After such a wonderful day in Sardis we were really looking forward to discovering Kos, a Greek Island in the Aegean Sea.
Today, Monday, we were still in Turkey but in the port of Izmir. It turned out to be a really good day as we went on an excursion to the old city of Sardis and to the Temple of Artemis.
Today could only be an improvement on yesterday and all its irritations. We had a wonderful day discovering Istanbul as the ship remained in the port until that evening.
We were quite excited for today as it was the day that we would begin our first cruise, from Istanbul to Rome. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a very frustrating day.
After a delicious breakfast at the independent restaurant which we could access directly from the hotel. The staff, one of whom was named Aphrodite, were really friendly and helpful.
Eleven months ago, at the beginning of July 2023, we booked back-to-back cruises, for May/June 2024, with Oceania Cruise Lines sailing from Istanbul to Rome and then Rome to Seville in Spain.
The more we have travelled over the last 20+ years, the use of digital gadgets has increased dramatically.
Our 33-day visit to Europe was drawing to a close. We had one more place to see, the Fortress of Sagres (pronounced Sargresh), on the SW tip of the Algarve, Portugal.
After exploring the eastern section of the Algarve yesterday, we drove westwards today.
Today we travelled in an easterly direction to Villa Real de San António and then, across into Spain to the city of Huelva, about 3okms into Spain. (see map at this link)