TURKEY TO GREECE

But before more from the Regent Seven Seas Voyager, the continued travails of Donald Trump news.  

• First, that hush money trial in New York is making Trump look bad, indeed.
• Second, the state of Arizona indicted eleven Republicans for trying to overturn their election results in November of 2020, now the fourth state after Georgia, Michigan and Nevada.
• Perhaps the most important decision, however, will come after the Supreme Court today hears arguments on whether a former president can be prosecuted for a crime.  I think the Supreme Court will say he is NOT immune, and that they will announce their verdict by early summer, if not earlier, allowing for either the 6January2021 Trump coup attempt trial to occur, or the Georgia case, before October of this year.

Light lunch of salami sandwich, salad and garlic vegetable soup, with rosé wine and beer.

An assortment of dessert items.

We departed Istanbul for Mykonos.  

Had dinner at the French restaurant Chartreuse.  Ordered a mushroom truffle soup with beet root salad, followed by three more appetizers.

Mesclun salad, Truffle Soufflé and Foie Gras something or other, with a Raymond Cabernet Sauvignon.

We heard that there was a COVID outbreak on this ship, so we are now avoiding other passengers.  Did almost nothing else today, for I walked only 1854 steps.

What can I say about Greece that you don't already know?  So a few fun facts.

• Made up of around 6000 islands, but only 200 are inhabited.  We're just stopping at one today, Mykonos.
• Has 18 UNESCO World Heritage sites.
• 80% made up of mountains.
• No part of Greece is more than 85 miles from the ocean.  Piraeus, the cruise port, is about 5 miles from Athens.
• More tourists (33 million) visit Greece than the entire national population (10.4 million).  With a population of 336 million, the USA has 51 million tourists.
• 
  The capital is named after the Goddess Athena, of wisdom and warfare.  Athens has a history of 3000 years, and is the oldest inhabited city in Europe.
• Third largest producer of olives.  Some of these trees were planted in the 13th century and are still bearing fruit today,
• Has more theaters than any other in the world.  After all, the art of acting and theater was born here.
• There are more than 10,000 traditional dances.
• Is one of the world's sunniest countries, with 250 sunny days, or 3000 hours, each year.  Some islands see 300 days.
• There are more archaeological museums , 110, than any other country.
• On the island of Santorini, there is an active caldera which is the only one in the world inhabited.
• 
  It is Graecia, not Greece.  Also, the official name of Greece is the Hellenic Republic, or Hellàs, or Hellàda.
• Greek is one of the oldest languages still in use. Began 5000 years ago.  About equivalent in age to the India Tamil language, which is used by 1863 newspapers today.

• 
  Never on Sunday.  Everything but a few convenience stores is closed.
• Greeks also believe in the evil eye, which is bad luck thought to be transmitted by a malicious glare.  However people wear jewelry of the evil eye to cast off its influence.  Not also that Cycladic house roofs are blue for this purpose.
• In ancient Greece, a unibrow was considered a sign of both intelligence and beauty.

We arrived in Mykonos.

-