Sunday, 6 December 2015
The Acropolis in Athens
It was a lifetime dream realized - to visit the Acropolis in Athens. For one reason or another, while I had always wanted to go to Athens, I never managed to fit that in, even though I had been actively travelling in the past 15 years. It was also the end point of a trip which had started in Istanbul and took us through the Greek Isles, where we had seen several acropolis already. But there was nothing like THE Acropolis. It was pretty stunning every time I looked at it. And our first glimpse was from the rooftop restaurant of our hotel near the Acropolis Museum. The sun was setting and it was starting to lit up. It was magical!
We made the strategic error of taking it too easy on our first full day in Athens. By the time we got tickets at the gate to the Acropolis, every one else in Athens and from the cruise ships, were there waiting to get in. The lineups were long in the hot sun and we figured that it would be too crowded inside even if we didn't mind the wait . We decided to postpone the visit until later in the afternoon, as Rick Steves had suggested in his book. We visited the new Acropolis Museum first, getting some meaningful background before the actual visit. The Museum itself was quite stunning, both architecturally and content wise.
A leisurely lunch in the Plaka gave us renewed energy to climb up to the Acropolis, this time from the gate above the Plaka, a relatively uncommon approach which gave us another perspective on the site. We were relieved to find the crowds dispersed and we were actually able to get people-less photos. In addition, we had the benefit of catching the "glow" on the buildings during the golden hour as the sun slowly descended. What luck!
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| The Parthenon lit up |
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| The Acropolis Museum - an impressive collection of many original sculptures from the Acropolis. I was particularly struck by the colour on these two costumes. I learned that the archaic colours were white, black, red and ochre, corresponding with the elements of air, water, fire and earth. The Athenians buried many of the statues after the Persians destroyed the Acropolis in 480 BC. As a result, the statues were well-preserved, as were the vivid colours. |
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| View of the second floor sculptures from the third. |
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| The reflection of the Parthenon on the windows of the Museum |
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| Greek policemen doubling up on motorbikes doing their rounds along the mainly pedestrian walkway around the Acropolis historic sites. The walkway really made things easy for tourists to get a panorama of ancient Athens. |
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| We went in the side entrance and this is the ancient road that greeted us |
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| Crumbling walls above us |
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| The view from the Propylaia - Athens beyond the Odeum, which could accommodate 6,000 spectators, destroyed during Herulian invasions in the 3rd century but restored in the 1950s. It is now an event space. |
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| The Propylaia, the magnificent entrance to the Acropolis with the elegant Temple of Athena Nike |
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| The portico of the Propylaia and the view of the Parthenon through it... |
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| The beautiful Erechtheion - elaborate and complex - I love it! This was a view from the Propylaia. Just in front of it, you could see the remains of the base (with relief mouldings) of the colossal statue of Athena, thought to stand at least 9 metres high. It would have been quite a sight, thought to be visible even to sailors at sea. The statue was carried to the Hippodrome in Constantinople in the 5th century AD where it was destroyed during the siege of the Franks in 1204. |
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| The awe-inspiring Parthenon, still under reconstruction since 1975... |
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| The Parthenon with the "glow" during the golden hour |
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| Athens panorama from the Acropolis - Mt. Lycabettus on the right |
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| The Erechtheion again with the "glow" |
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| Detail from the Erechtheion |
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| The Theatre of Dionysos, the oldest theatre in the world. To think that it was here that the plays of the great poets Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides were first performed! |
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| Front row seats with backs |
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| An Acropolis cat... |
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| Worth the 30 year wait... |
Sunday, 29 November 2015
Delphi - what we saw of it
There is nothing like coming back from a special trip to a landmark destination and found that you had missed half of what's there! That happened with us at Delphi. It took us two hours to get to Delphi from Athens because of traffic in the city and by the time we got there, it was late morning. We had booked a guide, even one with an archaeology degree. She was very good guiding us through the museum first so that we would have a better context for our visit to the archaeological site but it was past noon by the time we got out to the site and it was a scorchingly hot day. She then walked us through most of the Sanctuary of Apollo, all the way up to the amphitheatre, mentioning as she said goodbye that IF we go to the lower half of the site later, we would see more of the ruins.
When we finished that part of the site, it was mid-afternoon and we were tired and hungry. Our driver took us into the town for a leisurely lunch in a local restaurant serving "homecooking". It was four o'clock by the time we finished. We drove by the top part of the site but could not see much - as we were all tired we voted to pass on the site and headed back to Athens, hoping to avert another traffic jam.
When I started reading the book on Delphi I bought at the museum, I realized that we had only visited the part of the site west of the famous Spring of Kastalia, where "priests and votaries washed themselves before entering the temple". That was the bigger part of the site but we had missed the entire Sanctuary of Athena and the very beautiful Tholos, the Gymnasium, and not to mention the famous Spring. This is a good lesson learned - do the reading before the trip instead of after!
Still it was an exciting visit to Delphi, the part that we saw. The museum was chock full of original marvels from the site and the climb up the Sacred Way all the way up to the well-preserved amphitheatre was as exhilarating as the climb up to the Stadium was exhausting. We didn't think we could do another hike down to "more ruins" - not knowing what we're missing.
Delphi was a site rich with votive offerings because of its powerful oracle, renowned through the then known world. Suppliants came from all over with their offerings, often in gold and silver, making Delphi extremely wealthy. Some of these offerings are found in the museum.
Beautiful Delphi...until the next time!
When we finished that part of the site, it was mid-afternoon and we were tired and hungry. Our driver took us into the town for a leisurely lunch in a local restaurant serving "homecooking". It was four o'clock by the time we finished. We drove by the top part of the site but could not see much - as we were all tired we voted to pass on the site and headed back to Athens, hoping to avert another traffic jam.
When I started reading the book on Delphi I bought at the museum, I realized that we had only visited the part of the site west of the famous Spring of Kastalia, where "priests and votaries washed themselves before entering the temple". That was the bigger part of the site but we had missed the entire Sanctuary of Athena and the very beautiful Tholos, the Gymnasium, and not to mention the famous Spring. This is a good lesson learned - do the reading before the trip instead of after!
Still it was an exciting visit to Delphi, the part that we saw. The museum was chock full of original marvels from the site and the climb up the Sacred Way all the way up to the well-preserved amphitheatre was as exhilarating as the climb up to the Stadium was exhausting. We didn't think we could do another hike down to "more ruins" - not knowing what we're missing.
Delphi was a site rich with votive offerings because of its powerful oracle, renowned through the then known world. Suppliants came from all over with their offerings, often in gold and silver, making Delphi extremely wealthy. Some of these offerings are found in the museum.
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| The entrance path to the museum seemed to echo the Sacred Way within the archaeological site |
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| The Delphi Archaeological Museum |
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| The famous Sphinx of the Naxians - head of a woman, wings of a bird and body of a lion - an offering from the citizens of Naxos meant to guard the Sacred place |
Metopes from the site - the one below of Ares, Aphrodite and Artemis
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| The famous Charioteer, considered one of the masterpieces of ancient Greek art |
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| Gold found at the site |
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| Block from the outer wall of the Athenian treasury, incised with musical inscriptions, hymns to Apollo. "These are the oldest written notation of a melody. Between the verses, written in the Ionic alphabet, notes have been inscribed for both the choral and instrumental scores. The music for the instruments (cithara, lyre, flute) was written in combinations of characters and punctuation." |
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| The reconstructed Athenian treasury |
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| The beginning of the Sacred Way |
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| The Roman agora (marketplace) |
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| Stoia of the Athenians |
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| This retaining wall reminded me of the Inca stone walls in Peru |
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| Inscriptions on the stone walls |
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| Temple of Apollo |
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| The Stadium at the top of the site |
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| The amphitheatre with the Temple of Apollo in front |
Beautiful Delphi...until the next time!
Sunday, 15 November 2015
Island in white - Mykonos
Mykonos was our last stop before Athens. We took it easy, spending a few hours wandering the quaint streets, enjoying the relative quiet on a Sunday morning, and luxuriating in the whiteness of it all. According to our guide on Santorini, people on Mykonos are not allowed to paint their houses any colour other than white - although we noticed many white houses with colourful trims. It was a photographic feast.
Wandering the side streets meant we see more locals like these...
Or this one...
Coming across couples doing wedding selfies in the narrow alleys...
I love the islands!
Still to come: Delphi and Athens
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| Gorgeous bourgainvilla in a front yard |
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| One of the main streets |
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| One of many narrow alleyways |
Wandering the side streets meant we see more locals like these...
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| Reading the Sunday paper? |
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And treated ourselves to picturesque front yards like this one...
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| A Mykonos cat - in his colour-coordinated kingdom |
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| Overwhelmingly blue... |
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| But churches are red |
Except for this one - dazzlingly white!
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| The Folk Art Museum (closed on Sundays) with a porch of stone mosaic |
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| Windmills by the waterfront |
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| "Little Venice" |
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| A bagpiper - he'll only play if paid |
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| The Greek flag - in penurious splendour braving the winds |
Still to come: Delphi and Athens
Sunday, 8 November 2015
Santorini
This is the island that everyone was raving about! I couldn't wait to visit - but was a tat disappointed when we got off the cable car and hit the main street in Fira. The narrow cobbled street was packed with traffic, there was barely space for us as we walked along the miniscule pavement, all the while watching out for big buses making turns, possibly on us!
It was with relief that we found the Museum of Prehistoric Thera which was the meeting place with our driver guide. We paid the museum a quick visit so as to be prepared for the visit to Akrotiri, the Minoan Bronze Age settlement on Santorini. It was an interesting museum with many of the original frescoes and artifacts from the excavation.
We were thankful that our driver Simon quickly whisked us out of the traffic and showed us the more attractive side of Santorini, in particular an old village called Megalochiri, which amazingly, had empty streets! One big reason is of course the streets are so narrow, his compact Saab could just squeeze through - no big buses, no tourists! This was the village of his grandfather so he knew his way around. Check out the photos below.
Streets of Megalochiri
It was with relief that we found the Museum of Prehistoric Thera which was the meeting place with our driver guide. We paid the museum a quick visit so as to be prepared for the visit to Akrotiri, the Minoan Bronze Age settlement on Santorini. It was an interesting museum with many of the original frescoes and artifacts from the excavation.
We were thankful that our driver Simon quickly whisked us out of the traffic and showed us the more attractive side of Santorini, in particular an old village called Megalochiri, which amazingly, had empty streets! One big reason is of course the streets are so narrow, his compact Saab could just squeeze through - no big buses, no tourists! This was the village of his grandfather so he knew his way around. Check out the photos below.
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| The pier was at the base of a cliff. The only ways up to Fira were via cable car, or a hike up a steep trail together with donkeys or a bus that would take you the long way along a coastal road to Oia and from there along the top of the cliff to Fira. We chose the most direct way up - the cable car. |
Fira spread out along the top of the ridge
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| Santorini is actually on part of the caldera of an extinct volcano |
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| Original fresco from Akrotiri in the Museum of Prehistoric Thera |
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| The streets of Megalochir are very narrow - barely the width of a car |
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| Charming centre of Megalochiri |
Streets of Megalochiri
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| The red cliffs and the red beach below it |
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| The Akrotiri Minoan site. We were thankful that it was fully covered as the sun was very hot that day. |
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| The unusual black sand at Perivolos beach |
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| The monastery near Pirgos at the top of the hill - spectacular views and a glimpse of the chapel and the monastic garden |
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| We finally made it to Oia - our mission - hunting down the location of that iconic shot of the double blue domes! It was the highlight of our trip in the sense that we achieved what we set out to accomplish but really, it was not the most enjoyable part of our day. Oia was crowded, in fact, swarmed with both tourists and locals as it was the weekend and there was a "roof jumping" contest going on. The only reason you don't see people in these photos was because of how Oia was built - on a slope and so if we shoot down, we could only see buildings. |
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| An unusual moment on Oia- an empty street! |
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| Many couples were doing their wedding/engagement photo shoots here! |
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| Can't resist this Santorini cat... |
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| Sign on restaurant |
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| The donkey driver calling it a day |
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| Sunset over the caldera - end of an amazing day on Santorini! |
Sunday, 1 November 2015
Crete and the amazing Palace of Knossos
Crete is a big island with lots to see, but since we only have one day on the island, our obvious choice of destination was the Palace of Knossos, the major historical site on the island. The palace, built between 1700 and 1400 B.C. over a Neolithic town, is considered to be Europe's oldest city and the centre of Minoan civilization and culture. It was a maze of various kinds of rooms, living spaces, workrooms and storage rooms around a central square. Some of these are being reconstructed, including indoor and outdoor murals. Our guide was very helpful, pointing out some of the features and background and what originals we would see in the Archaeological Museum which we later visited in Heraklion. And there were some awesome pieces of fine Minoan jewellery and craftsmanship on display at the Museum - it was quite a gem. Check out the photos below.
We were told that the best olive oil came from Heraklion on Crete so stopped by a local products store to get some for gifts. The town centre was quite pretty but the cruise port was not very accessible. We had to walk through a maze of streets, making many turns before we found our way to the waterfront. And then the port itself was behind one barrier after another with no car access. But the detour allowed us to see some of the less touristy parts of town, which is always a treat.
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| One of the many partially reconstructed structures on the grounds |
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The grounds were a maze of rooms, corridors and stairs |
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| This is the original floor in the front of the "Throne Room" |
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| The "Throne Room" with the benches and the throne (believed to be the throne of King Minos) in the place where they were found. |
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| The reconstructed Room with the copies of the frescoes |
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| The Queen's Megaron with the striking fresco of the dolphins |
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| This refined Bull Leaper in the museum was found in the shrine above the Queen's Megaron. It depicted the instant when the Bull Leaper leapt over the bull's back in a Minoan ritual - one of the masterpieces of small Minoan sculpture. |
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| Partly restored first floor of the Royal Apartments |
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| The corridor leading from the entrance of the palace to the central court |
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| The Bastion with the famous fresco of the bull |
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| The double horn symbol was seen everywhere on the Palace grounds |
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| The bull was sacred to the Minoans. This bull's head, in the form of a rhyton or drinking horn, is a libation vase that was filled with libation liquid through a hole in the neck and poured out through a hole in the muzzle. Another show piece of Minoan art. |
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The double axe, which always seemed to accompany goddesses, was the symbol of the beginning of creation. It appeared everywhere and there were many versions, large and small, in gold, copper and other metals in the museum |
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| A carved leaping tiger |
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| Gold Minoan jewellery |
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| A most exquisite gold bee pendant from Malia - a pectoral pendant of two bees depositing a drop of honey in their honeycomb. They are holding the round, granulated honeycomb between their legs and the drop of honey in their mouths. On their heads is a filigree cage containing a gold bead while small discs hang from their wings and the sting. A masterpiece of the jeweller's art from 1800 - 1700 B.C.! |
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| Olive groves surround the palace |
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| The view of Heraklion from the Museum |
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| Heraklion street outside of the main area |
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| A sidewalk garden |
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| This is supposed to be the Cistern |
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| Almost surreal giant cranes at the port |
Monday, 26 October 2015
Two awesome Acropoles on Rhodes
I wish we had more time on Rhodes! The medieval town with its in tact city walls reminded me of Dubrovnik. We spent most of our time outside of the city visiting the two Acropolis; by the time we got back, we barely had energy or time to explore anything other than the main drag which was mainly tourist shops. Our driver/guide Kosta took us into the old town right after he picked us up at the cruise port as cars are not allowed in there after 10 o'clock. We were able to take some pictures at the Palace of the Grand Master and then were quickly whisked out of the city because the traffic jam had already started. The visit to the non-existent Colossus of Rhodes, another of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, was quick.
The Acropolis in Rhodes is quite beautiful with a Temple of Apollo, an Odeon and a fairly large stadium, partly reconstructed. But the Acropolis at Lindos, a half hour's drive from Rhodes, is even more striking. Situated at the top of the hill overlooking the sea, it is a natural citadel that was fortified by successive rulers from the Greeks to the Ottomans. It was a steep climb up to the Acropolis, walking through a gauntlet of shops and stalls starting from the main square. One could also hitch a ride up on donkeys that went up another road, thankfully for those who are walking. But it is worth the 20 minute hike as it is very beautiful and the view from the top was spectacular.
The Acropolis in Rhodes is quite beautiful with a Temple of Apollo, an Odeon and a fairly large stadium, partly reconstructed. But the Acropolis at Lindos, a half hour's drive from Rhodes, is even more striking. Situated at the top of the hill overlooking the sea, it is a natural citadel that was fortified by successive rulers from the Greeks to the Ottomans. It was a steep climb up to the Acropolis, walking through a gauntlet of shops and stalls starting from the main square. One could also hitch a ride up on donkeys that went up another road, thankfully for those who are walking. But it is worth the 20 minute hike as it is very beautiful and the view from the top was spectacular.
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Palace of the Grand Master |
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| Cobbled street in medieval Rhodes before the crowds arrive |
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| Colossus of Rhodes location |
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| View of Rhodes from the hilltop - Turkey across the sea |
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| The Acropolis at the hilltop - Temple of Apollo |
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| Odeon reconstructed - black stones are original |
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| The stadium seats |
Interesting rest stops on the way to Lindos, including a potter's shop.
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| Potter at his wheel |
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| This is a washroom |
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| First view of Lindos |
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| The path up to the Lindos Acropolis |
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| Private porch along the way |
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| Medieval fortress around the Acropolis |
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Doric Temple of Athena reconstructed by the Italians during their occupation (1912-1945). But the work was poorly done - in recent years, Greek and international archaeologists are working on repairing the damage. |
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| Medieval castle around the Acropolis |
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| Ancient Greek theatre outside the Lindos castle walls |
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| Back in the medieval city of Rhodes, we entered through the Gate d'Amboise |
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| The Public Library of Rhodes |
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| The Muslim Library |
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| The main tourist street through the town |
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| Medieval fountain in Hippocrates Square |
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| Ruins of the Church of Our Lady of the Burgh near the waterfront |
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| The waterfront fort - site of Naillac's Tower which was destroyed in an earthquake in the 19th century |
Monday, 26 October 2015
Two awesome Acropoles on Rhodes
I wish we had more time on Rhodes! The medieval town with its in tact city walls reminded me of Dubrovnik. We spent most of our time outside of the city visiting the two Acropolis; by the time we got back, we barely had energy or time to explore anything other than the main drag which was mainly tourist shops. Our driver/guide Kosta took us into the old town right after he picked us up at the cruise port as cars are not allowed in there after 10 o'clock. We were able to take some pictures at the Palace of the Grand Master and then were quickly whisked out of the city because the traffic jam had already started. The visit to the non-existent Colossus of Rhodes, another of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, was quick.
The Acropolis in Rhodes is quite beautiful with a Temple of Apollo, an Odeon and a fairly large stadium, partly reconstructed. But the Acropolis at Lindos, a half hour's drive from Rhodes, is even more striking. Situated at the top of the hill overlooking the sea, it is a natural citadel that was fortified by successive rulers from the Greeks to the Ottomans. It was a steep climb up to the Acropolis, walking through a gauntlet of shops and stalls starting from the main square. One could also hitch a ride up on donkeys that went up another road, thankfully for those who are walking. But it is worth the 20 minute hike as it is very beautiful and the view from the top was spectacular.
The Acropolis in Rhodes is quite beautiful with a Temple of Apollo, an Odeon and a fairly large stadium, partly reconstructed. But the Acropolis at Lindos, a half hour's drive from Rhodes, is even more striking. Situated at the top of the hill overlooking the sea, it is a natural citadel that was fortified by successive rulers from the Greeks to the Ottomans. It was a steep climb up to the Acropolis, walking through a gauntlet of shops and stalls starting from the main square. One could also hitch a ride up on donkeys that went up another road, thankfully for those who are walking. But it is worth the 20 minute hike as it is very beautiful and the view from the top was spectacular.
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Palace of the Grand Master |
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| Cobbled street in medieval Rhodes before the crowds arrive |
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| Colossus of Rhodes location |
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| View of Rhodes from the hilltop - Turkey across the sea |
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| The Acropolis at the hilltop - Temple of Apollo |
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| Odeon reconstructed - black stones are original |
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| The stadium seats |
Interesting rest stops on the way to Lindos, including a potter's shop.
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| Potter at his wheel |
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| This is a washroom |
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| First view of Lindos |
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| The path up to the Lindos Acropolis |
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| Private porch along the way |
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| Medieval fortress around the Acropolis |
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Doric Temple of Athena reconstructed by the Italians during their occupation (1912-1945). But the work was poorly done - in recent years, Greek and international archaeologists are working on repairing the damage. |
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| Medieval castle around the Acropolis |
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| Ancient Greek theatre outside the Lindos castle walls |
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| Back in the medieval city of Rhodes, we entered through the Gate d'Amboise |
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| The Public Library of Rhodes |
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| The Muslim Library |
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| The main tourist street through the town |
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| Medieval fountain in Hippocrates Square |
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| Ruins of the Church of Our Lady of the Burgh near the waterfront |
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| The waterfront fort - site of Naillac's Tower which was destroyed in an earthquake in the 19th century |
Saturday, 24 October 2015
A most charming island - Patmos
We did not book ahead for any tours on Patmos partly because they were over-the-top expensive but mainly because we thought we might need to give ourselves a break. This would be the 8th day of our trip and we would have been sightseeing every day for a week. By the time we did get to Patmos, we were very glad we made that decision earlier because we were more than a little tired and really needed a day off to recuperate. But of course we couldn't come to the doorstep and not enter, if just for a look around.
After a leisurely breakfast, we took the tender in to Patmos and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves just strolling through the little town, wandering into stores at whim, chatting with a shopkeeper from Cuba (his sesame seed crunch was delicious!), and dawdling around watching the cats. The houses were charming with colourful windows and trims. What I enjoyed most was the lack of crowds and the ability to stand back and soak in the atmosphere.
A young lady approached us when she noticed us making a fuss of two cats by the waterfront. She too was a cat lover and told us about this beautiful view that she just came upon. She showed us the panoramic photo of Patmos on her camera and even offered to show us the way up to the little chapel up on the hill. We thanked her and told her we could find our own way, which we did, with several wrong turns and sign language from a local who must have been used to tourists stumbling into her backyard. It was quite an adventure for us to go up the narrow stepped footpath to the little chapel which was closed - but the view from its terrace was stunning.
Patmos was also known for St. John's Cave (now a chapel) which was supposedly where John had the Revelation. We didn't visit as it was quite a distance up and not one of the twelve taxis on the island were around to offer us a ride. We have reached what I consider to be that "mature" stage of life where we accept that we could not see everything there is to see in the world and happily resigned ourselves to a more leisurely way of enjoying the island.
After a leisurely breakfast, we took the tender in to Patmos and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves just strolling through the little town, wandering into stores at whim, chatting with a shopkeeper from Cuba (his sesame seed crunch was delicious!), and dawdling around watching the cats. The houses were charming with colourful windows and trims. What I enjoyed most was the lack of crowds and the ability to stand back and soak in the atmosphere.
A young lady approached us when she noticed us making a fuss of two cats by the waterfront. She too was a cat lover and told us about this beautiful view that she just came upon. She showed us the panoramic photo of Patmos on her camera and even offered to show us the way up to the little chapel up on the hill. We thanked her and told her we could find our own way, which we did, with several wrong turns and sign language from a local who must have been used to tourists stumbling into her backyard. It was quite an adventure for us to go up the narrow stepped footpath to the little chapel which was closed - but the view from its terrace was stunning.
Patmos was also known for St. John's Cave (now a chapel) which was supposedly where John had the Revelation. We didn't visit as it was quite a distance up and not one of the twelve taxis on the island were around to offer us a ride. We have reached what I consider to be that "mature" stage of life where we accept that we could not see everything there is to see in the world and happily resigned ourselves to a more leisurely way of enjoying the island.
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| The main square in Patmos |
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| A local goods store we visited - great sesame crisps! |
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| Gorgeous bourgainvillea |
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| Twin-domed church |
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| Neat hotel! |
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| It was just a 15 minute walk to the other side of the island with a pebbly beach |
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| Idyllic life - fishing on the waterfront |
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| NIce house by the waterfront |
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| We climbed up to the little chapel at the top of this hill |
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| Huge cactus on both sides of the stepped path up to the top of the hill |
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| Steps up to the chapel |
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| The chapel |
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Patmos panorama - you can see both sides of the island from the terrace |
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| It's nice to be a Patmos cat... |
Friday, 23 October 2015
Ancient Ephesus
I was very much looking forward to visiting Ephesus as there had been many stories around it, particularly in the New Testament. The apostles Paul and John lived there at one point; there was even the possibility that the Gospel of John might have been written in Ephesus and there were claims that the Virgin Mary may have stayed at one of the houses in the last year of her life, making it a popular destination for Catholic pilgrims even though evidence were mixed.
We arrived in the ancient city on a scorchingly hot day. The blazing sun reflected on the bare rocks made it feel like an oven and this was the end of September. The huge crowds descending upon the ruins added to the heat. But it was exciting to walk on the marble path that had been there since 10th century BC and imagine the merchants who had set up shop in the agora with its many partitioned cubicles. Particularly intriguing were the latrines with its drainage and the Roman baths.
Marble walls and floors would provide a luxurious setting for this large room
We arrived in the ancient city on a scorchingly hot day. The blazing sun reflected on the bare rocks made it feel like an oven and this was the end of September. The huge crowds descending upon the ruins added to the heat. But it was exciting to walk on the marble path that had been there since 10th century BC and imagine the merchants who had set up shop in the agora with its many partitioned cubicles. Particularly intriguing were the latrines with its drainage and the Roman baths.
But the most fascinating section of the ruins were the terrace houses that were excavated in 1960. These were tenements of the rich, with their own sophisticated heating system of clay pipes which brought hot air under the floors and behind the walls. The mosaics on the floors and frescoes could be seen in the two houses that had been converted into a museum. Visitors were able to walk through and see the rooms and the peristyle interior courtyards and imagine them in their past glory.
I found the most beautiful part of the ruins was the Library of Celsus, built in 135 AD in honour of the Roman Senator Celsus and also served as his mausoleum (crypt under the library). The library was destroyed over two earthquakes in the 3rd and 11th centuries and laid in ruins until the facade was rebuilt in the 1970's. It was absolutely gorgeous!
The most famous ruin in Ephesus was the Temple of Artemis, built in the 6th century BC - it's one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and was located outside the main ruins. It was a little disappointing to see this much touted wonder as all that was left of it was one solitary column, but it was a touching reminder of what it once was.
After the extended tour of the ancient ruins with our diligent guide Hamid, we had neither the energy nor time to visit the rest of the city even though its Grand Bazaar was supposedly as impressive as the one in Istanbul. Maybe next time...
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| First thing we saw when we entered via the Magnesia Gate - I think this is the East Gymnasium which included the Roman baths |
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| Clay pipes used in the Roman baths |
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| The Odeon - small theatre - parts of it reconstructed |
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| Remarkable columns along the way |
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| I like how even the cats in the ruins got a scratching post and how ancient capitals and statues were casually strewned along the roadside! |
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| Roman latrines with drainage! |
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| Peristyle courtyard inside the terrace houses |
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| Looking down at the rooms in the houses |
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| These wall paintings feature drawings and graffiti which offered insights into the everyday life of the inhabitants. According to the signage, the drawings mainly show gladiators, caricatures and animals. The graffiti included names of persons, poems and declarations of love. Especially interesting is a group of 30 lists referring to goods and necessities of everyday life including their prices! |
Marble walls and floors would provide a luxurious setting for this large room
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| Mosaics on the floor and painted wall panels |
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| View of the ancient city from the terrace houses |
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| The fabulous Library of Celsus |
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| Roman baths |
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| The Marble Road |
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| View of the large amphitheatre from the Marble Road |
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| The lone pillar at the Temple of Artemis |
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| Ephesus all lit up at night |
Wednesday, 21 October 2015
Monasteries in "the middle of the sky"
Volos was our first cruise stop. The Meteora monasteries, in Thessaly, Greece, were just a couple of hours away by car so we booked a cab to drive us to see these amazing havens hung in "the middle of the sky" or "suspended in the air" (meteora in Greek). The monks built them on top of rock pillars in the 14th century so they could be safe from political upheaval. Now they are invaded by tourists who could brave the climb up to the entrance. In the case of the Holy Monastery of Great Meteoron, it was 750 steps up - not for the faint of heart!
There are six of these monasteries remaining from the original 20. We visited the two largest monasteries, the Holy Monastery of the Grand Meteoron and the Varlaam Monastery. You can see below the pictures of the monasteries and the surrounding landscape of rock pillars that remanded me of places like Yosemite in California and Zhangjiajie in China, except these places don't have monasteries built on top of their rocks. The Tigers' Nest Monastery in Bhutan, once on my bucket list, also comes to mind but I've never visited that one and likely never will because it is even harder to reach from what I gather - a lot more than 750 steps! Wrap around skirts are available for women wearing pants - if they want to go into the churches, which are so gorgeous they are worth putting on someone else's skirts for.
Breathtaking!
There are six of these monasteries remaining from the original 20. We visited the two largest monasteries, the Holy Monastery of the Grand Meteoron and the Varlaam Monastery. You can see below the pictures of the monasteries and the surrounding landscape of rock pillars that remanded me of places like Yosemite in California and Zhangjiajie in China, except these places don't have monasteries built on top of their rocks. The Tigers' Nest Monastery in Bhutan, once on my bucket list, also comes to mind but I've never visited that one and likely never will because it is even harder to reach from what I gather - a lot more than 750 steps! Wrap around skirts are available for women wearing pants - if they want to go into the churches, which are so gorgeous they are worth putting on someone else's skirts for.
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| First glimpse of the Meteora monasteries |
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| The Holy Monastery of Great Meteoron - the highest, largest and oldest of the Meteora monasteries. The rock on which it stands rises 2000 feet about sea level. The monastery was built around 1340. |
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| The entrance, after you've climbed the 750 steps (there are more inside!) |
The Church of the Transfiguration with icons from the 14th and 16th centuries
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| The kitchen with the original bread oven and soup hearth |
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| An idyllic courtyard in the monastery |
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| Mural of the 12 apostles |
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| The rocks are an obvious attraction for rock climbers |
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| The Varlaam Monastery - the pulley system for delivering supplies is still being used |
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| The main entrance |
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| Inside the chapel |
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| Original water barrel from the 14th century could hold 12 tons of water |
The Meteora landscape
Breathtaking!
Tuesday, 20 October 2015
Making the most of our last days in Istanbul
The museums were all very impressive. The Istanbul Archaeological Museum, on the grounds of the Topkapi Palace, has a vast collection of sculptures and statuary from the Archaic to the Roman era. There were also a lot of archaeological information on the Istanbul area which made it particularly interesting and relevant. It has extensive floor space over several floors in the main building and two other side buildings - one could easily spend half a day here.
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| The entrance to one of the buildings in the Istanbul Archaeological Museum |
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| A mihrab in the museum |
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| Young boy sculpture from 1st Century BC |
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| The Islamic Arts Museum |
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| This was called "Beggar's Bowl"! |
We squeezed in the Islamic Museum of Modern Art the day we left Istanbul, visiting after we checked in at the cruise port as it was only a ten minute walk away. It was particularly enjoyable after several days of looking through the past - the art here gave us very positive glimpses of the future. These two pieces really stood out for me at the Istanbul Modern:
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"Virtual Places" by Istanbul artist Ali Alisir, images of microchips and electronic circuits overlaying images of historical buildings in medieval Europe; |
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| "Northern Smoke" by American Pae White interweaving digital technology and the ancient art of tapestry |
The Basilica Cistern, an amazing feat of engineering, was intriguing and quite a challenge to my photography skills (and my camera) - we spent a good part of an hour here just because it took me that long to find a suitable camera setting to produce a half decent photo of this underground water chamber. It turned out my iphone did a better job in seconds.
It was the weekend and the locals and tourists from near and far were out in full force - a great time for people watching on the streets as we sat down for afternoon tea on the second floor of the historic sweet shop Hafiz Mustafa, which looked out on the train tracks.
Some street scenes in Istanbul...
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| Basilica Cistern |
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| Another angle taken with my iphone - no fiddling around with settings! |
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| Afternoon tea at the Hafiz Mustafa, looking down on the busy street near Sirkeci train station |
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| The Whirling Dervishes - a religious ritual/performance originating from the Sufi master Rumi. The most authentic performance was supposed to be the one at the Galata Mevlevi Lodge but they were closed for the holidays. We were told the next best was the one at the Hodjapasha Dance Theatre which was just around the corner from our hotel. It helped that there were surtitles projected to explain each segment of the very meaningful ritual celebrating the religious journey towards the divine. It was a great way to wrap up our last evening in Istanbul. |
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| Preparing the Turkish dish "Testi kebab" |
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| Testi kebab with chicken |
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| Saying goodbye to sensational Istanbul as we set sail at sunset... |
Saturday, 17 October 2015
The Palace and the fabulous Hagia Sophia
The Topkapi Palace was impressive but the crowds visiting it even more so, particularly after a day of closure. We bought the Museum Pass at our hotel and avoided the line up for tickets at least. As our hotel was just around the corner from the Palace, we got there early and thankfully visited some of the exhibits without having to peer over shoulders. I was particularly awed by the mould with the footprint of the Prophet and a hair from his beard, strung and carefully encased. We ended up seeing the same thing again the following day at the Museum of Islamic Arts without having to jostle the crowds. There must have been as many relics of the Prophet as there were hairs on his beard!
It was a scorching hot day and the crowds didn't help. At one point we had decided we would skip the Treasury exhibit for which there was a long line up in the sun. But then the line started moving and so we caved in and joined the crowd. We were flabbergasted when after a half hour in line, we ended up in a one room exhibit and the crowning glory here was the so-called Spoonmaker's Diamond, an 86 carat monster, which while impressive, was really not worth the long wait. The only gratifying offshoot of the lineup though was the ample people photo opportunities afforded by the wait.
It was a scorching hot day and the crowds didn't help. At one point we had decided we would skip the Treasury exhibit for which there was a long line up in the sun. But then the line started moving and so we caved in and joined the crowd. We were flabbergasted when after a half hour in line, we ended up in a one room exhibit and the crowning glory here was the so-called Spoonmaker's Diamond, an 86 carat monster, which while impressive, was really not worth the long wait. The only gratifying offshoot of the lineup though was the ample people photo opportunities afforded by the wait.
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| Entrance to Topkapi Palace - looks like a fairy tale castle |
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| The Imperial Council Building |
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Gorgeous tile work and stained glass windows throughout |
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| Mihrab, depicting the Holy Mosque in Mecca |
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| Inside the Harem |
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| Outside the apartments of the Crown Prince |
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| The spectacular hollow tree outside the Treasury where there was a constant lineup to see the treasures, including the 86 carat diamond |
We spent the rest of the day at the Hagia Sophia, once more thankful for our Museum Pass which enabled us to skirt the lineups - it's worth every lira! And having read so much about this epitome of Byzantine architecture, it was awe-inspiring to be standing under that magnificent dome, with its architecturally next-to-impossible windows. We almost missed the climb up to the upper gallery where we got a closer view of the dome and some of the mosaics. It was almost a relief to exit the overwhelmingly magnificent structure - it was too much to absorb in one visit. Breathtaking, to say the least.
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| The mix of Christian imagery and Muslim calligraphy that stemmed from the building's history as both an Orthodox Church and a Mosque. |
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| Awesome marble walls in the church |
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| Huge stone urn inside entrance |
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| Marble stone threshold - worn down by 15 centuries of footsteps... |
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| Closer to the dome - from the Upper Gallery |
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| Closer to the mosaics - from the Upper Gallery |
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| Little girl captivated by the child-sized mannequins in the stores outside the Hagia Sophia |
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| The Arasta Bazaar selling hand crafts and of course, carpets on the way to the Mosaic Museum |
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| One of many mosaics in the Mosaic Museum |
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The Obelisk in the Hippodome and the Blue Mosque, glowing in the last rays of the setting sun |
Tuesday, 13 October 2015
Beautiful Blue Mosque, the Bosphorus and more
Our second day in Istanbul fell on Eid, the biggest festival in the Muslim year. Everything was closed except for the mosques so all the tourists descended upon the Blue Mosque, the only landmark open. The lineups to get in were around the block but it was worth the wait. The mosque was gorgeous although the area fenced off for worship was empty. Somehow the visit to the New Mosque the previous day seemed more meaningful because we saw people at worship whereas the Blue Mosque, deprived of worshippers, was just another beautiful building, albeit a magnificently beautiful one.
To make best use of our time in Istanbul, we booked ourselves on a half day cruise up the Bosphorus Straits in the afternoon since there was nothing else open. It was a perfect sunny day for a cruise and we saw not only the interesting bridges and landmarks on both sides of the straits, but also saw them in a changing light as the cruise went from early afternoon to dusk. The boat was full and afforded great people watching opportunities as well as allowing us to mingle with fellow tourists, some more pleasant than others.
We caught a glimpse of the Black Sea at the farthest point of the cruise before we were dropped off in the so-called "fishing village" of Anadolu Kavagi. All we saw were seafood restaurants and shops on our walkthough. It was here also that we were impressed by the innate sense of responsiblity some people had. I had left a tote bag on the upper deck of the boat when we went downstairs for lunch. I told the little boy sitting beside us to keep an eye on it as it marked our seats. When we were told we could spend an hour in the fishing village and that we would be going back on the same boat, I left my bag on the boat. The little boy's father came running through the village with our bag thinking that we had forgotten it. We apologized for inconveniencing him and bought candy for the boys, visiting from Saudi Arabia. It was a pleasant encounter for us.
The highlight of the stopover for us was a little mosque - we tiptoed in through the open door and admired the beautiful tiled mihrab. It was quite an adventure for us simply because it was unattended and we felt like we were intruding even though we behaved ourselves, took our shoes off and pulled on our scarves. We were struck by the intimacy afforded by this one-room mosque - what a difference from the magnificent Blue Mosque we saw earlier in the day.
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| Whirling Dervishes on the fountain in the courtyard |
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| Lone figure in the worship area inside the mosque |
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| Yes, one couldn't help but gawk at the magnificence! |
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| Here come the next target - on one of the touristy backstreets |
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| A streetside pomegranate juice presser - no seeds to remove, juice in a minute! |
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| Great views on both sides of the Bosphorus |
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| A half-finished bridge at the entrance to the Black Sea |
We caught a glimpse of the Black Sea at the farthest point of the cruise before we were dropped off in the so-called "fishing village" of Anadolu Kavagi. All we saw were seafood restaurants and shops on our walkthough. It was here also that we were impressed by the innate sense of responsiblity some people had. I had left a tote bag on the upper deck of the boat when we went downstairs for lunch. I told the little boy sitting beside us to keep an eye on it as it marked our seats. When we were told we could spend an hour in the fishing village and that we would be going back on the same boat, I left my bag on the boat. The little boy's father came running through the village with our bag thinking that we had forgotten it. We apologized for inconveniencing him and bought candy for the boys, visiting from Saudi Arabia. It was a pleasant encounter for us.
The highlight of the stopover for us was a little mosque - we tiptoed in through the open door and admired the beautiful tiled mihrab. It was quite an adventure for us simply because it was unattended and we felt like we were intruding even though we behaved ourselves, took our shoes off and pulled on our scarves. We were struck by the intimacy afforded by this one-room mosque - what a difference from the magnificent Blue Mosque we saw earlier in the day.
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| The "fishing village" of Anadolu Kavagi |
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| Mihrab in the little mosque in the village |
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| On the way back - skyline of the new part of Istanbul |
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| Bosphorus Bridge linking Europe and Asia |
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| Istanbul silhouetted at dusk - perfect end to the day |
Sunday, 11 October 2015
Sensational Istanbul
We spent four days in Istanbul before our cruise of the Greek Isles in late September and discovered a beautiful old city with magnificent mosques and palaces but above all, we were struck by our encounters with honest, friendly and helpful people.
We had come to Turkey likely with some subconscious notions stemming from listening to children's tales like the Arabian nights - exotic and treacherous territory. More than once, we were happily surprised by the honesty we encountered - a ticket collector who disappeared with our money but came back with change; a fellow passenger (visiting from Saudi Arabia) on the Bosphorus cruise chasing after us through a fishing village to bring us a bag we had deliberately left on the boat during a stopover (we knew we were going back on the same boat); the cashier at the Whirling Dervish show who promised us front row centre seats and came through with it even though we didn't pay extra.
The one incident that will stay forever in my mind was the friendly shopkeeper who helped me remove something stuck to my shoes. I had tried to remove this mysterious substance (maybe Turkish delight??) by scraping my soles on the pavement without success. This man, who was just randomly standing in front of his shop, stooped down and helped me with his stick, and after many attempts, finally removed the stuff. There was no reason for him to help me, a complete stranger, and a foreign one at that. There was no ulterior motive - he wasn't trying to sell me anything. It was sheer helpfulness on his part, beyond the call - hard to fathom for someone used to big city indifference.
We were also thankful we stayed at a boutique hotel with a helpful staff. The guest relations officer sat us down the morning we arrived and told us the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Market would be closed for the next four days because of the big Muslim festival of Eid. We reshuffled our plans and visited the two markets the day we arrived. Other tourists were not so lucky and missed these two key sights. And sights they were, remarkable array of stalls set in a maze of internal streets although after a while, all the stalls looked similar and it's not really a place I would like to shop in. But both were very photogenic.
Here are some photos from our walk through the old town.
We got lost a few times on our first day in Istanbul, but always received helpful directions to our destinations from locals. We caught a glimpse of Istanbul at sunset as we ate the first of several grilled sea bream dinners at the end of a very long day after a 10 hour flight from Toronto.
We had come to Turkey likely with some subconscious notions stemming from listening to children's tales like the Arabian nights - exotic and treacherous territory. More than once, we were happily surprised by the honesty we encountered - a ticket collector who disappeared with our money but came back with change; a fellow passenger (visiting from Saudi Arabia) on the Bosphorus cruise chasing after us through a fishing village to bring us a bag we had deliberately left on the boat during a stopover (we knew we were going back on the same boat); the cashier at the Whirling Dervish show who promised us front row centre seats and came through with it even though we didn't pay extra.
The one incident that will stay forever in my mind was the friendly shopkeeper who helped me remove something stuck to my shoes. I had tried to remove this mysterious substance (maybe Turkish delight??) by scraping my soles on the pavement without success. This man, who was just randomly standing in front of his shop, stooped down and helped me with his stick, and after many attempts, finally removed the stuff. There was no reason for him to help me, a complete stranger, and a foreign one at that. There was no ulterior motive - he wasn't trying to sell me anything. It was sheer helpfulness on his part, beyond the call - hard to fathom for someone used to big city indifference.
We were also thankful we stayed at a boutique hotel with a helpful staff. The guest relations officer sat us down the morning we arrived and told us the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Market would be closed for the next four days because of the big Muslim festival of Eid. We reshuffled our plans and visited the two markets the day we arrived. Other tourists were not so lucky and missed these two key sights. And sights they were, remarkable array of stalls set in a maze of internal streets although after a while, all the stalls looked similar and it's not really a place I would like to shop in. But both were very photogenic.
Here are some photos from our walk through the old town.
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| We found our way to the Grand Bazaar holistically, the map wasn't really helpful as the streets are not on a grid and it got quite confusing. But there were plenty of signs around, including this one on the pavement! |
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| The gate to the Grand Bazaar - one of several entrances |
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| A maze of internal "streets" like this one with more branching off on each side |
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Love these lamps! |
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| Carpets galore! |
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| Neat way of packaging candy |
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| Pistachio stuffed baklava - delicious! |
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| Turkish delight in any combination of nuts and fruit - love the pomegranate ones! |
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| So many options for water pipes! |
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| The spice market entrance (it's really another Grand Bazaar on a smaller scale - spices were not the only things sold) |
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| Street hawker selling roasted chestnuts - note the gloves |
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| We happened upon the New Mosque when we left the Spice Market. This is a beautiful active mosque. We went in the door for worshippers, not realizing there was one for tourists. No one stopped us. |
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We also stumbled upon this amazing sweet shop that had been around since 1864. It had an impressive array of sweets and because it was so busy, likely the freshest you could find anywhere. The place is packed at all hours of the day - once we found it, we kept passing by it until we finally found time to go in and try it. The second floor had open windows - great place for people watching as it is situated across from the Sirkeci Station, one of the busiest train stations in Istanbul.
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We got lost a few times on our first day in Istanbul, but always received helpful directions to our destinations from locals. We caught a glimpse of Istanbul at sunset as we ate the first of several grilled sea bream dinners at the end of a very long day after a 10 hour flight from Toronto.
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