R. Doug Wicker's Blog, page 122

54 Days at Sea — Sinop Castle

[image error]

Sinop Castle

There are two castles in Sinop. One is right next to the cruise port. The second, which is much more impressive and vastly more photogenic, is about a twelve-minute walk west northwest, across a narrow isthmus connecting Sinop to the rest of Turkey. I’ll just let today’s photos speak for themselves on this great site. Click on any image below to bring up today’s slide show/gallery:

54 Days at Sea — Sinop sights

[image error]

Sinop, Turkey

Ursula and I visited several areas around Sinop, traveling exclusively on foot. One of the first places we saw, because of its close proximity to the cruise port, was the Sinop Castle. Expect more images of this amazing castle on Wednesday.

[image error]

Sinop Castle

The Black Sea waters near the castle offer some stunning colors.

[image error]

Black Sea color

On this visit the streets of Sinop were brightly decorated with proud displays of the Turkish flag.

[image error]

Sinop

A fun place to visit for a taste of the ol...

Fun Photo Friday — 54 Days at Sea; Trabzon and Sinop favorites

[image error]

Prinsendam’s Flying Bridge in Trabzon

Today’s Fun Photo Friday I present some favorite images of Trabzon and Sinop:

[image error]

Sinop Balcony

[image error]

Sinop Splash

[image error]

Rainbow Tricycles

[image error]

Kristina Regina Anchor

[image error]

Sinop Tomatoes

[image error]

Trabzon Sunset

54 Days at Sea — Sinop, Turkey

[image error]

Sinop panorama

It is with regret that I must report that the ship we took on this voyage, Holland America’s “Elegant Explorer” the M.S. Prinsendam, was recently sold to German cruise line Phoenix Reisen. The ship has been leased back by Holland America and will cruise with that line until July 1, 2019, and which time it will become part of the Phoenix Reisen fleet. Anyone who has taken a Grand Voyage segment on this ship is going to certainly miss her. Alongside M.S. Prinsendam this day in po...

54 Days at Sea — Trabzon, Turkey

[image error]

Trabzon, Turkey

M.S. Prinsendam arrived at the Turkish Black Sea port of Trabzon on April 21, the day after bidding farewell from Batumi, Georgia. The day was cloudy with intermittent rain, so I didn’t get a whole lot of photography in that day. Even the views from the port were a bit uninspiring:

[image error]

Trabzon, Turkey

[image error]

Trabzon, Turkey

And here’s a view of the town taken from the decks of the M.S. Prinsendam:

[image error]

Trabzon, Turkey

Off the ship and walking the streets we found this pedestrian shopping area...

Fun Photo Friday — 54 Days at Sea; Batumi Favorites

[image error]

Reflections in Batumi Waters

Batumi is a really fun place to explore with a camera. There is just so much to see, colors to capture, and compositions to frame. As such, you’ll notice that today I have considerably more photographic favorites in today’s Fun Photo Friday. Enjoy!

54 Days at Sea — Batumi Sights

Let me begin today’s blog article by wishing my U.S. readers a very happy 4th of July celebration.

[image error]

It’s 9:22 according to this Batumi sundial

Walking around Batumi is an interesting experience. There’s a stark photographic contrast between new and old, sound and dilapidated. The church below is the Batumi Cathedral of the Mother of God. Originally built as a Roman Catholic church, the Soviets converted it into a high-voltage laboratory. In 1989 the building regained its religious function, bu...

54 Days at Sea — Arriving to Batumi, Georgia

[image error]

Medea and the Golden Fleece

M.S. Prinsendam arrived at our next destination of Batumi in Georgia the following morning, April 20. I found this Black Sea destination a lot more welcoming and photogenic than Sochi, Russia. Here you could explore on your own, free from the mandatory escorted tour required in Russia.

[image error]

Batumi, Georgia

Batumi sits upon the site of the ancient Greek colony Bathys (meaning ‘Deep Harbor’) in the kingdom of Colchis. Colchis plays a significant role in the classic epic p...

Fun Photo Friday — 54 Days at Sea; Sochi Favorites

[image error]

Seeing the Light

Here are some favorites from our brief time in and around Sochi, Russia:

[image error]

Wools and Ursula Taking a Break

[image error]

Modern Sochi

[image error]

Ursula Climbing Akhun Tower

[image error]

Sochi Reflections

[image error]

Meeting of the Minds

54 Days at Sea — Akhun Tower and Stalin’s summer dacha

[image error]

Stalin’s summer dacha

Outside Sochi are two interesting stops. The first we’ll look at today is Mount Akhun, atop which stands the Romanesque-inspired Akhun Observation Tower.

[image error]

Akhun Observation Tower

This tower was built in 1936 by architect Sergei Vorobyev. Akhun Tower is approximately ten stories tall, but when you add to that the height of Mount Akhun, then you’re talking an elevation of 2,297 feet/700 meters.

[image error]

Akhun Observation Tower

In front of the tower you’ll find this fun little piece...