Monday, September 26, 2011
Mediterranean Trip - Crete
In Crete, Greece we opted for a day at the beach. We found a public beach walking distance from the boat that was pretty nice. Brady loves playing in the sand and getting his toes in the water. Cory was pretty amused with the topless lady who had to be at least 65 years old. I accidentally took some pictures with her in the background, but will spare everyone.
Mediterranean Trip - Kusadasi & Ephesus
The next day we stopped in Kusadasi, Turkey. Our day started bright and early with a tour we had booked through the boat. We would be visiting Mary's house, the ancient city of Ephesus and learning all about making carpets (rugs).
We first stopped at the Virgin Mary's house which she spent several years at and is believed to have lived at until her death. There wasn't much to see other than the small stone house which has been converted to a house of prayer, but there were droves and droves of people.
After Mary's house we took the coach to the ancient town of Ephesus. The condition of this town was pretty incredible. I was impressed by the infrastructure they had in place. They had a sewage and water system, including toilets and other amenities which felt to be advanced for the era. The other thing I found interesting is there were both Christian and Jewish artifacts remaining and that all evidence is that they lived in harmony within their community.
Cory's Mom, Ann, wanted Katie and I to pose in front of Aphrodite the Greek God of Fertility. Not sure what she was trying to tell us, but we complied. I personally thought she looked like the Grape God Dionysys since she was covered in grapes.
We were in Ephesus for several hours before returning to Kusadasi to see a carpet weaving demonstration. This is the part I would call the 'money making' component. I will give it to the carpet guys though they were quite entertaining and did make some pretty nice carpets. It's crazy to thing that a large woven carpet can take up to a year to make and it's all done by sight. No patterns involved. For a small fortune you could have a carpet personally made and even shipped for free. Too bad by the time you get the carpet you may or may not be interested in still having it. I'm pretty sure these guys are in a lucrative business. There were 3-4 guys that seemed to be the 'workers' rolling out the carpets, etc. Then there were 3 guys dressed in fancy clothes & shoes 'supervising' things. They were very nice though and when Brady wasn't interested in the weaving demonstration took Brady and I on a tour of the place and got us a snack.
After the tour we walked around Kusadasi for a bit and visited the market. I bargained for a Messi 'kit' for Brady and was excited that I got a great deal since they are regularly at least $50. We tried it on and the 3T jersey top has to be the size of at least a 5T and the shorts I would say are about 18 - 24 months, but Brady needs to gain at least 5 pounds for the waist to fit. Oh well, it was only $12.
We also found the oh so important playground.
We first stopped at the Virgin Mary's house which she spent several years at and is believed to have lived at until her death. There wasn't much to see other than the small stone house which has been converted to a house of prayer, but there were droves and droves of people.
After Mary's house we took the coach to the ancient town of Ephesus. The condition of this town was pretty incredible. I was impressed by the infrastructure they had in place. They had a sewage and water system, including toilets and other amenities which felt to be advanced for the era. The other thing I found interesting is there were both Christian and Jewish artifacts remaining and that all evidence is that they lived in harmony within their community.
Cory's Mom, Ann, wanted Katie and I to pose in front of Aphrodite the Greek God of Fertility. Not sure what she was trying to tell us, but we complied. I personally thought she looked like the Grape God Dionysys since she was covered in grapes.
After the tour we walked around Kusadasi for a bit and visited the market. I bargained for a Messi 'kit' for Brady and was excited that I got a great deal since they are regularly at least $50. We tried it on and the 3T jersey top has to be the size of at least a 5T and the shorts I would say are about 18 - 24 months, but Brady needs to gain at least 5 pounds for the waist to fit. Oh well, it was only $12.
We also found the oh so important playground.
Mediterranean Trip - Athens
Next stop on the itinerary was Athens, Greece. It was a sweltering day so I felt as if I got my fill of summer heat during the eight hours we were there. In Athens, Cory and I had planned the Woods 'budget' itinerary rather than booking an expensive boat excursion. The boat was about a 25 minute walk from the metro which took us straight into town. The walk to the metro went to plan and we were pleasantly surprised when the train had AC and was not crowded since we were at the end of the metro line. It took about 15 minutes to get into the city and the train stop was about a 15 minute walk from the Parthenon.
What amazed me the most about the Parthenon was not only the massiveness and sophisticated architecture, but the fact that it is built in the highest point in the entire city. One thing that seems to be fairly consistent across ancient civilizations is they build on the most challenging terrain. I'm sure this has something to do with religion and being closer to God, but I keep thinking that surely someone in the group could have rationalized with the others about building somewhere else. I personally would have opted for seaside.
After the Parthenon we walked to the Temple of Olympian Zeus. This was the largest temple in the ancient world for some time, but was destroyed in 3rd century AD and only the entrance remains.
The first Olympic stadium was or next spot of interest. We thought about taking a lap, but since I was battling to not sweat through my clothes decided I would take it in from outside the stadium.
Greece has been in the news a lot for the regular and ongoing protest against the government/debt crisis. Fortunately there were not any protests taking place the day we were there, but we made sure to stop by Parliament to see what has been the backdrop for many of the protests. Throughout the city there were signs of recent protests as there was graffiti and damage almost everywhere we went.
Cory and I both like to sample local cuisine when we travel so we made sure to hit up and authentic Greek restaurant for a late lunch. Cory had a gyro and I had a Greek salad. I was surprised when my salad came out as it was missing the lettuce. Apparently as with many things the 'American version' isn't quite like the actual. My Greek salad consisted of cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, olives, feta cheese and oil. It wasn't what I was expecting, but was good.
Brady's agenda as always was to find a playground. We were successful.
What amazed me the most about the Parthenon was not only the massiveness and sophisticated architecture, but the fact that it is built in the highest point in the entire city. One thing that seems to be fairly consistent across ancient civilizations is they build on the most challenging terrain. I'm sure this has something to do with religion and being closer to God, but I keep thinking that surely someone in the group could have rationalized with the others about building somewhere else. I personally would have opted for seaside.
After the Parthenon we walked to the Temple of Olympian Zeus. This was the largest temple in the ancient world for some time, but was destroyed in 3rd century AD and only the entrance remains.
The first Olympic stadium was or next spot of interest. We thought about taking a lap, but since I was battling to not sweat through my clothes decided I would take it in from outside the stadium.
Greece has been in the news a lot for the regular and ongoing protest against the government/debt crisis. Fortunately there were not any protests taking place the day we were there, but we made sure to stop by Parliament to see what has been the backdrop for many of the protests. Throughout the city there were signs of recent protests as there was graffiti and damage almost everywhere we went.
Cory and I both like to sample local cuisine when we travel so we made sure to hit up and authentic Greek restaurant for a late lunch. Cory had a gyro and I had a Greek salad. I was surprised when my salad came out as it was missing the lettuce. Apparently as with many things the 'American version' isn't quite like the actual. My Greek salad consisted of cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, olives, feta cheese and oil. It wasn't what I was expecting, but was good.
Brady's agenda as always was to find a playground. We were successful.
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