Posts Tagged ‘Mediterranean’

Greece – Delphi

{ January 25, 2010 @ 12:55 am } · { Travel, Travel Greece }
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We spent our last day in Greece on a tour to Delphi, the holiest city in ancient Greece and supposedly the center (navel) of the world, where two eagles sent by Zeus from opposite ends of the universe, met. We visited the Sanctuary of Apollo, the site of the first panhellenic games and where the famed navel stone is located. It was a well-known worship site for the god Apollo, after he slew the Pytho, the deity who protected the navel of the earth. It was a nice walk uphill, albeit a bit hot, from the roadside to where the chariot races were held. In between, we saw the theatre, the treasury and the remaining columns of the Temple of Apollo. We later walked through the museum, where we saw many athletic statues, early musical notation and golden treasures.

Greece – Santorini

{ January 24, 2010 @ 11:59 pm } · { Travel, Travel Greece }
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Finally, we were on approach to the Lost City of Atlantis, Santorini. Ahhhh….Santorini. It was amazingly beautiful, with its colored rock formation and steep terrain. Unlike any other island, we were informed a half hour in advance of our approach, to go to the upper deck for a photo op. It didn’t disappoint!! Since the cruise ship was too big, we couldn’t dock at the port. Instead, we took transfer boats to shore. Once there, we had three options to get to the top — walk, take a gondola or take a donkey. Because it was a hot day, we decided not to walk and since we felt somewhat adventurous, we decided to take the donkey up to the top. It was definitely the right decision. We didn’t have to walk up the same path as the donkeys and negotiate the poop, yet it was somewhat of a thrill, especially when a herd of donkeys were coming down as we were trying to go up. I’m a bit surprised that our donkey didn’t turn back and head for the bottom with the others. Three quarters of the way up, our donkey refused to go any further. After walking most of the 500 steps to the top, they donkey was tired and hot and just wanted us to get off. I don’t blame them….

Once at the top, it was the most amazing view. We walked around the island and it was very pictureque, with the domed churches and rugged terrain. Every way you turned was another photo op, even down to the decor of the patios, with ceramic pots and even a rowboat. The ocean appeared silvery at times because of the lighting from the sun. Some of the people were uninhibited, walking around topless on the decks of their apartments. Santorini has it all…beauty, serenity, great weather, great restaurants….and a perfect view of the Mediterranean. It was an amazing place.

As the sun set in the Mediterranean and the moon rose above the island, we knew we’d be back. The next morning, we would awaken and be back at the port of Athens. However, we will always remember this amazing cruise to the Greek Islands of Mykonos, Patmos, Crete and Santorini and Kusadasi, Turkey.

Greece – Patmos

{ January 24, 2010 @ 7:13 pm } · { Travel, Travel Greece }
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From Kusadasi, the next port of call was Patmos, Greece, where we walked up to the Monastery of St. John the Theologian. In the hot sun, the walk seemed endless, negotiating through parts that were not paved as we walked up the hill. At time, we weren’t sure whether the road would lead directly to the Monastery or whether we’d hit a dead end. But at all times, we made sure that we could see the port so as not to lose our bearing. Through it all, however, the views were magnificent. Looking up, we saw a spectacular view of the monastery. Looking down, it was a beautiful view of the port.

The monastery was amazing. It consisted of a series of interconnected buildings and courtyards, many of which have architectural interests. One set of staircases would lead to another courtyard or arcade. Each was unique and beautiful. The bell tower was very interesting and the church that was counstructed out of stone was exceptionally beautiful, especially against the blue skies of the Mediterranean.

The walk down the hill was a piece of cake. In many ways, walking gives you a better perspective of an area than riding a bus. We experienced the terrain and were able to capture photos that could only be caught if you’re not constrained.

Before heading back to the ship, we stopped in the town to get a drink and some ice cream. The town consisted of a series of narrow streets, flanked with outdoor cafes and shops. It was very relaxing, as we watched the people walk through, looking for souvenirs to buy. That evening, we dined in the maing dining room of the cruise line. The food, again, wasn’t great…the lamb was a bit dry (and that’s hard to do with lamb) and the baklava wasn’t the best. However, the entertainment was great. As the waiters sang twist and shout, we waived our napkins and had a great time. It was the perfect end to the evening.

The next morning, we’d be in Crete….

Turkey – Kusadasi

{ January 23, 2010 @ 11:18 pm } · { Travel, Travel Turkey }
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From Mykonos, we set sail to the port of Kusadasi, where because of the distance to the attractions, it left us no choice but to take a tour. Our first stop was to the Virgin Mother Mary’s House, where it is believed that the virgin Mary lived after Jesus’ death. It now serves as a Catholic shrine, and a nun with a beautiful voice sings ‘Ave Maria’ as the many visitors to the house rotate through. The guide told us emphatically that we weren’t allowed to take photos while inside the house — or something bad would happen to us on the premises. Naturally, we complied — why risk that, especially at the House of Lords, of sort.

After walking through the house, we drank some ‘holy water’, which is purported to have some healing properties. We then passed through an area known as the ‘prayer wall’, where you can hand some paper and make a wish. The grounds outside the house were beautifully maintained and very serene. Shhh, it’s a very solemn place.

Our tour then took us to the ancient city of Ephesus, where we saw the Library of Celsus, the theater and the Gate of Augustus. It was an amazing excursion. Every step that we took was a step in history — we even sat on toilets that were used back in the ancient days. It was here that we learned about the origin of the Hippocratic Oath and how the snake became the symbol for medicine. Today, the stone tablet with the snake is in tact in its original form at Ephesus. Legend has it that Hippocrates got very sick and didn’t think that he would make it. To die a faster death, he wanted a snake to bite him to put him out of his misery. Instead of dying, he was cured. I’m still uncertain whether certain kinds of snake blood is used to cure certain ailments, but hey, it sounded good when we were touring the site.

After a half day of touring Ephesus, we were suckered into a high pressure sales pitch for Turkish carpets. It was a show, of sort, with the salesmen rolling out carpet after carpet, almost in a circus-like environment. Bam! This is double knotted, made of wool. Bam! This is double knotted made of silk. Bam this! Bam that! Nothing else compares….this is the best! What can I do to interest you in this? What colors do you like? What patterns? What material? On and on….They were offering free drinks, free desserts, etc. Meanwhile, they wanted tens of thousands of dollars for these carpets…..and they wouldn’t let us leave!! We were suckers, listening intently to the entire sales pitch. We should have followed some of the smarter visitors…and left with them early on…..

Needless to say, we hurried back to the ship so that we wouldn’t get suckered by anyone else along the way….

Greece – Mykonos

{ January 18, 2010 @ 5:23 am } · { Travel, Travel Greece }
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Our cruise ship, the Aegean Pearl, left the Port of Pireus midday and sailed first to the Port of Mykonos. En-route to Mykonos, we had our first meal aboard the ship. It most certainly didn’t deserve any ‘oohs and aahs’. It was just okay….especially since we were expecting great food on the cruise ship and furthermore, Greek food is supposed to be delicious. Disappointing, at best….but that wasn’t the primary reason for going on this cruise….we wanted to experience as much of the Greek Islands as possible in as little time as we had. Therefore, when we go back to Greece, we’ll know where to stay.

As we set sail, we found the Mediterranean to be amazingly blue….must richer in color than the waters off Hawaii. It was incredible. As we then approached the island of Mykonos, we noticed consistent architecture throughout the island — white stuccoed homes with a tiled roof — typical of the Mediterranean, but beautiful nonetheless.

We love to walk, so we decided to walk up the hill among the cars and busses that use the same lanes to transport visitors….it was a bit awkward, with no shoulder, so we decided to turn back half way up. The view, however, was worth the experience.

We made our way back to the downtown area and walked through the charming narrow streets of Mykonos. These streets did not have a fixed pattern so you could easily get lost in the maze. We finally made our way out to the famed windmills, located at the end of the pier. These windmills are very unique, the tops of which look like men with bad haircuts. The blades appear to be made of thin wires, which leads to me believe that they’ve never been functional, but just there for the aesthetics. Someone can tell me otherwise….

We had a drink at one of the Venice-like restaurants right on the water. It was so romantic and very beautiful as the sun set over the Mediterranean. The next day would take us to Kusadasi, Turkey.