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- Day 1
- Thursday, December 7, 2023 at 2:47 PM
- ☁️ 28 °C
- Altitude: 133 m
AustraliaDonald Commons Reserve33°44’41” S 151°8’32” E
The first transport is away
December 7, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C
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- Day 2
- Friday, December 8, 2023 at 3:02 PM
- 🌧 7 °C
- Altitude: 123 m
TurkeyIstanbul Airport41°15’33” N 28°44’23” E
Jetlag hack
December 8, 2023 in Turkey ⋅ 🌧 7 °C
Ok. Here are 3 first world solutions to preventing jetlag:
1 - fly business class with your kids on other planes
2 - appropriately timed and dosed melatonin and caffeine
3 - pick an arrival hotel withRead more
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- Day 3
- Saturday, December 9, 2023 at 10:29 AM
- 🌧 6 °C
- Altitude: 51 m
- TurkeyHagia Sofia41°0’30” N 28°58’48” E
Gas Delivery
December 9, 2023 in Turkey ⋅ 🌧 6 °C
We eased into Istanbul with a tour of the mosques and cisterns, before taking on the psychological warfare of bargaining in the upmarket carpet stores and the bizarre. I prepared my backstory: I haveRead more
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- Day 4
- Sunday, December 10, 2023 at 11:28 AM
- ⛅ 8 °C
- Altitude: 42 m
- TurkeyAcropolis41°0’48” N 28°59’7” E
Oma by the kilogram
December 10, 2023 in Turkey ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C
Beautiful sunshine showed off the palace today: a multi building complex that housed over 4000 people in its heyday. This was a place of opulence, artistry, academia, but also much intrigue andRead more
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- Day 5
- Monday, December 11, 2023 at 11:00 AM
- ⛅ 10 °C
- Altitude: 15 m
- TurkeyKuzguncuk41°2’8” N 29°1’51” E
Eurasian Cruise
December 11, 2023 in Turkey ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C
We were the only ones crazy enough to book a river cruise on the Bosphorus in December. We ended up with a private cruise along the river that divides Europe and Asia. Fortunately we turned aroundRead more
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- Day 6
- Tuesday, December 12, 2023 at 1:37 PM
- ⛅ 10 °C
- Altitude: 1,020 m
- TurkeyAk Tepe38°40’37” N 34°51’24” E
Tailspin
December 12, 2023 in Turkey ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C
Today was a very full day! We flew to Cappadocia this morning, then off to the red river (source of the clay that we would see put to good use), onward to the rock formations (known as the "FairyRead more
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- Day 7
- Wednesday, December 13, 2023 at 11:59 AM
- ☁️ 4 °C
- Altitude: 1,417 m
- TurkeyKaymaklı Underground City38°27’41” N 34°45’2” E
Failure to launch
December 13, 2023 in Turkey ⋅ ☁️ 4 °C
We sat in the van for an hour waiting for clearance, but the wind remained too high for our balloon trip. Boo! We still had fun exploring the underground Christian escape cities and the caveRead more
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- Day 8
- Thursday, December 14, 2023 at 8:37 PM
- ⛅ 17 °C
- Altitude: 18 m
- TurkeyAkburun37°52’29” N 27°15’54” E
Go West
December 14, 2023 in Turkey ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
Ok, it's a bit hard to jazz up a transit day. The highlight was the touch and go at Istanbul. The approach was all over the place, he overshot the runway, hit the tarmac and took off again! I wasRead more
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- Day 9
- Friday, December 15, 2023 at 10:47 AM
- ⛅ 17 °C
- Altitude: 32 m
- TurkeyFountain of Pollio, Domitian Square, Ephesus37°56’13” N 27°20’36” E
I'm Too Sexy For My Cat
December 15, 2023 in Turkey ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
We spent the day exploring the Greco-Roman historical site of Ephesus before a very unusual shopping experience on the way home.
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- Day 10
- Saturday, December 16, 2023 at 11:41 AM
- ⛅ 16 °C
- Altitude: 401 m
- TurkeyPamukkale White Terraces37°55’35” N 29°7’47” E
Up Where They Play All Day In The Sun
December 16, 2023 in Turkey ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
It poured rain for the entire journey to Pamukkale, bathed us in sunshine while we were there, and poured rain for the entire journey back. Pamukkale is home to the ancient ruins of Hieropolis and isRead more
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- Day 11
- Sunday, December 17, 2023 at 10:14 AM
- ☀️ 11 °C
- Altitude: 81 m
- TurkeyPriene37°39’35” N 27°17’57” E
One Small Step for Elliot...
December 17, 2023 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C
... One giant leap for Opa. Today was a challenging day for those with joints missing a bit of cartilage. I'm sure we all used up a few chondrocytes on the hills of Priene. The ruins there would beRead more
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- Day 12
- Monday, December 18, 2023 at 8:45 AM
- ☀️ 6 °C
- Altitude: 16 m
- TurkeyAkburun37°52’33” N 27°15’56” E
Back To The Big Smoke
December 18, 2023 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 6 °C
It was nice to visit the tiny village of Sirince before the next few big city days (Istanbul, Rome & Barcelona).
Woodfire heaters, narrow streets, traditional coffee and little old ladies sellingRead more
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- Day 13
- Tuesday, December 19, 2023 at 10:03 AM
- ☀️ 7 °C
- Altitude: Sea level
- TurkeyAkaretler41°2’20” N 29°0’2” E
Divide and Conquer
December 19, 2023 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 7 °C
Today we split up after a morning stroll around the Sultan's palace. We flew off to Rome to collect Jonah. The rest will stay on for 2 more nights before joining us in Barcelona. A volcano in IcelandRead more
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- Day 14
- Wednesday, December 20, 2023 at 11:33 AM
- ⛅ 9 °C
- Altitude: 34 m
ItalyChiesa di San Carlo ai Catinari41°53’41” N 12°28’27” E
Rome If You Want To
December 20, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C
I did want to and it was wonderful. The day started with a game of pass the parcel. The music stopped and I was gifted with Jonah's laundry which we classily arranged for him to give to Heather theRead more
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- Day 15
- Thursday, December 21, 2023 at 8:10 AM
- ☀️ 6 °C
- Altitude: 9 m
- ItalyFiumicino International Airport41°47’44” N 12°15’19” E
Vamonos
December 21, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 6 °C
Hi Jonah!!! We extracted our smelly baby from his hotel full of smelly boys armed with fresh clothes and a bar of soap. He was soon a new boy. The timing of the gathering was tighter than we'dRead more
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- Day 16
- Friday, December 22, 2023 at 10:08 AM
- ☀️ 13 °C
- Altitude: 8 m
SpainCastelldefels41°16’5” N 2°0’1” E
No chicken dinner
December 22, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C
Tragically there are no winner medallions for our trivia efforts here. Seeing as we have all 5 of us we are mainly focusing on our own thing: family Pickleball, family cards, family eating. It feelsRead more
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- Day 18
- Sunday, December 24, 2023 at 8:45 AM
- ☀️ 18 °C
- Altitude: Sea level
- SpainIsla de Cruces28°57’46” N 13°31’46” W
Christmas Canary
December 24, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C
Our first port: Lanzarote in the Canary Islands.
Merry Christmas to everyone back home especially Mum and Dad who were originally on this trip but couldn't make it.
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- Day 19
- Monday, December 25, 2023 at 9:51 AM
- ☀️ 9 °C
- Altitude: 1,794 m
- SpainMontaña de Joco28°22’53” N 16°27’30” W
The Biggest Bird
December 25, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 9 °C
December 25 was spent on the largest of the Canary Islands: Tenerife. It was a happy day but also a very sad one because there were lots of reminders that Mum and Dad couldn't make it. Spent theRead more
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- Day 20
- Tuesday, December 26, 2023 at 9:17 AM
- ☀️ 16 °C
- Altitude: Sea level
- SpainPlaza Santo Domingo28°40’56” N 17°45’52” W
21 Today!
December 26, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C
Happy Birthday Elliot! His birthday was gentle and sweet natured just like him. We stopped at La Palma but decided to just walk around the port as our schedule was quite hectic. This suited everyone.Read more
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- Day 22
- Thursday, December 28, 2023 at 3:19 PM
- ⛅ 18 °C
- Altitude: 7 m
MoroccoRas al ’Anq33°36’38” N 7°39’1” W
Here's Lookin' at You, Kid
December 28, 2023 in Morocco ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C
Personally I prefer "She may not look like much but she's got it where it counts, kid" but that would be Tunisia and this was Casablanca - our first stop in Africa. I was supposed to watch the movieRead more
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- Day 23
- Friday, December 29, 2023 at 9:48 AM
- ☁️ 13 °C
- Altitude: 42 m
- MoroccoHajret Bou Handiya35°47’16” N 5°55’38” W
Out of Africa
December 29, 2023 in Morocco ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C
Our final African port, Tangier. It certainly lived up to the hype as the most beautiful Moroccan city. It is vibrant and green with narrow, hilly streets that you could get lost in for weeks. OurRead more
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- Day 24
- Saturday, December 30, 2023 at 10:43 AM
- ☀️ 12 °C
- Altitude: 22 m
- SpainMonumento a la Constitución de 181236°32’6” N 6°17’38” W
Cadiz Nuts
December 30, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C
We did a tapas food tour today with Charo. Initially we thought Charo was a bit like a school teacher, but we soon realised that she was a larger than life figure who seemed to know everyone in townRead more
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- Day 25
- Sunday, December 31, 2023 at 5:46 PM
- ☁️ 16 °C
- Altitude: Sea level
Western Mediterranean37°10’51” N 1°2’12” W
How About Them Oranges
December 31, 2023, Western Mediterranean ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C
Happy New Year! Today is our last day. It is a port day in Valencia. Everything is closed for the public holiday so we decided to just go for a quick walk and relax. Our only mission: to find aRead more
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- Day 27
- Tuesday, January 2, 2024 at 9:59 AM
- ⛅ 10 °C
- Altitude: 49 m
- SpainLa Pedrera41°23’36” N 2°9’41” E
Barthelona
January 2, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C
It's been a long time between drinks, but we are back in my favourite European city after nearly 14 years. You still have to keep an eye on your wallet but it wouldn't be as fun without a little bitRead more
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- Day 28
- Wednesday, January 3, 2024 at 10:46 AM
- ☁️ 15 °C
- Altitude: 30 m
- SpainBarcelona Cathedral41°23’4” N 2°10’34” E
Strike a Pose
January 3, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C
We thought it was much better value to ignore all the cruise ship photo offers and get a photography session/walking tour in Barcelona. It was a fraction of the price and a lot more meaningful. IRead more
Bummer if there is a train strike now [Professor]
TravelerYeah.. Or the second daily track work. So far so good.
Have fun xxx [Mum]