Black Sea/Mediterranean 2007:
Day 2 - At Sea

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Black Sea/Mediterranean 2007: [Day 1 - Athens] [Day 2 - At Sea] [Day 3 - Istanbul] [Day 4 - Varna] [Day 5 - Odessa] [Day 6 - Sevastopol] [Day 7 - At Sea] [Day 8 - Kuşadası] [Day 9 - Rhodes] [Day 10 - Limassol] [Day 11 - Cairo] [Day 12 - At Sea] [Day 13 - Athens]

	Thursday, May 3: With our internal clocks just a little bit off, it was easy to wake up early enough to see the sun rise over the coast of Turkey.
	We picked up our pilot just before entering the Dardanelles, the narrow water way connecting the Mediterranean to the Sea of Marmara.
	This was billed as a "Day at Sea" on the cruise schedule, but with so much to see, it turned out to be a fascinating day. This is the view of the European shore of Turkey to our north ...
	... and this is the Asian shore of Turkey to our south.
	Just inside, we spotted a giant monument on the European side.
	It's called the Çannakale Martyrs Memorial and it's solemn and imposing. It's just one of many memorials on the Gallipoli peninsula where the Turkish people welcomes visitors from Australia to pay their respects to their loved ones who died there years ago.
	On the Asian side, we passed the town of Çanakkale. This was the first time we had ever seen minarets that we could recall. Just as Tom finished explaining that the minarets broadcast the Muslim call to prayer, we heard it. It was an amazing experience to hear a voice singing to us across the water.
	The red sign on the side of this hill, just below the red Turkish flag, reads "18 MART 1915." This is a memorial of the March 18, 1915 World War I attack on the Dardanelles.
	A Turkish military ship cruised the Dardanelles along side us.
	Back on the European shore, we passed Gallipoli. We had watched the film "Gallipoli" prior to traveling, so it was very moving to read the name of the town ("Gelibolu" in Turkish) as we passed. We got a better photo when we passed by again five days later.
	Maersk! Tom spotted this ship, the Maersk Ankara, during lunch. Believe it or not, it marked the first time we had ever seen a native Maersk ship. It turned out to be the first of many on this trip.
	We had reservations at the Pinnacle Grill that evening, so we got dressed up and took this cheesy photo of ourselves during dinner.
	The three flavor crème brûlée was so lovely that we photographed it and took the time to spell it with all of the proper French vowels.
	We didn't dare take a flash photograph of the Pinnacle Grill, so here's a gloomy, incomprehensible shot. Enjoy.
	However, Debbie had no problem using flash in the schmancy ladies' room located just outside the dining room. This part of the room was devoted just to six vanity areas with chairs and lighted mirrors. Apparently, all of the ladies were already at the peak of loveliness because the vanities never seemed to be in use.
	It's Thursday.
	Our cabin steward, Zul, left us a towel lobster when he turned down our room. We also received a Holland America tote bag. Score!
	That evening, we floated in the Sea of Marmara making lazy circles, since we were only a few nautical miles from the next day's destination. This sunset was located in exactly the same position as the next morning's sunrise. We'll wait while you work on that little puzzle for a while.
	The champagne that had been waiting for us in our cabin on arrival the day before was still chilled and waiting, so we had a nightcap before bed. The champagne, the roses, and the dinner at the Pinnacle Grill were part of Holland America's "Just for Us" package. We buy it when we travel with Holland America primarily because it comes with a guaranteed table for two in the dining room, but all of the other treats that come with it are nice as well, such as bathrobes, massages, framed photos, and high tea. Day 3 >