Planning for a Black Sea cruise, Sept. 22-Oct. 2, 2014, my wife, Barbara, and I weren’t interested in tours arranged by the ship, as the number of people in each group would preclude any individual attention. After speaking to a number of people, we learned about ToursByLocals.com (1112 W. Pender St., Ste. 500, Vancouver, BC, V6E 2S1, Canada; 866/844-6783, www.toursbylocals.com).
As a child, I had a very mild case of polio. While I never had any trouble breathing, I did have trouble walking for a few weeks, but after a week or so in the hospital and a few weeks of being carried around by my father, I regained my ability to walk and all seemed well.
Following a barge trip in Burgundy, France, in celebration of my husband, Steve’s, 80th birthday, we flew to Istanbul, then to Antakya (ancient Antioch), located on southern Turkey’s easternmost Mediterranean coast, about 30 miles from the Syrian border.
What was to be a 3-week journey with two other couples turned out to be just the two of us with our wonderful new friend and fabulous, attentive guide, Ümit Dogan, owner of Treasures of Travel (Edmonds, WA; 800/572-0526, www.treasures oftravel.com).
A 16-year restoration of the Virgin Mary Church in Cairo, Egypt, was completed in October.
Once the seat of the Coptic Pope, the church, also known as El Muallaqa, or the Hanging Church, because it sits above the gatehouse of the Babylon Fortress, is one of the most important and oldest sites in Coptic Christianity. It houses 110 religious icons, including one of the Virgin Mary, Jesus Christ and St. John the Baptist that dates back to the eighth century.
On Nov. 10 in Egypt, after four years of renovations, the courtyard area around the Sphinx at Giza reopened to visitors.
Sitting in a horseshoe-shaped courtyard, the Sphinx was carved out of a limestone quarry that was the source of the stone blocks used in constructing the pyramids and temples of the Giza Necropolis. The renovations included shoring up walls of the quarry and repairing cracks in the neck and chest area of the Sphinx.
Morocco has opened its first major museum since becoming independent from France in 1956. Featuring modern and contemporary Moroccan art, the Muhammed VI Museum (Angle Avenue Moulay El Hassan et Avenue Allal Ben Abdellah, 10,000, Rabat, Morocco; phone +212 [0] 5 37 76 90 47, www.museemohammed6.ma [in French only]) opened in Rabat on Oct. 7, 2014, after 10 years of construction.
Its first exhibit, “1914-2014: 100 years of Creation,” includes pieces created within the last 100 years from more than 150 Moroccan artists. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Wed.-Mon. Entry, MAD20 (near $2.30).
Starting on Oct. 1, Tunisia began levying a departure tax of TND30 (near $16) on travelers exiting the country. Visitors to Tunisia did not previously pay any tourism taxes. EGYPT instituted a similar tax in June 2014, adding a departure tax of nearly $25 onto the price of incoming airline tickets.
A new high-speed rail link has opened between Istanbul and Ankara, Turkey’s capital. The 409-passenger trains run at a maximum speed of 155 mph, completing the 331-mile journey in 3½ hours, three hours faster than conventional trains.
Six trains per day depart from Istanbul’s Pendik Station and Ankara Central Station. A one-way ticket is priced at TRY70 (near $32) or, for seniors, TRY35. Purchase tickets at the station or online (https://yolcu.tcdd.gov.tr [in Turkish]).
My husband, Bob, and I took a cruise from Italy to Israel aboard the Azamara Journey of Azamara Cruises (Miami, FL; 877/999-9553).
We had a balcony room, and the trip cost $3,499 per person (plus $137 in taxes), which included gratuities, drinks (but not specialty drinks) and a shore excursion. Insurance with Travel Guard cost $327 each. We purchased air travel through Azamara and ChoiceAir, paying $1,274 each and each getting a ship’s credit of $500.
The Museum of Anatolian Civilization (Gözcü Sokak 2, Ankara, Turkey; phone +312 324 31 60) reopened all of its sections on June 9 after completing restorations begun in 2011.
The museum, which won Best European Museum honors in 1997, contains artifacts from every period of human occupation in Anatolia, from Paleolithic to modern day. Open 8:30 a.m.-7 p.m. daily April through Oct. and 8:30-5:30 daily Nov. through March. Entry, TRY15 (near $7).