Black Sea Cruise with the Klocke Family: to Greece (Meteora Monasteries, Thessaloniki), Turkey (Kusadasi, Istanbul, Trabzon, Sinop), Russia (Socchi), and Ukraine (Sevastopol)
Photos taken October 1, 2010 - October 12, 2010

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Kyleen and Kevin relaxing on our balcony.
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Our wonderful cruise suite for the four kids!
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Double vanity, and a shower/tub and a second stand-up shower. Great for sharing with four people!
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Our wonderful cruise suite!
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Our wonderful cruise suite!
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One of the two pools on the ship.
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Sailing away from Athens, the cruise begins!
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Kelly and Mom Klocke ready for dinner number one!
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Saturday, October 2: Landing in Kusadasi, Turkey.
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Another ship in Kusadasi's port.
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Visiting the ruins of Ephesus, from ancient Greek and Roman times (500BC - 600AD).
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Ephesus
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Ephesus theater
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Ancient pharmacy engraving
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Ephesus
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Ephesus
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Different capitals that used to top columns.
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Ephesus
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Ephesus
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We visited the Terrace Houses which still had walls and friezes and amazing intricate mosaic floors.
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Terrace Houses at Ephesus
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Mosaic floor
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Mosaic floor
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Mosaic floor
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Terrace Houses at Ephesus
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Ephesus library
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Ancient toilet ruins!
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Cat saying hello.
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The library building.
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Jay, Kelly, Kevin and Kyleen!
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Ephesus' ampitheater
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As we were leaving, we passed a bride and groom getting photographed at the site.
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We were very amused at the signs signifying "Genuine Fake Watches". Isn't that a paradox?!
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Let there be light! (Jay leading worship at a church in Sirince).
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The town of Sirince, on a hillside.
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View of Kusadasi's seafront and our cruise ship.
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Our ship is the one on the left, and was considerably larger than the one on the right, even though this photo doesn't make it look that way!
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Sunday, October 3: the Meteora Monasteries!
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Meteora Monasteries
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From one of the monasteries, looking down at the town of Kalambaka.
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Meteora Monasteries
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From one of the monasteries, looking down at the town of Kalambaka.
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Meteora Monasteries
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Trying to make the wind blow so that the flag would look better.
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I wanted to push this rock over. Nobody else would let me!
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Meteora Monasteries - view as our bus made its way to the next monastery.
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Meteora Monasteries
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Meteora Monasteries
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Meteora Monasteries
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We climbed all of those steps to get to the top of the next monastery. About 315 steps there and 315 back. Piece of cake!
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Meteora Monasteries
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Meteora Monasteries
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In the old days, supplies and people reached the monasteries via this rope+pulley+basket system. I wanted a ride!
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Meteora Monasteries
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Meteora Monasteries
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More cats saying hello.
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Meteora Monasteries
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Meteora Monasteries
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Stopping for a family photo!
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Meteora Monasteries
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Falling off the cliff
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Freeze frame.
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Freeze frame.
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Freeze frame.
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Meteora Monasteries.
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Goodbye, Meteora Monasteries. So amazing and beautiful!
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Stopping at Kalambaka for lunch before a two hour bus ride back to the ship.
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Ready for dinner, waiting on the girls.
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And now they're ready for dinner, too!
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Monday, October 4: Thessaloniki, Greece.
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Thumbs Up! No idea what the advertisement says, by the way.
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Fortress at the top of Thessaloniki.
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View of Thessaloniki from the fortress.
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Everyone stopping for a photo - it was cool and damp today - Kelly stole my hat!!
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Thessaloniki from the fortress.
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It didn't feel so good when the bells started going off.
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Church in Thessaloniki
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Attack of the birds!!
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Attack of the birds!!
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Church in Thessaloniki
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Formal Night number 1
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Formal Night number 1
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Formal Night number 1
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Formal Night number 1
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Formal Night number 1
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Formal Night number 1
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Formal Night number 1
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Formal Night number 1
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Formal Night number 1
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Formal Night number 1
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Kelly's main course: quail, chicken and mashed potatoes. Verdict: chicken > quail. Quail just tasted like poor quality dark meat chicken.
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Jay's main course: Two filet mignon's, mashed potatoes (and some ignored vegetables). Verdict: fantastic! I believe I ate 8 filet's on the trip! (And some form of beef every single night!)
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Gobble gobble.
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Dad Klocke ready to play some cards.
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Kevin playing cards.
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Kyleen playing cards.
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Mom Klocke playing cars.
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Jay playing cards.
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Kelly playing cards.
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Tuesday, October 5: Arriving in Istanbul, Turkey!
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Arriving in Istanbul, Turkey
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Arriving in Istanbul, Turkey
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Arriving in Istanbul, Turkey
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Pretty Mosque in Istanbul.
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The New Mosque(Yeni Camii) in Istanbul.
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Istanbul is a bustling, bustling city. People and life everywhere!
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Street vendors selling interesting-looking bread.
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We visited the Suleymane Hamam - which is a traditional Turkish bath house.
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The main lobby of the Hamam
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Wooden Klogs - we all had to wear these around the Hamam.
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Ready for our Turkish bath! (We didn't know what we had in store - 40 minutes in a 100+F + 100% Humidity steam room AKA sweat box. Then we a very nice 20 minute massage with cold water and soap.)
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Cemetary in Istanbul.
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Ceiling of a mosque.
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A mosque in Istanbul.
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Fishermen!
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Istanbul as the sun began to set.
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Atop the Galata Tower in Istanbul.
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Atop the Galata Tower in Istanbul.
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Atop the Galata Tower in Istanbul.
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Atop the Galata Tower in Istanbul.
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Panoramic atop the Galata Tower in Istanbul.
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Giant suspension bridge in Istanbul.
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Wednesday, October 6: in Istanbul for a second day!
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Istanbul's Blue Mosque
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tile mosaics in Topkapi Palace
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tile mosaics in Topkapi Palace
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Topkapi Palace
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Topkapi Palace
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Topkapi Palace
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Topkapi Palace
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Topkapi Palace
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Jay getting annoyed at more photos inside Topkapi Palace
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Topkapi Palace
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Kyleen, Mom and Kevin
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Dad and Mom Klocke!
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Topkapi Palace
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Topkapi Palace
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Istanbul
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Kevin and Kelly
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Istanbul
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Break for lunch, me trying not to break down and feed the cat (I failed of course!)
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Hagia Sophia
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The Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet Mosque)
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A mosque in Istanbul
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View of Istanbul from the sky
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Inside the Hagia Sophia
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Inside the Hagia Sophia
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Looking towards the Blue Mosque
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Remains of Christian mosaics inside Hagia Sophia -- originally a Christian church but then converted into a mosque, and now a museum.
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Kelly spinning her thumb for good luck.
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The Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet Mosque)
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Hagia Sophia
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Jay and Kelly in front of Hagia Sophia
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Kyleen, Kelly and Mom Klocke inside the Blue Mosque
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Inside the Blue Mosque
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The Grand Bazaar. I got ripped off here - bought a tee shirt that I was told was size "L". Got home and noticed the "X" in "XL" was filled in with permanent marker. Grr... It still fits okay, though!
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The Grand Bazaar
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The Grand Bazaar
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The Grand Bazaar
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The Grand Bazaar
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These boats were restaurants, but only the workers and the kitchen were on the boat, the people ate on land. I guess it's cheaper to rent water space than land...
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Going on a boat ride -- Kyleen and Kevin
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Going on a boat ride -- Dad, Mom, Jay. Yes, it was cold! I was the first to wimp out and went inside in the lower deck after about 15 minutes.
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Yeni Camii, The New Mosque
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In the background -- our ship. In the foreground -- a twin of our tour boat , the Turyol.
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Flag of Turkey
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Boat ride
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Boat ride
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Dolmabahce mosque
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Boat ride - looks like a nice place to live!
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Boat ride
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Sunset back on the cruise ship
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Formal dinner night number 2. I'm a lucky guy ;)
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So is Kevin.
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And Dad.
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Formal dinner night number 2
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Formal dinner night number 2
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Formal dinner night number 2
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Formal dinner night number 2
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Formal dinner night number 2
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Mmmm -- More filets!
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A lonely fishing boat.
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Friday, October 8: Socchi Russia (after a much needed sea day to rest and relax). A Russian Orthodox church.
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Russian Orthodox church.
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Typical Russian car. We learned that these cars have not updated their look in 40 years. You can buy a 2010 model that looks just like the 1970 model. Amazing.
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Kevin and Kyleen in front of some fun wood sculptures of the seven dwarves
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Fun wood sculptures of the seven dwarves
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We climbed up a tower in the forest for a pretty view of the Caucasian Mountains around Socchi
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Kelly and Jay
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Socchi Russia, for 142 kilometers along the coastline.
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Everyone smiling for a photo
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Going on a hike in a national park to see a waterfall.
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At the waterfall
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The waterfall
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Kelly!
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At the entrance to the park was a hot sulphur spring.
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The hot sulpher spring
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Joseph Stalin's dacha in Socchi (dacha = summer home)
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Kyleen, Joseph and Kevin
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Mom and her new husband Joseph
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Jay playing pool on Stalin's table!
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Old chess set.
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Don't worry, we didn't hit that car.
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Russian wedding attire. And bride smoking a cigarette.
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Our tour guide Yaroslav and Dad. Yaroslav bought Dad a Mountain Dew - his only one on the whole trip! I liked Yaroslav, he was a fellow geek so we talked about technology most of the day :)
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Saturday, October 9: Trabzon Turkey: we spent the day with our new friend Sertac who Kelly arranged on CouchSurfing to show us around
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Heading into the mountains to see the Sumela Monastery. Stopping to see a mini waterfall.
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It was a foggy morning!
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Mom and Dad Klocke
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Walking towards the monastery
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Almost there -- heading into the fog!
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We really appreciated how the fog gave a very mystic feel to the place
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Sumela Monastery - Greek Orthodox monastery built in the 1300s.
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Sumela Monastery
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Sumela Monastery
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Jay taking a yawn break, while he was supposed to be giving perspective to the tiny doors.
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Ducking down to walk through the entrance.
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Friezes on the wall
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Friezes
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Sumela Monastery
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Sumela Monastery
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Rope+Pulley system heading into nowhere.
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Part of our path to and from the monastery, on the way back.
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Trabzon, Turkey
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Our ship was docked in the port very interestingly -- it had to use it's side-engines to swing around and park parallel to the land.
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Trabzon, Turkey
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Soccer and a Mosque.
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Trabzon, Turkey
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Enjoying a lunch and Turkey's national beer, Efes. Received a positive vedict from the group.
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Jay relaxing for lunch.
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Boat harbor in Trabzon.
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This is where we enjoyed our lunch.
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Boat harbor in Trabzon.
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Kyleen ready for dinner
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Jay ready for dinner
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Kelly all dressed up for dinner.
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Jay and Kevin ready for dinner.
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Still killing time before dinner
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Mom and Kyleen
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Sunday, October 10: Sinop, Turkey. Walking along the seafront
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We saw a group of mini-sailboats with children learning how to sail. Made us think of Split - we saw these out all the time!
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Our cruise ship - the Holland America Westerdam.
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Everyone in front of our cruise ship.
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Marina in Sinop
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Marina in Sinop
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Visiting an old prison in Sinop
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Looks like a good ride!
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We left Kyleen and Kevin here because Kyleen wore her Tampa Bay shirt. (She got the last laugh, they won that night).
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Jay getting his workout on in the old jail.
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Jay still getting his workout on in the old jail.
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Statue in Sinop
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A pretty beach in Sinop
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Pretty seafront in Sinop
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Kelly and Mom in Sinop
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Pretty beach in Sinop.
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Kyleen and Kevin
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Jay and Kelly
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all along the edge of the sea near our ship the water was swarming with jellyfish! Never, ever seen this before. Crazy.
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Jellyfish attack!
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Jellyfish.
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We left this guy hanging until we went home, because we liked him so much!
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Monday, October 11: final day :(. In Sevastopol, Ukraine. We spent the day with our friends Jon and Elena, who Kelly and I met in Split! They now live in Simferopol, Ukraine (about 2 hours away) and were so nice to come down and spend the day with us even though we had crappy rainy weather all day.
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Russian Orthodox Church in Sevastopol, Ukraine.
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Statue in Sevastopol, Ukraine.
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Visiting a 360 degree panoramic painting / model of the Crimean War in the 1800s. The horse is painted, but the cart is a 3D model.
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Crimean War panorama
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Crimean War panorama
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Crimean War panorama
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Crimean War panorama
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Wonderful Russian to English translation. Particularly amused by the reference to "batman".
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Walking around Sevastopol
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Walking around Sevastopol
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Giant sculpture commemorating Sevastopol as a Hero City from WWII.
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Our tender boats
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Taking a boat ride to see the Russian Naval Fleet, still docked in Sevastopol.
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Russian Naval Fleet
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Russian Naval Fleet
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Russian Naval Submarine -- we saw one of these in action leaving the harbor in the morning while eating breakfast on our cruise ship.
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This was where the ships get worked on.
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Kyleen and Kevin playing cards during happy hour on the ship.
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Final formal night -- I really am a lucky guy!
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Final formal night
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Final formal night
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Final formal night
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Final formal night
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Final formal night
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Final formal night
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Final formal night
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Final formal night
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Final formal night
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Surf and Turf for Kyleen -- this is what I would order when I'd get two filets. I'd just ask for double the turf!
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Fancy dessert!
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Fancy dessert!
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Amazingly carved watermelon
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Amazingly carved watermelon
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Dragon ice sculpture
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Chocolate boat
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Sailing back by Istanbul on the way back to Athens.
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