Tampa International Airport
June 15, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C
Despite my worries, the trip began without a hitch. The van was waiting when we dropped the car at Memorial Airport Parking and Dani met us at the Air Canada check-in counter soon after we arrived.Read more
Athens
June 16, 2016 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C
After a long and mostly sleepless flight, we landed in Athens and found Nikki waiting in the lobby at the Athens Lotus Hotel. She'd already scouted out a deli where we enjoyed lunch and planned ourRead more
Acropolis, Athens
June 17, 2016 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C
Some serious walking and sightseeing today. Nikki navigated the subway system and we arrived at the Acropolis bright and early. A long climb to the top offered spectacular views of the city. On theRead more
Erechtheon and more ancient wonders
June 17, 2016 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C
So many ruins! We explored Erechtheon, Areopagus Hill, Ancient Agora, The Temple of Hephaistos & The Tower of the Winds before surrendering to a break, a new hat for Dani & exploring the shopping inRead more
National Gardens, Athens Greece
June 17, 2016 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C
We needed some shade so we walked up the hill to enjoy the National Garden. Enroute we were enticed to partake in the "free wifi, cool AC and good food" of a cafe by a man on stilts. Promising to comeRead more
Lycabettus Hill,
June 17, 2016 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C
The funicular to Lycabettus Hill is at the top of what seemed like hundreds of steps and we arrived slightly out of breath only to wait for a half hour for the next trip up. We were entertained by theRead more
The famous Sandal-Maker
June 18, 2016 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 35 °C
The girls were up early for our shopping excursion. We took the subway to Psirri where we found a flea market and purchased a few treasures. Our main mission was to find "The Poet Sandal-Maker to theRead more
Piraeus Greece, The cruise begins
June 18, 2016 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 35 °C
A pleasant taxi ride to the port, followed by a calm & welcoming embarkation on The Windstar and before we knew it, we were sailing the Greek & Turkish Islands. We were thrilled with the luxury of ourRead more
Mykanos, Greece
June 19, 2016 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C
We caught an early tender to Mykanos and were able to explore the white, catacomb-like alleys as the town was readying itself for the day. We strolled past the Church which was being whitewashed andRead more
More Mykanos
June 19, 2016 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C
After exploring the windmills, we ventured by bus to the beach where we rented some lounges under a thatched hut, viewed the nudes at the end of the beach & had a dip in the Mediterranean. A tidalRead more
Santorini
June 20, 2016 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C
We docked at Fira and took the cable car to the city of white seemingly suspended from the top of the mountains. We were in awe of the gorgeous views as we walked along the edge of the caldera and gotRead more
The beautiful sights of Santorini
June 20, 2016 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C
After a long 1.5 hr climb, we stopped to clarify our location only to realize we were still a 2 hour hike away from Oia, our intended destination. Thankfully the bus stop was just around the corner soRead more
Oia and the donkeys
June 20, 2016 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
Another amazing town jutting out over the water. We explored the back alleys & walked out to the 360 lookout, Fort Londsa, before deciding to go down to the port to catch a boat back to Fira & ourRead more
Dinner on deck
June 20, 2016, Aegean Sea ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
After our busy day, we a had a quiet dinner at Candles on deck and watched another beautiful sunset on the Aegean Sea.
Rhodes
June 21, 2016 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C
We docked at Rhodes which is a beautiful Medieval walled city. The buildings are dark, castle-like, & very different from the brilliant white of our earlier stops. We toured The Palace of the GrandRead more
Butterfly Garden
June 21, 2016 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C
We took a taxi to the Butterfly Garden located in the interior of the island. The butterflies are really colorful moths which are attracted to the scent of a tree sap found only in this spot. ThereRead more
Faliraki Beach and a feast at the casino
June 21, 2016 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C
The girls decided to get in a little more beach time, so we made the excursion by bus to Faliraki Beach. Hot sand but cool water made the trip worth the travel time. After a rest and a shower, all theRead more
Bodrum
June 22, 2016 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
A short day in Bodrum exploring the castle and the Museum of Underwater Archeology. We took in the beautiful views of the harbor as we walked around the castle grounds. We enjoyed an ice cream in townRead more
Ephesus
June 23, 2016 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
We were all blown away with the ancient ruins of Ephesus. This city, once a port but now 6 miles from the sea, was a prospering metropolis of more than 250000. Archaeologists have only excavated aboutRead more
Exploring Ephesus
June 23, 2016 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C
The Odeion Theatre, The Celsus Library, the intricate Terrace Houses, the public toilets & bath houses, and the Great Theater where St Paul was said to speak, are just some of the beautiful buildingsRead more
Kusadasi
June 23, 2016 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C
Our taxi driver was waiting & gave us a running commentary of the sights & life of Turkey as we drove back to the town. Clearly he was very proud of his country.
We split up as the girls did a littleRead more
Day at sea
June 24, 2016, Aegean Sea ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C
Finally a day to sleep in and relax on deck as our ship sailed toward Istanbul. We read on deck, sipped some drinks & enjoyed the sights & landscape of Turkey as we worked on our tans.
On our lastRead more
Istanbul
June 25, 2016 in Turkey ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C
We docked at Istanbul on my birthday. Overhearing my family's birthday wishes at breakfast, our waiters made me some beautiful paper flowers to help me celebrate. Disembarking was quick, and we leftRead more
The Blue Mosque
June 25, 2016 in Turkey ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C
The Blue Mosque continues to be a place of worship and tourists conform to strict dress restrictions to respect the culture of the country, so we covered our heads and bodies and removed our shoes andRead more
Hagia Sophia
June 25, 2016 in Turkey ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C
Across the grounds from the Mosque is the imposing Hagia Sophia which was originally built as a Byzantine Church, then converted into a Ottoman Mosque and finally secularized and turned into a museum.Read more































































































































