Trip To Greek Isles and Istanbul

Sunday-Tuesday, May 2 - 4, 2010

We left Fort Lauderdale at approximately 1:00 pm in the afternoon, on Sunday, May 2nd, flying to Charlotte, N.C. We then caught a flight with US Airways and flew to Frankfurt, Germany. From there, we went with Lufthansa to Athens, arriving late on the afternoon of May 3rd. We stayed at the airport hotel, figuring we were going to Santorini the next morning. Plans changed, due to the fact that there were government protests and planes were not flying on the 4th of May, to Santorini. Therefore, we were going to start our trip in Athens, so we then had a transfer to the Amalia hotel in Athens. Riding in from the airport, we had seen some groups of protesters and we had a longer than usual drive, seeing that some of the roads were blocked off.

Our hotel was centrally located, across the street from the Parliament building, which is the center of government. We found out later, that being in this location would provide us with quite a unique experience. In addition, we were in a great area, close to many of the nice districts.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

We arrived at the Amalia Hotel (http://www.amalia.gr/) and went to our room and unpacked. We then went walking to a shopping district, called Plaka. Plaka has plenty of stores, just like other European cities, and many nice outdoor cafe restaurants. We walked up and down the streets. Many of the jewelry stores have copied the pieces in the museums and they use 22 carat hammered gold. We saw the usual guys selling knock-off handbags. We had a nice lunch at an outdoor cafe and then walked back to the hotel.

We had noticed a great hill that overlooked the city and our concierge told us that it was called Lycabettus Hill and that it had great views of the city. It was now mid afternoon, the haze was clearing and it was a great photo shoot. We hopped into a cab and he took us to the base of the hill, where we boarded a funicular that would take us to the top of the hill. This funicular was in a tunnel, so you could not take photos on the way up.

When we arrived at the top of the hill, the views were spectacular. We could see the Acropolis and Parthenon and all of Athens below. We took many, many photos and were very happy we took the trip to Lycabettus Hill. When we came down, luckily, we found a cab that took us to another very nice area called Monastiraki. When we arrived in the square, we could see the Acropolis and Parthenon in the background, which was built high up on a mountain. Great security to keep your enemies at bay. We walked towards the Athens Flea Market and enjoyed seeing all the people selling their goods along the way. The streets were very clean and we enjoyed our time there. The weather has been fabulous, just like Florida, but no humidity. When we were finished, we walked back to the hotel by way of Ermou street.

There are some high end stores along this street and we worked our way back to the hotel. So, we accomplished a lot for our first half day in Athens. We took some nice photos and were looking forward to our first full day in Athens, Cinco de Mayo.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Today, we were to take a tour of the Acropolis and also the new Acropolis Museum, that just opened last June. We now learned that today there was going to be a National Strike and everything was closed, even the airports. We were able to take a bus with a group and go to the Museum, but the Acropolis was also closed. So, we left around 8:00 am (Greece is 7 hours ahead of us) and went to this amazing Museum, built basically at the base of the Acropolis. The beauty of the museum is that the majority of the sculptures are out in the open for all to see, in other words, they are not behind glass. The sculptures from back before 500 BC were unbelievable. Of course, they also had smaller relics behind security glass, but the larger pieces were available for you to see as close as possible. The security of course was everywhere. They even had an excavation with a glass floor above so you could walk right over and peer down, sort of like the one in Toronto. We had an enjoyable tour and our guide was very good, explaining the history of the majority of pieces.

 She then took us on a walk and we were right by the Acropolis and you could see the Parthenon high above. We also saw a Temple to the Emperor Hadrian. We also took some nice photos from on high, looking down on Athens. As we boarded the bus for our return to the hotel, we were told that the protesters were in full swing and that the bus could not make it all the way back, so we took the subway and it dropped us off right in front of Parliament.

When we came up from the subway, there were thousands of people, chanting and protesting in unison. The trade unions were walking with flags and you could see it was very well organized.

The police were stationed in front of Parliament with their riot gear on, which included shields and gas masks. We took some photos and video of the proceedings and walked to our hotel, which was about 300 yards across the street diagonal to Parliament. After relaxing a bit, we came back downstairs and noticed that things were getting ramped up quite a bit outside our hotel. Now the protesters were throwing things at police.

Then they took some newspaper dispensers and threw them also. The police stood their ground, but did not advance and they were on one side of the parliament bldg. There were spectators everywhere also. Now some of the protesters were throwing molotov cocktails and it was getting dicey, to say the least. The police started shooting off their tear gas. We were keeping our distance, but could hear the shots. Now, many of the protesters were heading in our direction, right in front of the hotel. Their eyes were burning and they were coughing and there were hundreds and hundreds of people. We then went into our hotel. At this point we went upstairs to relax for about one half hour, but could hear a lot of commotion outside. So, we then came back down to the lobby and there was a guy lying on the floor, a lady screaming at the top of her lungs at a cop (or soldier), as he was coming in the revolving door to the hotel. The cop stayed outside. Another guy, in the lobby, was also yelling something. Of course, we could not understand a word. Tear gas was outside and the revolving door was an automatic one. When someone wants to enter, the door is automatic so it started bringing in the tear gas to the lobby. We could feel it in our throats, so got in the elevator and went up to our room to relax.

When we finally came back down, the riot was over, the glass windows on the hotel were broken and cracked, just like an auto window. We walked outside and there was trash, burned motorcycles, and a real mess. The bank down the street was set on fire and 4 poor souls lost their lives.The tear gas still permeated the air and it was burning our eyes and throats so we had to come back inside. The most amazing part of all of this story, is that the hotel workers and some others that we spoke with, took this episode with a grain of salt, just like it was commonplace, but it was much more this time, as it got really out of hand. The police did a great job of maintaining, but it was very scary. Can you imagine having a molotov cocktail thrown at you? They did not have guns with rubber bullets and we did not see them charge the people, but just let the protesters do their thing. You could see some protesters approach the line of police with batons and swing at the shields.

We had met a nice store owner, originally from Australia, who did not suffer any damage to his store. He told me that he had given water to the protesters, so they left him alone.

So, it was a bizarre day, to say the least. We had chatted with many locals to find out their opinions on all of this and they were varied in some instances, but the same in others. The government is in debt, as we all have heard from the news. They are clamping down on people and revoking their so called bonuses at Christmas, Easter, etc. and chopping their salaries. The store owner, that I mentioned above, told us that many people here take 5 vacations a year. They can't afford to do that, and max out their credit cards and then they have problems. Another told us that there was so much graft and corruption from the Olympics, and they never recovered. Many people think that Greece should have never gone to the Euro, as prices went up immediately. People are now going to have a tax increase and it will be very difficult for store owners. So, they have a big problem here in Greece. Tourism is number two, with shipping still number one for the economy. There are 17 million living in Greece, and a good majority live in Athens.

Here is a picture of Parliament, after all of the commotion was over.  Normally, there are two guards in front 24 hours a day and they change the guards on a regular basis.  Due to the protests, they removed.  This scene shows the cleanup truck on site and they are preparing to hose down the streets, as the tear gas smell was really lingering.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Today we head to the airport to take a short flight of about 45 minutes to the island of Santorini, which is very beautiful. We will be adding pictures to this blog as we get everything organized, probably when we arrive back home, but you have the basics of what has transpired. One of the couples on our trip lives in Pembroke Pines, near us and they both work in the medical field. She is a nurse at Holy Cross Hospital, and he works in emergency down in Kendall. Another couple we met lives in Washington. She is an ex Marine and he is in the Air Force. She just arrived back from Afghanistan and now works for the Dept. of Defense. Both couples are very nice and we enjoy their company.

We had a nice flight from Athens,which lasted approximately 45 minutes. Our hotel is situated on a cliff overlooking the Agean Sea. It is called Caldera's Lilium Villa and the view is spectacular. You can go to their website at http://www.lilium-v.gr/ and check it out. After we unpacked, we took a cab and went to a little town called Fira Town. This is the capital of Santorini and is situated on the West coast of the island. It has a beautiful view of the caldera. It is located on the top of the cliffs and the bars and restaurants are built on terraces down the cliff face. The cruise ships come from all over the world and the views, looking down, are spectacular.

There were some great shops and we had a delicious lunch at a restaurant called Naoussa. We did a lot of walking and took a cable car to the bottom of the caldera. They have a lot of burros to ride if you want to take one on the trip back up to the top. So, all in all, it was a beautiful afternoon. Tomorrow, we will go to Oia, which is about 20 miles from our hotel and they say the sunset is spectacular. So, we will look forward to doing that tomorrow.

Friday, May 7, 2010

Today we started out taking a taxi to Oia, which is located on the northern tip of Santorini and is famous for it's unique sunsets. You can walk along the small lanes and browse the boutiques, while enjoying a meal overlooking the Caldera. The views were amazing and we took many photos, which we will post later. The weather has been amazing, and really quite cool with a brisk wind, probably in the 60's today. The haze burned off the water and it was remarkable. We had a nice lunch and met some more terrific folks and we compared notes.

Tomorrow, we take the ferry to Mykonos, which will take a couple of hours and spend three nights.

Saturday, May 8, 2010

After a wonderful stay in Santorii, we left today around 11:30 am and went to the port to take the ferry to Mykonos. The ferry was quite fast and everyone had assigned seats, all enclosed.

It took us approximately two hours and change to arrive. On the way, we spoke with a young couple, who had just gotten married in Savannah. He was a pilot with the Air Force and graduated from the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. They were as nice as they could be. Another traveller was Dean. He was an emergency room physician and he was very interesting to speak with, as he has seen it all. He works in Philadelphia, originally from Detroit. We met another lady from Tamarac, Fl and another from the Tampa Bay area. In addition, we met a very nice couple from Los Angeles, California. They are a lot of fun. So, we had a nice trip over to Mykonos and enjoyed everyone's company.

Upon arrival, we were taken by courtesy van to our hotel, high upon a hill, called The Dorion. It has great views from above, but different from those in Santorini, as we are not nearly as high from the water. You can check out this hotel at www.dorionmykonos.com. It is a beautiful place, just like the Lilium in Santorini. We then went for a walk down to the beach and had lunch at a restaurant called Kostantis and had some delicious Gyros. So, now we are going to rest for a busy day tomorrow.

Sunday, May 9, 2010

After a nice breakfast, we took a taxi to downtown Mykonos, which is called Hora. It is a beautiful setting with a harbor surrounded by stores and restaurants. There are five windmills overlooking the harbor. Cruise ships were docked nearby and made for some great picture taking. We did some shopping and ran into a young couple, from Wynnewood, PA. They were on vacation and we talked about Lower Merion. As we were walking down by the harbor, a beautiful white pelican was perched on the seawall and everyone was taking pictures. It was a sight to see and we got some good shots.

We have pelicans in Florida, but we have never seen a pure white one. Maybe it was an albino. In any event, it was a lot of fun. We also ran into a store owner, who lives in Boca Raton, a neighbor of ours in a fashion. It is interesting that the "season" for these islands is just beginning. They usually run from April or May until November and then shut down, just like the Jersey shore does after labor Day. So, I asked the hotel owner what they do during the down period. She told me that they fix the place up and get ready for the next season. Today, I asked our cab driver what he does during November to April and he says he sleeps.

The reason everything shuts down is that the cruise ships return to the Carribean during the off months and the weather does get a lot cooler. So, without the cruise ships, business stops. In reality, if the cruise ships did not leave, then the season would be longer.

There are many beautiful jewelry shops in Santorini and Mykonos and they are known for the Byzantine style and they make replicas of museum pieces. We have been looking for just the right piece so today we purchased a beautiful 18 carat square shaped ring with a small emerald in the center.

The scroll work and beaded detail make it very unique and it is a one of a kind piece. The owner of the store does all the design work and engraved his name on the inside of the ring. Anita is very happy with the ring and it will be a nice remembrance of our wonderful stay on the Greek isles. The weather has been amazing, with nice breezes, so we have been very fortunate.

Monday, May 10, 2010

Today, we went back to the town of Hora. the weather was beautiful and we enjoyed walking around the town. We had a nice lunch and conversed with the local folk. We met a man from New York and he rented a small apartment for the season. We went over to a small beach and watched some of the larger ships, as they were docked.

Later in the early evening, our concierge told us to have dinner at a restaurant called Cristys on the beach. He said the sunset was very beautiful. Therefore, we went and had a nice meal and it was a beautiful view and the sunset was magnificent.

 This was our last night in Mykonos and tomorrow we leave for Athens.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010.

We flew to Athens and it was a very short flight, about 30 minutes. We arrived and are relaxing until our flight tomorrow to Istanbul. All is well.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Today we took an early flıght from Mykonos to Istanbul. It only lasted approxımately one and one half hours. We flew wıth Turkısh Aır and they even provıded us wıth a lıght lunch. After arrıvıng, we had to get ın lıne to obtaın Vısas. The cost was 20.00 per person and then we had to pass through Customs. Waıtıng to pass through customs took some tıme and we met some nıce Canadıan women and we chatted wıth them. The man ın front of us, got all the way to the Customs wındow, and they told hım he needed a Vısa fırst, so he had to go to the Vısa wındow and start all over agaın. Sounds lıke somethıng that I would do. In any event, the lıne was much longer now, as a few more flıghts just arrıved. We then made our way to The Presıdent Hotel whıch was about a 40 mınute trıp from the aırport. Go to: http://www.theprisidenthotel.com/ We arrıved to fınd the hotel to be centrally located, very near to the Grand Bazaar and the Blue Mosque. After unpackıng, we decıded to do a lıttle explorıng. The streets were packed wıth people and cars were honkıng theır horns and ıt looked lıke utter chaos. There are 15 mıllıon people lıvıng ın Istanbul and ıt ıs very crowded.

We ventured up to the Grand Bazaar and entered. Belıeve ıt or not, ıt ıs under cover wıth aır condıtıonıng. We had thought that ıt was outsıde, but that was not the case. They sell every kınd of thıng you could possıbly ımagıne, especıally lots of jewelry, carpet, scarves, and thousands of other thıngs. There were people everywhere and ıt ıs not even summer. The cruıse shıps are just startıng to arrıve. The vendors were very forthrıght and they were tryıng to get you to buy somethıng. They knew we were Amerıcan and greeted us ın Englısh. Wonder how they could tell? So, we stayed there for awhıle and then went to the Blue Mosque. We saw lots of folks sıttıng ın the park ın front of the mosque and everyone was takıng pıctures.

 The Blue Mosque really was an amazıng sıght. We dıd not enter today, but wıll try to at some poınt. The weather was very hot and we thought ıt would be cooler. So, that was about ıt for today. We worked our way back to the hotel, ready to relax for our cıty tour tomorrow.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Today, we met our tour guide and she was very nice. Her name was Aylin Kanat and we began by going to the Hagia Sophia Museum, which means Holy Wisdom.

It served 916 years as a church and 481 years as a mosque, and now has been a museum since 1935. It is the most important monument of their architectural history. Actually, the first two churches were burned down and the third was built by Emperor Iustinianis. Construction started in 532 and was open for worship in 537. It has survived to this day and represents one of the greatest examples of early Byzantine architecture. It was just amazing inside with the huge dome, fabulous murals, and beautiful mosaics.

 On a few of the walls are huge circular disks or medallions that were hand inscribed with the names of Allah, the Prophet Muhammad, and four Caliphs. The calligrapher was named Efendi and these were remarkable. So, we had an enjoyable time at this special museum and then we went on to see The Great Palace Mosaic Museum, which is controlled by the Topkapi Palace Museum.

The Topkapi Palace Museum was also a sight to behold. It was like a small city, consisting of various buildings, halls, churches, gardens and play areas. The amazing entrance of the palace was constructed during the reign of Constantinius I (306 - 337). We saw the Emperor's jewels, consisting of a goblet of huge natural emeralds and an 86 carat diamond, one of the world's largest. We also saw his throne. In addition we walked out into the gardens and our guide mentioned that the tulip did not originate from The Netherlands, but right here in Istanbul, as the Emperor gave one to a dignitary from Holland and he took it back to his homeland. That was an interesting fact. Afterwards, we went and saw the Basicilia Cistern (Underground Palace), which was the largest that still lie beneath the city.  We ran into the Canadian women that we first met in the airport.  They were having a nice time.

As we were walking from one beautiful sight to the next, we would see lots of school children, having a field day experience, just like we used to do. The kids could tell we were American and gave us a big "HELLO." They were as cute as they could be and then we would say hello and more and more would say hello. We have some great pictures of the kids who wanted to be photographed and they all grouped together for some good shots. We have nice video also of them. They loved to practice their English and one said to us, "What time is it?" We told him, but we think it might have been a little too much.

After having a nice lunch, at The Konyali restaurant along the Bosphorus, we headed for the Blue Mosque, which we had seen earlier from a distance. It is really a sight to behold. There is a beautiful park with fountains, where one can sit and enjoy the culture of it all. It was constructed by Sedefkar Mehmet Aga and is a masterpiece of architecture and a culmination of two centuries of both Ottoman mosque Byzantine church development. When entering, you must remove your shoes and it was surprising that they allowed photos. It is interesting to note that many Muslims pray 5 times a day. We heard the chanting from loud speakers on top of the mosque for a call to prayer. This was very loud and lasted for about 20 minutes. Other mosques have the call to prayer also that can be heard very easily.

Upon leaving the Blue Mosque, we went to The Hippodrome Obelisk. This was constructed in Ancient Alexandria Egypt, honoring the Pharoah Tutmosis III. The Emperor Constantinius I (337-361) wrote a letter to the Alexandrians and requested them to send the monument from Alexandria to Constantinople. The request was made as a sort of threat, since the Egyptian ships would be sailing to the Black Sea. Facing the obelisk, is another walled type of obelisk, which is much taller and made of laid bricks. It is not known by whom it was constructed. Horse and chariot races were conducted here, although the distance between the two obelisks was not that great. It was a very beautiful scene and right next to the Blue Mosque. So, our tour ended and we had a great insight into the history and beauty of Istanbul. Our guide told us that Homer and St. Paul were born here.  Florence Nightingale served in the Crimean War, with the Brits and Turks, fighting against the Russians.  She mentioned that Santa Claus got his start here, in Demre, Turkey, coming from Saint Nicolas of Myra.   In addition, Turkey is by far the largest producer of hazelnuts in the world.

Friday, May 14, 2010

Today, we went to the Grand Bazaar again and also walked along the shopping areas on the outside of the building. We had a nice lunch at The Doce 12. Go to http://www.doce.com.tr. The crowds were large and this was not even the weekend yet. We saw people from all over the world. On average, we met more folks from Australia and New Zealand than most others. We did not get outside the old city, but maybe on a return trip. Istanbul was very enjoyable and the history is really unbelievable. The people are very hard working and very friendly.

We will start preparing for our trip back home, which leaves at 5:55 am on Saturday, so it will be a long day. Istanbul to Frankfurt, Frankfurt to Charlotte, and Charlotte to Ft. Lauderdale. Only a little bit further and we could go to Australia/New Zealand, maybe next trip. Ciao!

May 15, 2010

We left Istanbul at 5:55 am and finally arrived back in Ft. Lauderdale around 8:30 pm.  It was an exhausting day, but well worth the effort.  It is good to be back home in the USA, the best country in the world.  Hope everyone enjoyed the blog.  You may click on the photos to enlarge.  Till next time, all the best.