2014 - AEGEAN ODYSSEY - THESSALONIKI, Greece

ThessalonikA or ThessalonikI ? That is the question..

The crew are happy to be arriving in ThessalonikI. Free Wi-Fi & cheap money transfer to the Philippines.

This is another of our alternate ports & to get here we had to pass Istanbul, which we did at night & I did not get up to see it. A pity we did not overnight here.

But on the other hand, one of the nice things about sea days is that it has dawned on me that I don't have to get up at dawn for an excursion. Which also means I can stay up late. By late, I mean after 9:15.

This ship turns into the Marie Celeste at 9:30.

At the beginning of any cruise I usually stay up late to see whats going on, watch a show, listen to music etc. & the same on sea days. This cruise was no exception and on one of the first days I had stayed up to let my food go down after dinner, but in the lounge at 10:30 a food trolley comes out with some very tempting offers.

Chocolate covered strawberries ..... MMMMmmmmmm.

Most nights the staff will have to eat up the left-overs as the trolley is hardly touched.

Last night was a sea day & I was up late & had the pleasure of the company of the two Excursion girls. Grace & Layla. We were joined by a male couple & played the Trivia. Grace & Layla were out of uniform for once which was a bit of a distraction ( you will see what I mean tomorrow ) but no excuse for not winning the trivia. We were paying attention in Istanbul & correctly identified the ship docked beside us there two weeks ago as the Orchestra.

Here is the pilot to take us from the Sea of Marmara & through the Dardanelles

Past Gallipoli.

The cruise director stopped clowning for five minutes & broadcast to those out on deck, a very sobering account of the Gallipoli invasion as we cruised slowly past the monuments.

Two thousand casualties, every day, day after day, week after week, month after month - every month for EIGHT MONTHS.

He concluded by naming all the shops sunk as we passed over where they lie.

Now for a tour around the sights of Thssaloniki ..

Alexander?

Silly me - that is Alexander

& this is a museum ..

Saint Stephen - before he had his head chopped off.

Across the road & into a church ..

Out of that church & into another one ... although this one may have been a mosque at some point ..

Down the hill and though the arch

to the bus & back to the ship

Last day tomorrow before getting off in Istanbul the day after.