As we sailed they offered us champagne and tapas. So, we sailed along with the city beautifully illuminated under lights while snacking (just what we need, more food). The aroma of a thousand wood burning stoves spiced the air as we sailed along and stimulated our appetites. It was such a relaxing hour-long cruise down the river. All of the important buildings were built along the river so we had wonderful views and saw many impressive sites.
After a lovely sail we disembarked in front of the Cirigan Palace which was home to the sultans of the Ottoman Empire. It has been restored to its former glory and is absolutely magnificent. It is now a five-star hotel. There were beautiful crystal chandeliers hanging everywhere. The style was baroque and the walls were painted in soft, natural hues. The furnishings were elegant but comfortable. As you can imagine in Turkey the carpets were gorgeous. Brightly colored silk carpets adorned the floors and beautiful fresh flowers set the mood for a relaxed and enjoyable evening.
We entered the grand ballroom and Bob quickly found a table directly in front of the stage (of course)! We sat with eight lovely people who were new to us and enjoyed a great evening. There are many new passengers on this segment of the cruise since it's Easter break for many people and we're sailing through a beautiful part of the Mediterranean. As it turned out, the woman who sat next to me was a retired special education teacher. As you might imagine we had a great conversation!!!
Our dinner consisted of so many courses I lost track. I tried to eat just a little bit of each course because I was saving my big splurge for the chocolate dessert I knew was coming. Finally, it was time for the chocolate. Yay!!! I took one bite and it was delicious. I turned around to talk with someone and while I was looking the other way they cleared my plate!!! Oh well, I didn't need those extra, but very delicious, calories anyway :(
At the beginning of the evening after we were all seated for dinner, the "Sultan" arrived with his entourage. He walked up to the platform slowly, nodding to the crowd as he proceeded. It was almost like he was giving his approval for us to be there. He continued until he and his party were seated in front, elevated above the rest of us As each course was brought out the Sultan was served first. Someone tasted it before the Sultan ate. Once it was decided the food was safe and he was served the rest of us were served. Between each of the courses entertainers came out to perform traditional as well as belly dances. One of the belly dancers got so close and practically pushed her boobs into Bob's face that I had to pick his tongue up off the floor and wipe the drool from his mouth! The entertainment was enjoyed by all (particularly the men) and we had a wonderful evening.
When it was time for the evening to end, everyone waited until the Sultan left his station and exited the room. Then, we all waddled out to the buses to return to the ship to get a few hours sleep and prepare for the next day. We are getting close to the end of the world cruise now and as we head into the Mediterranean we have only one remaining sea day. The remainder of the days we are in port so we will be very busy and active for the remainder of our time on the ship. In just a few days from now we will be reunited with one of our kids. Our daughter, Misha and her husband, Naoki, who live in Milan, Italy, are meeting us in Monte Carlo for the day. They'll go on tour with us, come back to the ship and hang out for the remainder of the day until we sail that night. Haven't seen them in such a long time and we are VERY excited!!! The most difficult part of this trip is being away from our family so this visit will be a really happy time for us!!!
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