Around the Black Sea Asia Minor, Armenia, Caucasus, Circassia, Daghestan, the Crimea, Roumania

Set aboard a steamship that criss‑crosses the Black Sea, this memoir immerses the listener in a portrait of the region’s bustling ports and the mosaic of peoples who sail them. The author records the chatter of Turks in red fezzes, Persian travelers in black lamb‑wool hats, Albanians in white turbans, and a parade of European tourists, each described with gentle humor that brings the deck to life. Alongside the vivid passenger tableau, the narrative sketches the shifting skylines of Batoum, Tiflis, and Odessa, framing each city with concise notes and lively anecdotes.

From the ornate mosques of Baku to the stone‑capped monasteries of Armenia, the journey unfolds through a series of postcard‑like letters, each punctuated by sketches of local dress, market stalls, and mountain vistas such as Mount Ararat. The writer’s keen eye captures both grand architecture and everyday scenes—a coffee peddler on the deck, a Georgian dance troupe, a Circassian gentleman—offering listeners a textured sense of place. Though the voyage remains in its stages, the tone promises further discoveries among the diverse cultures that line the Black Sea’s rim.