GALLIPOLI, TURKEY

MED BLOG 13

Friday Oct 7, 2011

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I don’t know why it happens, but it happens on every Mad Midlife adventure. As the end of the tour approaches, time speeds up and the days zoom by in a blur and it’s kinda hard to catch your breath.

Yesterday morning we bid a temporary “güle-güle” (goodbye) to Istanbul and drove south along the Sea of Marmara – arriving in the afternoon at Gallipoli (or ‘Gelipolu’ in Turkey-speak). It was here in 1915, WW1, that Allied Forces battled the Turks for control of this strategic location – an ambitious eight-month campaign that ultimately failed, at enormous cost to both sides. Among the dead were some 2700 New Zealand soldiers (roughly one quarter of the Kiwis who fought here), and 8000-plus Aussies. And the gravestones of fallen Allies and Turks seem to stretch forever.

We followed the unforgettable story across this rugged windswept stretch of coastline and through the tree-covered ridges and hills. Quiet and lost-in-thought, we visited the haunting sites that have special significance for Kiwis and Aussies: Anzac Cove, Lone Pine, and Chanuk Bair.

We stood before a huge commemorative wall and reflected on the gracious words of Ataturk,Turkey’s wartime leader (and the creator of Turkish democracy):

“Those heroes who shed their blood and lost their lives … you are now living in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore, rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side in this country of ours … You the mothers who sent their sons from faraway countries: wipe away your tears. Your sons are now living in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well.”

Then we gathered beneath the towering NZ memorial, shared some Anzac thoughts and words and prayers, and sang the New Zealand National Anthem. And a lone piper played and mournful ‘Amazing Grace’ on his bagpipes.

It was a moving experience, I tell you. And we Kiwis were in a sober frame of mind when we crossed the Dardenelles by vehicular ferry to our hotel for the night in Canakkale (pronounced ‘Char-nak-arly’).

This morning, after breakfast, we began our four-hour return drive to Istanbul – stopping off, en route, at the archaeological remains of ancient Troy, legendary city of Helen, the famous Wooden Horse, and the sneak attack by Greek soldiers on the Trojans (around 1200BC).

Finally, tonight, we ventured out for one last time through the streets of Istanbul for our Midlife Madness Farewell Dinner – a delicious Turkish meal, lots of fun and laughter, and a classy belly-dance show. (How do those girls get to move like that?)

PEOPLE NEWS: It’s never too late to nominate another winner, and one last-minute trophy was given out this morning:

• The ‘Hello, Hello, Is Anybody There?’ Award got taken home by Margaret – who, when their phone rang today with our early-morning wake-up call, reached over and picked up the hair-dryer by mistake, holding it to her ear, but (surprise, surprise) getting no response. The phone, meanwhile, kept ringing – by which time she and Graham were well-and-truly awake …

TOMORROW: Sadly, all good things come to an end. And our Midlife Madness on the Mediterranean is pretty much over for 2011. This combination of pampering-at-sea and discovery-on-shore has (once again) been hugely successful! We’ve seen so much and done so much that we don’t know where to put it! And in the process we’ve made some first-class friends …

But the time has come for our Kiwi group to farewell each other. In the morning, most of us will transfer toAtaturkAirportand board aircraft bound for different parts of the compass – while others will stay on inTurkeyfor a few days. All of us, eventually, will wing our way back home. Changed forever? I hope so …

We’ve had a wonderful, once-in-a-lifetime experience – we’ve got stories and memories to prove it. And we can’t wait to bore you to death with the ZILLIONS of photos we’ve each taken!

I bet YOU can’t wait to see them – right?

Yeah, right!

Yours over-and-out – JOHN

ISTANBUL, TURKEY

MED BLOG 12

Wednesday Oct 5, 2011

 

Turkish kebabs

Say “cheese!”

Inside the Blue Mosque

Tiled dome of the Blue Mosque

The Hagia Sophia

From the balcony of the Hagia Sophia

The Grand Bazaar

Getting ahead on bread!

We’ve seen a few big cities already on this trip, and they’ve all been different. But Istanbul is even differenter than the rest. Ask anyone’s who’s been here and they’ll tell you: there’s something unique and enticing about this stunning, sprawling Turkish city of 15 million people. For a start, it spans two continents (Europe and Asia). For seconds, it’s a Muslim capital, the only we’ve visited here in the Med. And, for thirds, it’s crammed-to-overflowing with sparkling mosques, amazing mosaics, crowded bazaars piled high with exotic stuff, and dazzling sultans’ palaces right out of ‘Tales of Arabian Nights’.

We arrived here late yesterday afternoon, and promptly found ourselves an authentically Turkish place to have an authentically Turkish dinner together. Then, this morning, we were woken at 6am by the amplified wailing of a ‘muezzin’ (holy man) calling the faithful to prayer from the top of a nearby minaret. The streets of Istanbul were already thick with traffic, and the smell of black Turkish coffee was already thick in the air.

Magic? You bet! And we couldn’t wait to get out’n’about …

Forgive me for the summary, but our Very Full Day in this historic city included its most enduring landmarks:

• the Old Town(surrounded by Byzantine walls) …
• the Blue Mosque (built by Sultan Ahmet Camii), famous for its six minarets and beautiful blue Iznik tiles …
• Topkapi Palace, one-time home of the sultans and their harems, and current home of some of the world’s biggest emeralds and diamonds (plus a few bones belonging to John the Baptist) …
• the incredible Hagia Sophia, which started out as a cathedral, then became a mosque, and is now a magnificent museum …
• and the immense Grand Bazaar, a 4000-shop under-cover marketplace offering handmade carpets, leather, ceramics, tiles, gold and copperware by the tonne!

Finally, to cap it all off, we boarded a private ferry for a small-boat-cruise around Istanbul’s crazy-busy harbour and out into the Bosphorus – the narrow waterway/shipping channel that connects the Mediterranean with the Black Sea.

Yet another great day has, without doubt, been enjoyed by all. And some very happy Mad Midlife Kiwis will sleep well tonight …

TOMORROW: We have an extra-special appointment some 4-5 hours-drive south of the city – the haunting World War 1 Anzac Memorials at Gallipoli. You can rest assured we’ll report back on this one …

Yours bloggedly – JOHN

P.S. If you want to leave a message for someone in our group, just click on the little speech bubble at the top of this page, and add your ‘COMMENTS’! Make sure you say who it’s for and who it’s from – and keep it brief.

BARCELONA, SPAIN

MED BLOG 11

Tuesday Oct 4, 2011

It’s Tuesday morning here inSpain. Our alarm went off a couple of hours ago, and we’ve been busy doing what we’re supposed to do: showering, shaving, packing our ever-expanding stuff into ever-shrinking suitcases, and plodding downstairs to gobble breakfast. We’re feeling a bit groggy this morning – not surprising, I guess, after rushing madly around the Mediterranean for more than two-and-a-half weeks. Oh, and that’s right: we didn’t get to bed last night until well after midnight!

We’ve been in Barcelona for the past 24 hours, you see. And for our final Spanish evening we ventured out onto the streets for yet another treat: a classy, fun-filled ‘Flamenco Dinner & Show’ … with the music of guitars, the passionate (sometimes tortured) gypsy songs, and the flying colour of Spain’s famous dancers! It was clap-clap-clapping good, and a fitting end to a fabulous day in this beloved South European city.

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Barcelona is an architectural jewel that’s littered with famous names – like Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, and the legendary architect Antoni Gaudí. And, yesterday morning, after disembarking and saying a sad goodbye to the Nieuw Amsterdam, we took in the city’s major attractions: the Christopher Columbus monument, Las Ramblas, the extraordinary Barrí Gotic (Gothic Quarter) with its imposing buildings and cobbled square … the magnificent 14th century Gothic Cathedral … and the Sagrada Familia (Gaudí’s spectacular unfinished masterpiece).

Then, in the afternoon, we made a pilgrimage to the most visited shrine in Spain. Built around 880AD amongst towering, jagged peaks (in an almost inaccessible location, 50kms northwest of Barcelona) is the great Montserrat Monastery – echoing with untold legends, and home to the revered statue of the Black Virgin (found buried in the mountain in the 12th century). Driving there along the spectacular coast, around hairpin bends and past remote hermitages, was half the fun … and the mountain views from St Jeronimo’s chapel, taking in the Pyrenees and the Isle of Majorca, were truly stunning.

I’d love to tell you more – especially about that modern wonder of the world, the Sagrada Familia (Church of the Sacred Family). But a coach is waiting for us downstairs. We’ve gotta get to the El Prat de Llobregat Aeropuerto for our midday flight back across Europe to Turkey, and the final chapter of our Grand Adventure.

Ahh, there’s no rest for the wicked …

TOMORROW: Istanbul (formerly Byzantium, then Constantinople) featured large in several of the most glorious empires of all time – from Alexander the Great and the Roman Emperors Constantine and Justinian, to the Ottomans, Crusaders, Selcuks and more. But it’s not every day that Mad Midlife Kiwis wander its ancient streets. Anything could happen, so stand by …

Yours bloggedly – JOHN

P.S. If you want to leave a message for someone in our group, just click on the little speech bubble at the top of this page, and add your ‘COMMENTS’! Make sure you say who it’s for and who it’s from – and keep it brief.

UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN

MED BLOG 10

Saturday Oct 1, 2011

 

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Have you read books about Tuscany, watched movies about Tuscany, seen photos of Tuscany? Well, eat your heart out, because today we got to sample for ourselves this drop-dead-gorgeous region … its rolling landscapes smothered with vineyards, olive groves,  cypress rows and sunburnt hilltop towns!

First stop (after an early-morning docking in the port of Livorno) was Siena, two hours to the south in Italy’s famous Chianti wine-zone. Siena (a must-see if you’re ever in this part of the world) is arguable the country’s best-preserved medieval city: a glorious mix of ancient walls, steep steps and winding alleyways. Our on-foot tour included the Church of San Domenico, which contains the preserved head of Saint Catherine (if you like things ooky-spooky) … the Piazza del Duomo, with its magnificent cathedral in black and white marble, built on Siena’s highest hill … the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption, with its beautiful inlaid marble floor … and the atmospheric Piazza del Campo, with its original 13th century palaces, its Torre del Mangia bell tower, and it’s exciting tradition of twice-yearly horse races.

We didn’t have time in the piazza to ride a horse or climb the bell tower’s 505 steps – because lunch was calling. Instead, we drove back into the photogenic countryside for another Italian food-and-wine appointment at the Torciano Winery.

Then, fed and watered and happy-fit-to-giggle, we enjoyed some exploring-on-our-own in the famous tower-riddled town of San Gimignano (come on, have another try at pronouncing it: “San-jim-in-YAH-no”). Known as the ‘Tuscan Manhattan’, it owes its trademark skyline silhouette to rival medieval families who tried to outdo each other by building taller and taller towers.

Our Mad Midlifers scattered in all directions, shop-shop-shopping in the quaint little stores that line the cobblestoned streets … wandering through the evocative Piazza della Cisterna, surrounded by 600-year-old mansions … getting very stiff necks from all the vertical photography demanded by the towers … or just plonking down outside one-of-a-zillion cafes to soak up some atmosphere and/or lick a yummy gelato (ice-cream).

Magic? You’d better believe it! And finally, as the sun went down over this oh-so-lovely part of Italy, we motored back to our ship, where another four-course gourmet meal awaited us.

Oh, the PAIN! I dunno how much more of this decadence we can cope with …

TOMORROW: Another full day at sea, to rest up, live it up, and eat it up aboard our floating hotel … while we sail eastward towards Spain’s western coast and Barcelona. The following morning (Monday) we’ll be disembarking – sob, sob – and saying a sad “Arrivederci!” to the Nieuw Amsterdam’s friendly crew. But please don’t leave the room, because we’ll be back on air before you know it …

PEOPLE NEWS: Three new much-fought-over trophies are about to be awarded (although the winners have yet to hear the news):

• The ‘Arrested & Sent To Jail’ Award belongs to Mary & Jill – who got chased out of Rome’s Trevi Fountain surrounds by a grumpy policewoman. Why? Because they dared to eat a forbidden ice-cream at the water’s-edge …
• The ‘So Near Yet So Far’ Award is going to Pam – who, while queuing recently at a public loo, had duly paid to use the facilities … but then got stuck in the waiting-line too long, and had to rush back to the coach, with no relief and no refund …

Yours bloggedly – JOHN

P.S. If you want to leave a message for someone in our group, just click on the little speech bubble at the top of this page, and add your ‘COMMENTS’! Make sure you say who it’s for and who it’s from – and keep it brief.

ROME

MED BLOG 09

Friday Sept 30, 2011

 

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We had an early start this morning: our Mad Midlife Kiwis were required to be up before dawn and ready to leave the ship by 7am. And more than a few of us grabbed some extra shut-eye during the 90-minute coach drive from the Port of Civitavecchia (come on, say it after me: Shiver-ta-veckia).

Rome is the most fascinating city in Italy. In fact, it’s one of the most fascinating cities in the world. The place is littered with 2000-plus year’s worth of art and culture and history – churches, palaces, parks, babbling fountains, inspiring domes and archaeological remains.  And it all seems quite at home in what is also a modern, vibrant city … the ring of church bells and din of early morning traffic echoing off weathered stonework.

We made the most of a very full day, spotting some of the city’s ancient landmarks from our coach (like the Imperial Palaces, the Circus Maximus, and the remains of the Roman Forum) before venturing on foot into the Vatican, exploring the lavish St Peters Basilica (with its massive marble columns, its precious mosaics, and Michelangelo’s stunning sculpture, Pieta).

Back on our coach again, we wound our way through bumper-to-bumper cars, busses and motor-scooters to the magnificent Colosseum (that most famous of ancient Roman landmarks) where we eyeballed the skeletal remains and imagined what it must’ve been like in its original glory, crammed with 50,000 screaming fans.

Then, after lunching on lasagne, tiramisu and wine a-la-go-go at a restaurant down an alleyway somewhere, we followed our guide through touristy-crowds to the beautiful Trevi Fountain (where our coins joined thousands of others, and we promised each other we’d come back).

You could spend a month here in Rome, and still not see it all. But we Kiwis headed back to our ship feeling pretty darn satisfied after doing Rome in a day.

TOMORROW: We’re spending the entire day ‘Under the Tuscan Sun’ – visiting the medieval city of Siena and the hilltop fortress of San Gimignano …

PEOPLE NEWS: Another Mad Midlifer took home another coveted trophy:

• The ‘Wild Wake-Up Call’ Award went to Robyn – who woke her husband (yours truly) from the deepest sleep this morning with the urgent news that someone was knocking at our door, which meant our breakfast had arrived. Her husband (yours truly) leapt from his bed, hastily donned a dressing gown, and flung open the afore-mentioned door – only to find (i) there was no-one there … (ii) she’d imagined the whole thing … and (iii) it was only 4am in the morning! Aarrgghh …

Yours bloggedly – JOHN

P.S. If you want to leave a message for someone in our group, just click on the little speech bubble at the top of this page, and add your ‘COMMENTS’! Make sure you say who it’s for and who it’s from – and keep it brief.

SALERNO – SORRENTO – POMPEII

MED BLOG 08

Thursday Sept 29, 2011

Salerno on the Amalfi Coast

Looking towards Sorrento

Sorrento magic

Main street Pompeii

In the amphitheatre Pompeii

Buried under mud and ash – Pompeii

We had just finished our cornflakes and toast this morning when the ship pulled into the Italian city of Salerno. This port on the Tyrrhenian Sea is nothing special in itself, but its location is special – because Salerno is right near the ooh-aah-gorgeous stretch of shoreline known as the Costiera Amalitana (or, for those who don’t share my fluency in Italian, the famous Amalfi Coast).

Our sights were set outside the city limits, to the north. And we began our day with a clifftop coach-ride around that gorgeous coastline to a picture-postcard-come-to-life: Sorrento. Perched high above sapphire waters opposite the Bay of Naples, Sorrento was once called ‘Home of the Wicked Sirens’ (the mermaids who called out to seamen with their haunting songs) – and this oh-so-lovely town still lures visitors with a history so rich and a natural beauty so untamed that we were blown away. (Well, we would’ve been, if it wasn’t for the zillions of tourists who chose the same day to visit.)

Following an early lunch plus some quick shopping (plus a taste of the local liqueur, Limóncello), we drove on around the Bay for an afternoon visit to a stark reminder of a very violent moment in history: the town of Pompeii. On August 24, 79AD, nearby Mt Vesuvius erupted, burying Pompeii in lava and volcanic mud, and creating a window on an ancient civilisation. Excavated in the 16th century and now somewhat restored, Pompeii offers a fascinating view of Roman life 20 centuries ago – with roads, theatres, villas, storefronts and residents all frozen in time, the day the mountain blew up.

Sobering stuff? Yes, it was. And another unforgettable memory for our Kiwi adventurers.

TOMORROW: Another high point of our cruise: Rome, the hub of history and centre of the ancient Western world some 2000 years ago. So stay tuned …whatever you do.

Yours bloggedly – JOHN

P.S. If you want to leave a message for someone in our group, just click on the little speech bubble at the top of this page, and add your ‘COMMENTS’! Make sure you say who it’s for and who it’s from – and keep it brief.

TAORMINA – SICILY

MED BLOG 07

Wednesday Sept 28, 2011

Yesterday (as I warned you) we were all at sea, cruising westward from the Greek Isles towards the island of Sicily, which hangs off the toe of Italy’s boot (check the map). In other words, we had a full day to sleep in (if we wished) … kick back and relax … enjoy luxury shipboard life to the max … and eat ourselves silly.

Being pampered like this is exhausting, I kid you not. And the eating part of it is especially exhausting. Dinner last night in the Manhattan Dining Room (to give you just one small example) featured the following menu choices:

Appetisers:

• Chilled Lychees with Kiwi Wedges
• Orange Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail
• Smoked Duck Carpaccio
• Spinach & Feta Tart

Soups & Salads:

• Bacon & Cabbage Soup
• Sweet Potato Soup
• Chilled Raspberry Soup
• Lollo Rosso alla Mimosa

Mains:

• Spaghetti Caponata
• Seared Beef Tataki Salad
• Alaskan King Crab Legs
• Tournedos Rossini
• Grilled Five Spice Lamb Chops
• Oriental-Style Rotisserie Chicken
• Mille-Feuille of Forest Mushrooms
• Grilled Sogo Salmon
• Top Sirloin Centre-Cut Steak

Desserts:

• Chocolate Espresso Soufflé
• Raspberry Cream Cheese Gateau
• Tiramisu
• Cheesecake
• Hot Fudge Sundae
• Chocolate Brownie Stack
• Banana Crisp
• Slice Fruit Plate
• Artisan Cheese Selection

Like I say, it’s exhausting. And when the urge came last night to write another entry in the blog, I just lay down until the urge passed!

But today we’ve been back into it again, folks, because this morning the Nieuw Amsterdam docked in Sicily’s second-largest city. The port of Catania is a true product of a volcano, and much of it is constructed from the sooty black lava that poured down nearby Mt Etna and engulfed the region in a 1669 eruption (which cost nearly 12,000 lives).

However, our destination today was higher up. Perched on the side of a hill overlooking the Bay of Naxos (with the mountain as its backdrop) is the medieval town of Taormina. Built originally in the 3rd century BC by the Greeks, and later completely renovated by the Romans, it’s a sight-for-sore-eyes – with its bustling main street, Corso Umberto (lined with enchanting former mansions, their balconies brimming with flowers), and an impressive open-air theatre (built by the Greeks in the 3rd century BC and still used today).

Yes, you guessed it: another memorable, oh-so-luverly experience was had by all. And tonight, back on the ship … well … remember those dessert options listed above? The catering staff must’ve decided we hadn’t had enough of the sweet stuff. Because, for our 10:30pm supper, they set up a ‘Dessert Extravaganza’ around the pool on the Lido Deck.

It was awful, I tell you, just awful! (Check out the photos …)

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TOMORROW: Another big day lies ahead of us – the 2000-year-old excavated ruins of the buried city of Pompeii … plus some time in ‘drop-dead-gorgeous’ Sorrento on Italy’s Amalfi Coast. Don’t go away, whatever you do.

PEOPLE NEWS: Two more Mad Midlife Kiwis have walked off the stage with these highly valued prizes:

• The ‘Rebel in Short Pants’ Award went to Steve – who was turned away from the Manhattan Dining Room two nights ago because, in contravention of the dress-code, he was brazenly displaying his hairy legs and knobbly knees.
• The ‘Chocolate Clock’ Award went to Graham – who, upon waking in the night, reached for his small torch and his watch, so he could check the time. But, after several confused minutes, Graham discovered that what he was peering at wasn’t his watch, after all, but one of the gold-foil-wrapped chocolates that get left in our cabins each evening …

 

Yours bloggedly – JOHN

 

P.S. If you want to leave a message for someone in our group, just click on the little speech bubble at the top of this page, and add your ‘COMMENTS’! Make sure you say who it’s for and who it’s from – and keep it brief.