The Acropolis and Sicily

Athens, while located in a beautiful climate was a bit of a mess when we were there. The municipal sanitary workers were on strike protesting austerity measures. Our lady tour guide was disgusted and had many insights into the monetary wreckage that Greece is facing, one that floored me was a law that did not allow the dismissal of government or municipal employees.

After a city tour past all the new stadiums and facilities that were constructed for the 2004 Olympics, our guides opinion was that the costs of these Olympics contributed largely to Greece's monetary issues.  The costs of these games was about 11 billion dollars, not including construction costs of new transit systems that were installed to accommodate the amount of people coming. Most of this cost, according to the guide, was paid for by borrowed money at high interest rates.

The Acropolis, situated on a high rocky hill, is one of the highlights of Athens. It consists of many buildings including the Parthenon. Now a European Cultural site the total area is one large heritage site.



One of the many temples at the Acropolis

Constructed in the 5th century BC the Acropolis was a palace and had several temples added to worship the various gods of the Ancient Greeks, the main one being Athena. As with other cities and other ancient structures the Acropolis has been destroyed and rebuilt several times. Mostly in wars between the Persians and Greece, the structures were repaired during the time of Alexander and during the Roman periods.

The Parthenon

The Parthenon, originally constructed as a temple to the goddess Athena through the years was used as a treasury, a church, a mosque and a munitions storage site. A explosion of munitions stored inside the Parthenon during the Ottoman rule did severe damage to the structure.

Base of a column

The stones used to construct the Parthenon, large enough for the columns, were transported about 10 miles from a quarry on an adjacent hill. The construction took 300 men 9 years and another 5 years to complete the artistic decorations. They have being working on restoration since 1937 and this work continues today.

Temple dedicated to the Greek hero Erichthonius

Built into the mountain side between the Acropolis and the flats were at least two out door theaters. These were used for plays and political gatherings.

Theater of the Acropolis
 

After the Acropolis we went back to the main city and stopped at the stadium built in Athens for the original Olympics. Seating around 50,000 people this stadium is now only used sporadically.

The first Olympic Stadium

Now over to Sicily, I was looking forward to see all those Mafioso type guys running around, but no such luck, every one was pretty much just like me! No guided tours here as we took a long walk to a bus station and took the public bus to the little town of Taormina.

Perched on high cliffs overlooking the Mediterranean, Taormina, although having a Greek and Roman past is more of a medieval atmosphere.

Taormina Beaches, accessible by tram.

The road to the town is as steep and curvy as anything in South America, difference is this one is paved. Most corners so sharp that oncoming vehicles had to stop and back up to let the bus around the corner. The town itself is surrounded by walls and entry is through rock gates.

Taormina Gate

Inside are many restaurants and unique little shops selling all sorts of olive oil, wine, ceramics and other Italian souvenirs.

Taormina Street!

Lunch in the rain, a nice glass of wine and just a relaxing day in a very pleasant little town. This is a place to revisit some day.

Taormina scenery

Next stop Napoli and Pompeii.










Mother Mary and Cleopatra

Turkish Culture

Kusadasi, Turkey was the only port where we where welcomed into the country by a group of cultural dancers. It was a nice moment. Kusadasi itself is a tourist town that will now basically shut down for the next five months. Full of carpet and jewellery shops, most will put their goods in storage and go on their own vacations. Business starts up again in April when the first cruise ship is back.

What a total surprise when I found out that after the Jews were excelled from Israel, John, who Jesus had asked to care for his mother, had brought Mary to the area of Ephesus. Ephesus is one of the best preserved classical cities in the Mediterranean and of the Roman Empire.

The house where Mary lived is just outside Ephesus, as well as the Shrine of Virgin Mary. 

Statue of Mary at the Shrine

The entrance to Mary's house

Thousands of people, both Christian and Muslim, make a pilgrimage here as Mary is holy in in both religions. As part of the shrine, is the well that provided water for Mary while she lived. Believed to be sacred many people go to the well to make wishes and take small containers of the water home.

 

Capturing some Sacred Water

Ephesus has been inhabited since 6000 BC, but came into it's glory under the Greek and Roman Empires. The site contains the largest collection of Roman ruins in the eastern Mediterranean with an estimated 15% excavated. It had the largest library, the Celsuis Library, in the Empire, built in the 2nd century AD, holding 12,000 scrolls and a large auditorium. A two story structure with four female statues at the front representing Wisdom, Virtue, Fate and Knowledge.

 

The Celsuis Library

There is too much at this site to put into a single blog so have shortened to my favorite sites. I found the public latrines of interest, especially as they were heated by slaves during the colder months, not sure how the heat system worked, maybe they sat on them prior to their masters!

 

Complete with underground drainage system

The Great Theater used for concerts, plays, political speeches and at one time by St Paul was also built in the second century AD. The theater held up to 25,000.

 

The Great Theater

The streets and avenues in Ephesus are much the same today as they were at its greatest time. Being a bit of a history buff, or at least liking to see these old cities, it was a thrill for me to walk these avenues where Alexander the Great, Mark Anthony and Cleopatra had once walked. At one point we were entertained by a group of actors portraying the Emperor watching a Gladiator  fight!

 

All Hail the Emperor!

But even these old cities must adapt to modern methods.

 

This old cobble road is smoother than the field!

Eventually destroyed by the Goths after the fall of the Roman Empire, to me Ephesus is one place in the world that portrays how these ancient conquerors lived at the height of their time.



Permanent Residents

We spent the last part of our day wandering around the shops in Kusadasi. Most of the shop keepers were offering "almost free" deals on their goods as the tourist season was drawing to an end. We spent time in jewellery shops (where we were also offered flats for rent), as well as watches, rings and bangles. The highlight though was going to a carpet shop, where the hand weaving of carpets was explained and demonstrated. The skill demonstrated by the lady was enormous.

Hand weaving a carpet.

During the demonstration the shop owner had his helpers flip carpets out on the floor, each with an explanation of the village it was made in, the quality of the fabric, (cotton, wool or silk) and the quality of the carpet itself, determined by the knots per square inch. More knots, higher price - cotton is the least costly while silk is the most expensive.  Once the show was over, Loreen the negotiator, decided she wanted a living room size wool carpet, high knot content, for the price of a living room size, cotton carpet, low knot content. Now this was entertainment! The poor guys probably laid down another twenty carpets during the negotiations. Loreen had to give a little bit, but she did get a carpet that satisfied her.

 

 

 

 

 

 



Nazareth and Galilee

A day trip from Haifa took us to the central mountains of Israel to Nazareth and then down into the valley of the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan River.

We travelled through irrigated farm land outside of Haifa up into the foothills and passes of the mountains. Israel does not get much rain and with the start of the rainy season all Israeli's were happy, they need every drop they can get. Israel has massive water pipelines taking potable and irrigation water to places that just get no precipitation.

Not being able to import any oil from the oil rich nations bordering Israel they import from the US and as such have moved to alternate means of generating hydro, mostly through solar. Every building has solar panels on the roofs.

As the name suggests the tour was about visiting the areas where Christianity was born through Christ and his followers. I am not a religious person and was interested in the total history of the area, a Holy Land tour is a Holy Land tour, so I am putting down what we saw and where we went.

First stop the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth, this is where the announcement from the Angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary of the coming birth took place.

Motif of the Angel and Mary, Church of the Annunciation



This is a very large beautiful church, as Catholic Church's can be, with grottos and Churches of other faiths near by.

Into the Grotto



Although Jesus grew up in Nazareth, most of his preaching was done around the Sea of Galilee and the Jordon River. He lived at Capernaum with Peter, and as his congregation and followers grew, they continued to build new walls around the original home. What started as a one room dwelling became much more.

The stone wall foundations of the home of Peter and Jesus



The Mount of Beatitudes, where Jesus delivered the sermon on the Mount is now home to a Catholic Church funded by the Italian government. Then we drove back into the valley for a stop on the Galilee where the miracle of the loaves and fishes was and to a kibbutz hotel for lunch.

The Sea of Galilee

 We drove down the east side of the Galilee, through a lush valley full of kibbutz's. These are communal style farms established on the edges of the Israel borders and some have become very wealthy, now owning factories, hotels and other businesses. The people that started these wanted to be at the edge of any intrusion into Israel and while I surmised they were ultra religious, was informed that while of Jewish descent, most were atheists.

Kibbutz farm homes

This drive followed the western base of the Golan Heights and I was able to get the guide to point out the escarpments the Israelis ascended at night under the guns of the Syrian army bombarding the Galilee during the Six Day War of 1967. While we were in Israel, Syrian forces came into the no go zone patrolled by the UN. This had Israel a bit excited. 

At the southern end of the Sea of Galilee, the River Jordon starts its journey south through Israel and Jordon. This is where John baptised Jesus and today it is a great tourist and pilgrimage stop while in Israel.

Modern day Baptism in the River Jordan

Over looking the River Jordan

The Holy Land

Wow, what an opportunity to see all the places were the beginning of Christianity came from. We ported in Ashdod, Israel, which is the transportation port of the country. Israel itself is a very small country, about 750kms from north to south and 150kms at its widest point east to west. It was bigger, but Israel gave the Siana, east of the Suez Canal, back to Egypt for a peace agreement and most of the West Bank of the Jordan River to Jordan for a peace treaty. 

A great portion of the land around Jerusalem was ruled by Jewish Kings until the Jews were conquered and then exiled from their home lands by the Roman legions. Now it is a country of about 8 million (20% Arab) that wakes up each morning wondering if they will be bombed by some neighboring company bent on eliminating the Jewish race.

We took a day trip to Tel Aviv, the commercial and financial center of the country. Tel Aviv is a big modern city with lots of new high rises and ongoing construction. Tel Aviv adjoins Jaffa, which may be the oldest port in the world.

Then to Jerusalem, the focal point of Christianity and Judaism and also considered a holy place by Islam. A city of old and new, contrasts and complexities, Jerusalem has something to offer every one. Originally named the capital of Israel in 996 BC by King David, Jerusalem has been conquered and partially destroyed by Romans, Muslims, Crusaders, The Ottoman Empire, Britain, Jordan and present day Israel.

At the Mount of Olives, place of the Ascension, we wandered through olive groves hundreds of years old and visited the Church of Ascension. From there we could also see the wall that separates Jerusalem from Bethlehem, which is located within The Palestinian Authority of the West Bank.

Olive Trees at the Church of Ascension, Mount of Olives

The old city of Jerusalem is totally surrounded by walls built and maintained by various conquerors over the years. The temple that Solomon built has been destroyed, rebuilt and destroyed throughout the the years. The Dome of the Rock Mosque was built over the original temple site by Muslim's in 632.

Dome of the Rock

Gate into the Old City

Only the Western Wall, called the "Wailing Wall" still exists. Within a few meters of the Wailing Wall there are at least three churches, two mosques and a synagogue. It seems that all religions come into this area to worship peacefully.

Loreen at the Western Wall




As men and women cannot pray in the same areas at the wall, I was off to the men's section.

Heading to pray!

There are several huge church buildings in Israel that have multiple Churches inside. Adjacent to the Western Wall is is the Church of the Holy Sepulcher which is shared by numerous Christian denominations. This large building and its multiple churches are built on the site where Jesus was crucified, entombed and resurrected.

Then we were off to walk the Via Dolorosa (Way of the Cross) the mile long route that Jesus walked with the cross from the point of condemnation to Crucifixion. At that time the route was through wide streets and open fields, today it a very narrow street with shops on both sides and full of people. We met about 5,000 Muslim's on their way to the Dome of the Rock for noon prayers, we tourists going the opposite way probably out numbered them, so it made for crowded streets.

First Place Jesus dropped the Cross

Bethlehem, best known for the birth place of Jesus, was also the birthplace of King David. Bethlehem is under the Palestinian Authority, so the procedure is drive to the security point with an Israeli guide and then walk through the gate and continue on with a Palestinian guide. We were lucky, our guide was also licensed in Bethlehem so we just went through. He did get a lot of guff from the Palestinians, though.
Bethlehem is mostly populated by Christian Arabs, and there are many Christian shops.

Loreen in the tunnel in the Church of Nativity

We went to the Church of the Nativity, built in 530, built over top of the stable area where Jesus was born. The Church of the Nativity houses three churches, Greek, Armenian and Roman.  The grotto of the birth place is under the church and is open, we did not go as it was too crowded and hundreds of people light candles in the grotto. Just a little too much for us.



Inside the Church of Nativity

Cruising to Egypt

We spent our last day in Italy in the Port of Civitavecchia, a gritty port city on the outskirts of Rome. Then onto the Celebrity Silhouette, our cruise ship for a tour of the Mediterranean, with stops in Egypt, Israel, Turkey, Greece, Sicily, Naples/Pompeii and then back to Rome.

Two days at sea, during which Loreen fed up with the lack of cleanliness in our room, asked guest services for cleaning products so she could clean it to other cruise line standards, resulted in an immediate upgrade to a new room with a balcony!  That's my girl, I would never of thought of that:)

We docked in Alexandria, Egypt (established by Alexander the Great in 332 BC) and spent a day visiting the pyramids, the sphinx, a lunch cruise on the River Nile in Cairo, and a large Muslim mosque. What an amazing day, although it was a little startling when the tour company informed us that every second or third bus would have a plain clothes, armed policeman on it. Not sure if it was to protect us or to protect the locals!

The Pyramids of Giza

Sphinx and his missing nose!

Standing at the front of the sphinx with the pyramids in the background and miles of desert was an experience I will never forget. Scattered around the area are small horse and camel caravans that wind through the desert and the pyramids.



Camel Caravan

Even though these caravans are mostly tourist scams, where they offer a ride for five dollars and then once you are on the camel they want fifty dollars to let you off, it is still a pretty spectacular sight to see.  (Our tour guide negotiated us a deal for $10 which I am sorry now I didn't take). 

Isn't she cute!

It boggles the mind to think of these huge structures being built centuries ago with no motors or hydraulics to get the huge stones up so high. The fitting of the stones together, where there are perfect ninety degree joints is also a mystery to me.

Jointed with a chisel!

Then onto an Egyptian river barge for a one and half hour cruise and buffet lunch on the Nile. The cruise boat was modelled after the ones that are depicted as the Royal Barge in Cleopatra movies.

The River Nile

The food was pretty western style and the big entertainment was the belly dancer from Argentina! Again, we were shadowed by a police boat with two armed policemen the total time we were on the river.

Then off to the Citadel of Salah-El-Din, built between 1176 and 1182, that includes the Alabaster Mosque of Mohamed Ali, not the boxer, a much older Mohamed! Again the place is huge, and built out of alabaster and marble.

The Alabaster Mosque

The excitement of the day took place when Loreen was stormed by a group of 12 to 14 year old school girls that all wanted to practice their English. She was thrilled, they were thrilled and their male teacher angry. Our well educated female guide explained to us the teacher was likely embarrassed that they could converse in English and alarmed that they would talk so freely with a westerner. They even came and asked me my name, which is against some cultural beliefs.

There is still a political gulf between the various groups of people in Egypt. Although most are of the Muslim faith, many are opposed to the present Islamic government, especially the mid twenty to forty year old educated. They are still protesting quietly against the election results.

Florence, Pisa and the Cinque Terre

Calgary-Amsterdam-Florence was a long flight.  Immigration and Customs in Amsterdam was quick and efficient, they stamped our passports even though we never left the airport, and then onto the plane for Florence. Immigration and Customs in Florence consisted of one dog, with his handler, wagging its tail and sniffing luggage.  I guess once you clear customs into the first EU country that's it - there were no more customs in Greece or Turkey.

Florence is a beautiful city, as one local stated it is like an open air city museum, with renaissance buildings and art.  For instance, we stayed at the Machiavelli Palace Hotel which is attached to a church founded in 1206 that belonged to the Knights Templar. In the early 1700's a small convent was built next to the church which is now the hotel. Two noble Florentine families, very famous for their political and commercial initiatives, bought and renovated the convent to this hotel in 1990. 



Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore

There are numerous squares, plazas and cathedrals that have statues and art from all the various renaissance period artists. There were way to many to visit in the time we were there. The original statue of David, by Michelangelo is in the Museum of Academia, but we settled for going to the famous Piazza della Signoria which is a 14th century sculpture showcase where they have a copy of the original David (original was there until the late 1800's).



Copy of David


The Piazza also houses the Loggia of Orcagna, which houses 15 statues by the great masters, who did seem to love nudes and violence!

 

Rape of the Sabine

Ponte Vecchio, built in 1177, is a bridge that crosses the River Arno. Built with stores and shops along both sides it now is home to some 30+ fine jewellery stores and a gold and diamond shopping mecca for tourists.

 

Ponte Vecchio

We took a sight-seeing and wine tasting tour through the Tuscan countryside which included visiting three medieval villages. The countryside is beautiful with rolling hills, large agriculture scenes and quaint villages. 

 

Tuscany in the rain

Then off to Pisa on a day trip to visit the leaning tower. Pisa is a really nice city, friendly and easy to get around. The tower is situated in the Piazza dei Miracoli and was built in 1173 as the bell tower for the Cathedral. It started sinking in 1185 and construction was halted for the next century. Construction then continues and it is what we see today.  

 

Leaning Tower of Pisa and Cathedral

Although the Tower is the big draw to the area, the rest of the Piazza is equally stunning, with both the Cathedral and the Baptistry being beautiful and now a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The Bapistry

After we left Florence, we took the train to La Spezia, where we intended to hike the Cinque Terre trails along the Mediterranean, unfortunately the trails were closed for safety reasons due to rain and mudslides, so we toured the five villages by train.

Houses growing out of the rock in Cinque Terre!

These are colorful little villages hanging off the cliffs above the Mediterranean where the folks still make their living from  fishing and terrace farming.

Cinque Terre Village