Turkey/Greece 2011 Day 4 of Many

All aboard M/V Arethusa - First time on a Curse Ship for Greg and me (We started off on a small ship only 50 travelers) - 

FYI I get queasy even when I am in the front seat of a car and since I didn't have a magic patch we were in for some trouble 

Welcome toast!!! and Dinner the Start of our lavish meals aboard Arethusa 

We sailed out of Kusadasi to Patmos - in the veil of night 

Good thing too ... I took my little white pill put my sea bands on and as soon at my head hit the pillow I was in Dreamland

Early wake up call - Breakfast starts at 6:45 and we depart at 8am to explore Patmos

Population about 2500 - They have very strict building codes so even new buildings have a very traditional look.

We visited a Holy Cave where St. John the Evangelist, one of Jesus’ twelve apostles once took refuge when exiled from Ephesus    

St. John lived in a grotto beneath the Temple of Diana for eighteen months, between 95 and 97 AD. 

It was there that he received his vision of fire and brimstone and dictated the book of Revelation. 

Then a quick ride up the hill to the Monastery

Greg Always Makes His Way to The Top 

Amazing view of the town

Short stay and we were back on the ship just in time for Bloody Mary Cocktail Lunch Hour as we sailed to Amorgos

Maybe I was too tired the first night to feel any rocking as we sailed but I was fully awake for this trip and It was a bad one 

I was feeling bad but it was lunch time so I told Greg that we should go down and try to eat something and maybe it would help with the sea sickness 

Boy was that the worse mistake of the trip so far ... I was headed into the dinning room when a man right in front of me turned to face me and throw up

Greg practically picked me up and we headed out of the room and to the open top deck. Fresh Air

There I sat for a while ... All I could think of was "This is only the first of 7 days on this ship how will I ever make it" 

Even writing about it now makes me feel a little queasy 

We made it to land ... I think I was down stairs by the door before the crew had time to put down the gangway

Land I didn't care where we where just as long as the ground stayed put.

Next All about Amorgos in Day 5 and Day 6 and ... Day??? 

Love and Laughs

Mia

Turkey/Greece 2011 Day 2 of Many

Day 1 eventful ... Day 2 was just as eventful or even more 

On the Itinerary for the day:

- Topkapi Palace

- Blue Mosque

- Chora Church/Museum

- Grand Bazaar

I am glad we picked OAT (Overseas Adventure Travel). They provided us with a tour guild just for Turkey (Effie by law could not give us tours in Turkey only Greece, they take their tourism very seriously) and he was a fountain of knowledge and with OAT we only have 25 in our group.

Hopped on a bus and headed to Topkapi Palace we headed their first before it got packed with people highly recommended that for any of you travelers headed that way... Amazing!!! A few must sees are the 3 or 4 rooms of gems and artifacts (Pictures not allowed inside) and the religion room that has a priest (not sure of the official title) that chats 24 hours a day 7 day a week.

Going in May everything was in bloom

Can You Count The Mosque?

Wild Cats and Dogs Everywhere!

Then we took a short walk over to the Blue Mosque ... named Blue Mosque for all the blue tiling. We had to remove our shoes before we entered because it was fully carpeted wall to wall (Greg proudly showed off his love for the toe socks). Inside was a huge open space for praying they pray 5 times a day. Pictures don't do it justice 

A quick walk around the Hippodrome to lunch at Pudding Shop Where Greg ordered a turkish coffee two very important things we learned

-one you have to tell them if they want sugar when ordering because the sugar is brewed in the coffee and can not be added after and

-second the coffee is served with the ground but don't drink them!! 

       

Lunch Time!

  Then off two Chora ... 

Chora Church was a alternative to Hagia Sophia because it was closed on Mondays. And I am so glad it was because we got to see some amazing Mosaics of the life of Christ and the Virgin Mary. 

After Chora was what I had been waiting for all day the Grand Bazaar ... I know you are saying of course what woman wouldn't love a huge market of Jewelry, Rugs, Furniture, Gold, Clothes, and just about anything you could think of ... And yes I did pick up a little something that makes my hand very happy. Thanks to Greg's bargaining skills we got it for a good price =) After finding our way out of the labyrinth of 4,000 shops and countless gates of Grand Bazaar I was ready for a nap.

The day might be over but we still had the night ... All six of us dined outside on a crowed street and a few of us ordered a grand fish platter with fish we couldn't identify and all of us had wine and raki. And we ended the evening with something sweet... Hot chocolate and Baklava 

I have to say that I like turkish Baklava better then Greek Baklava ... If you are there you must taste it and try more then one they come with all different kinds of nuts =) yummy My mouth is watering just writing about it. 

Lamb Chops!!

Stay tuned for more to come

Love and Laughs

Mia

Turkey/Greece 2011 Day 1 of Many

Long story short Me and My Husband (Greg) (and 4 other members of his family) all embarked on an adventure headed for Turkey and Greece

We had a stowaway ... Mr. Penguin jumped into my already heavy backpack ... But its always nice to have a piece of home with us at all times

After a 10 and a half hour flight to Paris and a 3 and a half hour flight to Istanbul we arrived at our destination with 3 missing suitcases ... Not one Not two But three!!!

Since Greg's parents could afford the upgrade they traveled business class so they were ensured their bags would make it ... so out of the four of us I was the lucky one to have my bag waiting for me but Greg, his brother (Eric) and his wife (Camille) all came up short handed.

Thanks to sage advice I had cross packed (You need advise on packing I am here for any questions) some of Greg's things in my bag and therefore didn't feel as upset as Eric and Camille

We made it to our hotel and our trusty Guide (Effie) was there with a smile to greet us.  She informed us that just a few blocks away there were ample shops opened late so we could get a few things we needed til our bags showed up (at this point we had not idea when that would be) 

Now writing this after a few days back home I have to say Turkey is definitely a place I want to go back

Turkey for me was amazing on many levels ... it had a unique smell as you walked on the streets of roasting nuts ... tea ... the sea ... incense  

Several times a day you could hear chanting that seem to echo off all the hills. 

From our hotel room you could see magnificent domes of so many different Mosques    

chestnuts roasting on an open fire

Yes I ate one!!!

And this was just our first day 

Love and Laughs

Mia