Rome, Italy to Rome, Georgia November 18, 2009

Just imagine! We journeyed from Rome to Rome in a day! Waking in Rome, Italy, we went to bed in Rome, GA 20+ hours later.

We docked in Rome (Civitevecchia) at 4 AM Wednesday after departing from Naples at 6 PM the night before.

I am glad that we've been to Rome twice before and have seen the Vatican, The Sistene Chapel, the Colloseum and other attractions there, because today allowed for not even a glimpse of the city of Rome.

This time, our flight left Rome at 9:45, so we were among the first passengers of the Grand Princess to disembark so that we could get from the seaport to the airport and catch our flight out at 9:45.

Let me tell you a story:

The loud 4:30 AM (that's 10:30 PM the previous night to those at home in Rome, GA) wake-up call jangled both Jim and Joan out of the few minutes of sleep they'd enjoyed all night. Up and at 'em, Kiddos! They showered and threw on the clothes they had kept out for today when most of the luggage had been set out the night before. After a hurried breakfast in Horizon Court Buffet, they quickly crammed the rest of their belongings into the carryon luggage, checked to be sure the paperwork was in order, and went downstairs to the Explorers Lounge to await the call for disembarkation. Promptly at 6:00, they and about 100 or so of their best friends were the first to disembark. They filled up two shuttle busses and started the l-o-n-g trip that would find them finally back in Rome, GA 20 hours later.

The bus trip from the harbor to the Leonardo DaVinci airport in Rome took about 50 minutes. Check in at the airport was painless and quick, and the pair found themselves seated at Gate 4 well before boarding time. The 12 hour flight involved sitting in the cramped airplane seats for about 13 hours, since the boarding began an hour before the flight was to leave. Again the airline, in its infinite wisdom, had decided that people who know each other should not fly in adjacent seats. But resourceful passengers prevailed against the system, and Jim changed seats with another passenger so he could serve as Joan's pillow for part of the trip. Our protagonists watch the lights of Rome, Italy recede in the distance.

Squirming in cramped airline seats, the passengers steadily rode back in time. When they landed in Atlanta an hour earlier than scheduled, their watches registered only 5 hours of travel after west-bound lift-off from Rome, Italy. Their seats and legs, however, knew the truth. Eleven hours of actual flight and more than 12 hours of inactivity on the plane was clearly written on the faces (and other body parts) of everyone in sight. The elaborate entertainment system (individual choices of games, movies, music, and TV shows available at the touch of a finger) built into the headrests for each passenger promised distraction but failed to live up to the promise. This failure was acknowledged by the airlines in the form of a voucher for future travel discounts distributed to each passenger as she/he departed the plane.

The Atlanta Airport experience was also an ordeal. Two hours after touchdown in Atlanta (yes, you read that right) - TWO hours later, our two zombi-like heros exited the airport!! After going through customs, passengers had to claim luggage at the international terminal, recheck it to be claimed again later in the domestic terminal. The security to get into the domestic terminal from the international one was the same as it is for a flight: shoes and coat off, laptop and C-Pap machine out of cases in into a bin, 3-ounce plastic containers in a quart-size bag, stand in a long line, walk through the arch, and reclaim belongings. Then the tramride to baggage claim and ground transportation! Yea! our heros conquer the airport just in time to reclaim thier car and join the Atlanta work traffic streaming out of the city!! Finally the lights of Rome, Georgia, appear to welcome our travelers; the car goes on autopilot and finally delivers them into their very own garage.

Thus ends the story of "The Long Day from Rome to Rome." The story was relayed to you in the third person because I didn't wish to relive the experience. It was the single most tiring plane trip I have ever endured. The first night at home offered little rest as both Jim's and my muscles loudly protested the abuse of the long period of enforced inactivity -- frequent and severe leg, toe, shin, hip, and calf cramps kept us getting up and down all night. This trip gave us a number of good experiences. We saw a lot of God's great creation and man's use of it through history, spent some quality time together, and unloaded a "passel" of money. But, after standing on 3 continents and 5 countries and sailing on 4 seas in 13 days, we are grateful to be home in Rome, GeeAy again!!!!

Naples and the Isle of Capri, Italy November 17, 2009

We arrived in the port of Naples at 7 AM after sailing from Santorini at 6 PM last night.

Since we visited Pompeii and Herculaneum when we were in Naples before, we decided to go to the Isle of Capri this time. The shore excursion to Capri was to last all day, so we were up early and off on the tour before 8 AM. We left the dock at Naples on a hydrofoil boat, which took about 45 minutes to get to Capri. We have had really enjoyable and educational tours so far, but this tour was very disappointing. For one thing, it was much too long. There just isn't much to see here, really. Our guide was totally caught up in the "glamour" of the island (famous people who have been there, the exclusisve merchandise in the shops, etc.) We ate lunch in a restaurant with a view of Mount Vesuvius, which she never mentioned until asked! Her sole purpose seemed to be to get us from shop to shop and get us to spend money there. One fellow malcontent traveller commented as we stood outside yet another shop, "I didn't pay $150 to stand on the sidewalk in front of shops!" We did finally get back to the ship however -- just in time to sail. We had to get packed up and get our luggage set outside the stateroom, which I just finished doing.

Here is the information I gathered on Naples and the Isle of Capri before we left Rome, GA. I have included pics of the clock tower which identifies the square and of me standing there.

• The average temperature in November is 47-62. Pickpockets are a concern on the Isle of Capri, which is always crowded with tourists.


• Pizza was invented in Naples in 1830


• Sant'Elmo is the name of both a hill and a beautiful fortress in Naples, which is located near the Certosa di San Martino. Together, the structures overlook Naples and they are the most visible landmarks in the city. The name "Sant'Elmo" is from an old 10th-century church.


• The Villa Comunale is the most prominent and visible park in Naples and southern Italy. It was built in the 1780s by King Ferdinand IV (later known as Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies) on land reclaimed along the coast between the main body of the city and the small port of Mergellina. The park was originally a "Royal Garden", reserved for members of the royal family, but open to the public on special holidays such as the Festival of Piedigrotta


• San Gregorio Armeno, heart of the historic city, is traditionally home to Naples' artists, artisans and Medieval guilds. Contains San Gennaro Cathedral with its Gothic crypts and Baroque masterpieces, was largely rebuilt after a devastating earthquake in the 15th century. It boasts Perugino's painting of the Assumption, Gothic crypts including the tomb of Pope Innocence IV, masterpieces of Baroque painting and the truly extraordinary Treasury of San Gennaro Museum The Cathedral's Treasury Museum is a repository of art, manuscripts and precious liturgical objects donated to the cathedral over the course of nine centuries by Popes, kings, nobles and notables.

The Isle of Capri:

• Piazzetta square - Capri's main square is in the center of town and is a good place to shop or enjoy a drink.


• Garden terraces, and historic churches and villas - visible all over town


• Anacapri is another small village near the town of Capri. You can take a chair lift to the top of one of the highest peaks on the island and enjoy a breathtaking view of the Bay of Naples.


• Villa San Michele - contains a collection of antiquities and a beautiful garden.


• Gardens of Augustus - The gardens were founded by Augustus Cesar himself. They are filled with many species of plants and from here you will have fabulous views.


• Faraglioni, a picturesque rock outcropping.


• Marina Grande - a touristy old port lined with colorful fishermen's houses.


• Monte Solaro


• Hill of San Michele


• Villa San Michele - The beautiful villa of Axel Munte, Swedish physician and author, features an interesting collection of antiquities while the garden offers a magnificent panorama of the Bay of Naples.

Santorini, Greece November 15, 2009

We arrived in Santorini, Greece at 7 AM after sailing from Rhodes, Greece, at 5 PM yesterday.
I was up and out on our balcony as we approached harbor. The cliffs here are amazing with brilliant layers of color ranging from magenta to golden hues and all values of browns. When our ship anchored (we couldn't dock here, but are anchored in the harbor and will go ashore in tenders), our balcony looks directly out onto the shore Santorini. We can see Fira (the largest city and the capital) at the top of the cliff. Our ship in anchored in the caldera left by the huge volcanic eruption of many years ago, and the Aegean Sea is on the other side of the cliffs. We should see that in our shore excursion later on. From our balcony we can see the walking path connecting the town of Fira at the top of the cliff and the fishing village at the shoreline. Beside it is the cable car which can be used instead of the long and tiring walk or donkey ride along the zig-zag path. The pictures show the multicolored cliffs, the winding path up the cliff-face, and the cable car line.

We attended a 9 AM protestant worship service led by a very dry Catholic priest. Only about 35 or so passengers attended (a little over 1/100 of the passengers). It lasted about 45 minutes and was, let's see..... what shall I say? .....well, it was nothing to write home about; but at least it was some time to be alone, quiet, and to meditate on our God for a short time, so it was good! I missed our good pastor and his inspiring messages however.

Update: It is now evening and I am just up from a short nap. Our shore excursion this afternoon was very interesting. Our group took a tender from the ship and were taken to a different harbor where we boarded a bus to see the island. Santorini is a small island, one of three that form a caldera. The bus made hairpin turn after hairpin turn as we pleated our way to the top of the cliff that we had seen from the ship. This is a beautiful, but steep and rocky, island. All the buildings are white with blue trim, as is the case on every island we have seen in this area. The amazing multi-colored cliffs I mentioned early are under constant study by geologists of all kinds, according to our guide, Ilena. We visited the now-defunct monastery at the top of the mountain, a black-sand beach; we traveled a road from which we could look left and see the caldera and the ship and the look right and see the Aegean Sea. Gorgeous scenery.
The weather today was a dream. The sun shone and the temperature ranged from a slightly chilly early morning to a perfect short-sleeve afternoon.

Tomorrow is an at-sea day, then our last port will be Tuesday: Naples and the Isle of Capri. We bought tickets for an excursion to spend the day on Capri since we saw Pompeii and Herculaeum the last time we were here.

Here is information I gathered about Santorini before we began this trip.
The climate in Santorini is typical of the Mediterranean climate. The warm and dry season lasts from April until October, and the cold and rainy season lasts from November until the end of March. Long periods of consecutive rainy days are not common in Santorini, even during the winter, and the sky does not remain cloudy for more than a few days in a row. The average temperature in November 57-62 .

History:
About 3600 years ago, the center of the island was blown away in a colossal volcanic eruption, leaving behind a circular depression in the sea floor (four miles wide) and the crescent-shaped sliver of rock known as Santorini. Santorini is composed of three islands forming a visible rim of the caldera. The best place to view the Caldera is the walking path between Fira and Oia.

Santorini is known because it is a volcanic island with a volcano that sleeps and wakes from time to time to rock Thira (as it is also called) and then sleep again. The huge eruption which occurred years ago was probably the biggest in recorded history and it changed the island morphology a great deal. The results of this catastrophe are still evident nowadays. The beaches of Santorini have black sand, and special kinds of wines are produced because of the soil’s particularity. Santorini is the southernmost island of the Cyclades. Two great civilizations have left their mark on Santorini: one belongs to prehistoric times and is apparent in what has been coming to light in the excavations at Akrotiri. The other is a Greek civilization represented by the ancient city located on Mesa Vouno.

What to See and Do:

• Fira - Accessible only by foot, Santorini's largest town is a village of whitewashed houses clinging to steep volcanic cliffs. Accessible only by foot, Fira's narrow cobblestone lanes lead uphill past shops, homes and cafés to a cable car, which tourists can ride to the top of the caldera.
  
• Panagia Episkopi Church - Dating from the 11th century, it is the oldest remaining Byzantine church on the island. It has withstood raids by pirates, earthquakes, volcano eruptions and a fire in 1915. It is believed that the Virgin Mary protected the holy icons from the fire. Unfortunately 26 of these priceless icons were stolen from the church in 1982 and have never been recovered. There is a stone staircase of 600 steps that leads down to the harbor of Fira, and to a tour boat that will take you across the caldera to the Nea Kammeni island, or "the volcano", as people call it.
  
• Oia Village - The small village perches atop the caldera's rim at Santorini's northern terminus. There are narrow, cobblestone lanes, brilliantly whitewashed buildings, shops, cafés and domed churches. There are several local wineries. Santorini's rich volcanic soil combined with the rare assyrtiko variety of grape grown here produce a wine unique to this island.Oia or Ia is the most photographed village in Greece. Life is quieter here than in Fira. The main reason why tourists visit Oia is the spellbinding sunset view for which hordes of people gather in the afternoon and wait for hours till the sun sets to take photographs.
  
• Kamari - Today the ancient port of Thera is a large fishing village famed for its dramatic black-sand beach, unique in the Greek islands. Kamari attracts more families because of its long black-sand beach, a characteristic of the island.
  
• PREHISTORIC THERA: AKROTIRI - The ancient city at Akrotiri is not merely the most important archaeological site on the island, it is also, thanks to its excellent state of preservation and the wealth of findings it has yielded, the most important prehistoric settlement found anywhere in the Eastern Mediterranean. It was saved from the volcanic eruption mostly because it was covered in volcanic ashes. Akrotiri could be called the prehistoric Pompeii of the Aegean.
  

Rhodes, Greece November 14, 2009

We docked in Rhodes (Rodos) Greek islands, at 8 AM after leaving Ephesus yesterday at 5 PM.

There is not much to write about our experience here. We took a few pics from the ship and as we walked around Rhodes Town. We did not take a shore excursion, but we enjoyed walking to town and around the narrow streets and visiting the little shops there.

We spent the afternoon sitting on various decks and enjoying the views. Each of us (sometimes together, sometimes not) read, dozed, walked, ate and drank, and relaxed as we felt like it.

Tonight I went down to the main deck, sat in the Explorers Lounge and listened to a group called "Amante" perform popular music while passengers danced. I enjoyed watching the dancers and listening to the music. Later there was a karaoke hour in the same lounge, so I stayed for that as well. The singers, with the exception of one or two, were just as good as the professionals. Actually, I'd say this karoke hour was among the best of the entertainment we've had on this cruise.

Following is the information I gathered before we embarked on this trip:

Average Temp in November 57-67F Rhodes is one of the best known Greek islands. It has been thoroughly "touristized" but still retains some "Greekness." Many locals are involved with tourism, but there are also a lot of farmers on the island. They grow grapes and keep goats. There is also a large military base on the island.

Rhodes History:
According to mythology, the sun-god Helios fell in love with the nymph Rhodes, and when he shone his light on her, she transformed into the island. The name means "rose" and the island has been known since antiquity as a flowery place. The ancient Greeks used to call Rhodes "the Island of Sun" because of its patron god, and other names that the island has had are Ofioussa ("Snake island"), Asteria ("Star island"), Makaria ("Beauty") and Ataviros (its highest mountain).

The first inhabitants were probably the Minonans, Cretans, followed by Dorians at the end of the 2nd Millennium BC. The first inhabitants probably called the island Telchinia. Rhodes was soon to become one of the most powerful islands with its strong military and commercial fleet. Initially, the island was forced to fight the Greeks along the Persian side during the Persian Wars in the 5th century BC, but managed to break free and became a member of the Athenian League. The island kept flourishing and had an important school for scientists and philosophers.
During the Classic period the Colossus of Rhodes was built. It was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world and we only know of its existence through ancient literature and coins. It was a statue of the sun-god Helios, about 35 meters high, standing with one foot on each side of the harbour of Lindos. After an earthquake it fell apart, but when the people on Rhodes wanted to rebuild it, an oracle told them not to. So it lay in the harbour for hundreds of years until the Turks took it.


The Romans conquered Greece in the 2nd century BC. This, and the following Byzantine era, was to be a period of decline. Pirates, as well as Saracens and Arabs, kept attacking, and the Venetians occupied the island in the 11th century, followed by crusaders and Genovans, and finally the Turks in the 16th century. The most famous period was when the Knights of the Order of St. John ruled here, since there are still several buildings from this time. Rhodes is even referred to as the "Island of the Knights" sometimes. They came in 1309 and stayed until the Turks invaded in 1522. In 1912 Rhodes was given to Italy, and liberated in 1948.

What to See in Rhodes:

• The capital, Rodos - a very beautiful town, containing (1)the harbour of Mandraki - Two famous bronze deer stand where the colossus of Rhodes once was (2) the castle of the Grand Master, (3) the road of the Knights - It was built upon an ancient street that dates to 408 BC. it leads to the (4)Palace of the Grand Masters, begun in the early 14th century, the palace was destroyed in 1856 and rebuilt in 1939. I contains ancient mosaics from the island of Kos and a monumental marble staircase (5) Castle of the Knights.


• The white town Lindos is well worth visiting. The acropolis here was only surpassed by the acropolis of Athens, and you can still see its ruins.


• The healing baths of Kallithea are on the Eastern side of the island.


• Kamiros - On the West side of the island there are several picturesque villages. If you like ancient history the "Pompey of Greece" is definitely a place to go.


• The monastery of Filerimos is also a place worth a visit.


• The Valley of Butterflies (Petaludes) is full of butterflies


• Anthony Quinn Bay - This is where The Guns of Navarone was filmed.


• Rhodes's Acropolis - The Acropolis of Lindos - From here you can to see one of the centers of the ancient Greek civilization including the remains of the 4th-century B.C. Doric Temple of Athena Lindia and the fortifications of the Knights of St. John. Below the Acropolis, you will see the clustered, old whitewashed houses and narrow streets of Lindos, a popular haunt of artists and writers. Monte Smith - A British admiral lent his name to Rhodes Town's old Acropolis. You will be able to view in its entire splendor the unforgettable sight of the town of Rhodes and the protective walls that still surround it.St. Paul's Bay - The beautiful, tranquil bay on the reverse side of Lindos where St. Paul is believed to have sought shelter during a storm.


• Mt. Philerimos and the Church of Our Lady - This plateau rising 1,000-feet above the sea offers superb views of the surrounding valleys, Mt. Philerimos is crowned by the Church of Our Lady, which was built on the ancient Greek temple dedicated to the goddess Athena and over early Christian catacombs. The unique barrel-vaulted Chapel of St. George dates from the 15th century.


• Marine Gate - The most beautiful and picturesque of the Gates that lead into the Old Town. Its unique feature is the two semicircular towers, which guard the gate.


• Mandraki Harbor - Believed to be the place where the Colossus of Rhodes stood straddling the ancient harbor; one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Today on each side there, atop two columns statues of a male and female deer.

Kusadasi (Ephesus), Turkey November 13, 2009

We arrived in Kusadasi, Turkey (Ephesus) at 8 AM after leaving Mykonos Island, Greece, at 6 PM last night. I sat on the balcony in the morning chill and watched as our captain docked the ship. We are docked directly beside a smaller Princess ship, the Royal Princess. So the view off our stateroom balcony is the sign and the logo of that ship.

Jim was sleeping in, so I went up to the buffet and ate a bowl of cereal; then I went up to decks 15 and 16 and took some pics from both sides and from the back of the ship. From those decks one can look down onto the top decks and pools of the Royal Princess.

We got off the ship and walked into Kusadasi and looked around. We didn't buy much - a few bookmarks and a change purse. The shop-owners are very aggressive here, and you have to be absolutely rude to keep from being dragged into each shop. The big items are leather goods, woven items such as towels, wraps, etc., jewelry and carpets - none of which are items on my wish list.

We came back to the ship to rest up a little and get a bite to eat before our tour of Ephesus.

Our tour was excellent! Our guide, Volca, was knowledgable and entertaining. He kept up a good pace but always waited until the group was together to begin talking. He seemed much more aware of his group than some guides do - talking louder if he could tell it was needed, pausing if someone was late getting to the group, ad-libbing when it was needed.

Among some of the most interesting things we saw were: the theatre in which St. Paul preached, as recorded in Acts 17; the prison in which he was held for his protection when citizens objected to his preaching there; the house where he lived and where he took Mary, the mother of Jesus, to live with him after Jesus commended her into his care.

We saw all the things that we had hoped to see and learned a few extra facts. For example, I didn't know that Ephesus was the 4th largest city of the ancient world. Nor did I know that Antony and Cleopatra honeymooned there and that the citizens poured red wine in their pathway to signal welcome -- and that the custom of rolling out a red carpet to welcome valued visitors came from that custom. I learned that archeologists estimate population of excavated cities by studying the largest coliseum or theatre in the city. They find out how many patrons could be seated there and multiply that number by 10 to estimate the city's population. The Ephesians built a bath at each entrance to the city in order to control the spread of disease. It reminded me of the proliferation of containers of hand sanitizer in all public buildings in recent months. The toilet area of the baths prompted amusing speculation. Observing rows of fifteen or twenty "seats", one has to wonder if there was any division between them at any time or if they were gender specified at all. It certainly makes one wonder about the expression "cheek to cheek."

We saw a demonstration for turkish carpet weaving and got a lesson in what increases or decreases the value and durability of carpets.

Back on the ship, we watched the Royal Princess pull out of port; then we cleaned up and ate dinner in one of the formal dining rooms. We went to see the new comedian, but we left early. The word "bomb" figures in a description of him. He was NOT "the bomb", but he definitely BOMBED! I can't remember his name right now. He was British and talked so fast and with such a strong accent that we could barely understand him. What we DID understand was not funny. In this day and age, I guess we should be thankful that our trip includes only this figurative kind of bomb.

Here is some information I gathered before we started this trip.

Ephesus which was established as a port, used to be an important commercial centre. It played a great role in ancient times because of its strategic location. Ephesus is located in a very fertile valleyand was once the trade center of the ancient world and the center of early Christianity. Today Ephesus is an important tourism center in Turkey. The ancient city of Ephesus is located in Selcuk, a small town 30 km away from Kusadasi.

Our major interest in Ephesus is, of course, its religious significance as it relates to our Christian faith and the Bible. The last book in the New Testament contains the revelation of St. John. The main subject of the Revelation is the end of the world. It tells the stories about the messages sent by Christ to "the Seven Churches" of Asia Minor as the Apocalypse approaches. The Seven Churches are located in the western part of Anatolia.

The Seven Churches of Apocalypse. The word church in Seven Churches is not used to define a building but a community of Christians. During the time, when Christianity was newly spread, it was under threat from Jews and pagans; therefore Christians were forced to worship in the mountains, graveyards and catacombs. When the King Domitian ordered Christians tortured and killed, the Book of Revelations was written. These "Seven Churches of the Apocalypse" were the cities that witnessed the formation of the first Christian communities as it was stated in the Bible and canonical letters. The Seven Churches are listed below in their order of importance:

• Izmir (Smyrna) Revelation 2:8-11 - Smyrna (Izmir) dates back to the 3rd Millennium B.C. However most of the ruins only date back to 178 A.D. because of an earthquake which destroyed many buildings. During the persecution of Christians in Smyrna in 156, the famous bishop of Christian Church Polycorp and eleven other Christians were burned at the stake. St John spoke out to the Christians of Smyrna in his book 60 years before the persecutions in Smyrna.


• Efes (Ephesus) Revelation 1:11, 2:1-7, Acts 18:19-28, 19:1-41 - Ephesus is the second pilgrimage center for Christians and was also home to the Virgin Mary and St John.
  
• Eskihisar (Laodicea) Revelation 3:12-22, C0lossians 2:1, 4:13-16 - Laodicea was probably founded by King Antiochus II who named the city after his wife Laodice. Before the Christian era in the city, there were wealthy Jewish people living in the region. However most of the inhabitants worshipped Zeus.
  
• Alasehir (Philadelphia) Revelation 3:7-13 - was founded in 159 BC. The church building, named after St. John, is a rectangular building of six pillars.


• Sart (Sardis) Revelation 3:1-6 - Sardis is located on the motorway between Ankara and Izmir which was the capital of the famous kingdom Lydia. In his book St John wrote to the Christians of Sardis.


• Akhisar (Thyatira) Revelation 2:18-29, Acts 16:14 - After the re-foundation of Thyatira (Akhisar) by Seleucus Nicator, one of the generals of Alexandre the Great, in the 3rd century B.C. it became a commercial city. It had many trade guilds which had members in certain unions like tailors, woolworkers, tanners, potter, bakers etc.. However these guilds were related to the pagan religions in Thyatira. The city was located 80 km away from Smyrna. What can be seen belonging to ancient times are only the Temple of Apollo, an ancient church and a colonnaded road.


• Bergama (Pergamum) Revelation 2:12-17 - Pergamum was a small Ionian city which was first mentioned in connection with Lysimachos, one of the generals of Alexander the Great. In the book of Revelation St John spoke out to the Christian citizens of Pergamum

The number seven has an importance in many cultures and religions like seven heavens, the seven days of the week, the story of the Seven Sleepers, the combination of squares and triangles in the Pyramids and the seven branched candlestick.

Here are some things to see:

Ruins of the Basilica of St. John - The 6th century Basilica of St. John - Built by the Emperor Justinian over the tomb of St. John the Apostle,

final resting place of the Virgin Mary - The Vatican has recognized this small house in the Solmissos Mountains as the final resting place of the Virgin Mary

the Great Theater - theater had seating for 24,000, which was the site where it is believed St. Paul preached to the Ephesians, and is used today for a local spring festival.

Terrace Houses - Located in a newly excavated area across from Hadrian's Temple, Ephesus Terrace Houses were home to the city's elite. The wealthy and important people of Ephesus used these houses which are finely decorated with mosaics and frescoes giving a true impression of the ancient lifestyle. These houses are the finest examples of Roman domestic life in the world.

Magnesia Gate - Enter here and walk a marble path past the Odeon Theater, the Celsus Library, the Temple of Hadrian, the Fountain of Trajan, and the Great Theatre.

Sirince - a small mountain village that is also listed as a World Heritage Site. It is known for its Byzantine church colorful market. The Ephesus Museum displays collection of Hellenistic and Roman statues, carved reliefs and artifacts discovered in the ruins of Ephesus.

The temple of Artemis is known as one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. It was built in the areas of Ephesus on a flat area which has over the centuries turned into a swamp. Today one can only see the ruins of the foundations of this marvelous construction of the Hellenistic Age, entirely made of marble and full of sculptured columns, capitals, and shafts. The new Artemis was rebuilt in the 2nd century BC. Located on top of the previous one, it was huge: 127 columns of each 17,5 meters high. Unfortunately this one was also destroyed by fire, reconstructed and again demolished by earthquakes, rebuilt and at last looted by Goths.

The statue of many-breasted Artemis was the symbol of the temple but also of abundance, hunting and wild life. The genuine statue of Artemis, removed during the fire, is today exhibited in the Selcuk Museum. Many copies of this statue found during the latest excavations date from the Roman period.

Mykonos Island, Greece - November 12, 2009

When I woke up at 3 AM, we were already docked on Mykonos, Greek Isle. Our stateroom was overlooking the dock for a change. I like to be on this side - to watch the ship pull in and set sail again. I also enjoy being able to see something besides ocean, which is what one usually sees from the other side. I couldn't go back to sleep, so I got up about 6:00 and sat on the balcony, read, made some pics, etc. Jim slept in big time today, so I was very limited in what I could do. About 8 AM I got cleaned up, watched people leave the ship to go into Mykonos town, saw tour busses depart and shuttle busses go into and come back from the town. It was pretty chilly on the balcony, so I came in about 10 and went up to Deck 14 to read. I couldn't find a place to suit me, so I finally went into one of the seating areas on the main deck and sat awhile.

After Jim got up, we rode the shuttle into Mykonos town. (Many of these islands have towns with the same name as the entire island, so they distinguish between them by adding the word "town" to distinguish the town from the island. Mykonos town is very picturesque. All the buildings are white with blue doors. The main downtown area is pedestrian- and scooter-accessible only. The shops were TINY with apartments above all of them. I was amused at Natalia's Palace (a space literally smaller than my closet at home). Please note that the name is Natalia's PALACE - not PLACE. Her store was perhaps smaller than a typical 50s-era linen closet! Notice the merchandise hanging on the inside of the door. Customers could not go inside; her wares were displayed outside, while she sat in the doorway. If a customer stopped, she would move out and motion for the potential buyer to take her place in the doorway and look at the merchandise displayed just inside the doorway. I took a pic of Natalia's Palace for our Natalie, whom I often call "Natalia." Many other shops were not much larger.

We had about an hour of panic when i thought I had had my pocket picked. We raced back to the ship and called to cancel our credit card, emotionally kissed goodbye to about $100 bucks worth of US money and Euros. Taaaaaa Daaaaaaa! The climax of that story? I found the cards in a pocket that both of us overlooked when we checked my purse over and over again to be sure they were really missing! I will try to rewrite this in more detail later, but I am running out of the very expensive internet time!

Afternoon: movie, nap, read...........

Evening: Had dinner in one of the formal dining rooms. No good shows were scheduled, so Jim watched a movie and I read and came here to the internet cafe.

Here is some information I gathered on Mykonos before we left Atlanta:

Average Temp in November: 58-64F

Mykonos is world famous for its beaches with golden white sand lapped by the blue Aegean.

Mykonos (Greek: Μύκονος) or Myconos is a Greek island and a top international tourist destination. The island is part of the Cyclades, lying between Tinos, Siros, Paros and Naxos. The island is composed primarily of granite. It has little natural fresh water and relies on the desalination of sea water in order to meet its needs. There are 9,320 inhabitants (2001) most of whom live in the largest town, Mykonos, also known as Chora (i.e. the Town in Greek, a common denomination in Greece when the name of the island itself is the same as the name of the principal town), which lies on the west coast.

History
Archaeological finds indicate that the Ionians settled on Mykonos in the early part of the 11th century BC. More recent discoveries have uncovered remnants in Ftelia beach from the Neolithic Kares tribe dating back to as far as 3000 BC.

Things to See/Do:

Panagia Tourliani Monastery - Originally built by monks in 1542 and dedicated to the Virgin Mary, it has marvelous distinct island architecture. It has a wonderfully carved marble fountain in the courtyard and a superb carved wooden screen in the church made especially in Florence.
The windmills and Little Venice -
The Island of Delos - This nearby island (which can be seen from Mykonos) is a huge archaeological site revered in ancient times as the birthplace of the twin Gods, Apollo and Artemis.

Athens (Piraeus), Greece November 11, 2009

We arrived in Athens (Piraeus), Greece at 6 AM. I would have thought we'd be here early since we had the 8 hours we were scheduled to be in Olympia. Since we have visited Athens before and seen most of the important sites, we decided to do little today. Jim slept late then went to see if we could get a last-minute reservation on the bus tour of Athens that left at 1:00. We got on it, although it is a mystery HOW! We never gave our stateroom number or our names, but the tickets appeared under our door about 15 minutes after we asked about it. It was a good tour. We saw all the usual sites -- just from the bus or from a distance. Instead of walking up the Acropolis, exploring the Parthenon, and walking around the Olympic Stadium like we did last time, we just saw them, stopped and photographed them from a distance. We also went into Zeus's temple, which we didn't see at all last time.

The tour was eventful in another way. We were in very heavy traffic because some streets had been closed by a political demonstration. Then we were involved in a minor accident. The bus driver suddenly slammed on the brakes, and we heard a thud. Of course the driver and guide had to get out for awhile and work out details. We were delayed a much shorter time than I would have expected, though. They told us that a small car hit a scooter (both of which are omnipresent cutting in and out of traffic) and through the scooter into the side of the bus. Apparently no one was hurt. At the end of the tour we had a "snack" in a very fance, 5-star hotel downtown The Hotel Grande Bretagne. It was elegant with revolving doors, gorgeous chandeliers, carved desks, etc.

Our guide was very fluent in English, but still she had several predictable mispronunciations. Southern was pronounced as "South en"; the "t" in castle was pronounced; all dates were preceded with the article "the."

Jim washed clothes tonight. Okay, I helped a little, folding and putting away; but he is the one who sat in the laundromat for ages.

The weather was gorgeous today -- such a nice change.

The evening's entertainment was not too great. Comedian Rikki Jay (a man, although the names looks like a woman's) was one of the frantic, run-all-over-the-stage types who talks so fast your ears can't keep up.

Late night pizza!! Gotta stop that!!


Here is information I gathered before we left Atlanta.

Average temperature in November: 53-64F

Athens is called "the birth place of modern civilization." Philosophy, politics, mathematics, the natural sciences, art - almost all of life as we know it - was invented or defined in Ancient Greece. From astronomy and the search for order in the heavens to democracy and the quest for order on earth, the people of this great city created the foundations upon which all our civilization has since rested. (That is a quote - debatable I am sure, but interesting nevertheless.)