thefouramigosblog

Only joking! We spent the day exploring the ruins in Olympia where they held the first Olympics from 776 BC to 393 AD. The site was also a place of worship dedicated to the Greek god Zeus from about the 10th century BC.

So we woke this morning to quite a different view in the port of Katakolon.

I have to say it could have been Maine. So different from our other ports in Greece with the arid landscape and white buildings.

We were in port with two other ships which is kind of a bummer. That means more crowds at the site.

We were picked up at the pier for our independent tour of the archeological site of the Olympics as well as a museum. As we drove the 45-mile drive, we both thought it looked like Central America.

We drove by Greece’s idea of a Home Depot.

Finally, we arrived at the site. And what a scorching day! It must have been 90 degrees Fahrenheit with full sun and no breeze. Some people who were from northern climates were really suffering.

Here are some highlights!

The Temple of Zeus was built in the 5th century BC.

The baths and some beautiful mosaic!

The Palaestra is where wrestling was taught as well as some soldier type training.

The Philippeion in the Altis of Olympia was an Ionic circular memorial made of marble and limestone. It contained statues of Philip’s family: himself, Alexander the Great, Olympias, Amyntas III and Eurydice

After the ruins, we went to Olympia’s Archaeological Museum. There were so many archaeological finds dating back 1000’s of years.

This terracotta dolphin bounding over waves is from the 5th century BC.

The museum had some very well-preserved architectural pieces from the 5th and 6th century BC.

It was a fascinating day but I have to admit it would be more enjoyable on a cooler day. My clothes were soaked through by the time we reached our bus. But it was good that we did it our way!

It was formal night so lobster for dinner and if course escargot!

Two great shows and a finalvein in the casino! Life is good!

#greece#olympics#ruins#olympia#katakolon#cruising#palaestra#zeus#templeofzeus#philippeion#port#excursion

What can I say about Mykonos it is a slice of paradise! From the beautiful aqua colors of the Aegean Sea to the lovely white buildings dotting the landscape, all gives a tranquil feeling that life is good!

Today I woke up with this fabulous view from my balcony.

Our visit on shore began with a ride on the free shuttle bus from the port to the town. It was a short drive but it saved us some steps which we needed for our walk around town.

As we walked along the walkway by the sea, we looked out at mountains and boats and beautiful water.

We stopped at a little place on the water, Kavos Taverna, for cappuccino and tea.

We visited shops and one shop sold some beautiful shells.

We visited the lovely little churches along the way.

So many beautiful white alleys. And a former castle that is now a ruin!

One of the famous sites on Mykonos is the windmills.

We decided to stop for smoothies rather than hike over to the windmills. I was able to get a panoramic view of the windmills from the restaurant.

On our way back to catch our water bus, I had to put my feet in the water.

The temperature would have been perfect for a swim.

Instead of taking the shuttle, we took a water bus which was 2 Euros each. There was a nice breeze and gorgeous views.

And finally heading out of Mykonos watching the sunset from the upper deck.

What a beautiful end to a day in the Islands of Greece!

#greece#mykonos#kavostavernas#windmills#churches#aegeansea#waterbus#shells

I’m sitting on my balcony watching the tenders go back and forth, sipping coffee, and enjoying the lovely view.

We are going to be in port until 9 tonight so no need to rush off with the crowds. Besides I’m thinking of staying a little later and maybe catching a sunset.

This cruise has been wonderful. We’ve met some really great folks from all over the world. Last night we had dinner with a man we met on tour in Athens. His wife was a little under the weather from her excursion in Ephesus yesterday. It was pretty darn hot.

One of the many things I love about Celebrity is escargot every night. Plus they have many different flavors of ice cream.

So we took the tender to Santorini and paid 6 Euros each for the cable car ride to the top. It was another 6 each to go back down. We could walk but they didn’t advise that.

We arrived at the top for a spectacular view.

We are so happy not to be on a tour today!!!

We walked around the lovely streets of Firo. A lot of very white buildings.

We stopped in The Art of the Loom Gallery which is a coop of several local artists. They have 3 locations. We were in the Orion Gallery which focuses on sculptures and compositions. The artists have created some truly beautiful and unique pieces of art!

We stopped for a cappuccino and baklava at Kamares. The baklava was delicious.

We visited the Catholic Cathedral of St. John the Baptist.

I found some graffiti but no canons!

We stopped for a smoothie and I forgot to take a picture!

And some more photos around Firo on Santorini.

Tomorrow we are off to Mykonos!

#santorini#greece#cruise#firo#baklava#artoftheloomgalleries#coopartists#kamares#gondola#cathedralofstjohnthebaptist#bluedomes#

It was a warm morning as we approached Turkey. This is a new country for Bruce and I and we are excited to be here.

Again we are on a ship excursion being herded like cattle into the theater and getting our name tags. It is not my preferred way to travel but today we are number 1 so should be out of here first.

We went ashore in Kusadasi. There were Turkish dancers at the port.

We traveled by the Kusadasi castle built in 14th century and expanded in 18th century. This was used to protect the harbor from pirates.

We arrived in Ephesus to begin our tour. Ephesus was rebuilt four times and the path we walked on was the third one.

As we walked the paths were made of marble. Very slippery but they have held up through the ages.

Our first stop was the Odeon, which looks like a small theater. It was used for political meetings.

The fountain of Trajan was built in 104 AD to honor Emperor Trajan, with his statue overlooking the pool. All that is left of his statue is a foot.

The bathrooms or latrines were interesting. They were only for men and no privacy.

The Celsius Library was built in 2nd century AD by the Roman Council of Asia Minor. There was an auditorium in the open space for literary speeches and to read poems.

The Great Theatre was also built in the 2nd century AD during the reign of Emperor Trianus and held 25,000 people. St. Paul, who owned a tent-making shop, preached to the crowds from this theater.

These were some highlights of Ephesus. It was an amazing place with an amazing history.

As you can see it was a fairly long walk on marble. It was quite slippery so it was important to walk slow.

There was a parade of Roman soldiers and a reenactment.

Outside the gates, we saw the ruins of a coliseum. This is where they would have the gladiator fights.

After Ephesus we went to a rug shop. Here a woman is hand-making a silk rug.

#ephesus#turkey#ruins#carpet#celsiuslibrary#kusadasi#cruise#port#ancient

I woke early this morning before sunrise to watch as we approached Piraeus, known as the Gateway to Athens.

This morning it looks like a typical port.

Now we are waiting in the theater for our number to be called. One of the many reasons I don’t like shore excursions with the ship.

Another reason I don’t like cruise tours!

We drove through the port city and admired the boats in the ports.

We reached the viewing area for the Acropolis and the Parthenon.

The Acropolis was built in the 5th century BC by Pericles. It is a citadel that had structures built on it including the Parthenon. The buildings were damaged in 1687 during the siege of the Venetians during the Morean War.

We didn’t go up on the Acropolis because it is a long hike up and you have to book it in advance. But the views were extraordinary with easy access for those with limited mobility.

But we could see the Temple of Athena Nike and the Temple of Rome and Augustus built on the Acropolis in 29 BCE.

Our next stop was the old town of Plaka with shops, restaurants, and churches. During our drive Olga, our tour operator, pointed out the more modern buildings neo-classical style. These buildings were commonly built in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Olga walked us to the Athens Cathedral The Annunciation of the Virgin Mary built in 1842. She let us go on our own so we explored inside the cathedral.

There was a tiny Byzantine Church that is over 1000 years old. This church is in the shadow of a large modern hi-rise building.

As we left the city we could see the Acropolis from a different viewpoint.

We also went by the Olympic Stadium which is completely made of marble.

And several beautiful churches.

Our last major site was of Zeus’ Temple which began construction in the 6th century bc but was not completed until much later. Now it is a ruin.

It was a nice tour but we needed a lot more time to absorb the history of this ancient city.

I’d like to visit Greece again and stay for a while. The people were friendly and the food was good! We did have some baklava!

#athens#greece#acropolis#parthenon#history#ancient#athena#zeus#temple#baklava#olympicstadium#byzantine