The Fleet Report and Daily for Saturday April 29th, 2023

[StLouisCruisers]

Today is Independent Bookstore Day, International Astronomy Day, and International Dance Day
 

There cannot be a crisis next week. My schedule is already full. - Henry Kissinger

Meal Suggestion for today - Paella Verdura
Drink of the Day - Red Greyhound Pinn Tini
Wine of the Day - Kosta Browne Gap's Crown Vineyard Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, California 2015
Destination of the Day - Istanbul, Turkey, Galataport

Today in History:
1990 Wrecking cranes began tearing down the Berlin Wall at the Brandenburg Gate

Ship Locations
 

Eurodam

Seattle, Washington 07:00 - 15:00
 

Koningsdam

At Sea Destination Victoria BC, Vancouver Island, BC Canada eta 4-30
 

Nieuw Amsterdam

Victoria, British Columbia 12:00 - 23:00
 

Nieuw Statendam

Civitavecchia-Rome, Italy 07:00 - 16:00
 

Noordam

At Sea Destination Vancouver, BC Canada eta 5-02
 

Oosterdam

Livorno, Florence-Pisa, Italy 07:00 - 17:00
 

Rotterdam

Amsterdam, Netherlands North Holland 07:00 - 17:00
 

Volendam

At Sea destination Cabo San Lucas, Mexico eta 4-30 
 

Westerdam

At Sea destination Kodiak, Alaska eta 5-02 
 

Zaandam

Montreal, Quebec Canada 07:00 - 17:00
 

Zuiderdam

Oban UK, Scotland 08:00 - 16:00

 

 

 

Sandi for Rich

 

[grapau27]

Good morning.

It is sunny and 59°F here.

Thank you for today's daily reports Sandi @StLouisCruisers

3 interesting days today.

I remember Henry Kissinger making that quote.

Good wishes for quick recoveries for all our unwell Dailyites.

I hope everyone has a great day.

Graham.

[StLouisCruisers]

Good morning friends!  Today it is 55F and clear.  This morning it is clear and will be sunny and 79 with clouds rolling in this afternoon and rain tonight.  Thanks Rich @richwmn for the Daily and Fleet Report information for all of us.  

 

Our days are Independent Bookstore Day, International Astronomy Day, and International Dance Day.  Hurray for indpendents who open bookstores.  You know they have a real love for books because with Amazon out there it's a hard way to make a living.📚  I salute astronomers for their interest in our galaxies, a place they can only see through telescopes and will probably never visit.🔭  LOL!  And for those who love to dance around the world, this is your day to let loose.💃  I bet Henry Kissinger would be going crazy with all the crises we have these days!  And thanks to Rich for his day in history regarding the wrecking of the Berlin Wall in 1990.  What an event that was!

 

Our meal today is Paella Verdura and I'm sure Debbie @dfish will give us great recipes and photos.  That Pinn Tini sounds unique, and another Pinot Noir to taste.🍷  Thanks go to Debbie, Dixie @summer slope and Ann @cat shepard for their work on the food and beverages.  

 

In advance I'd like to thank Eva @superoma for keeping up with the Care and Celebration lists.  Wow, it's been busy this week!  For all on the Care list we pray for your improved health.  I'm really hoping Jacqui has a much better day today.  For all recovering from your surgeries we wish everyone less pain hour by hour and results seen quickly.🙏  Three cheers for the Celebration list!  I hope the cruises are going well and feel your sadness if you're leaving the ship today.  For those embarking what a wonderful day you will have.  Enjoy!  I hear DGS has a soccer game locally today but DS will not be able to attend due to graduation ceremonies at the University.  I failed to ask if he had students graduating, receiving master's or Ph.D.'s (I'm sure he does) but he must be on stage regardless.  It's always an honor to hood a Ph.D. student.  I remember the feeling as a parent when he received his.  A great day for all of them!🎉🥂

 

Today's port is Istanbul, Turkey (or Turkiye).  We have had it here twice before on November 21, 2021 and Dec. 12, 2022.  I'll post the links below and a multitude of pictures.

 

We were honored to take a Black Sea followed by a Holy Land cruise on the Prinsendam in 2014.  It was our first cruise on HAL and what an introduction it was!  We stayed two days in Istanbul so we got to do a lot of exploring around the city.

 

 

 

Here goes Istanbul.  We arrived in Istanbul in late afternoon on Oct. 9, 2014.

 

We had time to get off the ship and walk to a nearby hotel to borrow some wi-fi before dinner.  Thank you Nidya Hotel.

 

The next day we walked across the Galata Bridge to see the Topkapi Palace Museum.  See how close the boats are to the bridge?  In the background you can see Hagia Sophia's minarets.

 

We passed many shops selling spices and Turkish delights.

 

The Imperial Gate entrance to Topkapi Palace Museum.

 

 

We bought a Museum Pass and headed toward the Istanbul Archaeological Museum.  We checked out artifacts on the lawn and entered the Tiled Kiosk to see the pottery and tile displays.  No cameras were allowed in the Archaeological Museum.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then we headed through the Gate of Salutations into the Topkapi Palace Museums which housed everything from jewelry to weapons.  One of the museums had a terrace with a fabulous view of the water.  We walked through the Palace Kitchens and the Imperial Treasury.  So much to see!

 

 

 

 

 

Finally we went to the Harem section of the Palace Museums.  At one time it was occupied by the Sultan, his mother, wives and concubines.

 

 

 

Room for a crowd!

 

Always a nice ceiling to look at.

 

 

From here we went to Hagia Sophia Museum, and then we have the second day in Istanbul to see so I will make a second post as this one will be too long.  May take up the whole first page!  😉

 

Get out there and have a great weekend folks.  Any you may need another cup of coffee by the time I'm finished.  

[StLouisCruisers]

Hagia Sophia museum is up next.  The exterior. 

 

Here's a roadmap for you.

 

some of the interior walkways

 

I've noticed this is one of my older cameras taking photos in 2014 so not of the quality I would like.  Camera have really improved a lot over the last decade or two.

 

 

We saw a lot of people taking photos upwards during our Istanbul stop.  You can see why.

 

 

Marble jar, used on special days to distribute water, according to the inscription below it.

 

This is called the Beautiful Door.

 

See, I did NOT make that up.

 

 

The two of us, 7 years younger.🙁

 

By this time we were exhausted, and so were our traveling buddies so we walked back to the ship.  We walked many miles that day.  Along the way we saw street food called Kestane being sold.  It appears that is roasted chestnuts.

 

 

A place to wash your feet before entering the mosques.

 

Another shop full of spices and confections.

 

Back on the Prinsendam, we had a dancer on the pool deck (belly dancing I believe).  She moved so fast the photos turned out blurry!  We also had local cuisine cooked and set up on deck.

 

 

Those were the days, eh?

 

 

My gosh, we still have the following day to see.  This could take all day to finish!  Sorry if there are too many photos but Istanbul is an important stop on the Black Sea cruise.  

 

[StLouisCruisers]

The second day in Istanbul we decided to take a tram ride to cut down on some miles of walking.

 

We got off at the Grand Bazaar which is known worldwide. 

 

We decided to buy Ren and his brother a Galatasaray soccer jersey.  Of course you know Ren has continued on with soccer and the other let it go.  But it's good to see them continuing on with what interests them.  Here is the salesperson who waited on us and he was happy to pose for a photo. 

 

Inside the Bazaar, which is huge.  You could get lost in there.

 

 

Someone who went to fetch some Turkish coffee for his friends.

 

We walked from the Bazaar to the Blue Mosque named after the many blue tiles that decorate the interior.  It was built in the early 1600's.  

 

We waited in a long line to enter the mosque.

 

Here are the rules.

 

An entrance to the courtyard

 

If you're going to pray you stop here first.

 

 

Inside we took off our shoes and the ladies wore head coverings.

 

 

 

That is what everyone was looking up at.

 

I'm not sure why this room was empty, but I think those darker lines in the carpet are to help people position themselves for prayer.

 

Looking up one of the columns.  The metal supports were added to add the lighting, IMO.

 

Tiles everywhere

 

 

Leaving the Blue Mosque, we put on our shoes and headed to the Hippodrome where we viewed the Walled Obelisk and the Obelisk of Theodosius.  In addition there is a gazebo-style German fountain that adorns the square.

 

 

 

Incredible tile work inside the gazebo.

 

By then we decided to head back to the ship to rest.  So here's a last look at the Blue Mosque.

 

Freshly squeezed pomegranate juice.

 

Later that day it was time to leave Istanbul.  It wasn't the prettiest of days, but we still spent time on deck watching us sail away.  Next stop - Batumi, Georgia!  

 

 

Thanks for your patience.  Time to get on the treadmill and I hope everyone has a wonderful Saturday.

[grapau27]

16 minutes ago, StLouisCruisers said:

Hagia Sophia museum is up next.  The exterior. 

 

Here's a roadmap for you.

 

some of the interior walkways

 

I've noticed this is one of my older cameras taking photos in 2014 so not of the quality I would like.  Camera have really improved a lot over the last decade or two.

 

 

We saw a lot of people taking photos upwards during our Istanbul stop.  You can see why.

 

 

Marble jar, used on special days to distribute water, according to the inscription below it.

 

This is called the Beautiful Door.

 

See, I did NOT make that up.

 

 

The two of us, 7 years younger.🙁

 

By this time we were exhausted, and so were our traveling buddies so we walked back to the ship.  We walked many miles that day.  Along the way we saw street food called Kestane being sold.  It appears that is roasted chestnuts.

 

 

A place to wash your feet before entering the mosques.

 

Another shop full of spices and confections.

 

Back on the Prinsendam, we had a dancer on the pool deck (belly dancing I believe).  She moved so fast the photos turned out blurry!  We also had local cuisine cooked and set up on deck.

 

 

Those were the days, eh?

 

 

My gosh, we still have the following day to see.  This could take all day to finish!  Sorry if there are too many photos but Istanbul is an important stop on the Black Sea cruise.  

 

Great photos Sandi.

Lovely photo of you and Dennis.

Graham.

[ski ww]

We were also on that Black Sea cruise in  2014, we did a private tour in Istanbul.

 

[summer slope]

Red Greyhound Pinn Tini cocktail:

 

Ingredients
2 parts Pinnacle® Original Vodka
1 part DeKuyper® Triple Sec Liqueur
2 parts Pink Grapefruit Juice

Instructions
Shake with ice and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with an orange slice.

 

[puppycanducruise]

Good morning.  Thanks for the Daily and Fleet Report.

 

It's a rainy day here.

 

A great collection of days.  It's hard to find an independent bookshop anymore, but when you do, they're great.  Astronomy is a fascinating subject.  Maybe I'll dance today.

I remember Kissinger.

The meal sounds good, looking forward to seeing recipes.

The drink sounds tasty, hope the wine is too.

Thanks for the pictures of today's port.  We were supposed to be there in 2020, but unfortunately that cruise was cancelled, maybe someday we'll get there.

 

Prayers for everyone.

Have a wonderful day.

 

 

[ocean sounds]

Thank you all, for the fleet, daily, F&B, and port pictures! 
 

I hope you all dance your way across this Saturday, and take a few moments this evening to appreciate the stars in the sky.   Perhaps drop in  a bookstore and pick up a book that catches your eye.

 

Cheers and smiles to all traveling or celebrating, and prayers for all in need. 
 

[marshhawk]

Good Saturday Morning Dailyites!

 

@StLouisCruisers I love your pictures.  I was talking with an AZ patron the other day, and she said, of all the places in the world to go, Istanbul to her was the most beautiful.

 

@Quartzsite CruiserI hope that you are safe from the storms, and that all is good there, but did you have to send them to Atlanta?  They are to get here tonight.

 

DH said last night that he wanted to get up early for a donut run, as it was an F1 race weekend.  The alarm went off at 6....one of us is up.  And a race starts at 7:30, we will watch the replay, and I start work at 9:30...as far as I know.  I havent checked recent texts.

 

 

[cat shepard]

Thank you Sandi & Rich for today’s R & D! It is a bit overcast, so we may get the predicted storms. But the local fawns have the zombies, so I am enjoying watching them while I have breakfast. 
 

Thank you Eva, for taking on our Care & Celebration lists while Vanessa is off cruising and vacationing. Dixie, I hope your kitty is doing better, now that your house has calmed down a bit. @bennybear, Brenda, it was great to see your posts. Happy to read you are doing well.

 

Zumba, Bindi walks and then prep for tonight’s dinner. My hydrangea has a host of blossoms, just in time to grace the table. 
 

 

 

This is how I feel after hanging up from a “customer service” rep, after clicking a bunch of options and then holding for a long time. 
 

 

Prayers for all who need our support. @marshhawk Annie & Chuck thinking of you. I know yesterday had to be tough, but you gave Irving the greatest gift of all.
 

Cheers to all who are celebrating! Get well and stay well everyone!

 

***********

Kosta Browne Gap's Crown Vineyard Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, California 2015

This wine sounds lovely, and fairly easy to find. But it comes with a price outside of my budget. I found numerous online distributors with prices starting at $76.67 on an online auction site or $95.00 on a fixed price distributor’s site.

Winemaker Notes

Stunning aromas of blueberry, blackberry, lavender and ripe strawberry. Full body with super fine tannins that are compressed and extremely long.

JS97 James Suckling

Blueberry, blackberry, lavender ,and ripe strawberry. Stunning aromas. Full body, with super fine tannins that are compressed and extremely long. It goes on for minutes. Even better in 2020.

WW93 Wilfred Wong of Wine.com

The 2015 Kosta Browne Gap's Crown Vineyard Pinot Noir is a nifty wine. TASTING NOTES: This wine slides nicely on the palate and finishes with a bright aftertaste. Its brightly-focused aromas and flavors of ripe red fruits flow effortlessly. Pair it with a pan-fried, thick pork chop. (Tasted: July 10, 2019, San Francisco, CA)

WS90 Wine Spectator

Rich and spicy, with a dense core of extracted dark berry, mocha, spice, cedary oak and loamy earth notes. Packs a lot of flavor into a style that will benefit from short-term cellaring. Drink now through 2023.

Edited April 29, 2023 by cat shepard

[summer slope]

Ann @cat shepard, thank you for your concern.  She is doing well, pain seems to be gone for now.  Just hoping the meds will give us more much time with her.  At 17.5 years old I know the time is coming.

[rafinmd]

Thank you Rich, Sandi, Eva, Debbie, Dixie, and Ann.  I won't dance and can't think of any independent bookstores in my area and astronomy is fascinating.  I often feel like Kissinger and good riddance to the wall.  I have no idea what the meal is.  My alternative is Orange and Avacado Salad, New York Strip Steak, and Cherry Crisp, as served on MS NIeuw Statendam April 29, 2019:

 

 

Roy

[RedneckBob]

Thanks for the Fleet Update and General Info SLC. Great photos!

 

National Astromony Day. To celebrate I will observe the heavenly bodies tonite. 😳

 

We were in Istubul in October 2013. Did a Princess all day tour. Because of the heavy traffic arrived back at ship at 7 pm. Even though scheduled departure was 5 pm!

[superoma]

Saturday April 29 care and celebration list

 

Roy recovering from pneumonia and getting stronger

Jodiesme1 mother and Her DH with Covid in Guatemala 

Mamaofami’s dh with pneumonia but improving

Lazey1 getting colitis flair under control before cruise

Cruising sister toe issues needing to clear before cruise

Cruzn single stepson with melanoma and other issues

Kazu recuperating

Cruzn single recuperating 

Crabby Patti caring for DF  who is no longer ambulatory

St Pete cruise in Hawaiian hospital

 

Too many shooting victims

Citizens of Ukraine and the Sudan 

Evacuees from Sudan 

 

From the rotation:

 

Tanya’s pulmonary issues

Summer Slope’s friend with a brain injury

Scrapnana getting chemotherapy

NextOne needing valve surgery 

 

Celebrations

 

Rafinmd’s good report from the Oncologist, Podiatrist and Pulmonologist

Vict0riann’s week in Ireland

Cruzn single stepson with successful non cancerous tumour removal

NextOne not needing any procedures, July cruise is on!

Luvteaching DH making progress on mobility

Dobiemom extending her sleeping to 6+ hours

Dfish DS retiring and moving in!

Fleet week in Fort Lauderdale

Surgery date for smitty34877 DH

Father David on a pilgrimage for 3 weeks (May 21)

Bennybear feeling better

 

Welcome back sailingdutchy 

 

 

Many Dailyites cruising or with upcoming cruises

 

 1 day Lobsternight anniversary cruise and vow renewal (Nieuw Amsterdam 4/30 to 5/7)

3 days for HAL4NOW (Koningsdam 5/1 to 5/6)

3 days Cruising-along (Koningsdam 5/1 to 5/6)

4 days Lazey1 (Volendam 5/2 to 5/10)

4 days Sharon in az (volendam 5/2 to 5/10)(5/10 to 5/17) 

 

 

 Cruising

 

Oceansaway17 (Vision of the Seas to 5/1)

Lady Hudson (Anthem of the Seas to 5/1)

St Pete Cruiser (Noordam to 5/2), 

TiogaCruiser (Volendam to 5/2), 

Overhead Fred’s Anniversary cruise (Rotterdam to 5/6), AV8rix (Volendam to 5/6), 

Dismomx5 (Volendam to 5/6), 

USN59-79 (Westerdam to 5/7), 

Cat in My Lap, Gail&Marty, Richwmn and HorizonChaser1957 (Zuiderdam to 5/12), 

Sharon in AZ (Volendam to 5/17) at sea

Jazzyv cruise (celebrity apex) and vacation to 5/28

[Denise T]

Good morning, everyone! Thank you for the Daily and Fleet Report. 

Lover all of the pictures, thank you for those. 

Today it is a chilly and rainy day. Yesterday a storm came through and a tree came down on my across the street neighbor's property. 

Because of the rain, I have decided to start packing for my cruise. With 29 days to go, I need to start. 

Keeping everyone in my thoughts today. 

Have a safe and healthy day. 

[rafinmd]

Today's sunrise is from a 2013 Crystal Symphony trans-Pacific cruise from Kobe to Vancouver.  On April 29 we arrived in Vancouver,

 

 

Roy

[GTVCRUISER]

Good Morning 🙂 from San Diego 

[Mr. Boston]

Good morning everyone from a cool and overcast Boston. We still have a few independent bookstores here but not as many as we used to.  I always enjoy the photos that astronomers publish of their new discoveries.  Don’t think I’ll be doing any dancing today.  Funny quote by Kissinger, I’m sure we all feel that way from time to time.  I’m guessing that I would like today’s meal suggestion but probably not the drink.  We will be in today’s port for an overnight in October, trying to decide how to spend our time as we arrive at 2pm and leave at 9am.  I am really enjoying the photos.  Prayers for everyone on our prayer list.  Cheers to all of you celebrating happy events!

[cruising sister]

Good Saturday morning. I am enjoying the sun coming through the window and waiting for DGS to wake up. The poor boy will be lost when I am gone for almost a month. Who am I fooling, I will be lost too. I am letting him choose (like always) where to go to eat breakfast. It is his favorite thing to do on a Saturday morning. When it was dark in the morning he thought we were eating in the middle of the night. 
 

Prayers for those in need. Have a great Saturday everyone. 
 

 

[RMLincoln]

Thanks for all the pix of Istanbul!  We did two days of ship tours there. They looked daunting but were excellent. We saw everything we could, including a boat ride on the Bosporus. It rained a lot but they were so well organized. Figured we’d never get back so we absorbed as much as possible. So glad we did. Great to relive it through Sandi’s pictures! 
 

🙏Blessings for all on the Cares List, and each one of you for being here!  
 

🥂Cheers to all celebrating!  Life is Good!  
 

Smooth travels to all away, Bon Voyage 🎈to those embarking!  Many thanks for sharing your preparations, your experiences… brightens our time in the mundane and deepens our connections!  
m—

[Seasick Sailor]

Good morning Dailyites. 

A cool, windy morning here. Our storms seem to be over for now. My girlfriend was driving back from Austin during the hail storm and said it sounded like bullets hitting her car. Our little bird made a good nest in our rose bush. She was on it through the storm and she never left it.

 

Thanks Sandi for those unbelievable pictures. I would love to visit there someday. 

 

I love to star gaze. When I was little I would go outside and lay on the lawn and watch the stars. I saw many falling stars. I currently have the star tracker app on my phone.

 

 

Prayers lifted to our Daily family. The growing list makes me sad. 

 

Today is a good day for Farmer's market and lunch. Just a quick stop at the grocery and we will be having steak and a salad later.

 

Have a blessed day. Be kind.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Thanks for the info.

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

Good morning from a chilly, windy and sunny central Texas.  I thought I'd post my pictures from Istanbul, and then finish reading the Daily.

 

We were in Istanbul on September 24, 2008, on the Prinsendam as part of a Black Sea cruise.  That morning we anchored and used shoreside tenders.  When we returned from our tour, the ship had docked.

 

Istanbul from the ship

 

Even the Turks, but probably the Ottomans, were not above taking treasures from Egypt.

 

Our first stop of the day was the Blue Mosque.  We had to remove our shoes, but were given a bag to carry them.  This is the area where the faithful wash their hands and feet.

 

Inside the mosque

 

 

The Blue Mosque in the distance

 

Our next stop was a rug showroom, however, after a necessary stop, we told our guide we were headed to the Grand Bazaar and would meet them at the bus pickup point.  This is the street outside the rug store and a gate nearby.

 

 

The Grand Bazaar

 

 

 

Topkapi Palace was the next stop on the tour.

 

 

 

The palace kitchens from the outside.  We did not have a chance to tour the kitchens.

 

Our final stop of the day was the Hagia Sophia

 

 

 

One of the "residents" of the Hagia Sophia

 

I don't remember the name for this feature, but if you put your thumb in the hole and could rotate it 360 degrees without it coming out of the hole, you were supposed to have good luck.

 

The area around the port as seen from the Prinsendam.

 

Istanbul at night.  Sorry the picture is a little fuzzy.

 

Lenda