November 18, 2011
Efe, Ephesa, Ephesus was founded about 3,000 years ago and has an impressive collection of ruins. Only about 15% of the city has been excavated in the last 100 plus years and at the rate it is taking will take up to 3,000 more years to complete. The findings are spectacular.
Ionian Greeks settled this part of Asia Minor as early as the 10th century B.C. They founded cities, and rapidly became an important commercial zone. Man of the earliest Greek philosophers and thinkers lived her along the Ionian coast, and not in mainland Greece. The conflict that led to the Greek-Persian Wars began here.
St Paul preached against the multi-breasted goddess Artemis with mixed results and wrote his Letter to the Ephesians, which, by all accounts remains one of his finest works. St. John likely wrote his Gospel here and part of the Book of Revelations may have been started in Ephesus before he was exiled to Patmos.
Ephesus requires walking long distances over extremely uneven terrain. The ships tours specify that it is not a suitable tour for walkers and is not wheelchair accessible and advises people who need assistance to take a different tour or bring someone to assist them. That said we board our bus and watch while several quite elderly people have a very difficult task of getting down the gangway of the ship and even more difficulty getting on the bus. This will designate the tone of the tour that follows.
Our guide is a very informative man named Hasim. He is very personable and explains that Kusadasi itself has a varied history with a few buildings of note. Castillo de Santa Catalina, a Genoese castle dating from the 13th century, was later used as a base by the pirate Barbarossa and his brothers.
There is also a large Caravansary built in 1613 by the Turkish governor Mehmet Pasha. Originally designed as a haven for passing merchants and their camels, it has now been renovated as a luxury hotel.
The local bazaar has grown to be rivaled in Turkey only by the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul. The entire town is a center for tourists and makes its living from this.
Three important cities lie in this area. Smyrna, Sardis, and Pergamum. Smyrna my be the birthplace of the poet Homer. Since Homer’s Iliad is about the siege of Troy, it is significant that Smyrna is little more than 200 miles from ancient Troy. He was certainly familiar with the local tales and legends of the epic siege, on which he based his work.
East of Smyrna was Sardis, Capital of the kingdom of Lydia. The first metal coins were probably minted here. Lydia conquered Ephesus ands established itself as a regional power.
Pergamum was once known for a huge altar honoring Zeus. The altar was discovered by German archaeologists a century ago and is displayed in a Berlin museum today. Pergamum also had one of the greatest libraries of antiquity, with more than 200,000 volumes. The only greater library was at
Alexandria in Egypt.
One of the ancient world’s medical centers was the Asclepeium there, known for healthy spring water, massage, mud baths, and herbal cures. The great 2nd-century physician Galen was a native of Pergamum.
A visit to Ephesus will put you in touch with some stunning ruins. There is an Odeon, or small theater, with a capacity of 1,400. It was also used for public meetings. The impressive Library of Celsus stands at the foot of the main street. The interior was were designed to display 12,000 scrolls in niches, which protected them from humidity. Across the street is the local bordello with underground access from the library for those needing to be discreet. The Temples of Domitian and Hadrian are impressive, and the Great Theater (which is still in use) seats 25,000.
Harbor Street, also known as the Arcadian Way, connected the port with the center of town. Beautiful colonnades on both sides and marble pavement probably made a dazzling impression on visiting dignitaries. It was one of
the rare ancient streets to be lit by lamps at night.
A distance away, you can see the ruins of the massive Temple of Artemis,
which was several times larger than the Parthenon. There were temples here as early as the 7th century B.C. This one was completed about 430.
Ephesus, even in ruins is awe-inspiring. The Ionians lived well and wisely. Even by today’s standards of luxury we must tip our hats to these imaginative people.
We love to travel. People tell me I should be a travel agent because of all the things we do,the places we go, and the money we save. Our grandaughter,Sophia,tells everyone that we are on a "field trip" while we are gone, thus the name. I hope you find helpful, interesting information about different locales, ideas on how to get the most for your money, and be entertained in the process. Welcome. Connie
Thursday, December 1, 2011
KUSADASI/ The Virgin Mary House
November 18, 2011
We are up early and have asked for room service since we have a tour that begins at 8:45 am to the Virgin Mary House and the ruins of Ephesus. We have been on this tour before but decided to do it again so that Dominick can see it.
Our bus leaves more or less on time ( you will understand better once you read about Ephesus) and we head into the mountains to see a small rock house that was built on the ruins of an original foundation declared by the Vatican to be the final residence of the Holy Mother. The Turks also revere her as the mother of a prophet and are dedicated to preserve and care for this site. Several years ago there was a great forest fire in this area. It is believed that the Virgin intervened and saved the local village as the fire was headed toward it while they were saving this little shrine from destruction. And the story goes that with prayer the wind died and the fire died on it’s own sparing their homes.
Before the crucifixion, Jesus charged John with the care of his mother, Mary. It is thought that he brought her to the mountains above Ephesus for her protection since it was not known if there would be retribution sought against her after the resurrection. This little house is very stark and you get an instant reverence when you walk thru. The lines are never short but today we actually go thru within a matter of 10 minutes or so. In the main season people stand for an hour or more just to walk thru this tiny treasure.
We fill a bottle with holy water from the taps where Mary washed her feet and hands. Last time we were here I filled a bottle and took it home to distribute to my YLI group as a memento of the 75th Anniversary of the Institute. I also have given some to family and friends before having surgery or other medical procedures and feel it has helped them to heal quicker.
Our time at the little house comes to a close and back on the bus we head down the mountain to the ancient city of Ephesus.
We are up early and have asked for room service since we have a tour that begins at 8:45 am to the Virgin Mary House and the ruins of Ephesus. We have been on this tour before but decided to do it again so that Dominick can see it.
Our bus leaves more or less on time ( you will understand better once you read about Ephesus) and we head into the mountains to see a small rock house that was built on the ruins of an original foundation declared by the Vatican to be the final residence of the Holy Mother. The Turks also revere her as the mother of a prophet and are dedicated to preserve and care for this site. Several years ago there was a great forest fire in this area. It is believed that the Virgin intervened and saved the local village as the fire was headed toward it while they were saving this little shrine from destruction. And the story goes that with prayer the wind died and the fire died on it’s own sparing their homes.
Before the crucifixion, Jesus charged John with the care of his mother, Mary. It is thought that he brought her to the mountains above Ephesus for her protection since it was not known if there would be retribution sought against her after the resurrection. This little house is very stark and you get an instant reverence when you walk thru. The lines are never short but today we actually go thru within a matter of 10 minutes or so. In the main season people stand for an hour or more just to walk thru this tiny treasure.
We fill a bottle with holy water from the taps where Mary washed her feet and hands. Last time we were here I filled a bottle and took it home to distribute to my YLI group as a memento of the 75th Anniversary of the Institute. I also have given some to family and friends before having surgery or other medical procedures and feel it has helped them to heal quicker.
Our time at the little house comes to a close and back on the bus we head down the mountain to the ancient city of Ephesus.
A DAY WITHOUT SANTORINI WAS A DAY WITHOUT SUNSHINE
November 17, 2011
The captain has decided the winds and seas are not conducive to tendering in Santorini so we have had to skip this port and are heading directly to Kusadasi (Coosh-a-daa-shee), Turkey. We will arrive at 6pm and overnight there.
We are disappointed not to see what we have been told is the most beautiful of the Greek Isles. It will have to wait for another time and will give us an excuse to do a similar itinerary.
In order to accommodate the crew scrambles to change gears and create things to do on an unexpected sea day. They throw in line dancing, a bridge lecture, golf chipping, and an extra bingo. We lounge around and the guys
decide to go to the gym and steam room before we meet for lunch in the main dining room. So a lazy day at sea.
The captain has decided the winds and seas are not conducive to tendering in Santorini so we have had to skip this port and are heading directly to Kusadasi (Coosh-a-daa-shee), Turkey. We will arrive at 6pm and overnight there.
We are disappointed not to see what we have been told is the most beautiful of the Greek Isles. It will have to wait for another time and will give us an excuse to do a similar itinerary.
In order to accommodate the crew scrambles to change gears and create things to do on an unexpected sea day. They throw in line dancing, a bridge lecture, golf chipping, and an extra bingo. We lounge around and the guys
decide to go to the gym and steam room before we meet for lunch in the main dining room. So a lazy day at sea.
Patmos, Greece
November 16, 2011
Today is quite cool and the wind is blowing. Once outside in the tender I wish I had indulged in bringing a hat to keep my head warmer. But I talked myself out of several items trying to be more conservative with the packing. I have a feeling that we will need warmer clothes this year compared to the crossings in 2009 & 2010. The weather is a little more wintry than we have previously experienced.
Patmos is only 13 miles square in size, but has a long rich history. In 1981 the Greek Parliament declared Patmos a “sacred island”, second only to Mount Athos in religious standing. It was here that Saint John was exiled in the days of the Roman Empire. Humble places like Patmos were often used as places of exile for political prisoners, or for those who disturbed “public order”, which usually meant stepping on the toes of someone important.
The earliest inhabitants were the Mycenaeans, nearly 35 centuries ago. They were followed by Dorian and Ionian Greeks, and after the exciting days of Greece’s golden age, it passed easily under the control of Rome. After the decline of Rome, Patmos was abandoned because of raids by Saracen pirates. Then Venetians occupied the island in 1207 as part of their Duchy of Naxos. The Turks followed in 1537 and remained a Turkish possession until 1912, when it was captured by the Italians, and finally joined Greece in 1948.
During the persecution of Christians by the Emperor Domitian, Saint John had been preaching the Gospel at Ephesus, and was exiled to nearby Patmos in the year 95. But Domitian died the following year, and was succeeded by the humane Nerva, who released him; John returned to Ephesus, and died
there sometime during Trajan’s reign. During his 18-month “sabbatical” on Patmos, he composed the dramatic Book of Revelation, a prophetic work that speaks of the final times, and encourages believers to hold fast under persecution.
Today the island is a pilgrimage to Christians seeking the location where Saint John wrote his Book of Revelation.
We alight in what looks and feels like a small village but is actually quite large since it is built into and up the rocky terrain. We have decided that we will not fight all the others today and just walk around visiting the small shops near the port. My first order of business is to acquire a cap for my head. Then we go in search of wine, souvenirs and whatever else catches our fancy. Dominick is infatuated with the loose dogs and cats that wander, lounge and generally seem to own the place. He can’t believe that no one is upset when they are loose.
After a few hours we have had enough and head back to the ship. The wind has been cutting and we are all chilled. We set sail for Santorini in a few hours so time to get a bite of lunch and possibly watch a movie or should we take a nap? Oh my, what hard decisions we shall have to make.
Today is quite cool and the wind is blowing. Once outside in the tender I wish I had indulged in bringing a hat to keep my head warmer. But I talked myself out of several items trying to be more conservative with the packing. I have a feeling that we will need warmer clothes this year compared to the crossings in 2009 & 2010. The weather is a little more wintry than we have previously experienced.
Patmos is only 13 miles square in size, but has a long rich history. In 1981 the Greek Parliament declared Patmos a “sacred island”, second only to Mount Athos in religious standing. It was here that Saint John was exiled in the days of the Roman Empire. Humble places like Patmos were often used as places of exile for political prisoners, or for those who disturbed “public order”, which usually meant stepping on the toes of someone important.
The earliest inhabitants were the Mycenaeans, nearly 35 centuries ago. They were followed by Dorian and Ionian Greeks, and after the exciting days of Greece’s golden age, it passed easily under the control of Rome. After the decline of Rome, Patmos was abandoned because of raids by Saracen pirates. Then Venetians occupied the island in 1207 as part of their Duchy of Naxos. The Turks followed in 1537 and remained a Turkish possession until 1912, when it was captured by the Italians, and finally joined Greece in 1948.
During the persecution of Christians by the Emperor Domitian, Saint John had been preaching the Gospel at Ephesus, and was exiled to nearby Patmos in the year 95. But Domitian died the following year, and was succeeded by the humane Nerva, who released him; John returned to Ephesus, and died
there sometime during Trajan’s reign. During his 18-month “sabbatical” on Patmos, he composed the dramatic Book of Revelation, a prophetic work that speaks of the final times, and encourages believers to hold fast under persecution.
Today the island is a pilgrimage to Christians seeking the location where Saint John wrote his Book of Revelation.
We alight in what looks and feels like a small village but is actually quite large since it is built into and up the rocky terrain. We have decided that we will not fight all the others today and just walk around visiting the small shops near the port. My first order of business is to acquire a cap for my head. Then we go in search of wine, souvenirs and whatever else catches our fancy. Dominick is infatuated with the loose dogs and cats that wander, lounge and generally seem to own the place. He can’t believe that no one is upset when they are loose.
After a few hours we have had enough and head back to the ship. The wind has been cutting and we are all chilled. We set sail for Santorini in a few hours so time to get a bite of lunch and possibly watch a movie or should we take a nap? Oh my, what hard decisions we shall have to make.
Embarkation Day - Pacific Princess - Piraeus, Greece
November 15, 2011
Fotis has sent a colleague, Chris to pick us up from the Hotel Apollo and deposit us at the ship. He has a private tour to Delphi which of course pays him more money than our small E30 transport, so we are happy he has a full day ahead. He has instructed Chris to call him so he can talk with Tony and wish us bon voyage and thank me again for the referrals I had sent for fellow passengers to use him for touring and transport. We have promised to let him know what day next year we will be in Athens so he can take us to Delphi for the day. I will post on the Cruise Critic boards and see if we can fill a few 17 passenger buses for him and his colleagues.
The weather today is a little clearer than yesterday. There are small patches of blue sky trying to peep thru all the clouds, and it looks as if it wouldn’t take much coaxing to make the rain start in earnest again.
The trip from Athens to Pireaus is uneventful except for the really cute shoes I spotted in a store window. Chris offered to park so I could shop but Tony was quick to refuse and “thank” him for offering. Dominick chimed in with the fact that I had lots of shoes already, but I explained that a girl can never have too many shoes. And I quoted him Eleanor Roosevelt who is credited with saying, “Give a girl the right pair of shoes and she can conquer the world.” Don’t cha’ just love it?
Our arrival is timed for around noon and we are able to get through check-in and drop off our totes in the room and head for the dining room by about 1:15. Princess has begun closing the dining room for lunch on all port days to save money so we will take advantage of today because on this leg we will only have three sea days that they will actually serve a dining room
lunch. The rest of the time we will be forced to use the buffet or to eat in port. We are not great fans of the buffet on any ship. Our attitude is, if we wanted to serve ourselves and jockey for position to do so we can do that at home.
This ship is set up differently than the larger Princess ships, with only one dining room, no open dining, and two fixed dinner seatings. We are in the first seating which begins at 6 pm. But before this we will start our unpacking, meet our cabin steward, tour the ship, attend muster drill, and
settle into our home for the next 31 days.
Our Stewardess is Milagros, from Philippines. She has worked the ships for 20 years and has been with Princess for 16. She has just returned from leave where she spent 3 months with her 4 year old granddaughter so we share stories and she is very pleased that we have brought Dominick for her to spoil.
Dominick has already drawn the attentions of passengers and crew alike and has had to explain his presence, his homework assignments, and the fact that he is traveling for 31 days at the age of 11. The little girls in the spa have embarrassed him with attention. Not that he didn’t love it but he was a little flushed at all the attention. He is very adaptable and interacts with adults easily, joking and showing his terrific sense of humor.
We are shown to our dinner table and get acquainted with our tablemates for at least the next 12 days. Klaus is a German living in Canada. He is very formal with his speech and seems to feel more comfortable talking with Tony and Dominick than with me. We learn he is an only child, has never married and has been left quite well off by his parents. He has homes in both Germany and Canada. He travels extensively and plans to spend all the money to keep the “government” from getting it. He is an engineer and we assume retired since he is quite a bit older than us. He wears his father’s shoes. I know this sounds crazy but it seems his father never wanted to travel and he worked very hard and made a lot of money and then died without ever having enjoyed the fruits of his labor. So Klaus wears his shoes when traveling and tells his father, “Okay, you have been here and here and here.” I think it is very sentimental of him. So he has won a place in my heart.
Our other companions are a couple from Australia. They are Lloyd and Cheryl. She is a year younger than us and he is a few years older. They have 5 daughters and are raising their 8 year old grandson. They are very outgoing and I know we will enjoy their company. However, they leave us in Rome since they have already been traveling for almost a month.
Our service staff are two young men from Philippines, Timothy is our waiter and Starskey is his assistant. We all make the instant connection but are told Hutch abandoned ship. They are instantly taken with Dominick or “Dom” as
they insist on calling him. They both make sure that he has all he wants as is typical of the Asian culture where children are indulged greatly.
We will arrive in Patmos first thing tomorrow and we have no specific plans. We will await the weather report before making our way ashore
Fotis has sent a colleague, Chris to pick us up from the Hotel Apollo and deposit us at the ship. He has a private tour to Delphi which of course pays him more money than our small E30 transport, so we are happy he has a full day ahead. He has instructed Chris to call him so he can talk with Tony and wish us bon voyage and thank me again for the referrals I had sent for fellow passengers to use him for touring and transport. We have promised to let him know what day next year we will be in Athens so he can take us to Delphi for the day. I will post on the Cruise Critic boards and see if we can fill a few 17 passenger buses for him and his colleagues.
The weather today is a little clearer than yesterday. There are small patches of blue sky trying to peep thru all the clouds, and it looks as if it wouldn’t take much coaxing to make the rain start in earnest again.
The trip from Athens to Pireaus is uneventful except for the really cute shoes I spotted in a store window. Chris offered to park so I could shop but Tony was quick to refuse and “thank” him for offering. Dominick chimed in with the fact that I had lots of shoes already, but I explained that a girl can never have too many shoes. And I quoted him Eleanor Roosevelt who is credited with saying, “Give a girl the right pair of shoes and she can conquer the world.” Don’t cha’ just love it?
Our arrival is timed for around noon and we are able to get through check-in and drop off our totes in the room and head for the dining room by about 1:15. Princess has begun closing the dining room for lunch on all port days to save money so we will take advantage of today because on this leg we will only have three sea days that they will actually serve a dining room
lunch. The rest of the time we will be forced to use the buffet or to eat in port. We are not great fans of the buffet on any ship. Our attitude is, if we wanted to serve ourselves and jockey for position to do so we can do that at home.
This ship is set up differently than the larger Princess ships, with only one dining room, no open dining, and two fixed dinner seatings. We are in the first seating which begins at 6 pm. But before this we will start our unpacking, meet our cabin steward, tour the ship, attend muster drill, and
settle into our home for the next 31 days.
Our Stewardess is Milagros, from Philippines. She has worked the ships for 20 years and has been with Princess for 16. She has just returned from leave where she spent 3 months with her 4 year old granddaughter so we share stories and she is very pleased that we have brought Dominick for her to spoil.
Dominick has already drawn the attentions of passengers and crew alike and has had to explain his presence, his homework assignments, and the fact that he is traveling for 31 days at the age of 11. The little girls in the spa have embarrassed him with attention. Not that he didn’t love it but he was a little flushed at all the attention. He is very adaptable and interacts with adults easily, joking and showing his terrific sense of humor.
We are shown to our dinner table and get acquainted with our tablemates for at least the next 12 days. Klaus is a German living in Canada. He is very formal with his speech and seems to feel more comfortable talking with Tony and Dominick than with me. We learn he is an only child, has never married and has been left quite well off by his parents. He has homes in both Germany and Canada. He travels extensively and plans to spend all the money to keep the “government” from getting it. He is an engineer and we assume retired since he is quite a bit older than us. He wears his father’s shoes. I know this sounds crazy but it seems his father never wanted to travel and he worked very hard and made a lot of money and then died without ever having enjoyed the fruits of his labor. So Klaus wears his shoes when traveling and tells his father, “Okay, you have been here and here and here.” I think it is very sentimental of him. So he has won a place in my heart.
Our other companions are a couple from Australia. They are Lloyd and Cheryl. She is a year younger than us and he is a few years older. They have 5 daughters and are raising their 8 year old grandson. They are very outgoing and I know we will enjoy their company. However, they leave us in Rome since they have already been traveling for almost a month.
Our service staff are two young men from Philippines, Timothy is our waiter and Starskey is his assistant. We all make the instant connection but are told Hutch abandoned ship. They are instantly taken with Dominick or “Dom” as
they insist on calling him. They both make sure that he has all he wants as is typical of the Asian culture where children are indulged greatly.
We will arrive in Patmos first thing tomorrow and we have no specific plans. We will await the weather report before making our way ashore
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