Up early, we managed to stuff our suitcases full of our purchases and get ready to go. We had an hour before our transportation to the airport, so we took a walk from the hotel to Taksim square. Being Sunday morning - everything was closed, the traffic was at a minimum and there werent even a lot of people on the streets - what an amazing contrast of the days before!
As we drove to the airport it struck me that we were still in Istanbul proper and had been driving for like a half hour - its totally huge. When they tell you that you need 2 hours at the airport they arent kidding! It took us that long to get through all the security. First you clear security to get into the airport - then through passport control again - then to get to the gate area and then once again at each gate. Mind you we didnt have to take our shoes off once!
We got through our two flights home and arrived with totally confused body clocks - exhilirated and exhausted all at the same time.
I've made lots of observations on the past week or so. Most of the quirky just like me! For example, there is a huge difference in what Americans and Europeans consider proper personal space - we're used to much more room between people. Also, I noticed that many American travellers have this sense of entitelment going - kind of strange - like its ok to be demanding or not respectful because they werent from there - really really sad, and a bit embarrassing. The people in Greece and Turkey could not have been kinder or more pleased to share their cities with tourists. It really got to me how young our country is, and as rich as our history here is, there is a whole world to be seen that brings time into different perspective. Of course one Geek observation: the internet is much faster in the US! Many more ridiculous things that I'm sure will come out in conversation as I start to process all our adventures.
Most important observation - what fun my mother is to travel with. She can make conversation with absolutely anyone and they all find her charming and loveable like I do. We laughed a lot, we shared stories about ourselves that the other didnt know. We embraced our differences and used them to our advantage. Adam - my nephew asked me via webchat the first day on our trip if Grandma and I were still getting along - well Adam, the answer then and now is we got along great! This was a week of memories that I will cherish forever.
It was a blast on every level but at this point I'm happy to be home!
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Istanbul - Day 2
Our cruise at an end we gathered in one of the main areas of the ship waiting for our group to be called to disembark. Everyone was grouped according to their plans - if they were taking a day trip, going to a hotel, were with a group or on their own etc. Imagine the torture - we were LAST. Seriously people we had an entire Grand Bazaar to take on and it was already open - c'mon let us off this ship already! We said our thank yous and goodbyes to the crew we had met and took our bus to the hotel to drop off our bags. Sounds pretentious I know - we were staying at the Ritz - but that was far from the expensive options for after cruise packages! Once again the word opulent doesnt really begin to describe this hotel. Sprawling marble floors, beautiful views, just sheer luxury - kind of cool, although my goal was get checked in and get back to the Bazaar which is exactly what we did.
There are blocks upon blocks of stores in this place. Rows and collections of anything you could imagine. Sterling silver jewlery and accessories, ceramic works of art, belly dance costumes, pillows, pashminas of all types, camel bone boxes, intricate gold and gem jewelry, and some of the most amazing leather pocketbooks (including designer copies that rival the originals). Not to mention turkish carpets. It's just dizzying! After a bit, you cant figure out where you are going or where you've been. Armed with my calculator and my allocated bazaar spending money we were off! You don't know what to buy first - you start looking one place and something out of the corner of your eye catches your attention. The bargaining is fun - they give you a price, you shake your head and act horrified, they ask you what you want to spend, you tell them and they look instulted - so you start to walk away and then it begins until you find a fair middle ground. All the same time trying to convert turkish lira into dollars to figure out what you're really spending. We tried to be mindful of what we were getting - especially after trying to pick up our suitcases leaving the ship - but you get so swept up in the whole process - truly its a blast.
We joked about trading Mom for something really good, but I quickly noticed she was able to get much better bargains than me - be it more respect for elders -or that she's just way better at the whole bargaining thing than me or more likely that we were just having so much fun together there was no way she was going anywhere! We took a break and sat at one of the little food courts in the marketplace and had a bite to eat - the people watching is amazing too.
We decided that it was time to explore the spice market - can you imagine, there was more than one of these places?! Of course we were back to "just 10 minutes" if you walk - which was more like 20, but once again the mass of people in the streets and all the sites along the way made it all part of the adventure (ok we didnt really want to be in those crazy taxis too much either). If you cook, or even if you dont, the spice market it just unreal. You're just surrounded by exotic sights and scents - not to mention like 5 different kinds of saffron for the choosing! Spices, grinders, teas, turkish coffee, candies, nuts. You select your spice, they measure out the amount and vacuum seal it right there for you. We finally ran out of steam, and strength to carry anything more and headed back to the hotel - we had been at it for like 6 hours!
We had a quick snack in the hotel - what a view - you overlook the Bosphorous and all the shipping traffic on it, while eating typical turkish dishes - just another savor the moment experiences.
Our shopping adventures finished, we opted for a bit more of a cultural experience....a real Turkish bath. Everyone will tell you its amazing and wonderful, but they kind of skim over the details so you don't really know what to expect. Talk about your true mother and daughter bonding experience...You start out by taking a steam bath - yikes it is HOT in those things - hotter than the ones at home I'm quite sure. Then you go into the haman - it's all marble. There's a marble platform type thing in the middle where you lie down. All of a sudden you are douced with hot water - the attendant just starts soaking you up and down with bowl and bowl of water. Then...the scrubbing begins - not gentle - really hard exfoliating scrubbing - turkish loofah perhaps? Who knows! They scrub every inch of your body - I'm talking every inch! You flip over and the whole thing starts again as you are scrubbed head to toe. I'm thinking this is a good way to wash off the marketplace for starters. Mind you, your eyes are closed - between trying to relax and not get water in your eyes, so what you feel next is just silky and smooth getting rubbed into your body. At one point I opened an eye and saw what it was - bubbles - like 3 feet high of bubbles. Mom opened her eyes at about the same point and be became damn near hysterical with laughter - all you could see was a bubble mound but you knew there was a body under it! Rinse the bubbles and flip back over to do the other side. Next you sit up and they pour water over your head - and do your face and your hair. Then you stand up and they rinse you again. I'm telling you they dont really miss anywhere. In spite of the modesty issues this is a pretty amazing experience. It's a very old ritual and you are cleansed on the most literal of levels. All I can tell you is that not only were we really refreshed - our skin was really soft too (well what did you expect after the top layer was removed!). You go back out into the waiting area and relax and dry off until you're ready to leave.
We were at this point too tired to even think about going anywhere else for the day...and the anticipation of getting back home started to stir....our trip was really coming to an end....
There are blocks upon blocks of stores in this place. Rows and collections of anything you could imagine. Sterling silver jewlery and accessories, ceramic works of art, belly dance costumes, pillows, pashminas of all types, camel bone boxes, intricate gold and gem jewelry, and some of the most amazing leather pocketbooks (including designer copies that rival the originals). Not to mention turkish carpets. It's just dizzying! After a bit, you cant figure out where you are going or where you've been. Armed with my calculator and my allocated bazaar spending money we were off! You don't know what to buy first - you start looking one place and something out of the corner of your eye catches your attention. The bargaining is fun - they give you a price, you shake your head and act horrified, they ask you what you want to spend, you tell them and they look instulted - so you start to walk away and then it begins until you find a fair middle ground. All the same time trying to convert turkish lira into dollars to figure out what you're really spending. We tried to be mindful of what we were getting - especially after trying to pick up our suitcases leaving the ship - but you get so swept up in the whole process - truly its a blast.
We joked about trading Mom for something really good, but I quickly noticed she was able to get much better bargains than me - be it more respect for elders -or that she's just way better at the whole bargaining thing than me or more likely that we were just having so much fun together there was no way she was going anywhere! We took a break and sat at one of the little food courts in the marketplace and had a bite to eat - the people watching is amazing too.
We decided that it was time to explore the spice market - can you imagine, there was more than one of these places?! Of course we were back to "just 10 minutes" if you walk - which was more like 20, but once again the mass of people in the streets and all the sites along the way made it all part of the adventure (ok we didnt really want to be in those crazy taxis too much either). If you cook, or even if you dont, the spice market it just unreal. You're just surrounded by exotic sights and scents - not to mention like 5 different kinds of saffron for the choosing! Spices, grinders, teas, turkish coffee, candies, nuts. You select your spice, they measure out the amount and vacuum seal it right there for you. We finally ran out of steam, and strength to carry anything more and headed back to the hotel - we had been at it for like 6 hours!
We had a quick snack in the hotel - what a view - you overlook the Bosphorous and all the shipping traffic on it, while eating typical turkish dishes - just another savor the moment experiences.
Our shopping adventures finished, we opted for a bit more of a cultural experience....a real Turkish bath. Everyone will tell you its amazing and wonderful, but they kind of skim over the details so you don't really know what to expect. Talk about your true mother and daughter bonding experience...You start out by taking a steam bath - yikes it is HOT in those things - hotter than the ones at home I'm quite sure. Then you go into the haman - it's all marble. There's a marble platform type thing in the middle where you lie down. All of a sudden you are douced with hot water - the attendant just starts soaking you up and down with bowl and bowl of water. Then...the scrubbing begins - not gentle - really hard exfoliating scrubbing - turkish loofah perhaps? Who knows! They scrub every inch of your body - I'm talking every inch! You flip over and the whole thing starts again as you are scrubbed head to toe. I'm thinking this is a good way to wash off the marketplace for starters. Mind you, your eyes are closed - between trying to relax and not get water in your eyes, so what you feel next is just silky and smooth getting rubbed into your body. At one point I opened an eye and saw what it was - bubbles - like 3 feet high of bubbles. Mom opened her eyes at about the same point and be became damn near hysterical with laughter - all you could see was a bubble mound but you knew there was a body under it! Rinse the bubbles and flip back over to do the other side. Next you sit up and they pour water over your head - and do your face and your hair. Then you stand up and they rinse you again. I'm telling you they dont really miss anywhere. In spite of the modesty issues this is a pretty amazing experience. It's a very old ritual and you are cleansed on the most literal of levels. All I can tell you is that not only were we really refreshed - our skin was really soft too (well what did you expect after the top layer was removed!). You go back out into the waiting area and relax and dry off until you're ready to leave.
We were at this point too tired to even think about going anywhere else for the day...and the anticipation of getting back home started to stir....our trip was really coming to an end....
Friday, October 17, 2008
Istanbul - Day 1
I was so excited about arriving in Istanbul I barely slept the night before. We actually pulled into port an hour early - anticipation magick perhaps? As the ship moved down the Boshporous and Istanbul came into view once again I had to remember to close my mouth. The landscape is just massive - and a mix of very old and very new with mosques and palaces intermingling with modern buildings. Crazy as we're on the ship you look out to one side and its Asia, the other Europe (kind of has that whole New York - New Jersey thing beat!). One of the first sounds we heard was the call to prayer - this is just overwhelmingly emotional for any religion. So beautiful and you knew that an entire city was being united in ritual, and respect for ritual by those who didnt follow the same path.
Our first order of business was to find an English speaking taxi driver. Harder than we thought, but our luck continued - we found a fantastic guide, or what we found out was a guide team. We wound through the streets of the new city in Istanbul - much more cosmopolitan than I imagined it would be. Talk about busy - there are 10 million people in Istanbul alone! I will say right from the start that the taxis here make boston drrivers look like little old ladies - they come within inches of each other and would just assume hit you if you dont get out of the way. We stopped at a local fish market - talk about fresh seafood - it was like haymarket but by the water. Some of these fish were still swimming in little tubs of water.
We drove over the bridge to the old city - photos will barely do this justice. Our first stop was at Topkapi Palace. It's all so beautiful, our time was limited and we really wanted to see the blue mosque so we walked the gardens on the outside which were just beautiful. Everything is just so old and on a huge scale. Back to the taxi and onward, our driver told us that it was difficult to find a place to park, so we were meeting his brother and he would give us a tour on foot (yeah right a brother - but actually the were brothers and had the family resemblance to prove it). Turns out there are 5 brothers in this family - we met 3 on our journies. As we walked to the mosque, we stopped at one of the many monuments. The mosaic work on the ceiling was amazing. Water faucets surrounded it so that people could drink - and he told us that during festivals, they'll flavor the water with cherry juice for the children.
We made our way to the blue mosque - everyone removes their shoes outside and women cover their head and shoulders. I have never in my life seen anything like this - it was huge and the only way to describe it (and much of our travels in Istanbul) was opulent. The stained glass, the carvings, the detail work - you just didnt know where to look first. The nicest part is that its still in use. Here too, women and men pray seperately - although there was also a place for the sultans family.
Our next stop was the Sultans tombs - this was fascinating. The marker of the sultan's grave is topped with what our guide called a "hat" like a huge white hat that marked the graves of the men. The sultan, his wives, sons, daughters, brother and even some grandchildren all laid to rest together. The respect for heritage is so inspiring here and the Turkish people are very proud to share it with you when you ask about it.
We headed back to our taxi, of course not before stopping at a "friends" shop with beautiful turkish carpets to look at - we werent shocked by this in the least. Actually the owner of the shop had created this amazing mosaic full of pottery pieces on the wall surrounding his store. I asked him about it and he told me that the pieces were collected from all the people that worked for him - and it took 5 years to gather enough for his project. It only took 1 month to complete it though. Very very cool.
Back to our taxi and brother number 1 - we headed to the Grand Bazaar for a quick peek. This place is ridiculous - shop after shop, window after window, wall to wall people, and everyone wanting you to buy something. No prices on anything - we knew it was all bartering, but who knew there was so much. We spent all of a half hour there just checking it out, with plans for our return tomorrow - then it would be serious shopping but for now, it was time for my anticipation to go into overdrive. Thanks to ravelry.com members and the Turkish knitting groups I was able to find the place many said was the best place to go for thats right....YARN. The driver dropped us on the outskirts of what we discovered to be a shopping area and told us which way to head. I had determination, and a piece of paper with the stores name on it and the street it was off of - not to mention my supportive mother. We'd walk for a bit, then I'd show my paper to someone and get pointed in the right direction. We learned that 2 lefts doesnt mean left then left - but rather your 2nd left. We also learned that we had no concept for how many meters ahead something was when they told us. I also discovered that our best chance for people who could help with a few words of English were the guys selling pretzels or chestnuts on the street. I can not begin to describe how crowded the streets are here - mom and I were holding on to each other to make sure we didnt get seperated. We knew were getting closer, more stores full of ribbons and fabrics but I think the "just a little bit further" was probably a good mile plus - but...we found it Kurkcu Han. Wandering through the courtyard and up the steps - there I saw bins of yarn in all sorts of colors and textures. Then I looked to my right and through the door and gasped...bins and shelves from floor to ceiling - I walked in and audibly gasped - there were 3 rooms like this. There was so much to see, and to touch and to take in - our knitting group term of "yarn porn" was just elevated to a whole new level. There was a lovely woman who tried to help me - she spoke no English, I couldnt even remember how to say thank you in Turkish - but we were knitters, we connected on a whole different level. We figured out cotton vs acrylic vs. bamboo etc, and we played charades for things like yardage for a scarf or hat or short sleeve vs long sleeve sweater. I wish I could remember all the different words she tried to teach me - but we both were laughing and smiling at each other and having fun. Of course Mom getting a kick out of me being totally insane with all this fiber in front of me comes in and says "I hate to tell you this but every store in this place has more yarn in it". I about fell over - you mean there's MORE? I brought my purchases up to the register and tried to explain to the two men at the register how excited I was - they figured out I was from the U.S. (big shock - dont think so) but my enthusiasm was amusing to them - they even through an extra skein of one of my selections in. This is the best part - I had more yarn than I could carry and the total purchase was about 47 dollars - are you kidding me?!?!?! It was better than a dream. We made our way through another 4 stores it was so hard to figure out what to buy and how much to get of each and what would it be - so I just abandoned all reasonable thought and went for it - and before I knew it I had more than we could both carry....ooops.
We noticed the day was ending and really wanted to get back to the ship before it got dark so drunk with yarn overload euphoria, we headed back out to the street. Then we realized that not only did we NOT know the word for where our ship was docked, finding people who spoke English was extremely rare in this part of Istanbul. I think we were both a bit uneasy - but there was no way I wasnt getting back to really go through all this yarn, so we knew we'd figure it out. We kept saying "Taxi" and people would point us in the right direction. Smiles really are quite universal - either that or they were laughing at the stupid lost tourists! A mile or so later we found our way to what must have been the transit center and a line of taxis. The answer to "Do you speak English" was always a shake of the head "no" so I pulled out my map of Istanbul that I had from the ship where luckily the local tour person on board had circled where we would be docked - and just pointed. We watched although it probably would have been less frightening if we didnt, as the driver manuvered through Istanbul rush hour - but we started to recognize places we passed earlier in day. He finally did stop to ask a policeman and we got back to the ship - that driver got the biggest tip ever!
Exhusted I piled my treasures onto the table in our room and just laughed...then off to dinner - everywhere we went people wanted to know if I had found my yarn - ok its official - I have an addiction and am very public about it!
We took in a bit of the last show of the cruise - beatles night which was great....but knew it was time to take on the challenge of packing up everything and getting all our suitcases outside our cabin before 11. - I looked at my table of yarn and realized there would be no way to get it all in my suitcase. I'm happy to say mothers always know best - no matter how old we get. My mother in her infinite wisdom and knowledge of my obsession with yarn had packed a canvas tote / suitcase just for this purpose. Yay mom!
We just couldnt believe that our cruise was at an end in the morning.
Our first order of business was to find an English speaking taxi driver. Harder than we thought, but our luck continued - we found a fantastic guide, or what we found out was a guide team. We wound through the streets of the new city in Istanbul - much more cosmopolitan than I imagined it would be. Talk about busy - there are 10 million people in Istanbul alone! I will say right from the start that the taxis here make boston drrivers look like little old ladies - they come within inches of each other and would just assume hit you if you dont get out of the way. We stopped at a local fish market - talk about fresh seafood - it was like haymarket but by the water. Some of these fish were still swimming in little tubs of water.
We drove over the bridge to the old city - photos will barely do this justice. Our first stop was at Topkapi Palace. It's all so beautiful, our time was limited and we really wanted to see the blue mosque so we walked the gardens on the outside which were just beautiful. Everything is just so old and on a huge scale. Back to the taxi and onward, our driver told us that it was difficult to find a place to park, so we were meeting his brother and he would give us a tour on foot (yeah right a brother - but actually the were brothers and had the family resemblance to prove it). Turns out there are 5 brothers in this family - we met 3 on our journies. As we walked to the mosque, we stopped at one of the many monuments. The mosaic work on the ceiling was amazing. Water faucets surrounded it so that people could drink - and he told us that during festivals, they'll flavor the water with cherry juice for the children.
We made our way to the blue mosque - everyone removes their shoes outside and women cover their head and shoulders. I have never in my life seen anything like this - it was huge and the only way to describe it (and much of our travels in Istanbul) was opulent. The stained glass, the carvings, the detail work - you just didnt know where to look first. The nicest part is that its still in use. Here too, women and men pray seperately - although there was also a place for the sultans family.
Our next stop was the Sultans tombs - this was fascinating. The marker of the sultan's grave is topped with what our guide called a "hat" like a huge white hat that marked the graves of the men. The sultan, his wives, sons, daughters, brother and even some grandchildren all laid to rest together. The respect for heritage is so inspiring here and the Turkish people are very proud to share it with you when you ask about it.
We headed back to our taxi, of course not before stopping at a "friends" shop with beautiful turkish carpets to look at - we werent shocked by this in the least. Actually the owner of the shop had created this amazing mosaic full of pottery pieces on the wall surrounding his store. I asked him about it and he told me that the pieces were collected from all the people that worked for him - and it took 5 years to gather enough for his project. It only took 1 month to complete it though. Very very cool.
Back to our taxi and brother number 1 - we headed to the Grand Bazaar for a quick peek. This place is ridiculous - shop after shop, window after window, wall to wall people, and everyone wanting you to buy something. No prices on anything - we knew it was all bartering, but who knew there was so much. We spent all of a half hour there just checking it out, with plans for our return tomorrow - then it would be serious shopping but for now, it was time for my anticipation to go into overdrive. Thanks to ravelry.com members and the Turkish knitting groups I was able to find the place many said was the best place to go for thats right....YARN. The driver dropped us on the outskirts of what we discovered to be a shopping area and told us which way to head. I had determination, and a piece of paper with the stores name on it and the street it was off of - not to mention my supportive mother. We'd walk for a bit, then I'd show my paper to someone and get pointed in the right direction. We learned that 2 lefts doesnt mean left then left - but rather your 2nd left. We also learned that we had no concept for how many meters ahead something was when they told us. I also discovered that our best chance for people who could help with a few words of English were the guys selling pretzels or chestnuts on the street. I can not begin to describe how crowded the streets are here - mom and I were holding on to each other to make sure we didnt get seperated. We knew were getting closer, more stores full of ribbons and fabrics but I think the "just a little bit further" was probably a good mile plus - but...we found it Kurkcu Han. Wandering through the courtyard and up the steps - there I saw bins of yarn in all sorts of colors and textures. Then I looked to my right and through the door and gasped...bins and shelves from floor to ceiling - I walked in and audibly gasped - there were 3 rooms like this. There was so much to see, and to touch and to take in - our knitting group term of "yarn porn" was just elevated to a whole new level. There was a lovely woman who tried to help me - she spoke no English, I couldnt even remember how to say thank you in Turkish - but we were knitters, we connected on a whole different level. We figured out cotton vs acrylic vs. bamboo etc, and we played charades for things like yardage for a scarf or hat or short sleeve vs long sleeve sweater. I wish I could remember all the different words she tried to teach me - but we both were laughing and smiling at each other and having fun. Of course Mom getting a kick out of me being totally insane with all this fiber in front of me comes in and says "I hate to tell you this but every store in this place has more yarn in it". I about fell over - you mean there's MORE? I brought my purchases up to the register and tried to explain to the two men at the register how excited I was - they figured out I was from the U.S. (big shock - dont think so) but my enthusiasm was amusing to them - they even through an extra skein of one of my selections in. This is the best part - I had more yarn than I could carry and the total purchase was about 47 dollars - are you kidding me?!?!?! It was better than a dream. We made our way through another 4 stores it was so hard to figure out what to buy and how much to get of each and what would it be - so I just abandoned all reasonable thought and went for it - and before I knew it I had more than we could both carry....ooops.
We noticed the day was ending and really wanted to get back to the ship before it got dark so drunk with yarn overload euphoria, we headed back out to the street. Then we realized that not only did we NOT know the word for where our ship was docked, finding people who spoke English was extremely rare in this part of Istanbul. I think we were both a bit uneasy - but there was no way I wasnt getting back to really go through all this yarn, so we knew we'd figure it out. We kept saying "Taxi" and people would point us in the right direction. Smiles really are quite universal - either that or they were laughing at the stupid lost tourists! A mile or so later we found our way to what must have been the transit center and a line of taxis. The answer to "Do you speak English" was always a shake of the head "no" so I pulled out my map of Istanbul that I had from the ship where luckily the local tour person on board had circled where we would be docked - and just pointed. We watched although it probably would have been less frightening if we didnt, as the driver manuvered through Istanbul rush hour - but we started to recognize places we passed earlier in day. He finally did stop to ask a policeman and we got back to the ship - that driver got the biggest tip ever!
Exhusted I piled my treasures onto the table in our room and just laughed...then off to dinner - everywhere we went people wanted to know if I had found my yarn - ok its official - I have an addiction and am very public about it!
We took in a bit of the last show of the cruise - beatles night which was great....but knew it was time to take on the challenge of packing up everything and getting all our suitcases outside our cabin before 11. - I looked at my table of yarn and realized there would be no way to get it all in my suitcase. I'm happy to say mothers always know best - no matter how old we get. My mother in her infinite wisdom and knowledge of my obsession with yarn had packed a canvas tote / suitcase just for this purpose. Yay mom!
We just couldnt believe that our cruise was at an end in the morning.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Mykonos
Today was the first morning that I actually felt like we were really on a cruise - waking up and looking out from our balcony, all you could see was water. Sounds silly I know, but each morning we've been in port or almost in port when we got up - you feel very small in a way being this little spec surrounded by nothing but ocean. We went up early to the top deck to walk. On one part of the deck the view was of the setting moon, on another was the rising sun with the Mykonos coming into view. As we waked the track around the ship we saw dolphins swimming along with the ship a bit in the distance. No jumping out the the water like flipper or anything, they were just swimming gently next to us guiding us in. Yep - a very tough way to start the day.
We tendered into Mykonos (look how I just fall into that nautical speak!). I wasnt sure if Mykonos was going to be like Santorini. In actuality, they are quite distinctive from each other. Santorini was round roofs and more affluent in feel. Mykonos is a small fishng village and definitely has that small feel. Much more compact and most of the major parts of the city are all in walking distance of one another. We walked the streets browsing the shops but what is very noticeable is that there are 365 churches here on this little island - one for each day of the year. Each one quaint, beautiful and peaceful. What caught my eye were all the balconies of the houses in various colors and the flowers in bloom everywhere. We toured through the streets and walked up to windmills that are the big architectural landmark here. The power generated from these windmills used to grind the islands grain. Next we went through a section called Little Venice, originally this was a section of town where early ship's captains built their homes on the water with their balconies - but today its shops and clubs. This is a much simpler island, the colors and the life seems a bit quieter, but like everywhere we've been so far the people are really lovely, all very willing to help us figure out where we were on our map and find our way back to where we started.
Time for our last official Greek Lunch - so we opted for a little cafe looking on the water. As we sat eating our greek salads I look up and there is a huge pelican walking by - I mean huge, like the size of a small child. Just strolling down the sidewalk and stopping at a fountain to get some water and clean himself. The story goes that in the 50's a group of migrating pelicans passed over Mykonos, leaving behind a single exhauseted bird. A fisherman, nursed it back to health, and now the locals will tel you that this is still the original Petros the Pelican - we checked and were told that there were actually more, but come on - how often do you get to hang with a pelican. He was a real crowd pleaser - too bad we didnt order fish for lunch!
A few more shops after lunch then back to the ship for some time by the pool - everyone seems to be in relax mode gearing up for Istanbul and all its wonders tomorrow. They really do plan this cruise itinerary perfectly to balance busy and quiet days. Another great dinner this evening with Paula and Arlene. Mom is off to see the show featuring Cole Porter songs and I'm doing my blogging now so I can spend time researching where to go on my great yarn hunt - oh the pressure - people are actually coming up to me and asking if I've found yarn yet! I did sit with one of the tour guides this morning and give him a list of stores I found - but I may be more on my own as he didnt even know the term knitting!
Its sad to think that we're approaching our last cruise day...this week has totally flown by...but lets face it...I'm about as excited as anyone could be to say
Tomorrow ISTANBUL!!!! Look out yarn stores here I come!
We tendered into Mykonos (look how I just fall into that nautical speak!). I wasnt sure if Mykonos was going to be like Santorini. In actuality, they are quite distinctive from each other. Santorini was round roofs and more affluent in feel. Mykonos is a small fishng village and definitely has that small feel. Much more compact and most of the major parts of the city are all in walking distance of one another. We walked the streets browsing the shops but what is very noticeable is that there are 365 churches here on this little island - one for each day of the year. Each one quaint, beautiful and peaceful. What caught my eye were all the balconies of the houses in various colors and the flowers in bloom everywhere. We toured through the streets and walked up to windmills that are the big architectural landmark here. The power generated from these windmills used to grind the islands grain. Next we went through a section called Little Venice, originally this was a section of town where early ship's captains built their homes on the water with their balconies - but today its shops and clubs. This is a much simpler island, the colors and the life seems a bit quieter, but like everywhere we've been so far the people are really lovely, all very willing to help us figure out where we were on our map and find our way back to where we started.
Time for our last official Greek Lunch - so we opted for a little cafe looking on the water. As we sat eating our greek salads I look up and there is a huge pelican walking by - I mean huge, like the size of a small child. Just strolling down the sidewalk and stopping at a fountain to get some water and clean himself. The story goes that in the 50's a group of migrating pelicans passed over Mykonos, leaving behind a single exhauseted bird. A fisherman, nursed it back to health, and now the locals will tel you that this is still the original Petros the Pelican - we checked and were told that there were actually more, but come on - how often do you get to hang with a pelican. He was a real crowd pleaser - too bad we didnt order fish for lunch!
A few more shops after lunch then back to the ship for some time by the pool - everyone seems to be in relax mode gearing up for Istanbul and all its wonders tomorrow. They really do plan this cruise itinerary perfectly to balance busy and quiet days. Another great dinner this evening with Paula and Arlene. Mom is off to see the show featuring Cole Porter songs and I'm doing my blogging now so I can spend time researching where to go on my great yarn hunt - oh the pressure - people are actually coming up to me and asking if I've found yarn yet! I did sit with one of the tour guides this morning and give him a list of stores I found - but I may be more on my own as he didnt even know the term knitting!
Its sad to think that we're approaching our last cruise day...this week has totally flown by...but lets face it...I'm about as excited as anyone could be to say
Tomorrow ISTANBUL!!!! Look out yarn stores here I come!
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Kusadasi
Tonight, as I sit down to recall and blog the day I feel like I've been on a two day journey instead of one - it was packed with adventures. We pulled into Kusadasi Turkey early this morning. Looking out from our deck the architecture and the feeling ae different, beautiful like the Greek Islands we've been to, but you knew you werent in Greece.
We started out early this morning on our tour. Our guide's name was Eti - and I dont think it would be possible to have had anyone better give us an introduction to Turkey. Eti is an art history professor - she shared her knowledge of archeology, religious history, mythology and the culture with us in this radiant fashion that immediately had me in love with this place.
Our first stop was Meyemana, the house of the Virgin Mary. It is believed that after the crucifixion, St. John took Mary to this house and it is from here that she ascended to heaven. Silence is requested as you pass through the home itself and by the beautiful altar and it is truly a moving experience. After you pass through Mary's house, you come to a wall with several faucets that flow with water from the spring there that is believed to be holy and can provide healing etc. People were filling their water bottles, taking drinks etc. At the end of the wall you saw hundreds and hundreds of tissue paper with messages and wishes written on them. Like the Western Wall in Israel, people write their prayers, hopes and dreams and secure them to the wall. There was such peace in this place - it was a great way to start the day.
Our next stop was Ephesus, called the showpiece of Aegean Archeology. Ephesus used to be an important commercial port city about 2000 years ago. Now however it is not on the water at all - centuries of river silt being deposited one layer after the next combined with earthquakes buried the city structures. Only about 40 percent of the site has been unearthed at this point and its estimated that it will take centuries for the rest to be done. Ephesus was built both by the greeks and also the romans depending on the time. It was at times incredibly affluent, more than could be imagined, at other times the occupants were impoverished. Each civilization left its mark on this amazing place. We started at the top of Ephesus - everywhere you look there are artifacts, huge columns, and buildings. The road down the city was and still is all marble and the sidewalks mosaics. There is also a beautiful temple dedicated to Hadrian and a block down from that it was believed that there was a brothel. There were even public latrines - all out of stone. As we continued along we were lucky enough to be able to visit one of the ongoing excavations. This was believed to be the houses of the very wealthy - complete with frescoes, mosaic floors, room after room and multiple floors. It's difficult to remember to close your jaw as you go through these rooms watching small pieces of marble be put back together to form walls and floors. To see what were opulent homes with kitchens and even indoor plumbing. Our tour continued down the marble streets down to the Library of Celsus - a gorgeous two stories of columns. Next onto the Theater which had capacity to seat 24,000 people. It's totally impossible to describe the sheer awe of the entire site - especially when you consider that the two huge hills on each side are just covering up even more of the ancient city.
As if that wasnt enough, our Turkish experience continued with lunch at the Kismet hotel. We sampled local turkish dishes including eggplant, cracked bulgar, grape leaves and a lot of other things that I wish I knew the names of - each better than the next and leaving me with the intention of picking up a good Turkish cookbook before I go home. As part of our lunch we were treated to a performance of traditional Turkish dancers - what a great performance. I found it interesting that the roles of the men and women dancers differed with the women being more regal and subdued while the men were the entertainers. Seriously a huge treat.
Next stop one of the largest Turkish carpet manufactures where not only were we given an education in the different kinds of materials (cotton, wool and silk), we also learned about knot count and weaving types, but treated to turkish coffee as we learned. When we started we sat around this large room with a bare floor and by the time the presentation was over there must have been 30 carpets covering the floor and each others. Silk carpets actually change color depending on the direction you look at them in, and the Turkish tribal pattern carpets have striking similarities to some Native American tribes.
You'd think by that point we would be falling over - we pretty much were, but our tour was over so we now had our first opportunity to hit the Kusadasi Bazaar. One street after another of beadwork and textures; silks and glass; leather in all incarnations. Every merchant talks to you trying to get you to come in and spend money. Going in to a shop and coming out with nothing could be a challenge for some. We practiced our bargaining skills a bit in anticipation for the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul. I think it can get a bit overwhelming. It's hard to know what you've seen, what is a good price, where you've been - but its just so much fun! So - was there yarn you ask? Well the answer is no - Eti told me that the yarn stores were really only in the very residential areas not for the tourists - we just didnt have the time to get there but she assured me that I would find yarn in Istanbul.
Back to the ship for a bit of a rest before heading off to Signatues for dinner. Signatures is the Corden Blue Restaurant on the ship. We had to make reservations when we got on board and its the kind of menu that you cant make any substitutions on. We were seated with a really nice couple that coincidentally we had sat across from on our tour earlier today. We had lots to talk about so dinner was fun. The food was beautifully presented and in true French tradition they even bring all the meals under silver domes and uncover the all at the same time. Yes I know - totally pretentious, but it was fun anyway.
Back to the room to collapse - another amazing day that is best seen through photos (which are all making their way up to flickr each day) We head back for our final day in Greece and then back to Turkey and shopping mecca.
Best comments today both from our guide Eti
- "in the spirit of Carpe Diem (Sieze the day), you never stand in the same river twice"...Ok so I take this as a good reminder to stay in the present, even when you are getting lost in things that are ancient!
- "If someone accepts a cup of coffee from their host in Turkey, in return they owe their host 40 years of friendship" (This is a lovely thought - although perhaps its a reminder to think twice about who you offer coffee to!!!)
Tomorrow Mykanos!
We started out early this morning on our tour. Our guide's name was Eti - and I dont think it would be possible to have had anyone better give us an introduction to Turkey. Eti is an art history professor - she shared her knowledge of archeology, religious history, mythology and the culture with us in this radiant fashion that immediately had me in love with this place.
Our first stop was Meyemana, the house of the Virgin Mary. It is believed that after the crucifixion, St. John took Mary to this house and it is from here that she ascended to heaven. Silence is requested as you pass through the home itself and by the beautiful altar and it is truly a moving experience. After you pass through Mary's house, you come to a wall with several faucets that flow with water from the spring there that is believed to be holy and can provide healing etc. People were filling their water bottles, taking drinks etc. At the end of the wall you saw hundreds and hundreds of tissue paper with messages and wishes written on them. Like the Western Wall in Israel, people write their prayers, hopes and dreams and secure them to the wall. There was such peace in this place - it was a great way to start the day.
Our next stop was Ephesus, called the showpiece of Aegean Archeology. Ephesus used to be an important commercial port city about 2000 years ago. Now however it is not on the water at all - centuries of river silt being deposited one layer after the next combined with earthquakes buried the city structures. Only about 40 percent of the site has been unearthed at this point and its estimated that it will take centuries for the rest to be done. Ephesus was built both by the greeks and also the romans depending on the time. It was at times incredibly affluent, more than could be imagined, at other times the occupants were impoverished. Each civilization left its mark on this amazing place. We started at the top of Ephesus - everywhere you look there are artifacts, huge columns, and buildings. The road down the city was and still is all marble and the sidewalks mosaics. There is also a beautiful temple dedicated to Hadrian and a block down from that it was believed that there was a brothel. There were even public latrines - all out of stone. As we continued along we were lucky enough to be able to visit one of the ongoing excavations. This was believed to be the houses of the very wealthy - complete with frescoes, mosaic floors, room after room and multiple floors. It's difficult to remember to close your jaw as you go through these rooms watching small pieces of marble be put back together to form walls and floors. To see what were opulent homes with kitchens and even indoor plumbing. Our tour continued down the marble streets down to the Library of Celsus - a gorgeous two stories of columns. Next onto the Theater which had capacity to seat 24,000 people. It's totally impossible to describe the sheer awe of the entire site - especially when you consider that the two huge hills on each side are just covering up even more of the ancient city.
As if that wasnt enough, our Turkish experience continued with lunch at the Kismet hotel. We sampled local turkish dishes including eggplant, cracked bulgar, grape leaves and a lot of other things that I wish I knew the names of - each better than the next and leaving me with the intention of picking up a good Turkish cookbook before I go home. As part of our lunch we were treated to a performance of traditional Turkish dancers - what a great performance. I found it interesting that the roles of the men and women dancers differed with the women being more regal and subdued while the men were the entertainers. Seriously a huge treat.
Next stop one of the largest Turkish carpet manufactures where not only were we given an education in the different kinds of materials (cotton, wool and silk), we also learned about knot count and weaving types, but treated to turkish coffee as we learned. When we started we sat around this large room with a bare floor and by the time the presentation was over there must have been 30 carpets covering the floor and each others. Silk carpets actually change color depending on the direction you look at them in, and the Turkish tribal pattern carpets have striking similarities to some Native American tribes.
You'd think by that point we would be falling over - we pretty much were, but our tour was over so we now had our first opportunity to hit the Kusadasi Bazaar. One street after another of beadwork and textures; silks and glass; leather in all incarnations. Every merchant talks to you trying to get you to come in and spend money. Going in to a shop and coming out with nothing could be a challenge for some. We practiced our bargaining skills a bit in anticipation for the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul. I think it can get a bit overwhelming. It's hard to know what you've seen, what is a good price, where you've been - but its just so much fun! So - was there yarn you ask? Well the answer is no - Eti told me that the yarn stores were really only in the very residential areas not for the tourists - we just didnt have the time to get there but she assured me that I would find yarn in Istanbul.
Back to the ship for a bit of a rest before heading off to Signatues for dinner. Signatures is the Corden Blue Restaurant on the ship. We had to make reservations when we got on board and its the kind of menu that you cant make any substitutions on. We were seated with a really nice couple that coincidentally we had sat across from on our tour earlier today. We had lots to talk about so dinner was fun. The food was beautifully presented and in true French tradition they even bring all the meals under silver domes and uncover the all at the same time. Yes I know - totally pretentious, but it was fun anyway.
Back to the room to collapse - another amazing day that is best seen through photos (which are all making their way up to flickr each day) We head back for our final day in Greece and then back to Turkey and shopping mecca.
Best comments today both from our guide Eti
- "in the spirit of Carpe Diem (Sieze the day), you never stand in the same river twice"...Ok so I take this as a good reminder to stay in the present, even when you are getting lost in things that are ancient!
- "If someone accepts a cup of coffee from their host in Turkey, in return they owe their host 40 years of friendship" (This is a lovely thought - although perhaps its a reminder to think twice about who you offer coffee to!!!)
Tomorrow Mykanos!
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Rhodes
We decided to walk the track on the top deck this morning as we pulled into Rhodes. A little cardio while you watch the ship come into port is much better than watching TV on the treadmill! It's hard to describe looking out over what is so ancient and beautiful. Site of the colossus which is no longer here, from a distance it almost looks like a city built of sand castles. Rhodes is a city of two parts - old town and new town. The feel here is much more turkish - probably because it wasnt part of Greece until 1947.
We opted for a leisurely day of walking through Old Town. Still lots of jewelry stores but now there were lots more textiles. Beautiful linens, and woven fabrics (no yarn people - can you imagine!). We watched a woman as she was weaving a rug with this massive loom - the detail is beyond any level of patience I could imagine. Also lots of shops with greek flavors - spices and olive oil products. Mom's note of the day - the olives here are smaller than at home - but tastier!
As we entered old town, we saw a sign for a synagogue - we wove through the streets and found Kahal Shalom, the oldest synagogue in Greece and the only remaining one on Rhodes used for services. We met Schmuel (Samuel) who told us that he had "much too many" generations in his family that passed along their heritage and history and that the Jews in Greece have had a difficult existence. He told us that in 1500 all Jews remaining were expelled if they didnt convert to Christianity. It wasnt until 1522 that the reigning empire invited Jews back to Rhodes to start a new community. At the beginning of the 20th century the jewish population grew and then got smaller and then continued to grow again until it reached 4500. In 1943 practically the entire jewish population were deported to Auschwitz - only 151 survived, one being Schmuel. Now there are only a handful of Jewish people living in Rhodes, but the synagogue is used for holidays. It was an amazing story. The floor was beautiful black and white mosaic, and there is the traditional balcony for women. In what used to be the womens prayer rooms next to the sanctuary, now there is a museum. Beautiful artifacts and even an ancient mikvah (ritual bath). The experience was overwhelming and really moving. History within ancient history.
We continued on through the winding streets - its so easy to get totally lost. Each street branches out into 3 or 4 more. Populated with lots of little cafes and restaurants - its a peaceful pace here.
Next we headed back to the ship for a little time just relaxing back by the pool - today was the first day that wasnt very windy and we really enjoyed a little time doing nothing but soaking up sun. This evening we went to a small get together hosted by Virtuoso. Virtuoso is a group of travel agents that really research and book excellent travel experiences. When we booked this we had no idea that our agent was part of this group, but we've discovered it definitely has had its advantages. Tonight we met the other people booked through virtuoso agents and learned about our excursion tomorrow. We're going to Ephesus and will be able to explore an ongoing archeological dig. We were also told important details - like wear comfortable shoes, a hat, bring an umbrella for the sun and dont try and walk down and talk at the same time! Oh yes most important - make sure you visit the restrooms on the ship before you get on the buses because otherwise there would be a vacation experience that was not on the lovely memories list.
The nice thing about this cruise is that you can choose to sit with whomever you like. Last night we had dinner with Paula and Arlene - tonight we decided to be seated at a "sharing table" to meet some new people. We met two of the nicest couples - one from Kent England and the other from San Francisco. The conversation was flowing and lively (and some even a bit risque but I wont write about that and embarrass my mother). I was entertained all through dinner - not really a big deal until I tell you that everyone at the table was in the 70 plus age bracket except me. (Talk about feeling like a kid at the grownups table!)
We decided to make a quick stop in the casino after dinner and play a few slot machines for fun. Very big gambler I am - I budgeted a whopping 15.00. I'm pleased to report I walked out with 43.00 pretty good return on my investment especially in todays market - what can I say - I wanted a bit extra yarn money.
Another great day...
Tomorrow Kusadasi Turkey
We opted for a leisurely day of walking through Old Town. Still lots of jewelry stores but now there were lots more textiles. Beautiful linens, and woven fabrics (no yarn people - can you imagine!). We watched a woman as she was weaving a rug with this massive loom - the detail is beyond any level of patience I could imagine. Also lots of shops with greek flavors - spices and olive oil products. Mom's note of the day - the olives here are smaller than at home - but tastier!
As we entered old town, we saw a sign for a synagogue - we wove through the streets and found Kahal Shalom, the oldest synagogue in Greece and the only remaining one on Rhodes used for services. We met Schmuel (Samuel) who told us that he had "much too many" generations in his family that passed along their heritage and history and that the Jews in Greece have had a difficult existence. He told us that in 1500 all Jews remaining were expelled if they didnt convert to Christianity. It wasnt until 1522 that the reigning empire invited Jews back to Rhodes to start a new community. At the beginning of the 20th century the jewish population grew and then got smaller and then continued to grow again until it reached 4500. In 1943 practically the entire jewish population were deported to Auschwitz - only 151 survived, one being Schmuel. Now there are only a handful of Jewish people living in Rhodes, but the synagogue is used for holidays. It was an amazing story. The floor was beautiful black and white mosaic, and there is the traditional balcony for women. In what used to be the womens prayer rooms next to the sanctuary, now there is a museum. Beautiful artifacts and even an ancient mikvah (ritual bath). The experience was overwhelming and really moving. History within ancient history.
We continued on through the winding streets - its so easy to get totally lost. Each street branches out into 3 or 4 more. Populated with lots of little cafes and restaurants - its a peaceful pace here.
Next we headed back to the ship for a little time just relaxing back by the pool - today was the first day that wasnt very windy and we really enjoyed a little time doing nothing but soaking up sun. This evening we went to a small get together hosted by Virtuoso. Virtuoso is a group of travel agents that really research and book excellent travel experiences. When we booked this we had no idea that our agent was part of this group, but we've discovered it definitely has had its advantages. Tonight we met the other people booked through virtuoso agents and learned about our excursion tomorrow. We're going to Ephesus and will be able to explore an ongoing archeological dig. We were also told important details - like wear comfortable shoes, a hat, bring an umbrella for the sun and dont try and walk down and talk at the same time! Oh yes most important - make sure you visit the restrooms on the ship before you get on the buses because otherwise there would be a vacation experience that was not on the lovely memories list.
The nice thing about this cruise is that you can choose to sit with whomever you like. Last night we had dinner with Paula and Arlene - tonight we decided to be seated at a "sharing table" to meet some new people. We met two of the nicest couples - one from Kent England and the other from San Francisco. The conversation was flowing and lively (and some even a bit risque but I wont write about that and embarrass my mother). I was entertained all through dinner - not really a big deal until I tell you that everyone at the table was in the 70 plus age bracket except me. (Talk about feeling like a kid at the grownups table!)
We decided to make a quick stop in the casino after dinner and play a few slot machines for fun. Very big gambler I am - I budgeted a whopping 15.00. I'm pleased to report I walked out with 43.00 pretty good return on my investment especially in todays market - what can I say - I wanted a bit extra yarn money.
Another great day...
Tomorrow Kusadasi Turkey
Monday, October 13, 2008
Santorini
Last night we really felt the wind and the water...first you wonder if you've had too much to drink, then you wonder if your heels are too high, then you figure out its just the ship moving. When I got back to the stateroom I immediately felt like I was 16 again trying to be as quiet as I could so as not to wake my mother up...some things never change, she was asleep with one eye open just like when I was a teenager. We just got a major case of the giggles - which only made my not being able to sleep because of my excitement even worse. Santorini has been on my list of place I want to see for a very long time.
We boarded our tender early and headed to Athinos port. There we got on a bus (Mercedes - now thats yet another new experience) and headed up to the village of Oia (pronounced eeeee-ahhh) This is not a drive for anyone afraid of heights - we will not be repeating the error of putting Mom next to the window any more during the day. Along the way you see all the layers of lava , lots of blacks and reds. Volcanic activity is what created santorini - and destroyed Atlantis - really awe inspiring. Oia was one photo opportunity after the next - its all of the images you think of when someone says Greek Islands. White buildings, blue domes, doors and windows of all shapes and colors - so amazing. You can also look down to the center of the Caldera - the water filled crater created by the volcano that all of the santorini islands surround. Originally houses were built into the cliffs - and that architecture is still here today. Totally breathtaking.
Next we wound are way up to the the highest peak of Santorini for a few more photos. Along or journey we were told that thyme and oregano grow in the wild here? It wasnt the season - but I can just imagine the scents. So I took photos while Mom waited safely in the bus (along with probably a third of the others in our group!). From up here you can see all of Santorini! Next we were onto the village of Pyrgos- the traditional village in Santorini. The streets here are like a labyrinth - designed to confuse the enemy. It was beautiful, and incredibly confusing. Even with the blue arrows painted on the stairs and paths it was easy to get turned around - but the views and the sights were just fantastic.
Our next stop was a greek food tasting - a little of everything and really delicious. Back down to the main village called Fira. The views of course were amazing, but the shops - ok I don't believe I've ever seen so many jewelry shops in one place. Each street turned into 2 or 3 others and one window was more sparkly than the next. What restraint I showed - which considering that some of these pieces were a good year's tuition wasnt as hard as I'd like you to believe. But the designs were truly unique and it was fun to see much. The thing with all of the shops is that the way to actually get back down to the port of Fira is that you have to go past them all - smart dont you think?!
Now there are 3 ways to get down to the port. The first is to take a donkey. Cute donkeys - they passed by us...complete with that lovely eau de donkey scent. This was not really an option to us. That leaves the next option - walking down all the steps - nope, rule this out - the steps or path you go down is the same one that the donkeys use - I'll leave the minefield reference to your imagination. Finally there is the cable car - so now we balance the donkey issue with the Sylvia fear of heights issue - round of applause for my mother who not only rode the cable car down, but actually didnt give it a second thought!
Back on our tender to the ship. Tonight we had an early dinner and will head to bed on the early side - jet lag and sleep deprivation win out. I think that this is a day that will speak louder in photos than my typed words - truly I am at a loss.
A few observations to share:
1. Greek and Geek are quite similar - perhaps my affinity and joy at being here has something to do with this?
2. I am quite certain that the stairmaster was invented by someone of Greek heritage - this place is ALL stairs and steps!
3. I have seen jewelry, pottery, glass, statuary, food items but NO YARN yet!
Tomorrow Rhodes!
We boarded our tender early and headed to Athinos port. There we got on a bus (Mercedes - now thats yet another new experience) and headed up to the village of Oia (pronounced eeeee-ahhh) This is not a drive for anyone afraid of heights - we will not be repeating the error of putting Mom next to the window any more during the day. Along the way you see all the layers of lava , lots of blacks and reds. Volcanic activity is what created santorini - and destroyed Atlantis - really awe inspiring. Oia was one photo opportunity after the next - its all of the images you think of when someone says Greek Islands. White buildings, blue domes, doors and windows of all shapes and colors - so amazing. You can also look down to the center of the Caldera - the water filled crater created by the volcano that all of the santorini islands surround. Originally houses were built into the cliffs - and that architecture is still here today. Totally breathtaking.
Next we wound are way up to the the highest peak of Santorini for a few more photos. Along or journey we were told that thyme and oregano grow in the wild here? It wasnt the season - but I can just imagine the scents. So I took photos while Mom waited safely in the bus (along with probably a third of the others in our group!). From up here you can see all of Santorini! Next we were onto the village of Pyrgos- the traditional village in Santorini. The streets here are like a labyrinth - designed to confuse the enemy. It was beautiful, and incredibly confusing. Even with the blue arrows painted on the stairs and paths it was easy to get turned around - but the views and the sights were just fantastic.
Our next stop was a greek food tasting - a little of everything and really delicious. Back down to the main village called Fira. The views of course were amazing, but the shops - ok I don't believe I've ever seen so many jewelry shops in one place. Each street turned into 2 or 3 others and one window was more sparkly than the next. What restraint I showed - which considering that some of these pieces were a good year's tuition wasnt as hard as I'd like you to believe. But the designs were truly unique and it was fun to see much. The thing with all of the shops is that the way to actually get back down to the port of Fira is that you have to go past them all - smart dont you think?!
Now there are 3 ways to get down to the port. The first is to take a donkey. Cute donkeys - they passed by us...complete with that lovely eau de donkey scent. This was not really an option to us. That leaves the next option - walking down all the steps - nope, rule this out - the steps or path you go down is the same one that the donkeys use - I'll leave the minefield reference to your imagination. Finally there is the cable car - so now we balance the donkey issue with the Sylvia fear of heights issue - round of applause for my mother who not only rode the cable car down, but actually didnt give it a second thought!
Back on our tender to the ship. Tonight we had an early dinner and will head to bed on the early side - jet lag and sleep deprivation win out. I think that this is a day that will speak louder in photos than my typed words - truly I am at a loss.
A few observations to share:
1. Greek and Geek are quite similar - perhaps my affinity and joy at being here has something to do with this?
2. I am quite certain that the stairmaster was invented by someone of Greek heritage - this place is ALL stairs and steps!
3. I have seen jewelry, pottery, glass, statuary, food items but NO YARN yet!
Tomorrow Rhodes!
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Day One - Navplion
Our intentions of getting up bright and early were good - but the clock said 9:27 when we got up. We had docked in Nafplion, a resort and retirement town on the Agean Sea.
We bumped into Arlene and Paula, whom we met last night and decided we'd explore town together. Awesome decision! We took our first "tender" from the ship to the shore - they do use the lifeboats - they just call them something else when they're not saving people.
We hired a taxi (most of which are little mercedes) and headed up to the Fort at the top of Nafplion. There are two ways to get to the fort - taxi or steps - all 999 of them. We opted for the taxi (seriously did you expect!). So this was our first real view of Greece - what an amazing site. SO beautiful.
The higher you walked up the more steps you found to go even higher. We actually did go to the very top. Each view was more breathtaking than the next. It was a bit on the windy side (check out the hair in the photos people) I was a little worried my mother was going to blow away! There's just something about knowing that where you are standing was built long ago without any modern construction materials that is totally awe inspiring
You would think getting down would be the easy part - note to self, next time read the sign twice before making a decision! We went left instead of right, and came to stairs - ok no big surprise, there were lots of stairs even at the top, actually we couldnt really figure out why they called it the climb of 999 stairs until this part of our exploring. We started to descend - and kept going, and going - Somewhere about step 260+ we figured this was not the way back down to where our taxi driver was - we confirmed our error by asking people coming up - so around we turned and back up we went. No stairmaster is proper preparation for this - but getting back up to the top was a sense of accomplishment, not enough to go back and try it from the bottom mind you but accomplishment none the less.
So we had spent more time that our taxi driver anticipated - we figure he sold us to another taxi driver and we are forever grateful. our driver was...Adonis....seriously, I swear the guy's name is Adonis - I know there were requests that I bring them home a greek god - I tried, but he likes his home here in Nafplion.
Next stop, back down to town and lunch. Talk about fresh fish - a lot of places had fresh fish on ice at the door so you could actually choose what you were eating. The Tziziki was amazing, and how could I not order a Greek Salad. You would think it's the same as home - nope, totally more amazing.
Back to the ship... Tonights agenda - the captains cocktail party. Not to worry, we hadnt left port yet so it was ok for him to be there. I suppose its like saying hello to the airline captain when you get on a plane - just on a much bigger scale. The fun part was seeing a bunch of people we had met yesterday and talking about what we had done during the day and everyones experiences.
Off to dinner - ok the food is still amazing. They keep the portions small to encourage ordering lots of things to try...(like we need the encouragement). After dinner it was the 70's musical review - where we got to see Lauren and Heather (whom we had dinner with last night) perform. The show was great and only for the sake of amusement, I will admit to having every single song they did on my ipod (I'd be embarrassed but I know many of you have a secret seventies music fetish too - I'm just brave enough to admit it)
Mom's off to bed and I've come up to the computer cafe for a bit to update the blog and put up some photo (and be geek to a few people trying to get online here - no the geek part never goes on vacation).
For the record, no yarn shops as of yet.
Tomorrow Santorini!!
We bumped into Arlene and Paula, whom we met last night and decided we'd explore town together. Awesome decision! We took our first "tender" from the ship to the shore - they do use the lifeboats - they just call them something else when they're not saving people.
We hired a taxi (most of which are little mercedes) and headed up to the Fort at the top of Nafplion. There are two ways to get to the fort - taxi or steps - all 999 of them. We opted for the taxi (seriously did you expect!). So this was our first real view of Greece - what an amazing site. SO beautiful.
The higher you walked up the more steps you found to go even higher. We actually did go to the very top. Each view was more breathtaking than the next. It was a bit on the windy side (check out the hair in the photos people) I was a little worried my mother was going to blow away! There's just something about knowing that where you are standing was built long ago without any modern construction materials that is totally awe inspiring
You would think getting down would be the easy part - note to self, next time read the sign twice before making a decision! We went left instead of right, and came to stairs - ok no big surprise, there were lots of stairs even at the top, actually we couldnt really figure out why they called it the climb of 999 stairs until this part of our exploring. We started to descend - and kept going, and going - Somewhere about step 260+ we figured this was not the way back down to where our taxi driver was - we confirmed our error by asking people coming up - so around we turned and back up we went. No stairmaster is proper preparation for this - but getting back up to the top was a sense of accomplishment, not enough to go back and try it from the bottom mind you but accomplishment none the less.
So we had spent more time that our taxi driver anticipated - we figure he sold us to another taxi driver and we are forever grateful. our driver was...Adonis....seriously, I swear the guy's name is Adonis - I know there were requests that I bring them home a greek god - I tried, but he likes his home here in Nafplion.
Next stop, back down to town and lunch. Talk about fresh fish - a lot of places had fresh fish on ice at the door so you could actually choose what you were eating. The Tziziki was amazing, and how could I not order a Greek Salad. You would think it's the same as home - nope, totally more amazing.
Back to the ship... Tonights agenda - the captains cocktail party. Not to worry, we hadnt left port yet so it was ok for him to be there. I suppose its like saying hello to the airline captain when you get on a plane - just on a much bigger scale. The fun part was seeing a bunch of people we had met yesterday and talking about what we had done during the day and everyones experiences.
Off to dinner - ok the food is still amazing. They keep the portions small to encourage ordering lots of things to try...(like we need the encouragement). After dinner it was the 70's musical review - where we got to see Lauren and Heather (whom we had dinner with last night) perform. The show was great and only for the sake of amusement, I will admit to having every single song they did on my ipod (I'd be embarrassed but I know many of you have a secret seventies music fetish too - I'm just brave enough to admit it)
Mom's off to bed and I've come up to the computer cafe for a bit to update the blog and put up some photo (and be geek to a few people trying to get online here - no the geek part never goes on vacation).
For the record, no yarn shops as of yet.
Tomorrow Santorini!!
On Board!
There's always that moment of truth when you get to your travel destination and you see if its really like all the photos in the brochure. We werent terribly surprised to find that it is exactly like the photos - just beautiful!
The staff is amazing and very friendly. Every cabin on this ship has a balcony - no inside rooms and spacious cabins - one of the reasons we thought it would be a good choice...better than we expected though. Our cabin is just beautiful. We are on the horizon deck at the rear of the ship. Literally our balcony looks out to where we are coming from. Get this - a walk in closet! For the record, both of us unpacked and we still have room in the closet so our attempts to continually edit what we are taking on the trip must have been successful.
We got settled in and decided to explore a bit, we explored the top deck a little - the ship is not a mega huge ship - which is really nice. We know its booked, but there isnt a feeling of crowdedness at all. Our exploration was cut a bit short by the cruise directors announcement (I'm sorry I'm still surprised when the announcement isnt this is Julie McCoy and yes I've dated myself). We needed to return to our rooms and get our life jackets for our lifeboat safety drill. Life jackets are so fashionable. Back up to the lounge, then right hand on the shoulder of the person in front of you as we filed out to the life boats - of course the terminology of "in the unlikely event of an emergency" really helped make us feel all safe and sound, then again, maybe it was the guy sitting with us who was making Titanic and Das Boat references... we all laughed and giggled - the life boats are huge by the way. Over and done with and now out to explore a bit more.
As we set sail, we got a glimpse into the food orgy cruises are known for at the cocktail hour buffet - amazing amazing amazing - although it could have been peanut butter sandwiches - having no clue what day or time it was or what meal we had eaten last we were starving! A few drinks and a little something to eat we walked the deck and met some of the other passengers - especially those we met at the life boat drill now that we were better attired sans orange flotation devices. The views are so pretty - a mix of ancient and new.
Next stop, a reception for people not traveling in groups. We wound up having dinner with a few of the women we met there including two women who are part of the ships production cast - one singer, one dancer. Just so happens that singer is married to the Executive chef of the entire ship - good person to have dinner with dont you think? Great conversation, amazing dinner and a host of tips about the ports we're about to go to.
It's now about 11 p.m. in Greece - makes it 4:00 at home...We've had a total of about 3 hours sleep since Friday morning. What a whirlwind of two days - but we're here and now at sea scheduled to dock at Nafplion in the morning.
Just fantastic!
The staff is amazing and very friendly. Every cabin on this ship has a balcony - no inside rooms and spacious cabins - one of the reasons we thought it would be a good choice...better than we expected though. Our cabin is just beautiful. We are on the horizon deck at the rear of the ship. Literally our balcony looks out to where we are coming from. Get this - a walk in closet! For the record, both of us unpacked and we still have room in the closet so our attempts to continually edit what we are taking on the trip must have been successful.
We got settled in and decided to explore a bit, we explored the top deck a little - the ship is not a mega huge ship - which is really nice. We know its booked, but there isnt a feeling of crowdedness at all. Our exploration was cut a bit short by the cruise directors announcement (I'm sorry I'm still surprised when the announcement isnt this is Julie McCoy and yes I've dated myself). We needed to return to our rooms and get our life jackets for our lifeboat safety drill. Life jackets are so fashionable. Back up to the lounge, then right hand on the shoulder of the person in front of you as we filed out to the life boats - of course the terminology of "in the unlikely event of an emergency" really helped make us feel all safe and sound, then again, maybe it was the guy sitting with us who was making Titanic and Das Boat references... we all laughed and giggled - the life boats are huge by the way. Over and done with and now out to explore a bit more.
As we set sail, we got a glimpse into the food orgy cruises are known for at the cocktail hour buffet - amazing amazing amazing - although it could have been peanut butter sandwiches - having no clue what day or time it was or what meal we had eaten last we were starving! A few drinks and a little something to eat we walked the deck and met some of the other passengers - especially those we met at the life boat drill now that we were better attired sans orange flotation devices. The views are so pretty - a mix of ancient and new.
Next stop, a reception for people not traveling in groups. We wound up having dinner with a few of the women we met there including two women who are part of the ships production cast - one singer, one dancer. Just so happens that singer is married to the Executive chef of the entire ship - good person to have dinner with dont you think? Great conversation, amazing dinner and a host of tips about the ports we're about to go to.
It's now about 11 p.m. in Greece - makes it 4:00 at home...We've had a total of about 3 hours sleep since Friday morning. What a whirlwind of two days - but we're here and now at sea scheduled to dock at Nafplion in the morning.
Just fantastic!
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Taxis, Planes and Busses
All the excitement and anticipation seemed to make for endless days of waiting. I think with each hour closer to our departure the minutes actually went by slower.
Our adventures started right from the tax ride to the airport. I mean, how often do you get a taxi driver who is really a multi millionaire who supports himself and his family by playing blackjack. A better card counter than all those kids from MIT that they just did that movie 21 about- yep he knew them all, was much better than them and just drives a taxi to keep him busy on the 65 days a year that he's not hunting and fishing at one of his several estates. Oh - and he doesnt want to put his fastlane pass on a credit card because he may need to buy a house or a truck or something on it. Seriously - what do you say to this person?! I was very good - my eye rolling was not detectable. What a ride!
So there are lots of things that I know about my mother - including that I have some of her personality traits. We both talk to people in line wherever we are - this made for great conversation and immediately meeting people on our cruise before we even left Logan. We also both love to talk to babies and small children and try to guess their ages.
Flying international is a different experience. Most notable by not calling row numbers and not having a stampede as 300 passengers get on a plane. Our Lufthansa flight was really great. The seats were comfortable and we had little individual movie screens which totally helped to pass the time - especially the one that told you how much time was left until we landed. The staff was nice and very accommodating - and the flight to Frankfurt was smooth. Neither of us slept much on the flight and the silliness began. As we're getting off the plane, Mom asks me if I thought we could find a good frankfurt in Frankfurt - just struck me as totally ridiculous. Silliness continued through customs when the agent asked me where we were going - I told her "the ladies room" then we'd like to go to Athens...she laughed. So into the terminal to wait for our next flight and what do we see? the first thing listed on the menu of the restaurant in the terminal is a Frankfurter. Score 1 for Sylvia.
Next flight Frankfurt to Athens. I'd tell you about it but I passed out before we took off.
Baggage in tow we boarded a bus and headed to our ship. Our driver was Dimitri (of course it was). Brigita gave us a short overview of Greece as we drove to Athens - We passed the acropolis off in the distance - too far to really see anything, but it kind of hit - wow we're actually in Greece! Olive trees, beautiful churches...oh and a really big Ikea off the highway.
Into port and onto the ship - bleary eyed but very very excited!
Our adventures started right from the tax ride to the airport. I mean, how often do you get a taxi driver who is really a multi millionaire who supports himself and his family by playing blackjack. A better card counter than all those kids from MIT that they just did that movie 21 about- yep he knew them all, was much better than them and just drives a taxi to keep him busy on the 65 days a year that he's not hunting and fishing at one of his several estates. Oh - and he doesnt want to put his fastlane pass on a credit card because he may need to buy a house or a truck or something on it. Seriously - what do you say to this person?! I was very good - my eye rolling was not detectable. What a ride!
So there are lots of things that I know about my mother - including that I have some of her personality traits. We both talk to people in line wherever we are - this made for great conversation and immediately meeting people on our cruise before we even left Logan. We also both love to talk to babies and small children and try to guess their ages.
Flying international is a different experience. Most notable by not calling row numbers and not having a stampede as 300 passengers get on a plane. Our Lufthansa flight was really great. The seats were comfortable and we had little individual movie screens which totally helped to pass the time - especially the one that told you how much time was left until we landed. The staff was nice and very accommodating - and the flight to Frankfurt was smooth. Neither of us slept much on the flight and the silliness began. As we're getting off the plane, Mom asks me if I thought we could find a good frankfurt in Frankfurt - just struck me as totally ridiculous. Silliness continued through customs when the agent asked me where we were going - I told her "the ladies room" then we'd like to go to Athens...she laughed. So into the terminal to wait for our next flight and what do we see? the first thing listed on the menu of the restaurant in the terminal is a Frankfurter. Score 1 for Sylvia.
Next flight Frankfurt to Athens. I'd tell you about it but I passed out before we took off.
Baggage in tow we boarded a bus and headed to our ship. Our driver was Dimitri (of course it was). Brigita gave us a short overview of Greece as we drove to Athens - We passed the acropolis off in the distance - too far to really see anything, but it kind of hit - wow we're actually in Greece! Olive trees, beautiful churches...oh and a really big Ikea off the highway.
Into port and onto the ship - bleary eyed but very very excited!
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Oh the Anticipation!
Months and months ago the conversation went something like this:
Sylvia: “Wouldnt it be fun to take a trip together?”
Heléne: (figuring we were discussing lots of wouldnt it be fun ideas, like traveling, or buying a winning lottery ticket, or meeting the queen of sheba) “That would be a blast Mom.”
Sylvia: “I always wanted to see the Greek Islands”
Heléne: (realizing we werent in some write the script of a movie type of conversation) “Actually, so have I”
Sylvia: Let’s look into it and see what we find
Months of googling, asking around, reading, calling and googling some more - the idea turned into a plan…and before we knew it, we had tickets, an itinerary and were on information overload.
Checking the weather, packing, unpacking, repacking, trying to figure out exactly how many pairs of shoes you really and truly need, not to mention making sure to leave enough room in your bag to bring things home (or room for an extra bag maybe?)
So…this is how it goes…
Mother and daughter off on an adventure together, on a ship, in the middle of the ocean, off to far away ports…with no cell phones! What will we do when faced with the possiblity of having an extended conversation with each other - no other phone lines to answer, no other places to be, no other committments. Are we crazy? Are we lucky? Perhaps a bit of both…but our trip together is sure to be memorable.
Follow along with us - we’ll let you know what we’ve been up to and maybe if we’re all lucky - keep you entertained too!
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