I know, I know, it’s been two months since my last blog. I have no excuse, just lazy I guess. The old excuse of nothing to write about is, however, not available this time around. Marge and I recently came home from a wonderful 14 day cruise to Turkey and Greece. Nine ports in fourteen days, Istanbul, Ephesus, Bodrum, and Marmaris in Turkey, Rhodes, Santorini, Athens, Mykonos, and Crete in Greece. Wow, quite a schedule for this old timer. Lots of walking and hill climbing but it was well worth it.
We flew out of JFK on Turkish Airlines, flight #2, #1 coming home. Never was on such a low numbered flight. Plane was a Boeing 777 and the airline was top notch. After a long 9 hour flight to Istanbul we boarded the Celebrity Ship, Constellation following a short lunch aboard we began the first of almost daily bus and walking tours. I had no preconceived notions concerning Istanbul or Turkey. Having seen many documentaries about Greece and its Islands I sort of knew what to expect in Greece, but did not know what to expect in Turkey. Istanbul an ancient city that has had three different names and now holds 13 million people was a pleasant surprise. It is a beautiful city, with friendly people, an exciting history and fascinating buildings, especially the Mosques.
The ancient city of Ephesus was next on our tour schedule. Ephesus was the site of Saint Paul’s teaching and was also the home for Mary. This ancient city was once home to 250,000 residents. In ruins now, but enough has been, and continues to be restored to make this one outstanding visit. Six thousand tourists agreed the day we were there. My camera was smoking. Thank heaven for digital cameras; I don’t think I’d be able to afford the film. The remaining stops at Bodrum and Marmaris had their own charm as we made our way down the coast toward the Greek Island of Rhodes.
No, there are no remains of the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the 7 Ancient Wonders of the world. An earthquake took care of that many years ago. Castle tour here and off we went the next day to Santorini. This volcano formed island is breathtaking, especially as viewed from the top. I’m sure you’ve all seen Santorini on some of the documentaries, believe me it’s everything they say and more. We got up there by cable car instead of the other options, stairs or mule.
Athens was next. We were lucky, no strikes or riots and we got around quite well. Athens is a far cry from the other Islands we visited. A big city, lots of traffic and crowds. Not my cup of tea, but we had to handle it because we vowed to climb the Acropolis and see the Parthenon. And Marge and I did it as evidenced by the thumbs up by Marge. Next on the list was the picturesque and wealthy Mykonos, a far cry from Athens. I would love to own a paint store on this island. Very small inventory of colors needed. Only white and dark blue colors allowed, white for the building and blue for the doors and window trim. Real pretty to see.
One more stop in Crete and then back to Istanbul for the flight (#1) back home. Ten hours of confinement in my seat (not wide enough for my body). Hope the stock market comes back up; I'd strongly consider splurging for first class.
Many, many things to write about and over three hundred pictures, each with a story, but I think I’ll be happy I held your attention this long.
