Rhodes, Crete, Santorini and Home

Finally - and reluctantly - here's the last post to "Clare and Isabelle's Adventures in Greece and Turkey." It is hard to let go of those perfect days and nights with our two beautiful granddaughters in some of the most unforgettable sites in the world. I think the girls will agree that this was a trip we'll always remember with a sense of gratitude for all the blessings we experienced, not least of which, for us, was sharing it with them. Their parents should be very proud of the two young women they've raised. And they need to be forewarned --- seeing more of the world is on their daughters' horizons. Returning to Santorini is definitely on their list.

So here we are at Rhodes where one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Colossus, used to stand until it was destroyed by an earthquake in 226 B.C. You can see the columns that once held the huge bronze statue, thought perhaps to be Helios, the Sun God, on either side of the harbor entrance. The rubble lay there for 900 years until 700 A.D. when it was carted away on the backs of 900 camels. (History is fascinating, isn't it? I couldn't make this stuff up.)





Now the columns hold small bronze statues of deer. Kind of a letdown if you were imagining Helios straddling the harbor entrance ----





No trip is complete without a photo of Jerry/Papa examining a map. This time he has two pairs of young eyes to help him find what he's looking for.





We felt as if we were real Europeans on this typically European beach. (Yes, that means some of the women were topless. And no, of course we weren't, as you can see.)





A popular attraction was this diving platform just off shore. Santa Cruz, take note!





The girls pose with our handsome, attentive waiter, Vangellis, who lives on the island of Samos with his wife and two sons. He was very excited about having a week with them when the ship docked in Athens.






We were fortunate to have the Chuncheon City Youth Choir join us onboard for the last three days of our trip. A group of 50 young people from Korea, they have been together only two years and had just won the Gran Prix at the Preveza International Choir Festival in Greece. They were amazing. We felt as if we'd been treated to a world class concert.






The day began early for our excursion on Crete to the earliest known civilization, the Minoans. The girls are standing in front of the Palace at Knossos celebrated for its exquisite paintings and "modern" conveniences such as indoor plumbing. No big deal until you realize this culture thrived over 4,000 years ago!





Clare and Isabelle on the bus ride back to the ship, very excited about all they had seen.





Time to refresh ourselves for the afternoon stop in Santorini.





We had been told to watch for "snow-capped" mountains, and here they are. Only it's not snow but the white buildings found on the edge of the caldera formed by an enormous volcanic explosion that occurred 3600 years ago. Some people think that the event is the origin of the legend of the Lost City of Atlantis. Can you see the white building on the right?





It's a blue-domed church perched on a rock. Spectacular.





We arrived at Santorini on a tender and looked with some trepidation at the cliff that awaits visitors. There are two ways to ascend, a cable car and donkeys. Can you guess which way the girls chose?
























And they're off ---- after the four elderly donkey-handlers had finished yelling at each other. I had been telling Clare and Isabelle that Greeks sound like they're fighting when they talk to each other, and this was a good example. Their "conversation," which eventually ended in laughter, was more scary than the donkey ride.





The top of the world!





My goal achieved --- sipping a cool drink with a view of the caldera and the Adriatic Sea! (Jerry was not convinced that the 20 euro bill for four soft drinks - $30 US - was worth the million dollar view, but we were.)





We discovered the Church of St. John the Baptist in the midst of the buildings and winding alleys and just inside the door, St. Therese, a reminder that our friends and families were keeping us in their prayers. Thank you all; thank you, St. Therese.





The last chance to shop, and Clare and Isabelle realized they hadn't bought anything for themselves. Their bracelets will always remind them of Santorini.







There was only one thing that could make our time in Santorini even more picture perfect - a full moon!





This is when I discovered that my camera had some options I hadn't used yet. This choice is called "vivid," and it delivers what it promises.






As the ship pulled away from Santorini, I took two photos with different exposures, both of them showing the white buildings reflecting the last of the sunset and the full moon rising higher in the sky. And in the foreground are two very happy girls.












July 15 - Montreal. Bienvenue!





We were blessed to have time to "hand over" Isabelle, safe and sound, to her mother and sister and also to enjoy a picnic prepared by Kristin.











But we didn't get through US Customs until 15 minutes before our plane was due to leave! Jerry was having a panic attack. But, about six or so hours later, we were in San Francisco and then Oakland where Clare's family was thrilled to have her home.





And so the dream trip is over, but only in real time. In our memories and hearts and these words and pictures, it's still happening. We're grateful for all of you who accompanied us. We'll let you know when it's time to take the next grandchild or two on an adventure.

Mykonos, Patmos and Ephesus

We visited Mykonos twenty years ago, but it was at night and in October, so there were less people. In July and August cruise ships vie for space at the small harbor, disgorging thousands of passengers each day into the narrow streets. The residents depend on this summer income to sustain them through the year. Because our ship arrived earlier than some, the streets were relatively quiet. Clare and Isabelle were anxious to take their first dip into the Aegean Sea, but we took a look at the town first. The windmills, white-washed buildings and brightly-colored domes were all there as well as hundreds of shops and restaurants. Clare's book noted that it was a good place to see "preening celebrities." My only hope was to find Petros the Pelican, the town mascot. We had come upon him on our first visit, but he was barely visible in the dark street so our photo didn't turn out.






















Jerry made friends with an Albanian who spoke no English. We can only assume he's one of the many immigrants pouring into Greece. We walked behind the church, down a slope and into one of the back streets when Clare said quietly, "Look, there's a pelican." I wasn't so quiet as I ran down the hill, and the girls were afraid I'd scare him away. But, as we discovered, Petros is one of those "preening" celebrities and loved to pose for pictures.














Petros, the Pelican showing off his feathers for us! (By the way, this isn't the same Petros we saw on our first visit but a descendent; although the residents will tell you it's the same one left behind many years ago and nursed back to health by a local fisherman.)














And finally - we made it into the Aegean Sea! How warm was it? One clue: I'm in the water with the girls.







We found a great place for an early dinner of traditional specialities.


















Mykonos is never more beautiful than at sunset.












Just before returning to our ship, we found Petros at the harbor enjoying the attention of tourists, their cameras snapping away.













The next morning we sailed into the harbor of the small island of Patmos where, tradition says, St. John the Evangelist wrote the Book of Revelations in 95 A.D. (He was in his 80's at the time and lived to be in his 90's.) Below is the mosaic over the entrance depicting John dictating to his secretary whose name escapes us. (Can someone "google" that please?) We weren't allowed to take pictures, but we saw the place the scribe wrote, the small niche where John rested his head in prayer and the place he slept. In the ceiliing were three large cracks (called the Trinity) caused by the thunderbolt when John received his revelations from God. (The three cracks can be seen in the mosaic.)







Entering the Monastery of St. John built in 1088. It houses a rich collection of books and artifacts. One was 33 pages of the Gospel of St. Mark inscribed in the 5th century on purple vellum.
























Inner courtyard of the monastery.




















Views of Patmos from above.


















In the afternoon we arrived in Kusadasi, Turkey. Our third visit! Near the ruins of Ephesus on Mount Coressos we visited the House of Mary where Catholics believe St. John, the Beloved Disciple (aka John, the Evangelist or Theologian), took Mary to live after the death and resurrection of her son. We were here in 1992 with Fr. Nisbet and friends, and much has changed. It was quiet then. Now it's a bustling pilgrimage site. We're bringing home water from the spring flowing near the house, and we added our prayers to the wall of papers left by pilgrims.








Ephesus was HOT, probably well over 100 degrees. The marble ruins and streets had absorbed the day's heat, and we couldn't escape it, though we tried. We skipped from one column of shade to another with Jerry's shadow providing the most ready protection. Isabelle's whole body tells the story. Would you say she looks "wilted?" Why does Clare look less so? Jerry would explain it's her Mediterranean complexion. (And in fact, she was mistaken throughout our trip as either Greek or Turkish.)



Nothing can distract, though, from the grandeur of this ancient city, only 10% of which has been uncovered. Probably founded in 11th century B.C. by Ionian Greeks, it was a major port. Hard to believe now since the sea is 4km away, a result of natural silting of the harbor. St. Paul established a Christian community here in the 1st century A.D. The people must have been responsive to his teachings because many of his most beautiful letters were written to them.































Going from the sublime to the ridiculous, we came upon a camel photo op at the end of our tour. Cost: 1 euro. ( In actual fact, camels are not native to Turkey. Perhaps turkeys ...?)

Location:Mykonos, Patmos and Ephesus