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Everywhere you go, there are plenty of statues. I’m not really a person who likes to take statue photos, but I was happy with this one. I think it gives you a pretty good idea what to expect when traveling to Thessalonika. I think it’s my favorite statue photo of all time. How about you? Do you have a statue photo that really makes you proud? 
You gotta love a Greek Island. And Rhodes, you sprinkle in the mystery and exoticism of the Knights Templar, and wow…what a place. We took a ferry from Marmaris, Turkey to Rhodes where we ate pork, drank lots of wine, and walked around the labyrinthian streets enjoying the warmth. What a great get-a-way! I’d love to go again, just to relax, but hey, there are a lot of Greek Islands I still have to explore…any suggestions? 
One of the great things about living in Turkey is that it is almost entirely surrounded by water. Where there is water, there are ferries to interesting places. Along the western coast, many of these ferries goo to Greek islands. Last year we took one to Rhodes, and this year we tried the small island of Chios. To get there we drove to the coastal city of Cesme and paid a mere 40 Euros for the return ticket for that one day. The only frustrating thing was that we didn’t know to fight to get to the front of the [...] Continue reading Day-tripping to Chios 
You cannot, no matter what all the guide books say, do Thessaloniki in one day. We were there on a Monday, and therefore none of the museums were open. All we did was visit the Paleochristian and Byzantine monuments of the city, which were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988. So we walked and walked around looking at all of the Byzantine Churches dating back to the 13th century. I’m not sure how many there are, but we visited about five in a few hours. They are spread throughout the city, and all of them have their [...] Continue reading Gawking at Icons and Frescoes in Thessalonika 
As per our usual, we rented a car to drive to the few places that we had on our itinerary. Greece has both large roads in pretty good condition (most of which you have to pay a toll) and small roads that wind up and down large mountains with exceptional scenery. Even though we would rather stay on a road with a view, we always have to take into consideration how much time we have as well, so we normally do both. As far as driving goes, we were impressed that lane lines were obeyed and there was minimal jockeying [...] Continue reading Driving to Thessaloniki Temple of Apollo The Temple of Apollo on Mt. Parnassus was revered in ancient times as the place to come, make a significant sacrifice, confer with the oracle, and reap your rewards. Many influential citizens of the time did just that, and the Delphi is mentioned over and over in history. We came not knowing what to expect, but looking for a few things: one- the oracle or some tales of the oracles and what they did and predicted and two-King Midas’ throne. Supposedly he had made his way to Delphi and gave a very handsome and expensive throne [...] Continue reading Searching for the Oracle of Delphi A major stop on any Meditteranean cruise itinerary, Athens still retains its charm while throngs of sweating tourists invade it on a daily basis. There is so much to see here, that a couple of days, let alone a couple of hours off of the ship just aren’t going to cut it. We started our time here happy to be able to take an easy and cheap bus ride to the center of the city, or specifically to Syntagma Square. It’s the last stop and the cost of the ticket was only 3.20 Euros. Many of the sights and [...] Continue reading Ancient Rocks and Even More Ancient Rockers…in Athens! 
One of the things to do on Rhodes, is to take a public bus to the picturesque village of Lindos. Catching the bus was very simple. The station was right behind the plaza on the marina and easy to find. The tickets cost about 4 Euros each way, and the ride took about one hour, winding through towns and through the middle of the island. Lindos is famous for its acropolis. To get there you must walk or hire a donkey to go up the steep hill. As it was extremely warm, with the sun beating down on us, we [...] Continue reading Lindos is for Tourists 
Rhodes Marina Just 53 miles from Marmaris, Turkey, lays the largest of the Dodecanese Island, Rhodes. Crawling with tourists, mostly from cruise ships, Rhodes is famous for its rich medieval history. As you pull into port you are faced immediately with the formidable fortress walls built by the Knights Templar and Hospitaller (the Order of St. John). Long fought over, a wise, albeit greedy Genovese adventurer wanted Rhodes all to himself, so he convinced the Knights Templar that the Turkish infidels had to go. Pope Clement V readily agreed with him, and in 1306 the Holy Wars [...] Continue reading Invading Rhodes…Just Like the Knights Templar Did Before Us |
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