Pictures!

After sorting through over 700 pictures, I've posted a nice assortment (just under 200) on Facebook (www.facebook.com/cetatours). Captions are a work in progress, as I want to make sure that I have the correct spelling for some of the sites. I hope that this helps you sort and categorize your own pictures 

Even if you don't have a Facebook account, you can click the link below and enjoy the pictures:

http://tinyurl.com/cetagreece

Please feel free to share this link with friends and family and "like" our Facebook page.

The Trip Home

Ironically, our last morning in Athens was our most leisurely. We departed the hotel around 8:45 AM for the Athens International Airport and checked in for our flights to New York-JFK and then on to Minneapolis or Chicago. The line in New York-JFK for visitors to the United States to go through US Immigration/Passport Control was unbelievably long and made us thankful that we were able to go through the shorter, although still busy, US Citizens' line. Everyone (and especially Judy) breathed a sigh of relief that their luggage made it at least as far as New York. We made it through JFK's security with only a few extra beeps for those with artificial joins and got to our gate, only to find that our flight to Minneapolis was delayed. We ended up arriving in Minneapolis about 40 minutes late, but at least our luggage all made the trip with us! 

Overall, our stay in Greece helped to change our original perceptions formed by mass media here in the States. Some of us were expecting to see more garbage, homeless and despair than what we actually saw. Yes, there were abandoned buildings, but probably not any more than one would find in economically depressed areas of the United States. We all came away with the impression that Greek citizens are proud of their heritage (and rightfully so!), are hard-working and above all else, want the world to know that while the Greek government may have its problems, the Greek people are more than happy to welcome you to their country. 

Our time in Greece was memorable, but we are all happy to be home, telling our friends and family about our experiences and dreaming about our next trip, wherever that may be! 

Friday, October 11th

We departed the cruise ship this morning promptly at 7:00 and headed directly from the port of Piraeus to the Acropolis in Athens. Our goal was to get up to the top before the majority of the cruise ship excursions (and there were plenty of them later in the morning!) got there. This group has been fantastic and cooperative with lots of 7:00 am starts - we've noticed the difference that just a few minutes makes. The morning light for our pictures has been inspiring and for the most part, we've beat the crowds each and every time. By the time we're done with a tour of a site and have free time, other tour groups are just getting started.  This is thanks in no small part to our guide Maria and our group's understanding nature. 

The morning sun bathed the Parthenon in a warm, golden light that once again made us feel as if we were in the middle of a postcard. The construction techniques mastered by the Ancient Greeks are astounding. In order to create the optical illusion of perfectly straight columns, each column was constructed with curved lines - the Greeks understood that human eyes would interpret the slightly curved lines of the columns to be straight, thus making the entire building look balanced and perfectly constructed.

When we were done admiring the buildings on the Acropolis and the panorama of Athens, we walked down to the Plaka district, passing by the old Roman Agora and the ruins of Hadrian's Library. Once in the Plaka, we had a few hours to shop, enjoy a plate of gyros or otherwise enjoy the warm autumn sun. The afternoon was spent exploring Athens on our own or resting and repacking our suitcases at the hotel - a nice, leisurely way to end our time in Greece. This evening we enjoyed dinner, music and dancing at a taverna in the Plaka district - a fun and entertaining conclusion to our time in Greece.

Thursday, October 10th

Sorry for the delay! 

Our last full day on the Aegean cruise took us to the island of Crete, home of the ancient Minoan civilization, and to Santorini, most likely Greece's most recognizable island with its whitewashed houses, perched on the edge of a cliff.

Once we left the ship in Crete, our local guide took us past part of the city of Heraklion en route to the countryside, passing by the Knossos Palace, ruins of the ancient Minoan civilization.  Once we arrived in the Peza Valley, we stopped at the Minos Winery for an introduction to the wine making history of the region and the products produced by the winery: red & white wines, as well as raki, a strong, anise-flavored alcoholic drink that's produced from the leftovers of the wine making process. Each family in the region has their own recipe and distills it according to tradition.

After our tasting, we continued on to another village for a show of traditional Cretan dancing. The road took us past the site of one of the oldest farmhouses in Crete, dating back over 5,000 years. Our guide walked us through the town of Archanes to a tavern that welcomed us with a glass of raki, some local herbal tea and a plate of Cretan treats. Once we (and several other tour buses) had settled into our seats, four local dancers introduced us to traditional dances and costumes. For a few of the dances, audience participation was encouraged and a few CETA travelers joined in. The show was a family affair - three of the four dancers were related and the announcer explained that the fourth dancer was "trying to be my son." We rushed back to our bus, which got us back to the port just in time to board our cruise for our last port of call: Santorini.

Around 3:00 in the afternoon, the cliffs of Santorini appeared in the distance, dotted with whitewashed houses and blue domed churches. The deck railings of the ship were lined with people getting their first dramatic glimpse of this volcanic island. Tender boats efficiently brought us to shore, where we departed for Oia, the iconic village perched at the northern tip of the island and carved into the volcanic caldera's rim. We had free time in Oia to explore the narrow (and tourist clogged) streets and admire the panoramic views of the entire island, as well as the caldera below.  We returned to the ship just in time to catch the sun setting through the clouds. The late afternoon lighting made it feel as if we had all stepped into a picture postcard.

Tonight is our last night of the cruise, so we'll be busy packing our suitcases (so that they can be picked up overnight and delivered to the port terminal tomorrow morning) and enjoying another dinner of fabulous food. Tomorrow we return to Athens for our final day of touring Greece.

Pictures from October 9th

One of the amazing mosaics in the Grand Master's Palace


The Way of the Knights, Rhodes, Greece


A windmill along the shore



Sunset from the bow of the ship

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Wednesday, October 9th

We awoke in the port of Rhodes and disembarked shortly after 7:30 am this morning. Our driver took us along the medieval walls of the city and past the site where the Colossus of Rhodes once stood guarding the harbor. The first stop we made was at Philermos, perched upon a hill and site of a Byzantine church and Gothic monastery. The mosaics on the walls of the monastery were as beautiful as the view of the island and Mediterranean Sea below. Our tour continued down to the medieval city of Rhodes and the magnificent Grand Master's Palace. Surrounded by thick fortification walls and a dry moat, the  Grand Master's Palace provided the Order of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem protection from the invading army if Saladin. Only when one knight was bribed (with an enormous amount of money) did the palace fall and the Knights retreated to Malta. 

After a stroll down the Way of the Knights, we had the whole afternoon free to explore Rhodes. The ship was docked a short distance from the old city, so it was easy to go back to the ship for lunch and return to the shops with plenty of time to spare before All Aboard at 5:30 pm. As we cruised towards the island of Crete, the sun slipped below the horizon in red, gold and orange hues. 

Pictures from October 8th

Our group with our local guide "Rose" in front of the Library of Celsus in Ephesus, Turkey.


Karen trying out the Turkish rugs


A monk walking towards the Monastery of St. John on the island of Patmos, Greece.


The entrance to the Cave of the Apocalypse, Patmos, Greece.

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Tuesday, October 8th

This morning we docked in the port of Kusadasi, Turkey and met "Rose" for our tour of Ancient Ephesus through the ages. We must have gotten one of the best drivers, as we arrived at the gates of the archeological site before they were open for the day. That meant that our tour through the marble paved streets of Ephesus was bathed in brilliant morning sunlight. Every time we turned a corner, there was something more wonderful to see: active archeological sites, restoration of ancient buildings, ruins of Roman baths & latrines, intact mosaics in front of the homes of the wealthy, the Library of Celsus, sites associated with St. John's time in Ephesus and the street down which Cleopatra and Marc Antony once walked. What was quite remarkable is that the site is currently about 5 miles from the sea, but in ancient times Ephesus was a port town. 

Before we returned to the port, we learned about the tradition of handwoven Turkish rugs, saw silk spun from dozens of cocoons into one strong thread and enjoyed Turkish hospitality. The rugs shown to us were amazing for two reasons: they are handwoven by one or more women in the traditional Turkish double knot and secondly because the patterns and designs were incredibly intricate. A few in our group will be anxiously watching for their unique souvenir to arrive home (direct shipping helps out those who might be approaching their 50 lb weight limit on the checked suitcase!).

While we were eating lunch and relaxing, our ship sailed through the Strait of Samos, where one can see Turkey to the left and Greece to the right. We also passed by many more idyllic islands dotted with whitewashed homes and a harbor full of bobbing boats. 

We arrived in near the island of Patmos a bit ahead of schedule and transferred to the harbor by tender. Those who were on CETA's Egypt tour remarked at how different this experience has been, especially when it comes to getting on and off the ship. Patmos is most famous as the place where St. John received the Revelation from God during the time he was exiled there from Ephesus. The first stop on our tour visited three reconstructed traditional windmills. From there, we could see our next stop, Chora, the town that surrounds the (Orthodox) St. John's Monastery. We explored the labyrinth that is Chora's streets before making our way down the hill to the Grotto of the Apocalypse, the traditional location where it is believed that St. John received his revelation, which was then transcribed into the Book of Revelation. 

Pictures from October 7th

While a bit windy at first, we had smooth sailing to Mykonos. Another cruise ship in port delayed our arrival by 30 minutes, which meant that it was almost dark by the time our bus transferred us from ship to the harbor.



The streets of Mykonos were filled with shops and restaurants, all eager to wait on the cruise ship passengers.

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Monday, October 7th

(Since wifi is not available on board the ship and our time in some ports is limited, blog posts from the cruise may be delayed by several days.)

Today began with a short drive to the port of Piraeus, where we boarded the 

Louis "Olympia" for our four night cruise to some of Greece's most famous islands.  After settling into our cabins, we all took advantage of the ship's many activities while we sailed towards Mykonos. We arrived in the early evening and enjoyed a stroll through town. Just as we arrived, the sun was setting behind some high clouds, so there wasn't much time to admire the iconic windmills of Mykonos. However, the twilight and the lights from the shops of town lent a warm glow to this charming town of whitewashed buildings and narrow streets. 

One thing we have noticed throughout Greece is the abundance of stray cats and dogs in each city and Mykonos didn't disappoint. I think that the cats have it better in the seaside towns than the dogs - there's no shortage of fresh fish.

Pictures from October 6th

Candace sitting on an original seat while learning about how the athletes trained at the Ancient Olympics


An earthquake destroyed all the columns of the Temple of Zeus. The one standing column is a recreation of a column so that visitors can understand the size of the temple.


Our group walking into the Stadium at Ancient Olympia


Everyone's a winner! Crossing the finish line at the Stadium

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Ancient Olympia

We woke up this morning overlooking the town that surrounds the archeological site of Ancient Olympia. The Hotel Olympion Asty was very accommodating and made us feel very welcome for our all too short visit. Although we are all looking forward to tomorrow's cruise, we all said that we would have gladly spent another night or two there. 

Zeus, who the Ancient Greeks believed controlled the weather, looked favorably upon us today. When we got to the site of the ancient games, the clouds looked as if they could empty on us. Lucky for us, Zeus only let down a few drops, as if to simply remind us that we were visiting his sanctuary.

As with most sites we have visited so far, there are several different archeological periods represented at the site. Of particular interest was the Temple of Zeus, which was destroyed by an earthquake, an early Christian church (also destroyed by the same earthquake hat destroyed Zeus's Temple, the original Stadium) and the Spot where the Olympic flame was lit just within the past two weeks in preparation for the 2014 Winter Games in Russia. 

After a lunch break in town, we boarded our bus and returned to Athens, arriving in time to relax and stretch after spending the last two days touring around the Peloponnese Peninsula. Tomorrow morning we board our cruise ship for 4 nights on the Aegean Sea. We can't wait to see what each port has to offer!

Pictures from October 5th

The group with our guide Maria at the theatre in Epidarus.


Learning about St. Paul's time in Ancient Corinth


The Temple of Apollo at Ancient Corinth


The theatre at Epidarus


Walking up to the Lion Gate at Ancient Mycenae


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4,000 years of history

We got a good start this morning and drove west out of Athens toward the Peloponnese peninsula, stopping first to see the Corinth Canal. A short drive took us to the archeological site of Ancient Corinth. Maria guided us through centuries of Greek and Roman history at the site, and also showed us where St. Paul walked, worked and areas where he probably preached (the exact locations are not known, but the general area within the city is known.)

We then turned our attention to the Bronze Age, over 3,500 years ago and visited the Treasury of Atreus and the Citadel of Atreus, which was also home to Agamemnon, leader of the Greeks in the Trojan War. The massive blocks of stone that formed the walls and other structures at both sites were impressive, especially since no mortar was used to hold them in place. 

After lunch in the modern town of Mycenae, we continued on to Epidaurus to see the famous theatre there. Renown for its excellent acoustics, it is still in use today, more than 2,400 years after it was first built. We got to test the acoustics for ourselves. Some sang the Badger fight song, while others recited limericks or other funny quips. 

A busy day of sightseeing wasn't over until we made our way through he Kalamata region, famous around the world for the olives produced here. We arrived at our hotel in the evening, ready for dinner and some relaxation. 

We are all in amazement at the amount of history and culture we have experienced in only our first three days in Greece. Tomorrow we see Ancient Olympia before returning to Athens to get ready for the second half of our tour: Mykonos, Ephesus, Patmos, Crete, Rhodes and Santorini. 

Delphi

Greek yogurt and pastries fortified us for our excursion to Delphi, one of the most important sights of Ancient Greece. Our drive took us near the location of the Battle of Marathon (490 BC) and past modern Thiva, which was built on top of the ancient city of Thebes. If we stopped at every historic location, we wouldn't get very far in a day in Greece!

On our way to Delphi, we stopped at a rest stop for a short break and got to see one of the empty cotton trailers up close. After asking the driver's permission, some of the group plucked a piece if cotton off the trailer and took a picture with it (and returned it to the trailer so that the US customs sniffer dogs wouldn't think that we were trying to import cotton).

While the road to get here offered beautiful scenery, the remains of Apollo's Temple at Delphi are breathtaking. Maria guided us through the ruins in the same sequence a visitor looking for an answer from the Oracle would have taken over 2,500 years ago. It was a very moving way to visit a place that factored so prominently in Ancient Greek life. The adjacent museum held elegant sculptures and other artifacts associated with the excavation of the site. 

On our return to Athens, we stopped for a brief photo stop in the town of Arachova, which just happened to be getting ready to greet the Olympic torch as it traveled through Greece before the official  hand off to Russia tomorrow in Athens. We unfortunately couldn't stay to see the torch pass by, as we still had most of the drive back to Athens ahead of us, including Friday night traffic.

We've enjoyed our stay at the Zafolia Hotel here in Athens. The breakfast buffet offered something for everyone and the dinner buffet allows us to sample unfamiliar foods. Tomorrow we take an overnight trip to Ancient Olympia before coming back to Athens to get ready for our cruise on Monday. 

Our odyssey begins

We landed in Greece ahead of schedule, but unfortunately one suitcase decided to take a short trip to Paris en route, so it will be arriving tonight. Maria, our guide and George, our driver for the day, took us in to the center of Athens.

 Since it rained earlier in the morning and the Acropolis can be slippery after a rain, we visited he New Acropolis Museum instead. Around 2 pm, we checked into our hotel rooms and everyone felt refreshed when we met up again at 3 pm for a short visit to the Plaka district. Some shopped and some had their first taste of true Greek gyros.

 The one observation that keeps coming up is that the Athens we are seeing is not at all like what the major media outlets made Athens out to be during their coverage of the economic crisis. Yes, there are homeless people and abandoned properties, but no more than any other major city in Europe or the United States. Moreover, our guide Maria said that she was happy we were here in a tone that makes me think that, unfortunately, the tourism industry here is still lagging.

Athens here we come!

Delta group check-in at Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport was quick and easy and we were through security in good time. Some of us are sitting at the gate, catching up on the morning news, while others are stretching their legs before our flights to JFK and on to Athens. I think that everyone is anxious to get on the plane - then we'll really feel like we're on tour!