Odessa, Ukraine - 2012 May

This is the land mark of Odessa, Seaport in Black Sea of Ukraine. 192 steps and Mum did it up and down alright. Odessa is a rich town, but not much to see. Yalta is historical town, US, (President Roesvett  羅斯福) ,Uk (Churchchill) CCCP (Stalin) had a meeting here in February 1945, before Germany and Japan surrender. In this meeting, Stalin gained what he wanted. This is one of reasons we had Iron Curtain and communist controlled for so long.

The palace was built by the last Czar of Russia whose whole family was murdered by Communists/Bolsheviks.

Istanbul 2012 - May

After disembarking our cruise in Istanbul, we spent a week in Istanbul. 


We spent 5 hours visiting this mosque and also Sultanahmet Camil (Blue Mosque), Grand Bazaar. This photo I took with my new camera 5D mark 3, using ISO 12,800.  This mosque was built in 500 AD when it was the biggest building in the world.

We visited Topkapi Palace last week ..

and the Ayasofya Museum ..

Athens, Greece 2012 May

My wife and I are on our way to a 20 day cruise on Seabourn Quest in the East Mediterranean and Black Sea. We are now in Athens before boarding. Here we are at the Acropolis.  

Here is a photo of the Seabourne Quest docked in Rhodes