Tag Archives: cruise ship

July 2, 2018 · 5:35 am

54 Days at Sea — Arriving to Batumi, Georgia

Medea and the Golden Fleece

M.S. Prinsendam arrived at our next destination of Batumi in Georgia the following morning, April 20. I found this Black Sea destination a lot more welcoming and photogenic than Sochi, Russia. Here you could explore on your own, free from the mandatory escorted tour required in Russia.

Batumi, Georgia

Batumi sits upon the site of the ancient Greek colony Bathys (meaning ‘Deep Harbor’) in the kingdom of Colchis. Colchis plays a significant role in the classic epic poem Argonautica, which tells of the exploits of Jason, his ship the Argo, and his crew of Argonauts. Batumi’s connection to this ancient Greek mythos is immortalized in the statue of the sorceress-princess Medea holding the famous Golden Fleece, which Jason and the Argonauts were sent to retrieve.

Medea and the Golden Fleece

The statue of Medea holding the Golden Fleece stands upon a tall marble pedestal:

Medea pedestal to the left

On the Medea pedestal are scenes depicting Jason and the Argo:

Medea pedestal depicting Jason (left) and the Argo

The statue below depicts a victim of Joeseph Stalin’s Great Purge. Memed Abashidze was a well respected Georgian writer and politician. He was executed in 1937 following conviction on a charge of treason.

Memed Abashidze

The statue of Memed Abashidze is located outside the Memed Abashidze Museum.

Memed Abashidze Museum

Now for some sights around Europe Square:

Batumi, Georgia

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June 22, 2018 · 5:05 am

Fun Photo Friday — 54 Days at Sea; Last look at Istanbul

Istanbul Tulips

Once last look at Istanbul before heading into the Black Sea:

Blue Mosque

Istanbul Tulips

Hagia Sophia

Istanbul Tulips

Istanbul

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Tagged as cruise ship, Fun, Fun Photo Friday, Holland America, Istanbul, MS Prinsendam, photography, R. Doug Wicker, travel, travel photography, Turkey, vacation

June 20, 2018 · 5:35 am

54 Days at Sea — Istanbul; More sights along the Bosporus and the Grand Bazaar

MS Prinsendam in Istanbul

The cruise tours are located just east of the Galata Bridge near the south end of the bridge, within just a few minutes walk.

Galata Bridge

We cruised northward up the Bosporus to the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge, also called the Second Bosporus Bridge, as it is north of the First/Bosporus/15 July Martyrs Bridge. Farther north, beyond where our Bosporus cruise would go this day, is yet a third suspension bridge. Beyond that is the Black Sea, where MS Prinsendam would head after departing this night.

Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge

Between the Fatih district and the Fatish Sultan Mehmet Bridge we sailed past Beylerbeyi Palace:

Beylerbeyi Palace

We also passed various buildings of interest, including this traditional wooden Ottoman house:

Bosporus cruise

I’ve already shown you one image of this next fortress, but here is a view of the Rumelian Castle with colorful trees in the foreground:

Rumelihisarı (Rumelian Castle) Museum

There is one other stop in Istanbul one simply must make. That would be the Grand Bazaar. Here you’ll find everything from fabrics, to gold jewelry, to furnishings, to spices, although the spice markets: