tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85491002024-02-21T08:08:01.405-05:00Writer's WanderingsWandering Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01445595080265227834noreply@blogger.comBlogger3499125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549100.post-16300603121907494532024-02-16T13:05:00.000-05:002024-02-16T13:05:07.004-05:00What's Up With The Snowbirds?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC11zTqZ3MdTpHNNoT0fbumxwN-ewVx1FmZ9XPTpjv6ork8i55L-7b4jyI3mKewGAlpCN8zjEo6YW07kG7PyS86X3F8kFr3TN3qRHZ55NNIqistMOS__FzhHx47rl-I723sVF3SW60I2GOf1fUlX8zz0OJZLeKy5xO902gDvNqiYnWMfhvMSY-dQ/s640/IMG_0289.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC11zTqZ3MdTpHNNoT0fbumxwN-ewVx1FmZ9XPTpjv6ork8i55L-7b4jyI3mKewGAlpCN8zjEo6YW07kG7PyS86X3F8kFr3TN3qRHZ55NNIqistMOS__FzhHx47rl-I723sVF3SW60I2GOf1fUlX8zz0OJZLeKy5xO902gDvNqiYnWMfhvMSY-dQ/s320/IMG_0289.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /> My blog has been a bit neglected but I have a good excuse. I am finally nearing the finish of my next novel, <i>Hidden In Harper Valley.</i> I'll give you a hint with a question: What would you do if you suddenly had millions of dollars but your life was in danger?<p></p><p>My other excuses have to do with continuing to explore with our Florida grandkids. Life has been busy. </p><p>Have you ever been on a chocolate walk? Thanks to our daughter-in-law who messaged me the information, we were able to have a great evening in historical downtown Venice. We went early and had dinner at the Crow's Nest which had a beautiful view of an inlet from the gulf. Afterward we walked down to the jetty and joined the crowd watching a beautiful sunset. Then it was on to the chocolate walk.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizGp5J4IwP0A20MECNybNBs035MJ-BcypnW4ZhHnWwnEbW43lJRC9gJTkeU6WcRwlPS1Duk4ClFsnxoW9EXIf-At1L2sZXQATaE-jLthXvtcveMVy0wpn6Lh17ILIpWV6vd_4yKoWsG4CRBdA_6PkaSN7AA37e_58AZGaQmCaMDxl8DMe_A_bmdg/s640/IMG_0302.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizGp5J4IwP0A20MECNybNBs035MJ-BcypnW4ZhHnWwnEbW43lJRC9gJTkeU6WcRwlPS1Duk4ClFsnxoW9EXIf-At1L2sZXQATaE-jLthXvtcveMVy0wpn6Lh17ILIpWV6vd_4yKoWsG4CRBdA_6PkaSN7AA37e_58AZGaQmCaMDxl8DMe_A_bmdg/s320/IMG_0302.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>The chocolate walk took place between five and eight and by the time we got there around 6:30, many of the shops were out of chocolate. Still we managed to score some delicious chunks including a couple of Godiva chocolates as well as a taste of rich hot chocolate from an ice cream shop where we also got our dessert, creamy ice cream. </p><p>There have been some lovely sunset evenings at Maxine Barritt Park about twenty minutes or so from where we are staying. It is amazing how many people flock to the Sharkey's Restaurant pier to see the sunset but the park right next to it is mostly empty with a whole beach in front of it to watch the sunset. We find a little spot where there is a bench and a break in the sea grape trees and brush and relax as we watch the colors in the sky turn from bight yellows to pinks to purples and sometimes come ablaze with oranges as well.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikaaNgFFZrGOvQe-H2e-QTxslcHRIB97HHT63gjatBkasS1-O42CLzoC4ljMFpBD-9Fy6t8yl6lmazsbL1TgTAuldjc26K67F2fLXrNNtamRodHYgObhta2SinwjR-x6M0qDaIsUoaLiern9msDQREcL1QMIWE7NDdU7qzTWWQLTj11-dsWRjS_Q/s640/IMG_0310.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikaaNgFFZrGOvQe-H2e-QTxslcHRIB97HHT63gjatBkasS1-O42CLzoC4ljMFpBD-9Fy6t8yl6lmazsbL1TgTAuldjc26K67F2fLXrNNtamRodHYgObhta2SinwjR-x6M0qDaIsUoaLiern9msDQREcL1QMIWE7NDdU7qzTWWQLTj11-dsWRjS_Q/s320/IMG_0310.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>After a lunch with friends from home who actually have become residents of Florida, we met our son and his family for a walk through the MOTE Marine Laboratory & Aquarium in Sarasota. It's one of their favorite places to visit and they were eager to show us around. We got quite a tour.</p><p><br /></p><p>The aquarium was a pleasant drive from where we had lunch and took us over a huge bridge that spanned the narrow part of Sarasota Bay. It was a nice sunny day and while some are complaining about the cool weather here, I'm happy with sun and days that start in the upper 50s and climb to the 70s.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEita7IC0QRWFXR2Tude4GDZNd6UihkKkVFhPLp6kHg7uGbNelEQP0ZeniseB5RgFxB1NsqyVi3WcfUE9xKtMKnYYB551hbJSJNmMrKZveRV8JkuDYA1ke006uvdL8j9D5DpmzkAoTitY__j-TcqWSuwI58LTIJl0SVzqHRFuvv2iIkqPD6LaNXUpA/s640/IMG_0317.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEita7IC0QRWFXR2Tude4GDZNd6UihkKkVFhPLp6kHg7uGbNelEQP0ZeniseB5RgFxB1NsqyVi3WcfUE9xKtMKnYYB551hbJSJNmMrKZveRV8JkuDYA1ke006uvdL8j9D5DpmzkAoTitY__j-TcqWSuwI58LTIJl0SVzqHRFuvv2iIkqPD6LaNXUpA/s320/IMG_0317.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />While we waited for our kids to arrive, we took a little time to explore the bird sanctuary that is right next to the aquarium. It is free--donations encouraged--and a very pleasant walk around to see the birds they are caring for, some who will return to the wild and others whose injuries will make them permanent residents. We found spoonbills which are always a delight to see.<p></p><p>Once the rest of the family arrived, we entered the aquarium and began our visit. There was quite a variety of marine life both large and small. Lots of research going on here. Some is visible, like the jelly fish reproductive area. Much goes on behind the scenes. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEbFhAqV3jJeX_Z3jV1NE_Z1sDE8pNLyU4Lp8OR1dUJ0vhagzDu-tuHi5kI-TSygGoH0-8zn9GknqcgnJKYErgFaZ0-QIxPI4POUUE7d6dTQt5W6eAknzLOe-I4v_WrWCUU7ji7rQzH3jgcOfuR2CL45WU3Ouqc14lZL22C10oAfV1fpZa7EXqLA/s640/IMG_0318.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEbFhAqV3jJeX_Z3jV1NE_Z1sDE8pNLyU4Lp8OR1dUJ0vhagzDu-tuHi5kI-TSygGoH0-8zn9GknqcgnJKYErgFaZ0-QIxPI4POUUE7d6dTQt5W6eAknzLOe-I4v_WrWCUU7ji7rQzH3jgcOfuR2CL45WU3Ouqc14lZL22C10oAfV1fpZa7EXqLA/s320/IMG_0318.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>The aquarium is expanding and building another facility near I-75. With all the spreading development in Florida there is a concerned effort to protect the natural beauty and environment of the state. Hopefully they will succeed because the rich abundant wildlife and marine life are absolutely worth preserving.</p><p><br /></p><p>Part of the aquarium is located across the street in a separate building where there is a manatee and a huge shark tank. The only alligator we saw was the sculpture we passed in a hallway on the way out. Of course there always has to be one clown in the group. Neither she nor the sculpture were harmed. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm6HkbO1ffpFmCBFyc2swtlR8OHHcMyR2IoJz6XDlnpVqADAMsxMHaN2Ph49tRgLwM7nEpA6w-9iVnAnzc0V18kQUnF1opZkhaTFcqpqzfxiFNb-qKhnjIvY1uDDM5NiIcPhRSjKdQghRfTp_ifCMfQmYqhts7Jsv2eve0xEDg0EV3auQv-qYplg/s640/IMG_0323.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm6HkbO1ffpFmCBFyc2swtlR8OHHcMyR2IoJz6XDlnpVqADAMsxMHaN2Ph49tRgLwM7nEpA6w-9iVnAnzc0V18kQUnF1opZkhaTFcqpqzfxiFNb-qKhnjIvY1uDDM5NiIcPhRSjKdQghRfTp_ifCMfQmYqhts7Jsv2eve0xEDg0EV3auQv-qYplg/s320/IMG_0323.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p>And between all this activity, pickleball, card games, writing and discovering new restaurants to sample, we managed to finish the jigsaw puzzle we purchased at Biltmore and start another.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpoRudBT-Tivl8EvQqwg1IZblDZ-RFMDBoas_8vadMX9VsZGMbjdr0EfgXcUziWnFz2MR2iLxFC6oR6LLQIPOdeByZA3YV8W68NY40aM1UXP0YXE_ig8cG-n2Hd16dMXSEUpbMrKX1-f0RPHndlrmQiVQgUu-6KQKNadD0zkUkrYX0T80_nXwryQ/s640/IMG_0283.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpoRudBT-Tivl8EvQqwg1IZblDZ-RFMDBoas_8vadMX9VsZGMbjdr0EfgXcUziWnFz2MR2iLxFC6oR6LLQIPOdeByZA3YV8W68NY40aM1UXP0YXE_ig8cG-n2Hd16dMXSEUpbMrKX1-f0RPHndlrmQiVQgUu-6KQKNadD0zkUkrYX0T80_nXwryQ/s320/IMG_0283.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Wandering Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01445595080265227834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549100.post-85238052310819745832024-02-03T13:33:00.002-05:002024-02-03T13:33:09.530-05:00Marine Lab and County Fair<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiux7gOL1X-rrPzDgkYiaEwGHiCHbOZIuyym8xVZrlr0oMPCKIC_kTuxyyGZLzmXKIHfw2gwrolMm3XreNVe3NaFVkI_yx5HRf7GZ085iuinYDzrWaBJaan2-eWjZHeTNO8eb0K2YM970prMkILWtwqnBetKiZC599B894LbPabk2FhQCwyGgaz4Q/s640/IMG_0242.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiux7gOL1X-rrPzDgkYiaEwGHiCHbOZIuyym8xVZrlr0oMPCKIC_kTuxyyGZLzmXKIHfw2gwrolMm3XreNVe3NaFVkI_yx5HRf7GZ085iuinYDzrWaBJaan2-eWjZHeTNO8eb0K2YM970prMkILWtwqnBetKiZC599B894LbPabk2FhQCwyGgaz4Q/s320/IMG_0242.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /> The weather is not the only thing that draws us to Florida each winter. It is an opportunity to be close to grandkids and to be a small part of their lives. Our oldest who are in high school have the unique experience of taking marine biology courses and becoming part of a marine biology group at school.<p></p><p>The school is amazing in all of that they do. There is also a performing arts group and lovely theater where we've been able to see a production already. The granddaughter who will be in high school next year is already part of that group and loves costume designing.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLDWmkxxcfjz0eMQfvGI28VPOxEB4BtoIsYg-0RGtuD6LSVjlxqfM8I7t6VrOeZpWtf3H1UTsxkXo44aFMJwW1zpQgWwFBLx3kIruAzBrE2otukvvG-ouGCdJUG2m7gUju6T6Nvd4qPTIZPTBuatL3mC-sjP9J1NCorWqKz0zNhe2LbMPZe8ki0w/s640/IMG_0253.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLDWmkxxcfjz0eMQfvGI28VPOxEB4BtoIsYg-0RGtuD6LSVjlxqfM8I7t6VrOeZpWtf3H1UTsxkXo44aFMJwW1zpQgWwFBLx3kIruAzBrE2otukvvG-ouGCdJUG2m7gUju6T6Nvd4qPTIZPTBuatL3mC-sjP9J1NCorWqKz0zNhe2LbMPZe8ki0w/s320/IMG_0253.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Getting back to the marine lab. We were able to attend an open house at the school lab. It is a huge lab (and classroom) with several large tanks and many individual smaller ones which are assigned one to each student to maintain. The school is licensed to collect from the bay area near them and they have a nice variety of fishes and other marine life on hand to study.</p><p>The large tanks include a "touch tank" with animals such as a starfish that you can actually touch--much like a touch tank in aquariums or at marine parks. Another large tank is home to several sting rays. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxcGxZdFJo9KD6ftiEBXGsy73av6F2qzgOR52iqs-DmcyFKO4Mme1_CIKrNzTGcNNTnBdUAPtTlXRUTX2_E7cnugtqGdl5YNkVogwQdjz1YrwY_UaNwoJnsjqN6lBip0tORNs0tzBCbnZj_aMlmLmGCG3nezNvxhgzBOGAMhMjpwyk_TfF-FSP4w/s640/IMG_0258.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxcGxZdFJo9KD6ftiEBXGsy73av6F2qzgOR52iqs-DmcyFKO4Mme1_CIKrNzTGcNNTnBdUAPtTlXRUTX2_E7cnugtqGdl5YNkVogwQdjz1YrwY_UaNwoJnsjqN6lBip0tORNs0tzBCbnZj_aMlmLmGCG3nezNvxhgzBOGAMhMjpwyk_TfF-FSP4w/s320/IMG_0258.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>The lab and its instructor who is a marine biologist (naturally) is a great opportunity for learning to appreciate the marine environment that is a big part of Florida. Whether it produces more marine scientists or not, it will certainly produce adults who care about their surrounding ecology. So grateful that our kids can be a part of it.</p><p>Our other venture into Florida culture was to visit the county fair. We haven't been to a fair in quite a while and with the cool temperatures, it was a perfect day for it--or evening as the case was. The fair was only open during the day on weekends and then from five to ten on the weekdays. </p><p>It was not as big as some of ours are in Ohio but it had all the components that make up a fair--animals, agricultural and craft displays, rides and of course, fair food. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoLulx5XdOAavq7m6qqJkHQMGi63OEWcD1ID8Q86Tft-0aqkx5rB_yvygYhqzzTvPLT4QsGphaKwKZNKgb5xVt4tELbl7aRIE1ennpyXpk0S5vYiZagcLVnuTZmqHqETR1R3Ofn38r6ig1oOvI3vR3Bt9KOc3o2kmpbu0c0sHAs733QS2jgoBM-g/s640/IMG_0262.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoLulx5XdOAavq7m6qqJkHQMGi63OEWcD1ID8Q86Tft-0aqkx5rB_yvygYhqzzTvPLT4QsGphaKwKZNKgb5xVt4tELbl7aRIE1ennpyXpk0S5vYiZagcLVnuTZmqHqETR1R3Ofn38r6ig1oOvI3vR3Bt9KOc3o2kmpbu0c0sHAs733QS2jgoBM-g/s320/IMG_0262.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>We walked past cages of chickens and roosters, some fancier than others. I was surprised to find a couple of pheasants. I've never seen a pheasant at a fair before. There was a row of bunnies. There were plenty of ooos and ahhhs as people walked that row. Bunnies will do that to you.</p><p>In a large barn were rows of pigs. No ooos and ahhs but plenty of comments of how much they weighed. Most were just under 300 pounds. Lots of bacon!</p><p>The steers were outside in a covered coral probably to be sure they didn't get overheated in the Florida sun although heat hasn't been much of a problem since we've been here.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHard_AahSHTEUoYBz9rYLranmlZd0KGVseOjfCvT7i-6T6jh_0x80ltm3Ljgggi17m9RhzWP4n3RjpySlO67YQHB_g2tEv98v1LhAAPVSrfaCLVSqDUy5-K-RYC4KPF1IFpPjA_Ensqg8UgEbl6T3KAiFpvf0W90OLWJDJZFUvGfsve0FQAehgg/s640/IMG_0264.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHard_AahSHTEUoYBz9rYLranmlZd0KGVseOjfCvT7i-6T6jh_0x80ltm3Ljgggi17m9RhzWP4n3RjpySlO67YQHB_g2tEv98v1LhAAPVSrfaCLVSqDUy5-K-RYC4KPF1IFpPjA_Ensqg8UgEbl6T3KAiFpvf0W90OLWJDJZFUvGfsve0FQAehgg/s320/IMG_0264.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />Well, after seeing the bacon and steaks, we were getting hungry so we perused the fair food offerings. There were a lot of repeats of the same food but we settled on a place that had some tables set up where we could sit and eat. Bob ordered a well done cheeseburger and I got a Polish sausage with onions and peppers. The fries only came in one size and one order was more than the two of us could eat. Add a bottle of water and our total cost for dinner at the fair was $40! Dessert was two caramel apples that we carried home to eat.<p></p><p>The rides area was the busiest of the whole fairgrounds. We watched a few and reminisced about the days when we could ride and enjoy. Now, we'd be afraid we wouldn't be able to stand up after them. The ferris wheel was tempting though but we passed.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXQ0D7rNutJojjMII8sMaF713QZTrQbFMvRNCTk5BrudDiJeLGyzuV0_i6we3ol71EaD7ivIvlWuFnOfTcGTem0j8S5sfiZn8nW7hHf81agA62CBSUPCsmX8TCBCWZ6FFH60E_ITOSfKV_mk8n5W6dCu3OOrsA8AvK_JzyD1LM9jFXftB6v7Wm4Q/s640/IMG_0220.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXQ0D7rNutJojjMII8sMaF713QZTrQbFMvRNCTk5BrudDiJeLGyzuV0_i6we3ol71EaD7ivIvlWuFnOfTcGTem0j8S5sfiZn8nW7hHf81agA62CBSUPCsmX8TCBCWZ6FFH60E_ITOSfKV_mk8n5W6dCu3OOrsA8AvK_JzyD1LM9jFXftB6v7Wm4Q/s320/IMG_0220.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Pickleball, the hand and foot card game, Bible study, church, a jigsaw puzzle, long walks and the occasional race after dinner to the beach which is about 25 minutes away to catch the sunset fill our days. We've only had a couple of days that were pool worthy but for me, I've enjoyed the temps in the upper 60s and middle 70s along with low humidity. Kind of like spring in the north.</p>Wandering Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01445595080265227834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549100.post-6927425429891111352024-01-27T16:27:00.002-05:002024-01-27T16:27:36.714-05:00Exploring Venice (Florida not Italy)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEifdGaMq8KIvHG3W81rwvPvcz2jmN_RJHI8hp0RNMTdRZVP7sJ4YYe8LKODlbnXXvl_NBgTIv2wEQ_nQs5IItaVqml69dKnwLjS8Vujg6yWDXGjOnouDI59LL2mnKLoJ0ZGV28d9aoL7uD8a4dMAi7Byq0qnMqh_FVN5fCiN0CkIa0Xphs-d9Dw/s325/IMG_0210.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="325" data-original-width="316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEifdGaMq8KIvHG3W81rwvPvcz2jmN_RJHI8hp0RNMTdRZVP7sJ4YYe8LKODlbnXXvl_NBgTIv2wEQ_nQs5IItaVqml69dKnwLjS8Vujg6yWDXGjOnouDI59LL2mnKLoJ0ZGV28d9aoL7uD8a4dMAi7Byq0qnMqh_FVN5fCiN0CkIa0Xphs-d9Dw/s320/IMG_0210.JPG" width="311" /></a></div><br /> Entering our villa in the Gran Paridiso community was relatively easy. We arrived a little early but when we contacted our leasing agent, she quickly gave us the entrance information we needed to move in. Gran Paridiso is a gated community in what we thought was Venice, FL but it turned out to actually be in North Port. The zip code assigned is for Venice but they pay their taxes to North Port who provides the city services. <p></p><p>It took a little organization in learning what was and what wasn't in the villa as far as supplies went. In Key Largo's condo, there were always some condiments and lots of cleaning supplies. There was only a small smattering of cleaning supplies (no rags to use) and absolutely nothing in the super clean refrigerator/freezer. Oh wait! There were ice cubes. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0VVCNt2RY8F_X3IVBGPDwy229Yu8ZvyxYNKndPLFWgp3K-Us1yBi41wzUV4sGYhrVVc0vDd9rNq2TlMfW9JsVC4BIIUpdr0RI2b9tgUTUSycmipInKZqFQHMMuY824ynCnsYjZTDc1G2HfMWYevgAKsmOzs80Otd4dWw6dvpv-A6swV9W0YHmeA/s640/IMG_0211.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0VVCNt2RY8F_X3IVBGPDwy229Yu8ZvyxYNKndPLFWgp3K-Us1yBi41wzUV4sGYhrVVc0vDd9rNq2TlMfW9JsVC4BIIUpdr0RI2b9tgUTUSycmipInKZqFQHMMuY824ynCnsYjZTDc1G2HfMWYevgAKsmOzs80Otd4dWw6dvpv-A6swV9W0YHmeA/s320/IMG_0211.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake Jervy</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p>Wellen Park is a developing community only about a mile and a half away and has a Publix, as well as several restaurants, a Great Clips and a nail salon. And for Bob, the all important Ace Hardware. He can always find something to tinker with. We hit the Publix and did a major shopping trip for the absolute necessities. Over the next week, we'd find more things we needed and hopefully will get all used up before we leave in March. If not, our kids who are not far away can expect a windfall of leftovers. </p><p>The all important pickleball courts were our next adventure. Gran Paridiso has six permanent courts and two that are flexible. It's not much different than back home where rules are a bit loose for rotation time on the court but for the most part, it works well and we were welcomed in. Pickleball people are usually very friendly no matter where you play.</p><p><br /></p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh__AaFJP8YleXW0U-rFO1H8WXLcGX4fiFw1PjFmizUs3Kz0AI_-n2LXGj9jOte__26Sz4jCrYekpS9S6EX0x0M2khqGCtcV1WY9Eidqsbax0BmpQmceDfPVYu1dyl3S4Qm7IcAhah1Nj4_V1QcdiaM7wI4biddp-dE-niodgY-r-lYgQKobij4Q/s566/IMG_0216.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="363" data-original-width="566" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh__AaFJP8YleXW0U-rFO1H8WXLcGX4fiFw1PjFmizUs3Kz0AI_-n2LXGj9jOte__26Sz4jCrYekpS9S6EX0x0M2khqGCtcV1WY9Eidqsbax0BmpQmceDfPVYu1dyl3S4Qm7IcAhah1Nj4_V1QcdiaM7wI4biddp-dE-niodgY-r-lYgQKobij4Q/s320/IMG_0216.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Always smiling</td></tr></tbody></table><br />The pool is huge but it does have to serve a community of 2,000 homes. We could only look at it for the first week since the temperatures were not conducive to swimming. Getting in would not be bad. It's heated. Getting out would be a chilly run for cover. </p><p>There is a nice gym with saunas as well. In the same center, there is a craft room and card room with two billiard tables. We found a group that plays hand and foot cards (Wisconsin style) every Tuesday and learned a few new rules and strategies. In the building that houses the offices and a huge lounge area, there is also a library full of books. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_J44Pdicva4cQE7FJALO9TFLKMT3dQ39ql34_Zgcy7ndbOkyf2zV4s5f82E-CzBEZNmwX7hEUXQBcRzbSJOyrqmvQu0tAavT4ZN8dgthqPovKNLJOEuqIO0JI8OK05cwb2tUAe-BavAZpzwnLRHx1YPBTC0NIWvtW1ccrpG3BzFUE-cUIpLYRdg/s640/IMG_0201.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_J44Pdicva4cQE7FJALO9TFLKMT3dQ39ql34_Zgcy7ndbOkyf2zV4s5f82E-CzBEZNmwX7hEUXQBcRzbSJOyrqmvQu0tAavT4ZN8dgthqPovKNLJOEuqIO0JI8OK05cwb2tUAe-BavAZpzwnLRHx1YPBTC0NIWvtW1ccrpG3BzFUE-cUIpLYRdg/s320/IMG_0201.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sharky's pier</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p>The beaches of Venice are about twenty-five minutes from us. We found a place called Sharkey's that has a pier reaching out into the water where many people stroll and/or fish. The beach is known for finding shark's teeth and one warmer day we saw lots of kids with screen scoops searching the sand for good finds. </p><p>Next to Sharkey's however, was a beautiful park and we enjoyed exploring and finding places where we could watch sunsets in the future. Our first couple of weeks were a bit cloudy, rainy and some days, downright cold. But it didn't snow!</p><p>Before leaving home, we had done a little research online to find a church to attend. We happened upon a group called The Church at Wellen Park which is five minutes from our villa and is a start-up church that meets at a small college campus. When we were first married, we were members of a start-up church. This has brought back fond memories. It's a nice congregation who are very friendly and welcoming. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDR6eXoNv89TKWN2PuCo_GusPrS6A25Cla_C_yI9Yz64xO0x6LbinG3zD9Yxfxox5YLojpjrlV0326mjtpSWPa9fH-jp8z42xMSt3ml8ZI8kQ39k6A0tWaVDLnetwaugTYRl6xg3XV6VlyGHEa_YRyUAYkicC2a_C6XwNho1llZMYEBVYrH1Tg8A/s640/IMG_0220.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDR6eXoNv89TKWN2PuCo_GusPrS6A25Cla_C_yI9Yz64xO0x6LbinG3zD9Yxfxox5YLojpjrlV0326mjtpSWPa9fH-jp8z42xMSt3ml8ZI8kQ39k6A0tWaVDLnetwaugTYRl6xg3XV6VlyGHEa_YRyUAYkicC2a_C6XwNho1llZMYEBVYrH1Tg8A/s320/IMG_0220.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />The campus of the college has a natural habitat in the middle of the acreage. It is a large lake named after a professor, Lake Jervy. There are some herons and other cranes that can be observed as well as a few alligators of course. The trail around the lake is pleasant to walk and we've visited several times already.<p></p><p>Gran Paridiso is not without nice places to walk and I have often walked from the community center back to the villa (about a mile) past several ponds. The interesting walk however is when Bob and I go the other direction to the two ponds by the back entrance near our villa. There are a couple of resident alligators there who come out when the sun shines. Oh and some very brave birds that dot the shoreline.</p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqYela4xSgbnvXLPjaq0_8kZBUwqCiVnmZ7UF2sjH6vV8ZJCk3NXYBDzf-uKAxTMrMazU3l_-F-67txCfc3tt6bWMFmlAyX24IAp5tzuAcAF1xp1D0ZZRnXJ-mDBCDosbkdgCLgNsx7_QEO9cwX51cJnPDyaNFPmrulsKWDndYKTkCeWJ2NE0R_Q/s640/IMG_0196.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqYela4xSgbnvXLPjaq0_8kZBUwqCiVnmZ7UF2sjH6vV8ZJCk3NXYBDzf-uKAxTMrMazU3l_-F-67txCfc3tt6bWMFmlAyX24IAp5tzuAcAF1xp1D0ZZRnXJ-mDBCDosbkdgCLgNsx7_QEO9cwX51cJnPDyaNFPmrulsKWDndYKTkCeWJ2NE0R_Q/s320/IMG_0196.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big Hank</td></tr></tbody></table><br />While the villa does not have the beautiful view that the Key Largo condo did, it is close to lots of interesting places, not to mention about twenty minutes away from our kids. We've already had a football watch party, a swim excursion, an evening with the conservatory they are part of that educated us on sawfish. One evening we were able to join them for a play at their high school and look forward to going to an open house for the marine lab they are involved with at their school. </p><p>We are finding great places to eat including two that are on the Myakka River not far from us. One of them features BBQ and the best brisket I've had in a long time. Not sure about the alligator meat although they do have two very large stuffed alligators that decorate the indoors. Then there's the restaurant that we ate at just by chance with a spaghetti sauce that outdoes Olive Garden by far. Of course we had to find a Saturday breakfast spot. We found two. One which is similar to our favorite back home and another that is a pleasant alternative.</p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlKmFjT28ksbIko0wssYaiRNg9dfb1WRH7LMrEbgko350jDVycLe_rr8jdGZ7Xo48car_tKVivj4p9yHpHxl22rmfsHcLrDhGSXb9stqRh8RvypDURI0b091CKhzQcBIjHJ9rvj_dn1OpeuCiBOabavU3w919Io5-o8hY9aM3v4iIctL0WN7dKeA/s640/IMG_0226.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlKmFjT28ksbIko0wssYaiRNg9dfb1WRH7LMrEbgko350jDVycLe_rr8jdGZ7Xo48car_tKVivj4p9yHpHxl22rmfsHcLrDhGSXb9stqRh8RvypDURI0b091CKhzQcBIjHJ9rvj_dn1OpeuCiBOabavU3w919Io5-o8hY9aM3v4iIctL0WN7dKeA/s320/IMG_0226.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sandhill crane</td></tr></tbody></table><br />On Sundays, there is a farmer's market at what's called Wellen Park Downtown. It is a cluster of restaurants and big central area where live music is scheduled on weekends. My guess is this will be the center of all the development planned for the area. So far at the farmer's market we've found some nice veggies, strawberries and Bob's favorite bread and butter pickles and my favorite, soft pretzels.</p><p>A big find for Bob is a local ham radio club and they have invited him to join in on their winter field day. </p><p>One of the things unique to this area are the sandhill cranes. They are about four feet tall when they stand up straight. The ones in Gran Paridiso don't seem to be afraid at all of people. The one I managed a picture of walked part of the way next to me on my morning stroll back to the the villa from pickleball. </p><p>We have only made a dent in the places to explore around here. We have plenty of time left for more great finds.</p>Wandering Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01445595080265227834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549100.post-68204179570466110862024-01-10T08:30:00.010-05:002024-01-10T08:30:00.134-05:00The Rest of Our Migration<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTQbWXOz3N0la6xMQtTIHsn6qKsm8Lh1zMwXpfzSwHy6qRTYsDrQUyZlbmkD4kr13HCCXrxS8q2et6vuTqyUaCKQsEYGxaIXGb1-03CcaXCF6fUUtDs4BgvNTpD_zDZQal1Dtdb-4cZPzPzFw20NOQlHsKE2dSFgjo6VkAOUjTQQj6O0NUuZCZHA/s640/IMG_0144.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTQbWXOz3N0la6xMQtTIHsn6qKsm8Lh1zMwXpfzSwHy6qRTYsDrQUyZlbmkD4kr13HCCXrxS8q2et6vuTqyUaCKQsEYGxaIXGb1-03CcaXCF6fUUtDs4BgvNTpD_zDZQal1Dtdb-4cZPzPzFw20NOQlHsKE2dSFgjo6VkAOUjTQQj6O0NUuZCZHA/s320/IMG_0144.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />Originally our migration south was to follow our usual route of home to Dobson, NC, to Fernandina Beach, FL, to our new destination in Venice, FL. Unfortunately when Bob tried to book our usual Hampton just off of I77 in Dobson, there were no vacancies. Unusual because we were booking months in advance. He booked our second choice, the Hampton in Mount Airy. He continued to book our stays and restaurant choices (we have some favorites) and paid ahead making them impossible to cancel.<div><br /></div><div>Of course then he decided we needed to do something more with the Christmas season and we found the information for Christmas at Biltmore. That meant that after our Biltmore visit, we would have to backtrack a bit to Mount Airy for our stay there.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mount Airy is Andy Griffith's hometown. It is Mayberry for all intents and purposes. Stores full of Mayberry themed products dot the downtown streets. We did a great tour on our own a few years ago and I posted about it. You can find it here: <a href="http://www.karenrobbins.com/2010/08/mayberry-usa-mt-airy-nc.html" target="_blank">Mayberry USA</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJNm6BEMJcYfVv_HxK1YJAPL9DvmJ5SOMIYiF9s6Bze2swzJ7FyCJsCHY1y6doAYfNVEQEO3YQ-vhlsYaNuaZrAx-2qAudxqK-IQotrb_IdLcnZB5hPYiyGnPhDF8OXkwxdiootvUHEPtAgQgc6WHTStFfOwlfb1g61rTZdMaO0IF8RRCVgv03pg/s1286/IMG_0192.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="965" data-original-width="1286" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJNm6BEMJcYfVv_HxK1YJAPL9DvmJ5SOMIYiF9s6Bze2swzJ7FyCJsCHY1y6doAYfNVEQEO3YQ-vhlsYaNuaZrAx-2qAudxqK-IQotrb_IdLcnZB5hPYiyGnPhDF8OXkwxdiootvUHEPtAgQgc6WHTStFfOwlfb1g61rTZdMaO0IF8RRCVgv03pg/s320/IMG_0192.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />It was still very cold and a bit windy so a lot of exploring in Mayberry was not going to happen. We were hungry when we arrived and sought out a place to eat. Where we parked was close to Barney's Cafe so we ducked in there. Lots of good choices on the menu that struck a chord with us. I ordered a PBJ with fruit cup and Bob got a grilled cheese sandwich, his favorite. It's a tiny cafe but very nostalgic.</div><div><br /></div><div>We visited a couple of stores and then retreated to our hotel room for the rest of the afternoon. Dinner was at our favorite boutique restaurant at the Shelton Vineyards, Harvest Grill. We sat by a crackling fireplace and enjoyed a delicious meal.</div><div><br /></div><div>On to Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island. Our favorite little French restaurant has been changed to a more contemporary restaurant and we had to sit outside on the patio with the aid of area heaters to keep us warm. It was New Year's Eve and they were busy. The plan was to walk down to the marina and watch the shrimp drop (a giant lighted shrimp they drop from a big crane). Unfortunately we didn't realize the drop wasn't at midnight. It was at seven o'clock followed by fireworks. We did get to see the fireworks. The early hour for the drop and fireworks explained why there were so many kids around to celebrate.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirro2Q9Hcb7XDHgTW38q7Y2JtR0dDcCJEw_vFzgQwFCx5pKqButVupoA9Wt_VPDvlj5mhckL1VjOd2mGsHGczMW8xKIzGHGvdbegW26nyXbUOLC39F_hoJwpMODK7AUGTba6PDJ4gwhX3MZjcasPxohTEiKkUf5SVEwZPTcLg4zk_wtAAJTdmz1A/s640/IMG_0149.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirro2Q9Hcb7XDHgTW38q7Y2JtR0dDcCJEw_vFzgQwFCx5pKqButVupoA9Wt_VPDvlj5mhckL1VjOd2mGsHGczMW8xKIzGHGvdbegW26nyXbUOLC39F_hoJwpMODK7AUGTba6PDJ4gwhX3MZjcasPxohTEiKkUf5SVEwZPTcLg4zk_wtAAJTdmz1A/s320/IMG_0149.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>We arrived at Gran Paradiso in Venice the afternoon of New Year's Day and after a phone call to the management rental company, we received our information to get into our villa. The villa is lovely but we have given up our wonderful view of the Florida Bay for grass and shrubs but we are closer to where our kids now live. The things you do for grandkids.....</div><div><br /></div>Wandering Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01445595080265227834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549100.post-79217251985708720482024-01-09T08:30:00.001-05:002024-01-09T08:30:00.243-05:00Exploring Biltmore--The Conservatory<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBwHLuxpPJLtx3o98rh_KCqy4PRvik8SisY9wm2Co-ngLgNaYtdLzywvZrDL2Yd5t_Fcd1GWzaYnGtYRo0xdD7mkg2NCmKBre3oYD_q43tSic1qk-XqQoz4eKf6uhxUFAzgx4undnl40rMVEN1Mb7i6UrMC81M0IH0OmtHblGJ3gWfu7CTII7fRw/s640/IMG_0131.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBwHLuxpPJLtx3o98rh_KCqy4PRvik8SisY9wm2Co-ngLgNaYtdLzywvZrDL2Yd5t_Fcd1GWzaYnGtYRo0xdD7mkg2NCmKBre3oYD_q43tSic1qk-XqQoz4eKf6uhxUFAzgx4undnl40rMVEN1Mb7i6UrMC81M0IH0OmtHblGJ3gWfu7CTII7fRw/s320/IMG_0131.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /> There have been many indoor garden displays that we have explored but I think this is my favorite. The conservatory sits inside the walled garden. At first we thought it wasn't open until ten and we had arrived at nine when the Biltmore app said it was open. There didn't seem to be any activity, few cars in the parking lot and from the back of it, it didn't look open.<p></p><p>We shivered as we walked around to the front thinking if it was closed, we'd explore the garden area inside the wall and hope the wind wasn't as sharp there. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLHELgESnxbl_z5YDS_Tr79zz34eXP9JgLv2qXgfTOcl6vdokF9-tL5Ls4jvbPVk2QE8N_35fUJH6GGYDUosMYfSP57WDjliKd0DT8-jVX0ZQf3PEot1KfEMP5zOcsgujzFYwSzKVcaYfFXYXnYUSa1beXbLa3sPD_5EA5bhjEvtDgALCx_FNdbA/s640/IMG_0133.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLHELgESnxbl_z5YDS_Tr79zz34eXP9JgLv2qXgfTOcl6vdokF9-tL5Ls4jvbPVk2QE8N_35fUJH6GGYDUosMYfSP57WDjliKd0DT8-jVX0ZQf3PEot1KfEMP5zOcsgujzFYwSzKVcaYfFXYXnYUSa1beXbLa3sPD_5EA5bhjEvtDgALCx_FNdbA/s320/IMG_0133.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>The garden is probably quite beautiful at other times of the year but winter was not kind. Roses had lost their blooms and it was difficult to tell what the other plants were since they were in their dormant stage. </p><p>We walked through the arbor that runs down the center of the walled garden but just as we were about to give up and sit in the car for a bit, we noticed other people arriving. A try of the front door rewarded us with entry.</p><p>Given the Christmas season, there were plenty of poinsettias, some I've never seen before. Back home, during the season, many poinsettias are artificially colored and its obvious. Here, there were several that were variegated. Some were a yellow green and I saw one that was a purplish color. None looked artificially colored. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOZ1Nk6UVjlNDbfQavgNPGiVDdE-qvgGp6eYOVMUpUM231eEdKjItH_yQ4f4f4XKCzfsgX4scFxDisFq3gdaYDlQDGh90WkVJhEKgpzgC8-yNE_j1K6mZxNSHPdC1Kz0cXp26_kDP3yESTc4LUgMbYO1dyHjhg8V339wF2qE6YyxBk7lg9qXXF_Q/s640/IMG_0132.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOZ1Nk6UVjlNDbfQavgNPGiVDdE-qvgGp6eYOVMUpUM231eEdKjItH_yQ4f4f4XKCzfsgX4scFxDisFq3gdaYDlQDGh90WkVJhEKgpzgC8-yNE_j1K6mZxNSHPdC1Kz0cXp26_kDP3yESTc4LUgMbYO1dyHjhg8V339wF2qE6YyxBk7lg9qXXF_Q/s320/IMG_0132.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />Larger shrubs and trees, including a lemon tree and several orange trees, must have been there for a long time. Some of them had extremely large roots and I wondered how the horticulturalists kept them contained in the walled sections where they grew.<p></p><p>Lots of gorgeous orchids were dotted through out the several exhibit rooms. Again, some colors and shapes that I've never seen before.</p><p><br /></p><p>Blooming plants and foliage were fascinating, unusual and, when the sun emerged, were caught in the spotlight of sun beams through the glass windows. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiMnweXBa6HthSLrLoBDm5CWOOFQ_4jAkczdfNCrIfxsZMWHI1BUqjB7cX2XCsNRaKRpKADhVeDWDfIWXsb3ECRLiz04HsM0gmT-s0GwAu7SHuwExgNMg_s2HgBKZOIyZ0DJ1WgMRbBrknu8qHA1CkJvjluXFGIQb9AgULibTMTvUENH8uHWyeGw/s640/IMG_0137.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiMnweXBa6HthSLrLoBDm5CWOOFQ_4jAkczdfNCrIfxsZMWHI1BUqjB7cX2XCsNRaKRpKADhVeDWDfIWXsb3ECRLiz04HsM0gmT-s0GwAu7SHuwExgNMg_s2HgBKZOIyZ0DJ1WgMRbBrknu8qHA1CkJvjluXFGIQb9AgULibTMTvUENH8uHWyeGw/s320/IMG_0137.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Before I forget, I do need to mention that the conservatory dates back to 1895, the year that the Vanderbilts moved in. It was a collaboration of George Vanderbilt, Frederick Law Olmsted (the estate's landscape architect) and Richard Morris Hunt (the mansion's architect).</p><p>There are more gardens to explore to one side of the front of the mansion but with the cold weather, we were done once we left the warmth of the conservatory.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAvHWpg_MeG-NgUQTvrptPrTcKtQEnQxGYi5HdsgrFnyZZ9daA1CjQ4Bk3GbLqjxN8eBd-y1_KUQ9fVVu4b_kc8xRw9ugDQ06g81rAaIuD4rpAkpkIi8JOVmxY5OjnUlBxt37Kqlp6l5pNHkOBU648stPtO0YYZvqKi_ccrR2gLZKjoan3187hZg/s640/IMG_0143.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAvHWpg_MeG-NgUQTvrptPrTcKtQEnQxGYi5HdsgrFnyZZ9daA1CjQ4Bk3GbLqjxN8eBd-y1_KUQ9fVVu4b_kc8xRw9ugDQ06g81rAaIuD4rpAkpkIi8JOVmxY5OjnUlBxt37Kqlp6l5pNHkOBU648stPtO0YYZvqKi_ccrR2gLZKjoan3187hZg/s320/IMG_0143.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />I need to mention as well that there are all sorts of hiking trails that wind around the estate where you can take in the beautiful rolling fields, shaded forested areas and ponds and lakes. <p></p><p>Lots to see but we had miles to go yet before reaching Florida. Hopefully it would be warmer.</p><p>Meanwhile, enjoy the pictures. I couldn't stop taking them.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoBK5jgfyRQob8qdX726jKWrX796-7vIJbC0QgB0zrFSCsiGY11cU1F7v3q5lRpc07vjqDbfP6TGLvaluBM-cGpdge13bnrtaGpGxKZpH9X4b8SQ0fl46-MxYQ7CaKYcEjM1ojYTfl-R2JKtpEpFy1afGdKQwia87MvP7yVezZXfgzuIP7HvUIGQ/s640/IMG_0138.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoBK5jgfyRQob8qdX726jKWrX796-7vIJbC0QgB0zrFSCsiGY11cU1F7v3q5lRpc07vjqDbfP6TGLvaluBM-cGpdge13bnrtaGpGxKZpH9X4b8SQ0fl46-MxYQ7CaKYcEjM1ojYTfl-R2JKtpEpFy1afGdKQwia87MvP7yVezZXfgzuIP7HvUIGQ/s320/IMG_0138.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqb6D_4AOaREWBsY31Krh5pHjoznP7GR81NqPYvwRKyqNj3PmpyqReT684VjCfOgYEss5eubCJoSr9BplQTTwOLq1qDDoJJjvMXnDqEp03i7QMF-UjqnLWF6I8qUbKgN3xlRDsjUJie1RyocObek3ocWWUwtcNqUEAH7qpMPW5gtRfwTZXjeVY_A/s640/IMG_0142.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqb6D_4AOaREWBsY31Krh5pHjoznP7GR81NqPYvwRKyqNj3PmpyqReT684VjCfOgYEss5eubCJoSr9BplQTTwOLq1qDDoJJjvMXnDqEp03i7QMF-UjqnLWF6I8qUbKgN3xlRDsjUJie1RyocObek3ocWWUwtcNqUEAH7qpMPW5gtRfwTZXjeVY_A/s320/IMG_0142.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwPa3MLHccuUTvi6t-FI-z0vOK_j59gtG2V92y8_6k9-pdOzPIjZ8asTH3ruREFz_-mOAVCGCDQUKqOkiAW7o3_KNWxS0K_DJ5g7mWe9qv7g5F8U46Z1Tsk-sR419yBGkYrltDV8sZ-_dNt2DIISxpvJnnrnnuHmwZRJadoVWZ4BHsRivTpupwKg/s640/IMG_0140.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwPa3MLHccuUTvi6t-FI-z0vOK_j59gtG2V92y8_6k9-pdOzPIjZ8asTH3ruREFz_-mOAVCGCDQUKqOkiAW7o3_KNWxS0K_DJ5g7mWe9qv7g5F8U46Z1Tsk-sR419yBGkYrltDV8sZ-_dNt2DIISxpvJnnrnnuHmwZRJadoVWZ4BHsRivTpupwKg/s320/IMG_0140.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />Wandering Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01445595080265227834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549100.post-92045129762600648302024-01-08T08:30:00.005-05:002024-01-08T08:30:00.132-05:00Biltmore--Lunch in a Stable?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQBYGWhJXFmDJygb3FKXAGlrbdo9g2yeNc76pjwHFn_-TnseJhhoVnfagAVhnRifsM0tyJqSsxydJNivCKak9ndDfsBlIKEoOVc7FApHlc_bLAIOIZUythCF9tkHCEDAN1l3ReyRGB5yUT980Q7hwcddzvqyR63P9jWSv7TPaFAakx96XRsMknSA/s640/IMG_0120.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQBYGWhJXFmDJygb3FKXAGlrbdo9g2yeNc76pjwHFn_-TnseJhhoVnfagAVhnRifsM0tyJqSsxydJNivCKak9ndDfsBlIKEoOVc7FApHlc_bLAIOIZUythCF9tkHCEDAN1l3ReyRGB5yUT980Q7hwcddzvqyR63P9jWSv7TPaFAakx96XRsMknSA/s320/IMG_0120.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />After two hours exploring the Biltmore mansion, it was definitely time to eat. Still cold outside, we decided against the outdoor cafe even if it was tented and had some heat lamps. There were quite a few people milling around inside the stables and sitting on the few benches that were there apparently waiting for the call that their table was ready. <p></p><p>We thought we might have to give up on the notion of eating inside but the thought of actually eating in one of the stalls of the stable was irresistible. Bob put in our names and the hostess took our phone number and said it would be about a half hour wait. Not too bad even if my tummy did grumble a bit.</p><p>The wait was worth it. We actually sat in one of the horse stalls and split a chicken salad sandwich with fries and onion rings. Pictures on the wall showed Edith and her daughter, Cornelia, in riding gear and various other pictures related to the horses. Edith was quite an equestrian and could often be seen racing across the fields of the estate.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgusnW_QVgAIZL2Rk1zT0wnOJH7zdvAuc-La9YBS_6JE5bUfig3OGHKsU_b7YNbXATQNCfcn_AsOGK21E5rn3qzLeY0Af3CrNQJKZhHjb1itkauIv0Tze7GvuY99jCNM0p6mUwT1g7hJwEqhIzfdyO7wp_MBGRt5p2hhcbBez6y_I9Em4y0gWCSwQ/s640/IMG_0122.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgusnW_QVgAIZL2Rk1zT0wnOJH7zdvAuc-La9YBS_6JE5bUfig3OGHKsU_b7YNbXATQNCfcn_AsOGK21E5rn3qzLeY0Af3CrNQJKZhHjb1itkauIv0Tze7GvuY99jCNM0p6mUwT1g7hJwEqhIzfdyO7wp_MBGRt5p2hhcbBez6y_I9Em4y0gWCSwQ/s320/IMG_0122.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Next on our agenda was to explore the Antler Hill Village that is a collection of shops, cafes, and restaurants. The winery is also there and that is where we started. I expected to see a bit more but the "tour" was a walk through a stone walled corridor that was full of sparkling little white lights and a few exhibits of wine barrels and pictures and some explanation of the wine making process. </p><p>Our ticket included a wine tasting but the line for the tasting was wound all around the store. Coffee was more to our liking at that moment so we headed off to find some. All of the little cafes were crowded and waits for just a cup of coffee seemed a bit much especially since there was no place warm to wait and little tiny specks of snow were swirling a bit in the breeze. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO0v65tSqpIZY41LJOgE7ULO-m9Pngqo-iGgc2GAOCxrEDfMqUy8u3u8DdDCZZc2Odlid-APkcSiSgK8Uc-sNQPjaKcwMJseB-fWaN6qD62u0BaY_VfsQ5a412rPaLdDO1Y-rR03j-_1ssxcK51xwdKE54bKAwFDubqVtTOwn7SGTzAL71VCkyhQ/s640/IMG_0123.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO0v65tSqpIZY41LJOgE7ULO-m9Pngqo-iGgc2GAOCxrEDfMqUy8u3u8DdDCZZc2Odlid-APkcSiSgK8Uc-sNQPjaKcwMJseB-fWaN6qD62u0BaY_VfsQ5a412rPaLdDO1Y-rR03j-_1ssxcK51xwdKE54bKAwFDubqVtTOwn7SGTzAL71VCkyhQ/s320/IMG_0123.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Back in the car with the seat warmers on (gotta love that extra) we started around the parking lot and up the hill. As we were passing the hotel and approaching the inn, Bob said he thought we'd stop at the inn. "Must be a coffee shop in there, right?"</p><p>After passing up the valet parking, we found the self park lot and hustled into the lobby of the inn. It was lovely but not nearly as impressive when compared to the Grand Hotel at Mackinac in Michigan. We found a lounge at one end of the main foyer which was the only offering besides the main dining room and asked if we could get a cup of coffee. We were directed to the bar which only had four seats and two small tables. All but two seats at the bar were full unless you wanted to sit outside on the porch. Ah, nope.</p><p>The poor bartender had her hands full filling orders that were going out into the lounge area as well as the dining room, I think. She was so busy that she was running out of glasses and had no one there to help her clean up. I felt bad when I realized she had to run to the dining room to get our coffee. It was good though even without the little pastries we'd also ordered and never received. As we sipped, we realized that it was busy because those arriving were waiting there for their rooms to be ready.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgflXWOgylCXCMcM9u15rPjLNpn17e36a4lzqcvigyBH_g5h9SI00FatUv7-7GwjZ7ngjrFyczXcJOonAHxdm7UxPrpyVpbUthX-ZzqAZt7X69mZfeLxcWyvCeydL_SLlHcXQbFrgjc6PTSWkrHwGHG4dBTyUHdarHQy9y8U6ss7El51b2bcUCUhA/s640/IMG_0124.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgflXWOgylCXCMcM9u15rPjLNpn17e36a4lzqcvigyBH_g5h9SI00FatUv7-7GwjZ7ngjrFyczXcJOonAHxdm7UxPrpyVpbUthX-ZzqAZt7X69mZfeLxcWyvCeydL_SLlHcXQbFrgjc6PTSWkrHwGHG4dBTyUHdarHQy9y8U6ss7El51b2bcUCUhA/s320/IMG_0124.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Coffee urge satisfied, we decided it was too cold to be walking around and we had not prepared for it so we started out to finish the loop and exit the estate. Our tickets were for two day entry to the estate grounds and we had planned to visit the conservatory and gardens on the next day since our next stretch of driving was not too long to reach Dobson, NC.</p><p>After some time to rest, we found our way to the place where the Ohio State Alumni watched the football games. It was another bar night and this time there was not a good alternative to bar food so we were in for some nice fried food. The group was friendly and ready to cheer on the Buckeyes. The Buckeyes were obviously not ready to play. At halftime, between the score and the median age of the group, everyone got up and said goodbye. Okay with us. We were tired and watching the rest of the game in bed was just fine, well except for the score. As the Cleveland sports fans say, "There's always next year."</p>Wandering Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01445595080265227834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549100.post-16209444162015813662024-01-07T08:30:00.001-05:002024-01-07T08:30:00.138-05:00Exploring Biltmore--Part Four<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzDW2_eMzCwxdiQ04JJJ4K8or3SvmH3WocnGL2FsnOuBlNPbG0zbR5tbLJtWLAGLf4fut0FRq4aFhkxJaCZ4qlo8hOsBXX2X9u24KtMX7zVJhm5ZJdZxgIbT4h8pYMg3VxG6vn7NCHrL7v3fc9c3s9jYzY5TwuZk33A9t3tzdUThZdrGPSmL0hlQ/s640/IMG_0095.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzDW2_eMzCwxdiQ04JJJ4K8or3SvmH3WocnGL2FsnOuBlNPbG0zbR5tbLJtWLAGLf4fut0FRq4aFhkxJaCZ4qlo8hOsBXX2X9u24KtMX7zVJhm5ZJdZxgIbT4h8pYMg3VxG6vn7NCHrL7v3fc9c3s9jYzY5TwuZk33A9t3tzdUThZdrGPSmL0hlQ/s320/IMG_0095.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /> Our tour of Biltmore took us up to the second floor and down to the "basement" or the area that had a hallway in it that showed how the foundation of the house looked. Up and down involved the Grand Staircase as well. As we were coming down at one point in our tour, a private tour was headed up to the third floor which was not open to us. At least I'm pretty sure we were never on the third floor. We wandered up and down for two hours. Definitely a place you could get lost in.<p></p><p>In the lower level, we passed through the corridor of layered stone that made up the foundation of the mansion. Even here, there was a bit of Christmas with a wreath that hung at the end of the corridor.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB1fXgDSVAHGLdncOEaitdfBr5ahuX3uEtQcqT-2MogcYc39YV9eQHKD7Djs5ReLAYW_9_FJpIDoyWcmVVIhoN3Acs3QJhyJsZqQqYftGcEzxeAVA6BIJEcTnvmV9VnnnbKTCVcwXabZ8ablk6GQ8prG_ZGgIXxnCIpB4zN_m4bde52WNFdhdC_g/s640/IMG_0103.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB1fXgDSVAHGLdncOEaitdfBr5ahuX3uEtQcqT-2MogcYc39YV9eQHKD7Djs5ReLAYW_9_FJpIDoyWcmVVIhoN3Acs3QJhyJsZqQqYftGcEzxeAVA6BIJEcTnvmV9VnnnbKTCVcwXabZ8ablk6GQ8prG_ZGgIXxnCIpB4zN_m4bde52WNFdhdC_g/s320/IMG_0103.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />The hallway led us to the bowling alley. Yes, bowling. There were no automated pin setters back then so one of the servants had to manually reset the pins and return the ball. I was surprised that there wasn't a rack of sorts to rack up the pins but with further research, I learned that mechanical pinsetters like the ones I remembered at the old Colonial at Put In Bay, Ohio weren't invented until the 1940s. We kids used to love coaxing the older kids who were hired to set pins to let us do it. You put pins in the rack and pushed a large horizontal lever that put the pins on the alley where they belonged.<p></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO9oojhC842iQTpChwXGPRpZlOEnvuwnWH7t1zdejbkryaXenpNMSJRFGOG8tnmTCSi4J2LgMCGmeBRntB0QR49ksE0Nnt4oBK2c1nW14KmmNXfT6aANiATGbAZDp5sgNRVKcH2P7WIGxOs6OtiVlkHJ3v8lu8ZeDk0MKVzr6vQqiZ3-ntrppsNQ/s640/IMG_0104.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO9oojhC842iQTpChwXGPRpZlOEnvuwnWH7t1zdejbkryaXenpNMSJRFGOG8tnmTCSi4J2LgMCGmeBRntB0QR49ksE0Nnt4oBK2c1nW14KmmNXfT6aANiATGbAZDp5sgNRVKcH2P7WIGxOs6OtiVlkHJ3v8lu8ZeDk0MKVzr6vQqiZ3-ntrppsNQ/s320/IMG_0104.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />Next we walked around the indoor pool. It was really deep and had a diving platform at one end. There were ropes that hung along the side to hold onto if you got tired trying to swim from one end to the other. Just before entering the pool area, there was a row of dressing rooms, some for ladies, others for gentlemen. The ladies had no mirror in the room due to the fact that their lady's maid would dress her and fix her hair.<p></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjugbVDQWlArzmXRE-6X8ubT3Stith8CpG5G3mZVISfJ3af4QgJOhx_ebMgdtmsL0yULSC7f-lvx_fCukxaEuWqBKA6K6GFxbw1flGkMd2LLqKJhjRint5MtQzmpcB6hfek_meD0H7Bs2TWPP-qfAU4-WNQ5FbsUo2oy2baEoEaEFfWBq6t7Tg9EQ/s640/IMG_0106.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjugbVDQWlArzmXRE-6X8ubT3Stith8CpG5G3mZVISfJ3af4QgJOhx_ebMgdtmsL0yULSC7f-lvx_fCukxaEuWqBKA6K6GFxbw1flGkMd2LLqKJhjRint5MtQzmpcB6hfek_meD0H7Bs2TWPP-qfAU4-WNQ5FbsUo2oy2baEoEaEFfWBq6t7Tg9EQ/s320/IMG_0106.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />Next up was the gym or did they call it the fitness center? Whatever, there was a lot of recognizable equipment and some, not to much. The rowing machine was obvious.<p></p><p>Several rooms we passed were for servants and certainly not as lavish as the guest rooms or main bedrooms for the family. The rooms we passed were probably for the kitchen staff since the kitchen was just around the corner. They could just roll out of bed quickly and get breakfast started.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjTtj8zGJL5OkycVfxVc7ddQdFJ-ieP7QtLKF4fEXUtzzzSlEQjB8r6d2vK6JkHBPTOd5zMSQlelU735tu1nmubXcWABGqxeffwAy5ndHSA_EGN__VjunrCvPuouEIHKrx1g3RmsOsKLgNi91R3wTBWXcPfEmESrNjzhF9JQBEMPSBb_VdNJ4Pig/s640/IMG_0108.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjTtj8zGJL5OkycVfxVc7ddQdFJ-ieP7QtLKF4fEXUtzzzSlEQjB8r6d2vK6JkHBPTOd5zMSQlelU735tu1nmubXcWABGqxeffwAy5ndHSA_EGN__VjunrCvPuouEIHKrx1g3RmsOsKLgNi91R3wTBWXcPfEmESrNjzhF9JQBEMPSBb_VdNJ4Pig/s320/IMG_0108.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>There was a rotisserie kitchen that had a large spit that could hold a lot of chickens or a huge chunk of meat. It actually had a bit of a roasted meat smell in the room. Or maybe I was just getting hungry.</p><p><br /></p><p>Through the door, we entered the large kitchen with the working stove, large warming cupboards and a huge working station that displayed a perfect replica of the Biltmore mansion in gingerbread. Bob was quite envious. That's his thing each Christmas. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH5Cc6eN7kK9GeT-CqOEWsf4KWCetYcxa0IY5KyP0tVhkoMCfGDHNZku90QyLpth3iUUKTDUhM9wcS1hIjYYIN2vae1Yo6IjctCuNxD19ILTELDlY9tMm9iYzj7-hKauWUD4iHV_jn54XqkjSWDYdaH4HM2_dkpJ999ch2T724RVd9yGEqaamOCA/s640/IMG_0111.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH5Cc6eN7kK9GeT-CqOEWsf4KWCetYcxa0IY5KyP0tVhkoMCfGDHNZku90QyLpth3iUUKTDUhM9wcS1hIjYYIN2vae1Yo6IjctCuNxD19ILTELDlY9tMm9iYzj7-hKauWUD4iHV_jn54XqkjSWDYdaH4HM2_dkpJ999ch2T724RVd9yGEqaamOCA/s320/IMG_0111.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Just off the kitchen was a small dining room for the serving staff. Obviously they did not all eat at the same time as I'm sure the table wasn't large enough. According to the voice on our audio guide, they also sat around the table according to rank. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikhKRdm4ObRYZGcXZgl7Q799dtkNawmNw9hvLOX7PMVyq4cXxQbziAg14VTbPKvipyT8JIw_Q30A6T9WFLy1lLwXStDQZlIawQlzn3oPUy1LI5GOQIcwJfPxordsKJ6yvFaRP0BZSArgJEwcm_tFntdYmcKAR57L3Dy1aWEjGvI20guykMtAUlcw/s640/IMG_0112.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikhKRdm4ObRYZGcXZgl7Q799dtkNawmNw9hvLOX7PMVyq4cXxQbziAg14VTbPKvipyT8JIw_Q30A6T9WFLy1lLwXStDQZlIawQlzn3oPUy1LI5GOQIcwJfPxordsKJ6yvFaRP0BZSArgJEwcm_tFntdYmcKAR57L3Dy1aWEjGvI20guykMtAUlcw/s320/IMG_0112.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />Besides the pantries and a walk in cooling room (refrigerator), the other important rooms here made up the laundry area. A huge tub was used for the larger items like linens. Several sinks lined one wall and that was for hand laundry, those items that were of fine fabric that needed delicate attention. <p></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMSBKF6RTq7IXV32iaUuM3_LtEWfaICPHPsTLz2LPP88Wddxs_zneTbrGFHgBpmG-dTuC5dp__Lg-nbfuKrNydhHD6iSsS7zLKUki_Wu073MbXouSSJR-04v4a_OXiGuzatPXfNODuj7rcGTL0icDahvvtXAizJPKe6F8d1P2ITq5DJjvH8TrUdg/s640/IMG_0115.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMSBKF6RTq7IXV32iaUuM3_LtEWfaICPHPsTLz2LPP88Wddxs_zneTbrGFHgBpmG-dTuC5dp__Lg-nbfuKrNydhHD6iSsS7zLKUki_Wu073MbXouSSJR-04v4a_OXiGuzatPXfNODuj7rcGTL0icDahvvtXAizJPKe6F8d1P2ITq5DJjvH8TrUdg/w150-h200/IMG_0115.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>In one room, there were drying racks for the bed sheets. They were large drying racks that you would hang the wet sheet on and then push them back into the drying cabinet. There was also a large mangle for the tablecloths, one of which was 35 feet long. Of course there was also an ironing board and what was said to be a very heavy iron.<br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijIrpUPWpLMeTH3pic4sC03WVSmQwh_o-Z1wE9MT_4so6sa35uouoyb35zvIBfoCYtwDtE8PPXl5UURFmU6dpE5-c3054xrRQWpMZccxbMrY75B1v96qVCxW_GWG8wGDxdHrZcRDyHF48zbrTZXhwliwrnmYaifmmJxqi9lnNYqN4vZlPBt39Ivg/s640/IMG_0116.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijIrpUPWpLMeTH3pic4sC03WVSmQwh_o-Z1wE9MT_4so6sa35uouoyb35zvIBfoCYtwDtE8PPXl5UURFmU6dpE5-c3054xrRQWpMZccxbMrY75B1v96qVCxW_GWG8wGDxdHrZcRDyHF48zbrTZXhwliwrnmYaifmmJxqi9lnNYqN4vZlPBt39Ivg/s320/IMG_0116.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />Toward the end of our tour as we explored the smoking room and as we were about to exit, we found an open door to the banquet hall that offered one more stunning look at the elegant room. <p></p><p>Yup, I was ready for lunch.</p>Wandering Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01445595080265227834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549100.post-7581946273029403582024-01-06T08:30:00.001-05:002024-01-06T08:30:00.130-05:00Exploring Biltmore--Part Three<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDiDpenLY1lE9t9NMg_74sEUUaSLQJ9Z8szRL_4bsp4B8SndUaJumyG3OxnZIPPTGK0yslIVMhuvpBXYgVOlxhPhRNiGzHjAIotcsDOmMjOdPCgOsXzkEYVSriRVzkf2ZlHyTj7ULxXR6nxwmmRm6NKfvHuc6t5wG338He8OTNbyE6tq0g2cTYRw/s640/IMG_0082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDiDpenLY1lE9t9NMg_74sEUUaSLQJ9Z8szRL_4bsp4B8SndUaJumyG3OxnZIPPTGK0yslIVMhuvpBXYgVOlxhPhRNiGzHjAIotcsDOmMjOdPCgOsXzkEYVSriRVzkf2ZlHyTj7ULxXR6nxwmmRm6NKfvHuc6t5wG338He8OTNbyE6tq0g2cTYRw/s320/IMG_0082.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /> Take a look at the view! Is it any wonder that George Vanderbilt chose this spot for his beautiful mansion.<p></p><p>As we continued through the halls, we stopped and listened at each spot that contained a number for us to listen to commentary on our audio guides.</p><p><br /></p><p>Probably our favorite room was the library. It was featured prominently in A Biltmore Christmas Hallmark movie. As a matter of fact, there was a small sign that said the library was arranged just as it was in the movie. Sure enough, on the large reading table sat the hourglass that was the catalyst for the story. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO8kiX-ELnmNiC_qqgUtB39Wmn4Sp14JCMOSvRW8hkumcFFBWRXY4O99vfaABuHXkkdH_0R2L2juBmtsnCpDCE052G1oVGMoCm8pAqy9B7m2Or-1gYfugl-mDAKFCSS39JGdcFqn0uHeqGOGHf2DucJQRAkDjcWQ40W-piTa4sAyRb-y56N15xfw/s640/IMG_0087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO8kiX-ELnmNiC_qqgUtB39Wmn4Sp14JCMOSvRW8hkumcFFBWRXY4O99vfaABuHXkkdH_0R2L2juBmtsnCpDCE052G1oVGMoCm8pAqy9B7m2Or-1gYfugl-mDAKFCSS39JGdcFqn0uHeqGOGHf2DucJQRAkDjcWQ40W-piTa4sAyRb-y56N15xfw/s320/IMG_0087.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>The Vanderbilts not only were conservationists of the land and collectors of art treasures, they also collected volumes of books. The shelves are ceiling to floor and hold about 10,000 of the over 24,000 that they owned. </p><p><br /></p><p>The ceiling painting is actually 13 different canvases that make up a painting called "The Chariot of Aurora" by Giovanni Pelligrini and dates back to the 1720s. It originally graced a ceiling in the Pisani Palace in Venice.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-gn_eny6OnvrAtTJCD_1aKBb1yqD_tcjrSF75FaLOVDCJdzxNf4kn2CkpXy69tHmCavS-O8Hne5rvYfOLEnc-HzwjeMynwSJLv0_CNXWu3A2WWxuuXnJrp9VwwpAP33i76pA9ZJ1iATD94hyHjAzBiHmvWeErFlFLd42A3Iu5S-Hbi30r70zL-Q/s640/IMG_0091.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-gn_eny6OnvrAtTJCD_1aKBb1yqD_tcjrSF75FaLOVDCJdzxNf4kn2CkpXy69tHmCavS-O8Hne5rvYfOLEnc-HzwjeMynwSJLv0_CNXWu3A2WWxuuXnJrp9VwwpAP33i76pA9ZJ1iATD94hyHjAzBiHmvWeErFlFLd42A3Iu5S-Hbi30r70zL-Q/s320/IMG_0091.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />George Vanderbilt's room was done in reds and dark woods. A hat sat on a holder on the dark wood vanity that was his. Mrs. Vanderbilt's room was rich in golden colors that filled the room with a warm glow. Heavy brocade furniture, bedspread and drapery added to the richness of the surroundings that included chairs and a lounger as well as a gilded mirrored vanity. This was not the room where she gave birth to their only child, Cornelia.<p></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQw5XgQKh6kGOKF8_hfbmgM17-i6P2PWk0RAhWpAIantAybGFlnyLDsGAUTkYRIZIwvSXZ0qaviKRjRkk5HPeIBkG-LcJbS7EU5yipCKPwrmPboDrgA2T-8WnNHqXnZz3P3M9hyVtgmDIEX2awG9m0wU2HSCfYYNXNBzqYiamQry3-5wyfKj_o9g/s640/IMG_0099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQw5XgQKh6kGOKF8_hfbmgM17-i6P2PWk0RAhWpAIantAybGFlnyLDsGAUTkYRIZIwvSXZ0qaviKRjRkk5HPeIBkG-LcJbS7EU5yipCKPwrmPboDrgA2T-8WnNHqXnZz3P3M9hyVtgmDIEX2awG9m0wU2HSCfYYNXNBzqYiamQry3-5wyfKj_o9g/s320/IMG_0099.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />Cornelia was born in 1900 and in those days, a woman was usually confined for a long time before and after delivery. Edith chose a room with a large window that had a nice view. The room, even though quite large, had a cozy feel to it and the cradle was a sweet reminder of the child born in the room. <p></p><p>Each room was decorated for Christmas and every one we saw had a Christmas tree in it. There were 67 Christmas trees in all with the largest being the one in the banquet hall that was 35 feet tall and sported 500 lights, 500 ornaments and 500 individually wrapped presents under it. Glad I don't have to put all those decorations away.</p>Wandering Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01445595080265227834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549100.post-61292651357242955212024-01-05T08:00:00.006-05:002024-01-05T08:00:00.139-05:00Exploring Biltmore--Part Two<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIHGBHITkV9c4l6q-NwXAeWb_irbmdGwCrQDWdWvATJTfaYbd-eykrhK034SJaTKbSYOLjpySwD4TGQ7Xblo8qbLIigZXTRl6cjwZ1JBuN46WPiNPxIDg9kc60tCx_FqyAbnx1-Dk9FVDVjFDKerCtSkwdBZCBxPcFDt1P4Lq9R5zudrth6dxztg/s640/IMG_0073.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIHGBHITkV9c4l6q-NwXAeWb_irbmdGwCrQDWdWvATJTfaYbd-eykrhK034SJaTKbSYOLjpySwD4TGQ7Xblo8qbLIigZXTRl6cjwZ1JBuN46WPiNPxIDg9kc60tCx_FqyAbnx1-Dk9FVDVjFDKerCtSkwdBZCBxPcFDt1P4Lq9R5zudrth6dxztg/s320/IMG_0073.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /> At ten in the morning, we joined the line of those whose tickets were timed at 10:15. It was a cold wait to get past the next ticket taker who directed us to the front steps. where we waited another minute or two to be waved ahead to the door, stopped and then waved again into the foyer where a lady was set up with audio guide phones. Each of us got one and we were directed to proceed. <p></p><p>The center area of the entry was a domed atrium filled with all sorts of plants and Christmas decorations. Already I was in awe. We listened to the short commentary that welcomed us and invited us to move on through the mansion at our leisure. Each room or hallway had a sign that indicated what number to press on your audio guide to listen. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif3ViKPnT3Lb7fEgRMlzU3VnOqsJPS5uAmoFlWaDmORzAEQbENdckJ7xdaLWzgoqZAd-dRX54ND4v578AdaEvpQ-1JvNieQxqYp8piUERSZusR3-MnPwedkm7q3bHEDLNBMleLsjJVbvVm9zmGb5jBSl6cgJB5BN6bU4iTmvFB3QD0unY98H21Wg/s640/IMG_0075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif3ViKPnT3Lb7fEgRMlzU3VnOqsJPS5uAmoFlWaDmORzAEQbENdckJ7xdaLWzgoqZAd-dRX54ND4v578AdaEvpQ-1JvNieQxqYp8piUERSZusR3-MnPwedkm7q3bHEDLNBMleLsjJVbvVm9zmGb5jBSl6cgJB5BN6bU4iTmvFB3QD0unY98H21Wg/s320/IMG_0075.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />The house spans 175,000 square feet (four acres of floor space) and was designed by Richard Morris Hunt. It has 250 rooms which includes 35 bedrooms, 45 bathrooms, and 65 fireplaces. The fireplaces are now gas fed but there used to be a young man whose only job was to keep them stoked and replenished with wood. I don't think the count of bedrooms includes all the servant quarters. We were shown several examples of women servants' rooms in the house. The guys had rooms in the stable.<p></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7wi2GhbamTCjQhtjKzhxBhU7jZ7seW1A6XjL9WHXJURy2FCrItDKTYE1AhtuDKNgf7TmuZB_BoFySPK3-c1o-pSdZiftGMMQF-iNN7Nbo2iOFmKYAl7IggCsERfNS9SQSURKABQ-zkkIxrjnvZnk5tx_4cz_olLoJ7OXDjbHUDsWnpEgjunMoog/s640/IMG_0076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7wi2GhbamTCjQhtjKzhxBhU7jZ7seW1A6XjL9WHXJURy2FCrItDKTYE1AhtuDKNgf7TmuZB_BoFySPK3-c1o-pSdZiftGMMQF-iNN7Nbo2iOFmKYAl7IggCsERfNS9SQSURKABQ-zkkIxrjnvZnk5tx_4cz_olLoJ7OXDjbHUDsWnpEgjunMoog/s320/IMG_0076.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />To build the mansion at its elevation, a railroad track had to be laid to accommodate the delivery of building materials. Thank goodness, I guess, for the family's background in railroads.<p></p><p><br /></p><p>Our first glimpse into a room was of the billiards room. Of course it was the male domain. Somewhere to the right of the fireplace was a secret door that led to a smoking room. We saw it from the smoking room but to see it from the billiard room was almost impossible.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ-PgdfI2VVq2SpdzpcPdKOrrzNoGsH-qa6Hu5122r4_S9OzHgBAdDnJ6BRcgv49isC1RmIDVyBs3P7GemnukwXqH87IIQEsQcMcr6NSg7wFGRKV92FKEKSoJSyV_-x_9zXxsru-Q7f1Pc4oH0G3GOxBoz9kDNTstz8lJrZ9kD0H7o4c0AnPMGqw/s640/IMG_0077.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ-PgdfI2VVq2SpdzpcPdKOrrzNoGsH-qa6Hu5122r4_S9OzHgBAdDnJ6BRcgv49isC1RmIDVyBs3P7GemnukwXqH87IIQEsQcMcr6NSg7wFGRKV92FKEKSoJSyV_-x_9zXxsru-Q7f1Pc4oH0G3GOxBoz9kDNTstz8lJrZ9kD0H7o4c0AnPMGqw/s320/IMG_0077.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Next on my camera roll is the banquet hall. There was so much to see, that I couldn't take pictures of it all so bear with me. A triple fireplace graced one end and a huge tree was on the opposite end. It was the place where the Vanderbilts entertained their guests with dinner and of course it was always a formal occasion. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2cldKcDZF_I5VZE88E3vGLAdD3u4GkY9JcDmykXXs6VX9Es2kFwt9rToj_zfgNt1WU69gm-zGvD0AZsYrPXC-eX-iHCndj89lO3uVxZdW3kJ8-q7qsQyEiJkiB8Bxf3GiJryfja0qh7diaCtZ1TVAG8ZTFXzj1UlfV_KkH_U-FiiAZLH7Zd1jww/s640/IMG_0078.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2cldKcDZF_I5VZE88E3vGLAdD3u4GkY9JcDmykXXs6VX9Es2kFwt9rToj_zfgNt1WU69gm-zGvD0AZsYrPXC-eX-iHCndj89lO3uVxZdW3kJ8-q7qsQyEiJkiB8Bxf3GiJryfja0qh7diaCtZ1TVAG8ZTFXzj1UlfV_KkH_U-FiiAZLH7Zd1jww/s320/IMG_0078.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />A little further along, we came upon the breakfast room which was a bit smaller, less formal, and used for breakfast and lunch. The table settings were beautiful though.<p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEsoGJ_YLNi7uTOCM5-0oioyXntobC7kmq9Sfg3KKxJWaHfI5QxKo4igX75GE2AayE6VUd6nZd5ihZG8M6yLfedSI2LxEWSqsQp5apyL5Q6rick0uzocsPlVhnTUT9nGWpOUuFjkTEjNi3tMKcNiPsIEQIA_kJF6-TRHEcgdQFLuWY8-tS2H1PNw/s640/IMG_0079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEsoGJ_YLNi7uTOCM5-0oioyXntobC7kmq9Sfg3KKxJWaHfI5QxKo4igX75GE2AayE6VUd6nZd5ihZG8M6yLfedSI2LxEWSqsQp5apyL5Q6rick0uzocsPlVhnTUT9nGWpOUuFjkTEjNi3tMKcNiPsIEQIA_kJF6-TRHEcgdQFLuWY8-tS2H1PNw/s320/IMG_0079.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />George Vanderbilt was not only a conservationist when it came to the land but he was also a lover of the arts and there are many original paintings hung around the mansion, many from the Impressionist era, Renoir, Monet. I was beginning to like this guy. Impressionism is my favorite too.<p></p><p>The music room held comfortable seating around a fireplace with a spinet piano or harpsicord visible. In the center, it looked like a music stand where violinists might sit to play. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZdumnH-Kr2gvwAs-Rlf1XYWUzur4DeLe_25b_6avU1EEGf7F7ciK3xHAxPvMtGhLHYSIDme-UEM29n4eiRpCEqqeTJtMAAivyH1ZlP2TgXXeUXC1-MHS7DFHh-Jh7JeGpAc992pkJUzysQiYMV_uUs5JnUfbag93jdU-ypLDnbQwU6GQmrrxrzw/s640/IMG_0081.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZdumnH-Kr2gvwAs-Rlf1XYWUzur4DeLe_25b_6avU1EEGf7F7ciK3xHAxPvMtGhLHYSIDme-UEM29n4eiRpCEqqeTJtMAAivyH1ZlP2TgXXeUXC1-MHS7DFHh-Jh7JeGpAc992pkJUzysQiYMV_uUs5JnUfbag93jdU-ypLDnbQwU6GQmrrxrzw/s320/IMG_0081.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />At one point, we could look out a window at a long balcony that had a view of the mountains. It wasn't hard to see why the Vanderbilts fell in love with this area even on a cloudy cold day, the beauty was undeniable.<p></p>Wandering Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01445595080265227834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549100.post-61144311495194164412024-01-04T08:00:00.128-05:002024-01-04T08:00:00.133-05:00Exploring Biltmore--Part One<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibproUMK6tZ9AwjYVoEHTN0qHcTP740QP7RsM0VBcWZ3dLjL9F941PRxUX_fE_wNeIQoMruV8WrjA44YqbYFRyhboEuS_3sVHyD_YSBn22VPxSln3_SeIWvjzcE_fV30EtYE6L5Qi0-DCosMTQgUmqI__7uyuLDQVFdes06J9xerKHrvXOsvhe1Q/s640/IMG_0066.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibproUMK6tZ9AwjYVoEHTN0qHcTP740QP7RsM0VBcWZ3dLjL9F941PRxUX_fE_wNeIQoMruV8WrjA44YqbYFRyhboEuS_3sVHyD_YSBn22VPxSln3_SeIWvjzcE_fV30EtYE6L5Qi0-DCosMTQgUmqI__7uyuLDQVFdes06J9xerKHrvXOsvhe1Q/s320/IMG_0066.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /> Imagine buying 125,000 acres in the Blue Ridge mountains. Imagine having that much money back in the late 1800s for the purchase. Today the estate is just over 8,000 acres as some of the acreage was sold to the federal government to establish the Pisgah National Forest. George Vanderbilt, the purchaser of the acreage and the builder of the Biltmore mansion was the grandson of Cornelius Vanderbilt who earned the family's wealth through railroads and shipping.<p></p><p>The story of Biltmore starts in 1888 with George's visit to the Asheville area and his purchase of the property. He began the building of his mansion in 1889 and eventually was able to move into the quarters with his new bride, Edith Stuyvesant Dresser, on Christmas Eve of 1895.</p><p>Is it any wonder that Christmas is a special time at the Biltmore.</p><p>We arrived at the first gate around nine o'clock the morning of our visit. The tickets for the mansion are timed so that it is not overcrowded with visitors at any one time. Our time was set for 10:15. They ask you to enter the gate at least 45 minutes before your timed ticket. It takes almost that long to drive from the gate to the mansion. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKcgZDjS0RpTWDKkFbX8zy45g0885sYSW8JjbJUzzBO6mhFG-xazsDgJXlnTxixSTpENxqSL9dOsvlIHHMICOHLwbNiwjPuJOUNVunkIQjs3qrLqDTJLNnMZ3YSi8OV3ARcYShCw9XSarpu3NXOtgOCs4AuRwJPUw7OwycDb_wr3XGJjH1NyWSWg/s640/IMG_0069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKcgZDjS0RpTWDKkFbX8zy45g0885sYSW8JjbJUzzBO6mhFG-xazsDgJXlnTxixSTpENxqSL9dOsvlIHHMICOHLwbNiwjPuJOUNVunkIQjs3qrLqDTJLNnMZ3YSi8OV3ARcYShCw9XSarpu3NXOtgOCs4AuRwJPUw7OwycDb_wr3XGJjH1NyWSWg/s320/IMG_0069.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />We passed through the first stone gate and got in the line of cars who were also here early as we had to pass through a second gate where our tickets were scanned for entry into the grounds. It was a rather chilly morning, cold you might say. but the ticket scanner wore a smile on her face and greeted us as she scanned the tickets on Bob's phone. She directed us to the left to begin our drive to the mansion.<p></p><p>The speed limit is 20 mph which was more than enough as the road wound through the acres of trees and fields. While there was still a lot of foliage, I imagine in the spring and summer months it must be truly beautiful. We passed a few ponds and followed a creek until finally we came to a sign that said there were several parking options. Three of them were a distance from the mansion with a shuttle service in a trolley car. Two of them were within walking distance of the mansion (an estimated 8 minute walk).</p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSPlcQxGfmgWraUPzLeT6l9AyCgct1Bs-O84rhJpUfeoqdbZg6LGUUCEWI7ZMyNziNMoiDOX7wZTxvvevrmoXgXfoflEhOdyfq8AsWF540ID-uUbGKmIpsa5bymPyA073D-sK-rX-GTb4SVh6p33SzrdvpwCA1dvjMycI0Bd2uWGHDtyK_bZHaxA/s640/IMG_0070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSPlcQxGfmgWraUPzLeT6l9AyCgct1Bs-O84rhJpUfeoqdbZg6LGUUCEWI7ZMyNziNMoiDOX7wZTxvvevrmoXgXfoflEhOdyfq8AsWF540ID-uUbGKmIpsa5bymPyA073D-sK-rX-GTb4SVh6p33SzrdvpwCA1dvjMycI0Bd2uWGHDtyK_bZHaxA/s320/IMG_0070.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hotel in foreground. Inn on hill.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Somehow Bob managed to pass them all up. We won't discuss how. We ended up by the conservatory and stopped next to a truck with an employee in it. He told us we would have to follow the road all the way around to the beginning again. The road is a five mile loop which is mostly one way. There was no way to backtrack,</p><p>Knowing our ticket time wasn't for another hour yet, we took a relaxing drive through the grounds, past the mansion, past the conservatory, past the Antler Hill Village where the Biltmore Inn and Hotel are, past several private homes which I believe can be rented for a stay and finally arrived back where we had entered and had our tickets scanned. We continued on again and this time managed to find Parking Lot B where we could park and walk to the mansion. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfwhSMowxlHKTlwn30hjC2tCk2PDirQfZ3lr7jrYUpI_nCaPLxP9aAToqHKUz6qKPlCQhvyY0C7N1pSX4qT9mObubNog13Qpjz_ADvbjU4VwU4zYiAE6SIpygBb2E4yGMoIt_mFEsoLO9kiDG0WoUySJtCftRwzWy2EfEP7NN9Y4ofwOKQbFa33A/s640/IMG_0068.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="422" data-original-width="640" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfwhSMowxlHKTlwn30hjC2tCk2PDirQfZ3lr7jrYUpI_nCaPLxP9aAToqHKUz6qKPlCQhvyY0C7N1pSX4qT9mObubNog13Qpjz_ADvbjU4VwU4zYiAE6SIpygBb2E4yGMoIt_mFEsoLO9kiDG0WoUySJtCftRwzWy2EfEP7NN9Y4ofwOKQbFa33A/s320/IMG_0068.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />It may have been a short 8 minute walk but it was a cold one. Lo and behold there were a few white flakes speckling the air. We arrived with plenty of time left before our ticket time and were directed to a covered area that was an outdoor cafe, not quite ready for business that early. We passed through the tented area and into what we realized was the stables. At one end was a restaurant and the other end a gift shop. In between were several other little shoppes with candies, books, toys, etc. And it was warm!<p></p><p>If you ever visit for Christmas, be prepared. While North Carolina can be mild, it can also be cold. We were wishing for scarves and gloves. Thankfully we knew we would be inside for most of this day.</p>Wandering Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01445595080265227834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549100.post-16527670532030134362024-01-03T14:05:00.000-05:002024-01-03T14:05:13.888-05:00The Snowbird Migration<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZbsaju9O1JGSgRg6LVMFVNHBuJM58Rk_0gHuLJvWo_Yhzg_eUhyphenhyphenBIP15DRh4z9HABIev49luXltf7rfDJXv_ePNZ-6JsCjX1uMPKvB0uvlwL_HhAiF2Ta3s2uHFpJbFKcDGdNeWxzCzexeAj71pEBf49-vhfDvLi1Yda64_Gt88hdcTtfDAtNMA/s640/IMG_0060.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="372" data-original-width="640" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZbsaju9O1JGSgRg6LVMFVNHBuJM58Rk_0gHuLJvWo_Yhzg_eUhyphenhyphenBIP15DRh4z9HABIev49luXltf7rfDJXv_ePNZ-6JsCjX1uMPKvB0uvlwL_HhAiF2Ta3s2uHFpJbFKcDGdNeWxzCzexeAj71pEBf49-vhfDvLi1Yda64_Gt88hdcTtfDAtNMA/s320/IMG_0060.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Cottony fog swathed the trees in the early morning as we left Beckley, West Virginia. Beckley was our first overnight stop after leaving home and making a quick call on our kids in Plain City to exchange Christmas gifts. <div><br /></div><div>Our migration this year would be a little different since we had decided to leave a bit early and make a stop to visit the Biltmore Estate. We'd never been and after doing some research and watching A Biltmore Christmas on Hallmark we were excited about visiting. </div><div><br /></div><div>From Beckley we headed to Asheville, North Carolina. The Appalachian Mountain range offers some spectacular views when it's not foggy. Several times we caught a glimpse of valleys but most were filled with clouds that had settled in with the weather.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrxLgGvWzTEglEd8UNP8zfhDfcP8t2RNAZa0Ccx6GmaIZCMgGSRU24NTvyTt2-rWx_iTji9SHPVUqIvBDV4ZHEa_8LKPwg28yAWs2g08Hd00Ryrp95m7p-KKzAdr1nRsPhqpZjLilVAVKYFjWRCCgz5u9I79ddZj8S1Kg5nr1IkBy4wnLymY0H_w/s640/IMG_0064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrxLgGvWzTEglEd8UNP8zfhDfcP8t2RNAZa0Ccx6GmaIZCMgGSRU24NTvyTt2-rWx_iTji9SHPVUqIvBDV4ZHEa_8LKPwg28yAWs2g08Hd00Ryrp95m7p-KKzAdr1nRsPhqpZjLilVAVKYFjWRCCgz5u9I79ddZj8S1Kg5nr1IkBy4wnLymY0H_w/s320/IMG_0064.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />Thankfully it was not snowing. We've been through that area when it snows and it can be treacherous especially if it's windy as well.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Appalachians were eventually replaced with the Blue Ridge Mountains as we entered North Carolina and neared Asheville. We found our favorite hotel chain, the Hampton Inn, and checked in for our two night stay. Why not stay at the Biltmore Inn or the Biltmore Hotel? Price. The prices for a room at the Biltmore Inn started at $730/night. It went up to a start of over $1000 if you stayed on that Saturday. It was, after all, the busy Christmas season and the prices reflected that. Decorations would only be up through January 7.</div><div><br /></div><div>Indeed it was busy, the busiest time of the year according to locals. The traffic was horrendous that afternoon and especially congested where the entrance to the estate was. We were glad our tickets for the next day were in the morning and resolved to leave as early as possible to get into the grounds.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnpgq7RJ_aYXe7YMczZazYm8lJ0hsReoHvz1HXbKNHc-FKvsylVEstIg3ybvbrM4QVjj3Erb1YlbPXACTHkhT37cJmQKnSGoQXW2yQi_3ZkJ1JHgvRvGRpQWXEE3kSVQ-013HSEWzHBRG1nMWmRczcvWZBwRt_HYE4BwjOIEGH4vjWVLd2zjP8tw/s640/IMG_0063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnpgq7RJ_aYXe7YMczZazYm8lJ0hsReoHvz1HXbKNHc-FKvsylVEstIg3ybvbrM4QVjj3Erb1YlbPXACTHkhT37cJmQKnSGoQXW2yQi_3ZkJ1JHgvRvGRpQWXEE3kSVQ-013HSEWzHBRG1nMWmRczcvWZBwRt_HYE4BwjOIEGH4vjWVLd2zjP8tw/s320/IMG_0063.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />The historic Biltmore Village was not too far of a walk from our hotel and we figured it would be a quicker walk than a drive. The weather was nice and sunny, a little cool but tolerable. The village was several blocks of historic homes that have become little shoppes and after a late lunch, we walked around the area and explored some of them.</div><div><br /></div><div>Then we decided to walk over to what was listed as the visitor center for Biltmore. After waiting at several long lights in order to cross the streets by the entrance, we finally made it only to find that the visitor center was nothing more than a gift shop for all things Biltmore. Across from it however was another building where you could buy tickets and we thought we might get more information.</div><div><br /></div><div>We had to walk completely around the building before we found the little office with a friendly lady behind the counter who told us that it indeed was a busy week and everything was sold out. Bob inquired about the Candlelight Christmas Evening and except for a very late time, all of that was sold out as well. Between the extra price (our tickets were already over $100/each) and the late hour, we declined.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUcpcmHqqUaET8lGTB3k2lBSdBY6qy6WtvMuZLw_QEMg8WeQysC2ODpzjk1tVsoSnMVUIATHQNhRn-K1jMFmo_xTa4x6dPayhLE7Wm473SJIx8HS_JkrOdl92QNw_1p-2LEfEKn2T3L0oBTtsCX5_JO0Vjs14UVV8-9nOQFgLC694-ZCj0uIDy5w/s640/IMG_0065.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUcpcmHqqUaET8lGTB3k2lBSdBY6qy6WtvMuZLw_QEMg8WeQysC2ODpzjk1tVsoSnMVUIATHQNhRn-K1jMFmo_xTa4x6dPayhLE7Wm473SJIx8HS_JkrOdl92QNw_1p-2LEfEKn2T3L0oBTtsCX5_JO0Vjs14UVV8-9nOQFgLC694-ZCj0uIDy5w/s320/IMG_0065.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />After the long walk back, we took some time to rest. It was Thursday, Thursday Night Football! And the Browns were playing. Bob had found a place where Browns Backers met to watch the Browns' games and we headed off for a late dinner and to watch the game. It was a fun time and actually a nice meal. We split what the bar called salad in a jar. You choose your ingredients and it comes packed in a quart sized mason jar. That with some spicy pimento spread which seemed to be quite a thing in that area and a Browns win made the evening perfect.</div><div><br /></div><div>The next day would be a trip back in time.</div>Wandering Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01445595080265227834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549100.post-85454672881920289972023-10-14T08:25:00.002-04:002023-10-14T08:25:36.022-04:00Katakolon, Greece and Reflections of our Cruise<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiBrk60XoHGdanPn8jNRuMj-5u6snd84j11P9PRp4I_pou9ogEsdsNt11V0eyCg0RF1kOPR5I1ee9Uz7mCY4szt4jJ7LtlXYX-ou9Wlx-atQoqYI9S36PiUNqvyrfLt9oNexv5HI8het9smLAfP6FIgKXgGSfXSWgTt7FrbCA5qMBisYZG48yY3g/s640/IMG_2642.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiBrk60XoHGdanPn8jNRuMj-5u6snd84j11P9PRp4I_pou9ogEsdsNt11V0eyCg0RF1kOPR5I1ee9Uz7mCY4szt4jJ7LtlXYX-ou9Wlx-atQoqYI9S36PiUNqvyrfLt9oNexv5HI8het9smLAfP6FIgKXgGSfXSWgTt7FrbCA5qMBisYZG48yY3g/s320/IMG_2642.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />The smell of freshly crushed grapes hung in the air as we explored the winery where the Fun Train of Katakolon had brought us. Old buildings covered in vines, I felt like I was in the middle of a Hallmark movie. <p></p><p>The hop off hop on train was very nice with only two stops the winery and a beach. It was 8 euros each but well worth it.</p><p>The train sat at the park in the middle of town and we boarded it for the ride up the hillside and through the countryside. From paved roads, we continued on several flat semi-graveled roads through orchards of olive trees and several vineyards. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXiZO2gZKOfpOFH7u2-X_Jb2bGbqfk4G7DQnkGogixGalOABHC28u_hXQSwwzphZ26xYKFvkW71d0CC8s2dw0OwMV0tLYQKazso3SDxQ8RB5b4Z9TLuFCeUP-Fesosb-p0UF0nrYNrg4sq0-aL0BMlcoRGqesgnvJzls30NF3CaO4cr6_Ppjnwtg/s640/IMG_2644.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXiZO2gZKOfpOFH7u2-X_Jb2bGbqfk4G7DQnkGogixGalOABHC28u_hXQSwwzphZ26xYKFvkW71d0CC8s2dw0OwMV0tLYQKazso3SDxQ8RB5b4Z9TLuFCeUP-Fesosb-p0UF0nrYNrg4sq0-aL0BMlcoRGqesgnvJzls30NF3CaO4cr6_Ppjnwtg/s320/IMG_2644.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>We must have been the first to arrive as there was no one to greet us inside where the wine store and tasting was. We walked around exploring the outside of buildings and watching a bit as a worker cleaned out one of the modern grape presses. That must have been where the smell of crushed grapes came from.</p><p>Peeking in a door, we watched as a lady was spooning melted wax on top of bottles and sealing them with a stamp.</p><p>Inside the winery, there was a plethora of antiques. A steam engine that drove some pulleys that we think might have driven a wine press fascinated Bob. He also found some sort of old circuitry board as well. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidIhO97wVulLCrGF8qBzlHUvk_DrLLQeER1-HVv6TeEPUmPJgUP0vlQFR6Ti2c_pd52SO52Yjua8rBdHaE2drxgQUBqNb_UMnMewwckSVCseAhtqUG7hNitJsx3MUoAY0qutDC8Ax-uESaPwstpnDIg1Bqm1aG1_cPpelZoTWEgoKz9GuFWhmorg/s640/IMG_2648.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidIhO97wVulLCrGF8qBzlHUvk_DrLLQeER1-HVv6TeEPUmPJgUP0vlQFR6Ti2c_pd52SO52Yjua8rBdHaE2drxgQUBqNb_UMnMewwckSVCseAhtqUG7hNitJsx3MUoAY0qutDC8Ax-uESaPwstpnDIg1Bqm1aG1_cPpelZoTWEgoKz9GuFWhmorg/s320/IMG_2648.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Finally someone came and opened two bottles of wine, a red and a white. If you came on the Fun Train, the tasting was free. We sat in a room surrounded by more antiques and a large old picture of what I assumed was a couple of generations of the family that owned the vineyards.</p><p>Forty minutes after being left off at the winery, the train was back with more passengers and picking up those who were ready to move on. </p><p>The next stop was not far and was a beach and a restaurant/bar that looked out on a beautiful view of the ocean. Several people got off to have lunch or use the beach.</p><p>We stayed on and arrived at the ship just after noon. We had already had a glimpse of the Christina O yacht that was docked opposite our ship. It looked like they were doing some swapping out of furniture or at least a lot of cleaning as well as stocking up on supplies. The yacht once belonged to Aristotle Onassis and is now available for chartering--if you can afford it.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK71cUbLfQMtIfufzCIYZlnnIdRGSyMUBUR0DPHNstYiO1bZ1R-NtYZ4IfO0NBhRqxs_uHaQd05rXRWF5LIp6v_Rl2-al_Cc-f_qEgjeCX41VwjNUuQOB8nK6Lsp5JTOol1wYLmR-P2uX0cxmpMd2_gtisTs4hxC5cWRd23zm39xvmGJ7L6aZnIw/s640/IMG_2662.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK71cUbLfQMtIfufzCIYZlnnIdRGSyMUBUR0DPHNstYiO1bZ1R-NtYZ4IfO0NBhRqxs_uHaQd05rXRWF5LIp6v_Rl2-al_Cc-f_qEgjeCX41VwjNUuQOB8nK6Lsp5JTOol1wYLmR-P2uX0cxmpMd2_gtisTs4hxC5cWRd23zm39xvmGJ7L6aZnIw/s320/IMG_2662.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Bob looked it up online. It carries 34 guests, has a swimming pool with a mosaic bottom that can be raised or lowered. Lots of other amenities as you can imagine including a wooden pleasure boat attached to one side of it.</p><p>This was our last port before sailing into Athens and flying home. It was a wonderful four weeks despite the horrible ending to our time that was to be spent in Israel. We only had one day of weather that drenched us in Mykonos and the heat in Egypt was not nearly as bad as we anticipated. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzJpJbTZ-TqB_tYvy0FJKlRukwkIjMy66G-U7dUpETj_l2ZLwGl7zg-z3Cq3Lx3Jrls0LJIht_vAAGOTsSmiwSUQm56OV7oI4xPjVmTIM84g9xJNShyphenhyphenS8VF65WBNqAH7dKY8I9yYeBYfTonQQry2M3hsyf7cH5-P3wQRT846m2fl6_-hvzx8_sSg/s640/IMG_2664.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzJpJbTZ-TqB_tYvy0FJKlRukwkIjMy66G-U7dUpETj_l2ZLwGl7zg-z3Cq3Lx3Jrls0LJIht_vAAGOTsSmiwSUQm56OV7oI4xPjVmTIM84g9xJNShyphenhyphenS8VF65WBNqAH7dKY8I9yYeBYfTonQQry2M3hsyf7cH5-P3wQRT846m2fl6_-hvzx8_sSg/s320/IMG_2664.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>It's been quite a year of travel. We've spent about eleven or twelve weeks on the road over the last almost eleven months. Time to settle in at home for a bit before we hit the road again. The HAL navigator app opening page says, "To travel is to live." A quote by Hans Christian Anderson. Yes.</p>Wandering Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01445595080265227834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549100.post-59117270085415089042023-10-12T11:23:00.000-04:002023-10-12T11:23:18.172-04:00Kusadasi, Turkey--A Visit To Ephesus<p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYkTTBKShMQ8qn2xCalCRMuOSTj4Ku3InWetBKMTM6XOapc61hoYzRx4sChA-mXAIqc0OJof117V3J4cGtBDfTdIoHeCnLKK6Y9d1y6dGe8BX2yRYOrm4WvwmE9hTi-c8nO45fIN7QPDBVrvbIbJRapoRNTBk5-mqEd7lapjhcorTrOFHxr0fqKw/s5184/IMG_4148.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYkTTBKShMQ8qn2xCalCRMuOSTj4Ku3InWetBKMTM6XOapc61hoYzRx4sChA-mXAIqc0OJof117V3J4cGtBDfTdIoHeCnLKK6Y9d1y6dGe8BX2yRYOrm4WvwmE9hTi-c8nO45fIN7QPDBVrvbIbJRapoRNTBk5-mqEd7lapjhcorTrOFHxr0fqKw/s320/IMG_4148.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roman Bath </td></tr></tbody></table><br /> It is always a gamble to revisit a place that you've been before especially if the visit was outstanding. It could be a disappointment. Back in 2012 we made a port stop in Kusadasi and opted to take the excursion to Ephesus. It was an amazing experience. We had a Muslim guide who took us through the scriptures that applied to Paul's visit there and told us what life would have been like in those days.</p><p>Today we revisited the ancient city with a Greek Orthodox guide who seemed more impressed with the fact that we were going to be some of the last tourists to walk on the marble roads than he was with anything else. It was a bit disheartening not to have a similar commentary as our first visit but still amazing to see the ruins again and the continuing work of restoration. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO409Z3f1dyfxQ-TXS-t3Xs4WdIhxVX8AXrOV2xk322g6hsXz6WWUspBT2ubMG4vRlGdrpd0u5JI9ku1vCDbqtAvYRgXP_WE-67brXmKQv9Xx3OaWjmRbG101rp57IeB93BawjcOx-dHgblcwpfcGlGcMWOrLrIVn1c4nlBfgc03E-ibT9nTxcsw/s5184/IMG_4153.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO409Z3f1dyfxQ-TXS-t3Xs4WdIhxVX8AXrOV2xk322g6hsXz6WWUspBT2ubMG4vRlGdrpd0u5JI9ku1vCDbqtAvYRgXP_WE-67brXmKQv9Xx3OaWjmRbG101rp57IeB93BawjcOx-dHgblcwpfcGlGcMWOrLrIVn1c4nlBfgc03E-ibT9nTxcsw/s320/IMG_4153.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>While the marble roadway may be difficult at times to navigate, it's smooth and slippery on inclines and broken pieces can cause a problem, it will soon be covered with a boardwalk of sorts that was already a bit treacherous as well on the portion we walked. The planks are a bit warped and boards stick up. On either surface, you have to keep an eye on where you're walking and stop if you want to look at something rather than look while you walk.</p><p>So, okay, I was impressed with the fact that we were still walking on marble slabs that were thousands of years old. Each marble piece was labeled with initials that identified the craftsmen who had quarried the marble so that if a piece needed to be replaced, it could come from the same quarry and have the same color. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4UAIY_VoJ_W8mOVJuleum26i1Q4I0uXfn7NwdeTAYq8HU01CxSiEjqiS8gmRJaB5Zscw4xogKdpvEVG7HSD4hxcpXIADAD_NIqB3HbOQyYNQVyhcOIUMqvf4SWlrGeUoPUcmCJ2Z8b7cZCnvT5GYx6xZDohzZZQWL3Vqpi1LEw1J3p6w_HxF3HQ/s5184/IMG_4157.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4UAIY_VoJ_W8mOVJuleum26i1Q4I0uXfn7NwdeTAYq8HU01CxSiEjqiS8gmRJaB5Zscw4xogKdpvEVG7HSD4hxcpXIADAD_NIqB3HbOQyYNQVyhcOIUMqvf4SWlrGeUoPUcmCJ2Z8b7cZCnvT5GYx6xZDohzZZQWL3Vqpi1LEw1J3p6w_HxF3HQ/s320/IMG_4157.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nike</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p>We passed some ruins, archways, of a Roman bath and a pile of ceramic pipes that had been used to channel water throughout the city. One was still visible in the wall of a structure, maybe part of the bath.</p><p>An interesting fact that I remembered from our previous visit and was reminded of by this guide was that ancient Ephesus actually sat at the water's edge. Over the years however, silt was deposited from the river that fed into the sea and eventually the harbor that ships came into was too shallow for them. </p><p>Our guide today said that the bay became a swamp and the city of Ephesus fell victim to malaria. In those days, they thought it was just bad air but eventually they moved the city to where the modern city of Ephesus, Selcuk, now stands. The old bay that is now filled in is useless for farming probably because of the high salt content in the soil.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnpKKSgivXdlGLP1u2drFlH_YC58YKiiYyYK2Ae31WwZ046v-I6OPAQdAiskV6ae9CXJD33qVHmL7oz7np0O4nddPnJ61oUnEcje2ebIXlxlsjrJ51lbFG1UEY71UNhkSLJwp_Q3ryavSNTrqNmIS8h2zz15kp5dvPhELp0SEJ2oLb4cNIuCwbVw/s4854/IMG_4151.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4854" data-original-width="3480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnpKKSgivXdlGLP1u2drFlH_YC58YKiiYyYK2Ae31WwZ046v-I6OPAQdAiskV6ae9CXJD33qVHmL7oz7np0O4nddPnJ61oUnEcje2ebIXlxlsjrJ51lbFG1UEY71UNhkSLJwp_Q3ryavSNTrqNmIS8h2zz15kp5dvPhELp0SEJ2oLb4cNIuCwbVw/s320/IMG_4151.JPG" width="229" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bay of Ephesus now filled in</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>There were several places our guide stopped to point things out. One was the temple of Hadrian with the image of Medusa above the entrance.</p><p>Another stop was in front of the stone relief that shows the winged Nike, the goddess of victory. He made several references to Nike shoes to induce a few chuckles.</p><p>There is a place as you descend the street to the iconic library of Ephesus where the street narrows. Not only did it stop horses and chariots from going down the hill at breakneck speed, it also created quite a crowded passageway for the pedestrians of today to navigate. Back in Roman times, our guide said, the area in front of the library was pedestrian, no chariots and horses.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFpT8JAun7nIp1GlH_ey4bc4iO2m_O-o2CYuidsRhUrRyADei3bGqKK1YDdVSGjMZ-UxVx_KBlu6cN6g8xwHmQCUsYuYW6_sEfY7Kx1-tapH2rR62_Cl1JG_yTum8gKbzTF9o1dNLkaE9kF-6cBkoX4vK1lmbWATy2AYjRXWf-_5bnDTwpNMThLg/s5184/IMG_4172.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFpT8JAun7nIp1GlH_ey4bc4iO2m_O-o2CYuidsRhUrRyADei3bGqKK1YDdVSGjMZ-UxVx_KBlu6cN6g8xwHmQCUsYuYW6_sEfY7Kx1-tapH2rR62_Cl1JG_yTum8gKbzTF9o1dNLkaE9kF-6cBkoX4vK1lmbWATy2AYjRXWf-_5bnDTwpNMThLg/s320/IMG_4172.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Medusa</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p>The library of Ephesus was built between 114 and 117 BC by Roman Senator Tiberius Julius Celsus Polemaemanus and held 12,000 scrolls. It was quite impressive in its day and today it is impressive for the monumental job archeologists did in restoring it. It is said that the senator was buried beneath the library so it is also a mausoleum of sorts.</p><p>Across from the library are the remains of what was a nightclub or brothel or both. A tunnel was discovered leading from the library to the nightclub and there is a marking on one of the marble slabs nearby that is a footprint, a heart and a woman, They think it advertised the tunnel.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrwZA1fGIyfqm1jnbkpgY8nQaqCSeqphrCGbrYqJL3gj2bP4fqqTt9pYXKzBLFX-33OcrIfKmVtHfLDPwV5OkChI5QAbVND1BkJ0ljNkPmu4FUNkygzbR-mO24vQyxmO1H7BAV2WbQsEfvX-6H6lDg4OXhs_pK2aZOUBngku19FjzEli6Gb_H8JQ/s4704/IMG_4178.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3771" data-original-width="4704" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrwZA1fGIyfqm1jnbkpgY8nQaqCSeqphrCGbrYqJL3gj2bP4fqqTt9pYXKzBLFX-33OcrIfKmVtHfLDPwV5OkChI5QAbVND1BkJ0ljNkPmu4FUNkygzbR-mO24vQyxmO1H7BAV2WbQsEfvX-6H6lDg4OXhs_pK2aZOUBngku19FjzEli6Gb_H8JQ/s320/IMG_4178.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Library</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p>By the way, there is still a lot of restoration and digging going on in Ephesus. We witnessed a group of men shoveling and dusting an area that was being uncovered and on our way out, our guide said the parking lot where all the buses were would soon be closed for excavation as they uncovered more of the ancient city.</p><p>There are two theaters in Ephesus. We passed the smaller one near the entrance but the large one that is mentioned in Acts where Paul addressed the crowd is near the exit. It is huge but the acoustics are so good that some of the modern day singers who have held concerts there have not used their amplifiers. Probably a good idea especially if they were rock bands. We were warned about climbing up the rows of seats as some of the stones were coming loose. Can't imagine what vibrations from an amplified bass would do to it.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilMe8ppejrzzSAiIof__ahzFstJ-EYJFkf5klHt3ulPHGrecLlVU4mE2C03LmN2pW1UOQAuIpTIyCa4BTjw6zscD3IiayozqKNcqkxYd7cUhowmzjslwdV8_nYb3AlvMmTMDTgVfQYAw8rKcSLjjbiqmhlTTqf28jkWh7vO77bYl51KElsQuFGiQ/s5184/IMG_4187.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilMe8ppejrzzSAiIof__ahzFstJ-EYJFkf5klHt3ulPHGrecLlVU4mE2C03LmN2pW1UOQAuIpTIyCa4BTjw6zscD3IiayozqKNcqkxYd7cUhowmzjslwdV8_nYb3AlvMmTMDTgVfQYAw8rKcSLjjbiqmhlTTqf28jkWh7vO77bYl51KElsQuFGiQ/s320/IMG_4187.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Theater</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p>It was nice to revisit the ancient city but I missed the commentary of our first guide who connected it to Paul and John and even Mary, who is said to have lived out her last days on a hillside not far away. I remember him drawing in the dust the symbol that the Christians used to identify safe places. It was the Greek letters of Jesus' name placed on top of each other and it formed a wheel of sorts. Those were some of the things I missed today as we listened to this guide.</p><p>The thing that had not changed though was the eagerness of the vendors who now have a nice covered area with stalls for their merchandise. In 2012 there were just makeshift displays of merchandise and a dirt pathway under some trees where tourists passed through to get to their buses. There is even a restaurant there now for snacks and sandwiches. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz4btfesvB5p14VDol-UjWHF3GN82ny6NoTZM2gwdRjE3MZuGji0ISBHkqsQyl3ED1KtXOlzdwixgwYUNAXunMpyigLzyBrm_NyBZ7FtRJRNnGYkZwY7OqudZwc8vKhrfIjGQM7CK4gkrx9aVgzzU68V0L_Shi56aU9U6lSTKRByNIdbWFaCVuKw/s640/IMG_2632.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz4btfesvB5p14VDol-UjWHF3GN82ny6NoTZM2gwdRjE3MZuGji0ISBHkqsQyl3ED1KtXOlzdwixgwYUNAXunMpyigLzyBrm_NyBZ7FtRJRNnGYkZwY7OqudZwc8vKhrfIjGQM7CK4gkrx9aVgzzU68V0L_Shi56aU9U6lSTKRByNIdbWFaCVuKw/s320/IMG_2632.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>And as we walked past the vendors, I tugged on Bob's arm. "Look it's still there." </p><p>Hanging on the front of one of the vendors stalls was the sign that had made us laugh the last time. Only back then it hung from a tree branch. It is truth in advertising. "Genuine Fake Watches." </p>Wandering Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01445595080265227834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549100.post-23078040428551783802023-10-12T01:43:00.000-04:002023-10-12T01:43:06.092-04:00Rhodes, Greece<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM-2MHtp1IlyQY3QbgZko6zongC4W-8ZwoXoWnCOvaIXR_mYCsGo_314dtgBixLw01qJexQjH2XOeJhcvhYD9QyXiEE9nhjPi-MFnW5L9blc0JvO5dTvfEQzV5O2SF6iXwpV1oAuh2K8x2jpQiGX0Ma-lnUI2RFhgyL4Huxu7A7vuVFVnOOfzEag/s5184/IMG_4144.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM-2MHtp1IlyQY3QbgZko6zongC4W-8ZwoXoWnCOvaIXR_mYCsGo_314dtgBixLw01qJexQjH2XOeJhcvhYD9QyXiEE9nhjPi-MFnW5L9blc0JvO5dTvfEQzV5O2SF6iXwpV1oAuh2K8x2jpQiGX0Ma-lnUI2RFhgyL4Huxu7A7vuVFVnOOfzEag/s320/IMG_4144.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />My hand touched the rough surface of the stone wall as I steadied myself to take a step up. For a moment I considered that physical connection with something hundreds of years old. We were in the old town of Rhodes, one of the largest islands of Greece and exploring the walled city in the morning before the temperatures would climb too high with the afternoon sun.<div><br /></div><div>The town is famous for the Knights of Saint John of Jerusalem who ruled here between 1310 and 1522 but it dates back at least to the 4th century BC. From our first view after breakfast, I was hooked. Excited to get started on our exploration.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMNdgVXLp7zRv76Lmu1yw2hWReaNfCCPb0rxhrGGvgrgHwE8UthMrO-YsPzwdVmOL7ecC8C0qm2UQLn1lNZz4xZhFuB2uskGNjz1UpgYP4GTxA_A8rcyjrMPaJq-1A9pYeUpqzRAN6r_EFBY3yR94K8w4C81I3jx00VwaN8b8zPc8Ur91PEKOzag/s5184/IMG_4110.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMNdgVXLp7zRv76Lmu1yw2hWReaNfCCPb0rxhrGGvgrgHwE8UthMrO-YsPzwdVmOL7ecC8C0qm2UQLn1lNZz4xZhFuB2uskGNjz1UpgYP4GTxA_A8rcyjrMPaJq-1A9pYeUpqzRAN6r_EFBY3yR94K8w4C81I3jx00VwaN8b8zPc8Ur91PEKOzag/s320/IMG_4110.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Right below us on the pier was already the ancient foundation of a part of this fascinating place. It was obviously being restored. Two windmills, minus their wings, were a part of whatever had been there. We had a look and then quickly made our way past the eager taxi drivers wanting to offer us tours and started along the boardwalk to the first gate in the wall nearest us. Within about ten minutes, we were inside and ready to begin.</div><div><br /></div><div>We entered through the Gate Of The Virgin which is a modern opening in the wall to allow traffic to pass through. It was built somewhere around 1950 and takes its name from the Church Of The Virgin just inside. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhONLX66XzBAu7YamOtL8rHz3BR0VCP3NbWaJ4iUsGOWjMKC9yO5yFFALJwBUrRd_8Qj5IdPzvYFmgu546ZQPE7CW98oTn0ocOpKBAeJXu1azgzzsRy13_k9bDLwc2xaKL2HnaY9NJjJR2l16yKs77Vi1EAFkpjJ9-JCgTMbygBCulFGkgaJZDH8A/s5184/IMG_4113.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhONLX66XzBAu7YamOtL8rHz3BR0VCP3NbWaJ4iUsGOWjMKC9yO5yFFALJwBUrRd_8Qj5IdPzvYFmgu546ZQPE7CW98oTn0ocOpKBAeJXu1azgzzsRy13_k9bDLwc2xaKL2HnaY9NJjJR2l16yKs77Vi1EAFkpjJ9-JCgTMbygBCulFGkgaJZDH8A/s320/IMG_4113.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>It didn't take long for me to say, "This reminds me of Avignon." Our three day visit there had been spent inside that walled city where we enjoyed exploring all the nooks and crannies and discovering so many things.</div><div><br /></div><div>We decided to stay close to the wall as much as possible to make sure we made it all around the town. The area encompasses 140 acres so we were probably a little over optimistic about seeing the whole thing. </div><div><br /></div><div>Shopkeepers were just beginning to set up as they anticipated the traffic from three cruise ships and a large yacht that were in the port. The shops were all built into the structures of the old town, the old archways and probably homes from the period. There were newer structures as well including a mosque that was built a short distance from the old one.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlnI05ODIxKLBhX2IaAdnbrAogy1Cx0qHMB9K3yf9OKiABt2pZJsNzqzGnf0G-pY4RylC76d4ZUlKN22ziJrAYhSbHb6K8yWnNc0GeFlkF1JgswcqMD6GOxX82krEmbnuKZY1fWz8cnVBX7BXVmiWxRFQVd2p0c0zl6gYjiOYwMEio9cPig0Xo_Q/s5184/IMG_4122.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlnI05ODIxKLBhX2IaAdnbrAogy1Cx0qHMB9K3yf9OKiABt2pZJsNzqzGnf0G-pY4RylC76d4ZUlKN22ziJrAYhSbHb6K8yWnNc0GeFlkF1JgswcqMD6GOxX82krEmbnuKZY1fWz8cnVBX7BXVmiWxRFQVd2p0c0zl6gYjiOYwMEio9cPig0Xo_Q/s320/IMG_4122.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The Street of the Knights was an interesting place. It is a long cobbled street that stretched to the acropolis, the high point of the city. Along the way there were inns that represented all the countries that the Knights were from. The street starts from the old hospital which is now an archeological museum.</div><div>Museums not being a high priority for us, we walked up the street.</div><div><br /></div><div>We found the huge castle that is called the Palace of the Grand Master. There is some evidence that it was built on top of the temple that honored the god Helios and it is thought that the Colossus of Rhodes probably stood there.</div><div><br /></div><div>Side alleys and small narrow streets were inviting and we explored many of them. So many inviting little cafes and restaurants. We found one that was outdoors in a square that was just in front of the old mosque that was closed and looked under construction for renovation. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-UNGEwAkIZpk5dqK2NtAI3sTLAQcM8eMh_9R_NIh0WO5MC5VUaIq1ALbAh2FWG6S7qgNI4sQcE_plzcLfBRIu382Hl2mNt0yeeJC5Id8IjPZOfNkyyCjNdtGKHSNCJakabEt2KPFL7v4Ho8AqZyjozkAj4n1x_J3EG7qa4-S1Ow5Wblhuqm08Hw/s5184/IMG_4131.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-UNGEwAkIZpk5dqK2NtAI3sTLAQcM8eMh_9R_NIh0WO5MC5VUaIq1ALbAh2FWG6S7qgNI4sQcE_plzcLfBRIu382Hl2mNt0yeeJC5Id8IjPZOfNkyyCjNdtGKHSNCJakabEt2KPFL7v4Ho8AqZyjozkAj4n1x_J3EG7qa4-S1Ow5Wblhuqm08Hw/s320/IMG_4131.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>A young woman invited us to sit down and enjoy a beverage and some food. We accepted and ordered a tea and a Greek coffee. I wanted to try the coffee but was afraid it might be strong. When I asked, she said she would not make it too strong for me. Bob ordered a baklava and I ordered something similar called kaifiti which was heavenly. The Greek coffee was only half a cup and I was afraid it would taste like espresso but it was very good. The cool respite from walking and the refreshments were a wonderful addition to our morning.</div><div><br /></div><div>Once we were out of the shaded comfort of the cafe, we could feel that the heat of the day was already beginning to build. We found a sign that said "to port" and went in that direction. The path took us into the middle of the town more and away from the wall that we had been following. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4e0c4QwLM8cgkBdwmbzOnBtqnZDxerv7vNm_a6QOfSsdYpiU3x4uY6cZgpoqmWpYpbbZsl58I3RAk_ImuoycaalcAEaR6rsV4ttgnAnQGa6AElfO_FTPRkeyiHtRc_AEgZKhXHMhmjRYbCUZ85kJ2cYKKjB438xL0wXJV3niMFG9g4rzQzamVLg/s5184/IMG_4126.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4e0c4QwLM8cgkBdwmbzOnBtqnZDxerv7vNm_a6QOfSsdYpiU3x4uY6cZgpoqmWpYpbbZsl58I3RAk_ImuoycaalcAEaR6rsV4ttgnAnQGa6AElfO_FTPRkeyiHtRc_AEgZKhXHMhmjRYbCUZ85kJ2cYKKjB438xL0wXJV3niMFG9g4rzQzamVLg/s320/IMG_4126.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>It was okay. We had traced our way around the city through the maps that were posted frequently with the "you are here" arrows. We had actually made it most of the way around. Besides, the path took us through and past some wonderful views of alleyways with hidden cafes and shops many of which had overhanging bougainvillea and ivy. </div><div><br /></div><div>I do need to mention that while there were few cars, maybe three or four that we saw on the narrow streets, there were lots of motorcycles mostly with Greek men, faces set sternly, trying to weave around pedestrians who usually parted and let them motor through. And, while the streets were mostly small cobblestones, many had a smoother stoned path down the middle which made walking and motorcycling a little easier. We had to laugh though when we found one street that had small speed bumps.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNERciDUlphx2YWy-j6hI1s5BQvtnaMXUqRe-ULMxNl1WxfWrDQVk_BWO1dZIqzBiGJGyk2iKewmLQRjHu31ZW0s3_w_T-QMnn5PBkjC5UvCGVbGRtwvbdKEDeI1oTzok_Vd3lIyNqiZ47LSzijb0kQWV7kpFUquDEZsiOKlorpEyDjWz33INsEw/s5184/IMG_4142.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNERciDUlphx2YWy-j6hI1s5BQvtnaMXUqRe-ULMxNl1WxfWrDQVk_BWO1dZIqzBiGJGyk2iKewmLQRjHu31ZW0s3_w_T-QMnn5PBkjC5UvCGVbGRtwvbdKEDeI1oTzok_Vd3lIyNqiZ47LSzijb0kQWV7kpFUquDEZsiOKlorpEyDjWz33INsEw/s320/IMG_4142.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>When we emerged onto the main street where we had first entered, it was bustling with tourists. The shops were all open and doing business and the cafes were full. We were thankful for our peaceful respite where we'd enjoyed our refreshments. </div><div><br /></div><div>Our morning could not have been more perfect unless it had been the first morning of several days to spend in Rhodes. I had fallen in love. I hoped we could return someday and explore more. </div>Wandering Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01445595080265227834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549100.post-33050944932538063742023-10-10T07:57:00.000-04:002023-10-10T07:57:37.699-04:00Limossol, Cyprus<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjefe0Aid1aHnygLTO-eIkdSTb76gmhu3nT4rmwRr8-XZa6pKFuon0sEulry_AZ_5AdbmhVd5jaFItUsvtu09qf3cP53MV3HPHI9yf65OnmmAUICROqi4205t3_r8nENaia3pJkcqMU71mnLzunx5H4zwLvZle5Vxh8tdiPKTVWQRGlin9BMzv65w/s5184/IMG_4080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjefe0Aid1aHnygLTO-eIkdSTb76gmhu3nT4rmwRr8-XZa6pKFuon0sEulry_AZ_5AdbmhVd5jaFItUsvtu09qf3cP53MV3HPHI9yf65OnmmAUICROqi4205t3_r8nENaia3pJkcqMU71mnLzunx5H4zwLvZle5Vxh8tdiPKTVWQRGlin9BMzv65w/s320/IMG_4080.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />What a morning! It started out normally. We rose at our usual time and went down for breakfast, eating leisurely because the free shuttle bus into the city was not scheduled to begin its run until 9 AM. The view from the ship told us that Limossol was a large city but the Old Port area was supposed to be worth the trip in.<p></p><p>By nine, we were ready to leave and made the long walk past our ship and halfway past another to the terminal (there were five huge arched terminals in port) where our shuttle bus was to be. The bus filled quickly and we started out to the Old Port area of town where the major sights and the tourist area was. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3qqbnORD3xdyzW4F-LTd9X4Kwz4TGmFbtsvWjlflBO9IqJz8IKe34oFN5ThNiUzzI-iRsNMMQOg4AY6SpRe5Eb4xDZi6sEM_XnOsVCf0TXovsOZTXho1IxjwjqqyYB5a9ncBGbhMvuLbPIVLc3EgtKBpbrPEUA7Gq3j-Bf7r3a29TXrT504sV1g/s5184/IMG_4081.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3qqbnORD3xdyzW4F-LTd9X4Kwz4TGmFbtsvWjlflBO9IqJz8IKe34oFN5ThNiUzzI-iRsNMMQOg4AY6SpRe5Eb4xDZi6sEM_XnOsVCf0TXovsOZTXho1IxjwjqqyYB5a9ncBGbhMvuLbPIVLc3EgtKBpbrPEUA7Gq3j-Bf7r3a29TXrT504sV1g/s320/IMG_4081.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Not quite halfway there, traffic backed up because of an accident up ahead. Several times as we inched forward our bus stalled. The driver turned off the AC hoping, I'm sure, that it would help solve the problem. Eventually, we were the traffic problem as we realized the cars were no longer backed up but going around our bus. The driver tried and tried to get it going but it kept stalling out.</p><p>We looked up the distance on Google Maps and found we were about 1.4 miles away from the Old Port. We've walked that much often so we decided we'd get off the bus with several others who were getting out of their seats and asking to be let out of the bus. The driver indicated that another bus was coming.</p><p>The bus it turned out was a city bus who graciously pulled over and let everyone crowd onto his bus without paying. He let us out near the church and castle that were the landmarks we wanted to see. Traffic was horrendous but we managed to cross the street safely and get our bearings. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_AYEAz1yWpx2KtSzjSFCEZ0fhwQxvQCvMI6y-JyBZVCkucYsePUpGlNaYwCLuJdH-HEKuOipmfefr6VswnZz8MxYHYRfOVHqA7XeXg-YCOIrTJZ0rXJgZlcpcs_J9VF0oTKWo2pbKR6BeK4X5tZrifs1RGIRXBSgOsDBIFzYPOVIfMFzq_84_jw/s5184/IMG_4084.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_AYEAz1yWpx2KtSzjSFCEZ0fhwQxvQCvMI6y-JyBZVCkucYsePUpGlNaYwCLuJdH-HEKuOipmfefr6VswnZz8MxYHYRfOVHqA7XeXg-YCOIrTJZ0rXJgZlcpcs_J9VF0oTKWo2pbKR6BeK4X5tZrifs1RGIRXBSgOsDBIFzYPOVIfMFzq_84_jw/s320/IMG_4084.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>We found the church first. The Ayia Napa Cathedral was a majestic building with clean lines and a marble fountain in its courtyard. With a couple of other tourists, we entered the courtyard and went up the few steps to the door and stepped inside. You always do it cautiously because you're never sure if there might be a service or people praying or even an entry fee for visitors. There were none of those and we lingered a bit to look around and take in a small moment of peace after all the confusion to get there.</p><p>Using Bob's phone, we followed the map through some of the streets of the Old Port. There were quaint shops and restaurants tucked into mostly nicely renovated buildings. The area was just coming alive. It wasn't a place you went for breakfast obviously. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_em13UKSg-tjNE9yE9KhC2xy0RDxbdf-MGqpdsSWyyfImCdzo_9x7XMmBwJcQTkL1abz3F8EokBw_VeJusVtWGW43uze2Fx-ub8KCnK9a4tQRphwgDpLngZnQfOBeEoQjQS-EKKYuhHhGItG2oC7ASYZZU_Uiox78ebhwlNObsTgeaPBFvxTxpA/s5184/IMG_4085.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_em13UKSg-tjNE9yE9KhC2xy0RDxbdf-MGqpdsSWyyfImCdzo_9x7XMmBwJcQTkL1abz3F8EokBw_VeJusVtWGW43uze2Fx-ub8KCnK9a4tQRphwgDpLngZnQfOBeEoQjQS-EKKYuhHhGItG2oC7ASYZZU_Uiox78ebhwlNObsTgeaPBFvxTxpA/s320/IMG_4085.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Eventually we found our way to the major landmark, the Limossol Castle. As with so many of the historic old buildings that have lasted for centuries, it is a structure that was built upon another and another and probably another. It had many uses over those hundreds of years. </p><p>The castle as it exists today was rebuilt in around 1590 during Ottoman rule but according to tradition it is said that Richard the Lionheart married Berengaria of Navarre here and crowned her Queen of England in 1191.</p><p>The inside has been turned into a Medieval Museum with all sorts of weapons, armor and other artifacts from the period. Somewhere I read that it was used as a prison at some time and there were indications it may have been built upon an old church. Several places open in the floor or walls show that the castle you see today is actually layers of other previous structures.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCd9W_bcQ73n1GA4sJ8f0eWM-Q_VlR4qmpJE3sijaWBL6Rd9LQeNYJPUx_uDQwAol2X3n0hY0-Zwcs0SS0XzmqktA3U0-RmJfVWbtLWQlSYuzh9X8YBaGBjEhwztQ7rOa-9dEt3PoU6ZYItM9mpuHcxQtU_GpF9jL5pJk8kTaXEqtY_Vp9A6MsdQ/s5184/IMG_4095.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCd9W_bcQ73n1GA4sJ8f0eWM-Q_VlR4qmpJE3sijaWBL6Rd9LQeNYJPUx_uDQwAol2X3n0hY0-Zwcs0SS0XzmqktA3U0-RmJfVWbtLWQlSYuzh9X8YBaGBjEhwztQ7rOa-9dEt3PoU6ZYItM9mpuHcxQtU_GpF9jL5pJk8kTaXEqtY_Vp9A6MsdQ/s320/IMG_4095.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>The castle was more interesting than the last one we'd seen but there was little airflow through it and while it wasn't as hot as outside in the sun, it was very uncomfortable. We explored all the rooms but didn't linger.</p><p>Outside we found an interesting reproduction of an old olive oil press. And nearby, was a gnarly old olive tree that actually had olives on it. It was the only one we'd seen in these weeks of traveling though olive countries that still had olives.</p><p>Both of us decided we'd had enough exploring plus we had no idea where the shuttle to the ship would pick us up since we'd transferred to the public bus. All we knew was that it was supposed to be near the castle. Now usually we see others from our ship who have their key cards on a lanyard around their neck. I thought if we could find someone who got dropped off at the shuttle stop we could ask where it was. No such luck.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9mponi3SfhqyqkHlRd40p5l5CTVKkbGRHGyBr3RJr5qhjqpO3-oExb0b40DvTYTJpEb2VUjjRumhJFr5cviJy-fzqS3WBPcYhhl09Rdl_i2p8I5MxeH_2LesVTY90BsTITMyx2Xvi6txzPS16YZru8WlzICbomjVczDUvxzMqzhuksRmztgmdBQ/s5184/IMG_4102.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9mponi3SfhqyqkHlRd40p5l5CTVKkbGRHGyBr3RJr5qhjqpO3-oExb0b40DvTYTJpEb2VUjjRumhJFr5cviJy-fzqS3WBPcYhhl09Rdl_i2p8I5MxeH_2LesVTY90BsTITMyx2Xvi6txzPS16YZru8WlzICbomjVczDUvxzMqzhuksRmztgmdBQ/s320/IMG_4102.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>We wandered back and forth for a while on the street where we'd been dropped off. While we searched for anything that looked like a shuttle bus or a group of people waiting for one, we witnessed a lady get hit by a car and a few moments later near that accident a truck and a taxi mixing it up. With all that going on, the weather heating up and little breeze for relief, we made the decision to get a public bus back to the New Port where our ship was.</p><p>Bus number 30 we were told in a port briefing the previous night went back and forth to the city and the Old Port so we looked for a bus stop near where the bus had dropped us off. We saw three bus 30s pass by before we found a stop and figured with our luck we'd have a long wait.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKXrUr4m7c3vLAvlMitWHZ8SAT2hyjfe0_-e7bUmXoCHvPAtUIsScuC_Sj7eTSQTmLvhk-McsTAOs7FLL6popMAZD8lAUDzq8dRHXwTuhVZRDo2l037108N-YAD_doo3DufkC7XSflFrGu1-4sJEudlDFChJ-vZGmY7M9KEGkSw20gR3ifoj_YHQ/s5184/IMG_4104.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKXrUr4m7c3vLAvlMitWHZ8SAT2hyjfe0_-e7bUmXoCHvPAtUIsScuC_Sj7eTSQTmLvhk-McsTAOs7FLL6popMAZD8lAUDzq8dRHXwTuhVZRDo2l037108N-YAD_doo3DufkC7XSflFrGu1-4sJEudlDFChJ-vZGmY7M9KEGkSw20gR3ifoj_YHQ/s320/IMG_4104.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Thankfully, we spotted the bus up the road and watched as it neared us through the stop and go traffic. We had just enough euros (3) to cover our ride and we enjoyed an AC ride back to the ship. There was still quite a walk from the terminal to the ship in the sun but it was good to be out of the traffic.</p><p>There are a few ports on my list where I'd rather stay on the ship than contend with the port. This one goes on the top. The alternative would be an excursion out of town. The upside of this is that we can put another pin on our map for a place we hadn't been before. </p>Wandering Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01445595080265227834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549100.post-60421171650317095512023-10-09T09:53:00.000-04:002023-10-09T09:53:11.797-04:00Alanya, Turkey<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSxRMNnKjWe0c8b4CzdqPYdR2H7ZJijdkxinjrSj6_eTNXldo2Ib0vvAdV4HltxA1Cvd39tvIIk8IQdLsa1mNufrqe5OrbvIVIMiJG52QiKnsOuKFL9fn8jHrz8btMoZRbJLL1yMavozMWD0pJVexrC-ADPkaJ4h8-nupWFu7KxkvAhFghrMh6vg/s640/IMG_2617.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSxRMNnKjWe0c8b4CzdqPYdR2H7ZJijdkxinjrSj6_eTNXldo2Ib0vvAdV4HltxA1Cvd39tvIIk8IQdLsa1mNufrqe5OrbvIVIMiJG52QiKnsOuKFL9fn8jHrz8btMoZRbJLL1yMavozMWD0pJVexrC-ADPkaJ4h8-nupWFu7KxkvAhFghrMh6vg/s320/IMG_2617.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />The morning greeted us with wonderful sunshine and a beautiful coastline to look out on. It was a welcome sight especially knowing that we would have been in Ashdod, Israel, today and hearing on the news that there were rockets fired at the city. <p></p><p>Alanya is a resort town and that was quite evident as we walked along the shoreline from the ship and into town. Vendors were just beginning to uncover their wares and store doors were soon opened. The ship's cruise/travel director had given us a glimpse of the town the night before with all the information she could collect. The excursion department had scrambled to find several tour companies that could handle us. I had the feeling that this was a new port for Holland America. It certainly was for us and we looked forward to exploring.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnaMnEnD9vBEcOMqJqWPgsTogi6i0OLzkmvqsfgPubYdrW67C64NepoHI_SnHTxjqxnsZH9SYI_LnWjydVsa8PzQaTutDtHBoDhp8bQXG4YR1ljZbjWB_PU_GDTgovuCSpwOmYs4WQ9qku9247Gpd6tMYX-Muu6AmAGu9QANlUnz3O0Ktw0MRQJA/s5184/IMG_4046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnaMnEnD9vBEcOMqJqWPgsTogi6i0OLzkmvqsfgPubYdrW67C64NepoHI_SnHTxjqxnsZH9SYI_LnWjydVsa8PzQaTutDtHBoDhp8bQXG4YR1ljZbjWB_PU_GDTgovuCSpwOmYs4WQ9qku9247Gpd6tMYX-Muu6AmAGu9QANlUnz3O0Ktw0MRQJA/s320/IMG_4046.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>We passed on the excursions. A couple were for some archeological finds in neighboring towns and one was for a panoramic of Alanya. Armed with the major sights to see of the city and hooked into the AT&T network, we used Google maps to know that we could indeed visit the castle and the shipyards and the red tower which were close by.</p><p>The only problem with the castle was it sat way up on a hill above the city. The good news was that there was a cable car we could take up to it. The cable car was about a half hour walk and the incline was gradual. We arrived and just missed the crowds from the bus tours. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLstseo5iVBDzV3CfUXnFTiNz0vI6XHtnCLsO9pmAZtE6Zj207CuqqrljBBDIqMP4XeT1fwZ0RA2JFwFzxAtrmSGZ3keVF2ljRIGCQzAysiJ5vOyOKavxThwp32Ie5o2nqoaS9x5TLEs69Ph-czlTR11rESfZBtOTZOLWKJveTiJgSrPFLnaY4uw/s5184/IMG_4048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLstseo5iVBDzV3CfUXnFTiNz0vI6XHtnCLsO9pmAZtE6Zj207CuqqrljBBDIqMP4XeT1fwZ0RA2JFwFzxAtrmSGZ3keVF2ljRIGCQzAysiJ5vOyOKavxThwp32Ie5o2nqoaS9x5TLEs69Ph-czlTR11rESfZBtOTZOLWKJveTiJgSrPFLnaY4uw/s320/IMG_4048.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>The cable car wasn't expensive. It cost us $20 USD for a roundtrip for the two of us. It was reminiscent of a Disney ride though as you had to quickly load eight people into the car as it circled the loading zone. We barely made it in before the door shut and we were on our way. </p><p>The trip up was scenic and gave us a good view of Cleopatra's beach, the largest beach in the area. Legend has it that Marcus Antonius gave Cleopatra Alanya as a wedding gift and she enjoyed bathing and swimming on the beach.</p><p><br /></p><p>Carefully and quickly we exited the cable car and went around the corner as the sign indicated to the castle. I stopped and looked up. No one had said there would be a hundred steps or so to get to the castle after the cable car ride. I took a deep breath. At least we'd had some time to sit a bit after what we'd walked already and it was early in the day. Knees don't fail me now, I thought.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOTM7aluQKhW_srZdrCccyzvegCiKv0xrWo_aeuBqQvbP_CpBcrdRhby_a8Ht3xzMAU2Izka8O-9Zl4bGRzv5tUHr8WuhoRHoF7-CLH7k_8J0fenMzNrwWdDIJxdYmapp9ND-BHZWRv7U8deGCcjKiBPjtv3We9-j5IgM53kB0DWbDam91oRe43w/s5184/IMG_4053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOTM7aluQKhW_srZdrCccyzvegCiKv0xrWo_aeuBqQvbP_CpBcrdRhby_a8Ht3xzMAU2Izka8O-9Zl4bGRzv5tUHr8WuhoRHoF7-CLH7k_8J0fenMzNrwWdDIJxdYmapp9ND-BHZWRv7U8deGCcjKiBPjtv3We9-j5IgM53kB0DWbDam91oRe43w/s320/IMG_4053.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>We took it slowly and stopped for picture taking along the way. There were several landings especially for that and one marked "selfie station". Finally reaching the entrance, I found a bench empty and sat a few minutes and felt better as I watched some who were younger than me reaching the top out of breath as well.</p><p>The castle offered great views of the area which is probably why the Sultan Keykubat built his palace there. The fortress and castle have been there through several eras but it was the sultan during the Seljuk Empire who is credited with the castle build. I was unfamiliar with the Seljuk Empire so I looked it up. It dates back to the early 11th century and was culturally Turco-Persian, founded and ruled by the Qiniq branch of Oghuz Turks. So, okay, history is not my best subject. I still don't know for sure who they were exactly.</p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqw7Mj-2v0gVkbXFk0oBr0msIfVpuwsb7MfUnBW-4FvnLDJuiV9XnUu_SMuAK4QvcU4u97QMvFhwM-o4QEpxYi2wXTH_YmNV0GOSvaoxAQ2iBJAoyn_y9VtqA3BTkWIjVpTiczzuriu3XmgBzlVeVpxOTPofzHEkj_Yj-6fh9fIohtb_c72QyImA/s5184/IMG_4057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqw7Mj-2v0gVkbXFk0oBr0msIfVpuwsb7MfUnBW-4FvnLDJuiV9XnUu_SMuAK4QvcU4u97QMvFhwM-o4QEpxYi2wXTH_YmNV0GOSvaoxAQ2iBJAoyn_y9VtqA3BTkWIjVpTiczzuriu3XmgBzlVeVpxOTPofzHEkj_Yj-6fh9fIohtb_c72QyImA/s320/IMG_4057.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cleopatra's beach</td></tr></tbody></table><br />We wandered on the marked path through it. The path led us out of the main part of the castle and into a mini bazaar that also included some fruit bars and small restaurants. There was a mosque that was open to visitors as well and Bob went in while I sat and rested a bit in the shade. He reported that there really wasn't much to see inside.</p><p>We actually had the choice to continue down the path toward the shipyard or turn around and go back with the cable car. Since we had purchased round trips and the walk to the shipyard was actually shorter from the cable car station, we turned around and went back through the castle and down all those steps.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK_r6oIcyJcrWDcm_N6U-rl5vywDINn95Ihm5cqwmR6bV4kdSX1dLdO6qduHt6dIpaGHW9tPvcyi95mtddQUg6U4CM263YbPGu_hPouk0tKISpA6M2I1fT1tiudRHIt5qKQGpZiLxKUWbGlBgZMDqtwVqP0GUgc8cemUGS0l1m1aNzmJQJFp1lZw/s5184/IMG_4068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK_r6oIcyJcrWDcm_N6U-rl5vywDINn95Ihm5cqwmR6bV4kdSX1dLdO6qduHt6dIpaGHW9tPvcyi95mtddQUg6U4CM263YbPGu_hPouk0tKISpA6M2I1fT1tiudRHIt5qKQGpZiLxKUWbGlBgZMDqtwVqP0GUgc8cemUGS0l1m1aNzmJQJFp1lZw/s320/IMG_4068.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>A half hour later we were nearing the shipyards and I really needed a stop. The sun was very warm and there was little breeze. We found a restaurant that appeared open and looked out at the harbor. We sat down and ordered two Turkish teas and a cheese and mushroom toast to go with it. What we received was absolutely wonderful. It was a triple decker, lightly flavored with a mild cheese and mushrooms and accompanied by a small salad and wire basket of fries. A little bit of gastronomic heaven.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdodgfdeQATcrpdgmizMQP2UNhDVVNDXpUXXxvA9Ie87MjO0qAEd80wYKo5SOXw7OGI0sGIGu5QJHpZdUpcedWmqH1dhsSBs99u8PKTUN4egh_kFDmZl5v2BuYve-k3Ntt-3uEWlcFYJ9yoI1MZlEJZsJjc31Ne0dtZOdoMJ48pma5_BZBbt9G3w/s5184/IMG_4065.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdodgfdeQATcrpdgmizMQP2UNhDVVNDXpUXXxvA9Ie87MjO0qAEd80wYKo5SOXw7OGI0sGIGu5QJHpZdUpcedWmqH1dhsSBs99u8PKTUN4egh_kFDmZl5v2BuYve-k3Ntt-3uEWlcFYJ9yoI1MZlEJZsJjc31Ne0dtZOdoMJ48pma5_BZBbt9G3w/s320/IMG_4065.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>A little rested, we continued on. And yes, we found more steps although not as many. The shipyard was very interesting. It dates back to the 3rd century BC but what we see today is from 1226. We walked along a fortification wall and past a catapult and a battering ram. I'm not sure the battering ram was authentic to the period though.</p><p><br /></p><p>A ticket booth with two men enjoying their lunch was where we stopped to pay the $5 USD fee for the two of us and we continued into the actual arched shipyard. It was worth the steps and the fee. Water lapped into the underground area. There were lots of numbers on the exhibits that were there but we did not get a guide to what each thing was. We figured out some and found an explanation for a couple.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvirnNk9F_LqkFJY4Fh-FubP4UU91VtowckBchppNFQ3WRKr6jQrw6QAq1XY09yhv_NKbhRz0DnD6-g3GBAope99S4OS4ZMeZC3xl095WwyYY8vC-AXaeqx6c1W-GpWn53vF8qcKItRSHMmOrwNTryQmPrs088wKjgs1FQTssv5FQpVRnjN67DYQ/s5184/IMG_4071.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvirnNk9F_LqkFJY4Fh-FubP4UU91VtowckBchppNFQ3WRKr6jQrw6QAq1XY09yhv_NKbhRz0DnD6-g3GBAope99S4OS4ZMeZC3xl095WwyYY8vC-AXaeqx6c1W-GpWn53vF8qcKItRSHMmOrwNTryQmPrs088wKjgs1FQTssv5FQpVRnjN67DYQ/s320/IMG_4071.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>The truly interesting one was the first exhibit we came to. It took Bob walking into the exhibit to be able to read the English explanation. It was a display of ancient ship building and the contraption that was there was actually a crane. Someone would get into the wheel and walk it around to raise or lower the crane. Human hamsters!</p><p>The bare bones of a hull were there as well as a nice little skiff that didn't look like it was all that old. Or maybe it was just very well restored. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0MEKNG4ZyeiAlREqs1Su_VWzD7S9XSMM1KmVakybBJUIQ1kTk2iS5sO3wMneHUQ_XmgDMUfDykEZJBkt-B84YrYLhzaiByNsMwsLHQxOk7nSSMDC7dohStp_oXi8hojR5imkz66LKCW9zadDxvTJvz62YhsEhUNijc3oIWizH8SHZt4PDS3tn_Q/s5184/IMG_4073.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0MEKNG4ZyeiAlREqs1Su_VWzD7S9XSMM1KmVakybBJUIQ1kTk2iS5sO3wMneHUQ_XmgDMUfDykEZJBkt-B84YrYLhzaiByNsMwsLHQxOk7nSSMDC7dohStp_oXi8hojR5imkz66LKCW9zadDxvTJvz62YhsEhUNijc3oIWizH8SHZt4PDS3tn_Q/s320/IMG_4073.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>The Red Tower is also a part of the shipyards and again said to be built by the sultan. All I could find on it was that if you took the 850 stairs to the top, there was a great view. We'd had enough of the great views and especially stairs.</p><p><br /></p><p>We retraced our steps to exit and then decided we'd had enough exploring for the day and headed back through the gate to the pier. Something that they had done at this port that was unusual was giving each passenger a "landing" card to fill out, sort of like you get sometimes on an airline before landing in a foreign country. We weren't exactly sure of why but we dropped them in a box before boarding the ship for the last time for the day. I think it was more a way to know who was visiting and from where possibly for marketing as much as immigration.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg18bJ1boN2JiW4ktVUhzPsVFSD_bMxskvhR3CqdMHB7RPL0DNHQy8RItIerX72kb2zqPXdrnOHy4wYziZRsgtYuB1oW47RWwNqi3Pgma1QYfVnOLKMbD7pO5NgkGFMvYN5sVBFFRt1QdAvQYPhSgn6_pDTM-oDHH_1WtP-Xrv0K9KeReKaK_NJ5A/s4365/IMG_4079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4365" data-original-width="3584" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg18bJ1boN2JiW4ktVUhzPsVFSD_bMxskvhR3CqdMHB7RPL0DNHQy8RItIerX72kb2zqPXdrnOHy4wYziZRsgtYuB1oW47RWwNqi3Pgma1QYfVnOLKMbD7pO5NgkGFMvYN5sVBFFRt1QdAvQYPhSgn6_pDTM-oDHH_1WtP-Xrv0K9KeReKaK_NJ5A/s320/IMG_4079.JPG" width="263" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Back on board, Bob decided to use his spa gift card that we'd each received when we had to leave Israel. He got a great haircut with it. </p><p>Rested, showered and dressed for dinner, we reflected on what a great port city Alanya had been and after catching up on the news, grateful that we were out of the war zone.</p>Wandering Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01445595080265227834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549100.post-77090187621514279702023-10-08T04:18:00.002-04:002023-10-08T04:18:16.654-04:00Haifa, Israel--The Rest Of The Story<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTWBUmR2TQ5F9epCW3hj05u7CB0RrM8O40cRa2_YDFt9XhezHXMav9s0NXqlb-_7XV-Sj-XWxjw8cRJBdwfl3CxB2WTJnbkNeTVKvgAnMnNXRMUPA337H3L8Iuay1RGAoxAYeInkWBvLbaR2HpTyLofGVBvH3zQuVmS84FtAMTCPuwkFzKJr92UA/s640/IMG_2609.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTWBUmR2TQ5F9epCW3hj05u7CB0RrM8O40cRa2_YDFt9XhezHXMav9s0NXqlb-_7XV-Sj-XWxjw8cRJBdwfl3CxB2WTJnbkNeTVKvgAnMnNXRMUPA337H3L8Iuay1RGAoxAYeInkWBvLbaR2HpTyLofGVBvH3zQuVmS84FtAMTCPuwkFzKJr92UA/s320/IMG_2609.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />"I've never been in a war zone before." The man shook his head and gave a half smile as he talked with another at the lunch table next to us. Reactions yesterday were very mixed and everyone had a story to tell about where they were and how they heard and how they made it back to the ship. <p></p><p>The poor crew were swamped at the lunch buffet and I think the kitchen was not prepared. They were looking forward to a lighter day since most passengers were scheduled to be off the ship. They did well to keep up as it seemed the first thing everyone wanted to do upon their return was to eat. It was comfort for a shocked group of people who were thrown into uncertainty. Not nearly as much as Israelis I'm sure.</p><p>The afternoon was quiet. We had missed the morning announcement from the captain and someone caught us up. Sometime around 10:30 or 11 he had announced that there would be no one permitted to leave the ship. By then most of the ship's excursions had been called back. The security check had taken so long in the morning that a lot of people never had a chance to go ashore other than to get their security card. </p><p>The understanding was that we would probably leave port. Some talk went around that the Israeli government had asked us to leave and then I'm sure there were orders from Holland America Line headquarters that we should get out. The problem was that there were many passengers who had booked private tours or left on their own. Those would be a little more difficult to gather up.</p><p>I have not learned yet how many of those private tours learned of the call back to the ship but I'm guessing through the ship's Navigator app or through their email they could have been contacted or perhaps even a text message. There are some however who still do not have smart phones. I don't know how they function in this world that often demands it. </p><p>Mid-afternoon we heard the captain announce that we were still waiting on two people to return and we would probably sail at four. Meanwhile, the ship was quiet. Everyone seemed in a pensive, thoughtful mood I'm sure fed by more and more reports of what had happened and what was happening to the south of us.</p><p>One report caught my attention and explained a slight traffic jam we'd experienced on the way back to the ship from Caesarea. The traffic had slowed and was moving to one lane. I thought it was for an accident but when we passed the place where one lane was blocked, there was a police or military officer with an AK checking traffic through. I thought it odd at the time. Then the reporter who was south of us near the Gaza talked of how hundreds of Hamas had crossed the border, some parasailing across, and that all roads leading north were being watched for any who had commandeered Israeli cars and were heading north. That explained the traffic check.</p><p>It also explained the extra check of our tour bus as it entered the port. (See yesterday's post.) It was quite extensive. So we waited and watched the news and walked around the Promenade Deck and looked at the city that should have been coming alive as the Sabbath ended but seemed way too quiet.</p><p>Four o'clock came and went and a while later we got another announcement. The captain said he had been in contact with headquarters to see how much longer we should wait for the missing passengers. It was decided that we would leave at 5:30.</p><p>At 5:30, we were sitting in the main dining room having dinner and watching out the window for some movement to indicate we were on our way. Around six we learned that there was now a medical emergency and we were waiting for an ambulance to transport the person. We prayed. Bad enough to have to go to the hospital but now one that was likely to be in a war zone. Time for departure was now set for seven.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgknomkLdI2XBWVmTBocQi4pG23Hwrgs3ren5h4UIOuPh0uztbBG3UP-D9uf92fUV6n-dvgy8Mx5CBWaWOazNGVjjeY_YbOrfGueN6Okf4wxScQZU2qoUUyxm3SWvIMGNuMJzvFoU15eYjudx7Y0NDCFM1qjgbL-155WeJH5U_diESfewDxGupZoQ/s640/IMG_2610.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgknomkLdI2XBWVmTBocQi4pG23Hwrgs3ren5h4UIOuPh0uztbBG3UP-D9uf92fUV6n-dvgy8Mx5CBWaWOazNGVjjeY_YbOrfGueN6Okf4wxScQZU2qoUUyxm3SWvIMGNuMJzvFoU15eYjudx7Y0NDCFM1qjgbL-155WeJH5U_diESfewDxGupZoQ/s320/IMG_2610.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>By now it was getting dark and the city lights twinkled like jewels. We could make out the Bahai gardens, now lit with small white lights, that went up the side of Mount Carmel. They extended way beyond what we had been able to see from the bus. It seemed that they went all the way to the top of the mountain.</p><p>At seven, another announcement. There was only one pilot today for the whole harbor and since we missed our departure time earlier, he was now not available until eight. We stood on the Promenade Deck at eight after a round of playing cards and watched to see if this time we were really going to leave. Finally the ropes were let go and our ship pulled out and away.</p><p>It was a sad departure. We watched the city grow smaller as the ship moved past the long break wall and into the open sea. Would those in Haifa be safe? War had been declared. Anything could happen. Grateful for our safe exit but sad for those whose lives and homes were in turmoil. May peace come soon.</p>Wandering Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01445595080265227834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549100.post-41653374021031394342023-10-07T07:27:00.003-04:002023-10-07T07:27:52.247-04:00Haifa, Israel<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsikIKuVmd8eDs_xTy5D71SJPZlPqLfpmJEKaM5uGD9AqR0ekSZlGBjxD4oQzvd8A_T1EEOqk8fiha_t1EI7kADhaNA2YdrsMHSV-KaktdDok9VUnSZFc_WKUySjn-2UVYdIaUcqrVhUt1P4-CrEm9iQUdu7PPTPBkNR3DNM13Re2wg-njcJ-9CQ/s5184/IMG_4021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsikIKuVmd8eDs_xTy5D71SJPZlPqLfpmJEKaM5uGD9AqR0ekSZlGBjxD4oQzvd8A_T1EEOqk8fiha_t1EI7kADhaNA2YdrsMHSV-KaktdDok9VUnSZFc_WKUySjn-2UVYdIaUcqrVhUt1P4-CrEm9iQUdu7PPTPBkNR3DNM13Re2wg-njcJ-9CQ/s320/IMG_4021.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />It was an early morning for us upon our arrival in Haifa. Immigration required everyone on the ship to be processed whether staying onboard or going ashore. Those of us on an excursion for this day needed to be up early to go through the immigration procedure which started at seven. We've done those all ship immigration procedures before and know that sometimes they go quickly and other times not so much. The way the ship organized this combined with the slowness of the security check made this a "not so much."<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhCc7tQ3E2afE_1S0VrZarAPGseRbmOyT0BdApmpDEhQMlZzOgGn6WrWoStxe_VNor21oNKS5vNGf74kNhgKL3ogAR36jBem5ddxRPuGqLY8ofCBptOIi06LseO6kzMlaEF7z5uBUe7O-hY7iOvOMs6J0OTCJawOFN4LJPyRUeB_53y9EJGwaO1w/s5184/IMG_4024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhCc7tQ3E2afE_1S0VrZarAPGseRbmOyT0BdApmpDEhQMlZzOgGn6WrWoStxe_VNor21oNKS5vNGf74kNhgKL3ogAR36jBem5ddxRPuGqLY8ofCBptOIi06LseO6kzMlaEF7z5uBUe7O-hY7iOvOMs6J0OTCJawOFN4LJPyRUeB_53y9EJGwaO1w/s320/IMG_4024.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Thankfully we got breakfast before we started down to the gangway. The line was already backed up two decks on the stairs. It moved in spurts with numerous announcements being made to insure that you had your passport, key card and if needed, your visa. Those announcements were followed by remove ALL metal from your clothing. Mostly it was the guys who didn't remove belts that held things up I guess.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH0SS7Aq3_Z_XW8DOuWZQg5rnF2jauOLjQxhbV0339exaQvHCC4GM77mqqSVEtnMt78qXCvQrBscM9k_SqKRvmUw6k4g-NNXvgVhG4PDA8dI2g5kjY9W6rUHA-zXcFwCS531DJFJsEVtxvjOwCo7JucQnFX2tZlwUdQ1x2fhwXKZoNEjYnekyltw/s5184/IMG_4030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH0SS7Aq3_Z_XW8DOuWZQg5rnF2jauOLjQxhbV0339exaQvHCC4GM77mqqSVEtnMt78qXCvQrBscM9k_SqKRvmUw6k4g-NNXvgVhG4PDA8dI2g5kjY9W6rUHA-zXcFwCS531DJFJsEVtxvjOwCo7JucQnFX2tZlwUdQ1x2fhwXKZoNEjYnekyltw/s320/IMG_4030.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />Finally passports were checked, our bags and bodies passed through security check (even my knee!!) and we received our security pass to get us through an automated gate of sorts. We sat a few minutes and then our excursion was called to board the bus. We were finally headed for Caesarea just south of Haifa. <p></p><p>The only glitch, a news headline we'd caught that said there was terrorist activity near Gaza. That was quite a bit farther south and our guide assured us that it happened often and life went on. There was probably nothing to worry about. </p><p>Now I have to tell you about this guide. She was forty-something with red curly hair and when she had her sunglasses on covering her eyes, her smile was exactly that of Julia Roberts. And she was full of energy. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioK_tS1F4mEOfojNY9BndCidK4s_qdcX8D_dES0TJN-iDGHyLm2Ib7y2VWzPN_Kw2fsEnDsqjcjSv9OxauKD-SrBoP7sC1_7Waf3u3pwfKVwYzYsuxkfR5PV04NizTXqFjLauQxB6HM43RgYbjIkMuJ_KIX6lwptdy7ML9XthZOn23wLPqinjG-w/s5184/IMG_4037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioK_tS1F4mEOfojNY9BndCidK4s_qdcX8D_dES0TJN-iDGHyLm2Ib7y2VWzPN_Kw2fsEnDsqjcjSv9OxauKD-SrBoP7sC1_7Waf3u3pwfKVwYzYsuxkfR5PV04NizTXqFjLauQxB6HM43RgYbjIkMuJ_KIX6lwptdy7ML9XthZOn23wLPqinjG-w/s320/IMG_4037.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>We waited until a few more people were processed and finally arrived on the bus and we were off. A beautiful sunny day that already promised to be quite warm but there was a nice breeze blowing off the sea.</p><p>Our guide began to give us all sorts of commentary on what we were seeing and about to see, historical facts, religious connections, and even a bit of the political although she tried not to do that too often. We arrived at the Caesarea National Park about forty-five minutes later. It was the Sabbath day so the traffic was light.</p><p>After the tickets were purchased, we followed her to our first stop, the theater. Much of it had been reconstructed but there was a lot that was still original. She talked of how great the acoustics were and went down on the stage and sang the national anthem of Israel for us. She felt that was appropriate for the news of the day that there was more conflict near Gaza. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAv_zOj7aqgkWsvYPAlXm_6BbSOgAdyfruHth7kEqxSxrUbXzFlreH4sd19r-jmXDOuRgqy6Kc7xctAHt0XmNrYG6thTgD7ktUM7K4yd8ijD3hyiGKZOKBoN_wHDfJHudBX0GWA15b9ce2j8R86othsOFywYlWzQD9RCQrkrDwvUxCySji4qOWgQ/s5184/IMG_4041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAv_zOj7aqgkWsvYPAlXm_6BbSOgAdyfruHth7kEqxSxrUbXzFlreH4sd19r-jmXDOuRgqy6Kc7xctAHt0XmNrYG6thTgD7ktUM7K4yd8ijD3hyiGKZOKBoN_wHDfJHudBX0GWA15b9ce2j8R86othsOFywYlWzQD9RCQrkrDwvUxCySji4qOWgQ/s320/IMG_4041.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>We wandered along a path that had many pieces of columns and capitals and even a sarcophagus of "Prokopios the Deacon". As with many of the archaeological digs, there are layers of history as things are built upon other things through out the centuries. </p><p>The path eventually wound around to where we could stand in the shade for a bit and look out over the palace that Herod had built. He was no slouch. He picked a great spot right on the sea. I could imagine wonderful breezes cooling the rooms and beautiful views of the water throughout the day.</p><p>Eventually we began to walk where the courtyard of the palace was and stopped to look out over Herod's pool which was built right into the rocky shore. Two slabs of flooring were still there with original mosaic work still visible. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm-y6dYm4pqHpUPROGvqkXo_rh2adi-EUk_lajk364kjGBNjDmhnrLGhO3eqAMH0YQ8DP7-Sx3r0uobGXHrxVSbk5edxdJ4IsTTJHozcluYvIW6svJVho0T20PzOXAtmUIibJN7cv0j2XExgxbMoBbh8qmGUQrRBut_FZWJQfkWeWbhkELDh9Bgw/s5184/IMG_4040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm-y6dYm4pqHpUPROGvqkXo_rh2adi-EUk_lajk364kjGBNjDmhnrLGhO3eqAMH0YQ8DP7-Sx3r0uobGXHrxVSbk5edxdJ4IsTTJHozcluYvIW6svJVho0T20PzOXAtmUIibJN7cv0j2XExgxbMoBbh8qmGUQrRBut_FZWJQfkWeWbhkELDh9Bgw/s320/IMG_4040.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>This was not only significant because of Herod who welcomed the three kings (wisemen) and asked them to tell him when they found the baby king (Jesus) but also because there is evidence that Pontius Pilate also lived there for a time. </p><p>During our tour, our guide had received phone calls from her mother-in-law and her husband. Each time she seemed a little unnerved but gave us that Julia Robert's smile and assured us that while things were a bit confusing, we were still quite safe where we were. Meanwhile since Bob had accessed AT&T's international package (they charge us $10/day when we connect onshore) he was scrolling through the CNN headlines. It didn't look as good as our guide was trying to tell us.</p><p>Just as we were to head for the museum part of our tour which would include a movie about Caesarea, she received another call which truly upset her. "Ladies and gentlemen, I am so sorry. This has never happened before. They have cancelled our tour and the ship has ordered us back."</p><p>About that time Bob pointed to a headline that indicated Israel was about to declare a state of war. "Guess we won't be going to Jerusalem tomorrow." I nodded.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8JkCKJT_JKAkwqXFgD-2kSDO83-q6zx3gfLDZAKH1Sm2MfUSKEJghWP_R5CVa_Z0Ll5bIeY6IdTl6kbBBJhjGtgRREh4bEDUY-Ujzbtq3LOOhN8BvNDfGeAAofVQZWO5yLQmtoltciTrDS34S0Ko2yQfCNi36akp2zNdJgiQDkAtrQzVS7aNr9w/s5184/IMG_4038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8JkCKJT_JKAkwqXFgD-2kSDO83-q6zx3gfLDZAKH1Sm2MfUSKEJghWP_R5CVa_Z0Ll5bIeY6IdTl6kbBBJhjGtgRREh4bEDUY-Ujzbtq3LOOhN8BvNDfGeAAofVQZWO5yLQmtoltciTrDS34S0Ko2yQfCNi36akp2zNdJgiQDkAtrQzVS7aNr9w/s320/IMG_4038.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New dig unveiled a possible site<br />where Paul was imprisioned.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p>Back on the bus our guide received another call from home. Her son was being called to active duty. I felt so bad. Here she was with a bunch of tourists and her son was going off to possibly be in a conflict. She was rattled a bit but undaunted. She was going to give us as much of a tour as possible. </p><p>There was a huge aqueduct that stretched from Mt. Carmel to Caesarea not far from where we were and she instructed the driver to circle through the parking lot there so we could get a look. It was huge. The part closest to the palace had been destroyed but it seemed to go on forever but actually three miles. It supplied water to the public in the city and also filled the baths and fountains of the palace.</p><p>We got a bit more talk about politics and the relationships of Israel with bordering countries. I leaned over to Bob and said, "Most of it sounds like home." Except of course we don't live with as much of the imminent threats that they do but much of the politics sounded similar. In her opinion it boiled down to a bunch of jerks (my word not hers) who mess things up for everyone. Yup.</p><p>Again, even though I'm sure her heart and mind wanted to be elsewhere, our guide insisted we drive past the Bahai garden. Israel is home to many religions. The gardens would have been amazing to visit. The nineteen terraces rise up Mount Carmel from the traffic circle.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvxWUz46cTluXgN2oiXUeigQVyY29WpOZ4wEt60fUQhd4vje4fI762R7-O-9SYYea3jrTNKrBt7IZyQWaLd8gEoHyv85OUbGstE9DArFOi-K4ZDNzKQvia4nmK1RHTmMoKzoXlXrcExKYNXSsXviZNwoK8Z0XU5g0MrVm1aDKtqsjDxEJENQICXA/s640/IMG_2603.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvxWUz46cTluXgN2oiXUeigQVyY29WpOZ4wEt60fUQhd4vje4fI762R7-O-9SYYea3jrTNKrBt7IZyQWaLd8gEoHyv85OUbGstE9DArFOi-K4ZDNzKQvia4nmK1RHTmMoKzoXlXrcExKYNXSsXviZNwoK8Z0XU5g0MrVm1aDKtqsjDxEJENQICXA/s320/IMG_2603.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>At the gate to the port, our bus was stopped and the outside searched. One guard walked through, an AK something or other hung on his chest as he checked us out. A minute after he exited, another guard came through and asked that we show him our ship key cards and the security passes we'd received in the morning. Once that was done, he thanked us and sent us on our way. </p><p>Bless their hearts, the crew was out there to greet us with cold washcloths, water and lemonade and "welcome back". The only difference was our ship security was more obvious that usual pacing back and forth. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1e3CgSuqFKtA3eFY9PSFLvUJvZN8jIw2QxnRXgkzuwhMfIv657sLDcPdZCbwtlVhlc5zErXTY6u-r572EFK6FY7r5jjaMYPQuGjGtsyOleXFpugpDMN5qFzF_-sRJP9HRNg3emZvs3Nz01HyYuFWqke2JWvd9h7dBOOWk-v6-rRiV6RBxDjYNBg/s640/IMG_2607.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1e3CgSuqFKtA3eFY9PSFLvUJvZN8jIw2QxnRXgkzuwhMfIv657sLDcPdZCbwtlVhlc5zErXTY6u-r572EFK6FY7r5jjaMYPQuGjGtsyOleXFpugpDMN5qFzF_-sRJP9HRNg3emZvs3Nz01HyYuFWqke2JWvd9h7dBOOWk-v6-rRiV6RBxDjYNBg/s320/IMG_2607.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />Now back on the ship we got the hand-me-down news that the ship was asked to leave as soon as it could gather its guests. I don't know for sure how all that will happen as I write this. There are those who had private tours and some who had planned overnight visits since the ship was scheduled to be in port overnight. I think that many of the private tour guides will receive information that visitors are asked to leave and I think that those staying off the ship overnight were asked to leave information at guest services so there is probably some point of contact that can be made. Surely won't be easy.<p></p><p>That's all for now. I'm going to post this ASAP since I don't know how long I'll have good internet. Right now I'm leeched onto Bob's 5G. Say a prayer for Israel and especially for that mom whose son had to leave so abruptly while she entertained tourists. </p>Wandering Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01445595080265227834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549100.post-31074756495873545682023-10-07T00:30:00.000-04:002023-10-07T05:51:02.093-04:00Iraklion, Crete, Greece<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWy7Zr4z7cWMcP1BV7WZy7xkfi6q0ekLpVVeP1W5W03rqrKkDbOEpBG_-dYfwoaLRzbDhmv0nmYInlr0LeUwD2EHRSKc0X7pz77dPrAKV3sOS34PvCVe8t3AxV2q4kIaHaoU_eKWAml9kzEP7LlN2Qhyphenhyphen5FuXlNtExDH_6FQ2DUR7eiq4x_MkBFvg/s5184/IMG_3994.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWy7Zr4z7cWMcP1BV7WZy7xkfi6q0ekLpVVeP1W5W03rqrKkDbOEpBG_-dYfwoaLRzbDhmv0nmYInlr0LeUwD2EHRSKc0X7pz77dPrAKV3sOS34PvCVe8t3AxV2q4kIaHaoU_eKWAml9kzEP7LlN2Qhyphenhyphen5FuXlNtExDH_6FQ2DUR7eiq4x_MkBFvg/s320/IMG_3994.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />In Acts chapter 27 there is a line that says, "There was a harbor in Crete facing both southwest and northwest." I don't know if the harbor at Iraklion is the harbor noted there but I am sure that Crete and especially Iraklion looks nothing like what Paul found there.<p></p><p>Iraklion is a busy city. That was obvious by looking out from the ship to the many buildings going up the side of the hill and spreading out from the port. We docked in a cargo port so for safety sake, there was a shuttle bus provided that took you from the ship to the terminal so you didn't have to dodge trucks. Once at the terminal, you were on your own unless of course you had an excursion.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh2dIrR0sjlavecRux0AdLizp5HZjCEc2uGFpdSCfFMH0ErTC85Vr7yna9GBjJO_u50KnrG46Yeyf4vBhFMFBC7i5i6vCy27nCybHipj5RCVLPkWEhBhiyUeS5yCO69eo8Gn8s9yGE2aNSRymtSGorGGp_gHBWba90gaRXhIqe3UnHRSjDT62xOw/s5184/IMG_3997.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh2dIrR0sjlavecRux0AdLizp5HZjCEc2uGFpdSCfFMH0ErTC85Vr7yna9GBjJO_u50KnrG46Yeyf4vBhFMFBC7i5i6vCy27nCybHipj5RCVLPkWEhBhiyUeS5yCO69eo8Gn8s9yGE2aNSRymtSGorGGp_gHBWba90gaRXhIqe3UnHRSjDT62xOw/s320/IMG_3997.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Because the excursion to the Pyramids and the upcoming overnight excursion in Israel, our travel budget was stretched. We opted to strike out on our own to explore. I had found sites to see and some explanation of what they were but I could not download the Google Map I think I had saved somewhere. I did have a PDF listing of the sites but no way to tell where they were exactly and this city was not an easy one to navigate.</p><p>Finding the city center from the passenger terminal was easy however. We locked arms, gave a little skip and followed the yellow striped sidewalk. We opted not to sing.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz-mxFyyO8tar9qhKrt0WXuBYHGfybKTBTkmEbxmKD-FQqdIBZmh1zg6F46gORB-kOwKFP3zGJGqg2_SbXw4XAd6Q5vFPhAgSr0Ba96hRInh22UhPFAECXaSluFmtQIGhU-8GQVKKnTu5_772YgqlSH4FrPJ9avxc_VDKCcOCGBBhYLkgabMGOpw/s5184/IMG_4016.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz-mxFyyO8tar9qhKrt0WXuBYHGfybKTBTkmEbxmKD-FQqdIBZmh1zg6F46gORB-kOwKFP3zGJGqg2_SbXw4XAd6Q5vFPhAgSr0Ba96hRInh22UhPFAECXaSluFmtQIGhU-8GQVKKnTu5_772YgqlSH4FrPJ9avxc_VDKCcOCGBBhYLkgabMGOpw/s320/IMG_4016.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Venetian Loggia/town hall</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>Just as the yellow line was about to turn into the city, there was an option to turn right instead and explore the old Venetian port built in the 14th century. It was a perfect morning for a long walk and the walk was getting longer with our little side adventure.</p><p>The old port was worth seeing though. Quite a large structure to explore. Inside there were several displays of cannons and of course cannon balls. Also there was a collection of clay vessels that were used back then for transporting goods. If I read the information correctly, a lot of what was brought up from a shipwreck was done so by Cousteau. It was difficult to read the information plagues as the lighting was not good and even taking a picture of the information to enlarge later didn't work.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe23ZAFCdVTg0Zzthx8zoByxXwOxPIWE9a_b9QdDbxuijUtgwjiKYCKx3DdY3Is0QK9g3PGbvHn5pW9dzLvfKSLi6SHquR_Jy29HXuI_imcWw9hzkAd15uMCDtBO1phpDlJ1IZyA/s5184/IMG_4014.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe23ZAFCdVTg0Zzthx8zoByxXwOxPIWE9a_b9QdDbxuijUtgwjiKYCKx3DdY3Is0QK9g3PGbvHn5pW9dzLvfKSLi6SHquR_Jy29HXuI_imcWw9hzkAd15uMCDtBO1phpDlJ1IZyA/s320/IMG_4014.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Church of St. Titus</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>Once we were done climbing about, we found the yellow line again and went into the city center although it was hard to know exactly where that was. We guessed it was probably where the lion fountain was. </p><p>From the fountain, we found the Venetian Loggia that has been renovated and made into the town hall. It's quite a beautiful building with an inner courtyard that it seems the birds love. We ducked and left.</p><p>The square the town hall sits on is called St. Titus Square because the St Titus church sits near there. We happened upon the church without realizing its significance. Titus was said to be the first bishop of Crete. In Titus 1:5, Paul tells Titus, "The reason I left you in Crete was that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town as I directed you."</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoPw7FKRLJHMildxvafjV9r-Ksn3Axl243UmIf6mgZYJvhnn7Avdp_5-OJnWesnZWmwdB_jqYZIHG3W_5-FIZNT3yw4a4s-SjARznj6WyxLFakU4zTvt8k5tGvLF4w4_s8JZimrJeqtTCfoXHBps2v6qTs6_XUC3oPN-ORWLXe00OOQ60b97QJHQ/s2016/IMG_1928.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoPw7FKRLJHMildxvafjV9r-Ksn3Axl243UmIf6mgZYJvhnn7Avdp_5-OJnWesnZWmwdB_jqYZIHG3W_5-FIZNT3yw4a4s-SjARznj6WyxLFakU4zTvt8k5tGvLF4w4_s8JZimrJeqtTCfoXHBps2v6qTs6_XUC3oPN-ORWLXe00OOQ60b97QJHQ/s320/IMG_1928.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>What we didn't expect to find was a room off to the side that was a chapel said to contain the skull of Titus. We assumed it was in the decorative large globe encased in glass. </p><p>We searched for another cathedral that was supposed to be there but honestly, the roads and pathways were so confusing we got tired of looking and gave up. </p><p>What we didn't see and Iraklion is famous for is the Knossos Palace. The palace dates back to 1380-1100 BC and was part of the Minoan civilization. The most fascinating thing associated with it however is the myth of the minotaur in the labyrinth of the palace. The Greek myth says there was a creature with the head of a bull and body of a man in an underground labyrinth. Theseus arrived in Crete and offered to kill the minotaur but then met the daughter of King Minos and fell in love. She feared he would not find his way out so she gave him a ball of string that he could unwind as he moved through the labyrinth and find his way back out. He killed the minotaur and followed the string back out to his love. Might be a great idea for those corn mazes this fall.</p>Wandering Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01445595080265227834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549100.post-68021823710170730892023-10-05T05:30:00.001-04:002023-10-05T05:30:00.143-04:00Mykonos, Greece, In The Sunshine!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsE_JXUdRluuanxFI0jIP2HZDYMf9zkDl12YZf7yaXO1BLBEwD8Wh1FR2ykUdrmdfBS0o6ukkzmR_udiGXAF2qys17f7cXWRa8WdFhmBmr6hCU5u_P-ibUNDaAyf9f6SGYwZLhQeWByj3D5M6kiKsLrOmDCV9RW08jaKYHdbmArdSdsZOCaJ_bOQ/s5184/IMG_3973.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsE_JXUdRluuanxFI0jIP2HZDYMf9zkDl12YZf7yaXO1BLBEwD8Wh1FR2ykUdrmdfBS0o6ukkzmR_udiGXAF2qys17f7cXWRa8WdFhmBmr6hCU5u_P-ibUNDaAyf9f6SGYwZLhQeWByj3D5M6kiKsLrOmDCV9RW08jaKYHdbmArdSdsZOCaJ_bOQ/s320/IMG_3973.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /> If you've been keeping up with our travels, you'll remember our stop in Mykonos a little more than a week ago. It had poured rain and we came back to the ship drenched. Well, we were drenched this time as well but in sunshine rather than rain.<p></p><p>The plan had always been to take time at this port to have real moussaka, not like most of the stuff you get back home. We'd already tasted a few other traditional Greek foods in Athens but we were saving moussaka for the islands.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRs8U60vkN05zfrvIOWvGhYPzZ-YEOmrACQqZQv9gXkRaarJVnRsmVXTtRzAxYnjJeRzqgzJiInURrECaSmy3FdMTxGH_ABrWlg-n88bGXDlYvTdkpzrOeDIyFEYJJ3YAqdyP7ynqA1UGNBtneCvPbgC6zGTUR1mRs740_sNI0veHHxenOdhm_dw/s5184/IMG_3978.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRs8U60vkN05zfrvIOWvGhYPzZ-YEOmrACQqZQv9gXkRaarJVnRsmVXTtRzAxYnjJeRzqgzJiInURrECaSmy3FdMTxGH_ABrWlg-n88bGXDlYvTdkpzrOeDIyFEYJJ3YAqdyP7ynqA1UGNBtneCvPbgC6zGTUR1mRs740_sNI0veHHxenOdhm_dw/s320/IMG_3978.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Instead of tendering our ship passengers into the new port, we were tendered to the edge of the old port so there was no need to transfer to a SeaBus this time. There were however, five ships anchored in the harbor. Five! I wondered if going ashore was even worth it with the crowds that were sure to be there. But, undaunted, sort of, we ventured out.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAepBHnEoCC0KYCOANslVUAUCKwx4TbAObefUuuxOGaOonDOXKiWT1b6mGc1oJU4X1qiopDMZL8p5VPeKqnsfYiIsUXzc78zgpUzXZ5mLMstRLB5hY5dI7Ys13PM-8XtEV8oHxa4dvTsuTOTkiandYgr1oD59MFlVuAHM7I-yfXIrmXJwRd21phg/s5184/IMG_3979.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAepBHnEoCC0KYCOANslVUAUCKwx4TbAObefUuuxOGaOonDOXKiWT1b6mGc1oJU4X1qiopDMZL8p5VPeKqnsfYiIsUXzc78zgpUzXZ5mLMstRLB5hY5dI7Ys13PM-8XtEV8oHxa4dvTsuTOTkiandYgr1oD59MFlVuAHM7I-yfXIrmXJwRd21phg/s320/IMG_3979.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />Where the tender let us out there was a nice boardwalk into town. One of the things you need to get used to in Greece is that what may seem like a pedestrian way is not always. A few small trucks beeped their way through the throng of people headed into the main part of town.<p></p><p>Mykonos looked a lot prettier in the sunshine than it had in the rain. The buildings are quite white and dot the hillsides in clusters. The last time we were here and it was so misty, I looked out and thought there was snow on the mountaintops. It was white buildings.</p><p><br /></p><p>We followed the path that we'd taken before this time stopping to get some better pictures of the St. Nicholas chapel and then around the corner--well, there are no corners, just meandering pathways--to the Church of Panagia Paraportiani. The buildings were a lot prettier this day.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs8924OblE6A1r1HIxxhKGUM87D5CKOHDo9zAjDKm5CKYAy-TYXSNvzBqb29GXnYD0usrF2aPLukw6AHqWacRhS8ufNWkY234Gvve7PgkQ3L7tTj1a3DmHjoqdNo1bKpBm0Cw8OQTP9WIPYn38SR3eiPcDbolAS8gNDzQv5wNNsTfzQ5eKnTPypQ/s5184/IMG_3982.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs8924OblE6A1r1HIxxhKGUM87D5CKOHDo9zAjDKm5CKYAy-TYXSNvzBqb29GXnYD0usrF2aPLukw6AHqWacRhS8ufNWkY234Gvve7PgkQ3L7tTj1a3DmHjoqdNo1bKpBm0Cw8OQTP9WIPYn38SR3eiPcDbolAS8gNDzQv5wNNsTfzQ5eKnTPypQ/s320/IMG_3982.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>The crowds were shoulder to shoulder making their way through the alleys filled with shops and restaurants. Germaphobes were hyperventilating I'm sure. Finally after passing the spot where we'd ended our last trip, we wound our way around to where we could climb up to the windmills.</p><p>The windmills are an iconic historical landmark of Mykonos. They were once used for grinding agricultural products for sale and export. The skeleton was covered with fabric like that of sails on a boat to catch the wind that apparently blows most of the time in Mykonos. It was blowing hard today but it was also cooling temperatures that could have been a lot warmer with the wonderful sunshine.</p><p>We wandered around the windmills. The crowds were not as thick there as there was a bit of a climb and many passengers wouldn't attempt it, I'm sure. After resting a bit, we meandered down alleyways and even down one that was obviously just residential as a lot of the residents had wash hanging from the tall stairways that led to their homes.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI3_cLArY68CzlLh3IipAmbIWT8OSSC2sLLjonzQ1tNm98ourcbbghNiRIruRyRe1eSkoK_zWRg0-OPmfHgQEwHjcVNNoDgciZi1teAZuwxhMbRaiT60qls0SudZlXBPthncRz1i2JqycUJM-mCi0YH9q4puKCVhnWIrdd0USWBN9t2YxTh2UmXA/s5184/IMG_3992.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI3_cLArY68CzlLh3IipAmbIWT8OSSC2sLLjonzQ1tNm98ourcbbghNiRIruRyRe1eSkoK_zWRg0-OPmfHgQEwHjcVNNoDgciZi1teAZuwxhMbRaiT60qls0SudZlXBPthncRz1i2JqycUJM-mCi0YH9q4puKCVhnWIrdd0USWBN9t2YxTh2UmXA/s320/IMG_3992.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>There were a lot of little churches tucked in here and there. Some with beautiful wooden doors and most with pretty little belfries.</p><p>We found our way back to the main boardwalk where we'd started and walked until we found a nice looking restaurant next to the water's edge. It was time for moussaka. Of course we had to try just a couple more things. There was an appetizer that was phyllo wrapped feta cheese with honey and sesame. Delicious. I risked the stomachache from the lactose. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPe5ie4DSXv9M_rCabSkaKWvRshGltprwJFQEmyA69OD4cbciNRXn8gDlMtMJOrKnnZVd_Ye9yey2qpNdkAn3wsi78a_UYGIV98lOYOsuYCWY5Ciks4ZCCqipmCGUXf1hVOLOOlwAM9uIjPuppKSlu4o7oRD7aEQ8IUQCUXQ_sbRl0_SdGZaKTZw/s640/IMG_2585.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPe5ie4DSXv9M_rCabSkaKWvRshGltprwJFQEmyA69OD4cbciNRXn8gDlMtMJOrKnnZVd_Ye9yey2qpNdkAn3wsi78a_UYGIV98lOYOsuYCWY5Ciks4ZCCqipmCGUXf1hVOLOOlwAM9uIjPuppKSlu4o7oRD7aEQ8IUQCUXQ_sbRl0_SdGZaKTZw/s320/IMG_2585.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p>The other thing to try was ouzo. It is a strong Greek liquor that everyone said you had to try once. Yup. Once was enough. It has a strong anise flavor. We left most of it. Hope we didn't offend anyone.</p><p>The moussaka was excellent as we expected it would be. </p><p>A gentle breeze, a full stomach and we were in need of an afternoon nap. It was time to return to the ship. Thankfully we didn't have to wait long for the tender. The sun was a bit warm to stand in. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg33GwLZslgjtYx91uloPTZVnyO6JvqsrjWl9pipOuWHjb6Fz2fGGg5TVI-H70qGwRIEkkXQu7Sru42cAKhTFgVgHcfBOt9ti3pzxWXBGxffDSv-cbcqQLqc9RUmhrI2ZCkyznnSZngYSm-pvX7yX8ti-7BCm3kIwTMCq8VXSkLeSWF2b3VmzR8wA/s640/IMG_2583.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg33GwLZslgjtYx91uloPTZVnyO6JvqsrjWl9pipOuWHjb6Fz2fGGg5TVI-H70qGwRIEkkXQu7Sru42cAKhTFgVgHcfBOt9ti3pzxWXBGxffDSv-cbcqQLqc9RUmhrI2ZCkyznnSZngYSm-pvX7yX8ti-7BCm3kIwTMCq8VXSkLeSWF2b3VmzR8wA/s320/IMG_2583.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>The weather had made all the difference in the world this visit. I would have no qualms of returning even with an overrun population of cruise passengers.</p>Wandering Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01445595080265227834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549100.post-8876673820577934892023-10-04T06:23:00.000-04:002023-10-04T06:23:39.434-04:00Ancient Corinth<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmxsGqVDGwnFW47h_PxStEe8P85nO4gVMVTpSl6vyoZV-E6D_2ywDKnmD03nxrP1bU147Yi0Q_jLUvJjfa5Fq_dm3Q_aAOlc0hUczLpZraoGikh_Cd1zyG1HPw4l3K0ijExO2xAYsuwnf6wJ1jxBcwf0J7rUi2AHy0i57lxod5nMa12yuVRwQzEA/s5184/IMG_3925.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmxsGqVDGwnFW47h_PxStEe8P85nO4gVMVTpSl6vyoZV-E6D_2ywDKnmD03nxrP1bU147Yi0Q_jLUvJjfa5Fq_dm3Q_aAOlc0hUczLpZraoGikh_Cd1zyG1HPw4l3K0ijExO2xAYsuwnf6wJ1jxBcwf0J7rUi2AHy0i57lxod5nMa12yuVRwQzEA/s320/IMG_3925.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />Expectations should always be kept in check. That’s what I
always tell anyone about traveling. It’s easy to give advice. Harder to follow
it yourself. Our tour to Ephesus some years ago was amazing and when the
opportunity presented itself with another stop in Nafplion this segment of our
cruise, we signed up for a tour of ancient Corinth.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Our tour guide was a little Greek lady who had a good sense
of humor and we enjoyed her banter as we rode the bus to our first stop at the
Corinth canal. It connects the Ionian Sea with the Aegean Sea. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The canal separates the Peloponnese Peninsula
from the Greek mainland, essentially making it an island. It was begun in the
first century AD but abandoned. Eventually in the 19<sup>th</sup> century, work
was begun again and it was finished in 1893.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The canal is four miles long and almost 80 feet wide and is
at sea level so there are no locks. The problem is that modern ships are way
too large to make it feasible for travel so basically it is nothing more than a
tourist attraction now.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiG0CiD_-A97MVO8p-QxSnGDUk0FuRcd4V7yq3Od5MZ7FtaQoqXOk4k8fu-JbJu07y6Asbp95JWUokqaPxeIgVgdXAnRWzWuHVzHrnajrj6KpUh_L1ZBYt_xyCOLYFsDnkdjL6Vtw1LD__2tw_FHDlzUJ86v1hyphenhyphenEXZaBjf0MDRmk8S8wSKZriVgA/s5184/IMG_3933.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiG0CiD_-A97MVO8p-QxSnGDUk0FuRcd4V7yq3Od5MZ7FtaQoqXOk4k8fu-JbJu07y6Asbp95JWUokqaPxeIgVgdXAnRWzWuHVzHrnajrj6KpUh_L1ZBYt_xyCOLYFsDnkdjL6Vtw1LD__2tw_FHDlzUJ86v1hyphenhyphenEXZaBjf0MDRmk8S8wSKZriVgA/s320/IMG_3933.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">We were let out of the bus on a small side street among
several other buses and pointed in the direction of the bridge we had just crossed.
There is a pedestrian way on either side of the traffic lanes and so we walked
midway across on one side to take a picture in the direction of the Ionian Sea
and then crossed the street and walked midway again to take a picture in the
direction of the Aegean. There was an opportunity for bungie jumping but we
passed. There just wasn’t enough time, of course.<o:p></o:p></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji7IQdMD20N3bPaSehJEVCwSiIfsKK4hYaymVEOhH2BCk0qPHh1DMjPfr81UD1CwetXYG127JzWDoNNLggfIjnN76tyKVa9LlaqQ_R867fMh6GnIHU4jdZLETWmkOhqk4wDgqzW6MY7rtI98YaJLzbsUrw56w_UFsv2W21kF0q4aEppUkn_di_JQ/s5184/IMG_3939.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji7IQdMD20N3bPaSehJEVCwSiIfsKK4hYaymVEOhH2BCk0qPHh1DMjPfr81UD1CwetXYG127JzWDoNNLggfIjnN76tyKVa9LlaqQ_R867fMh6GnIHU4jdZLETWmkOhqk4wDgqzW6MY7rtI98YaJLzbsUrw56w_UFsv2W21kF0q4aEppUkn_di_JQ/s320/IMG_3939.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Pictures done, everyone loaded onto the bus again for a
twenty minute ride to Ancient Corinth. Lots of information from our tour guide
but way too much to absorb as usual. Finally we arrived. I was excited. I
wanted to walk the paths of Corinth and imagine what it was like when Paul
visited and established the first church in Europe there.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzJiIlEM1qx2lrjERsbt4r9_bgeuDNUUn8PsHd6B-ZJ1xDmksTEl0NbpV82a0dmBADAvGBWsjRUagy9-VwgBWmIxkCapG44GdzOqvROAPlpMfj1YcDfMeTdadTSBIgT46-WEw94jPEY00_Rdu1UVLFgGw6_Kk4ZXVZPwoWzUXbr9nLiFGdVfCXlg/s5184/IMG_3940.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzJiIlEM1qx2lrjERsbt4r9_bgeuDNUUn8PsHd6B-ZJ1xDmksTEl0NbpV82a0dmBADAvGBWsjRUagy9-VwgBWmIxkCapG44GdzOqvROAPlpMfj1YcDfMeTdadTSBIgT46-WEw94jPEY00_Rdu1UVLFgGw6_Kk4ZXVZPwoWzUXbr9nLiFGdVfCXlg/s320/IMG_3940.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Corinth is not as well preserved or restored as Ephesus.
Part of the problem was an earthquake that took place in the late 19<sup>th</sup>
century according to our guide. Still many of the Doric columns of the temple
of Apollo still stand. They are the first things you notice as you go in the
gate. It was built around 560 BC. Now at this point, you begin to realize how
significant the structures around you are given their age.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYCQSRZ17eQxOlmRq-_9-sCyXi1ow-sQW_F-uLZw84HmgYKLsqXmg3ZkD5KgobLdg962dolJnf-c1QTtZSZ_kyGx1Sv_0oyaY6LIXgmEh8UQSrabkOt8rtuzF3dMNrozo2dV7lB0El7TEJdw4cvjWul4YpBvtvI2rSo4ofqMpf3MGYfRkGnGHWHw/s5184/IMG_3944.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYCQSRZ17eQxOlmRq-_9-sCyXi1ow-sQW_F-uLZw84HmgYKLsqXmg3ZkD5KgobLdg962dolJnf-c1QTtZSZ_kyGx1Sv_0oyaY6LIXgmEh8UQSrabkOt8rtuzF3dMNrozo2dV7lB0El7TEJdw4cvjWul4YpBvtvI2rSo4ofqMpf3MGYfRkGnGHWHw/s320/IMG_3944.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We paused at the Bema, the seat of judgement. It was a
raised rostrum in the middle of the Roman forum and would have been in the
center of the city where it is said Paul was brought to trial for preaching a
new religion to the Jews at the synagogue. Acts 18 tells the story. The Jews
brought Paul before the proconsul, Gallio, and accused him. Gallio said he
could not pass judgement on something that had to do with Jewish laws. It was
up to the synagogue leaders. The crowd turned on Sosthenes, the synagogue
leader, and beat him instead. Later, during the Byzantine era, the Bema was
made into a church.<o:p></o:p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGwS4P5IBfLIubQNnAoTGpfAYbixvbaBmJdbbt8mC3_NKDHXlF-W6JcS1Kkoop0oQ12pcdkvoZkTtjlWjgM4JO3vEKmf_1dup43r-VQ89NpiEZ9VSRBsNTN5FRp13jNxAAc1N-66cmajb3Ro-jaGaD7STC_eXqHUNeDVPzqMm00yaxlTPe3Ris9Q/s5184/IMG_3947.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGwS4P5IBfLIubQNnAoTGpfAYbixvbaBmJdbbt8mC3_NKDHXlF-W6JcS1Kkoop0oQ12pcdkvoZkTtjlWjgM4JO3vEKmf_1dup43r-VQ89NpiEZ9VSRBsNTN5FRp13jNxAAc1N-66cmajb3Ro-jaGaD7STC_eXqHUNeDVPzqMm00yaxlTPe3Ris9Q/s320/IMG_3947.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Bema, the judgement seat</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There was a road, the Lechaion, preserved that led into the
city from the sea. Along the road were shops and baths where sailors could get
supplies and clean themselves up. One spot where we stopped had a large pool,
or fountain, that was fed by four cisterns. The foundations of the shops were
tiny except for one which had a large archway that had been preserved or
reconstructed.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Unfortunately, we could not walk around the whole of the
ancient ruins. I’m sure there was much more to see and learn but our guide
insisted on taking us into the tiny museum which was crowded and full of all
the Roman sculptures and statues and bits and pieces of pottery. I am not a
museum fan especially under crowded circumstances.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPoac1jNf7Jsaj4G0UqTYvNFGDWLeX8RdOL2UHlFuHu132apkMs0duI-MYlPjJ5LMiC0NtdOOEciFIT6a53eoMZzRIJ9An55oG-tLK3W5NeaYgqT4jIBEGMItWrmjLHcI8VNL3vq3E2_wWZPhZPWEs8cJDNLeCUsGZJnxcrbM2rlTKuBzoOsCfzA/s5184/IMG_3955.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPoac1jNf7Jsaj4G0UqTYvNFGDWLeX8RdOL2UHlFuHu132apkMs0duI-MYlPjJ5LMiC0NtdOOEciFIT6a53eoMZzRIJ9An55oG-tLK3W5NeaYgqT4jIBEGMItWrmjLHcI8VNL3vq3E2_wWZPhZPWEs8cJDNLeCUsGZJnxcrbM2rlTKuBzoOsCfzA/s320/IMG_3955.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Two things of interest in the museum however (at least for
me) were the floor mosaics that had been mounted on the wall. One was fully
intact with the head of Dionysos pictured in the center of it.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The other thing that I found interesting mainly because it
related to another place we had been was the healing sanctuary. When someone
was healed, they would make a mold or sculpture of the body part that had been
healed and place it in the place of worship. We visited a church a while back
which I believe was in some part of Greece and the practice was still going on.
There was a huge room full of body parts, crutches, etc., that were placed
there as a thanksgiving offering to the healing.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEcKCCV38IAiZybfIwgHGrHQhWO_RBHovakoiWascfFShqjJDZ-BwOw8ZQPmbRSCvcX1CAm88AirG659_-8Wbsbs4nKOhogR48tQKii_ogBYFpDOfYHu2eaeoB1xJ1C9rlamSnPjCMbWw6pY3oxFousYV1TVYqMoTLwimtGBINk_H7E8tYD3D8vg/s5184/IMG_3959.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEcKCCV38IAiZybfIwgHGrHQhWO_RBHovakoiWascfFShqjJDZ-BwOw8ZQPmbRSCvcX1CAm88AirG659_-8Wbsbs4nKOhogR48tQKii_ogBYFpDOfYHu2eaeoB1xJ1C9rlamSnPjCMbWw6pY3oxFousYV1TVYqMoTLwimtGBINk_H7E8tYD3D8vg/s320/IMG_3959.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There were also two statues of “giants” said to be from the
Apollo temple I think. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">On our way out of the museum, she paused and pointed to an
empty spot on the wall. “That’s where the sign they found from the Jewish
synagogue is supposed to be displayed. It is out for cleaning and repair.” Beneath
the sign was a capital from a column, I believe, that showed several menorahs.
It is all the proof they have been able to find of the synagogue that was
there.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRJJVFdi6D18sNg-Gim8qYHMXFQ__eyi4THibEMmA8JLutzOVBLASSypFkTaXjKSc1idj_hXY-MCqnnrMNwzsJL0yP4g8Z3cNfqdQLlmO7os0BIyIKu4MAunjpnjXoskp4nVzftk0j2fBy7B_AQVuKTjB747MTErKFaoX8QL3QQV1yHitY148yRA/s5184/IMG_3964.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRJJVFdi6D18sNg-Gim8qYHMXFQ__eyi4THibEMmA8JLutzOVBLASSypFkTaXjKSc1idj_hXY-MCqnnrMNwzsJL0yP4g8Z3cNfqdQLlmO7os0BIyIKu4MAunjpnjXoskp4nVzftk0j2fBy7B_AQVuKTjB747MTErKFaoX8QL3QQV1yHitY148yRA/s320/IMG_3964.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As we were making our way to the bus, we noticed a fenced
area with a sign, “Roman Odeum”. It was an open air theater of sorts built in
the first century AD and was said to seat about 3,000 people for drama and
music productions. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Of course no excursion or tour is complete without the
souvenir stop. At least this one was a bit more upscale. It was a ceramic shop
that sold museum reproductions of bowls, plates, etc., even ashtrays! Who knew
they used ashtrays in the early Roman period?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs1W0_zca1gvL499o8aWCoG-BPYgwy9BVdyFGbrj1JP9n7AuarjwOcX27Fgfe4L1TJJDCWL0uwtVeCNiUlcenrIgjAbsiWggFJejWrHFPRSvRlEvA4KtyAkxiP8y1AYo0Fa3SE4LB_NAvYbJm_wgXUEu8wLBWSL6fMtYMuf5ab4U6rxK8as_kdwg/s5184/IMG_3966.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs1W0_zca1gvL499o8aWCoG-BPYgwy9BVdyFGbrj1JP9n7AuarjwOcX27Fgfe4L1TJJDCWL0uwtVeCNiUlcenrIgjAbsiWggFJejWrHFPRSvRlEvA4KtyAkxiP8y1AYo0Fa3SE4LB_NAvYbJm_wgXUEu8wLBWSL6fMtYMuf5ab4U6rxK8as_kdwg/s320/IMG_3966.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />We did a once through in the store and noticed a café adjacent
to it. I opted for a paper cup of coffee rather than a first century
reproduction of a cup. The coffee was good and helped relieve the hunger I was
beginning to feel. It was past lunchtime. Can’t miss a meal on the ship. No
sir.<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ancient Corinth can be reached out of Athens as well as
Nafplion and I’m sure other places along the way. I think it’s about an hour
drive from Athens. Paul walked it in two days but I don’t know that I would
recommend that. They were a lot hardier in Paul’s day. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> A little of our tour guide's humor to leave you with. She said when Greeks don't understand something instead of using the phrase that we normally use, they say, "It's all Chinese to me!"</o:p></p>Wandering Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01445595080265227834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549100.post-1988745142707274512023-10-02T05:00:00.001-04:002023-10-02T05:00:00.154-04:00Athens And The Case Of The Missing Watch<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtutVnn09hSTQ1VZEtQfcVes5g9icpgo2kmLk5EDs2_9sz0lRNco7crj7IRGSMh0ag7IAjnF5NdNkciBds5dSoE-638uq2o1ID4GuV2tkrX1q8sRFxx8tQSNtq6Fkoc_ptaL9lGQW79Rdjyxh_sKCeix_UQQzM6Y-O1FOcPcGTa79R19zklFT66w/s5184/IMG_3906.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtutVnn09hSTQ1VZEtQfcVes5g9icpgo2kmLk5EDs2_9sz0lRNco7crj7IRGSMh0ag7IAjnF5NdNkciBds5dSoE-638uq2o1ID4GuV2tkrX1q8sRFxx8tQSNtq6Fkoc_ptaL9lGQW79Rdjyxh_sKCeix_UQQzM6Y-O1FOcPcGTa79R19zklFT66w/s320/IMG_3906.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />Back when we were about to go ashore to see the Pyramids, we were waiting in line for our tour sticker (the one HAL has you wear and is a dead giveaway that you are a tourist). I was talking with a lady who was also on our tour and she noticed that I had my watch on. "Aren't you afraid of it being stolen? They told us not to wear jewelry."<p></p><p>I answered with, "It is an old watch that has so many scratches and has lost its sheen that I don't mind replacing it if I have to." We came back after our tour and the watch was still on my wrist. Fast forward to our day in Athens.</p><p>The white blouse that went missing in the laundry had been returned and I decided to wear it to dinner. It's a nice blouse, sleeveless with pockets that decorate the front. I laid my skirt and blouse on the bed and tossed my watch on top of my blouse so I could put it back on after my shower. I put my blouse on just as Bob returned from exercising and caught him before his shower to help me get the internet through a hotspot on my iPhone. Being distracted by all that, I didn't think about not having put my watch on until we were halfway down the corridor toward dinner.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpSQMLs8u11wO_Nb8ll72UL2S1UWjvcolbnQOBuT8Frya_724aigM0tU7KJCWDyTsGAJXSYuusdRt620weh62E7pL83slXDEkRnh31bdHZECEpLrrtXK7B26vIAL7BmtBg57rZ2AZLHdeBkNPwFYMMOPCiQhJ_Wt1skuH78Jhr7lyYZuBAwIVC6Q/s640/IMG_2572.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpSQMLs8u11wO_Nb8ll72UL2S1UWjvcolbnQOBuT8Frya_724aigM0tU7KJCWDyTsGAJXSYuusdRt620weh62E7pL83slXDEkRnh31bdHZECEpLrrtXK7B26vIAL7BmtBg57rZ2AZLHdeBkNPwFYMMOPCiQhJ_Wt1skuH78Jhr7lyYZuBAwIVC6Q/s320/IMG_2572.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p> I reached to adjust my watch, a habit, and suddenly realized I didn't have it. We turned back to the room. I knew it would be on the bed. That's where I'd tossed it. Nope. I looked on the floor. Nothing. It was getting late for our reservation so I figured our stateroom attendants would probably pick it up when they straightened the room. </p><p>After dinner and evening activities, we returned to find our room prepared but no watch to be seen anywhere. I took out a clothes hanger and ran it around the floor under the bed. Nothing. Bob got down on hand and knees with the phone light and found nothing. I gave up. It was gone. Funny, now that it was missing, I wasn't happy at all about replacing it. I had it so long, it was a part of me.</p><p>Feeling a little out of sorts, I sat down to work on my blog As I was looking at the computer on my lap I noticed a funny bump in the pocket of my blouse. I reached in and pulled out my watch. It had been there the whole time. Now the question is why didn't I or for that matter Bob notice it? It was a strange lump. Oh well, case solved and a good laugh.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMSopjDHf2z6FqLbQg3iK-EIRVTxP_p-p6DwzsT_ocFwzCQjd3VBfjIWYzgrr5Dkz52CjQ-_v8BAVc_HcB-5LIhoUgKXq_dlCo3hBanFj4pwT629EI2GSCGZThf2BaOGQTUSJ5wAoSVHsXAW9XcOQDaeL9_FKW-VPBjE1HoMJAUr-3_G-of4p4Bg/s640/IMG_2567.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMSopjDHf2z6FqLbQg3iK-EIRVTxP_p-p6DwzsT_ocFwzCQjd3VBfjIWYzgrr5Dkz52CjQ-_v8BAVc_HcB-5LIhoUgKXq_dlCo3hBanFj4pwT629EI2GSCGZThf2BaOGQTUSJ5wAoSVHsXAW9XcOQDaeL9_FKW-VPBjE1HoMJAUr-3_G-of4p4Bg/s320/IMG_2567.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>We arose Sunday morning to begin out trip back into the city of Athens to see the changing of the guard again and this time supposedly with a band and more fanfare. We followed the same routine as the day before with the bus but this time when he got to the stop at the Acropolis he told everyone on the bus we had to get off there. He could go no farther. The roads were closed.</p><p>We got off and considered taking the Metro the driver had suggested but when we looked on Google Maps, it was only a 25 minute walk. We opted for that and soon found out why the roads were closed. There was a Race For The Cure event and there were thousands of people in promotional T shirts lining up for the walk part. I believe the race was already over. </p><p>Weaving our way through the crowds we finally arrived at the Parliament Building and found a spot to watch the guards. The problem was we had another 20 minutes to wait and the sun was getting very warm. I left Bob for a spot in the shade that wasn't perfect viewing but it was cooler. He opted to join me shortly after. We stood eagerly listening for a band but all that appeared were the new guards in the formation we'd seen the previous day. When I discovered that, I let Bob watch and I found a spot out of the pressing crowd to wait for him.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRgHZCGaFXJ6pRVVJB42StT5JRlppxVnSbC_Cd6FW27CplXp5thbtzfyIvJ53iM7t4Z3eyUsJUdQGwbbP2b5V3xU1aGiPtjHFG-lRahzgNU0rqd_uKsj1sesVHxo5cKdAYGIKKORFuMkOgQRAaX7XMpW5ztlHKAi1dprthJpfRV326qJFqn_3SlA/s1280/IMG_1886.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRgHZCGaFXJ6pRVVJB42StT5JRlppxVnSbC_Cd6FW27CplXp5thbtzfyIvJ53iM7t4Z3eyUsJUdQGwbbP2b5V3xU1aGiPtjHFG-lRahzgNU0rqd_uKsj1sesVHxo5cKdAYGIKKORFuMkOgQRAaX7XMpW5ztlHKAi1dprthJpfRV326qJFqn_3SlA/s320/IMG_1886.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>Since the roads were still not open, we sat a bit in the park and then decided to visit the restaurant we'd had lunch in the day begore. Hopefully the bus would be available after we ate. This time we ordered pita bread with tzatziki dip which is Greek yogurt flavored with cucumbers, onions and garlic. We also ordered some sausage that was a little spicy but good and came with what looked like homemade chips but not so crispy. It was all good and we took our time. Onboard time was 10:30 pm and we would get a cab if necessary to get back before dinner. </p><p>The bus was a bit later than scheduled but it showed up and we rode back to the cruise terminal. The ship had not moved but the check in point was now at the next terminal down so we had a bit of a walk and a lot of confusion to get through before finally getting back to our stateroom. It was turnaround day, the day that passengers not continuing debarked and new passengers were embarking. </p><p>Tomorrow would be a day at sea before we begin visiting and revisiting ports including an overnight adventure to Israel. Stay tuned.</p>Wandering Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01445595080265227834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549100.post-33098929074950251232023-10-01T05:00:00.021-04:002023-10-01T07:53:25.785-04:00Athens, Greece<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtSP5FPlDAscBggO59NxaOvDt3FIvhOvypFG4beKW3KHEAmdcFVMoVYx1EO-QW1ZlStxtZ0X-aqZl7Wtw4yUxPOQWuMj0pg_i7cEGgEUZJ6fGwTdWoyepGAq1lzfWQSNjH0eu71Q7xlOuqmAJFYApBmIkkEB71Kh1x-Z60chP69stn70X8KIKpEw/s4184/IMG_3904%20b.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3138" data-original-width="4184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtSP5FPlDAscBggO59NxaOvDt3FIvhOvypFG4beKW3KHEAmdcFVMoVYx1EO-QW1ZlStxtZ0X-aqZl7Wtw4yUxPOQWuMj0pg_i7cEGgEUZJ6fGwTdWoyepGAq1lzfWQSNjH0eu71Q7xlOuqmAJFYApBmIkkEB71Kh1x-Z60chP69stn70X8KIKpEw/s320/IMG_3904%20b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Athens. While parts might be ancient, most of it is a bustling metropolis. But let me start with the port, Piraeus. It too is a large city and a good sized port that services Athens. We awoke to the announcement that the ship was cleared and we could go ashore. Then there was the announcement that onboard for those guests continuing on in the next segment was 10:30 pm the next night. There there was the announcement that there was a shuttle from where we were docked to the cruise terminal. We were totally awake by then.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlBWRsklCqhHV3EUcI4aopRmsDVZYg7CDJS-8gAStcEfaHxJVzh31oVRL8x_QhGgy1IThPkJP07TvbrZCgfjH5VMMiog6Ly31WgJecfnm7vMOP64oRwS-ZZ8naNocuXf0kCRMocMPD6PUOT3LAjWg9ydUqyTZm1UdgaNd3foVdFvPzFaXezLD00w/s4184/IMG_3905%20b.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3138" data-original-width="4184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlBWRsklCqhHV3EUcI4aopRmsDVZYg7CDJS-8gAStcEfaHxJVzh31oVRL8x_QhGgy1IThPkJP07TvbrZCgfjH5VMMiog6Ly31WgJecfnm7vMOP64oRwS-ZZ8naNocuXf0kCRMocMPD6PUOT3LAjWg9ydUqyTZm1UdgaNd3foVdFvPzFaXezLD00w/s320/IMG_3905%20b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Bob had done some research and found a local express bus that went from the port to the city center of Athens. I was a little nervous, I must admit. We've tried local transportation before and it isn't always easy. After breakfast, we took the shuttle which only drove a little ways down the pier to the terminal. We could have walked it just as fast.</p><p>Outside the terminal, there was a pedestrian walkway that led out of the port area to a spot on the street where there were a lot of buses lined up. None of them were the X80 that we needed. Bob asked one driver of another bus and he just pointed to the sign I was under that said X80 and shrugged. Okay.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_t3FO7ARA_-gva46F6WqcEKkJX4lGPNiTT0l75tEoTIas3Jeky6moNbfSzi8oMElSJBTSkUBeQaoUdbT1Sf9kmX8kv3TFlsWR00MlkwA8VwhELZ8uoSuw4mrW43515zvYQrA4Drqp4VX_BRs94fVaMlAUfCT6NrPxB-E8mLCfq0Anw3qBYx4iOg/s5184/IMG_3917.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_t3FO7ARA_-gva46F6WqcEKkJX4lGPNiTT0l75tEoTIas3Jeky6moNbfSzi8oMElSJBTSkUBeQaoUdbT1Sf9kmX8kv3TFlsWR00MlkwA8VwhELZ8uoSuw4mrW43515zvYQrA4Drqp4VX_BRs94fVaMlAUfCT6NrPxB-E8mLCfq0Anw3qBYx4iOg/s320/IMG_3917.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>We waited about five more minutes and lo and behold, the bus with X80 across the top arrived and stopped. There was one other couple that got on with us who had done this before on another trip so we rode together to the ticket office that was actually in the port area or just across from one of the terminals. We bought our roundtrip tickets for 4.10 euros (about $4.40 USD) and we were on our way.</p><p>The trip to Syntagma Square which is a popular place in the city center and near the Parliament Building which also has the tomb of the unknown soldier. We had been in Athens and done a tour a few years ago and the driver had taken us to the palace to see the changing of the guard. We wanted to watch it again. It's quite impressive.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4PumdqKLw9ge_mjLHSDWNh3ETucRAYGyRWu0VOIRwj9PNWgnw4kAkxa7n7-e0KtAxGAGOMddt7ib8ajPRkA5hcVsBUVQBfRL1-AjutA54tgWj94AUv33gzhD8UPioDZ528AF7XjnMkoVGNTkJdBd8AsvJtnHEvwEDwMeo2DHdiUkovd8zMEx5Jg/s5184/IMG_3920.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4PumdqKLw9ge_mjLHSDWNh3ETucRAYGyRWu0VOIRwj9PNWgnw4kAkxa7n7-e0KtAxGAGOMddt7ib8ajPRkA5hcVsBUVQBfRL1-AjutA54tgWj94AUv33gzhD8UPioDZ528AF7XjnMkoVGNTkJdBd8AsvJtnHEvwEDwMeo2DHdiUkovd8zMEx5Jg/s320/IMG_3920.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>The bus trip took between 30-40 minutes, most of which was on a freeway but the beginning of it took us around another harbor and marina for yachts and sailboats that was very picturesque. The bus also had a stop at the Acropolis but we passed on that. Been there, done that, didn't want to climb up again.</p><p>The bus dropped us right in front of a McDonald's so it would be easy to find the stop again. We had already passed the tomb and saw a crowd watching the changing of the guard at the 10 o'clock hour. With a little time to kill before the next change, we opted for coffee at McD's and with it the opportunity for a potty stop. The coffee was way too strong but the restroom was nice and clean. With your order you received a code on your receipt that got you into the restrooms. </p><p>We made it back to the tomb just in time to watch the ceremony for the changing of the guard. They make a strange choreographed step, swinging their leg out and back before taking a step. The replacements were wearing white uniforms rather than the beige ones worn by the guards at the earlier hour. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA3A6tFueN3k80GWApKJ7O2mnY4EzEO2aAipW2KevBru1uM-V-eCJzDGF78ivS32m9vzSMAUi0IrHBHEaEH-42ngHq_3KQsdiBOsx29zmFRrc_wf50WM-MYkn6JQYCXaLyglyGEJqIK11dK_VEQouEGTiP2rmblY-RoDxHTEztoQmYBoKO_DsLeA/s5184/IMG_3919.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA3A6tFueN3k80GWApKJ7O2mnY4EzEO2aAipW2KevBru1uM-V-eCJzDGF78ivS32m9vzSMAUi0IrHBHEaEH-42ngHq_3KQsdiBOsx29zmFRrc_wf50WM-MYkn6JQYCXaLyglyGEJqIK11dK_VEQouEGTiP2rmblY-RoDxHTEztoQmYBoKO_DsLeA/s320/IMG_3919.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Once the change of positions was accomplished, another soldier in camo uniform approached each guard and made sure his pleated skirt was in order as well as his vest, the tail on his hat and his vest was adjusted just right. Once each passed muster, the soldier stepped away and the guards were left to finish their hour of duty at attention, not blinking, for the rest of the hour.</p><p>It was getting close to the noon hour and we sat for a bit in the park in the square deciding what we wanted to do. My GPS My City app showed a few things close to us but nothing that really interested us.</p><p>"How about lunch here somewhere?" I suggested. "By the time we get back to the ship it will be past time for lunch." It wasn't that we couldn't get food. It was more that it would be past our usual lunchtime. A friend asked how we stay healthy on our travels and aside from frequent hand washing and Purell, I think some of it has to do with trying to keep to a schedule of meals and sleep. We establish a routine and stick to it as much as possible.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWTHQA4O0XHlv2mgnXACM9sLJRBPTLIvkcV3w37v8x17a0LjHmEwziQknsqmE5U2cYfjfh6a-6DTFXHe1eGfw5hbccQgoPPAPVqyya7x4wqakx9Dyjv9HWu-pH4eX8m8GrLm3Ch5viL1xXnugQ_6o9_MRsC9IN6c1JPFBQx_N7qa7XMNPV36Bzxw/s640/IMG_2564.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWTHQA4O0XHlv2mgnXACM9sLJRBPTLIvkcV3w37v8x17a0LjHmEwziQknsqmE5U2cYfjfh6a-6DTFXHe1eGfw5hbccQgoPPAPVqyya7x4wqakx9Dyjv9HWu-pH4eX8m8GrLm3Ch5viL1xXnugQ_6o9_MRsC9IN6c1JPFBQx_N7qa7XMNPV36Bzxw/s320/IMG_2564.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>A ways down the street from the square we found a nice restaurant that had tables just off the sidewalk and out of the congestion. The menu was quite extensive with all sorts of appetizers, plates and larger meals. We ordered an appetizer of skewered meatballs that came with a little salad, some diced tomato and a small pita with yogurt underneath it. We also ordered some pita on the side. It was perfect. Just enough to satisfy and get a taste of Greek food as well.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLaiu3yrD-kieP2iy7uuv-cE_PP8mxvO3LAVlgsxTqDE7OvxQ9wGc4K3JiKgn0SwP72_zTagQAVPgD8bMsX7s30qGh6-eI2xb4-1oSwBFvpzMTXs3Y6_9hyh7idERCO_WdG3_xMyV8Pl5WWXnjr2CcIk5kpBq07oQ3oex4yoAysXAUT95KptLgXw/s640/IMG_2565.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLaiu3yrD-kieP2iy7uuv-cE_PP8mxvO3LAVlgsxTqDE7OvxQ9wGc4K3JiKgn0SwP72_zTagQAVPgD8bMsX7s30qGh6-eI2xb4-1oSwBFvpzMTXs3Y6_9hyh7idERCO_WdG3_xMyV8Pl5WWXnjr2CcIk5kpBq07oQ3oex4yoAysXAUT95KptLgXw/s320/IMG_2565.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />Our wait for the bus was not long. The neat thing was that there was an electronic display that showed its estimated arrival time. We boarded, tapped our tickets on the meter box that was just inside the door and we were on our way. The trip home took less time than it had getting to the square.<p></p><p>And we planned to do it all again in the morning. You see on Sundays at 11 we found out that they do the changing of the guard with a band. So, why not? We know how to get there and I'm up for another Greek lunch at that restaurant. </p>Wandering Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01445595080265227834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549100.post-10073945351186190482023-09-30T05:00:00.001-04:002023-09-30T09:22:57.869-04:00Santorini, Greece<p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaqrsdPF8-JEtzNO_v31XfU_PbpiBCmDAoP8sEsofTKflWx-YcLHOW7vzMXnhhsY9SCc1XnhRTHTz9Wa0qyzKpuDFUb-sseu4qks57lyIbz8WTDsXzbXXcNM2qXC50qVFEvkPR3q-cGIPeqm27aevaR_rNEulCBeGlfPmBlUYYNq5tVNPwfyTkGA/s640/IMG_2561.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaqrsdPF8-JEtzNO_v31XfU_PbpiBCmDAoP8sEsofTKflWx-YcLHOW7vzMXnhhsY9SCc1XnhRTHTz9Wa0qyzKpuDFUb-sseu4qks57lyIbz8WTDsXzbXXcNM2qXC50qVFEvkPR3q-cGIPeqm27aevaR_rNEulCBeGlfPmBlUYYNq5tVNPwfyTkGA/s320/IMG_2561.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our ride to shore</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Back in 2012 we finished a cruise that ended in Athens and then flew to Santorini for a four day stay. It was a beautiful four days. You might even call it romantic. It's hard not to feel romantic when you explore Santorini. It is a beautiful place.</p><p>So, when our ship anchored in the caldera, the volcano basin that forms the harbor of the town of Fira, we hoped to revisit some of the places we had enjoyed. At least this day the weather looked to cooperate. The sun was shining brightly and the temperature was very comfortable. Since we didn't have a tour, we took our time with breakfast thinking that the rush to tenders would be over when we were ready to leave. We hoped it wouldn't be as bad as the day at Mykonos.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Q40v6SyDCETAgSpVgiWmgI0bw_hOoEEILbvY4RV1Nqoe_rcXsC1S_6gJVtzGF9HAHopjBDfXQa7koEFPfX-B5g_fT4Ghc7MNgCUNFMl6EDA2BZtgyJH_pwoCGMdtTLXyEtYbqj0Ua7dmUqq77oq7lLo0-JrdVBmZTVg0SJBST8pimd8iBEn8yg/s5184/IMG_3903.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Q40v6SyDCETAgSpVgiWmgI0bw_hOoEEILbvY4RV1Nqoe_rcXsC1S_6gJVtzGF9HAHopjBDfXQa7koEFPfX-B5g_fT4Ghc7MNgCUNFMl6EDA2BZtgyJH_pwoCGMdtTLXyEtYbqj0Ua7dmUqq77oq7lLo0-JrdVBmZTVg0SJBST8pimd8iBEn8yg/s320/IMG_3903.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Switchback trail to the top</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p>To our surprise an announcement came just as we finished breakfast that it was open tender time. That meant that you didn't need a tender ticket. You could go directly to the tender platform. When we looked over the side from the Promenade Deck we saw nice big local Greek boats that were tendering so the operation was going a lot faster...from ship to shore.</p><p>The only way to get to the town from where the tenders docked was either by donkey, walking uphill and up about a hundred steps as well or taking the cable car. There was no way we would ride a donkey up the steep switchback trail. Walking up was out of the question as well. That left the cable car. We'd done that before from a cruise ship and it was a pleasant ride. What wasn't pleasant this trip was an influx of about 10,000 cruise passengers from four ships that were anchored nearby.</p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMeoYJiz1uiyE_YiZVzObrxXX9XJ5EJhyphenhyphenFD8cNIFTY7r_VrmCrtGjhiALJyzVnXrNuagcOOY7B8DvC33puFGMak7QlHDygMnrqB_MmJ5MTIAm3q7SGqmo1cf76Z1cyDiwAGv6kQVmkgLxobQNRzvLZ9GKFI8J6ZitApWV6_6Wvwxxn3CZDmtaUDg/s640/IMG_2559.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMeoYJiz1uiyE_YiZVzObrxXX9XJ5EJhyphenhyphenFD8cNIFTY7r_VrmCrtGjhiALJyzVnXrNuagcOOY7B8DvC33puFGMak7QlHDygMnrqB_MmJ5MTIAm3q7SGqmo1cf76Z1cyDiwAGv6kQVmkgLxobQNRzvLZ9GKFI8J6ZitApWV6_6Wvwxxn3CZDmtaUDg/s320/IMG_2559.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cable car</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Now some of those passengers were going on tours which were tendered to a different dock where buses awaited. Let's say a generous 30% went on tours. That left about 7,000 to try to make it up the hill to town. The cable cars take about 600 passengers an hour according to what I read. That would make about ten hours to get them all up the hill. I don't think it took all that long, but when we saw the line that was at least more than an hour long, we turned around and wove our way back through the crowd and back onto the tender to return to the ship.</p><p>Disappointed a bit but ready to spend a "sea day" in port. We gathered our decks of cards, stopped by the Dutch Cafe and got our coffees and headed down to the game room where there were nice tables to play on. Bob got even with my run of card luck and by the time we were ready for lunch I was ready to cry, "Uncle!"</p><p>The ship was quiet. The weather was perfect and the view was lovely. We sat for a long time on our balcony and enjoyed the restful time together. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Ou5b2-o7CwtfN9DKeV_GDJeQ_nqd-RvArp1ftnFlASKfNCcGsNEGW23XsyBvL5_rZee80IACdnAhFeh4zYIHjU2LV0p93x4fI77ThYqgTrMTA85wpBlNwDJn85tIysKEUigYJzuAvGQ7a9fgadjE1BGVB3K7gWpkfVL-O4037u1Yy_wmIkzClw/s640/IMG_2562.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Ou5b2-o7CwtfN9DKeV_GDJeQ_nqd-RvArp1ftnFlASKfNCcGsNEGW23XsyBvL5_rZee80IACdnAhFeh4zYIHjU2LV0p93x4fI77ThYqgTrMTA85wpBlNwDJn85tIysKEUigYJzuAvGQ7a9fgadjE1BGVB3K7gWpkfVL-O4037u1Yy_wmIkzClw/s320/IMG_2562.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>So, we didn't get to see Fira, Santorini, again close up but the day couldn't have been nicer if we had. It ended with a glorious sunset over the caldera.</p><p> On to Athens...</p>Wandering Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01445595080265227834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549100.post-8355180184952855182023-09-30T04:30:00.017-04:002023-09-30T04:30:00.156-04:00Mykonos Island, Greece<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihN2fnxG_woQOuSpXnoo6ccQ7NDw7T89ppmdmbSU_fdUT0L7ZSUrT0xZpcXG300a0uhVoslqlFVIAFIjJlWCEXozJYKNQU3w4DGSrK65EX7P1XG-UE6G-tf3nzOs14JUrXBQ2wZbKOR7MNT-DI0yr35cOei_moJrve27Zd9o7PrOg_7ctns-rgLA/s640/IMG_2550.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihN2fnxG_woQOuSpXnoo6ccQ7NDw7T89ppmdmbSU_fdUT0L7ZSUrT0xZpcXG300a0uhVoslqlFVIAFIjJlWCEXozJYKNQU3w4DGSrK65EX7P1XG-UE6G-tf3nzOs14JUrXBQ2wZbKOR7MNT-DI0yr35cOei_moJrve27Zd9o7PrOg_7ctns-rgLA/s320/IMG_2550.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>How exciting to finally get to visit Mykonos, a place we’d
never been before. Preparation for the visit included listening to a video of
port information and then a Q&A with the cruise/travel director who talked
of having to tender to the new port and then take a SeaBus (ferry) to the old
port. There was a land bus but she didn’t recommend it as the SeaBus was faster
and more convenient.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We were ready. Bob had gone online and gotten a code number
from the SeaBus. You couldn’t purchase tickets ahead of time but supposedly the
code would get you the opportunity to purchase the ticket on the dock or ferry.
The cost would be $2/each one way. Now we just had to get off the ship. Not so
easy.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">After a nice leisurely breakfast which we thought would
allow plenty of time for the rush to the tenders to be over, we headed down to
the lounge where the tender tickets were being handed out. The lounge was
packed with people waiting for their ticket to be called and the line was a bit
long to get the tickets. When we did, we learned the wait would be about an
hour before our group would be called. To alleviate the crowded lounge we were
told we could wait anywhere on the ship. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We returned to the room and I charged my phone one more time
to be sure we would have enough battery life for the GPS My City walk we
planned to take. The weather forecast showed a 30% chance of rain and there
were a few iffy clouds around so we decided to take one umbrella along just in
case although at that point chances for rain were supposed to dwindle.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihWMk6UgbOp8QVc9qDKsD5U3AGZB6-Vtle3M8qsKDUfjDaEKkZFhyFDcqFbAnimjzhV2AI4w8t_fY7xXmaGNc8j1YafLw5XRcoSe7UmIWLuVT_PAhaptcivR-HewHhyphenhyphenk7kvIvgUY_egK6Ysi6-1DSAD-b7Ms0132XPPfwyQjY-pTwvpB2nNYkFbA/s5184/IMG_3896.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihWMk6UgbOp8QVc9qDKsD5U3AGZB6-Vtle3M8qsKDUfjDaEKkZFhyFDcqFbAnimjzhV2AI4w8t_fY7xXmaGNc8j1YafLw5XRcoSe7UmIWLuVT_PAhaptcivR-HewHhyphenhyphenk7kvIvgUY_egK6Ysi6-1DSAD-b7Ms0132XPPfwyQjY-pTwvpB2nNYkFbA/s320/IMG_3896.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">An hour later we were finally on our way, the sun shining
although once in a while a cloud would hide it. It was keeping the temps down
to a comfortable level though. The ride into the new port wasn’t bad but as we
exited the open tender which was a local Greek boat, we could feel a little
spritz of rain. No problem. A misty rain we could handle.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The SeaBus was just across a couple of lanes that led into a
parking area and we crossed over to it, purchased our tickets and got in line
to board. Just as we were next to board, it filled up and we were directed to
another boat which was really a glass bottom tour boat that was put into
service to handle our ship traffic as well as another smaller cruise ship that was
docked there.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDQkiA0j3lw-laCOhGkO19Qw9kzzxQmwBVrzR1JtA7GT4dRJjjo93ifuteDGr3tisTRrEB9w9KIrDOHW5bOV8XK8gmO2GC3HDLdgjsPFMfAbObnomZ_Miy5-ufKAehqm8tebOtDktTOyy0SX9vQnUbYo8_AeKhYlG7yGKraUp5992xnftRE7-tbA/s5184/IMG_3900.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDQkiA0j3lw-laCOhGkO19Qw9kzzxQmwBVrzR1JtA7GT4dRJjjo93ifuteDGr3tisTRrEB9w9KIrDOHW5bOV8XK8gmO2GC3HDLdgjsPFMfAbObnomZ_Miy5-ufKAehqm8tebOtDktTOyy0SX9vQnUbYo8_AeKhYlG7yGKraUp5992xnftRE7-tbA/s320/IMG_3900.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />Thankfully we found a seat undercover because about halfway
to the Old Port those who were on the open deck above started streaming down
the stairs. It had begun to rain. Not hard…yet.<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">On shore, we found a canopy to stand under and pull up the
map for our walk. The rain let up a bit and we started out. We found the first
little chapel of St. Nicholas which we had actually passed by just off the
SeaBus. The next church, Church of Panagia Papaortiani, was a little harder to
figure out. The streets are more like walkways between buildings. Nothing is
marked with names that we could see and none of them made any sense. Add to
that, it was beginning to rain again. We found the place and quickly took pictures of the unusual
church which is really five churches that have been built on the sight over the
years beginning around 1425.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As we rounded the church and began to find our way to the
next sight we wanted, the unusual windmills, it started raining a bit harder
and the wind picked up. Bob had the umbrella up but by now, we were wishing we
had brought both of them with us. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The path to the windmills took us through several outdoor
cafes, literally. The path goes right through them. People were gathered there
almost filling each one as it was the only cover around. With the wind picking
up however, those closest to the water’s edge would soon be running for cover
as the waves splashed against the wall next to the tables.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_PY71IjN2Jxsk9NSsscWP6fD1hjdSSh78D8rql9kEdY82rg0qIKx1orQvG8Ggu-wcf2PZcl9BP-LzPfqe3pNHyzKBb3YvzCagUq-UCqQzRb3XlebAINEHvnV873uBr2MomBDZUiVeW84uR0fTsAu7iC645HUHasuzGUpmVpjr2CBf8t04iuaT2g/s5184/IMG_3899.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_PY71IjN2Jxsk9NSsscWP6fD1hjdSSh78D8rql9kEdY82rg0qIKx1orQvG8Ggu-wcf2PZcl9BP-LzPfqe3pNHyzKBb3YvzCagUq-UCqQzRb3XlebAINEHvnV873uBr2MomBDZUiVeW84uR0fTsAu7iC645HUHasuzGUpmVpjr2CBf8t04iuaT2g/s320/IMG_3899.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As we got to a point where we could see the windmills in the
distance, we took a picture and then ducked into the only cover we could find,
a bar. Surprisingly, it was empty but for another couple. We waited for someone
to ask if we wanted to order anything but no one seemed to care. Finally I got
up and fetched our own menu and we finally got the waitress to take an order
for some beverages. Meanwhile, the rain was pouring down and people were
ducking in wherever they could find cover.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When our drinks were finished and our commiseration with two
other couples who had come in was done, we decided we’d better head back. It
didn’t look like it was letting up. By that time the walkways were flooded.
Water was pouring down toward us from drain pipes as well as the clouds. Of
course all of the storm water would drain toward the lower part and into the
sea right where we were. It was useless to try and find a dry spot to walk or
even just slight puddles. Around one corner it was like a running creek. Our shoes
were hopelessly soaked.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We weren’t as bad off as some who had absolutely no
protection and looked like drown rats. When we reached the dock, all of us were led to a larger ferry
boat and taken to the new port. From there those of us who still had to
tender out to our ship made it to the tenders that awaited to carry disappointed visitors back to the ship.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSjXl1nRfn3BxEcD66FtoALQ4n9KhEmdBdsRz3JNAPeaTBQkg387vE3phsua16lRbhB1Qqt7iRwpVMBGpw5j32o5WZGdzMkx9DUdoAeZTkSojIu4EKbhf-TIvok2UmmivILZBep9MYiW6VixD7gB-z-2njI3PFAx8B-4CviOWa3LEl8x8zSbyZjg/s640/IMG_2553.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSjXl1nRfn3BxEcD66FtoALQ4n9KhEmdBdsRz3JNAPeaTBQkg387vE3phsua16lRbhB1Qqt7iRwpVMBGpw5j32o5WZGdzMkx9DUdoAeZTkSojIu4EKbhf-TIvok2UmmivILZBep9MYiW6VixD7gB-z-2njI3PFAx8B-4CviOWa3LEl8x8zSbyZjg/s320/IMG_2553.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />And guess what? No sooner were we onboard the ship, the sun broke
through and the rain clouds dispersed. By then there was no going back. It was
time for dinner. And for us, that was just fine. Even though we could have returned, the
ship stayed until 10:30 that night, we knew we were coming back in a week on
the second segment of our cruise. We would just hope for better weather.<o:p></o:p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Showered, dressed and warmed by a good dinner, we went outside and walked the Promenade Deck since the ship was still in port and not moving so there was no wind. What there was though was breathtaking. A beautiful moon rose above the island of Mykonos and shimmered on the water before us. Peace.</p>Wandering Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01445595080265227834noreply@blogger.com0