A memorable Thanksgiving in Turkey

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Many a year, I've hosted Thanksgiving dinner party at my house. One November, a newsletter landed in my email box with an incredible deal. Renaissance Cruise was offering a 5-day Mediterranean cruise from Istanbul, Turkey to Athens, Greece, with a 2-day stay at a 4-star hotel in either city, and included airfare from New York City. It was a last minute thing, so the price for the whole package was less than the airfare to Istanbul alone! I called my husband right away. Vision of the movie "Midnight Express" danced on his mind, so he hesitated on Turkey but was thrilled about visiting Greece. Good deals are irresistible; I made the reservations the next day. We would be spending our Thanksgiving holiday in Turkey.

We drove from Boston to New York City to catch our flight to Istanbul, Turkey. At the JFK International Airport, we exchanged some money just in case we needed some Turkish Liras for tips or a taxi. Fifty U.S. dollars instantly turned my husband into a multi-millionaire! We later learned that Turkey's inflation was spiraling out of control, to the point where even the locals preferred to hold U.S. dollars. Every day, the exchange rate fluctuated violently, sometimes by as much as 6,800 liras! Everything was in millions of liras, a number so cumbersome the locals didn't even bother to use the last three zeros.

We arrived in Istanbul, Turkey after a nine hours flight. Renaissance representatives waiting at the airport whisked us away to our hotel. After checking in, we attended a welcome briefing, where we picked up information about the cruise and all the available tours. Renaissance Cruise was a family of ships designed to provide excellent service, fine dining, reasonable prices and exotic ports-of-call. Our ship The Renaissance R1 was the first in a series of eight 684-passenger ships.

Thus began our exciting adventure in Turkey. Our hotel, located in the outskirts of Istanbul, overlooks the Sea of Marmara. On our first evening, we walked around the neighborhood, and anticipated some good food at a local restaurant. Our Turkish friends back home had introduced us to their delicious cuisine, so we were undaunted. We managed to get someone to give us restaurant recommendation. At the restaurant, we just went up to the display case that was showcasing all kinds of meat and fish, and pointed to what we wanted. Our meal of mixed grilled chicken and fish served with vegetables were excellent. The unfiltered coffee, however, was not something we could get used to.
The next day, we went on a whirlwind tour to see the highlights of Istanbul. Our first stop was the Basilica cistern, which provided water for the Imperial Palace. The underground cistern with Medusa column bases might appear familiar to some people, as the James Bond movie "From Russia with Love" was filmed on location here. Next, we toured the impressive Topkapi Palace, where sultans and their harem lived during the heydays of the Ottoman Empire. Spice lovers would love the intoxicating aromas of the herbs and spices at the Egyptian Spice Bazaar.

Later that afternoon, we took a taxi and went out on our own to explore the Grand Bazaar. Incidentally, the opening motorcycle chase scene of the new James Bond movie "Skyfall" was filmed on the rooftop of this market. We had read about the Grand Bazaar, but nothing prepared us for the astounding size of this medieval looking market. With over 58 covered streets and 1,200 shops, you can literally get lost in the maze. The bazaar is organized by specialty. There is a lane lined with leather goods, another with carpets, another selling only jewelry, and so on. Between them are a few restaurants and cafes. We bought a pair of leather jackets; they were much cheaper in Turkey. Then we wandered into the carpet alley and went into a store. The shopkeeper sat us down, offered us some tea, and asked us some questions regarding our preferences on colors, patterns, and size. Then he proceeded to give us a lesson on carpets - the knots, the type, and the stories behind them. His assistants began to unfurl one carpet after another. As soon as we made a gesture, the carpet was set aside. We were off to some serious carpet buying. At the end of the show/entertainment/education, we bought two small rugs. We paid good money for them, and probably got ripped off since we are hopeless at bargaining. Our friends had recommended the Blue Mosque, and when the store merchant also insisted that we went before the mosque closed for the evening, he volunteered his friend to drive us there. Since we didn't want to carry the carpets with us, he suggested that we left them at the shop and pick them up later. We took his advice, but when we returned to the Grand Bazaar, we could not find the carpet store! We were sure we got scammed. After going round and round the labyrinth of shops for what seemed like hours, we finally found the store. We picked up our carpet and left the bustling market; we had enough excitement for one day.

Our ship was supposed to leave Istanbul on a Wednesday evening. It was timed so that the R1 will pass through the Straits of Dardanelles between 7 am and 9 am the next day, Thanksgiving Day. The Dardanelles is a body of water that is 38 miles long with a width varying from four to three quarters of a mile separating the continent of Europe from the westernmost tip of Asia Minor. This strategic strait was the site of naval conflicts over the years. The ancient city of Troy, best known for the legendary Trojan War, lies southeast of the Dardanelles. Unfortunately, due to some technical difficulties, we did not cast off from Istanbul until the next morning. By the time we reached the straits, we were enveloped in complete darkness. We could barely see outside the ship, much less the straits.

Luckily, we had plenty to do. It was our first day on the R1. We spent the day exploring the ship, getting our bearings around our "home" for the next five days. The dining options on this cruise were different from other cruise lines. The R1 had four restaurants, two of which needed an advance reservation, if you wanted to dine there. Most of the restaurants had open seating, mostly with tables for 4 to 6, and a few for 2. Much to our delight, the dress code was casual. Our first day at sea was Thanksgiving Day, and we were excited to learn that they would be serving a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. We sat with two other couples and shared stories about our experiences we had had in the city. They were better at bargaining than we were. As for our dinner, the chef did a good job serving up a pretty authentic Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings. We like cranberry sauce on our turkey, and that was the only thing missing.

From Istanbul, we cruised to Kusadasi, Rhodes and Crete before disembarking in Athens, where we stayed on land for another two days. Overall, it was a fantastic trip. As it turned out, my husband discovered he liked Turkey better than Greece. New experiences will change your thoughts and feelings about places. So, when traveling, keep an open mind!

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dardanelles
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Bazaar,_Istanbul

Did you know?
Istanbul is the only metropolis in the world that is situated on two continents.

Travel Experiences: Celebrating St Patricks Day in Savannah, Georgia

This article was originally published on the now defunct AssociatedContent.com in 2009

Eight years ago this March, my husband and I embarked on a cruise of a lifetime. We had bought a boat in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and were bringing her home to New England. After traveling out in the Atlantic Ocean for several days, we decided to “stop and smell the roses” and cruise in the more protected waters of the Intracoastal Waterway or ICW, a part canal, part natural waterway that runs from Miami, Florida to Norfolk, Virginia.

Our timing couldn’t have been more perfect, as spring was in the air at every port of call we visited. This was our first time in the South. We had no idea what to expect, but we were about to experience the gracious southern charm and hospitality that the south is synonymous with. We pulled into a marina in Thunderbolt, a small town 5 miles southeast of downtown Savannah. We had planned to stay for a day or two. The marina manager insisted that we stay the week so we can celebrate the upcoming St.Patrick’s Day in Savannah. To entice us further, he gave us two complimentary nights at the marina. How could we refuse the generosity and the chance to experience such a fun festival? Every morning, the daily newspaper and a box of six melt-in-your-mouth Krispy Kreme donuts were delivered to our boat. Even though we had to give most of the donuts away, this is Southern hospitality at its finest.

The marina manager was right about Savannah having one of the best, if not the best, St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in the country. We didn’t know this at the time, but it is Savannah’s largest annual celebration, and the second largest St. Patrick’s Day event in the United States, with over 400,000 people attending. That is an impressive number considering the population of Savannah is only 132,410 (as of July 2008), according to city-data.com

Savannah celebrates Saint Patrick’s Day like it is New Year’s Eve, only without the fireworks at midnight. Revelers go all out and dress rather outrageously, just begging to be seen. Many not only color their hair, they color their dogs as well! City water fountains are dyed green, and vendors sell all kinds of stuff with a shade of green. And when even the local Chinese restaurant garnished their rice with specks of green, you get the feeling that this festival is big.

The St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Savannah is held on March 17 every year. This year’s parade will be its 186th edition, celebrated with glorious floats, pipe and marching bands, and Irish good cheer. Several streets in the downtown area will be closed to traffic for the famous parade. As you wander the streets to stake out a perfect spot to watch the parade, you walk through beautiful squares dotted with majestic moss-draped oak trees and blooming azaleas. Spring is in the air, and it is absolutely gorgeous.

After the parade, the celebration continues at both City Market and River Street with live music and dancing. The cobblestone River Street overlooking the Savannah River, is lined with pubs, restaurants, and shops. Throngs of party-goers congregate here for live entertainment, contests and games. To consume alcohol outside the restaurants, you need to buy a wristband and must be over 21 years. People cavorting to live music, boats gliding by, River Street is the best place to watch Savannah in its most festive mode.

We loved Savannah’s St Patty’s Day celebration so much we went again the following year. After hosting the parade 185 times, Savannah does a mighty fine job and sure knows how to throw a party and have a jolly good time. Y’all have fun. Cheers!

Sources:
city-data.com.
https://atlanticintracoastal.org/