Oahu 2022 – Week 3 and 4

A “group trip”! A month on the island of Oahu in November. We rented a four bedroom townhouse in Hawaii Kai. Over the course of the month we were a group of 6 and then 7 with a couple people coming and going. I stayed the entire month, which was great.

Lucky me has been to Hawaii a few times (Maui, the Big Island, Kauai) but only once before to Oahu, back in the 1990’s……our first trip there with the kids! Terrible weather pretty much the entire time we were there, again in November. It rained so much they declared a state of emergency! Very little beach time, restaurants were flooded, hotels on Waikiki were sandbagged because of the surf….we had fun but just not quite the “Hawaii vacation” we planned on.

This trip however was nothing like that….terrific weather, lots of sun and lots of fun with friends! Some parts of the journal aren’t too exciting but we did cover a lot of the island, explored beautiful gardens……and I think hit every ABC store! It’s in two parts…..the first two weeks and the second two weeks.

Nov 17 Thurs

Busy day!! Cleaning, J packing up, laundry, bed changing etc. E and K will move from the master bdrm to J’s room. Linda and Gabe will get the master tonight. P & G stay in their room downstairs, I picked the single upstairs so luckily am here for the duration!!

P and G went to get the cake and flowers for Linda. I walked around the complex looking for some nice greenery to add to the flowers to fill the vase.

Linda and Gabe arrived around 3:30. Did the happy birthday, welcome to Hawaii fun stuff. Had the cake, gluten and dairy free, which was very dense, very rich and very good! Snacks and appies etc. Caught up with them on everything.

Jo-Anne wanted to go for a nice walk down Kalakaua Ave in Waikiki on the way to the airport. We left just before 7. Was going to be just J and I but Linda G decided to join us and keep me company on the drive back.

Parked at the IMP and pretty much just strolled along one side and then the other of Kalakaua Ave reminiscing about other good times there on our various other trips with family or friends. Was fun….very busy place in the evening but very nice….lots of tiki torches, shops all open.

Finally had to leave a take J to the airport…like I say I’m going to miss her.

Dropped her off and headed home. Major roadwork at night on the freeway…totally closed southbound so a detour route that took us all over but back on to freeway in less than 15 minutes.

Home, chatted and few glasses of wine.

Nov 18 Fri

Breakie and off to Ala Moana Beach again with G & L and P & G. Just about empty again. Great beach, but wish I could talk the others into trying some of the gorgeous windward ones. In and out of the water. Had a spot with a couple of palm trees for shade. Lunch again from the concession.

Had Hawaiian BBQ chicken bowl this time $8! A bit of a downpour came by while waiting so just ate at the little tables there but it cleared up quickly and back to the beach.

Home around 3. L & G went to pick up MORE groceries.

Gabe and Gordie BBQ’d steaks and chicken…unfortunately all a little well done but still good.

Taught the girls how to play Spite and Malice. Played a few games and to bed.

Nov 19 Sat

The girls went to Pearl Harbour and the Arizona. All free! Cannot take any bags, even purses any bigger than a small wallet. Grabbed my keys, glasses and phone and a $10 bill that Linda kept in her pocket for me!

Got in the standby line up right away and in just a few minutes into the theatre, where a guy tells you about the history…..thought maybe there would be a bit of a movie or something…all good info though. And then out and onto the boat that takes you out to the Arizona. The site is very moving I must say!

Service people who survived the sinking can/did when they passed away have their ashes interred on the ship with their fallen comrades. Many plaques describing various watery ruins and a big wall with plaques for all the people that were killed that day…..a man there tells you about it. It really is quite moving just standing there and looking at all the carnage that happened that day. So glad they have preserved the site.

Once back to the main area, the grounds are lovely and very well kept. You do have to pay if you want to go on the submarine or tour the Missouri. Also a museum that the girls said was really good. I had such a bad headache I just needed to sit in the shade.

The whole place was really amazing and so glad we went.

Decided to just head home for lunch….so much food and we were going out for dinner.

Hung around all afternoon. The pool for a bit.

Off to PF Chang’s for Linda’s birthday dinner! Was good. Everybody picked a dish that they wanted along with rice and chow mein. Initially had us at a rather crappy table half out on the patio but too noisy and squishy. Moved us inside to another bigger table but it wasn’t set up nicely like the first one….so they did come along and fix that for us. Lucky we did move because a storm blew by….rain, thunder, lightening….we would have been soaked if we’d stayed in that spot. Anyway….dinner was good but not sure exactly what all the hype is about that place. Good but not exceptional. Not really the greatest ambiance…..thought it might have been a bit of a classier place than it was.

A bit of a walk down Kalakaua back to the car and thru the IMP. Turned out nice after the storm blew over. Some sort of parade, or maybe protest. Cars and pickups with flags and people hanging off the sides driving up the street…no idea what it was about.

Home and played Spite and Malice…..the girls really like it!

Nov 20 Sun

Foster Botanical Gardens today.

Fantastic collection of trees and plants. Nice to wander around. A bit noisy in some areas because of the highway or busy street that is right next to it. Pretty little butterfly garden, a hothouse filled with gorgeous orchids and other tropicals. It’s the trees though that are the highlight….just beautiful. Many massive trees. Some species of baobabs and similar ones . One huge tree that was baobab-ish looking was actually from the hibiscus family. Spice trees, many different varieties of palms, and some trees with spectacular canopies. Great garden to visit.

Was with L & G so headed to Waikiki again to find some different ABC stores. Streets and beach just packed there today.

Home for a swim and dinner (chicken tacos!). Couple games of cards and that was it.

Nov 21 Mon

Packed a picnic and we all headed to Kaimana Beach today….very end of Kalakaua Ave past the zoo….almost to Diamond Head. Really nice beach with free street parking, if you can find a spot.

Went for a couple of swims. Ken brought his sand sculpting tools and tested out the sand. He’s a master sand sculptor and judge at many competitions! Linda had a go at making a “ball” or round lumpy thing. Very windy. No shade unless you head back over the grassy area towards the road. Great afternoon!

The Kaimana Hotel is right there….looks like a nice beachside bar/restaurant. Eileen had enough sun so headed in for a drink. Her and Ken stayed there the rest of the afternoon, we headed home. Came back along the road under Diamond Head. Absolutely gorgeous and coastline…very rough out there today. Some big beautiful homes along that road.

Home, cleaned up and just relaxed for a bit then to Liko’s for dinner. I had the prime rib which must have been at least 12oz…ridiculously huge but very, very good. Managed to eat maybe half of it if that. Came with yummy garlic mashed potatoes, also really good. Not cheap though…that and a drink was $60US ($75Cdn).

On the sheet that comes with the bill it says there is a discount if paying cash…..but there isn’t….it just means you don’t get charged the extra 3.5% that they charge for using credit cards. Had a discussion with the manager about it but she just kept saying that “I did get a discount because they didn’t charge the 3.5%” …..tried to explain that it was not a “discount” as I had paid full price….but totally useless to argue with them! At least it was really good!!

Home, a couple games of Spite and Malice and to bed!

I can’t believe how fast this month is going!! We’ve been here almost 3 weeks already!

Nov 22 Tues

Very windy this morning…..like really windy!! Had to recover all the boogie boards, towels and bathing suits that had blown all over the front patio!

Giovanni’s shrimp truck for lunch today!

P, G and I first went to the Nu’uanu “Pali” Lookout. Has gotten really windy the last few days so was super windy up there. Spectacular views up and down the east coast. Some plaques explaining the history and importance of it. Just beautiful!

Continued down from there with a little drive thru Kailua….nice town/city. Found another thrift store for a quick look around….nada though.

Up the coast to Giovanni’s! Fun little outdoor “mall” there now with a clothing shop that has all the same clothes as everywhere else and the same prices, a couple other food trucks and a coffee stand. And washrooms!

Had the shrimp of course. At least 10 huge prawns just loaded with garlic and butter…delicious. Came with 2 scoops of rice.

Met up there with Linda and Gabe. Ken and Eileen had already been and were at Waimea Valley Garden….where we headed to after we’d finished.

The North Shore is just so pretty….would love to stay up there on another trip. Other than it being busy and not much around in the way of groceries or restaurants, it would be a great spot. No big waves today.

Waimea Valley Park is just beautiful! There’s a gift shop and a cafe/take out type place before you have to pay. Met up with K and E for a quick drink. $18 to get in.

Great walk! Very lush in places…..like the impenetrable forest in Uganda….Tarzan vines and all!! Took about 40 minutes to get to the waterfall. So many different and interesting trees, plants and flowers. Not all are tagged so have no clue what some of the plants were but all so pretty.

Got to the waterfall and changed into our bathing suits but didn’t make it in for a swim….too rocky and treacherous just to get in the water. Changed and started our walk back going off on some of the side paths. Made it back to the entrance and found Gordie in the parking lot snoozing.

Sun on it’s way down over the pineapple fields

Took forever driving back along the north shore….traffic was pretty much stopped. Some roadwork but just really busy. Finally made it back to the highway and decided to make a stop in town for beverages and a snack/dinner. Found 2 Irish pubs right across the street from each other! The Black Shamrock and Murphy’s. Chose Murphy’s. Had a couple of proseccos, calamari and hot wings, both really good.

Home around 7. Played spite and malice!

Nov 23 Wed

Very slow morning…. headed out around 11.

Decided to go to Waikiki for some shopping and lunch at Duke’s. Had the buffet again….I think it’s a good deal for $21. Walked down to the Royal Hawaiian and Moana Surfrider to check out all the Christmas decorations…..hard to wrap your head around that here! Very pretty though.

Back home. Spent the rest of the afternoon at the pool.

Put together whatever we had in the fridge for dinner.

More cards.

Nov 24 Thurs

Another very stormy morning….lots of wind and rain blowing in sheets.

Had mosquitos in my room last night….bit a number of times. And in the bathroom!! Eileen said they had them too. No one else. Weird, maybe because of the rain? But you’d think the wind would keep them away.

Amy arrives late tonight so went to Longs to pick up birthday stuff for our dinner and birthday party tomorrow night. Eileen is so excited!! How fun to her to have Amy here with us for a few days.

Back home for a bit. Gabe and Linda went shopping, Peggy, Eileen and I did a bit of tour around and up the hill to look at the big beautiful homes.

Up and up and up we went…the views were just incredible! Tried to go into a gated community and immediately got told to turn around lol….came across another and just turned around before we got to it knowing the answer!! On our way down the hill we passed two police cars…..hmmmm. LOL…..were they looking for us????

We ended up back on the highway and headed into Honolulu. Eileen found a bar near Ala Moana marina so we headed there, in a rather round about way, but we found it and cheap parking! $1 per hour! It’s called the Harbor Pub. Fun place. Waitress said most of the customers are “boat people”, some come early in the day and stay all day, others come in after a day on their boats. Lots of people like us too….tourists!

Called Gordie and Ken to come an meet us for late lunch/early dinner, which they did. It was great because then I could have a few drinks and G could drive home!! Also called Linda and Gabe to let them know where we were. I had the Pizza Bianco which was really very good.

Two guys, a couple, from LA were celebrating a birthday. Eileen and I sat with them for a bit and bought them a drink!

L & G showed up after we’d already eaten but still ordered food. Hung around there until after 6. Fun afternoon!

Home, played cards for a bit. K and E picked up Amy and were home just before midnight.

To bed with some bug spray! Drives me crazy when they bite my hands.

Nov 25 Fri

The mosquitos are nuts!! Ended up getting up and taking a benadryl then getting back into bed with just my face exposed. Sprayed the headboard with bug spray hoping to keep them away. Just awful!

View of Hawaii Kai from the road to Koko Crater. Our townhouse is down there somewhere.

K, E and A went off to Pokai Beach for the day. G and G just hung around. P, L and I went for another drive over to the area around Koko Crater. Some very lovely homes and spectacular views.

Went to Liko’s for lunch. I had the fish and chips which were really good. Linda G. asked about the “discount” and got the same story as I did but at least this time the gal agreed they should probably just take that off.

Picked up a few more goodies at Costco and came home to prep dinner. Decided to combine American Thanksgiving with Amy’s birthday dinner. Did roast chicken, salad, twice baked potatoes, yams etc. All really good. Birthday cake for dessert.

Fun day and evening!

Nov 26 Sat

Quiet morning and afternoon. Pool and just hung around.

Luau tonight…..Paradise Cover $150US….not cheap! Was there back in 1996….in the pouring rain! Was a fun evening. We had “special” tickets so got the real flower leis (orchids) and seats at the front of the centre section. Lots of fun participation type activities going on…..we tried the stick throwing and the make up tattoos. Also go 2 “free” drinks or $16 value at the gift shop. I had the mai tais!

Quite the drive from Hawaii Kai. Very pretty spot though, well maintained lush grounds and a nice little beach where someone was proposing with a lit up sign saying “Marry Me”. Sunset was lovely. Dinner was OK…..or as OK as it can be for 100’s of people. About 10 rows of buffet tables set up. Salads, chicken, pork, rice, poi, veg and a long dessert table with coconut cupcakes and what they called sweet potato….they looked and tasted like purple yam cut into slices????

The show was only OK….years ago it lasted longer and more traditional Hawaiian stuff and they had audience people come up for various things, like newlyweds etc. They had some of the usual dances but the costumes didn’t seem terribly Hawaiian to me……florescent coloured hula skirts…that type of thing. The fire dancer was good and fun. Played the Hawaiian wedding song for K & E and P & G got up to dance.

Overall was a fun evening because of us all being there but not the best I’ve been too, especially for what it cost. I enjoyed the smaller hotel ones that aren’t, or at least weren’t, as expensive and seem a bit more traditional. If everyone hadn’t been going I wouldn’t have gone. Last time I was on Maui the Lions Club was doing a fundraiser luau for around $50, we checked online to see if any such thing was happening on Oahu but there wasn’t, too bad.

Home around 10:30.

Nov 27 Sun Happy Birthday Linds!

Beautiful sunrise this morning! Clear sky! Haven’t seen too many of those. Most mornings we get the clouds over the mountains so don’t usually see a colourful sunrise.

Peggy and I and Linda and Gabe went to the Lili’oukalni Botanical Garden. Small garden in the middle of a bit of a rough residential area. Also some big apartments around it.

There’s a stream running through it and lots of lovely trees and plants. Sadly it’s a bit shabby and could use a lot of TLC, but still pretty enough in places.

P and I headed to Punchbowl Cemetery. Very beautiful and very well kept. Was here back in 1996 on Veterans Day! First we did the road loop then parked to take a look at the memorials. All very interesting and very moving. It’s about all the wars, not just Pearl Harbour. One area of plaques, some with a round marker that means the remains were recovered……unfortunately very few of those makers….all others are either missing in action or the bodies were not recoverable…very sad. The views are pretty nice in all directions from the road in and the circle route. Wandered thru the cemetery on the way back to the car….so many graves. Family members can also be buried. There is another area of wall for ashes and another being built. It’s very quiet, a moving but disturbing experience…an exceptional monument to war!

The wall commemorating those lost at war. Sadly only the ones with the round markers indicate that the remains were found.

Met up with Linda and Gabe for late lunch/dinner at the Kaimana Hotel beach bar. Had a glass of wine at the bar while waiting for our table. Great spot, right on the beach, nice patio with umbrellas and hau trees for shade. I had delicious French toast and a mimosa. Would be a great spot to stay if coming back to Oahu. Close enough to Waikiki to walk but far enough away from the crowds!

Home around 7. Snackie dinner. Called Linds to wish her a happy birthday. Her, Craig and the kids and Bev were at Red Robin for dinner.

Cards and to bed.

Nov 28 Mon

Iffy weather today…..quite rainy first thing but eased up to showers and then pretty much stopped by around 10.

Gabe and Linda and I went to Chinatown! Actually found it this time! On Maunakea Street. Parked across from the Market Place. Just poured for a few minutes then sprinkled on and off for an hour or so.

The market place wasn’t that great…a couple of dress shops, a flower stand and a rather messy, unorganized food court area.

Out on the street quite a few of the shops were open (and not boarded up like the last time we came thru here). Lots of fruit and veggie places, a couple of bakeries, some meat and fish shops, many selling Peking duck and char sui. Lots of flower shops! A really nice plaza with fruit/veg shops and big beautiful purple orchid trees. All the food looked really good….all the usual Asian veg like bok choy, Japanese eggplants, herbs etc. and with prices much better than Safeway! Some of the shops though could use a good scrub and/or a coat of new paint!

Some very strange people hang around that area….not unlike our Chinatown at home!! Some with obvious mental issues, homeless people and some scary kind of gang or tough looking guys. A lady in one of the shops told us that it’s very scary around there at night and she never goes down then. Usually all the shops are closed up by late afternoon. Was still a lot of shops boarded up so not quite the vibrant place we thought it would be.

That shop lady told us where to go for good Dim Sum….a place called Ginger and Garlic. It was probably a bit late, just after 1, but still had it. We were the only people in there. The place did look a bit shabby and a bit suspect for cleanliness but the food was good. Had quite a few dishes. Har gou, shu mai (sp?), sticky rice, read bean buns, a couple more dishes and tea. Came to $19 each. Found a bakery and picked up a pineapple bun (vg), Linda got a couple different kinds of buns and cookies.

Gabe dropped Linda and I off on Kalakaua for some shopping…..ABC stores are Linda’s fav!! Picked up a couple more things for the kids. Walked thru the Royal Hawaiian again. Clear sky and much warmer.

Gabe came to pick us up and raved about the great place he’d found for coffee down the beach….Barefoot Beach Café!! Found a parking spot on the street. A local musician group was having a little jam session outside of the washrooms (?)….ukes and a couple other string type instruments.

No alcohol, which I knew from the other time we were there, so we were just getting coffees. Right at the café was another more “formal” type group that plays on Monday nights. Two guys playing guitars and a lady playing an upside down washtub with a stick and a piece of string…sort of sounded like a bass. Lots of fun to listen to. Some impromptu hula happened with a lady from one of the tables, then a couple men, that I think were Monday regulars, got up too. The lady gave a little hula lesson that Linda did because she’s been taking hula lesson at home! So lots of fun for her.

Anyway we were having such a good time we decided to stay for dinner and sunset. I had the fish and chips again….very good. The best sunset yet tonight, right into the water….which is amazing considering how the day started.

The regular Monday night band. Love the makeshift bass thing!

More hula lessons, this time from the lady playing the funny washtub thing…..even I got up and gave it a go. Linda asked if they knew a song that she’d been learning to dance to and of course they did. So she gave us a quick once thru with all the hand, arm, feet and hip movements and what they meant and then we did it to the song…lots of fun and makes sense. You are telling a story with your hands and arms. Must say it was a little like Zumba for me….the hand part was no problem but coordinating that with the hips was another thing.

Got a great pic of the Waikiki and Honolulu skyline at night before we left. Very pretty.

Home around 9. The neighbour has Christmas decorations up!!!

Only a few days left…..where has the time gone!!

Nov 29 Tues

Plan was to go to Ioloni Palace but was $25 to get in……we just passed on that. Took a few pics outside. Gabe had driven Peggy, Linda and I and Gordie was meeting us there after the soccer game was finished but he came early, so a bit of confusion trying to find him. Just grabbed coffees while we waited. Peggy went looking for him and poor Linda had to walk miles I think to the Walmart to use the washroom….none in the coffee shop (weird??)

From there we went to Wahiawa Botanical Gardens. Very beautiful, lush and very much a tropical jungle! Quite big with some nice paved walkways and some stairs that lead down to rough trails that could be dry riverbeds……signs that warn of flash flooding!! Free to get in. I think this was one of the best gardens we went to. More of a natural type garden. Not all trees and plants were marked so many we didn’t know. Some massive plants and gorgeous tall palms.

Not sure exactly what area it’s in but we found a kind of weird Indian place, which the boys didn’t want to go to, so they went for Chinese. The Indian place was not really very good….everything kind of tasted the same and sort of questionable looking place really.

Got home and Ken had taken the neighbour (Herb’s) paddleboard out in the lagoon and was doing really good. We have a paddleboard but it’s locked up and can’t be used by renters…ah well.

I went into Waikiki with K & E and P & G for dinner. Tried to find a couple of restaurants that they’d read about but either full, no ambiance, too loud etc. etc. Ended up at the IMP on the restaurant floor where we checked them all out and ended up at the “Eating House”. Dinner was not cheap but was really good! I had the Caesar salad with tomatoes and the Mongolian Ribs…..5 huge ones that were delicious. Was after 9 by the time we finished.

G and L had stayed home.

Played cards and to bed!

Nov 30 Wed

Can’t believe it’s our last day here already! Where has this month gone!!

K and E’s were up very early and managed to get a snorkel spot at Hanauma Bay….they loved it! They leave tonight….

Peggy, Gordie, Linda, Gabe and I went to Waimanola Beach! Fantastic!! Best beach day of the trip. Took the chairs and boogie boards. The beach is just beautiful, soft sand, no rocks or coral. The view is stunning!! Rabbit Island and another just beside it, both are bird sanctuaries. The water is much warmer than the leeward side and some great waves for boogie boarding. Got a couple good runs in then a couple of nice swims and floats!

G found a burger joint down the road and picked up lunch for Peggy and I. Was really good, like a an old fashioned café burger. Drink, fries and burger $16! Spent pretty much the whole day there. I really wish we’d come here much sooner than our last day. Came the first day with P and J but was crazy rough and lots of warming signs….oh well, next time!!

Outback for dinner tonight. Treated to another spectacular sunset and a pretty good meal at a reasonable price.

Hard to process Christmas with summer weather!!

Home to pack up for the rest of us and clean up! K & E left for the airport around 9.

My suitcase is expanded to the max and I barely got everything in! Took too many things I didn’t end up wearing. And I didn’t really buy that much….

Cards and to bed. Will miss this place. I could live in Hawaii!! What better place is there…..the weather is wonderful and it really is beautiful. Would I live on Oahu?? I don’t know but it certainly has some positives.

Dec 1 Thurs

Up at 6. Finished packing and cleaning and out by just after 9:30.

Dropped the rental car off, no issues.

Shuttle to the airport around 11:30 so a few hours to kill.

Got checked in and bags sent off. Had lunch, wandered round, bought plane snacks.

Good flight. Arrived just after 10PM (to snow!!!). Had used the new declaration thing on the arrivecan app so got to go thru the Nexus line. Was quick and easy. I was the first one out waiting for what seemed like forever for the luggage to come along.

What was waiting for me at home!! Ah sigh……….

Peggy and Gordie finally came along but never did see Linda and Gabe.

Grabbed my bag and out to call Linds. Home just after midnight…..freezing cold and snow! Glad I had my snow tires put on before I left!

Great trip with a bunch of great people.

Oahu 2022 – Week 1 and 2

Nov 3 Thurs

Got to the airport just before 5:30. Check in not open so went in search of coffee and something to eat….nothing is open. All the way over to the domestic terminal. Not even a Tim’s!! Argh.

Check in finally opened around 6 so got that done, dropped my bag and tried to get food again, no luck. Thought I’d just sit and wait for Peggy and Gordie coming in from their flight from Nanaimo when my phone rang. It was Peggy saying they’d missed their flight and I was on my own.

She contacted the car rental to say I’d be picking it up and I got all the info (parking, security code etc.) on the townhouse.

Just headed to security and US customs. It took almost an hour to get thru all that.

Flight was delayed ½ hour so quickly grabbed a sandwich and some water. Finally boarded and left just after 9.

Dozed on and off thru the 6hr flight. Arrived just after 12 noon Hawaii time. Gate thingie wasn’t working so sat in the hot plane for about 20 minutes then they backed up and moved to a different gate. Good thing was that by the time we got to the baggage carousel the luggage was there.

Grabbed my bag and outside into the beautiful, warm and sunny Hawaiian air. Found the pick up point for the car rental shuttle and was just phoning them when their shuttle arrived. The gal said she had the change of driver etc. and would get the paperwork started. Which was great because I was hot!! Jeans just weren’t cutting it. I had packed capris in my carry on and probably should have changed at the airport but just wanted to get this car thing done and on my way. A bit of an adventure being on my own!

Lucky Owl car rental was great! Small place a few minutes drive from the airport in an industrial area. They had the minivan waiting with the AC going….which was lovely. Got all the paperwork sorted and was on my way after checking google maps for directions. No problems luckily. A big minivan. Rather an old one I think….inside is in kind of rough shape, no GPS or any bells and whistles, but seems to drive OK.

Once on the freeway it was pretty much straight out to Hawaii Kai. A bit of traffic back up near the Honolulu exits but no problems. The lanes seem a bit narrow or maybe just the minivan is big….an 8 seater something.

Took about 20-30 min to get to the townhouse. Had to get the email out with the parking map out to find the right spot. Got in the house and had a look around, found my room and changed into something a little more appropriate for Hawaii!

Place is a bit smaller than what I thought from the pictures but there are 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, so all is good.

Decided I’d head out to pick up some basic food and wine to start for when the others arrived. Ken and Eileen and Jo-Anne arrive around 11PM.

Went to Safeway, a 5 minute drive. Picked up some coffee, milk, bread, jam, peanut butter, eggs etc. to get us thru the morning and some cheese, crackers and snacks in case those guys were hungry when they arrive and wine and a bottle or two of prosecco.

The van is really quite big. Not sure we’ll need it as K & E will have a car and Linda and Gabe will also have one when they arrive on the 17^th. When I came out of Safeway I noticed a van sticking out a mile in the row of angled parking….it was me!! LOL Totally misjudged how long, or short I guess, the front end was.

Thought I’d take a bit of drive around but then decided probably not a good idea since I was operating on only a couple of hours sleep over the last 24 hours so just headed back home.

Unpacked the goodies and did a bit of cleaning….counter was all sticky and grimy, sink was grubby and the counters in all the bathrooms had not been cleaned at all. Lots of pots and pans and dishes but only 5 good coffee mugs……odd! It’s an older place and could use a bit of TLC but it was cheap and seems to be a good location. There are no table lamps!! No lamp at all in my room, so will be using my trusty flashlight to read in bed.

*Our view of the lagoon……about a 5 minute walk over the bridge and across the street to a small beach.*

Once that was done (it was already almost 4!) I poured myself a nice big glass of wine and sat outside with my book to enjoy the rest of the warm sunny day and the view of the lagoon. Tried chatting with the neighbours a bit but they didn’t seem terribly chatty so carried on with my book. Peggy called to say they were working on rebooking their flights….probably in tomorrow evening sometime. Let her know no problems getting the car or to and in the place.

I was done by 9 so got my jammies on and set the alarm for 11 for when the others arrived. I guess I must have slept thru it because my phone woke me up. They were at the front door trying to get in….not sure why they didn’t have the code too???

They got settled in, had some snacks and off to bed. What a long day but so happy to be here.

Nov 4 Fri

Slept just OK….not sure how clean the sheets are though. Awake at 4:30 and just got up and made coffee. Sat outside updating my journal and catching up on news and FB until the others got up.

So nice in the morning, warm and a gentle breeze. Beautiful pink and purple sunrise sky. Lots of blue sky but big, heavy clouds hanging over the mountains behind us. By 7:30 it was pretty warm.

J and I went for a walk down to the water to have a look at the swimming beach. Only a 5 or 10 minute walk (depending on how long you have to wait for the traffic light!). J took a nasty tumble face first on the gravel. Cut over her eye from her glasses, scrapes and bruises. A guy saw her go down and came over right away to help. Her eye bled quite a bit but doesn’t look like a stitch thing and luckily the glasses weren’t broken. Said she was OK, other than a bit mortified that it happened at all!

Made our way home and went for a swim. K and E went to Costco, picked up a chicken and salad stuff for lunch (was v.g.) and more wine.

After lunch J and I decided we’d walk to the Holy Trinity Thrift Store. Map said .8 away…..but that was .8 miles not kilometers, so a bit further than we’d planned. Was very hot walking along the highway and noisy too. Hahaha….got there and found out it was closed. Walk back wasn’t as bad. I have somehow developed a blister under the strap of my sandal….must have gotten a bit of gravel in there or something. What a pain that’s going to be. Just spent the rest of the afternoon at the pool.

The plan was that we’d head to the Chinatown Art Walk (first Friday night of each month) and for dinner before picking up Peggy and Gordie…..that did not go as planned!! Left the house around 5:30. Eileen was navigating. Got totally lost and ended up going around in circles in some residential neighbourhood (I think she had the map upside down on her phone lol…). Then finally ended up in Waikiki, in the dark in that huge van, on Kuhio Ave then on to Ala Moana Blvd (all one way streets). By then it was close to 7:30. I pulled into the Ala Moana Mall parking lot so we could get dinner somewhere before going to get P and G….flight arriving at 8:30. Had a quick dinner at the food court, quick but not cheap. Was good though….Japanese. Too bad we didn’t make it to Chinatown….the Art Walk is only the first Friday of each month.

Before we left the mall to head to the airport I checked the route on google maps. Good thing because again she had us going some bizarre way. I think I will fire Eileen as navigator LOL…..

Made it to the airport, no problem. Had to do a couple of loops around as you can’t stop other than to load luggage……they are right on your case if you stop for more than one minute! In hindsight I should have just parked in the cell phone lot and waited to hear from P or G. Peggy msgd to say they’d arrived and which carousel their luggage was coming in on…..there are signs too showing the flights and carousel numbers so you can find your people easily!! Saw Peggy, so Eileen got out and went with her to get Gordie and their luggage. Had to do another loop around as the parking guys have no mercy on you if you don’t load up and go pronto. Another loop around and they were all there.

What a long day for P & G…..Vanc/LA/Honolulu with I think a 4 or 5 hour stopover in LA.

Home, snacks, chatting to catch up and to bed around 11. What a day!!

Nov 5 Sat.

Slept much better. Up around 6:30. Very pretty morning….warm with a bit of breeze. Very pleasant.

We decided that we’d go to the Ho’omaluhia Botanical Garden. Gordie passed on it and stayed home.

Off we went in two cars. K and E in theirs and J, P and me driving in ours (Gordie will be the second driver when we get around to the rental place). Very nice drive along the south and east coast of the island. Stopped at a couple of lookouts to admire the spectacular views and Halona Blow Hole and Sandy Beach….all busy on a Saturday.

Free admission to the Ho’omaluhia garden but you must stop at the little hut on the way in I think to limit the number of vehicles in the park at any one time. Sort of a “drive thru or around” park, with a few places to stop. It’s a large park with many different trails to hike…..if you’re prepared for sun, wind and showers, sometimes all at the same time!! Very lush and tropical. There are the trails and an Education Centre. Drove through first……beautiful, lush and an great variety of trees and plants, some very unique, and then back to the Ed Centre to get some info on it and a map to take on our walk. Great display set up showing the various type of trees and pods etc. Followed the trail down to the reservoir. Many different trees and plants along the trail….most have plaques that identify them and their origins. Lots of different kinds of ducks and saw a mongoose too. The view of the mountains is stunning….green and lush and the defined sharp ridges, just gorgeous. Great place and worth visiting!

Had started spitting a bit while we were there but as soon as we left the park/garden and head down toward the coast we were back in the sunshine. K and E headed off to find a pub for lunch. We found a little hole in the wall take out joint and drove to Waimanolu Beach to eat it. What a beautiful beach….picture postcard Hawaii!

Back home late afternoon. Eileen made a great salad and chopped up the rest of the chicken (those Costco chickens are huge…..two meals out of the one we got. One for 4 people and another for 6).

I went to bed around 10:30…..still getting used to the time change.

Fun morning and afternoon!

Nov 6 Sun

*Leonard’s Malasada truck…..parked in the next mall over from Costco/Safeway*

Slept OK. Up around 5:30. Peggy was already up watching tennis and coffee was made…such a treat when someone else makes it!

Ken and Eileen whipped out around 7:30 to hit the famous “Malasada Truck”, Leonards Bakery makes them. They were delicious!! Kind of a beignet type filled donut. Various kinds of cream filling or plain….so yummy and still warm!

No big plans today. Off to the mall to TMobile at 10:30 to get SIM cards and didn’t leave there until almost 1. Finally got it all sorted and thought we’d go for lunch. Not a lot of places around there really so ended up at “Zippy’s”. Kind of a hokey place…..like where old people would eat lol…definitely not fine dining. Great spot though right on the marina. I had the 3 chicken combo (katsu, Korean and fried) was pretty good really, the katsu was the best.

Just went back home and spent the rest of the afternoon at the pool.

Dinner was just snackie/appie stuff, which was more than enough.

We have the most spectacular sunsets each night!

Nov 7 Mon

Up early again, only slept OK. Not sure if it’s the time change or what. The bed is quite comfortable. Made coffee and sat around watching tennis, checking emails, FB etc.

Packed up and off to Waikiki Beach! Found a parking spot at the zoo….nice big lot. We were quite away down the beach from Waikiki, at Kuhio beach and a big park, so not crowded. Many big, pretty trees and a huge banyan. Not the best swimming beach, was pretty coral-ie so a bit rough on the feet if you missed the sandy spots. Gordie and Ken snorkeled, said it was just OK.

Hung around there until noon and then P & G and I went back to Lucky Owl to get Gordie set up as a driver and trade in the van for a smaller, more practical car. Very quick and efficient at Lucky Owl!! Everything done in less than a half hour and out with our new car, a Honda Civic that is much nicer and much newer, 2018 I think, and a bit of a credit back because it’s smaller. Would definitely use them again.

Gordie dropped Peggy and me off at the Outrigger Waikiki to meet up with Jo-Anne and Eileen….Ken dropped them off there and went off exploring. Beach Bar was great. Fun place with great views up and down the beach. Had a Vodka Mango Slushie (v.g. $11) and the buffet ($21) which was excellent…great selection of salads (quinoa one was delicious) and hot dishes. Moved on to more affordable G&T’s.

Ken picked us up around 5 and home. Yakked, snacked and watched the Voice!

To bed around 11.

Nov 8 Tues.

Slept a little longer this morning…..almost 7. Must be on Hawaii time now!

No alcohol but good food and pretty good prices considering the location

Not particularly where I wanted to go but went with the flow….back to Waikiki and a bit of a better spot for swimming, still at the Kuhio beach but a little further down, closer to the hotels. Stopped at ABC and picked up some water booties and a couple of mini bottles of booze to add to our Starbucks iced coffees! Great sandy beach but still needed the booties once in the water. Had lunch at a nice little place right on the beach called the “Barefoot Café” (no alcohol served). Fish and chips (lots and v.g) for $15, which is good considering the location!

Drove by a couple of other beaches on the way home to check out snorkeling spots….nothing too great though.

Back home around 2:30. I went to the pool, P to nap, J to walk….no idea what the guys were doing.

P and I went to pick up more groceries and dinner goodies. Had spinach salad, prawns and baked potatoes….all very good and great to be able to just sit around and have a couple glasses of wine without worrying about driving.

To bed around 10:30.

Nov 9 Wed.

Slept great! Finally on Hawaii time I think…or hope.

Waikiki AGAIN but for shopping this time. Gordie dropped us off.

International Market Place is gone…or at least the old neat place is…..it’s now a big mall with mostly high end shops and at least 3 ABC stores! Restaurants up on the second or third level. They kept the big old banyan tree thank goodness! Further down the street there’s a market called Duke’s I think. Kind of like the old IMP used to be like, lots of kiosks selling clothes, jewelry etc. Fun for a bit but most of the shops sell exactly the same stuff so not too exciting after a couple loops. More shopping, mostly just the window type. In and out of a few shops but nothing caught anyone’s eye. Walked all the way down one side of Kalakaua and back on the other.

Went to the Moana Surfrider for a look around and a drink at the beach bar (expensive and my margarita was not good at all!) Beautiful hotel though. Great view of Diamond Head and Waikiki Beach.

Next on to the Royal Hawaiian. Get there thru the big mall that is all decorated very nicely for Christmas! The hotel is tucked in behind the mall away from all the street hustle and bustle. Very pretty and well manicured grounds….such a beautiful hotel outside and in. Great décor and furniture which made me think of Colonial India! Checked out the bar for lunch but not much on their menu and very expensive so off we went.

Walked down the beach towards Fort Derussy but was already 2 and most places had closed for lunch by then. Up a block to Kuhio Ave and found the Paia Fish Market.. Kind of a basic place….stand in line to order your food, get a number and they bring it to the table. I had the mahi burger which was excellent and a glass of wine $25.

Waikiki and Kalakaua Ave are just timeless really…..looks exactly the same as it did 20+ years ago….other than the IMP being a mall now. A few new/different shops but that’s it, still a ton of ABC stores.

Called an Uber to get home. Was quick…..the guy was there in like 2 minutes! I think it was about $20 but well worth it.

It’s not like we’re crazy busy but I am really tired at night….maybe the heat and humidity???

Nov 10 Thurs.

Went to Pokai Beach….it’s about half way between Barber Point and Makaha so a good hour drive from Hawaii Kai.

Very different at this end of the island. Once the highway gets closer to the sea it’s quite pretty. Smaller homes, little communities etc. I think this is the more reasonably priced part of the island.

Pokai Beach is fantastic! Very pretty crescent shaped bay protected by a rock break, or whatever you it. Calm, sandy beach with no rocks or coral to hurt your feet!! But also no shade unless you go back towards the parking lot. Lots of big turtles right close to shore.

Spent a couple hours there. Had a couple of swims. K and G tried their luck snorkeling but not much. Was a great spot. Not many people on the beach. Ken chatted with a guy that does an outrigger thing on the weekends. It’s free for people that want to have a go at it. He let Ken take his out for a bit.

There’s an army base around the bay. Some nice little cottages that they use for guys and their families to unwind when they come back from deployment. There’s also a rec centre and a bar called Beach House. Anyone can use the bar after showing some ID. Very basic place but really pretty, right on the beach. Had a couple of drinks and snacks/early dinner. I had a Michalada, which is a beer with bloody mary mix in it. Only OK, too much of the mix so I had to order another beer! The coconut prawns were really good. But not really any meals on the menu, just starters and appies. Good enough though.

Home around 7. And everyone could barely stay awake. Lots of sun, driving, heat, drinks etc.

Was a fun afternoon!

Nov 11 Fri

Happy Birthday Linda G!! Did a Facetime sing song for her before we headed out.

Cacti garden…..the garden is inside the crater!

Slept great. Up early, coffee on, great morning. I could live here!!!

Koko Crater Botanical Garden today. Free!! Only a 5 minute drive from the house. It’s a “natural garden” with mostly local trees and plants but with a few different areas showcasing plants that have been brought in over the years…..an African garden, cacti and “dryland” which I guess is like desert. Some very unique trees and plants.

Transvaal Gardenia. Yellow flowers that only bloom at night. Melon type fruit (non edible by humans) appear after blooming.

Many different varieties of plumeria….so, so fragrant! Gorgeous bougainvillea, beautiful big trees with branches that spread for many, many feet beyond the original trunk, some almost on the ground….one called a Moracaea (mulberry family) is just massive. There are many different kinds of cacti….some that were taking over trees like a vine would some gigantic barrel cacti and yucca type plants . One really unique tree that had what looked like cantaloupes growing on it and of course in the Africa area a sausage tree and some baobabs. Palms galore….so many different kinds, my fave is the travelers palms. Ferns too. We stayed pretty much on the trail to keep in the shade but so much to see really and well worth a visit.

Went for a bit of drive around the area and then met Eileen at a nice little place at the marina called Liko’s….it’s in the Safeway mall. Prosecco’s only $8!! Had a couple of those and either a late lunch or an early dinner (??) Fish burger that was good. We had a great table so a nice view with a breeze.

Home and another snackie type dinner.

Nov 12 Sat

Very breezy and overcast this AM. Was warm though. About 9 the torrential rain started!! Just unbelievable. Ken and Gordie had been sitting on the bench at the lagoon about 50ft from the house and were soaked by the time they got in. A couple of beautiful rainbows though.

Rain had stopped and still a bit iffy, really windy, but off we went to check out some of the beaches on the east side of the island. First stop was Sherwood Beach….nice big beach with soft sand. Just too windy and another mini mega downpour. It had stopped by the time we left the parking lot. Being the weekend, crappy weather and all, it was packed!

Drove a bit further along to Kailua Beach. Sun had come out and wind had eased up but still some pretty nasty looking clouds hanging around. Fantastic beach! Good for boogie boarding. Soft sand….would definitely come back for another visit. A bit busy on a weekend day, so midweek would be best. The mountains are just spectacular…..knife edge ridges that look very green and lush.

Had a great lunch at Buzz’s. BBQ ribs and a glass of rose! Fun, busy place.

Not too far down the road is Kualoa Point. Saw “Chinaman’s Hat”. Nice big beach, lots of parking……and chickens!!

Gordie was done for the day so drove back over the Pali Hwy. I’d noticed the car making some weird noise and vibration when braking sometimes and he noticed it too….so will give Lucky Owl a call to see if they can check it out or give us yet another car!

Snacks, cheese, crackers, salami etc. for dinner. A movie and to bed.

Nov 13 Sun

I had an “in” day! Good to get some quiet time when with a big group.

P, G and J went off to check out Ala Moana beach, E & K went back up to Pokai.

Sat out on the grass, updated my journal, read and had a drink or two! Just when you think you can’t sit out in the hot sun for another minute a nice breeze or bit of cloud cover comes along and makes it all good again so you can handle it for a bit more.

Had a snackie lunch and then off to the pool for a while. Just me! Had a nice dip and read for a bit but no shade there so got a bit too hot.

Everyone back around 4…..all had great times today. Jo-Anne loved Ala Moana beach so will get there again before she leaves.

Dinner in. We’ve been eating a lot of salad and chicken, which is good. Had prawns the other night and Gordie and I over cooked them a bit but still good. Used leftover chicken to make chicken tacos….those rotisserie chickens from Costco go a long way!

Nov 14 Mon

Just love the mornings here….especially nice before everyone gets up and it gets busy.

Took the car back to Lucky Owl again this morning because of the shuddering thing…..brakes/suspension?? No issue whatsoever….they are really awesome there. We now have a 2020 Kia something or other. Much nicer.

Up to Haleiwa…..just a beautiful spot. Big waves, lots of surfers. Had a great lunch at one of the many shrimp trucks…..and other food trucks. They have a couple spots like food courts at the mall with lots of options other than shrimp. I had the regular shrimp with butter and garlic, can get Cajun and other types too. A good little salad and two scoops of rice. Must have had at least 15 or 16 good size and really yummy prawns.

After lunch J, P and I walked over to the “mall”. Looked around a bit and found a margarita bar!! Cholo’s…..all day happy hour(s) margaritas!! Had a couple. Lots of chickens and roosters all over the place….they even wandered into the restaurants and shops.

Carried on from there to check out the beaches. Waimea Bay, Sunset Beach, the Bonzai Pipeline, Pupakea. Was tough finding parking spots though. Drove thru the parking lot at the Turtle Bay Hilton. And then down the east coast past Kahuku and Laie and down to Kaaawa, nice park and lots of chickens and roosters….even little chicks. The beaches on this side of the island are the best….just fantastic. Much nicer sand, very soft and fine. And the mountains are just breathtaking!

Girls went out for dinner. Tried the Kona Brewing Pub but only crappy tables available. Found a Greek place across from it that was kind of take out but not?? Order at the counter and they bring the food to your table. No alcohol but you can bring your own!! Eileen went to the store around the corner and came back with two bottles of wine! Food was only OK but the wine was good! There are not that many restaurants around Hawaii Kai…..surprising really since there are a lot of homes, townhouses and condos.

Great day!

Nov 15 Tues

Slow start to today. Hung around, went to the pool, read, laundry.

In two cars we all headed into Waikiki to do a bit of shopping/wandering and have dinner. Checked out all the restaurants at the Int’l Market Place but nothing appealed to anyone so off across the street to Duke’s. Needed reservation for the restaurant upstairs so back to the Beach Bar. Found a huge big table for us…..not the best spot in the place for sure…..would have been lovely sitting out on the patio. Very noisy tonight…..crowded, but was fun. Hahaha…..was Taco Tuesday!! Margs were on sale so had a couple of those an a beef quesadilla….was really good. Total was $30 which I think was pretty reasonable for there.

Nov 16 Wed

Ala Moana Beach today. Beautiful big beach with a fantastic view back towards Waikiki and Diamond Head. OK sand but a good swimming beach with only a bit of coral here and there.

J and I went with K and E. P and G are having a day on their own….and ordering a birthday cake for Linda G for tomorrow.

Good spot on the beach close to a tree for some shade. E had had enough after an hour or so and found an Irish Bar that Ken could take her too, he came back a while later to check out snorkeling. J and had lunch from the concession across the street. I had a huge hot dog and ice tea for $5. J had the breaded prawns and salad including drink for $10!! Has to be the best deal on Oahu considering its right across from the beach.

Spent a couple of hours there and then Ken took us to the pub to pick up Eileen. She wanted us to come in for a quick prosecco so we did! Ferguson’s, nice little pub with locals….E knew them all by the time we arrived lol.

Just enough time to clean up and out for dinner at Roy’s. Nice spot. Had a great table right at the window so caught the beautiful sunset. Somebody ordered little crab cake appies that were really good. I had the scallops for the main course. 5 perfectly cooked scallops in a truffle risotto….didn’t look like very much but was very good and very rich so more than enough. A bit of a kerfuffle trying to get separate bills, but it all worked out in the end.

It’s J’s last night and I’m going to miss her!

Next post Oahu Week 3 and 4…….

Turkey 2009 Part 4 – Istanbul (and back to Germany with a day in Heidelberg to finish the trip).

This trip started out with just Turkey….the highlight of the trip was to be a gulet cruise along the Lycian coast. Initially we had enough people interested to look into doing a private charter but as often happens as time went by they changed their minds and it ended up being only our friends, Rae and Glen, and Ken and I. We then had to go for a “tour”, which morphed into a second week tour of historic sites along the Lycian coast. It was an excellent trip booked thru Explore Worldwide. As with all our holidays, while still working, time was precious so we tried to include whatever else seemed to be logical add-ons to get the most out of our vacation. With the Greek island of Rhodes just a hop, skip and ferry ride away from our Turkey trip starting point we worked that in too…..the Rhodes had to go to Rhodes!!! The best flight options to get us there and back from Turkey were thru Frankfurt…but leaving a few days earlier than we’d planned so made good use of our start days in Mainz, Germany.

This journal is in 4 parts: Part 1 Mainz and Rhodes, Part 2 Turkey – Tour of Ancient Sites, Part 3 Lycian Coast Gulet Cruise and Part 4 Istanbul

Mon June 29

Up early. Another beautiful day and a new adventure! The gulet trip was so just amazing…..could definitely do it again!

Breakfast and pretty much right off the boat by 10. Said goodbye to everyone….nice to meet you etc. etc.

Took our luggage to the hotel we stayed at last week to hold for us until we had to leave for the airport (Dalaman). Found a great place around the corner for coffee and pastries. Wandered around the market for a while then went and had a nice lunch down by the marina.

Found a taxi driver and made arrangements for him to pick us up at the hotel at 1. 80L but we gave him 90 as I’m not sure he’ll get a fair back. Discovered after he’d left that he’d dropped us at the wrong terminal!! We wanted domestic and dropped us at International….argh. Was about a ½ mile slog in the heat….was a bit exhausting but luckily we didn’t have to rush too much.

Had to go thru security to just get in the airport. Sat around, read etc. waiting for our 4:15 Turkish Airways flight to Istanbul….the Asian side airport, Sabiha Gokcen Airport. Rae bought a paper to get caught up on the news and found out that Michael Jackson died!!!

Good flight. Just over an hour. Served buns with cheese, water and chocolate pudding! Arrived at the “other” Istanbul airport. Grabbed a cab for what should have been about an hour drive but took over 2 hours!! Was supposed to cost 85L but gave the guy 120L cuz he got us there safe, not sure if we were sound though….very scary driving!! They drive everywhere and anywhere….curbs, emergency stopping lanes, sidewalks, other people lanes (half in/half out).

The Ferman Hotel is great!! In Sultanahmet…..great location. All that it said it was on the website and maybe even better. They have face clothes!!!! Rae flopped on the bed and said she was never leaving lol…..will be a treat sleeping in a real bed and a comfortable one at that! They gave us a nice little fruit plate with those great little green plums, an apple, kiwi, and orange, nectarines and cherries!! Fantastic rooftop terrace!! Spectacular views in every direction.

Rested for about a ½ hour and headed out to find a place for dinner. A little place around the corner called Ocean’s 7 (v.g.) I had beef wrapped in eggplant with cheese, Ken had the kefte, both really good. Long day so we just headed back to the hotel rooftop bar for coffee…but they don’t have it set up yet! The guy made us tea, which was nice. The views are spectacular!!! Unbelievable!! The Blue Mosque with the birds (seagulls?) flying around it….then off to the right/east is Hagia Sophia, both lit up and then to the south and west is the Bosphorus with tons and tons of freighters and the colourful lit up bridge. Just amazing. Beautiful at night, can’t wait to see it in the daylight tomorrow!

Great, fun and exciting day. So excited to be in Istanbul. Haven’t seen much but love it so far and can’t wait to explore tomorrow.

Tues June 30

Up at 4:30 and then again at 7:30. Met R & G for breakfast on the rooftop terrace, which has to have the best views in Istanbul! Spectacular all the way around. Great continental breakfast with the usual Turkish stuff, plus hard boiled and scrambled/omelet type eggs too. And a toaster!

Headed for Hagia Sophia, or Aya Sofia. Absolutely massive! The entry fee is 20L not 10 like the guide book said. The height of the dome if the equivalent of a ten story building. They are doing some restoration work so the scaffolding kind of ruins it but also gives you a perspective on just how huge of a place it is. Impossible to take half decent pictures…..they really mean nothing and do it no justice unless you can see it, so I just gave up. The work to uncover and restore much of the interior artwork will continue for years apparently. Some beautiful mosaics from roman times were discovered…they were covered up during the conversion to a mosque because of the faces. The marble floors are still in reasonable shape considering how old they are (6thC AD). Walked up the ramp to the next level which gives a different perspective of the size of it. Just an amazing building, great history and some wonderful relics or artifacts from eons ago.

Outside it was so incredibly hot! Slowly worked our way toward the Grand Bazaar. Stopped for coffees/drinks along the way. Some beautiful tree lined streets with nice buildings….not sure what style, some maybe sort of mid-century modern mixed in with old ottoman and new.

The Grand Bazaar….what can one say!! Today it’s pretty much a big open shopping mall full of stores/shops, many of which sell the very same stuff. The usual carpet shops, lots of food places, jewelry shops, places selling spices/herbs, nuts, beans etc. It smells wonderful! There are a few really unique shops tucked away here and there. Bought a dolly for Cadence, a pashmina for Shirley and a pretty water colour painted by a local artist. It was all a little overwhelming as you just didn’t know which direction to go next. It’s quite a maze. Not what I expected really. Most of the shops are real little stores with signs and doors etc. not open stalls that I was thinking. Surprisingly I didn’t find anyone terribly pesky. Some are little persistent but nobody really bugged us a lot. They say that if they haven’t got you in their store in 60 seconds it’s a waste of their time and they move on to the next potential customer wandering by. Found the Turkish bath towel I wanted but didn’t buy them. Spent about an hour and a half in there.

Thought we were heading towards Eminonu (sp?) area but apparently not….wandered up and down some non-touristy streets and ended up in the Kumkapi area where supposedly the best seafood is in Istanbul . Wonderful old Ottoman buildings and not busy at all until you get to the restaurant district….thought we’d find a place with a view of the Marmara Sea for lunch but ended up in one that wasn’t terribly good and didn’t even have a view! The food was iffy, mine was shrimp and mushroom casserole, was very dry, Rae had calamari, which was good, Glen ended up with a bowl of shrimp…little ones, not like prawns. Ken never did get his food!! Terrible service and way overpriced. And the waiter thru water on a cat that was lurking!!!

Blue Mosque was our next stop. Many wonderful street scenes…..fruit vendors etc. Walked through the Hippodrome on the way. It’s now Sultanahmet Square, a nice park with a fence outlining the perimeter of the ancient arena. Saw the obelisks and the serpent column…….fantastic history, good and bad!

The Blue Mosque is absolutely huge! Very beautiful. Had to cover our heads so I used the pashmina I got for Shirley lol….she’ll like that though. Also had to put on a skirt type cover up to hide our knees. The inside of the place is just amazing. It’s very hushed. It too is too big to attempt taking pictures….impossible to get enough of it in to appreciate it. The tile work and painting is exquisite. The dome is massive. Seen it’s been in use forever, it’s in much better shape than Hagia Sophia. The tulip designs are everywhere. On the walls, on the rugs, which have a pattern marking individual prayer spots. The ladies are at the back. A couple women just sitting around and chatting waiting I guess for the next call to prayer. It’s closed to tourists during prayer. It is an incredibly beautiful building inside and out.

Speaking of call to prayer…..you cannot escape it in this city!! It’s loud! There are, of course, many mosques and I’m pretty sure all of them use loudspeakers. Not all the mosques have synchronized their clocks! One starts, then another 10 or so seconds later, then another so they are all doing the Allah thing at different times. Even though it wakes you up it’s still pretty magical hearing it. Some people start running down the street, or find a corner facing the right direction and just put down their mat, others don’t seem to bother with it at all and just carry on with whatever they’re doing. Very secular country (many synagogues and catholic churches) still with some ways that we think of as oppressive but progressive at the same time….

Outside the Blue Mosque and all around that area we saw the “Candy Man”….not sure exactly what kind of candy he’s making (hard, various flavours, why the lemon??). Wanted to try one but was always a line up so never did.

Back to the hotel to clean up and have our own little happy hour on the roof. Cracked open the bottle of wine we’d picked up to go along with cheese and crackers. Rae and I were feeling a little tipsy by the time we left. Stopped at the Best Western Obelisk for a drink at their rooftop bar…..nice but ours is way better, much bigger and a more wide open view. I think our building is taller maybe…. Glen had a beer, Ken had coffee, Rae and I had G & T’s. Gin was 8L and tonic 2L….interesting that you pay separately for them.

Had a great dinner down and around the corner from there. Back to the hotel for drinks but nobody was at the bar, so we self-served coffee! At night it’s fantastic with the birds flying around and around and the BM all lit up. A great way to end the day.

And what a busy day, but what an exciting city. So much to see. It was great wandering down the little streets that tourist normally wouldn’t go down. Many people just sitting around though. The city is wonderfully diverse.

Tomorrow the Cisterns and if we head in the right direction Eminonu or Sirceki to check out the spice market and the Galata bridge. Need to get a ferry schedule too.

Wed July 1 Happy Canada Day!

Did not sleep well….too hot, too cold argh. Finally up and dressed around 6. Up to the roof to see sunrise, get some coffee and take some pics.

Sunrise was beautiful. No cups for coffee right away but when the man came to set up breakfast he quickly brought me a coffee and a couple of buns, how nice

Many ships on the Bosphorus today. A big cruise ship too…..would be kind of cool to cruise into Istanbul. Went and got Ken for breakfast around 7:30. Same as yesterday but with a cold potato salad that was really tasty.

We must have walked 30km today!! Started out with the Cisterns which are pretty incredible….there are some really big fish down there!! Saw the Medusa heads…..taken off their original columns and used a footings in the cistern! Neat story of how they discovered the cisterns…..people living in the buildings above had cut holes in their floors and would fish from them…..intrigued by that the city or whoever, started doing some excavating and discovered the long buried cisterns! They hold concerts and special events as well…..good acoustics. To Russia With Love was filmed there.

Topkapi Palace next. 20L to get in. Very impressive. Quite a nice museum with some really beautiful stuff especially the quartz jugs and a very gorgeous 68ct diamond. Quite crowded though so a bit slow working our way thru the displays in the museum. There is a very nice European style pavilion. Lots of Iznik tiles, fountains. The gardens were lovely. Great little display of the kitchens and how they worked. Didn’t pay to go into the harem. The views across the river were wonderful.

Down towards the Golden Horn….grabbed a ferry schedule to see if a trip up the Bosphorus would work. Crossed the Galata Bridge. Many, many fish restaurants all under the bridge touting their food along the way. Too expensive and supposedly not the best place to eat.

On the other side we found a great little restaurant up some stairs….little sign in the window as we were passing by. Rae had the chicken shish, Ken, Glen and I had the doner….all pretty good. Service was really good. Total bill for 4 was 30L.

From there we walked to the Galata Tower but didn’t go up because I’m sure it’s a 1000 stairs!!. Stopped and had a “cay” break. Nice little spot. Decided we’d walk up to Tunel to catch the tram up to Taksim Square. The tram was 1L each way and runs up Istiklal Caddesi, the main shopping/eating street. It was like Oxford St in London…..wall to wall people! The little tram took about 15 min and takes you right up to the Square, which was jam packed with buses and taxis….and people. Not at all pedestrian friendly trying to cross the road…..lol actually felt rather traumatized!!! Needed a drink so stopped in a very pretty café in the park…..nice view but did NOT serve alcohol!

Walked all the way down…..fun street. Stopped in one of the cafeteria type restaurants and tried a couple small samples (kofte and halumi), very good but we just weren’t hungry enough to try more….maybe another day. Stopped in a couple of the shops looking for tee shirts. Picked up some coffee.

Once down to the Galata Tower decided to try a different route back. Way off the beaten tourist track. Lots of narrow streets with shops/houses etc. and hills! One area we walked thru sold electrical stuff…..blocks and blocks of everything type of electrical product you can think off. Crossed the bridge again but on top this time to watch all the fisherman…..not sure what they’re catching but most seemed to have pretty empty baskets.

Crossed under a busy street and ended up at the Spice Bazaar but was 5:30 and we were pooped so will save it for tomorrow or Friday. Back to the hotel, a quick clean up and up on the roof for a drink before heading out for dinner.

Great place called Arias…..Very good food. I had stuffed eggplant that was excellent, rice, salad and a baked potato! And the best crispy, puffy bread! Looks like a balloon…..you crack it and just break off bits as you want. Ekmek? Delish!!

Will do the Bosphorus Ferry ride tomorrow.

Thurs July 2

Up early to get upstairs to read a bit before breakfast……that said sitting there with a cup of coffee and enjoying the view I didn’t get much reading done! It really is quite glorious….something to look at in every direction.

Around 9 we grabbed a taxi to take us to the ferry terminal. After chatting with the driver we ended up booking him for our ride to the airport at midnight tomorrow! Ferry ride to Anadolou Varagi was 20L and took about 2 hours.

Great ferry ride. Very pretty and really interesting on both sides of the Bos. Many new, restored or ruined “yali” (summer homes) along the way. Some really nice hotels and the Dolmabahce Palace. The straight is really busy with freighters, ferries, fishing boats, pleasure craft etc. Because of so many accidents, freighter traffic is restricted to one way during the day and the other way at night.

Arrived at Anadolu Varagi just after 12. There really isn’t anything there unless you go up to the ruined fortress. It was quite the climb and very, very hot so we decided to just have lunch instead. Wandered around a bit and even there you are pestered continually to eat at “their” restaurant. One or two little shops but other than that only fish and ice cream places.

Had lunch at a place NOT on the water away from all the crowds. Ordered a bunch of stuff to try….battered mussels on a stick, calamari, meatballs, kebabs and salad. The best calamari I’ve had. Lots of cute and very friendly cats around.

Took the 3PM ferry back. Some gorgeous yali on the Asian side…..more newer, bigger ones, with pools! What a beautiful place to have a summer home…..close to the city but far enough away to be quieter and with wonderful views up and down the straight.

Back in Istanbul by 5. Headed to the Spice Bazaar. It was way more crowded than the Grand Bazaar. Only every 3^rd or so stall actually sold spices. Many jewelry stores, trinket shops, scarves etc. everything is all mixed in. So colourful and the smells were amazing!! Bought spices for Steve and Di and a brass spice grinder. A pretty purple scarf for Kim.

Walked back to the hotel on a different route. Stopped for beers and wine along the way. Rae and I shopped for a bit at the Arasta Bazaar by the hotel. Found some nice purses but didn’t buy anything.

Had a quick clean up and out for our “complimentary” Ferman Hotel dinner. The “morning guy” showed us the way up the street back to the Arasta Bazaar to the restaurant, Mesale Café. They have a whirling dervish! He didn’t whirl very fast and he was the only one, so not quite the show we’d hoped for. Dinner was awesome!! They brought a huge tray with all different stuff….lamb kebabs, meatballs, chicken kebabs and wings, salad, stuffed eggplant, tomato couscous. In the centre of the platter was a flaming (blue) bowl. He put the flame out and under the bowl was the yogurt dip. No alcohol served at this restaurant but you could smoke a nargili (sp?). Had apple tea. Great food at a great spot!

Wandered around looking for a place to have a glass of wine. Found another rooftop that unfortunately didn’t have much of a view…..and had to WALK up 5 flights of stairs to get there!

Back to the hotel around 11 for our last sleep in Istanbul. What a fantastic city….could easily have spent a few more days here. So much to see and so many great places to explore.

Fri July 3

Up early thanks to the guy in his truck selling watermelon at 5AM!!! Yelling “watermelons” thru a megaphone! Got up and had a look out our little balcony…..a fairly big truck with wooden sides loaded with watermelons…..people from the restaurants and hotels were out there buying them up!! Annoying but fun!

On to the glorious rooftop for coffee and to write in my journal and read for a bit before breakfast. Nothing specific was planned for today. A nice sleep in day for Ken (after the watermelon guy moved on!).

And as if the view and coffee on the roof wasn’t good enough I was treated to dolphins…..tons of them!

After breakfast we walked up toward the Horn or “Halic”. Wandered up and down some very odd streets…..lovely but a mishmash of old and new buildings, many with the Ottoman wood framing and glassed in balconies. Many sort of “half” streets connected by little narrow walkways. A few shops and cafes thrown in…..really an interesting area.

Walked toward the university. Uni grounds were nice, lots of students milling about. Ended up following signs for the “Halic Café” which took us past some of the older Ottoman row houses that have been meticulously restored….just beautiful. The café was in one of them. It had a wonderful view looking east over the Horn and Istanbul across the way. Rae and I had tea and apple pie! Ken and Glen had a milkshake and ice cream. The bill came to 40L!! But the view was worth it. The man took our picture with the view in the background. He told us we “must” see the Suleyman Mosque Botanical Garden, so we did. It was pretty much a big mess!! Had great potential to really be nice with an awesome view but needed a lot of work. Unfortunately it’s all “cared” for by volunteers and could use quite a few more. Some wonderful flowers and huge trees…..was built in the 1930’s.

On the way back we found all the outside street markets that sold all the “real” Turkish stuff. Ken bought a belt that the guy fitted and made for him right there. Rae bought a Swiss Army Knife. Found a deli and bought some pastrami, mortadela and cheese to have for our late dinner “picnic” dinner on the rooftop. This market, or bazaar, area was just great. It was what I thought the GB would be like. The shops sold everything…..teapots, wooden spoons, tools, party supplies, jewelry, scarves, sponges!! You name it you’d find it somewhere there. And the best part was that it wasn’t crowded….just the local people picking up whatever they needed.

Made our way back to the Mexican restaurant that we’d spotted earlier. Was actually really good and a treat to have some different cuisine.

Stopped to buy some simit and other buns from a street vendor for our picnic.

Back to the hotel around 4. Ken had a nap and I went up to the roof the enjoy our last evening here. Around 7 Adnan (the breakfast guy) came by to say goodbye. So, so nice. Watched the ships coming out of the Bosphorus heading out to sea.

Finally had to go down and get Ken up and collect our wine and “picnic” stuff. Really enjoyed our little picnic. The owner came by and chatted for a bit….he got us plates and a proper knife (tried using Rae’s army knife lol) to cut our buns and cheese. Can’t remember his name but he was lovely as was everyone that worked at this hotel. I don’t think you can beat this hotel anywhere here. We actually look down on other rooftop terraces and can easily see over all the buildings across the way. The rooms are really nice, just as pictured and of course the view from the rooftop terrace…..there are no words!

Collected our luggage and to the lobby to wait for the taxi driver. Took all our leftover meat and cheese out for the cats lol.

Hasan, the taxi driver, arrived right on schedule. Got to the airport in one piece…..traffic not at problem at midnight! It was supposed to cost 85L but when we got to the airport he said it was 105L because of tolls…..we had already decided to give him 100 to use up the last of our lira, so he was just lucky we still had the extra! At the airport before the check in even opened!

Sat July 4

1AM! Flight left on time. Uneventful. Tuifly gave us a very nice bun and drink along with some snacks. Must say it’s a pretty good airline for the price you pay, other than the ungodly hours some of their flights leave! More legroom than Lufthansa for sure!

Arrived in Frankfurt just after 5:30AM. We got our luggage, hoofed it over to terminal 1 to get a train schedule and caught the shuttle to the Steigenberger Hotel and checked in….it was just 7AM! Got an upgrade to the “Executive Tower” for free! Really nice room with a cappuccino maker to boot!

Had a short rest and met up with R & G at 9. Back to the airport to catch the train into Frankfurt and then another on to Heidelberg…..about and hour and half train ride…..I dozed most of the way!

It was beautiful, warm and sunny when we arrived. Grabbed a city map from a hotel and headed to the “old town”. A bit of a walk….thought it might wake us up, but no…..

Wandered around feeling a bit lost due to sleep deprivation. Cute place but very touristy. Many restaurants, lovely old wood frame buildings, lots of shops. They were having what looked like a Caribbean festival….or maybe North African (would make more sense!). Lots of brightly dressed people, food stands and music….fun!

Found tables outside at a great restaurant but just as we ordered the thunder started rumbling and lots of lightening so we ended up inside just before the downpour started. Excellent schnitzel….and a lot of it!

Luckily the storm had passed by the time we finished so went up to the castle which was very impressive from below. Took the funicular and wandered around looking at the ruins…. just as lovely and interesting once up at it. Beautiful views of the river (Necker?) from the top. Had to pay extra to go into the courtyard so we didn’t bother….you could see it from where we were. Took the “antique” funicular further up to the top of the mountain because there was a beer garden. The funicular was really old and went about 1 mile per hour. Finally made it to the top. Had time for beer and wine and a bathroom break….the absolute worst bathroom of the entire trip!! Filthy! The views though were awesome. I’m pretty sure you could just about see Frankfurt…… Headed back down……very, very slowly….and took a taxi back to the train station to catch the 6 o clock train.

Made it back to the hotel just after 8. Had a nice dinner out on the patio at the hotel.

To bed by 10…….very, very long day!

Sun July 5

Up around 7 and down for our “included breakfast”. OMG! Definitely the best breakfast buffet I think I’ve ever seen. We all ate A LOT! It was huge….you name it they had it! All the usual stuff…..eggs, bacon etc., with all the full English breakfast trimmings, plus cheeses, cold meats, pickled herring, fruit, cereal, breads, buns, pastries…..

Checked out and to the airport around 10:30.

Good fight, long though. Arrived in Vanc around 2:30PM. Linds picked us up and home!

Just a fantastic trip! Not sure how much more we could have worked into a month…..but could easily have stayed another week or two in Turkey….so much more to explore there.

Turkey 2009 Part 3 – Lycian Coast Gulet Cruise

This journal is in 4 parts: Part 1 Mainz and Rhodes, Part 2 Turkey – Tour of Ancient Sites, Part 3 Lycian Coast Gulet Cruise and Part 4 Istanbul

Mon June 23

Nice bit of sleep in this morning….no hurry to get up and rush out today.

Breakfast was the usual. Yesterday on the bus someone put together a tip envelope for Ceylan. Some people thought 10E was good enough but really, she was an excellent tour guide….really knew her stuff (was an Archeology student and studied Turkish history etc.). Felt kind of bad for her so made sure we gave her another 20E at breakfast when she was making rounds saying goodbye to everyone. I would think at least 3E per day or more would be the norm.

Back to the room to pack up and reorganize the stuff that we’ll be using on the gulet. Threw it in the backpacks so we’d have easy access as I’m not sure exactly where the bigger pieces of luggage will be stored…..cabins are NOT very big.

Checked out at 11:45. Ilsa (Belgian Dr.) had found a great spot to have drinks and lunch right over the water on a pier just down the road. Our group for the gulet from the first tour is Rae and Glen, Thelma and Jim (Scotland) Truii (Belgium) Anne (NYNY) Mary and Colin (British) and Ilsa. Had a doner for lunch….very good. Ken had a cheeseburger and fries.

Went shopping at the market for a bit……found nothing so back to the hotel to wait for the bus to take us to the marina around 3:30.

Our gulet is actually a ketch because of it’s size….28m, so nice and big. We have room #9, R & G have #8, both which are at the very back of the boat…and pretty “deluxe” compared to the other cabins that all have bunks! A window that opens that’s just about at the waterline.

Basically the bed takes up the whole thing other than a couple feet where the cubby is that we had to jam our suitcases into. The stuff we’ll be using is in the backpacks and bags that I’ve hung on hooks so it’s easy enough to get at. The bathroom is just about as big as the room! Has a little window and one of those showers that wets everything!. Got our lesson on the toilets…..you do not put any paper in them, ALL used toilet paper goes in the little bucket (with a lid). It’s emptied everyday, twice a day if necessary! The boat is pretty good really and pretty much what we were expecting.

Met the 2 new couples, Jean and Peter from England and Anne and David from Victoria!! Small world. There are 15 of us. Had our briefing and met Tolga, our guide (?)

Nice area at the back of the boat, all covered, set up with a long table for our meals and right at the back are sort of big deep couches/beds to sit and lay on. The front is where you can sit/lay to get some sun.

Booze is not cheap!! Decided to just buy bottles of the rose wine, seemed to be the best deal. Had “tea” before we left the marina. Tea, coffee and cookies!

Set off from Fethiye around 5:30. Sailed (motored really….) to Gemiler Island (possibly the original place of St Nicolas’ tomb!) where we tied up for the night. Some people went for a swim…..water is crystal clear and a beautiful blue. Was still really hot.

Dinner was really good. Served around 8:30. A salad, green peppers in a yogurt sauce, rice, chicken in tomato sauce with veg. Dessert was fresh fruit….peaches, melon and bananas. Very good dinner! The cook has an area that is like 5×5 to work in!

Everyone sat around and chatted until around 11:00. Our room was so hot!! A few people decided to sleep on the front deck so headed there with pillows and blankets…..smart move! Propped open the window in the bathroom with the door on an angle hoping to catch a bit of a breeze. Tossed and turned until around 1AM.

Tues June 23

Heard the dingy being raised and saw it out our window, then the engines started up!! 5:30AM!! I’m pretty sure they are right under our bed.

Had coffee at the back of the boat. The sun was just coming up and it’s a perfect temp. Cabin was way too hot….may have to try sleeping on deck tonight. Slowly a few more people started arriving….chatted with Anne from Victoria who knows Avi that I work with!! Even a smaller world!

Cruised along watching the beautiful coastline go by. Can’t believe we are really doing this…..I have Frances Mayes to thank for this! Read about her trip in one of her books. Sounded like a fantastic trip…..and so far, only one day into it, it is!

Had a great breakfast with hard boiled eggs, tomatoes, cheese, bread and coffee.

We stopped after in a lovely bay to have a swim and just relax until lunch. There’s a ladder and little 2×2 landing that we use to get in the water…..you jump a few feet into the water from there. Quite a shock from the hot temps into the cool water…..but quickly get used to it.

A lady and a little girl came aboard selling scarves and jewelry. Some pretty stuff. Bought a mavi boncuk bracelet.

Cruised to Kalkan. Lunch was all veggie stuff….but no “veggie people” on board. Was good though….couscous, eggplant, potatoes and salad.

Off to Saklikent Gorge around 1. It was about an hour drive from the marina.

Saklikent Gorge is a major tourist attraction! People taking pics as you arrive, tons of Turkish style cafes hanging out over the very fast flowing river, stands selling food etc. You can rent inner tubes to float and/or bounce and crash your way down stream. Kind of like a natural “Splashdown Park”!!

That said, it’s really very beautiful….tall cliffs, trees, crystal clear water.

Crossed over a bridge, and once thru the admission gate down a rather rickety boardwalk suspended over the canyon….not up to high but the river is really fast flowing below. Once off of that you then stumble your way over rocks and boulders in the river to where one of the sources is gushing out of the mountainside. The force of the water is really strong and that was where we had to cross to walk in and along the river in the canyon. It was waist deep and almost impossible to see the bottom because of the rushing water so had no idea if you were going to step on a boulder or sand or both and go over on your ankle…a little tense! Everybody had to hold hands like a human chain to get thru it and if one went down the others could help get them back up. It was also numbing cold water.

All made it safely across that then the river becomes much calmer and not much more than a trickle in some places and maybe knee deep in others, still lots of rocks and boulders but you could at least see where you were stepping. Even more beautiful in this part with the tall cliff walls and bright blue sky above….and very few people. It’s a very silty river so easy to see how those ancient city harbours silted up.

In some places the rock walls were worn shiny by the river and the force of the water….almost didn’t look real, like it had been varnished.

Our next site was Patara. Birth place of St. Nicholas! It has a wonderful theatre and arches at the entrance. Only had time to visit the theatre….a family of goats were also visiting! Too bad because the site looked really interesting. Very flat and there are quite a few remains with bits still standing. From there we walked to Patara Beach which is magnificent! Something like 18km long. Some really big sand dunes too. Didn’t swim just relaxed with an Efes in the shade at a little bar. Really a pretty place….would have liked to have spent more time there too.

Saw a “burkini” for the first time today at the beach. A couple ladies had them on. They basically cover you from head to toe, might be two separate pieces, looks like of like the shiny windbreaker material….bright colours and some even had sparkly bits on them. Other ladies in burkas also in the water but only up to about there knees. I just cannot even imagine!!!

About a 20 min. drive back to the boat just in time for happy hour (7-ish) before dinner.

Dinner tonight was fresh trout (from a farm near Patara), which was excellent. It was served with salad, potatoes and spaghetti….simply prepped with olive oil, garlic and something green, maybe spinach? All very good. Fresh fruit for dessert.

Tolga informed us that we are changing our itinerary due some high winds that are expected. Tomorrow we head to Kekova where we’ll anchor in the bay rather than the marina.

After dinner we walked around town and shopped for a bit. Very touristy in Kalkan but I can see why….it’s a beautiful location and a very pretty town. Tons and tons of restaurants and shops. Bought a nice little pot with the tulip design (emblematic of Islam). Nice man in the shop showed me his kiln and how he paints and glazes the pots, plates etc. Would have loved one of is big platters but oh well.

Another great and very busy day. So many wonderful things to see.

Wed June 24

Ended up going up on deck to sleep last night….much cooler. Very noisy though…..woke up to the call to prayer….and with a nasty headache. Might be from the fumes from the generator.

Beautiful morning with some big white puffy clouds. Left cute but busy Kalkan and cruised for a couple of hours to Simena, (some super pics on this website) which is a really cute little hillside town only accessible by boat. There’s a castle/fortress right on the top. We anchored in Kekova Bay where the ancient sunken city is. We won’t be able to see it because our boat is too big to sail over it and it costs 25L to rent a kayak, which is the best way to see it but that was not in our plans for today.

The plan was to climb to the castle and then carry on for a couple hour hike on the Lycian Way trail. We did neither!! Too hot and was just nice to have the boat just about to ourselves for a couple hours.

The castle only tour people came back and we sailed around the point to a beautiful little bay. We swam and snoozed, had drinks, read all day.

Lunch today was salad and a really good stew of some sort and a tomato couscous.

Went for another swim after lunch. Just a beautiful spot.

Dinner was salad, rice, a Turkish ravioli and moussaka, which was excellent. Fun evening just sitting around chatting….all was very peaceful until another boat arrived and anchored next to us. Aussies!! Really, really loud ones!

Not too hot tonight, quite comfortable.

Another fantastic day.

Thurs June 25

Beautiful morning. A few clouds but a very nice sunrise over our bay. Up around 5:30 with a bit of a tummy ache. Luckily it didn’t amount to anything!

Early breakfast, 7:30. No eggs today, so very continental.

Then we sailed around the corner to Demre, or ancient Myra, to visit the ruins, which include Lycian tombs. St Nicholas was the bishop! We had to tender into shore today. Everyone except Jean came on the trip today.

Myra has an excellent theater with a wonderfully preserved interior stairway. There were some really good carvings of the Arti de Comedie here too and many wall tombs…..just spectacular!!

You have to go thru a little market on the way to ruins, so wandered around all the trinket places. Finally found a hat that fits my head! Nice straw one with a wider brim.

Back to the bus and on to Olympos and the Chiminera. The bus ride took us all along the coast for the first half hour or so. It’s a very twisty road but very, very pretty….luckily not too high either. The water is the most gorgeous colour of brilliant blue. Went thru Finike, which has about 15,000 people. This are is where all the tomatoes, peppers, cukes etc. are grown in hot houses. They’re everywhere and huge!

Stopped at a very pretty pebbly beach in a beautiful little cove….that had another gulet anchored. Looked picture perfect. We had an hour or so before lunch so could explore, go for a swim or hike to the Olympus ruins. We winded up just sitting at the bar with Jim and Thelma. Really quite enjoyable just taking in the scenery.

Lunch was excellent at that little bar. They brought out some delicious French fries for sort of an appie…..hot and crispy. Ken ordered more! For lunch I ordered the kefte and Ken had the chicken shish…..both came with MORE French fries. All was excellent. And an excellent spot. The restaurant was pretty much just a big covered area with lots of tables and a view to die for. The people that ran it were lovely. Two beautiful little girls, a grandpa, mom and dad etc. and lot of chickens! Very clean REAL toilets.

On to the Chiminera…..about a 20 minute drive on a really twisty, bumpy up and down hairpin filled road. You park at the bottom and then have to hike up 800m to where the fires are. A nice little park at the bottom where you start the hike up. This whole area is pine forest, it’s very pretty and very fragrant. Hard hike up for me….a mix of trail, steps…some really big steps, and twisted tree roots. Tolga just motored along ahead of everyone, talking the whole time….no one could hear him of course. He’s really not the best tour guide for sure….no sense of humour and just does what he has to do….very little interaction with anyone.

*The Chiminera…..a mountain full of gas!!*

The Chiminera is really neat. A bunch of holes in the rocks with fire coming out of them. It’s a mix of natural gas and methane that combusts when it hits oxygen. Really quite something to see. We got some sticks and tried to light them but it didn’t work. I think it would be much more exciting at night when you’d see the fires and glowing in the holes better. Back down the trail, which wasn’t that much easier than going up it!

About and hour and half ride back, mostly along the beautiful coastline. It had gotten quite windy and the water was very choppy looking…lots of big swells and whitecaps. Quite the exciting ride back to our boat on the dingy. Trying to get onto the ladder to climb up was tricky…..good timing between swells was needed. All managed back on board with no problems. Lots of rocking and rolling even on our boat.

We left Demre to get to a nice little secluded and protected cove for the night. It was really choppy but we’ve got an excellent captain who did a great job getting us there. We tied up in a beautiful little cove, anchored over a ship wreck, which you can clearly see on the bottom. A bit too windy and choppy for me to go swimming but hopefully in the morning.

Dinner was excellent again tonight, salad, a veal stew, deep fried zucchini, cauliflower in a yogurt sauce. Dessert was fun….they turned out the light and brought up 2 trays of fruit with sparklers and a “candle” in the centre.

The candle was a hollowed out tomato filled with oil that had been lit. It was sitting on top of a wine glass filled with water. Very nice little touch.

Chatted for a bit and then everyone headed off to bed…..too early at only 10.

Cabin was nice and cool, read for a bit.

Fri June 26

Up at 4:30!! But managed to fall back to sleep until it at least got bright out.

Upstairs for coffee! This bay is even nicer in the morning sun.

Breakfast was excellent this morning…..the most puffy, delicious french toast. Topped it with cherry preserves, yogurt and honey!! They put a ton of bread out with each meal and only half of it ever gets eaten, so this was a great way to use it all up…..I don’t think there was one single piece left!!

*Had time for a quick swim……a couple of “wrecks”!*

Time for a swim. Very cold water!! Had a float over the wreck. This is one of the best spots yet! But we had to leave by 10:30 because of the weather….too bad. Looks just lovely to me but apparently more wind and rough seas today.

Back to Kekova to have a sail by the sunken city. It was really interesting to see what we could….the city was ruined eons ago in an earthquake. Some of it just toppled right into the sea. You can still see ruins of buildings and stairs in the rock on the hillside and when over it you can just sort of make out what might have been buildings. On top of the earthquake the sea rose, so also covered part of the city.

Very rough ride this morning. The boat was up and down AND side to side. Big whitecaps. Very windy too but still warm.

*Another beautiful protected bay….a few gulets tied up* *for lunch.*

Found another beautiful sheltered bay for our lunch stop. Went in for a swim but was a little disorienting because the boat was moving around so much….the water was a lot warmer. Some really huge turtles.

We had a stew of some sort for lunch. All the food has been good but fairly repetitive in the sauces etc. but considering where the cooking is done, he’s a darn good chef.

Right after lunch we had to leave….too bad because it was just beautiful….but the wind was picking up again and we had to get to the marina in Kas. It was about an hour and half of a very rough ride.

Arrived in Kas around 2:30. Has to be the best town yet! Touristy but not too big and they are having their 12^th Annual Culture and Art Festival! We were docked right behind a big stage where a show started at 9:30. Some famous Turkish lady singer “Saavel” maybe and a bunch of politicians giving speeches.

Tolga had organized a Turkish Bath for us, so we headed off as soon as we arrived. Rae and I, Jim and Thelma and Victoria Anne. What an experience!

First off we were taken into a room that was incredibly hot and steamy. The man told us to shower (we had our bathing suits on!) but there were only a bunch of taps tucked in along the marble seating that ran around the room, so had no idea how to “shower”. The man grabbed a little bucket, filled it with water and proceeded to dump it on my head!! Then he did the same thing with everyone else….got it! Then we had to lie on the big round heated marble slab in the middle of the room for 10-15 minutes. This opens your pores so you can be scrubbed clean. With being wet, the steam that’s in there already and the heat you sweat like crazy…..even your eyes sweat!! We all got a bit of the giggles part way thru….

A man and a women came in and got us all sorted out…..pretty much pushed or slid us to where they wanted us on the big slab. You get an initial rub/massage….it was a bit brutal but felt good. They kind of do chop chops, then rub, rub really hard. From top to bottom, then they flip you over and do the same thing on the other side. Flip again and then they crack your toes and fingers. You then cross your arms up around you neck, he half flips you over and puts his arm under your back then pushes on your crossed arms to crack your back!!

Back to the sink for more water to be poured over you, then back to the slab and the lady started scrubbing with what felt like a bloody brillo pad! She’d pointed to the rolls of dead skin and said “dirty, dirty”!! An incredible amount of dead skin came off but truly who scrubs themselves like she did! It kind of hurt but did feel really good after.

Then you go and rinse off yet again. Back to the slab to get soaped up…..they dunk what looks like a pillow slip in a big bowl that I think must be filled with the soap suds, when they take it out they twist it and all the suds come out which is spread all over your body. You get flipped over and the same thing is done. Back to the taps for a rinse and hair wash and you’re done!! All that for 20L! Plus I paid an extra 10L for her to razor blade and pumice scrub my very sore and cracked heels.

They wrapped me up from head to toe in a Turkish bath towel, a regular towel and a turban for my hair and sent me upstairs to sit and enjoy my cup of tea. What an incredible experience! Not sure I would do it again but I’m really glad I did it this time. Rae and I went back to the boat to fix our hair and get ready to do a bit of shopping.

Kas is a perfect little town. Not too big, but lots of shops with some really different stuff, lots of locally made crafts and products, lots of restaurants and bars. We stopped for a drink at one called Bay Bay Café….nice view of the sea and the marina and all the activity going on for the festival. Bought a scarf!

Happy hour on the boat watching all the rehearsals for the big show. Glen went on the 7:00 walk to the theatre ruins….said it was beautiful because it’s right on the sea. Dinner was grilled peppers, eggplant stuffed with meat (v.g.!!), salad, rice and couscous.

After dinner we headed back to town for coffee and then back to the Bay Bay Café for a drink. Jim and Thelma came too. Lots of fun, lots of people and lots of food. Found a bar built in an ancient cistern so had to check it out….upstairs was sort of a Turkish disco, very noisy and crowded. Down the stairs, or more like a ladder, there are a couple of tables set up with wine bottles for tasting. A bit dank and musty so we didn’t bother staying.

The main street and square had lots of people milling about. Some ladies at the side of square sitting on the ground making that flatbread, guys selling bags of boiled almonds (v.g.), cotton candy, corn on the cob etc. Just a fantastic evening!

To bed late….after midnight!

Sat June 27

Woke up at 4AM to the smell of diesel….the boat next to us was leaving and all the fumes from their engine were pouring in our little window…bletch. Got up and closed it but just couldn’t lay there any longer.

Our boat started up at 5AM!!! More fumes!!

Had to leave very early because of the weather again. Once out of the sheltered marina the seas were unbelievably rough…..almost scary!!

They couldn’t make breakfast or even coffee!! At least until things calmed down a bit. A few very green looking people this morning. I found a chair right in the centre of the boat and parked myself…..

Originally we were heading to Gemiler Island but too rough. Should take only 3 hours but we were no where near it so they found another rather sheltered cove to anchor and tie up in hoping that things calmed down later in the afternoon. We were also supposed to stop at Butterfly Bay but that didn’t/couldn’t happen but the place we stopped was idyllic…..just beautiful.

Finally had breakfast around 10, went for a swim. A little while later a little boat or scow looking thing came along with a lady making pancakes. Her husband captains her around and she sits at the front with her wooden slab and rolling pin whipping up the crepes then flips them on the little griddle that sits beside her. They were delicious….had our choice of sweet or savory. 2L each!!!

Tolga and the chef/deckhand tried to catch fish and/or squid for dinner….but nada. Fun watching them. You easily see them in the water….would have had more luck jumping in and just grabbing them I think.

Had our lunch, which was stuffed peppers (vvvg). Just after lunch it started getting a bit wavy in our cove so we shoved off for Gemiler Island again. Only about 15 minutes away but calmer and less rocky and rolly than our pretty secluded bay….ah sigh. Much busier…..way more boats and people….there is also a big beach which is packed. You can rent jet skis and go on banana boat rides, there are quite a few pancake ladies, ice men boats. Tons of day tripper boats that come to see the ruins. Didn’t go swimming. The water looked really nice and you can swim right up to the ruin but not too appealing and a bit scary with all the boats, skis etc. right there.

Read, snoozed and watched all the activities going on for the rest of the afternoon. Didn’t go on the 6pm hike to the ruins……too bad, sounded interesting with the St. Nicholas church, tunnels etc. The ruins are Byzantine….you can tell by the way the arches are made. We could see lots of the ruins from the boat on the side of the island in the bushes. It’s really quite pretty here but just too busy.

Dinner tonight was excellent!! BBQ’d chicken wings, kefte and French fries. It was probably the most I saw Ken eat so far on the gulet. Beautiful sunset! Sat around and chatted the rest of the evening. Noisy neighbours on both sides, Thomas Cook on one side and the Durmaz 2 on the other which was full of “beautiful” young couples….Rae called it the “model” boat lol.

To bed around midnight.

Sun June 28

Beautiful morning. Sea is not rough. Sunrise was beautiful. You could see the mist in the valleys between the mountains. Had my pashmina on cuz it was a bit chilly but as soon as the sun came up over the mountain it was HOT!

After breakfast it got very choppy again heading to our little bay stop…..but once there, what a beautiful place. Quite a few boats tied up but nicely spread out.

The bay/cove had a little beach with a restaurant/bar. We were quite a ways out but we decided to swim and/or float in…..most people took pool noodles just as extra precaution in case we had too much to drink or just plain old got tired. Ken had the money and a couple of cigarettes in a baggy in his bathing suit….all stayed dry! Anne put her and Truiis stuff in a baggy and put it under her hat.

Ken and I, Rae and Glen, Colin and Mary and Anne and Truui…..was lots of fun. Swimming back was much easier because the current helped you along.

Just back on the boat and all of a sudden the anchor slipped or something and we were getting really close to the rocks so we motored off to another bay about 15 minutes away. Another pretty but busy place with local families on the beach having their Sunday day out. Stayed maybe an hour if that and started our trip back to Fethiye for the last night of our gulet trip.

Arrived around 5 so we headed into town to do some last minute shopping. Rae found a purse/big bag that she really liked but he wanted 200L. It was a carpet bag, or I think what’s called a kilim (sp?)….had leather straps. Very nice but….

Found a bar along the marina so we had a beer and calamari….Ken had fish and chips (late lunch??) was all v.g.

Later dinner tonight….our “farewell” dinner on the boat. Fish (bream v.g.), salad, pasta and a potato salad with sort of a tomato-y dressing (v.g.) Another fun dessert. Truii gave me the envelope to collect the tips so after dinner we got Tolga and the crew on deck. I made a little speech thanking them for a great trip and handed out the envelopes.

Back into town for coffee and then back on the boat to pack up. Could see a turtle out our window…..thought it was dead but finally started flapping around. Lots of oil and scum floating on the water here….busy marina.

What an amazing week this was!!

Off on an adventure tomorrow…..Istanbul!

Turkey 2009 Part 2 – Turkey Tour of Ancient Sites

This journal is in 4 parts: Part 1 Mainz and Rhodes, Part 2 Turkey – Tour of Ancient Sites, Part 3 Lycian Coast Gulet Cruise and Part 4 Istanbul

Mon June 15

Up early to catch the ferry. A quick coffee and croissant and we were off. Duncan had called a taxi for us. He could only get in as far as the square a short walk away so we didn’t have to rattle our suitcases too far over the cobbles.

Arrived at the marina by 8. Picked up our boarding passes and had to pay another 15E each for “port charges”?? Went thru customs and on to the ferry.

Ferry ride was about an hour. One of the Dolphin fast ferries. No outside areas, but not much to see enroute anyway.

Arrived in Marmaris around 11. Thru customs and got our visa ($50US paid in cash only). Found an ATM at the ferry terminal to get some Turkish Lira. Initially thought we’d take the bus, or dolmus, but found a taxi driver who would drive us all the way to Dalyan for 80TL ($25CDN), which is about double the price of the bus but also takes one third of the time!

Very hot….very, very hot. Didn’t realize until we were on the road that our taxi did not have air conditioning!!! Driver was an older guy who spoke about as much English as we spoke Turkish (other than please and thank you…that would be NONE!)…..luckily some other guy had organized the ride for us so he knew where we were going! Taxi was in a pretty rough shape…..torn leather seats, one of the windows only went down an inch or so and his front seat was filled with papers and books…..a bit of a mess!

Off we went in the 100+ degrees with the windows down as far as they’d go. Of course it was still hot, but also very dry here so a lot of dust blowing around and into the car. He stopped for gas!! Came out with ice cold bottles of water for us, which was very nice. He talked pretty much the entire way pointing at things but we had no clue what he was telling us.

We came to a roadblock!!! So we kind of made signs that we were worried and started getting out all our ID…..no, no he said. The roadblock guy said it was to check to make sure the driver had a valid taxi license, nothing to do with us. Next we stopped at a huge tap type thing. It was a big pipe about 20ft tall with a spigot/spout hanging from the top…..he told us to roll up the windows and then he drove under it and let the water just run over the car for a couple of minutes!! Found out later that these are along the highway to help cool off cars so they don’t overheat when it’s a 100+ degrees. Interesting!

Back on the highway and the windows open again we had not just dust blowing in but the bits of spray from the water too. We were literally stuck to the seats most of the way. Nice drive though, mostly on the highway with hills/mountains off in the distance and a mix of very dry land and some bits of forest.

Arrived in Dalyan at the hotel around 1. I opened the car door and we kind of rolled out …..I felt like I’d be on some leg of a journey on the Amazing Race!!

Rae and Glen were just coming out the door of the hotel when we arrived. They’d just checked in and were in search of cold beer. We got checked in, dropped the luggage. Oner Hotel….kind of a funky place with helter skelter rooms. Ours is pretty good on the main floor. R & G are up in the attic! Found R & G at the patio bar. Met Ilsa from Belgium, who will be in our tour group.

Enjoyed a very nice cool (not cold) beer and heard our first call to prayer!! Was just amazing to be here in Turkey! And HOT!

Wandered around the town heading towards the water…..kind of a canal I guess. Dalyan is a cute little place….quite touristy. Lots of Germans here. Had a great lunch at a little place right on the water, Ceyhan Restaurant, where all the little tour boats are docked and with a great view of the tombs in the cliffs. How cool was that! They look amazing…..can’t even imagine how they managed to do it.

Headed back thru town to find a store to replace the battery for my watch! Guy replace it for 5TL (less than $1CDN!). Stopped for coffee at “Gerda’s Café”, which is really just a little kiosk along the side of the road. She’s German….came to Dalyan 30 years ago, met a Turk, married that Turk and is still very happily here! She recommended a place for dinner along the river.

Back at the hotel we had a nice little swim…..mostly to just get some of the grit and grime off. Hotel is OK. 2 star, pretty spartan but exceptionally clean, which is the main thing. We’ve got twin beds in our room and a little balcony with A chair. Looks out over someone’s garden and small mosque.. No top sheets on the beds….only a blanket sort of….looks more like a big bath towel. No AC so probably not going to need anymore than that.

Met our tour guide and group in the lobby. 24 of us on the first tour, 6 that will carry on to the gulet next week. Got all our info etc. Met back there at 7:15 to go off to dinner. Not having done a tour before, 24 seems like a lot of people!!

Walked in a different direction to the restaurant. Still very warm. I had the cheese rolls for an appie, which was feta cheese rolled up in phyllo pastry….really really good. Main course was a chicken casserole, also really good. Ken had pizza that was just OK.

After dinner we went shopping for our picnic lunch for tomorrow. Found a little shop still open that had lots of goodies….cheese buns, more cheese, crackers, bananas, nuts.

Back to the hotel around 10:30 to empty a backpack and repack it for our tour tomorrow.

Long, busy but fun day! More calls to prayer!

Tues June 16

Slept really good! That is until the call to prayer around 5:15 …..our wake up call this morning!!! They amplify the call thru loudspeakers so you can’t help but hear it, no matter where you are. Did manage to fall back to sleep until 6.

Breakfast at the hotel at 7:30. Thought the tea was coffee lol….coffee was instant Nescafe, at least it was coffee! OK little buffet with breads, cheeses, meat that looked like bologna, hard boiled eggs, cereal and the best yogurt with honey and cherry preserves. Also had cherry juice, which was a bit tart but really good.

Grabbed our stuff for the day and off to where the boats are along the river to go to Caunos or Kaunus (have seen it spelled both ways).

Going down the river was really neat. There are tall reeds on both sides, very quiet. The boats have to go very slow because of the turtles, which are protected. The guide explained the tombs on the walls…..they’re from the 4thc BC! Incredible!! The tombs are exactly as they were when they were discovered….no restoration has been done and in amazingly good condition.

Came to our first stop for the Caunos town ruins. The theatre is really still quite intact with the odd tree growing out of it here and there. The views from the top looked back towards Dalyan and out to Iztuzu beach. Hardly any people at this site so it was very peaceful. Caunos was a very busy and important sea port at one time. Saw the agora and fountain in the main square, still columns standing with writing on them that explains the rules of trade and the applicable taxes etc. Silting over the centuries has left the sea off in the distance now.

Spent a couple hours there. TG (tour guide….can’t remember her name Che-yen maybe?) also explained the restoration process. They can’t use original materials and depending on when the restoration took place must use different marble, stone, concrete etc. of certain colours and types based on the year/century etc. to distinguish restored bits from original bits…..this is based on requirements from the Int’l Archeological Society. Sometimes restorations are done many years apart, so this helps to identify what is still original and what period restorations were done! Very interesting! Amazing ruins and history!

Back on the boat and on to the beach. Iztuzu beach is magnificent! 4.5 km long, very nice soft and very hot sand, they have a wooden walkway almost right to the water. The sea is beautiful. Nice clear and very clean looking, quite warm too. Went for a nice swim to cool down.

Everyone went back to sit on the boat in the shade to have our lunch, which was really quite good. Chatted with TG (tour guide until I remember her name!!) for a bit then back to the beach cantina for an Efes beer and to take some more pics. A really nice little spot! A great place to have spent the afternoon. Not many people here either…..incredible to have such a big beautiful beach with so few people.

Nice cruise down the river on the way back. Saw a number of turtles…..huge ones! Also saw the fishing contraptions….very interesting. So peaceful cruising along….very quiet and very few other boats.

Out for a bit of a walk thru the town before dinner. Stopped at a little street bar where the guy at the travel agency next door helped us order our drinks lol….chatted with him for a while.

Walked to “Safran” the restaurant that Gerda told us about yesterday. Ken and I had the grilled crab, which was excellent. Came with fries, rice and green beans. A couple of glasses of wine. Total bill 65TL ($20CDN if that!).

Wandered around town again browsing in and out of shops and had to shop for our picnic for tomorrow.

What a great day!

Wed June 17

Good morning at 5 again thanks to the call to prayer! Do people really get up at that time and go??

Our tour guides name is Ceylan. She is an archology major at the university and she’s great! So knowledgeable and loves Turkey. Her brother is a vulcanologist and travels all over the world. Told her about seeing all the stuff in the British Museum and was hoping that they’d get it back. She agreed but also said that many of the great treasures were not being looked after. Items were being destroyed by weather and vandals back then so at least they have been preserved. Interesting!

Leaving Dalyan today. The ruins at Alinda was our main tour. About 3 hours by bus with a couple of 15 minute breaks. Terrible bus! Small, cold (!!) and uncomfortable. Had to wear longer shorts or pants and tee shirts with sleeves today because we go thru Karpuzlu, which is a very traditional muslim town, to get to Alinda.

The road goes up and up….way up! Very hot and initially very windy. A very HOT wind. The Alinda ruins are spectacular. There’s an aqueduct, an amazing theatre with olive trees growing out of it everywhere. Had our picnic lunch in the shade under them sitting on seats that were built in 400BC!! The views of the valleys on both sides is unbelievable. At the top of the site there are cisterns that they actually lined with concrete type stuff to hold the water. They had a clay pipe system to get the water to the wells in the old town just below it. On to the agora, which was a bit hard to distinguish what was what, but the agora stoa were awesome. Many still standing. You can see that the agora was at least two levels. Not much has been excavated at this site but more will be starting next year. Definitely not a touristy place probably because it’s not that easy to get to and if we’d been on our own I highly doubt it would have even been on our radar….so a tour was a good idea. The site is quite big and took a few hours to cover it. A lot of walking/hiking/climbing in 40C temps and not a heck of a lot of shade.

Walked/hiked back down to the “new town” (Karpuzlu, which wasn’t really new!) and stopped at a little bar in the town square. Many old men sitting around, drinking tea and playing backgammon. As soon as we sat down the waiter came out with a little spray bottle of lemon water for us to wash our hands!

I feel sorry for the cows here…..they just sort of wander around the streets. They can’t run off because they have a rope attached to one of their feet that goes thru a ring in their nose so that when they take a step their head sort of gets pulled down….very sad I thought.

Quite a drive to our stop for tonight in Gulluk. Some road construction or whatever created a couple hour detour. Hotel is called Ozer Gulluk. Very, very basic but clean. Nice deck with a view across the water. Bodrum is just around the bay.

Only place to have dinner was the hotel so we had all pre-ordered when we arrived. I had chicken, Ken had kefte (meatballs), both very good. I think they were 13L each. Included mixed appie platter and some seaweed with butter and garlic (ok…) and dessert. Beautiful big outdoor seating area. Lovely sunset over the water. Couldn’t sit out there too long tho…..mosquitoes were really bad.

Another really good and very interesting day.

Thurs June 18

Up early. Perfect view of sunrise from our deck. It was already hot at 6AM.

Basic continental type hotel breakfast.

Our first stop today was Didyma. A spectacular ruin right in the middle of the city/town. There are two magnificent carved columns and one uncarved one still standing tall. All around the site are sections, or chunks, of columns that have tumbled. Presuming they’re all marble…..they look like big solid tires lying here, there and everywhere. The carvings on the column bases look as crisp as if they were carved a year or two ago….just amazing. All seem to be different, don’t know why or what they represent. Quite incredible that no one has built a hotel or two around it since this is a pretty touristy town.

The temple of Apollo has been excavated and was second in importance to the one in Greece. Also the temple of Artemis which isn’t excavated. It’s really quite unbelievable to see it all just sitting there. A column or two just laying there where it fell and broke into sections. Some of the carving is so detailed and intricate. Just a beautiful historic ruin!

Had a great buffet lunch at a restaurant across the street (10L). Really good couscous with a spicy tomato sauce.

Next stop was Miletus. An ancient town from around 700BC. The theatre is incredible. Held 15,000 people. The agora was beautiful and has a few restored columns. The Baths of Faustina still had a couple statues. You can see what was the swimming pool and how the water came in thru holes in the walls.

A lady with a little cart selling fresh squeezed orange juice…..very, very good and refreshing in the heat. Incredibly HOT!

Miletus was once a port! Hard to believe now as you can see the sea way off in the distance (great views all around). The harbour silted in and eventually ended it’s importance as a busy sea port.

On to Priene…..I think my fav place so far! Again, you can see where there used to be sea but long since silted in. This place must really have been something in it’s day. Way up on hill overlooking the valley and out to sea. The temple of Athena is pretty grand. Five columns are still standing (restored). You can still see roads and gutters, just like at Pompeii. The theatre is beautiful, still with some of the carved seats for the rich people. Tons of pieces just lying everywhere…..like a big jigsaw puzzle that was dumped and then scattered around the room….can’t even imagine how they put it together for restoration. The site is surrounded on 3 sides by beautiful and very fragrant pine forests with rocky cliffs behind it and with spectacular views looking over the valley and out towards the sea. Definitely the prettiest place so far.

Left there around 5 and arrived in Selcuk just before 6. We’re staying here two nights at the Canberra Hotel. A treat to not have to pack up in the morning! Very nice people that run it, 2 brothers.

Nice basic rooms….we have two balconies! Was great to have a nice big shower! You get incredibly dirty at these sites because of the dust and sweat! Also did some “shower laundry” since we’ve lots of room to hang it up outside so it will dry!

Selcuk is a neat place, not too big maybe 20,000 or so people. There is an old mosque with a big storks nest on the top. St John’s Basilica, a medieval castle and some other ruins up on the hill. Also the Temple of Artemis, which is, or was, one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world. City/town is a real mix of “city” and “country”. Lots of traffic, buses and all the usual city stuff, along with tractors and ox/goat carts mixed in. Quite an enchanting place I think!

Ceylan was organizing a group dinner but we didn’t join them. Met R & G and had drinks at the hotel rooftop bar. Wonderful view from up there of the basilica and ruins on the hill, which get lit up at night!

Wandered off looking for some place for dinner and found that they were just setting up for the night market that opens at 8! Still hot at night but much more comfortable than with the hot sun beating down on you so makes sense to have the market at night.

Found a little restaurant just off the plaza. Had our first rakis! I ordered the stuffed peppers, Rae ordered the stuffed eggplant so we traded half of each…..very good. Also had chicken souvlaki, Ken had beef….both were good. Went to the market and wandered around for a while.

Back to the hotel around 11 and did laundry! Great because we’ll have an extra day for it to dry and with the 2 balconies lots of places to hang it all up.

Across from our hotel is a home with a big garden and yard….it’s almost midnight and there are kids out there kicking a soccer ball around….young kids, like 5 or 6!! I guess this is when they play…way too hot during the day to even move!

Big day tomorrow….Ephesus! Can’t believe we’re really here.

Fri June 19

Hello!!!! Call to prayer at like 5AM! Sounded like it was right in our room…..which it almost was since the mosque is about 50ft away!! You cannot escape it. Watched all of about 10 people arrive for prayer….ah sigh.

Just stayed up and went to the roof for coffee and some quiet time before breakfast. Beautiful….and already HOT! Usual continental type breakfast….no yogurt here or the last place tho.

Ephesus today! Just another incredible place. Still much excavating going on and will be for years and years. The site is huge and just as spectacular as I was hoping it would be. Theatre still has some of it’s carved seats. Can easily see the water cistern/piping system that was used. The walk down to the library is all ruins in various stages of restoration.

Hadrian’s temple and others, Trajans fountain, what were public bathrooms, a bathhouse, houses etc. On the walkway there are big metal rings embedded in the stones every 20 ft or so……these were used to help bring carts/wagons with supplies, or for moving big hunks of stone/marble for building up the hill!! They would tie rope or ? to the carts/stones and then thru the rings to make a pulley type thing to get the stuff up the hill. Quite brilliant really.

You catch glimpses of the Library on the walk down. Really beautiful. So much detail to look at. The Grand Theatre is extremely well preserved and I’m sure was once very beautiful too. It held 25,000 people which was a lot for that time. Because the acoustics are still so good it’s been used a number of times for modern day concerts….Elton John, Pavarotti etc. would be wonderful to see.

On the way out you walk down a path thru a very nice pine forest. There are ancient “milestones” displayed! Like our mile markers today…..who knew they used them 2000 years ago!

If you are a ruin junkie Turkey is the place to get a good fix!! And we’re not done yet…..a couple more days to go!!

Lunch today was rather unique! Went to a little roadside restaurant where we had to take our shoes off and sit on pillows at little tables to eat. Definitely not a tourist type place and great experience at a traditional eatery. I had a mixed pancake which had meat, onion, cheese and spinach in it……very good. Ken had their specialty which was called “Meleman”. It comes in a nifty little cast iron casserole dish….eggs (sort of scrambled), cheese, onion and hot peppers still bubbling away. All came with tea in little glasses. A fun place!

Back to Selcuk to see what was left of the temple of Artemis….only a couple columns and basically just a field with bits of the ruins. Then to the Efes Museum where some original bits from Ephesus are. Quite a nice little museum with fairly good descriptions. Some of the huge sarcophagus.

Crossed the street to a park where there was a snack bar set up….had a drink and relaxed under the shade trees for a while. Some beautiful, huge hollyhocks….bright red and some must be 10ft tall!

R & G went shopping, Ken and I back to the hotel. Ken snoozed and I went to the roof to read. Great view from up there. You can see the hills all around, the old 14thC fort, St John’s basilica in one direction and out to sea in the other. Chatted with the owner. Really nice guy.

Ended up having dinner up there with R & G and Colin and Mary (will also be on the gulet). Dinner was really good. The chef deboned my fish, which made it really enjoyable!! Rae and I shared the stuffed peppers and mushrooms….all very good.

The rest of the group joined us later for drinks and told us about their Turkish bath at the hammam……lots of laughs. Kind of wished we’d done that now, sounded like quite the experience.

Great day!

Sat June 20

Up early for breakfast and checkout and on to Aphrodesias (named for Aphrodite).

Aphrodesias was incredible! It’s one of the best sites yet. Another new favorite! And not many people at all. Restoration work is going on all the time. There is a display of carved masks that are in unbelievable shape. The theatre was awesome as well as the temple with all the columns but it was the stadium that was the best. It’s HUGE. Still more excavating to be done…..they have so far only uncovered the tops of the lower entrances. The Sebasteion will supposedly rival the library at Ephesus when the restoration is completed.

Terrific museum. Set up much like the Elgin Marbles display in the British Museum.

Very hot but such a great place to just wander around. Some beautiful bits of mosaic floors near Hadrian’s baths, lots of columns from Aphrodites temple still standing and the tomb or monument dedicated to Kenan Erim, the guy who started all the excavations. Really, really enjoyed this place!

Stopped for lunch at a neat place. Huge restaurant with a big covered and nicely shaded outdoor eating area. Lots of beautiful flowers and trees. They brought out a trolley with all the samples of the stuff they serve. You just point at whatever you wanted. I had roasted beets and moussaka, Ken had cheese rolls and stuffed mushrooms. Each dish came in a small cast iron casserole…..would love to take a couple of them home but they weigh a ton. The moussaka was excellent. Had tea with lunch. This place and the place the other day do not serve alcohol.

Our hotel in Pamukkale is kind of cute. Pamuksu Hotel. Called a boutique hotel and they are trying. Nice big pool and beautiful grounds….back is all covered in vines. Our room is ok, clean enough which is the main thing, with a deck that overlooks the front street. They have housecoats and flipflop slippers in the closet. The sink leaks….had to use all our towels to dry the bathroom floor! Front desk sent someone up right away, which was good.

Had just enough time for a quick swim before heading up to Hierapolis and Pamukkale. Good time to go in the late afternoon when it’s not quite as hot and also got to enjoy a beautiful sunset.

What an amazing place Pamukkale is! The “cotton castle”. Was hoping to get a better view of it on the drive up, but no. It looks really spectacular….all the different levels of pools and the bright blue water. We could walk into the upper level pools…..you have to take your shoes off but luckily it wasn’t too slippery other than in a few places where algae had built up. It’s so smooth! The water is warm but not hot. Tons of people up there still at almost 7PM. They don’t let people into the natural pools further down the mountain anymore to preserve them so instead they built some fake ones that you can sit and soak in up on the first level.

A nice boardwalk takes you to another set of pools that you aren’t allowed in… fantastic views. Took tons of pics. Spent a ½ hour or so wandering thru there then off on our tour of Hierapolis. Hierapolis is probably one of the most spectacular settings of anywhere we’ve been so far. High up on the mountain behind Pamukkale.

Beautiful theatre, lots of restorations. The pathway to the agora was through sort of a wheat field that was just glowing golden with the sun setting behind it….really beautiful!

The roadway to the agora was pretty well preserved. The arches at the end were great. Not much else had been restored other than the theatre. From there we walked thru the necropolis where there are hundreds and hundreds of sarcophagi scattered all over, some in almost perfect condition, some stacked on top of others, some in varying degrees of ruin. Just unbelievable walking thru there! Like Pere Lachaise without the trees!

Sunset from up there was just spectacular!

Back to the hotel around 9 for a late dinner. Pretty cute place really. Nice pool. Pretty good selection in the buffet. More people here than anywhere we’ve been. I guess it’s the tour routine to head up in the evening and then a late dinner.

Sheets are not nice….very rough. They fixed our sink and replaced all our towels.

Sun June 21

Long bus ride this morning…..4hrs. Seemed to be driving on a plateau. Not a lot to see…..very dry, rolling hills but the Taurus mountains off in the distance were quite spectacular. 2-3000m, some still with snow on the tops. Actually managed to doze off a bit and read my book.

Finally reached Minare, which is the little village below Pinara. We had lunch with a family. They had carpets and pillows all laid out under a trellis that was covered with what looked like wheat (drying it?). A really nice little farm. A cow, a goat or two, a bunch of chickens and lovely vegetable gardens, olive trees and other fruit trees.

The ladies and little girls were prepping lunch in the kitchen and the men were sitting around chatting….Ceylan translated and questions etc.

Lunch was a bunch of dishes that were shared by groups of 4 or 5 of us. Fresh tomatoes with cucumbers and onions in olive oil (homemade), roasted eggplant, green beans in a delicious sauce of some sort, chicken kebabs, fried potatoes kind of like French fries, white beans in sauce, rice and two different kinds of homemade bread (flat and regular) and to top it all off was a delicious cake drizzled with syrup/honey and tea. They showed us how to make tea properly! All excellent and really a lot of fun.

The family seemed to be Grandma and Grandpa, Mom and Dad and 2 very cute little girls. The little girls helped put down the table cloths on the little tables and set out all the plates and cutlery. All the food was very good and the family just lovely. We all thanked them profusely for their wonderful hospitality and delicious food. We could use their bathroom, which was a good thing. The house was immaculately clean and neat and tidy.

A short drive from there to Pinara. Way up and up we went on a very narrow twisty, hairpin filled dirt road. What a beautiful spot! And no one there but us….so even better.

Hiked through the beautiful fragrant forest and some very pretty gullies (no water this time of year), right up to some of the rock tombs. Could actually go inside some of the them. Lots of them! The view was across the valley with the ruins….the theatre is built right into the hillside below and the Taurus mountains in the background…was fantastic.

There are not many restored or put back together ruins there but the site and views were absolutely breathtaking. Very, very hot!!

Luckily just a short bus ride from there to Fetihye. Staying at the Yeniceri Hotel….so far the best yet room wise. Checked in at 4:30. Did some “shower laundry” and read on the deck for a bit before taking a little walk around the area.

Fetihye is a busy place. Quite big with a huge marina…..saw all the gulets! A market and lots of tourists…..this is the start and end point for many of the Lycian coast gulet trips.

Back to the hotel for a quick beer before heading out with our group for the final dinner of this tour. There are 11 of us carrying on to the gulet cruise for this week. I think there are 2 new couples that will be joining us.

Very good restaurant in the main shopping area. Ceylan took us down to the pier to our gulet “Sobek”, named after and Egyptian god.

Even though we’re not tour people, I’m so glad we decided to do this one! There is no way we could have seen all that we did on our own…..no matter how much research we did.

Back to the hotel around 11. Hooray, no wake up call tomorrow…..except maybe the call to prayer of course!

Turkey 2009 Part 1 – Mainz Germany and Rhodes Greece

This trip started out with just Turkey…..the highlight of the trip was to be a gulet cruise along the Lycian coast. Initially we had enough people interested to look into doing a private charter but as often happens as time went by they changed their minds and it ended up being only our friends Rae and Glen and Ken and I. We then had to go for a “tour”, which then morphed into a second week tour of historic sites along the Lycian coast. It was an excellent trip booked thru Explore Worldwide. As with all our holidays, while still working, time was precious so we tried to include whatever else seemed to be logical add-ons to get the most out of our vacations. With the Greek island of Rhodes just a hop, skip and ferry ride away from our Turkey trip starting point we worked that in too….the Rhodes had to go to Rhodes!! The best flight options to get us there and back from Turkey were thru Frankfurt…..but a few days earlier than we’d planned so made good use of our start days in Mainz Germany.

This journal is in 4 parts: Part 1 Mainz and Rhodes, Part 2 Turkey – Tour of Ancient Sites, Part 3 Lycian Coast Gulet Cruise and Part 4 Turkey – Istanbul

Mon June 8

On time into Frankfurt. Flight was OK, certainly better than most service wise, seats were comfortable, or as comfy as they can be for a 10hr flight. Bathrooms on this plane were downstairs!! Kind of a good idea…you went down a winding staircase and there were at least 10 bathrooms!

The airport is not terribly nice and doesn’t seem too organized to me. Not great signage but appears to be some renos happening so maybe that’s why. Just followed everyone else. Went through customs with no problems and picked up our luggage which came along pretty quickly.

Trains are right in the station. You buy your tickets from the travel office. Didn’t see any kiosks. Tickets to Mainz 3.40E each. Train takes about a ½ hour. Took a taxi from the train station to our hotel (6.00E), the Novotel.

Had a bit of a rest and headed out to explore. Rather cloudy and a bit chilly but wandered all over. Many, many nice shops here. Tons of shoe stores!!!! Even with the converted $$’s the prices are pretty good. Quite pretty in some areas I think with all the half-timbered buildings. Beautiful Mainz Cathedral (St Martins), which we couldn’t go in (renos)….apparently it had to be completely rebuilt after the war. Good job as it looked much like the original. Everything pretty well closed up around 6, including many restaurants….maybe we were just too early??. A few outdoor cafes but nothing really for dinner.

Kirschgarten….great half timbered buildings

Long day anyway, so we just headed back to the hotel and had a great dinner there. Schnitzel, potatoes with bacon, 2 salads and some really good bread. Way too much food!! Ordered the Riesling “Kabinett” because I knew it from the wine club…..was very good.

After dinner we walked down to the river to the river cruises/ferries kiosks, but nothing in English! And no people to ask. So tomorrow will head down there around 7:30 to see where we can get info. Really could have used a phrasebook!

Back to the hotel room around 9. Made some tea and that was it for the day.

Tues June 9

Up early…..really early, like 3:30AM. Gave up trying to sleep so made some tea and read until 6AM when all the alarms and wake-up calls went off.

Took a taxi down to the river around 7:30 to buy tickets for our “Rhine River cruise”. Decided to only go as far as St Goar and back. Didn’t leave until 8:45 so we were a little early. Bought coffees from the ticket guy (4E). Boat tickets were 76E for both of us.

Very nice KD boat that is really more of a floating restaurant. Weather was pretty iffy. On and off rain and quite chilly. Only us and 6 others initially on the boat. More got on at all the other stops.

Just as the boat left we ordered breakfast in the restaurant. I had the “big breakfast’ which was cold meats, cheese, hard boiled eggs, croissant, bun, crackers, bread, various jams and spreads and a little pot of coffee…..way too much food again (9E)!! Ken ordered eggs and ham (4.80E), which came with more bread….he shared all my stuff too!

Had started to rain pretty good just before we boarded but had eased up after breakfast. We ended up staying inside instead of going up on the deck until Lorch and Loreley rocks.

Passed so many beautiful little towns and villages…..Kaub, Bacharach, Oberwesel etc. The road runs right along the river (both sides)….would be great to have a car. A pretty drive and to be able to stop at some of the pretty towns. And castles…….around every bend in the river there is another! Just beautiful….some right at the top of a cliff/hill, some restored, others in ruins. Just fantastic! Vineyards everywhere.

Every inch of the land, including the bits between the road/railway tracks and river is planted in grape vines. The vineyards climb up hills that look impassable for people or vehicles. We saw a helicopter doing the spraying and they have these little funicular type contraptions to take workers and at harvest time, the grapes, up/down the hillsides. There is no way you could get any type of vehicle up some of the slopes.

Even the train tunnels look like castles!

Had warmed up a bit when the sun came out so we got to enjoy a lot of the sights from the deck at the back of the boat.

Passed the famous Loreley rocks. The river is quite narrow at that point and takes a bit of a turn.

Many, many cargo type boats, or barges on the river. They are really low and long. Looks like people live aboard some of them.

Arrived at St Goar at 11:30. Had to catch the return boat at 2:20. Very cute city. Wandered a bit, stopped for coffee and Ken had a “Loreley” cake (chocolate cake covered in chocolate icing that looked like the rock (??)). Some very nice shops……found the Wusthof store where Linds bought my scissors and paring knife….fun!

Took the little train up to the Rheinfels Castle. (2E for the train and 4E each to get in to the castle). Would have been a pretty tough walk up the steep hill. The castle is pretty much a ruin but you get the idea of what the place would have been like. Lots of skinny windy staircases and walkways. Fantastic massive old doors and hardware.

The views up and down the river from the top are spectacular. The weather turned really sunny and warm so a treat to see it all. A few school groups but not really many other people. Was fun wandering around the ruins and watching the various displays they were putting on for the kids…..shooting arrows and sword fighting etc.

Looking down the river….many long cargo boats.

Took the little train back down to town to catch the boat. Was starting to cloud over and had gotten a bit windy.

Maybe about two dozen people on the boat. Sat in the covered area on the back deck and ordered some rose wine, chips and peanuts!! Was fun sitting and watching all the castles and towns going by.

It was still warmish but had started to spit a bit then it turned into a torrential downpour……thunder and lightening to go with it. The wind picked up so we ended up back inside. Unfortunately from that point on it stormed just about the entire way back. Finally the sun came out and it warmed up again around Kaub. Very long boat ride back 4 hours because I guess you are going up stream. Very long, scenic and exciting with the storm but a bit too long. In hindsight we should have taken the train back, but oh well!

Back in Mainz around 7. Had dinner in a nice place across from the theatre. Ken had turkey scaloppini and I had sausages with potatoes and cabbage….and wine! All very good.

At the hotel around 9. We both took those Nyquil sleeping things to hopefully get one good night sleep.

Tomorrow night we have to catch the 11PM train back to Frankfurt to head to Rhodes!! Exciting!!

Wed June 10 (1^st part)

Those pills worked wonders! Slept pretty good. No rush to get up and out early today.

Out the door around 10 and started to pour!! Hadn’t gone far so went back to the hotel to borrow umbrellas. Found a café for coffee and croissants. Ken had a decadent “cupcake” covered in chocolate and marzipan icing!! Energy, right?

Over to St Stephan to see the Chagall stained glass windows. Very beautiful church, inside and out. Why didn’t I take pictures????

Next stop the Gutenberg Museum. Quite fascinating really. Great display of printing processes from 900AD up to the 18^th century. Saw the Gutenberg Bibles……who knew there was more than one. The detail, and colours, in them and all the other printed material on display is incredible. I can’t imagine the time it took to produce some of it. A lot of Asian printing artifacts on display. Unfortunately not a lot of the information was in English so couldn’t always appreciate what we were looking at. Too bad, no photos allowed.

To the train station to see if we could buy our tickets for tonight, but can’t buy them until 2 hours before train departure. Nice lady showed us how the machines work so we were good for later. Lots of trains that seem to run every 20 minutes or half hour.

A bit scary around the train station…..lots of skinheads just sort of hang around in big groups making a lot of noise (no idea of course what they’re saying). A little intimidating and definitely don’t want to make eye contact with anyone.

Found a nice place, called ALEX in the main square for a drink. Did think about having our late lunch there but the waitress was really cranky. Had our drinks and left. Went across the square and had a great lunch. Thin crust pizza with lots of cheese and proscuitto e fungi. Ken had a cheeseburger and fries…..MCCAIN fries!! All the cafes had signs saying they selling MCCAIN FRIES!!

Back to the hotel around 6 for to pack up and grab a nap before heading off to the train station at 11:00 and part 2 of today!!

Wed June 10 (2^nd part)

Woke up around 8:30 from our nap, made some coffee and finished packing up. Checked out at 11 and took a taxi to the train station.

Managed to buy our tickets for the 12:02AM train with no problem but it was only 11:15. Many strange people at the train station. It was a long ½ hour or so. Many normal people too of course. Lots of people just hang around on the platforms drinking beer……apparently you do not need a ticket to be down there!!

Safely on the train and got off at the right stop at the Frankfurt airport.

I would like to come back to Germany and spend more time…..maybe a road trip thru all the little towns and villages. I think learning a bit of German would have been helpful too….other than bitte and danke. Next time I’ll definitely have a phrasebook. Ordering food was hard……I love “wursts” but was so worried about getting blood sausage I only ordered it when it clearly said “bratwurst”. Oh well……on to the next adventure, some warmth and sun!

Thurs June 11

This day started right at 12:01AM!! Got to the airport and found the shuttle to terminal 2. Easy to find the TUIFLY line up and check-in……..only one at that time of morning! Got checked in by just after 1AM so had until 2:55 for boarding to kill some time. Wandered around, had coffee and muffins and wandered around more. Finally thru security around 2:30.

Boarded the plane at 3:20 and we were on our way. Flight was just over 3 hours. Dozed on and off.

Arrived nice and early. Had to ask to have our passports stamped…..because you know the Rhodes are in Rhodes!!! Not necessary of course because they’re both EU countries. Immigration lady said we didn’t need to have them stamped so we explained why we want the stamps…..seemed to be a bit of a hassle for her but she did it!!

Caught a taxi (18E set price to old town) and called the hotel. Taxi dropped us at the D’Amboise gate where Duncan met us and then led us thru the windy, narrow maze of streets to our hotel, The Spirit of the Knights. OMG!!! This place is awesome. Better than the pics and reviews. The room is lovely. The owners are lovely.

It’s 10AM, we’ve changed into summer clothes, it’s warm and sunny and just beautiful. They made us coffee and some little snacks and we’re just sitting on the patio enjoying it all. Lots of chairs, tables, plants, ponds and even a little plunge pool. I sat for an hour or so reading and updating my journal, Ken went and had a little nap, then off to explore! Yes, it’s still Thurs. 24hrs with only a couple hours sleep

I LOVE IT HERE!! Very touristy, much like Capri but you can’t help but like it! Lots of stores that all sell the same stuff, restaurants that all have the same food…..but just being in the old walled city is almost magical. The streets, or alleys, are all done in stone, some in very intricate patterns and some large black and white round stones. All the buildings are old, some look ramshackle but most are really well preserved and well kept. A few pretty treelined streets just inside the walls, which were much appreciated in the mid day heat. Very easy to get lost in the maze of streets.

Found a restaurant on a roof in the main plaza by the marina entrance. Lunch was good but I think I got ripped off when I told him I wanted seafood and wasn’t sure what to order and could he suggest something for me. Which he did, sort of a special dish that wasn’t on the menu!! Our lunch was well over 60E! Not including the wine! The view made up for it….I guess. Huge cruise ship in port so very crowded.

Managed to find our way back to the hotel around 2. Ken went and had a snooze, I sat out on the patio with a G & T and read for a bit, then went and had a nap too.

Headed out for dinner around 6:30. Had an excellent dinner at Archipelagos in the same area we had lunch. Again up on the roof with great views of the square below and the marina area. I had this absolutely incredible roast chicken!!! A thigh and something else that had delicious crispy skin in a casserole dish, that was still bubbling when I got it, surrounded by crusty roast potatoes all with dollops of some kind of mild cheese melting all over it

Pretty much right back to the hotel after dinner. Sat around and had coffee and chatted with Felicity and her kids (owners). Very interesting lady!

Took a Nyquil sleeping pill so will hopefully get a really good nights sleep….it’s been a long, long day!!

Might rent a car tomorrow and visit Lindos!

Fri June 12

I cannot believe this is only our 2^nd day here!!

Up early (6:30) and went out to the “gazebo” to read for a while before breakfast (starts at 8:00). The bed was really comfortable….so had a pretty good sleep. Duncan was at the desk and got some coffee to tie me over until Ken surfaced. The garden here is just lovely. There are many beautiful plants and trees. Spider lilies hang over the pond with trickling water, bougainvillea and other flowering plants climb up the old stone walls, a few palms trees, bamboo and other potted plants. There a few steps, lined with lanterns that lead up to a little dipping pool. It’s very peaceful and a great place to start the day.

Great little continental breakfast. They will do an egg for you too. Ken had a hard boiled one.

Duncan helped get us sorted with a car rental and off we went to do some touring. Very, very hot today.

I think it was about an hour drive to Lindos. Eventually some great views of the sea along the route, otherwise quite industrial once you get out of the old town.

Lindos is very pretty. Somewhat touristy. Only a small area of shops and restaurants really. And donkey rides up to the castle if you want. Very nice sandy beach…..2 beaches actually, both very busy. The water is a gorgeous deep/bright blue and clear as anything.

Had lunch at a place call Dimitris. Greek salad was really good, gyros (pork), tzatziki, with pita type bread. Chatted with the waiter/owner. Asked where we were from etc. Told him I was Lindos Rhodos…..he laughed so I showed him my ID, he laughed even more and we got our beer for free!! Fun!

Left Lindos and headed inland and up over a mountain to get to the other side of the island. Found a winery so we stopped and tasted a rose and a red. Bought the rose to share with R & G at some point when we meet them in Turkey.

Totally got lost returning the car. Lots of one way streets never seeming to be going in the right direction. Did get there eventually.

Walking back from the car rental place we stopped a really neat huge outdoor plaza type place with a self-service food bar and regular drink bar. Really neat areas with different table and chair set ups, a couple of big screen TV’s showing soccer games and concerts…..probably lots of fun in the evening.

Back to the hotel for a drink and then back out to do some shopping before dinner.

Met some people in a store that were from Chilliwack (Marie and Doug) and Burnaby (Dick and Pat) !! Chatted for a bit and invited us to join them for dinner at Rustica, which is just around the corner from our hotel. Had a great dinner and evening drinking and chatting. Doug and Marie knew Brian Minter, who Glen and Rae also know…..small world! Not back to the hotel until almost 1AM!

Great day and evening!

Sat June 13

Up early…….found some coffee and chatted with Kara for a while. Met the people from Israel and chatted some more. Very nice and very interesting to talk to.

Collected Ken around 9 for breakfast. Every morning you get fresh squeezed orange juice, fresh ground coffee (French press). Today was a menu with fresh fruit, croissants, toast, cheese and meats and eggs. Ken had scrambled today.

This place is really fantastic. They change the beds every day and it is kept absolutely immaculate. Very pleasant, interesting people. Super service…..they constantly know what you want or are right there if you need something but at the same time very relaxed and laid back. Fun chatting with them…..lots of good stories about the family. Felicity has one or two biological children and the other 17 are, or were, foster kids, Kara and one or two others who run the hotel with her.

Wandered around a different area of old town this morning enroute to the port to check where to buy ferry tickets to Marmaris….can only buy them the day before??

Went to the Palace today. Just wow!! Very good museum type displays. The place is massive and has an incredible history.

Lunch and shopped for hats!! Ken bought one that says Rhodes on it and got another free when we told the guy our name. I bought a straw type hat and sunglasses!!. Picked up tea towels that say Rhodes on them for the Rhodes’ and Steve and Di.

Back to the hotel for a drink, rest and chat with Felicity et al. Cleaned up and headed out to do a bit more shopping and just enjoy the much less crowded streets (cruise ships leave around 5) Around 9 we stopped in at Rustica again. Very good food and a fun place. Was just going to be something light and simple but ended up having a great dinner. Platter for two for 40E…..a ton of food! Free ouzo to start and a glass of Mextaca, the Greek brandy, after. Ran into the Israeli couple on the way back to the hotel. Had coffee and talked with them until almost midnight. Very nice people with some very interesting stories to tell about living in Jerusalem.

Sun June 14

Up early today. Had breakfast and off to buy our ferry tickets. First place we went to said there were no tickets available!!! A bit of panic for a moment then we went to the place next door who said no problem lots of tickets available!! Got those and walked out to the marina where the Colossus of Rhodes supposedly was.

Two HUGE cruise ships in today…..disgorged about 5000 people into the old town so pretty crazy busy.

Along the pier a guy has set up a shelter for the feral cats. He feeds them and tries to get as many neutered as possible. Contributed to the cause. Carried on to the St Nicholas Tower and lighthouse. Watched a short video about the history of Rhodes…..interesting.

Walked into the new town because of the crowds…..nice walk along the water. Had a great lunch overlooking a park and the water. Spinach pie in puff pastry and Greek salad….with a huge big hunk of feta as opposed to the crumbled stuff that we get at home….all very good. Ken had a burger and said it too was excellent.

Really could spend days wandering around thru the little streets and alleys. Love how many places have little bowls of water out for the cats and dogs. Some great shops and tons of little cafes. I must say though the cobbled stones/rocks are hard to walk on…..very lumpy so easy to go over on your ankle. Have found flip flops to be the best to wander in, they kind of form around the stones.

Found a café for a glass of wine and had to sample their saganaki and mussels…..both very good.

Spent the rest of the afternoon just relaxing at the hotel. This place is so serene with all the plants and the water fixtures dribbling away. Ken snoozed, I read and chatted with people when they came along…..and of course had a couple of G&T’s.

Got to be a bit later than we’d planned for dinner so just went back again to Rustico! I had mousaka, Ken had the prawns….still sort of full from lunch and our snack. Free ouzo and mextaca. Loved the little clay jugs for wine, so asked if I could buy one or two……they opened their little store across the street to get them for me. They perfectly hold two glasses of wine. You can chill them in the fridge or freezer and will keep your wine very nice and cool! We got to sign their repeat customer book AND he gave us a bottle of their wine as a gift to take with us.

Back to finish packing up for another adventure tomorrow…..off to Turkey!

Munich 2022

This was the last stop of our Uzbekistan and Europe trip! Such a great holiday and so wonderful to be able to travel again without a lot of the covid restrictions/requirements. Was a fun bunch of friends in Uzbek and so great to be able to experience and share all these amazing places with my daughter!

June 17 Fri

Checked out, taxi to train station and off to Munich. Very easy, no confusion about tracks etc. Ran into our buddy again on his way to Munich too.

Great scenery on this route. Beautiful towns and villages, lovely rolling hills, farmland….Sound of Music-ish!

Approx 4 hrs. Our tickets were for Munich Central so we were going to have to change trains at Munich Ost for an 8 min ride…..consulted google maps and found that Ost was the same distance to our hotel so just got off there. Lady taxi driver with a bad back so we hefted our own bags into the trunk. Nice few minute drive to the hotel…..crazy traffic and lots of construction and road work.

Hotel an der Oper on a fairly quiet street. Great location. Dropped our bags and out the door….only 2 nights here.

Little walkway a few doors down takes you thru to the platz where the big Hofbrauhaus is. Headed straight for Marianplatz and to have lunch and a beer. Nice big platz….the Rathaus is a very lovely gothic building and of course the glockenspiel! Only goes three times a day….11AM, noon and 5PM and a mini one at 9PM, so went back later.

This is the busiest place that we’ve been so far….not sure if something is happening here?? Got away from the crowds and visited the Heilig geist (Holy Ghost) church…..small but I think one of the best. Different architecture inside and out (rococo/baroque-ish?). The Old Town Square is across the street…great clock tower and is now a toy museum.

Found the Viktualienmarkt but will explore tomorrow. Many very nice food stores along the street….great displays. Great much less crowded areas once away from Marianplatz. Lots of cafes and restaurants, street entertainers etc. Many Bavarian style buildings. Nice, bright and clean!

Back in Marianplatz just after 4. Found a front row table for the 5PM glock display. It gets crazy busy about a ½ hour before it goes off….and if you do find a seat hopefully no one will be standing right in front of you! Chatted with the people at the next table…family of 4 from Kosovo! They all spoke some English…the little girl perfectly with hardly any accent. Very nice.

What fun when the glock started!! There are two parts to it, a top and a bottom part. The top has horses/jousters that go around, one falls over after he’s been hit, the bottom has dancers…..just too much going on to try and watch all the figures in action and take pictures….will have to come back. The gold bird on the top comes out when it’s finished. Takes about 15 minutes from start to finish. Interesting tidbits about the figures and and songs that play!

Very hot this afternoon. We were under an umbrella so thought we’d just sit and have another drink while the crowds dispersed. Young couple from North Carolina at the next table….they are here for only 4 days total….a long way to go for such a short period of time!

Thought we’d check out some of the back streets for places for dinner. Every restaurant and café was packed!! Some you needed reservations for, others were anywhere from 15 min to an hour wait. The streets were much busier too. There is a Dubliner Irish Pub here to but it was busy too. Many nice clothing stores!!

Ended up back in Marianplatz at a place called Donisl. Had only a short wait so grabbed the table when it came up. Great location just around the corner from the glock. Good people watching. Thought our German menu reading had gotten better but this was a tough one….no English menu. Managed to order the roasted pork knuckle. While waiting we were entertained by an oompah-pah band. Fun! Dinner was excellent. Delicious crackling, good potato salad and a sauerkraut type slaw.

Walked dinner off and scouted out places for dinner tomorrow night…..10PM and everything is still packed!

Maximilianstrasse is a rather busy main street. The Opera house, National Theatre and all the high end shops, Cartier, Gucci, YSL etc. The hofbrauhaus was crazy busy.

Still quite warm at 10PM. Very tired tonight. We’ve been gone almost a month and all the moving around the last couple of weeks starts to catch up…..but so much to see and who knows when I’ll be back so……

June 18 Sat

Up early…..before 6. Got ready and went in search of coffee…..left Linds sleeping! The hotel restaurant was open! Sat outside on the patio, updated my journal. Very warm even in the shade this morning. Supposed to be 35+ today.

Linds came down and we found a café around the corner for more coffee and croissants….lucky we are walking as much as we are!!

The Viktualienmarkt is fantastic!! Should have waited to have breakfast here. Everything you could possibly need or want. There are lots of great places to grab coffee and pastries, flowers and plants, fruit, veg, meat, cheese, wine!! Some artisan/craft shops….brought a Christmas ornament. Nice big shady area with tables to sit and enjoy whatever goodies you buy. Markets like this are why you should rent apartments!! So many wonder, fresh goodies….and displayed so nicely. What a great market. Got very busy by the time we moved on. More shops along Viktualmarkt street.

St Peters is the oldest church in Munich. Gothic I think but many additions and restorations since the original was built in the 11c. and it suffered significant damage during WWII. Beautiful fresco (restored in the 2000’s) on the ceiling.

Found ourselves in Marianplatz around 11:30 and found a table under and umbrella to watch the glock again…..so much to see when its going!! Had a beer and glass of wine and decided to try their “sausage sampler”. Was very good and fun to try….all were different and not all were sausage….pieces of Bavarian meatloaf, a piece of bacon or pork belly and two different kinds of sausage, topped off with a delicious soft pretzel. Came with potato salad and the kraut slaw.

Caught the 12 noon glock….noticed more this time! Everyone claps when it’s finished.

Wandered thru some of the less busy streets to the Fauenkirche. Loved this church! Not sure of the style but it’s not very ornate. Very simple really with 2 blue domes on the bell towers. Was originally Gothic but much restoration has been done.

Much damage during WWII. All was just completed in 1994. It’s a huge church ….supposedly can hold 10,000 people. The inside is quite plain, white and bright by church standards. Very nice, more modern stained glass windows. Some religious artefacts from the middles ages on display. Outside the church is a fountain or water feature……sort of an amphitheatre sitting area around it and the water would come out of what look like mushrooms. No water today.

Went shopping….found a great shirt and found an Eataly!!! Would have been a great spot for lunch one day. Nice little square (Sebastianplatz?) across the street. Thought we’d stop for a beverage but again lots of cafes and pubs but full….a few seats here and there in the sun but way too hot to sit there. Finally found a spot so had a couple of drinks and people watched.

Other than the main area we didn’t see many sidewalk type cafes or small restaurants. A lot of very nice Bavarian style buildings but also a lot of new more modern buildings. Once out of the main touristy area the streets weren’t very exciting.

Would have liked to visit Nyphenburg, the Englischer Garden and Olympic Park but just can’t be done with the time we have. Oh well!

Very, very hot so we headed back to the hotel for a bit of a rest and to repack.

Out around 7:30….still really warm but pleasant without the sun. Found Andechser am Dom, across from Frauenkirche, and thought we’d check it out. Had to wait about a ½ hour for a table but was worth it. Excellent dinner. I had the schnitzel and Linds had some sort of wurst. Beer and a glass, or two, of rose. The total bill was just over 50E which I don’t think was too bad.

Out of there just before 10 so wandered back to Marianplatz where they are setting up for a big festival tomorrow for Munich’s birthday celebration.

Have changed our hotels reservation for Frankfurt tomorrow night. Have been to Frankfurt airport and train station a few times but had never actually explored historic Frankfurt centre. BUT I think we are done…..so cancelled that hotel and changed it to the Steigenberger Airport Hotel……we arrive at 1PM so will maybe hit the spa and treat ourselves to massages!

June 19 Sun.

Up and out for coffee and pastry before we headed to the train station. Even hotter today….may hit 40C. I think we are lucky this is the end of our trip! Was here a few years ago during a heat wave and it just exhausts you.

Caught our train at Munich Centre for what should have been a 3 hour trip back to Frankfurt. Train was delayed by almost ½ hour to start. On the way for about an hour and then we were stopped due to a broken down train ahead of us. After about ½ hour we got going again for only about 10 minutes before stopping yet again. 15 minutes or so went by when they came on to tell us that OUR train was broken from the heat!!? Everyone had to get off and move to another train further down the track…..people were just cramming their way on to the train so we headed straight to the front for the 1^st class car hoping the train didn’t take off before we got to it….no problem and found seats right away. Finally got going again but now almost 2 hours behind schedule. It was very hot so not sure if that causes electrical issues or what.

Once we got going again the conductor (?) came through handing out claim forms to get refunds…..apparently that is the law/rule if your train is delayed beyond X number of minutes you get your fare back. We didn’t bother because had no clue how we would recover it thru Eurail and we were using the train from the main station to the airport which would make it a “travel” day anyway.

Was after 3 by the time we caught the hotel shuttle. Big line up to check in….tour bus had arrived just before we did….argh.

Got checked in and headed to the spa….not appointments after 4PM?? Thought we’d check out the indoor pool on the top floor…..lovely big picture windows and atrium type roof so it was sweltering …..like a steam bath! Would not have been a refreshing dip for sure! Back to our room….very warm so tried adjusting the A/C. Nothing….nada. Opened the window to at least get a breeze, luckily the sun was not shining in. Went to the desk and I did notice that it was rather warm down there too…..told her our A/C was not working. So it turns out that their whole system was not working!!

What else can one do at an airport hotel……we went to the bar. Found a table in the shade…..was not any cooler inside and we did get a bit of a breeze every now and again. We were starving so just ended up having dinner there….no where else to go!

Back up to our room that was still warm but quite a breeze coming in so we survived. Lucky the windows opened!

June 20 Mon

Up at 5AM. Shuttle at 6.

Huge line up at Air Canada. Only two check ins open….one regular and one business class/priority for ALL AC flights. Guess anyone can check in now at any AC desk regardless of which flight you’re on. They finally opened two more and the line up moved along pretty good. I have to say that not once on this trip did we get asked for proof of vaccination or our ArriveCan app.

Got rid of the luggage and found a place for breakfast. In and out of shops and bought some plane snacks.

We booked seats at the back of the plane where there are only two which was nice.

Good flight. Arrived in Vanc on time at 10:30AM. Bit of a wait for the luggage but no issues going thru customs.

Steve picked us up and home just after noon.

Overall a great trip! Uzbekistan is a great country. Amazing history, beautiful architecture and wonderful, friendly people.

Europe was great too. Finally got to visit Prague and Vienna….both fantastic cities. Only wish we’d had at least one more day each place we stayed….so much more to see. Traveling by train was great and the best way to do a city to city type trip. Really though, I enjoy the villages/towns in the countryside which you really need a car for to get the best experience……next time!

Vienna 2022

June 14 Tuesday

Taxi dropped us at the Prague train station around 11 so lots of time. Also see now that when we arrived went out the wrong way. He dropped us across the street from the station in a parking lot where there is an elevator that takes you down right into the main area of the station. Oh well….next time I’ll know.

Lucky we arrived early as there was some confusion, on our part and of some other travelers, as to which track the train would come in on. The sign seemed to be saying something like track 27?? I did a quick walk around trying to figure out how the track numbers worked but could only see tracks 1- 5 or something like that. Decided to just hang around with all the others waiting for the actual track number to come up. When it did come up, again it said 27 (wth??) people immediately started heading for one of the entrances (#3??) so we all just followed them. Up to the platform but still no sign saying which track, destination or at least one that corresponded to what the board said. Was a bit twisted around so had no idea which direction the train would come from. A lady came up to us and asked if we were going to Vienna, we said yes, or at least that’s where we hoped we were going. We all laughed. Then another lady and our friend from the last train came along….also wondering if we were all going to get on the right train.

When the train arrived, the sign still did not say Vienna/Wien, it showed the next stop, which I don’t remember now. Anyway we all got on the train, found our seats and hoped for the best. Once the train started moving the sign in the car came up and showed that we were in fact on the right train!! Phew. This is truly the only negative I have to say about Prague!

No train pics today. Once outside of the city it was very pretty countryside. Rolling hills, farms, some vineyards and lots of storybook houses and villages.

Arrived in Vienna just before 5. Taxi to the hotel, Mercure Wien Zentrum. Great location. Nice room overlooking the street. A café.

Just dropped our bags and out to explore and eat….had snacks on the train.

Only a couple blocks to St Stephensdom. Was closing for the day so will get inside tomorrow. Gothic/Romanesque (or maybe Baroque?) church from the 12c?? The roof is tile, mosaic of eagles on the side ….did not see them tonight, will look tomorrow. Some damage inside and out during WWII but luckily most was fully restored. Huge and hard to get a good picture of it all. Just beautiful!

Lovely wide pedestrian only streets around the church. Found “The Chattanooga Café” for dinner. Thought it might be kind of touristy but lots of people so gave it a try. Absolutely the best schnitzel and potato salad of the trip!! Reasonably priced too.

Not too much happening in the evening. Very quiet around this area so just worked our way back to the hotel. Many great buildings, small alleys and courtyards to explore tomorrow and the next day.

Schonbrunn Palace tomorrow.

I don’t think 3 nights here will be enough…..ah sigh.

June 15 Wed

Not out and about too early this morning…9ish. Coffee and croissants at a café down the street.

Took the metro out to Schonbrunn Palace. Quick, easy and cheap….day pass 6E, took less than a half hour.

Quite a line up to purchase tickets. A few tour options…opted for the Grand Tour with audio guide. Had over an hour to kill so went to the restaurant for a drink a bit of bite to eat. Very, very hot today.

Tour was excellent…really good audio. Great history of Maria Theresia, Franz Josef and Empress Elizabeth (Sisi), No pics allowed sadly. Some of the rooms were decadent…., great artwork, beautiful tableware and the material for the draperies and furniture was gorgeous. What opulence!! Spent 2 hours in there and could have spent even more!

The gardens are many and varied…and free!! Beautiful roses, trellises, topiary etc. Walked out as far as the fountain. Linds went all the way up to the Gloriette. She’d been before and loved it. The back of the palace was being set up for a concert, Vienna Summer Nights Philharmonic, so parts of the garden and palace were obscured by the equipment and some areas roped off…..found out after we’d left that the concert was FREE!!! Talk about bad timing on our part. Would have been amazing to experience that.

Took the metro back and got off at Karlsplatz. Thought we’d check out the Nachtmarkt but spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around that area. Stopped for a drink at a funky café that didn’t have any of the food that we ordered….ended up with a sort of odd looking but really good pizza!

Such a great city to just wander about. So many things just sort of pop out….murals, some funky architecture, cute cafes and shops. Everything is “orderly” here. You really need a whole day in a city like this to just explore…great to see all the tourist type stuff but I think you can better feel for it just wandering a bit off the tourist path.

Burggarten is a very nice park. Mozart statue with a very pretty flower bed in the shape of a treble clef!!

Maria Theresia Platz is a big square between the Kunsthistorisches and the Natural History Museum. Stopped to check out the opening time for tomorrow.

Volksgarten a little further along is a big park with impeccably neat and tidy flower beds, perfectly pruned and shaped trees and some historic buildings. Very pleasant to walk thru.

Past the Hofburg Palace and to check out times for the horse shows and training sessions and the Sisi Museum hours. There is a Roman ruin just in front of the palace….great that is has been preserved.

A stroll down Kohlmarkt to admire all the expensive shops. Checked out the Spanish Riding school horse show ($$$) times and morning training sessions (free)….not sure we’ll make them but would be great to see. Saw part of the one in Jerez (Spain) and enjoyed it.

Had tried to get in to Figlmuller for dinner but no reservations until 10PM tonight or tomorrow night. Heard it was good.

Found a horrid Italian restaurant, Dai Fratelli. Snooty waiter and it was absolutely the worst food I’ve had on this trip. Mushy bruschetta to start, under cooked (pre- al dente!!) pasta, no flavour and not hot!

Back to the hotel a bit early tonight.

June 16 Thurs

Up early….8ish and all ready to head out. The café down the street was closed, so found a good old Starbucks for coffee and a croissant. Was good. Sat outside in the shade…..was pretty warm even at 9AM.

Our first stop was going to be St Stephens but couldn’t get in. The area was blocked off…..setting up something in the front….a big platform, tables with flowers, lots of regalia.

Had turned on to Graben and found a ton of people….some wandering, others lining the road. Then heard the music!!! A quick google search and discovered it was Corpus Christi Day…..a holiday!

Within a couple of minutes the procession started coming along on the way to St Stephens. It went on and on and on. Various religious groups carrying their flags, waving incense, military groups, marching bands, people that were perhaps city officials, boy scouts, girl guides. Some people would join in and walk with the groups. The last group must have been the cardinal or ??. He came with 4 people carrying a canopy over him and flanked by security. I am not a religious person but it was really a very moving experience and so glad we got to see it. This also explained why all the stores and lots of other places were closed!!!

Got to the horse training session too late. Tours are 18E and just not enough time and interest so off to our museums. Linds went to the Sisi and I went to the Kunsthistorische.

It has to be one of the best museums I’ve ever been too! Just fantastic. As soon as you walk in the doors and start up the stairs it’s a museum heaven! Klimt paintings and frescos, statues on the first landing. Many different galleries. One easily leads to the next. Some of the galleries are all one artist, others are a mix of artists from the same eras and/or origins. Ruebens, Rembrandts, Vermeers, a Raphael or two and a Titian. The best gallery though was the Bruegels. One could just stand and look at each painting forever…..always one more thing will catch your eye. I’m sure he was the inspiration for the Where’s Waldo and Richard Scary books! The detail, big and small is amazing….spent way too much time in there but I just loved them.

Next to the Egyptian collection. Very well organized, great descriptions and beautiful displays and paintings.

There was also a rather racy, eclectic exhibition for Gay Pride month…..was definitely interesting!

Three hours went by so quickly….still so much more to see but I got to the point where I could no longer appreciate what I was looking at.

Found a great restaurant, Kanzleramt (Chancellery in English), near the Sisi to wait for Linds. Had a couple of glasses of wine and just enjoyed sitting and people watching. She arrived, the Sisi was excellent…more so after our tour at Schonbrunn yesterday. We decided we’d just have lunch…was already after 2! Lunch was excellent! I had their Caesar salad with chicken, which is nothing like the ones at home but was v.v.g. Linds had chicken strips, which were like 4 half size pieces of schnitzel….also v.g.

St Stephens was open! A pretty magnificient cathedral. Parts of it are very ornate, others quite simple really compared to some but very beautiful. Very plain stained glass windows. The size of it is amazing. And you can just tell the acoustics are great. ….no concerts on the calendar but what an experience that would be.

Had clouded over and looked like rain so we headed back to the hotel to get umbrellas. Just as we got in the door it started coming down….along with thunder and lightening. Just crazy!! I had a cappa at the hotel café and just watched the storm. Cleared the streets completely. Was still really warm outside.

Cleared up nicely around 6 so we headed in a different direction to explore. The Anker Clock….goes off at noon each day. The figures that go around represent Austrian history.

There is a Shakespeare & Co bookstore!!! Sadly it was closed.

Dinner was at Kaffee Alt Wien that was recommended by friends. An eclectic place….fun, funky atmosphere with art and posters all over the walls. Food was good, service great. I had borscht, Linds had goulash and we were told they had the best sausages so we shared an order. They were good but not sure about the best….really just European wieners.

Such a fantastic city!! So much more to have seen here….the Belevedere, Mozart museum, the bookstore etc. etc…..

Packed up and to bed. Munich tomorrow!

Prague 2022

June 11 Sat

Up and to the train station. Grabbed some breakfast and train snacks.

Our seats are in a second class compartment with a door! First part was good….only Linds and me and a guy from London that is doing the same route as us! After the first hour 2 guys got on. Didn’t have window seats so no good pictures which is too bad as there was great scenery once outside of Berlin. Lots of forest and farm land. Once we got to the Czech border there were more villages, houses with red roofs, vineyards. Tracks ran along a river (Vltava?) for quite a while almost right into Prague.

As the train was arriving I could tell already that I was going to really enjoy Prague!

Arrived just after 3. Out the door to look for a taxi but appeared to be a park/pedestrian area?? Walked down and thru the park to the road and found one there. I loved Prague even before we’d gotten out of the taxi!! Such a pretty city.

Only a few minute drive to our “hotel” the Tyn Yard Residence. The driver had to stop on the street, he got and walked around the corner and came back a minute later with a thumbs up! Unloaded our bags and pointed us in the right direction saying even numbers on the left and odd on the right. Off we went thru the arch and into the square…made perfect sense. A weird numbering system here. We had to let the hotel know what time we would be arriving as it is not a “hotel” hotel, it’s like a “diffuso” that I’ve stayed at in Italy, so the guy would be there when we arrived. There is no lobby, they are simply rooms in a building. If issues you have to phone them. The breakfast is at a restaurant called Tunel in our little square.

All was good, other than our room being up 3 flights of rather narrow and steep stairs….he carried our bags up for us. Very nice big bright room with gable type windows on each side, huge bathroom. I think we’re in the attic. Great view of Tyn Church spires. Was very hot outside but the room was actually quite pleasant with the drapes closed, so we’ll have to remember to do that before we leave each day.

Got organized and I went down to the bar/restaurant in the square to have a glass of wine, update my journal and read about Prague. Linds was having a rest.

We are in an absolutely perfect location. It’s a small square a couple blocks from Old Town Square. There’s a couple restaurants, an Irish Pub and a few shops. So lots nearby but not too busy.

I’d had a couple glasses of wine by the time Linds came down around 5:30. Hadn’t had lunch so decided to just have an early dinner right there before exploring. Really good ribs for me, Linds had the goulash in a bread bowl…..total bill including 4 glasses of wine and one coke (which costs more than a glass of wine) was 26E or 600Koruna.

Off to explore. A few minute walk along side the Tyn Church and we were out into Old Town Square. Just beautiful, very big and open with lots of restaurants around it, a park and the Church of St Nicholas. You can see the Tyn Church gothic towers but that is about it, the clock tower of the old town hall with the astronomical clock just around the side. I’m not sure of the style of all the buildings but they are just lovely…some have very ornate fronts others are plain but bright and have the best rooflines. The Jan Hus monument is in the centre and great place to sit and take it all in. Busy but not crowded…or it’s just such a big space you don’t notice.

*This is pretty well the best picture you can get of the Tyn Church…..*it’s totally surrounded by other buildings.

Managed to be there just as the astronomical clock was going off. Fun to watch….stood there for a bit trying to figure out how it all worked…must look that up after. Anyway….it is the oldest clock in the world. It’s been tweeked of course over the years but is at least 600 years old…amazing! Chimes every hour. This is where there were lots of people waiting and watching.

It smells good here….maybe it’s the funnel cakes or whatever they’re called. There are lots of different places selling them….can have ice cream, whipped cream, fruit, chocolate etc. will definitely have to try one.

A fantastic place….a mix of touristy Venice, a bit of Disneyland (whimsical stuff and people selling tours etc.) tons of history. So many interesting streets off the square….lots to explore tomorrow.

Lively at night…..June is gay pride month so a lot of large groups in town for the weekend celebrating.

Ended the night at the Dubliner Pub! Really lively, fun people watching. Nice and warm!

Great day.

June 12 Sun

Beautiful morning. Had breakfast at the Tunel Restaurant/Bar. Sat outside. Good variety of meats and cheeses, pastries etc….my kind of breakfast!

Into Old Town Square to start and decided we’d do the HOHO bus!! 28E for 24 hours including a ferry down the Vltava river. Did the full loop on the east side (old town/new town). Got off at the Dancing House for pictures and to explore that area a little. Back on the bus to finish the loop. Many big plazas and boulevards. Very different architecture….Gothic-ish? Black rooftops and towers, some with onion domes. Not sure how to describe the city….very pretty buildings mixed with very utilitarian type ones (communist block/boring).

Many beautiful churches. Unfortunately the audio on the HOHO bus seemed to be a block or two behind where we were so missed what a number of key sites were. Saw Wenceslas Square, which is pedestrian only and up from there is the Wenceslas Statue also the Narodni (National) Museum, which is a very impressive building and supposed to be a great museum but not sure we’ll have time to see it. So much too see! The HOHO, not something we usually do, is good for here if you’ve only got two days because there is just not enough time to cover it all on foot.

Caught the ferry for the ride down the river to and under the Charles Bridge. Nice ride….they serve drinks!! Had an aperol. Sat outside for most of it but very hot so we ended up inside at the back, sort of half inside and half outside. Great overview of both sides of the river. Saw the Prague Metronome monument commemorating their composers, it replaced a Stalin statue in 1991 Great view of Mala Strana and the Prague Castle and St Vitus Cathedral…..very hilly but looks lovely. Passed the very pretty Cech bridge with a very odd snake looking statues. Tour lasted about an hour and back to where we started.

Walked back thru the Jewish Quarter. Great buildings and synagogues but many signs in Czech only so not sure what they were. Ran into a couple of deadends and had to back track. Some nice little shops and cafes…..a few jewelry stores. More old historic buildings in that area, very few were damaged during the war as Hitler was quite taken with it an wanted it preserved so he could build a “monument to an extinguished race”!!! Just unbelievable and so glad that never came to be.

Language could be an issue here….can’t make heads nor tails of most of the signs so lucky for us that many people speak English.

Had a later lunch at the café right across from the clock. Delicious goulash soup. Saw the clock go off again but will have to google later exactly how all those rings works. Such a fun thing to watch….even a third time!

Headed up to Wenceslas Plaza/Square which is pedestrian only for the first few blocks. Nice with big trees, flowers, cafes, places to sit etc. Thought we’d walk up to the museum but it was closed so went in search of the “Kafka Head”.

Very interesting. It’s a giant head by David Cerny made out of a bunch of stainless steel layers that rotate, eventually all lining up to clearly see the head. We watched and waited until it was just about lined up….which is does once or twice and hour. It’s pretty amazing and definitely unique. He has a number of other sculptures/pieces of art around the city….would have been fun to have a look at them all.

Just about sunset so decided to walk to/across the Charles Bridge. Beautiful towers at either end and the many statues depicting saints and biblical scenes. So nice at this time of the night with the sunset colours! Beautiful bridge. Quite a few buskers and artisans and lots of people this time of evening. Hoping to get a better look tomorrow.

Nothing in the area is as far away as you think it is. It’s all very walkable and if you zigzag your way along some the side streets where there are less crowds is really lovely.

Very slowly made our way back to Old Town Square, which was just packed!! Surprising for a Sunday night. All the cafes and restaurants were busy. A bit of a party atmosphere, which was fun.

Back in our Tyn square around 10…..so a night cap and snack at the Dubliner Pub again. Crazy busy tonight so lucky we got a seat! Recapped what we’d done today and planned for tomorrow.

An amazing day in an amazing city!

June 13 Mon

Up early for another long day. Good breakfast again….also had hot plate stuff this morning (scrambled eggs, bacon) along with the continental goodies. Had to sit inside though as it was not terribly warm and a bit cloudy.

Popped back to pick up our umbrellas just in case.

Caught the HOHO bus to do the Lesser Town (Mala Strana) tour. That side of the river is stunning! I think it has a lot of character and is to me the “lived” in side of the city. Again the audio thing was not in sync with our location. But taking the bus saved us a lot of up hill walking! (There is a funicular down near the river that will also take you up the hill to the park) Took it to pretty well the end of the loop so up near the Petrin Tower (the Eiffel Tower of Prague!). Very nice walk up thru the park along the wall. The tower is their version of a mini-ish Eiffel Tower…..built after some officials saw the Eiffel Tower and thought they should have their own! It’s free to walk up the steps to the viewing area but we paid to take the elevator. You have to get a ticket and wait for one of the ladies to take you up….it’s small, only holds a few people. Fantastic views in every direction from the top!! There are at least three different gardens around it, the Seminary, Petrin and Lobkowicz. Picked up a map hoping to wend our way thru and back up towards the castle but promptly took a wrong turn somewhere. There is a vineyard, a rose garden and lovely forested area with benches. Some of the gardens date back to the 1600’s! So glad we went up there.

Not that exciting of a walk to the castle and cathedral. Nice buildings, some with very unusual designs. The street widens as you get closer to the castle. Some very ornate lamp posts!

The castle was free today but we didn’t go in….just can’t spend enough time. Did manage to catch the last of the changing of the guard. Only part of the cathedral is free…..luckily we got in just before it got very crowded with tour groups. And people ducking in from the rain!! Thunder, lightening and a downpour. The inside is quite simple but grand with a really high ceiling and some gorgeous stained glass windows. The outside is just exceptional!! Very gothic. They are in the process of cleaning and repairing parts of it but I kind of like the dark ominous look it has.

The rain had stopped-ish…..still very dark clouds with a few spits. Off to explore more of the Mala Strana.

Very hilly and lots of stairs. But great views of all the spires across the river and picture perfect rooftops of this area. Sort of in search of the John Lennon Wall. He was never in Prague but I’d seen the one in Puebla, Mexico so thought it would be fun to see the one here. Never did find it. Another torrential downpour had started so we found a fun place called The Beer House (I think!) for a glass of wine or two. More thunder and lightening and even more rain!! Decided to just have lunch. Delicious schnitzel….huge portion.

We did eventually have to leave so grabbed an opportunity between downpours. Our hopes of exploring more were dashed by the weather though….it started raining again and just didn’t let up. We did wander a bit, trying to mostly stay under the porticoed walkways. Many nice shops, great buildings and cafes. This area is a bit more quaint I think….or maybe more “lived” in. I’d definitely think about staying if (when?) I come back. So much more to see.

Just got to the Charles Bridge when the heavens opened yet again, more thunder, lightening. Sent all the vendors scattering and/or trying to cover themselves and their wares. We turned back and waited under the Mala tower until it wasn’t raining quite as hard. Not many people at least! Halfway across the bridge, the sky cleared, the sun was peaking thru….and in a matter of minutes it had warmed up!! Bizarre weather.

The towers at both ends of the bridge are very dark, but beautiful. The bridge was built in 1357, July 19 at 5:31AM….so perhaps all the astrological/numerology beliefs were true considering it is still standing strong today. Supposedly eggs and milk (and wine!) were used in the foundation…..like the Kalyan Minaret in Bukhara!! So lucky to have been able to walk across it.

Walked a lot….mostly just wandering and enjoying the streets. Unfortunately many museums were only open til 5 or 6 and with our rain detour/interruption earlier it was a little late in the day to visit any. Another time!! Two and a half days is just not enough here.

*Pretty treelined Parizska St…..Pragues answer to Rodeo Drive!*

Took a walk down Parizska St. Very pretty treelined street with all the big name designer stores.

The Powder Tower is another beautiful gothic structure that was a real gunpowder tower and the gate or entrance to the old town. Around the corner and down Na Prikope street, nice big trees and benches on one side, eventually turns into a pedestrian only area with cafes. Took us back to Wencesles Square.

More aimless wandering…..found a nice little shop where I found a great sepia painting of Old Town Square. Also stopped in a woodworking/carving store….very pretty Christmas ornaments.

Dinner was at the Fat Cat Beerhouse…..very good and very huge portions again. I had the deluxe hotdog and Linds had a club sandwich…reg fries and yam fries both v.g.

Found our chimney cakes….many choices for what you want in them. Very good and VERY messy.

After all the crazy weather it was a beautiful evening. Stopped for a nightcap at a bar in Old Town Square to savour our last night here.

Such a great city!!!

June 14 Tuesday

Up early. Nice day so breakfast outside.

A quick last tour around Old Town Square and an attempt at getting a picture of the Tyn Churh….impossible unfortunately. Stopped in a Koh-I-Noor for pencils for the kids….even that place has history!!

No issues checking out. He called a taxi for us that came right into the little square, which was great.

And we were off to Vienna!

Prague is definitely on my list of places to go back to! It’s a fantastic city. Great food, beautiful buildings and architecture, museums, incredible history…..so much more to see. I think at least 5 days here would have been good….

Berlin 2022

This is all part of my trip that started in Uzbekistan in May and carried on for another couple weeks with stops in Istanbul, Berlin, Prague, Vienna and Munich.

I have decided each European city is different enough that I would do a separate post for each.

We left Istanbul and headed to Berlin…….

June 8 Wed

Taxi came at 5:15AM. Checked out and off we went. Only 45 min to the airport at that time of day. Same cost back 350L or 20E.

No issues checking in Lots of time to kill for our 8:10 flight so we grabbed coffee and pastries.

Lucky us…..upgraded again to the emerg exit row. I guess I shouldn’t complain really.

Arrived in Frankfurt on time (10:15….got another hour back!). No problems going thru customs/immigration other than the guy was a little confused initially thinking we were connecting with another flight and tried to send us elsewhere…..explained that we were staying in Germany/EU for 2 more weeks before heading home. All was good and off we went.

Bought tickets for the SD8 or 9 into Frankfurt Main……in hindsight had we activated our Eurail Pass we could have save 4E! Only a few minute ride so lots of time before our 1PM train to Berlin.

Had some issues trying to activate our pass so went to the ticket office where the lady couldn’t help us with that but she could book seats for us on the train (and extra 20E each to book seats). We did figure it out finally. I though I had activated both of our accounts but there was one more step that I missed….all trains have wifi so we would have gotten on anyway and hoped for the best (sometimes the wifi cuts out on the trains so we always took screen shots of our pass and seat selections, just in case we couldn’t open the app). Will sort out the seat booking thing once we get to Berlin.

Good train ride…..just over 4 hours. Mostly industrial until an hour or so out of Frankfurt, then nice countryside, small villages, farmland mostly wheat and corn.

Arrived in Berlin just after 5. Taxi to the hotel 16E

*Interesting artwork throughout the hotel…..*.

Great hotel Maritime proArte. Good location just off Friedrichstrasse. Close to Unter den Linden etc. The hotel is much bigger than we thought….lots of tour groups, big conference centre. Nice room. Some rather interesting eclectic art throughout the hotel!

Out to explore the area. Very busy. Lots of shops, close to the metro, some cafes…also part of the university (Humboldt?) is on Friedrichstrasse. Lots of commercial buildings. Trying to decide where to go for dinner we found a nice little Italian place pretty much right under the tram line. Was good…enjoyed having pasta! 40E…..60CDN….pretty sure we didn’t pay more than 10-15Cdn for our meals in Uzbek other than that first night in Tashkent.

Walked around for a bit after dinner but nothing too exciting right near the hotel. Stopped for drinks and then back and too bed. A very long day.

June 9 Thurs

Up pretty early. Out in search of a café for breakfast….was surprised to not find a lot of cafes, let alone any that were open at 8. Did find a Starbucks for tea/coffee and pastry. A bit cloudy this AM so brought umbrellas just in case. Warm though.

Berlin Cathedral or Berliner Dom….beautiful building from the late 1800’s

Museum Island is only a short walk down Inter den Linden. Stopped briefly on the way at the Neue Wache which is a memorial to the victims of war and tyranny….was very interesting. MI has 6 or 7 museums….you buy tickets separately for each one….and no umbrellas allowed! Mine was kind of hidden by the shawl I had tied around my bag so they didn’t see it. We went to the Pergamon and Neues museums, both were excellent.

Ancient glass…..my favorite! So delicate and beautiful.

Pergamon had lot of stuff from Turkey, including the agora gate and mosaic floors from Miletus…..some original parts (from 2ndC AD) that were excavated from the site but much was rebuilt/restored in Berlin in the early 1900’s. It suffered a lot of damage during WWII and was restored once again in the 1950’s. Was fun to see the small tile collection from Samarkand as well as the Middle and Far East. Also really enjoyed the ancient glass! So much more to see in the Pergamon but moved on to the Neues.

The Neues has the Nefertiti bust on display…..just beautiful. No pictures allowed and the guards are right on you if they think you are trying to sneak one in!! An absolutely fabulous collection of Egyptian artifacts. And a super exhibition of Heinrich Schliemann and his excavations of Troy based on the Iliad and the Odyssey.

We spent almost 5 hours in the museums and could easily have spent longer.

Came out to a very overcast sky. Found a café across from the island for a great lunch. I had the pea soup, which was more like a stew and v.v.g…..and had a couple of glasses of wine while we sat out the downpour that lasted for about an hour.

Once the rain had stopped we went to Alexandar Platz to see the Berliner Fernsehturm, the radio tower, the world clock (shows the time in approx 150 cities around the world) and the Neptune Fountain…..very detailed front and back, kind of whimsical. City hall across the way. Kind of a neat area….lots of shops and cafes.

The sun had come out and it was warm again! Found a fun little place for coffee in an in/outdoor atrium sort of place. Linds got her chocolate snowball things that she’d discovered on her trip to Norway. Did a bit of shopping (ornaments, pens, postcard) and a stop a the Birkenstock store. Quite a few different styles from the ones we see at home…..so I just had to get a pair. Ones that I recognized seem to be about $10-20 cheaper even with the Euro exchange rate.

Back to the hotel for a bit of rest and to update my journal before I forgot all that we saw today.

Went to dinner at the place just next door (part of hotel maybe?), the Gaffel Haus Restaurant….was great. Fun, very loud place and good food. Linds had the schnitzel (v.g.) and I had the sausage, sauerkraut and fried potatoes (v.v.g). Went for a little walk after dinner just past Friedrichstrasse and was surprised how quiet it was…..not a lot of people out and about.

Great day!!

June 10 Fri

Up and out this morning around 9. Found an open café for coffee and breakfast.

The app to book our seats would not work last night so we walked to the train station to get that done for tomorrow….figured it would be busy on a Saturday and wanted to make sure we had seats.

Really nice walk….big park where the Reichtag is. Lots of construction going on in front of the building. Walked towards the river (Spree), nice walkway along it…. great area. A real mix of new and old buildings, some very modern, some cafes right down at the river. Crossed the river to the train station. Went to the ticket office and discovered that there were no 1^st class seats available…..that may have been the issue last night but nothing came up saying so. Argh. Oh well we booked seats in 2^nd class so we’d at least have them. Busy, crazy place but a nice new modern station. Didn’t notice it when we arrived!!

Walked down along the river to Tiergarten Park. Very pretty, lots of big trees and little pathways. Once off the main road it’s quite quiet and hard to believe you’re in the middle of a big city (kind of like being in Stanley Park at home). Was just a great walk. The Carillon was interesting….a bell tower that has a huge organ in it as opposed to a bell! There is a cultural centre for conferences and a theatre….very nice grounds, gardens, a tea house and beer garden. Lots of little areas with statues but very few benches along the way to have a rest.

Passed the Bellevue Palace, residence of the President (not the Chancellor) and down to Siegessaule, the Berlin Victory Column. Lots of very interesting history around it. There is a public washroom, which I had to use…..was prepared for the worst, but it was unbelievably clean (lots of TP, full soap dispensers, paper towels….and a dry floor!). Probably the cleanest one of the trip so far, which is amazing for a busy public washroom!! Cute little café on one of the corners so we stopped and had sausages, which were euro wieners, really good potato salad and a glass of wine all for 10E!

Nice walk along Str 17 June. A busy street but treelined with park on both sides, lots of statues and monuments (Bismarck). The column is at one end and the Brandenburg Gate at the other.

Very crowded area around the Gate. Quite impressive, lots of information about it. There was a board with the history of the gate…..all very interesting. Plaques on the ground showing where the wall was. One tidbit I thought was really interesting was the date Aug 13, 1961 which is referred to as “Barbed Wire Sunday”. I knew why the wall had been built of course but never thought much about how and when it was built. Always something new to learn!

The Reichtag is just down the street…walked over and all around the area. All government buildings but no issues roaming around. Inside is by tour only.

The afternoon was getting on so one last must see for me was the East Side Gallery. Grabbed a taxi to get there (20E). Definitely worth it. That whole area is “up and coming” being gentrified with new apartments, restaurants, cafes etc. The gallery is around a mile along and is the last remaining big of the original wall…..I think part of it was moved from another location but still original. Many very interesting murals….some are really good and easy to see what was being conveyed, others not so much but fun to look at. There are a couple of places right along the river, one is an old barge sort of thing, for coffee or drinks, another is a hostel. But I think besides the murals, it was the bridge that was the highlight. The Oberbaum Bridge (Oberbaumbruke) is a beautiful piece of Gothic architecture built in 1890’s to replace an ancient one from the 1600’s. Double-decker – trains on top, cars on the bottom. After the wall went up it also served as part of it as a dividing line between East and West Berlin. All the river was in East Berlin so many stories of people trying to swim across and sadly getting caught or drowning.

Started walking back along the river, almost back to Alexanderplatz but very hot and tired so we grabbed a taxi. Thought about visiting “checkpoint Charlie” but most people we talked to said it was not worth it….just a tourist thing now, not even in the original spot.

Had a rest and headed out to Treffpunkt Berlin for dinner….had a great write up. Fun, busy place. Only a few blocks from the hotel. I had the “boiled dinner” which was pork knuckle, Linds had the schnitzel. Both were really good but ridiculous amounts of food!

For a Friday night again, not many people out and about which surprises me.

The Romanian Embassy is across the street from the hotel….a rather ominous looking place with only one light on up on the top floor.

What a great day! Wasn’t sure about Berlin the first day…..Linds called it a “hard” city…..which I thought described it pretty good….a working, down to business type place (which it is of course!). But after today I think I quite like it. We found the “pretty” parts of the city. So much of it was destroyed during the war so there is a real mix of old, new-ish post war buildings and really modern (especially along the river near the train station). The museums are great, the people very pleasant, good food and wine…and beer.

Off to Prague tomorrow!