navigated  my way through customs, picking up my luggage and meeting my driver to transfer to my hotel. It took about an hour as I watched the sun go down over Black Sea. I tried hard to get my bearings as we drove past the Bosphorus River, over bridges, and alongside mosques; taking it all in and trying to absorb the hustle and bustle of Istanbul.

My ground ops contact, Azize, was a very charming and energetic young woman who met me at the hotel the next morning to review our itinerary. She kindly took me for a walking tour around the hotel which was located very conveniently near the Hippodrome, Blue Mosque, Grand Bazaar and Topkapi Palace. Later on I took the river cruise tour to try and orient myself to the city. 

The first 3 days in Istanbul were the Pre-Extension portion of the tour and I had only 6 passengers to mind. We toured the main sights and had some terrific meals. Our guide, Batu, was excellent; knowledgeable and fun.

 Batu explaining the Hippodrome

 Obelisk of Thutmose III 1490 BC

 Serpent Column

 Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque)

 Inside Blue Mosque

 Hagia Sophia

 Inside Hagia Sophia

 Night scene from the riverfront - they lit up all the mosques at night

 

Embarkation day!

My pre extension group met the larger group (53 people) as we boarded the Island Sky and departed Istanbul via the Boshporus after dark. The bridges were so pretty to see with all their lights!

On this cruise we would have ports of call in Turkey, Georgia, Ukraine and Bulgaria. The themes of the tour was an exploration of the Greek colonies in the Black Sea and the history of the Ottoman Empire.  Here are some highlights:

 Museum Amasya, the former capital of the ancient Pontic Kingdom

Seljuk and Ottoman monuments

 Artifacts at the Archaeology Museum

Really old Koran - one of only three copies from 1400 years ago

Batumi, Georgia

 Local Market

Floor sweeper

Live entertainment by Georgian Folk Dance troup

 Me in Tbilisi

 Tbilisi - 4th century church

Eastern Orthodox Cathedral 

 BBQ lunch aboard the Island Sky

 Trabzon, Turkey - looking up towards the Greek Orthodox Monastery of the Virgin Mary (Sumela Monastery)

Gift shop and roaring river below

 Odessa, Ukraine

 Potemkin stairs (under reconstruction) 

 WWII memorial

 Opera house

Back to the ship!

 Varna, Bulgaria

Not sure what this says, but like the way the words look!

 Bulgarian Guide outside the Archaeology Museum

Lots of kitties everywhere!

And so ended a very interesting tour of the Black Sea - we were the only cruise ship on the Sea at the time and so never had to fight the crowds. Each city welcomed our guests warmly with dancers and gifts at almost every port. 

I cannot wait to return to see these beautiful countries and be with the fantastic people I met along the way!