Istanbul, not Constantinople!

 

At the Taksim Meydani Square.

Before heading home, we had elected to add a short visit to Istanbul to our itinerary through Viking. It was good decision! We flew from Bucharest to Istanbul Airport. The airport is actually quite a long way from the city itself. The drive to town took a good 45 minutes with no traffic.

Now, Istanbul is a huge city, with a population of over 15 million people! The part of the city we stayed in and saw is miniscule, but really worth the visit.

Viking put us up at another excellent hotel, the Westin Istanbul Nisantasi on the western, (european) half of the city. We were a short walk to the Taksim Meydani square, a large public space with a large mosque and adjacent shopping areas. It was a bustling place!

The market area by Taksim Meydani square.

Viking had a representative at the Westin lobby. We talked to her about things to do and asked about the tour that Viking had offered, which we had neglected to buy. She said it was still available and the price wasn't too exorbitant so we joined it. She also gave us a couple of ideas about places to eat, one was a small joint just down the street from us, the Cag Kebap, that we decided to try. They had a nice beer on tap and the food was pretty good and not so expensive so it became our go-to place for meals.

The view from Cag Kebap.

The next day we began our tour. Our guide was good, he spoke well and shared a lot of interesting information. Our first stop was at the Spice Market, where we bought some spices and some "Turkish Delights", (a candy). Next stop was at the Topkapi. This museum houses tons of stuff! Many items from the past Ottoman civilization. The museum itself was once a palace for the Sultan. It overlooks the Bosporus, the narrow strait which divides Istanbul and connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara and it can get quite windy at times! Incidentally, the weather in Istanbul was really quite nice, comfortable temperatures that were influenced by the bodies of water nearby. It was a nice change from the hot weather we had been encountering in eastern Europe. I'm told, however, that Istanbul can get quite hot in the summer.

It gets windy at the Topkapi!

One of the stars of the museum is the "Spoonmaker's Diamond, weighing a whooping 86 carats!

The Diamond, featured in the movie "Topkapi".

That afternoon we took a cruise on the Bosporus, the straight that divides Istanbul and connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara and eventually, the Mediterranean.

It was a fun cruise and I finally got to sample Turkish Coffee while on the boat! We put in on the eastern bank at one point which allowed us the chance to set foot in Asia!

I finally made it to Asia!

After the cruise we returned to our hotel and decided to have dinner at a restaurant which was in a small mall next to our hotel. It was something of a disaster, the food mediocre and the servings were way too big despite our waiter's descriptions!

The next day's tour took us to the Hagia Sophia, originally a Christian cathedral, repurposed by the Ottomans into a Mosque. Yet the Ottomans did allow much of the Christian artwork to remain, shielded from the Muslim eyes by curtains. It's an interesting mix of Christian and Muslim artwork to be seen.

An example of the Christian art that still survives in the Hagia Sophia.

Our next stop was the Blue Mosque. In this building one has to remove one's shoes and women must have their heads veiled. Another pretty spectacular looking example of Muslim architecture and it's amazing tile work.

The Blue Mosque

Inside the Blue Mosque.

The next stop was adjacent to the Blue Mosque, the remains of the Roman Hippodrome, where chariot races were conducted in Roman times. Two obelisks remain along with a few ruined walls. Still interesting to see.

The Hippodrome

 After the Hippodrome, we were brought to a large Bazaar for one last chance to buy stuff, LOL. 

After that, we were brought back to our hotel. We went to the Cag Kebap for a last dinner.  After the previous night's dinner debacle, it was a pleasure to enjoy a simple meal and a nice beer.

Next morning we got in a van for the trip to the airport. I noticed that there was a strong police/military presence in the streets at that time, although I never did learn what was going on. At any rate, we left town with no incidents and got to the airport with plenty of time for the boarding process for the long flight home.

Thus ended our month long odyssey to Europe and Istanbul. I think we have gotten our fill of river cruising now, the next trip will be something different. The three weeks on the river was getting a bit tedious, there are just so many castles and forts you can visit! Of course, Viking did take good care of us and the facilities on the boats were first rate.

We have about $3600 in credit from Viking which we do plan to use but it will probably be on one of their ocean cruises, that will be another chapter in our travel blogs! 

Check the link below for pictures of Istanbul:

Istanbul Photos

Ruse and Bucharest; The end of the cruise but not of our travels!

 

The Palace of the Parliament is the world's largest civilian building!

We were at day 24 of our cruise, this would be our last full day on the boat. We were on the included excursion into the town of Ruse, Bulgaria. After walking with the tour, we explored the old town on our own, eventually returning to the boat for lunch and then spent the rest of the day relaxing. We were feeling the effects of three weeks of cruising and just decided to take it easy.

In "Ruse"!

Ruse itself is a nice enough town with large public squares and pedestrian-friendly avenues.

That evening our boat made it's final cruise to the port town of Giurgiu, Romania. From here we would be bused into Bucharest for our final day of the standard tour.

The next morning we had our luggage collected for our drive to Bucharest. We departed the Lofn and were bused to the town; about an hours ride.

Bucharest is quite a large city. It still exudes a bit of a Soviet vibe in a lot of the architecture, including the Parliament Building, said to be the largest civilian building in the world with over 3,000 rooms. There is also a canal passing through town which gives it an interesting twist. I think though, that I was a bit tired of passing through Eastern European cities as I wasn't really struck by anything here. 

Bucharest's canal.

We had a lunch here.

We did get to visit a large park in town which holds examples of various historical houses and such.

We spent the night at a very nice hotel that Viking had set up for us. We had a meal with some of the folks we had traveled with and called it a night. The next day, we would be flying to Istanbul!

Goodbye Bucharest and Romania!

Pictures of Ruse and Bucharest.

Golubac Fortress, the Iron gates and on to Vidin and the Belogradchik Rocks; Sailing down the Danube.

Approaching the Iron Gate

After Belgrade, we had a day of sailing down the Danube with a short stop at Golubac Fortress. This is an interesting riverside fort which dates back to Roman times. Up until recent years, a highway actually passed right through the old fort but that has recently been diverted and now tourists are free to walk through much of it. 

Golubac Fortress

Besides the fortress itself, there are several archeological digs set up examining Ottoman and Roman sites also located here. 

Looking back on our boat at Golubac

After Golubac, we boarded and started to sail down the Kazan stretch of the river, a dramatic stretch of river as it passes through Carpathian Mountain Gorges. 

The Iron Gate, a gap in the Carpathian Mountains.

This stretch included a fairly recent sculpture the Dacian King Decebalus, a ruler who opposed the Romans and is considered a hero in Romanian history. We also passed Trajan's Tablet, A stone carved and set to mark the construction of a Roman Military road during the reign of Trajan.

Behind Shelly is a rock sculpture of Dacian King Decebalus.

Trajan's Tablet was laid to mark the construction of a Roman road,

The stretch of river before us used to be considered wild and dangerous but in modern times has been tamed by the largest lock system on the Danube!

In a lock at the end of the Kazan stretch.

After spending the night cruising, we woke up in Vidin, Bulgaria. Vidin is a typical river town in eastern Europe. One thing that struck me was that here, like many other towns in Croatia, Serbia and Romania, was the primitive electrical infrastructure! It was something I'd expect in say, Nepal, but not in Europe!

Wiring found in Vidin, Bulgaria.

From Vidin we boarded a bus and traveled to Belogradchik Rocks and Fortress. The fort was interesting enough, although most forts were beginning to look alike to me, but the real highlight was visiting the Rocks! They are actually pretty spectacular looking and the views from them are wonderful.

At the Fortress of Belogradchik. The Belogradchik Rocks in the background.

A great view from the Rocks!

It occurred to me that after three weeks of cruising on rivers, this was the most expansive view I had taken in! It was actually kind of refreshing after so many castles, forts and cathedrals! We returned to Vidin and reboarded the boat to sail to our final port at Ruse, Bulgaria!

In Vidin.

Click on the link below for more pictures:

Golubac Fortress and the Iron Gates.

Croatia and Serbia

 

The Orthodox Cathedral in Belgrade.

Our next port was in Vukavor, Croatia. We traveled by bus to Osijek to visit a church where we enjoyed a nice recital given by a local girl.

This part of Croatia was subjected to a lot of damage during the war with Serbia in the 90s, and some damaged building are evident to this day. One such building in Osijek was left in it's damaged state as a memorial.

This building was left as it was at the end of the war to serve as a memorial.

After the church we were divided into smaller groups and visited a local home where we had a snack and drink and talk with a local who talked about life in Croatia. That evening we were treated to a demonstration of traditional music by local musicians. 

The next day we reached Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. We had an interesting walking tour through the town including a short visit to a large fortress, the Kalemegdan Fortress.  We visited a brand new Eastern Orthodox Cathedral that was amazing!  Our guide was very good, an energetic older lady with lots of energy! After lunch, I went back to the fortress to check out the large historical armor, (tank) display on the grounds. 

This cathedral is new construction!

Part of the Tank display at the Kalemgdan.

Besides the tanks, the Fortress also has some wonderful views of the city! That evening we were back on the boat as it sailed on down the Danube.

A view from the Kalemgdan.

Pictures from Croatia and Serbia

Budapest, Puszta and Paprika.

 

Budapest's Hungarian Parliament Building.

When you arrive in Budapest on the River, the Parliament Building is one of the first things you see. It's quite striking, and even more so when you view it at night!

The city actually comprises of two older towns on opposite sides of the Danube. The "Buda" side has a lot of historic buildings while the "Pest" side is more modern. We first toured the Buda side, visiting the Cathedral and Battlements, and enjoying the views. In the afternoon we walked around the "Pest" side, not so picturesque but with more modern amenities. 

Cathedral on the "Buda" side.

 view from the "Buda" side.

The next day was a free day as some of our fellow passengers were disembarking, Budapest is the end of the short cruise. We visited a huge market place and bought some paprika, dolls for the granddaughters and a cork purse for Shelly. Later we visited a haunting memorial for the victims of the Holocaust that was on the river walk.  

The Holocaust Memorial on the river bank. 

That night we were treated to a view of the city at night as our ship departed town.

Nighttime on the Danube.

The next day we awoke a little further downriver and disembarked to visit a church at Kalocsa which included an impressive organ program. Now I don't usually get excited about organ programs but this one was pretty impressive! 

After Kalocsa we visited the stables at Puszta and were treated to a horsemanship demonstration which was pretty cool. We then boarded our ship and left Hungary.

At the show in Puszta.

Pictures from Hungary