KATAKOLON (OLYMPIA), GREECE

KATAKOLON (OLYMPIA), GREECE

This popular port in the northwest portion of the Peloponnese serves not only as the current harbor for the capital city of Pyrgo, but also provides the gateway to Olympia, birthplace of the modern Olympic Games in 776 BC.  However, many of the structures that can still be seen today date back as far as the 9^th century BC. The Olympic games were integral in the society of ancient Greece.  Every four years men from every city state would travel to Olympia to compete and to honor the king of the gods, Zeus.  Due to natural disasters and the destruction of the site by Theodosius, Ancient Olympia is mostly comprised of foundations, columns, and steps.  However, its sheer size symbolizes the importance of the archaeological site, built as a shrine to the gods.  Also impressive is the Temple of Zeus which was built around 470 BC and was one of the greatest temples in all of Ancient Greece.  The stadium itself had a capacity of 40,000 spectators and was the largest of its kind.  The Archaeological Museum of Olympia is one of the most important museums in Greece.

Archaeological digs still in progress

Tom in the Gymnasium 2C BC

Temple of Hera, wife of Zeus, 7th C BC

Zeus abducting Ganymedes 475 BC

Hermes of Praxiteles (340-330 BC) Marble

Stadium, 600 ft, 40,000 people sat on the grass, 3d C BC

 

 

 

 

PIRAEUS, ATHENS, GREECE

PIRAEUS, ATHENS, GREECE

   Commonly known as the birthplace of democracy, Athens serves as Greece’s capital city and is one of the oldest cities in the world, dating back 7,000 years. The city is steeped in rich political history and impressive architectural feats including the Acropolis of Athens. The Parthenon was a temple dedicated to the goddess Athena who saved the Athenians from the Persians.  It was built and ornamented at the order of the leader of Athens, Pericles. The artists were Pheidias, Iktinos, and Kallikratis.  It was completed in 438 BC.

   On tour we also saw the Panathinaiko Stadium, where the first ever Olympic Games were held in 1896. The original structure was rebuilt and is now the only major stadium made entirely of white marble. We also saw the National Archaeological Museum, where the largest collection of ancient Greek antiquities in the world is housed.  Many statues and other treasures from ship wrecks around the Greek coast were taken by the English in 1816 and they now reside in the British Museum.

   Athens is a city of 11 million people and there are 20 million in all of Greece. There are many refugees coming in from Syria now. In 1821 Greece became a Republic and 95% of the people are of the Greek Orthodox religion.

                                           Gold finds from Mycenae grave 16C BC

Bronze dagger with inlaid decoration depicting a lion hunt. From grave 16 C BC

Bronze statue of Poseidon 460 C BC

Tom at the Acropolis

Tom and Sandy at the Parthenon

 

 

 

 

SANTORINI, GREECE

SANTORINI, GREECE

   Certainly the most ruggedly beautiful of the Aegean islands, Santorini boasts pitch-black beaches, white washed cliffs and sensational sunsets.  Also known as Thira, this island owes it dramatic landscape to one of the largest volcanic eruptions in recorded history. In approximately 1600 BC the volcano that made up this island erupted in a catastrophic explosion known as the Minoan eruption. What was once the island of Thira sank to the bottom of the caldera and the sea rushed into the abyss to create the great bay. The bay, once the high center of the island, is 1,300 in some places, so deep that when boats dock in the small port of Athinios, they do not drop anchor. Our ship could not drop anchor so it just tried to stay in one spot the day we were in port. We were tendered from the ship to the port which is always an experience but it went very smoothly.

   The lagoon-like caldera that was created in this eruption measures 32 square miles and it is 300 to 400 meters deep. Along the caldera are cliffs rising 1,100 feet, with the white clusters of the towns of Fira and Oia perched along the top.

    On tour we were driven to the top to visit the ruins preserved in the ancient city of Akrotiri, dubbed the Minoan Pompeii.  Life came to an abrupt halt in the flourishing Prehistoric city of Akrotiri during the final quarter of the 17^th C. BC when its inhabitants abandoned it due to powerful earthquakes and the enormous volcanic eruption that followed.  The volcanic material that covered the city and the entire island has provided excellent protection for buildings and their contents down to the present.  The settlement’s large area, its sophisticated city planning, (to include toilets in the houses), multi-story buildings adorned by superb frescos, rich furnishings and house hold effects, all testify to its high level of development.

White houses built on the hilltop

1600 BC Frecos of flowers with borders

1600 BC Frecos of two teen nude boys boxing

Our ship on the left. Big island is also a volcano but dormant for now.

 

 

MARMARIS, TURKEY

MARMARIS, TURKEY

   Sometimes referred to as the Turkish Riviera, Marmaris lies where the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas meet. Surrounded by lovely hills, it is one of the largest natural harbors in the world. Famous for the nightlife, the coast is lined with clubs and bars that stay open early into the morning. Summer comes to Marmaris in long stretches, making it a popular resort destination for travelers from all over the world. The surrounding countryside offers access to interesting villages and ancient ruins.

   There are 195,000 people in town in the winter and that number swells to 300,000 in the summer, mostly from England. There are 2,000 boats in the marina in the summer, many from Saudi Arabia. There are many refugees coming in here.

   On tour we rode to the top of the mountains and had wonder views of the city. We were taken to a wonderful Ottoman Palace Hotel. It was in a small village and only five years old but it was decorated as a Sultan’s palace and it was beautiful. We were given a very good Turkish buffet lunch. On the way up the mountain we stopped for a break and we were offered soft drinks or Turkish coffee. I tasted the coffee and found it a little strong but not too strong to drink and I enjoyed it.  

                                                     Turkish Riviera

                                                          Ottoman Palace Hotel

                                            Wooden Ceiling inside Ottoman Hotel

Celebrating our 8th Anniversay

 

 

                                          

MYKONOS, GREECE

MYKONOS, GREECE

   This Greek island, that lies between Tinos, Paros, Naxos, and Syros in the Southern Aegean Sea, is everything it’s cracked up to be—pure paradise.  With its rapid rise as one of the most popular vacation destinations in the world, the island accommodates millions of visitors in posh resorts offering white sand beaches, radiant blue waters, and a hopping nightlife.  Mykonos encompasses just 33 square miles and houses about 10,000 residents year round.  Findings show that settlement dates back to the early part of the 11^th Century BC.  In the early 20^th century the island relied upon fishing as a primary industry, but once word got out of the natural beauty of the area, tourism transformed this once poor island into a bustling hotspot. Onassis brought his party friends here.  All the rich and famous of the world made this their playground.

    In a part of town called little Venice the buildings have been built on the edge of the sea with balconies hanging over the water.  In the Kastro neighborhood there is the Church of Panagia Paraportiani, which is comprised of five separate churches and took about 200 years to complete from start to finish.

     The tops of the white stone houses are flat to collect rain water. They now have a water system but still collect water just in case of a drought.  In the old days they painted their houses with lime to make them all white and to disinfect them.  Today it is their law the houses still must be white but they paint with an acrylic paint.  They also paint around the rocks in their streets. They all paint once a year to be completed by 1 May for the tourist season.

   There are one thousand chapels in town because a family can have a private one. There are 70 churches. 98% of the people are Greek Orthodox. 

8TH C Dolls, one with hanging leg

Funeral  Amphora with relief depicting Trojan horse and scenes from the fall of Troy, 7th C BC

Nuptial lebes of the Mykonos painter 5th C BC

Greek Orthodox Church that is 5 churches built on top of each other

Formal Night on board with table mates

 

 

 

 

 

MYTILENE, LESBOS, GREECE

MYTILENE, LESBOS, GREECE

   Lying on the south-east coast of the island of Lesbos, Myilene is a modern town that also incorporates several elements from the past.  The city occupies seven hills, and features a fortress, one of the largest in the Mediterranean – on a hillock to the east of the town.  Mytilene has seen its share of famous historical figures, the most well-known being the poets Sappho and Alcaeus.  The famous philosopher Aristotle also resided in the city from 337-335 BC.  The present day city is a bustling port that caters to Piraeus, Athens, and Thessaloniki and boasts a thriving export industry. One of the destinations for visitors to the area is the ancient theatre located just to the north of the main town.  Built in Hellenistic times and restored by the Romans, the theatre seats 15,000 spectators and is one of the largest in Greece.

   On a tour we visited an Olive Oil Museum of the Archipelago’s Society.  It gave us an appreciation of the wonderful Grecian Olive Oil. We also visited the Barbayanni Ouzo Distillery. We were given a small sample of the drink. That is something that would take time developing a taste for it and you would have to love licorice as it has anise in it.

Barbayanni Ouzo Distillery

Fortress on the point from 1572

Olive Oil Museum

Greek Orthodox Village Church

 

 

 

 

VARNA, BULGARIA

VARNA, BULGARIA

   The first Bulgarian State stretched from Transylvania in the north to the Aegean Sea in the south and from the Black in the east to the Adriatic Sea in the West. It fell to the Byzantines (Romans) in 1018.

   During that period, in 855 the Stavic alphabet was created.  It was named Cyrillic alphabet, after St Cyril and corresponded perfectly to the phonetic riches of the Slavonic-Bulgarian language. As of today more than 250 million people in Europe and Asia use the Cyrillic alphabet for their national languages, half of them are in Russia. With the accession of Bulgaria in EU, Cyrillic became the third official alphabet of the union.

   It was in 864 that Tsar Bois I converted the state to Orthodox Christianity.

   The Second Bulgarian State, established in 1185 at Veliko Tarnovo, reinstated the borders and a Golden Age began during which Bulgaria bordered on three seas. From 1396 to 1878 the country was under the rule (the so called “yoke”) of the Ottoman Turks.

   Sofia became the capital of Bulgaria after the Velido Tarnovo Constitution was accepted in 1879 (liberation from the Ottoman Turks) to 1944 Bulgaria enjoyed a brief but unstable period of freedom. After 1944 the Communist Party, led by Georgi Dimtrov, took power and proclaimed Bulgaria a People’s Republic in 1946. The Communist regime lasted until November 10^t, 1989 when Bulgaria peacefully ousted the Party leader Todor Zhivkov.

   One of the first signs of Bulgaria’s demarcation after 1989 was the establishment of a multi-party system.  The new Constitution of the Republic was adopted on July 12, 1991, proclaims the country is a parliamentary republic.  On March 29, 2004 Bulgaria joined NATO and on January 1, 2007 the country became a member of the European Union.

   According to 2011 census 76% of the population is Eastern Orthodox Christians, 10% are Muslims, 0.8% are Catholics, 1.1% are Protestants and 0.2% are from other religions. The population of the country is 7,364,570 people, 84% are ethnic Bulgarians. 

Eastern Orthodox Church

Former home (now Museum) of wealthy family in 1850's

1850's home furnished with things from other countries-Turkish Mongel

Traditional Wedding Clothes

 

 

 

CONTANTA, ROMANIA

COSTANTA, ROMANIA

Founded by the Greeks around 2,500 years ago, Constanta is rumored to have been the place where Jason and the Argonauts landed after securing the golden fleece of legend.  At that time, Constanta was called Tomis. Its central location on the western coast of the Black Sea, 185 miles from the Bosphorus Straits, made it a key trading center. The Romans conquered Tomis in 71  BCE and renamed Constantianain in honor of the sister of the Roman Emperor, Constantine the Great.  After the fall of Rome, the town ell to the Ottomans, and was largely ruled by the Genoese during the thirteenth century until it was once again taken by the Ottomans.  Today, it’s the fourth largest port in Europe, ranked just after Rotterdam, Antwerp and Marseille. It’s also the third largest city in Romania, considered a commercial and cultural center.

       After WW II Romania came under Communism with Russia.  They became a Republic in 1989. They are a poor but proud country.  During Communism they were denied to have any religion and most churches were destroyed. Now most people are Greek Orthodox. The country has 20 million people but only 9 million are working. Many young people go to Spain or Italy to get work. Doctors go to Germany, France, or Great Britain to work. Every working person gives 5% of their salary to the public health system which is very lacking. There are private hospitals but one must pay for all expenses so they are only for the rich. 

Art Nouveau Casino from 1930's not used now

Wedding Attendants in traditional dress

We ate a four course lunch and watched a traditional wedding performed for us.

Glass Roman baby bottle from 2d C AD

 

 

 

 

 

ISTANBUL, TURKEY

ISTANBUL, TURKEY
   Located on the northern peninsula of Turkey, Istanbul serves as the country’s cultural and economic center as well as Europe’s third largest city. The city lies on the coast of Marmara in the Bosphorus Strait and is one of the world’s megacities, housing more than 15 million residents. This metropolitan center that was once the capital of many empires, including the Roman and Ottoman, is now Turkey’s hub for industry and tourism.

   On a tour we saw the Whirling Dervishes. After playing some music and some speaking, three of the group went into the whirling that put them in a trance. They stayed in the trance for about 30 minutes. They did not lose their balance nor did they move off the space they were in. They came out of the trance as soon as the leader spoke some words. They are Muslims and are a small sect. They are doing this as a love gift to god. They do not do this in a Mosque.

    On another tour we went to the St Sophia Mosque, The Blue Mosque, the Topkapi Palace, the Grand Bazaar, and to a Turkish rug factory. 

Whirling Dervishes

Making a silk Turkish rug

Sandy and Hagia Sophia Mosque

Entrance to the Grand Bazaar-65 covered streets-since 1461

Topkapi Palace Gate

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

KUSADASI, TURKEY (EPHESUS)

KUSADASI, TURKEY (EPHESUS)

   Located on the western coast of Turkey, this resort town attracts tourists from all around the world.  Since the area was settled by the Leleges in 3000 BC, culture and art have been at the forefront. Ephesus is a 15 minute drive away from this city.

   Ephesus was built in the most beautiful part of Western Anatolia. You realize this this as soon as you enter the city. In fact it is not difficult to imagine the historical past of the city, namely that of the Roman era, when Ephesus was the capital of five hundred Anatolian towns.

   This was after the period in which Homer wrote his immortal works, and the time in which St. John lived and died. At that time you could see the stairs of the colossal theatre from the sea far away, and the huge gleaming columns of the Temple of Artemis, which was once used to blind people with their beauty.  About 250,000 people used to live in this famous city where the most skillful artisans and rich merchants gathered together. The entertainments held in honor of Artemis every year during April, were very gay. Specters used to fill the theatres which were an essential part of their lives.  About a million people made up the audiences during that special month.

   Ephesus was abandoned and forgotten for a long time. About a century ago the excavations of this ancient city began.  Restoration has been undertaken continuously over the last ten years, so that some of this historical treasure, which had previously been buried for centuries, can now be seen and admired by millions.

Nike, Goddess of Victory, (Nike shoes trademark)

Communal marble 44 slots toilets. Slaves warmed them up first. A social gathering place.

Two story library, best of its time.

Sandy and Tom at the theatre for 2,500

 

 

 

 

 

BODRUM, TURKEY

BODRUM, TURKEY
                     

When this city was known as Halicarnasssus, the Greek poet Homer called it “the Land of the Eternal Blue.” It was the location of a mausoleum which was so impressive that it became so impressive that it became known as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. After the empire declined, a band of crusaders called the Knights Hospitallar built what they called the Castle of St Peter here, and those fortifications endured for centuries.  Today, Bodrum is one of the most popular resort towns on the Mediterranean, especially with visitors from around Europe. There is the Museum of Underwater Archeology in Bodrum, which houses the remains of ancient shipwrecks.

Reclaimed sunken cargo ship from 1025 AD

Thomas - Roman Governor

Reclaimed tin (round) and copper (flat pieces) from Egyptian ship about 4th AD

Gold jewelry from Egyptian ship

 

 

 

 

ANTALYA, TURKEY

ANTALYA, TURKEY
   From the fluted minarets to the graceful arches of Hadrian’s Gate, the Roman-Ottoman past is tangible everywhere in the city of Antalya.  Originally founded in 150 BC as Attalia, named after its founder, Attalos II, King of Pergamon and became a major harbor for the region.  Today it is the largest city (2 million) of the Turkish part of the Mediterranean coast and a major hub of the “Turkish Riviera” attracting many tourists to the area. Antalya, and the surrounding regions, is rich in history. The old quarter of the city, Kaleici, has narrow, winding streets enclosed in ancient city walls, which now protect the peaceful quarter from the sprawling metropolis outside its walls. The walls can be entered through Hadian’s Gate, built by the Roman Emperor Hadrianus. Within the old quarter itself visitors can see many relics of the city. The Archaeological Museum displays, among other things, many Roman marble statues found in nearby ancient cities such as Perge.

   Turkey is a land of 77 million people. They are not in the European Union (EU) but are a member of NATO. They are the 17^th largest economy in the world.  The country is 97% Muslim and 3% other religions.  

   In 1923 Mustafa Kemal Ataturk (1881-1938) came to power and modernized Turkey. He is called the “Father of Turkey”.

 

Roman family burial marble sarcophagus

 

Roman statue of Heracles found near by in ancient city of Perge

Sandy pointing out Antalya while map show ancient cities

Tom and Sandy with ancient Roman ruins in marble

Statue of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and the Turkish flag