Early risers this morning were treated to a beautiful sunrise over the ocean as we cruised into the harbor city of Bodrum to visit the 15th century Bodrum Castle that has since been converted into the Museum of Underwater Archaeology. The museum is closed on Mondays but we were granted special access and had the entire facility to ourselves – a wonderful treat not having to fight through the crowds to see the amazing artifacts and displays the museum has to offer. Marine Archaeologist Rebecca Ingram spent several years working at the Bodrum museum and was a fantastic resource as we explored all there was to offer.
After visiting the museum, we had some time to stroll through the local shops and spend our last Turkish Liras as this is our final day in Turkey before visiting Greece. We set sail after lunch, and enjoyed a very relaxing day with calm winds and equally calm seas as we make our way towards tomorrow’s destination, Santorini. It was the second time we’ve watched the sails go up, and what a fascinating display it is. The crew busily runs around the deck preparing the sails, bracing the yards, going aloft to loosen the gaskets and finally trimming the sails, all with such precision and poise.
After a wonderful day at sea, we stop by the Greek Island of Kos and pick up our new guides Gemma and Ellie who will be joining us for the remainder of the trip and bringing to life the amazing Greek Islands we prepare to visit in upcoming days. It’s Turkish buffet night on board, and to our amazement, the chef prepares a 250 pound fresh caught yellow fin tuna. It’s one of the largest fish the ship has ever served, and the sashimi and grilled tuna steaks are absolutely delicious. The two meter fish was so large that it took up half the space of the entire buffet, making this dinner one of the more memorable meals in Sea Cloud history.
