Tampa International Airport

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.Okumaya devam et
Athens

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 ourOkumaya devam et
Acropolis, Athens

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 theOkumaya devam et
Erechtheon and more ancient wonders

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 inOkumaya devam et
National Gardens, Athens Greece

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 comeOkumaya devam et
Lycabettus Hill,

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 theOkumaya devam et
The famous Sandal-Maker

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 theOkumaya devam et
Piraeus Greece, The cruise begins

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 ourOkumaya devam et
Mykanos, Greece

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 andOkumaya devam et
More Mykanos

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 tidalOkumaya devam et
Santorini

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 gotOkumaya devam et
The beautiful sights of Santorini

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 soOkumaya devam et
Oia and the donkeys

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 & ourOkumaya devam et
Dinner on deck

After our busy day, we a had a quiet dinner at Candles on deck and watched another beautiful sunset on the Aegean Sea.
Rhodes

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 GrandOkumaya devam et
Butterfly Garden

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. ThereOkumaya devam et
Faliraki Beach and a feast at the casino

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 theOkumaya devam et
Bodrum

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 townOkumaya devam et
Ephesus

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 aboutOkumaya devam et
Exploring Ephesus

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 buildingsOkumaya devam et
Kusadasi

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 littleOkumaya devam et
Day at sea

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 lastOkumaya devam et
Istanbul

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 leftOkumaya devam et
The Blue Mosque

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 andOkumaya devam et
Hagia Sophia

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.Okumaya devam et