Trip to Greece/Turkey

I went on a 10 day trip to Greece and Turkey earlier this month...here are some highlights.

Arrival in Athens

We arrived in Athens and decided to head straight for the beach across from our hotel. It was exciting to be right on the Aegean Sea. The hotel had a great place for us to lounge and relax on the roof and there was a decent view of the local scene.


There was a very long line in the morning for breakfast, so of course my dad found a way to sneak a few cups of coffee for our group.

The Acropolis and Parthenon

It was amazing to see these architectural splendors of the world. The ancient city comes to life when you stand above this Theatre and walk along the columns and large structures. The Parthanon is magnificant in size and beauty. I was surprised by the number of tourists, especially since we were there during the off season. The sun was shining and we had a perfect day.





Great views of Athens! Jean and Michelle (above) and Terry (below) traveled with my parents to Italy a few years ago. It was great to hear them reminisce about their trip...even better to experience this together.

Olympic Stadium

Our bus tour of Athens included the Olympic Stadium, where the modern Olympics began and the games returned in 2004.

Corinth

Our next stop was the ancient city of Corinth. We saw the marketplace and temples. It was neat to walk among the ruins.



On our way back from Corinth (it was an hour drive from Athens) we stopped and walked across the bridge above this canal.

Orient Queen

We were met by a representative from Educational Opportunities (EO) at the Port of Pireaus, where we boarded our cruise ship: Orient Queen.

Safety first! We had to grab our life vests and wait (a long time) for instructions from the crew. It was interesting to be on a European cruise line. I went on a Royan Caribbean cruise to the Bahamas when I was a senior in college, so it was hard to not compare.

Thessaloniki

We sailed to the northern part of Greece to Thessaloniki, the second largest city in Greece and capital of Macedonia. The tour buses were ready to meet us first thing in the morning. They have these excursions down to a science!


Our first stop was in Verginia where the Royal Tombs of King Phillip (father of Alexander the Great) were discovered. We stood outside in the rain waiting in line for the museum. Afterwards, we drove to Veria (ancient Beria) to see the memorial of the Apostle Paul's preaching to the local Jews in 54AD. Before we returned to the ship, our bus drove along narrow streets to the highest points in the city. It was incredible.

Greek Night

It was suggested that guests come to dinner wearing blue and white, colors of the Greek flag. My mom was well equipped with her blue cardigan and matching jewlery, however my dad had to be more creative. He decided to go for the preppy pajama look...tying his blue and white checked pajama shirt over his shoulders. It was hilarious!

Phillippi

We arrived in Kavala, one of the most picturesque mainland ports in Greece. We went for a walk in the morning and passed by several fishermen who were sewing their nets.




After our morning stroll, we spent the day at Phillippi. We saw the marketplace and theater, where there was a short performance and reading of scripture.



(In ancient times, this is where they kept the wine. Luckily we had Jean and Michelle with us...they have good taste in wine!)

The Hendersons





In the city of Phillippi, the Apostle Paul was moved to preach a sermon for women who gathered along this river. There was a cloth merchant among them named Lydia, who became the first Christian to be baptized in Europe.

Formal Dinner

Catholic school teacher meets uptown fahion?!? Michelle and Jean are next door neighbors and friends. They were very entertaining!

Dikili, Turkey

The Turkish flag was on display everywhere -
even on the side of a mountain.

We spent part of the day in Pergamum, learning about Asklepion...the ancient hospital that has been in existence since the 4th century B.C. It has been named after Aesculapius who is considered to be the God of health and medicine. Inside it are the theater, treatment room, a temple and a library. We also spent time at the museum in Pergamum.

Kusadasi, Turkey

It was raining for most of the day...we started out at Miletus. My dad and I climbed to the top of the theatre with a few of the other men on our bus. He went on to visit Sardis in the afternoon, but several people stayed on the ship or went shopping in Kusadasi. They served us Apple Tea in one of the stores. I also found a very good looking young man at the camera shop who was willing to burn me a CD of Turkish pop/techno music. It was a good change of pace - I was on information overload at this point in the trip!

Ephesus

This is The Temple of Artemis, located in Ephesus. A column and scanty fragments strewn on the ground are all that remain of a majestic structure that was built entirely of marble in 250 BC. (Not exactly what I pictured for one of the seven wonders of the world)



Ephesus is the best preserved classical city, so I was able to genuinely 'soak in' the atmosphere of Roman times. There was a marble street leading to the library and enormous theatre.



I met up with the vocalists (a.k.a people my own age) a few times on the ship. These guys went to school together at Auburn University in Alabama. They performed two different nights during the week and were able to participate in all the excursions too.


My dad and the girls on the toilets.

We had a communion service in the theatre at Ephesus. They formerly had concernts in this venue but stopped a few years ago because some of the rocks were starting to crack. I think our guide mentioned that Sting was the last performer in this theatre. Can you imagine?!!?