Wednesday November 18th
We arrived early at about 8:30 in Kusadasi, Turkey and took a very short taxi ride to out hotel. The lady who owned the small hotel was very welcoming and we had tea on the rooftop terrace and then our room was ready and we were able to take a short nap before exploring for the rest of the day. The lady at our hotel gave us a small map and a bit of information about the town and we headed out for the day. Our first stop was getting something to eat. Being on the coast I wanted to have some seafood and we found a nice little place with tables and chairs right near the harbor and we each had a delicious fish sandwich with salad. There were a couple cruise ships in that day so we ventured further from the stores right at the harbor and found the Wednesday market the lady at our hotel had told us about. We browsed through the market, enjoyed the nice weather and Tim got a nice sweatshirt jacket which was good because he had left his hoodie sweatshirt on the place from Rome to Greece. After shopping we walked along the coast and then out to an area known as Pigeon Island. There is a small harbor like walk way that leads out the island that has an old fortress on it. On the way we picked up a few Efes beers at a mini market and drank them looking out over the water and looking back towards the town of Kusadasi. After Pigeon Island we went back to our hotel to regroup and grab a light jacket and we watched all the lights come on in the city from our balcony and enjoyed the rest of our Efes beer. We went back down into the town and the cruise ships had already left so the town was not very busy which meant the choices for dinner were somewhat limited. We found a nice place that seemed to have a lot of locals eating there and so we ordered an Adana kebap, spicier meat and Cop sis… small sticks with meat served with tomatoes and lettuce. It was quite smoky at the place so we took our dinner to go and ate it on our balcony!
Thursday November 19th
We had breakfast on the rooftop terrace of our hotel and then headed into town to catch the dolmus (mini-bus) that would take us to Ephesus. Well at least it took us almost all the way there, the dolmus drops you off at the end of the road that leads to the entrance gates. It was about a ten minute walk from where the dolmus dropped us off until we got to the ticket office and entrance to Ephesus. It was a good thing I had Tim with me and he could speak Turkish and it helped out the couple that was on the bus with us from one of the cruise ships in that day. On the walk into the park there was a dirt road that veered off and a random guy in the field there told us it was a short cut, we started to take it and then the guys from the cruise ship was a little unsure, the guys walked ahead and indeed it was a shortcut! As soon as we entered the park there was a show going on near one of the ancient amphitheaters. It was a reenactment of a parade and gladiator battle. Ephesus is the remains of an ancient town, we walked along the stone and marble roads, viewing a great amphitheater, library, fountains, baths, and other remains of houses along the way. After our visit we made our way back down the dirt road to the major road where the dolmus would pick us up and take us back to Kusadasi. While waiting on the side of the road, this stop actually had a bench for us to sit and wait we saw some cows in a field. A long time ago Tim told me that the cows in Turkey “moo” fast and higher pitched than the ones in the United States, well I never did hear one of those cows “moo,” so I guess I’ll never know. We also met a guy from Ireland while waiting for the bus, he had traveled here because dentistry work was incredibly cheaper in turkey versus Ireland and he needed to have all of his teeth either replaced of repaired. On our way back Tim had another conversation with some of the locals, they were surprised to hear him speak Turkish and he explained his story again. At the end of our bus ride we asked how to get to the main bus station so we could get our tickets for our next journey and without hesitation they took us right there and with no charge at all! I know that if it wasn’t for Tim’s Turkish language we would not have been treated so well in some cases, not that we would have nee treated badly but we would not have gained as much help. After getting our tickets we hoped on another dolmus to the beach to watch the sunset. We found a nice little place along a kind of boardwalk that had tables and benches and food and drinks to order. We shared a late lunch and two Efes as we watched the sunset and then put our feet in the water! Back in town I did a little bit more looking around in the shops and found the Turkish puzzle ring I had been searching for. The ring was too big at first but the shopkeeper had it sized down for me in just thirty minutes which gave us enough time to get Tim a much needed haircut before we visited more relatives the next day. The name of the barber shop was Filiz, which is Tim’s sisters name and it also happened to be the barber’s sisters name as well. The barber cut, washed, blow dried and even styled Tim’s hair. At first he was smoothing all the hair down towards the front of his head and Tim explained that he liked it up instead and so the guy gave him a Mohawk. It was really funny! We enjoyed our last dinner at a place above the fish market by the harbor, had another great view and ate Kofte (Turkish meatballs) and Tavuk Sis.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Istanbul, Turkey
Sunday November 15th
After having a nice breakfast on the rooftop terrace of our hotel two of Tim’s cousins who live in Istanbul picked us up for the day and showed us around all of Istanbul. Their names of Nilgun (wife-related) and Fazil (husband), their daughter goes to a University in the United States and their son is in high school and studying hard to get into a U.S. university as well. They first took us to one of the smaller bridges that crosses the Bosphorous near the area known as Eminou. There are many otopark (parking lots) all around the city, but Fazil just drove their car right up onto the sidewalk and said ‘Turkish Otopark’ to us, it was great, even with the language barrier between us and only Tim has our translator we managed to communicate pretty well. There was one fisherman after another on both sides of the bridge! We took some stairs down from the top of the bridge and there was restaurant after restaurant under the bridge! We all had fish sandwiches that we know were very, very fresh! We completed are meal with cay (Turkish tea). After lunch and the bridge we drove to an area known as Taxim, it is a long pedestrian street with lots and lots of shopping, some high end stores mixed in with bargain shops that you can actually bargain for lower prices! While at Taxim we met up with another one of Tim’s cousins, Handan and her two children. We had coffee at Gloria Jeans, they called it their ‘Starbucks.’ Mom and I shared a white hot chocolate and Dad and Tim had Turkish coffee. Turkish coffee is not filtered so at the bottom of your cup you are left with coffee grinds and there is a Turkish tradition of fortune telling when you turn over your cup and let it dry and the pattern of the dried grounds are read. For dinner we went back to Nilgun and Fozil's place, where they have a great view of the giant bridge that crosses the Bosphorous and links the continents of Europe and Asia! We had Turkish pizza, called Lahmajun, it is a much thinner pizza, with mostly herbs and meat pushed into the crust and then you squeeze lemon juice over it, put some lettuce/salad mixture on it and wrap it up like a burrito! After dinner we drove around the area under the bridge on both sides of the Bosphorous and we were able to take some really nice night pictures. For dessert we went to a locals place were you get yogurt in the original plastic container and there is a bowl of powdered sugar on the table that you add to your yogurt. We yet again found another delicious way to eat yogurt!!!
Monday November 16th
Tim’s cousin Handan picked us up this morning and we tried to go to the Dolmabahce Palace but when we got there we found out it was closed on Mondays which we had not seen anywhere in the information on their website. That did not stop of grand tour of more site-seeing around Istanbul. We drove up and down along the Bosphorous and stopped at several places along the way that had wonderful views of the area and a new food or drink for us to try. We began at a fancy café in a rich area of town. We had salep which is a warm milk drink that is a mix between white hot chocolate and eggnog. It is served with cinnamon on top. To go along with our drinks we had two desserts, rice pudding and a more traditional Ashure, which has a jello like consistency and is made with cereal and different fruits, nuts, and beans. It is a religious dessert that is made with whatever is on hand in your house and then if you can afford it you give it out to those less fortunate around you. The next area we stopped at was right along the water with lots of little shops and eateries. We were not extremely hungry at this point in the day so we ordered one Kumpir for all five of us! Kumpir is a backed potatoes loaded with anything and everything: cheese, meat, mushrooms, corn, ketchup and mayonnaise. Without us knowing Handan also ordered two other entrees for us all to share and try. We had Guzleme which is like Borek, it is made with thin pastry layers and cheese, meat or spinach. We also had Durum a burrito like food. After introducing several new foods to us and showing us around the area Handan dropped us off at the ferry to cross the Bosphorous and meet up with Nilgun and Fozil again. They took us in the car to see where they both worked, dropped us off at an outlet mall for a little bit while they finished working and then picked us up and took us back to their place for another dinner. The mall was complete with an ice rink, bar, media market (like a best buy) and a grocery store on the lower level. On the way back to their house the traffic in the city was very heavy, at one point a taxi driver cut us off and Fozil said, in his best Italian accent “Professional Driver.” This goes back to a story I had told earlier on the trip and did not even realize they had caught on or that Tim had translated it, but it was about my first taxi ride in Montepulciano, Italy when the driver was going 100-120 in a 50 zone and he could tell I was worried. The taxi driver told us “Do not worry, Professional Driver.”
Tonight we had Monte, which is one of Tim’s favorites, or at least it was until our eating tour through Istanbul. Now I’m not sure how I could choose a favorite. Monte is a meat filled pasta dish served in a yogurt sauce with a drizzle of spicy red sauce and a little parsley on top. For dessert we had lots and lots of fruit. We had this one thing that you were only supposed to eat the very center part. Well we didn’t know that at first and ate the other parts, it makes you tongue and teeth very dry. Fozil drove us home even after we tried to tell him we could take the ferry back. Well as it turned out half way home Fozil got a phone call from Nilgun that I had forgotten my camera at their place, I felt so bad but he kept reassuring me that everyone forgets things sometimes. After getting the camera and on the way back toward the hotel we got stopped at a police checkpoint. Unfortunately Fozil had also forgotten something, his license. We sat there for a few minutes and then finally Fozil got out of the car and talked to the police officers and somehow we were let free with no ticket or anything!
Tuesday November 17th
Today was our last day in Istanbul. Mom and Dad would be headed to the airport tomorrow and Tim and I were headed to Kusadasi, Turkey, a coastal town. We used our last day to tour the Hagia Sophia and visit the Blue Mosque. We walked through the park of Topkapi Palace towards the Bosphorpous and ended up back at the Grand Bazaar, spice market and other shopping stores to finish up some last minute souvenir and gift buying. My study abroad had ended on November 4th, but I had one last paper to turn in by the 18th. That night we got carry-out from the place we ate dinner the first night. While I finished my paper Mom, Dad and Tim got dinner and then we ate it on our rooftop terrace. We quickly packed up the rest of our stuff and Mom and Dad took anything extra of ours that they had room for and we headed to the street car tram to head to the bus station. Tim and I took a bus that left from Istanbul at 10pm and was 10 hours to get to Kusadasi, Turkey. The bus was similar to an airplane because they served us snacks and drinks. There was even wireless and an outlet so we could use the laptop! Luckily the bus was not very full so we were each able to lay out across two seats to sleep off and on for most of the ride.
After having a nice breakfast on the rooftop terrace of our hotel two of Tim’s cousins who live in Istanbul picked us up for the day and showed us around all of Istanbul. Their names of Nilgun (wife-related) and Fazil (husband), their daughter goes to a University in the United States and their son is in high school and studying hard to get into a U.S. university as well. They first took us to one of the smaller bridges that crosses the Bosphorous near the area known as Eminou. There are many otopark (parking lots) all around the city, but Fazil just drove their car right up onto the sidewalk and said ‘Turkish Otopark’ to us, it was great, even with the language barrier between us and only Tim has our translator we managed to communicate pretty well. There was one fisherman after another on both sides of the bridge! We took some stairs down from the top of the bridge and there was restaurant after restaurant under the bridge! We all had fish sandwiches that we know were very, very fresh! We completed are meal with cay (Turkish tea). After lunch and the bridge we drove to an area known as Taxim, it is a long pedestrian street with lots and lots of shopping, some high end stores mixed in with bargain shops that you can actually bargain for lower prices! While at Taxim we met up with another one of Tim’s cousins, Handan and her two children. We had coffee at Gloria Jeans, they called it their ‘Starbucks.’ Mom and I shared a white hot chocolate and Dad and Tim had Turkish coffee. Turkish coffee is not filtered so at the bottom of your cup you are left with coffee grinds and there is a Turkish tradition of fortune telling when you turn over your cup and let it dry and the pattern of the dried grounds are read. For dinner we went back to Nilgun and Fozil's place, where they have a great view of the giant bridge that crosses the Bosphorous and links the continents of Europe and Asia! We had Turkish pizza, called Lahmajun, it is a much thinner pizza, with mostly herbs and meat pushed into the crust and then you squeeze lemon juice over it, put some lettuce/salad mixture on it and wrap it up like a burrito! After dinner we drove around the area under the bridge on both sides of the Bosphorous and we were able to take some really nice night pictures. For dessert we went to a locals place were you get yogurt in the original plastic container and there is a bowl of powdered sugar on the table that you add to your yogurt. We yet again found another delicious way to eat yogurt!!!
Monday November 16th
Tim’s cousin Handan picked us up this morning and we tried to go to the Dolmabahce Palace but when we got there we found out it was closed on Mondays which we had not seen anywhere in the information on their website. That did not stop of grand tour of more site-seeing around Istanbul. We drove up and down along the Bosphorous and stopped at several places along the way that had wonderful views of the area and a new food or drink for us to try. We began at a fancy café in a rich area of town. We had salep which is a warm milk drink that is a mix between white hot chocolate and eggnog. It is served with cinnamon on top. To go along with our drinks we had two desserts, rice pudding and a more traditional Ashure, which has a jello like consistency and is made with cereal and different fruits, nuts, and beans. It is a religious dessert that is made with whatever is on hand in your house and then if you can afford it you give it out to those less fortunate around you. The next area we stopped at was right along the water with lots of little shops and eateries. We were not extremely hungry at this point in the day so we ordered one Kumpir for all five of us! Kumpir is a backed potatoes loaded with anything and everything: cheese, meat, mushrooms, corn, ketchup and mayonnaise. Without us knowing Handan also ordered two other entrees for us all to share and try. We had Guzleme which is like Borek, it is made with thin pastry layers and cheese, meat or spinach. We also had Durum a burrito like food. After introducing several new foods to us and showing us around the area Handan dropped us off at the ferry to cross the Bosphorous and meet up with Nilgun and Fozil again. They took us in the car to see where they both worked, dropped us off at an outlet mall for a little bit while they finished working and then picked us up and took us back to their place for another dinner. The mall was complete with an ice rink, bar, media market (like a best buy) and a grocery store on the lower level. On the way back to their house the traffic in the city was very heavy, at one point a taxi driver cut us off and Fozil said, in his best Italian accent “Professional Driver.” This goes back to a story I had told earlier on the trip and did not even realize they had caught on or that Tim had translated it, but it was about my first taxi ride in Montepulciano, Italy when the driver was going 100-120 in a 50 zone and he could tell I was worried. The taxi driver told us “Do not worry, Professional Driver.”
Tonight we had Monte, which is one of Tim’s favorites, or at least it was until our eating tour through Istanbul. Now I’m not sure how I could choose a favorite. Monte is a meat filled pasta dish served in a yogurt sauce with a drizzle of spicy red sauce and a little parsley on top. For dessert we had lots and lots of fruit. We had this one thing that you were only supposed to eat the very center part. Well we didn’t know that at first and ate the other parts, it makes you tongue and teeth very dry. Fozil drove us home even after we tried to tell him we could take the ferry back. Well as it turned out half way home Fozil got a phone call from Nilgun that I had forgotten my camera at their place, I felt so bad but he kept reassuring me that everyone forgets things sometimes. After getting the camera and on the way back toward the hotel we got stopped at a police checkpoint. Unfortunately Fozil had also forgotten something, his license. We sat there for a few minutes and then finally Fozil got out of the car and talked to the police officers and somehow we were let free with no ticket or anything!
Tuesday November 17th
Today was our last day in Istanbul. Mom and Dad would be headed to the airport tomorrow and Tim and I were headed to Kusadasi, Turkey, a coastal town. We used our last day to tour the Hagia Sophia and visit the Blue Mosque. We walked through the park of Topkapi Palace towards the Bosphorpous and ended up back at the Grand Bazaar, spice market and other shopping stores to finish up some last minute souvenir and gift buying. My study abroad had ended on November 4th, but I had one last paper to turn in by the 18th. That night we got carry-out from the place we ate dinner the first night. While I finished my paper Mom, Dad and Tim got dinner and then we ate it on our rooftop terrace. We quickly packed up the rest of our stuff and Mom and Dad took anything extra of ours that they had room for and we headed to the street car tram to head to the bus station. Tim and I took a bus that left from Istanbul at 10pm and was 10 hours to get to Kusadasi, Turkey. The bus was similar to an airplane because they served us snacks and drinks. There was even wireless and an outlet so we could use the laptop! Luckily the bus was not very full so we were each able to lay out across two seats to sleep off and on for most of the ride.
Arriving in Turkey
Saturday November 14th
We left Greece in the morning, stopped at the fruit and bread stands on the way to the metro station and made our way back to the airport. When we arrived in Turkey we had to go and pay for our visa into the country and then go through passport control. You are only allowed to be in the countries of the European Union for a certain number of days and with my study abroad and then traveling after Turkey I was cutting it close on exceeding that number of days. Luckily Turkey is not included in those countries with a limited stay without a student visa so I was able to get stamped into Turkey, showing that I left and would then return on to the countries of the European Union. I had to make sure I got that stamp in my passport or I could have risked going to German jail. The hotel we were staying at had a guy waiting for us at the airport to shuttle us to the hotel. I have always wanted to be one of those people who has some stranger holding up a sign with their name on it! When we arrived at the hotel Tm began speaking Turkish and the man in charge seemed very surprised. They chatted for a bit about how is Mom is from Turkey and his Dad meant his mom while stationed their in the Air Force and that Tim was born in Turkey but moved to the United Stated when he was three. As it turned out the language connection got us an upgrade on the one hotel room so Mom and Dad had the upper level suite in the hotel! After checking into the hotel and admiring the view we had from the rooftop terrace of the Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the Bosphorous we headed out exploring. Our first stop was to try and get something to eat but we ended up in the Grand Bazaar before that happened. As we were standing looking at our map of the Grand Bazaar a man asked if he could help us, not thinking anything of it Tim began speaking Turkish again and the man took us to a nice Doner stand. This is like a pita or gyro. Well little did we know that after he left us at the food stand he would be waiting for us to show us carpets at his shop within the Grand Bazaar. The shop owners in the Grand bazaar were very ambitious to try and get you to come into their shops and buy something. I felt like the shop owners could not place who we were or where we were from because Dad and Tim had their hats from Italy on and then Tim would speak Turkish. All in all it was a bit crazy and we ended up outside the Grand bazaar and then onto the spice market for more enjoyable shopping. We had dinner that night at a place right along the street our hotel was on. Again just like all the shops, the restaurants were also trying to get you to come and eat at their places. We had a nice table right along the street, under a canopy with heaters! We shared several appetizers with different yogurt sauces, humus and veggies. We order two large entrees and had plenty to eat. Near the end of our dinner Tim started talking to the owner and he explained that with our hats on we tended to look English and that people in Turkey do not like the English. He told us to tell people we were from Ireland and that because the Irish do not like the English, there is a strange relationship between the Irish and Turkish because they both do not like the English. He served us apple tea on the house at the end of our dinner and I think that is when we began to fall in love with Turkish tea, or cay has it is called in their language.
We left Greece in the morning, stopped at the fruit and bread stands on the way to the metro station and made our way back to the airport. When we arrived in Turkey we had to go and pay for our visa into the country and then go through passport control. You are only allowed to be in the countries of the European Union for a certain number of days and with my study abroad and then traveling after Turkey I was cutting it close on exceeding that number of days. Luckily Turkey is not included in those countries with a limited stay without a student visa so I was able to get stamped into Turkey, showing that I left and would then return on to the countries of the European Union. I had to make sure I got that stamp in my passport or I could have risked going to German jail. The hotel we were staying at had a guy waiting for us at the airport to shuttle us to the hotel. I have always wanted to be one of those people who has some stranger holding up a sign with their name on it! When we arrived at the hotel Tm began speaking Turkish and the man in charge seemed very surprised. They chatted for a bit about how is Mom is from Turkey and his Dad meant his mom while stationed their in the Air Force and that Tim was born in Turkey but moved to the United Stated when he was three. As it turned out the language connection got us an upgrade on the one hotel room so Mom and Dad had the upper level suite in the hotel! After checking into the hotel and admiring the view we had from the rooftop terrace of the Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the Bosphorous we headed out exploring. Our first stop was to try and get something to eat but we ended up in the Grand Bazaar before that happened. As we were standing looking at our map of the Grand Bazaar a man asked if he could help us, not thinking anything of it Tim began speaking Turkish again and the man took us to a nice Doner stand. This is like a pita or gyro. Well little did we know that after he left us at the food stand he would be waiting for us to show us carpets at his shop within the Grand Bazaar. The shop owners in the Grand bazaar were very ambitious to try and get you to come into their shops and buy something. I felt like the shop owners could not place who we were or where we were from because Dad and Tim had their hats from Italy on and then Tim would speak Turkish. All in all it was a bit crazy and we ended up outside the Grand bazaar and then onto the spice market for more enjoyable shopping. We had dinner that night at a place right along the street our hotel was on. Again just like all the shops, the restaurants were also trying to get you to come and eat at their places. We had a nice table right along the street, under a canopy with heaters! We shared several appetizers with different yogurt sauces, humus and veggies. We order two large entrees and had plenty to eat. Near the end of our dinner Tim started talking to the owner and he explained that with our hats on we tended to look English and that people in Turkey do not like the English. He told us to tell people we were from Ireland and that because the Irish do not like the English, there is a strange relationship between the Irish and Turkish because they both do not like the English. He served us apple tea on the house at the end of our dinner and I think that is when we began to fall in love with Turkish tea, or cay has it is called in their language.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Athens, Greece
Thursday November 12th
Today we left Rome, and I said goodbye to Italy after 11 great weeks! We headed to the airport to catch our plane to Athens, Greece. We flew on easy jet, it is a value airline so the flight prices were very good, you pay extra for any luggage and there are no assigned seats, So when it came time to boarding we where all filed out onto a bus and then we all made the mad dash from the bus, up the the stairs onto the plan to choose the best seats. We took to window seats and had great views leaving Italy and flying into Greece! The weather was great for our time in Greece, we had on shorts, shirts and short sleeve shirts during most of the day!! We had great little hotel right in the heart of the city that had a small balcony with an awesome view of the Acropolis. That afternoon we went shopping, walked the town and enjoyed some new foods besides pasts and pizza… We started off our day at Quick Pita- we had Doner’s (pita like sandwiches) of lamb, pork, or chicken. We walked to Syntagma Square where the Greek Parliament building sits, through Plaka- a little shopping and restaurant areas and had a lovely dinner on a slopped street right below the Acropolis!! We shared a few appetizers- meat wrapped in grape leaves, cheese pies and yogurt sauce, and two greek salads, then Dad and Time had Slovaki (a greek dish- kind of like kebabs) and Mom and I shared a platter of Lamb in lemon sauce with potatoes and vegetables!
Friday November 13th
We did a lot of site seeing today. We began our tour at the Temple of Zeus (which is the easiest place to buy your combo ticket for the Acropolis and other sites around there) It is amazing to see the size people built back in that day and to think they had no machinery like we do now. Somehow it all got built then and today during our restoration efforts we have to use cranes and such to barely reach some spots. After the Temple of Zeus we walked to the theater of Dionysis and then up to the Acropolis… is we thought Florence and Rome were big from our views from Michelangelo park and Castello San Angelo… Athens spread on and on and on… it seems that the only things stopping it were a mountain or two and the sea. On our way back down to town in search of some lunch we stopped at Areopalos- a big rocky areas that from thousands of visitors a day is quite slippery in some areas but it made a nice spot to sit a see the acropolis and all of Athens. Our search for lunch like the day before ended up with us making a few circles, walking into some interesting, not so nice areas of town and back at Quick Pita again! After eating something we had a few more sites to see on our combo ticket, unfortunately the cemetery area was closer, although we got a pretty good view from the gates surrounding it. We did get to see Ancient Agora- which had a building much like the Acropolis but in much better condition. We had a bit of a hard time finding the entrance to that area and ended up walking through a park that seemed to be more of a homeless park than anything else. We finished are day in Greece with a stroll through the markets, found a show store that had tons and tons of shows just sitting in cardboard boxes stacked all over the place, they were so cheap but apparently even in Greece I wear one of the most popular sizes… We completed are visit with some more greek food, this time at a restaurant right within the market areas… We had slovaki, greek salad, tziki sauce and Greek beer. The restaurant brought us yogurt with honey for dessert and while we were eating it a dog from the city kept walking up and down the street (there are lots and lots of dogs that roam around harmlessly in Athens). We noticed he was carrying a water bottle in his mouth so when he stopped near our table we were able to give him some drinking water- He was a pretty smart dog!
Today we left Rome, and I said goodbye to Italy after 11 great weeks! We headed to the airport to catch our plane to Athens, Greece. We flew on easy jet, it is a value airline so the flight prices were very good, you pay extra for any luggage and there are no assigned seats, So when it came time to boarding we where all filed out onto a bus and then we all made the mad dash from the bus, up the the stairs onto the plan to choose the best seats. We took to window seats and had great views leaving Italy and flying into Greece! The weather was great for our time in Greece, we had on shorts, shirts and short sleeve shirts during most of the day!! We had great little hotel right in the heart of the city that had a small balcony with an awesome view of the Acropolis. That afternoon we went shopping, walked the town and enjoyed some new foods besides pasts and pizza… We started off our day at Quick Pita- we had Doner’s (pita like sandwiches) of lamb, pork, or chicken. We walked to Syntagma Square where the Greek Parliament building sits, through Plaka- a little shopping and restaurant areas and had a lovely dinner on a slopped street right below the Acropolis!! We shared a few appetizers- meat wrapped in grape leaves, cheese pies and yogurt sauce, and two greek salads, then Dad and Time had Slovaki (a greek dish- kind of like kebabs) and Mom and I shared a platter of Lamb in lemon sauce with potatoes and vegetables!
Friday November 13th
We did a lot of site seeing today. We began our tour at the Temple of Zeus (which is the easiest place to buy your combo ticket for the Acropolis and other sites around there) It is amazing to see the size people built back in that day and to think they had no machinery like we do now. Somehow it all got built then and today during our restoration efforts we have to use cranes and such to barely reach some spots. After the Temple of Zeus we walked to the theater of Dionysis and then up to the Acropolis… is we thought Florence and Rome were big from our views from Michelangelo park and Castello San Angelo… Athens spread on and on and on… it seems that the only things stopping it were a mountain or two and the sea. On our way back down to town in search of some lunch we stopped at Areopalos- a big rocky areas that from thousands of visitors a day is quite slippery in some areas but it made a nice spot to sit a see the acropolis and all of Athens. Our search for lunch like the day before ended up with us making a few circles, walking into some interesting, not so nice areas of town and back at Quick Pita again! After eating something we had a few more sites to see on our combo ticket, unfortunately the cemetery area was closer, although we got a pretty good view from the gates surrounding it. We did get to see Ancient Agora- which had a building much like the Acropolis but in much better condition. We had a bit of a hard time finding the entrance to that area and ended up walking through a park that seemed to be more of a homeless park than anything else. We finished are day in Greece with a stroll through the markets, found a show store that had tons and tons of shows just sitting in cardboard boxes stacked all over the place, they were so cheap but apparently even in Greece I wear one of the most popular sizes… We completed are visit with some more greek food, this time at a restaurant right within the market areas… We had slovaki, greek salad, tziki sauce and Greek beer. The restaurant brought us yogurt with honey for dessert and while we were eating it a dog from the city kept walking up and down the street (there are lots and lots of dogs that roam around harmlessly in Athens). We noticed he was carrying a water bottle in his mouth so when he stopped near our table we were able to give him some drinking water- He was a pretty smart dog!
Florence and Rome with Family
Sunday November 8th
Heading to Florence!!!
I’m not sure how we did it, but someone we managed to get 8 people in a 7 seater van, along with about 10 suitcases and 3 bookbags…. The door on the back of the van had to be tied shut to fit it all in, some things sat on our laps and Tim even sat on a suitcases as his seat since we were one seat short! We must have looked like the Grizzwalds on National Lampoons European Vacation!!! The drive was pretty uneventful, except for the few circles we made around the loop right outside the Florence airport where we had to drop off our rental car, their signs for rental car drop off are pretty non existent and we ended up asking at a gas station and the Hertz man just happened to walk in at the same time! After dropping off the van, we took a bus to the Florence train station and then it was just a short 10 minute walk to our hotels, dragging all our luggage through the rain and puddles! The weather was pretty rainy the rest of the day, we did some shopping at the large market in Florence, visited the Basilica there- I saw the tomb of Brunelleschi – he designed the dome for the top of the church, and had a great dinner in Piazza Repubblica in an enclosed area with heaters. I had a great dish- it was penne pasta with a cream sauce, peppers and zucchini- at least that is what the menu had said, it turned out that the peppers were actually peppercorns and added a great zest with a little spice to the entire dish! We finished our dinner with cappuccino and a hot chocolate for me then headed to Piazza del Signoria to see the fake statue of David, the original by Michelangelo and headed back to do some skyping on the internet and goods night sleep.
Monday November 9th
Our second day in Florence we headed across the Ponte Vecchio (oldest surviving bridge crossing the river out of the histories area of Florence) and onward to Micheangelo park. A few of us climbed to the top of the park for a great view of the entire city, seeing the size of the city showed us how little we had touched of the big city, but it was time now for us to move on to Rome! We walked back to the hotel, getting another view of the fake David in day light along the way and then made our way back to the train station, luggage in hand again. We took the 3:13 train to Rome, we arrived around 6:30ish, made our way to our hotel with only a few wrong turns and had dinner at a great restaurant right across the street for out hotel! Pizza, pasta, lasagna, wine and cappuccino- what more could we ask for after a long day of traveling. After dinner Mom, Dad, Tim and I took the 15minute walk to the Trevi fountain, had some gelato and some great picture opportunity’s since it was a weekday and off season it was not nearly as crowded as when my study abroad group visited Rome.
Tuesday November 10th
Today we headed out to the Vatican museum, I had already been here by I was very excited to share some of the great artwork inside with my family! We saw early works of paintings and sculptures and we able to see later works by the same and newer artists and see the great changes and advancements art had made. After the museum we saw St Peters Basilica- I thought it was very interested that the roped off areas we could not enter were completely different from that of when my study abroad group visited St Peters Basilica… We walked out through the Piazza and down towards Castello San Angelo to see a great view of all of Rome at sunset. On our way to dinner that night we walked to Piaaza Nouva or Novano (???) and saw the Four Rivers Fountain by Bernini. After dinner we continued are walking and site-seeing to the Pantheon and the Trevi fountain again! Who knows how many miles we walked in all- the museuam alone could have been 2 or 3!
Wednesday November 11th
Today we visited the Coliseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. We took the metro to get to the Coliseum as we had yesterday to get to the Vatican, however today we were riding a different line. We all looked at the map and the direction the trains were running and made our way to the right platform, where there was a train sitting with the doors open. Now normally the metro trains do not leave the doors open for long and the stops have to quick on and off. Well this one did not see to be leaving quite as fast so we all made a quick decision to hop on…On, On, On we said. We moved so fast! As soon as we were on the train the arrow pointing to the direction the train would be going and the stops it would make seemed to be the opposite way we wanted to go… very quickly we all said off, off, off…. Now we wondered what to do, I asked the security/police guy and he said yes that was the train we needed… We decided the doors were going to close at any second now and so we waited for the next train. The next train was very fully and we all almost didn’t make it on, the doors started closing and I scared a few of us by pushing the doors back open to get Mom and Elaine on the train- it sure was a lot of excite for just the beginning of our day!!! After our site-seeing we had a schedule time at the Borghese museum and had yet another bit of excitement trying to figure out which bus to get on the get us there!!! The museum was having a special exhibit of Caravaggio’s and Bacon’s artwork- comparing the two side by side, artists from several centuries apart but yet they both had deep emotional struggles and internal conflict. Also in the museum are some wonderful sculptures by Bernini, which I could stare at day after day! After the museum we finished our visit in Rome with a walked to the Spanish Steps and a walked inside the Pantheon, where Raphaels tomb is. We ended up at the Trevi fountain one more time on our way home because somehow it always ended up on our path!
Heading to Florence!!!
I’m not sure how we did it, but someone we managed to get 8 people in a 7 seater van, along with about 10 suitcases and 3 bookbags…. The door on the back of the van had to be tied shut to fit it all in, some things sat on our laps and Tim even sat on a suitcases as his seat since we were one seat short! We must have looked like the Grizzwalds on National Lampoons European Vacation!!! The drive was pretty uneventful, except for the few circles we made around the loop right outside the Florence airport where we had to drop off our rental car, their signs for rental car drop off are pretty non existent and we ended up asking at a gas station and the Hertz man just happened to walk in at the same time! After dropping off the van, we took a bus to the Florence train station and then it was just a short 10 minute walk to our hotels, dragging all our luggage through the rain and puddles! The weather was pretty rainy the rest of the day, we did some shopping at the large market in Florence, visited the Basilica there- I saw the tomb of Brunelleschi – he designed the dome for the top of the church, and had a great dinner in Piazza Repubblica in an enclosed area with heaters. I had a great dish- it was penne pasta with a cream sauce, peppers and zucchini- at least that is what the menu had said, it turned out that the peppers were actually peppercorns and added a great zest with a little spice to the entire dish! We finished our dinner with cappuccino and a hot chocolate for me then headed to Piazza del Signoria to see the fake statue of David, the original by Michelangelo and headed back to do some skyping on the internet and goods night sleep.
Monday November 9th
Our second day in Florence we headed across the Ponte Vecchio (oldest surviving bridge crossing the river out of the histories area of Florence) and onward to Micheangelo park. A few of us climbed to the top of the park for a great view of the entire city, seeing the size of the city showed us how little we had touched of the big city, but it was time now for us to move on to Rome! We walked back to the hotel, getting another view of the fake David in day light along the way and then made our way back to the train station, luggage in hand again. We took the 3:13 train to Rome, we arrived around 6:30ish, made our way to our hotel with only a few wrong turns and had dinner at a great restaurant right across the street for out hotel! Pizza, pasta, lasagna, wine and cappuccino- what more could we ask for after a long day of traveling. After dinner Mom, Dad, Tim and I took the 15minute walk to the Trevi fountain, had some gelato and some great picture opportunity’s since it was a weekday and off season it was not nearly as crowded as when my study abroad group visited Rome.
Tuesday November 10th
Today we headed out to the Vatican museum, I had already been here by I was very excited to share some of the great artwork inside with my family! We saw early works of paintings and sculptures and we able to see later works by the same and newer artists and see the great changes and advancements art had made. After the museum we saw St Peters Basilica- I thought it was very interested that the roped off areas we could not enter were completely different from that of when my study abroad group visited St Peters Basilica… We walked out through the Piazza and down towards Castello San Angelo to see a great view of all of Rome at sunset. On our way to dinner that night we walked to Piaaza Nouva or Novano (???) and saw the Four Rivers Fountain by Bernini. After dinner we continued are walking and site-seeing to the Pantheon and the Trevi fountain again! Who knows how many miles we walked in all- the museuam alone could have been 2 or 3!
Wednesday November 11th
Today we visited the Coliseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. We took the metro to get to the Coliseum as we had yesterday to get to the Vatican, however today we were riding a different line. We all looked at the map and the direction the trains were running and made our way to the right platform, where there was a train sitting with the doors open. Now normally the metro trains do not leave the doors open for long and the stops have to quick on and off. Well this one did not see to be leaving quite as fast so we all made a quick decision to hop on…On, On, On we said. We moved so fast! As soon as we were on the train the arrow pointing to the direction the train would be going and the stops it would make seemed to be the opposite way we wanted to go… very quickly we all said off, off, off…. Now we wondered what to do, I asked the security/police guy and he said yes that was the train we needed… We decided the doors were going to close at any second now and so we waited for the next train. The next train was very fully and we all almost didn’t make it on, the doors started closing and I scared a few of us by pushing the doors back open to get Mom and Elaine on the train- it sure was a lot of excite for just the beginning of our day!!! After our site-seeing we had a schedule time at the Borghese museum and had yet another bit of excitement trying to figure out which bus to get on the get us there!!! The museum was having a special exhibit of Caravaggio’s and Bacon’s artwork- comparing the two side by side, artists from several centuries apart but yet they both had deep emotional struggles and internal conflict. Also in the museum are some wonderful sculptures by Bernini, which I could stare at day after day! After the museum we finished our visit in Rome with a walked to the Spanish Steps and a walked inside the Pantheon, where Raphaels tomb is. We ended up at the Trevi fountain one more time on our way home because somehow it always ended up on our path!
Montepulciano and Tuscany with the Family!!!
Wednesday November 4th
Woke up this morning to an empty apartment, the only nice thing about that was I was the only one using the bathroom…although it never seemed to be much of an issue when we had all four of us sharing one bathroom which contained the only mirror in our apartment as well. I spend the afternoon trying to catch up on the last of my work for the fall semester and getting a few groceries at the store. That was a fun experience because it was not until I was done shopping for dinner items for the family that I realized my debit card would not work because it has expired Oct 30, Mom and Dad where bringing my new card but I had to put a few items back at the store and get through the language barrier and a line of people behind me… oh well, I will probably never see those people again. After the grocery store I met with the owner of the two apartments our family was renting for our stay in Montepulciano. Everyone arrived at about 8pm and we were all ready for a nice warm meal. Tim, Dad and I went back to pick up a few last minute items at my apartment and then stopped at the Trattoria where my study abroad group had dinner every night and picked up a few bottles of wine.
Thursday November 5th
Each Thursday morning in Montepulciano there is a market at the bottom of town in the bus station parking lot. We decided to make this our fist adventure for the day and let everyone try out the little bit of Italian they had learned since arriving in Venice on Nov 1st. The market sells clothes, shoes, purses, linens, food, fruit, flowers and a few other miscellaneous items. Everyone did some shopping and then we met back up to grab some fruit for the rest of the week and picked up some items for our dinner that night: roasted chicken, pasta and pesto, artichokes, broccoli and bread! The rest of the day we spend wandering around the town, I showed everyone my apartment that had been my home for 10 weeks, we did a few wine samplings and then we stumbled upon one of the best things… The coppersmith of Montepulciano. We were walking along and we heard this ping, ping, ping and there he was working in his shop. He graciously called us and in and with my little bit of Italian and lots of hand gestures he explained that it was the work of his great grandfather, passed down through the generations, and the tools he was using were from his grandfathers. He showed us sketches of different pieces he had created and then he pulled a small round piece of copper out and began asking for my grandparents names, their children’s and spouses names and grandchildren’s names, and the date they were married. He created a beautiful piece with flowers, hearts, stars, initials and dates. He proceeded to tell us about the piece he created that sits atop the cathedral in Siena (which we would see the next day) and a piece he presented to the Pope! Wow- and we watched his create a one of a kind piece right in front of us. After leaving his workshop we went to his store on the lower street, Tim got a clock, I got a wall piece and my grandma got a bracelet. After our eventful day around town, we stopped at Crociani winery and filled up a few water bottles of wine to go along with all our market goodies and had a great feast right from Montepulciano!
Friday November 6th
Today we headed to Siena, it sure was a bit of an adventure getting there… should we use a map, the TomTom or the blue signs along the road…. In the end the blue signs got us to Siena (and later they got us safely back to Montepulciano!) As soon as we got to Siena we had to find the WC (water closet-bathroom) and some food. We had great big slices of pizza and then headed to Piazza del Campo- the main piazza of Siena where most of the towns roads meet and then onto the Basilica which had amazing tiled floor patterns and mosaics. We did some shopping and walking around town that evening, mailed a few postcards and find a great place to eat right outside the city walls. The girl working there helped us figure out the menu and was our private server since we were the only people in the place! I had a vegetable sauce over curly pasta (I should know the name for that), Mom had a pumpkin cream sauce and Tim had rabbit.
Saturday November 7th
Today we went to a few small Tuscan towns surrounding Monepulciano. Our first stop was Pienza- the town known for their Pecorino (a cheese made from sheeps cheese) The town also has a great view over the Val d’Orcia. We stopped at a little snack bar, had sandwiched with pecorino of course, a few of us had cappuccinos or gelato for our dessert! Our next town was Montalcino- know for their Brunello wine. On the drive their we was a few more small tuscan towns, great valleys, and overall amazing sites of Tuscany! We did a few wine samplings in Montalcinao, walked around the Fortezza, saw a group of local young boys playing soccer and then had a late snack in town. We had a plate of a variety of meats and one of cheeses served with honey- this was a first for me but it is absolutely delicious!! We accompanied our snacks with a nice Brunello di Montalcino! Tonight was our last night staying in Montepulciano so we all went to the Trattoria where I had most of my meals throughout the 10 week program. It was a great way to end my time in Montepulciano!
Woke up this morning to an empty apartment, the only nice thing about that was I was the only one using the bathroom…although it never seemed to be much of an issue when we had all four of us sharing one bathroom which contained the only mirror in our apartment as well. I spend the afternoon trying to catch up on the last of my work for the fall semester and getting a few groceries at the store. That was a fun experience because it was not until I was done shopping for dinner items for the family that I realized my debit card would not work because it has expired Oct 30, Mom and Dad where bringing my new card but I had to put a few items back at the store and get through the language barrier and a line of people behind me… oh well, I will probably never see those people again. After the grocery store I met with the owner of the two apartments our family was renting for our stay in Montepulciano. Everyone arrived at about 8pm and we were all ready for a nice warm meal. Tim, Dad and I went back to pick up a few last minute items at my apartment and then stopped at the Trattoria where my study abroad group had dinner every night and picked up a few bottles of wine.
Thursday November 5th
Each Thursday morning in Montepulciano there is a market at the bottom of town in the bus station parking lot. We decided to make this our fist adventure for the day and let everyone try out the little bit of Italian they had learned since arriving in Venice on Nov 1st. The market sells clothes, shoes, purses, linens, food, fruit, flowers and a few other miscellaneous items. Everyone did some shopping and then we met back up to grab some fruit for the rest of the week and picked up some items for our dinner that night: roasted chicken, pasta and pesto, artichokes, broccoli and bread! The rest of the day we spend wandering around the town, I showed everyone my apartment that had been my home for 10 weeks, we did a few wine samplings and then we stumbled upon one of the best things… The coppersmith of Montepulciano. We were walking along and we heard this ping, ping, ping and there he was working in his shop. He graciously called us and in and with my little bit of Italian and lots of hand gestures he explained that it was the work of his great grandfather, passed down through the generations, and the tools he was using were from his grandfathers. He showed us sketches of different pieces he had created and then he pulled a small round piece of copper out and began asking for my grandparents names, their children’s and spouses names and grandchildren’s names, and the date they were married. He created a beautiful piece with flowers, hearts, stars, initials and dates. He proceeded to tell us about the piece he created that sits atop the cathedral in Siena (which we would see the next day) and a piece he presented to the Pope! Wow- and we watched his create a one of a kind piece right in front of us. After leaving his workshop we went to his store on the lower street, Tim got a clock, I got a wall piece and my grandma got a bracelet. After our eventful day around town, we stopped at Crociani winery and filled up a few water bottles of wine to go along with all our market goodies and had a great feast right from Montepulciano!
Friday November 6th
Today we headed to Siena, it sure was a bit of an adventure getting there… should we use a map, the TomTom or the blue signs along the road…. In the end the blue signs got us to Siena (and later they got us safely back to Montepulciano!) As soon as we got to Siena we had to find the WC (water closet-bathroom) and some food. We had great big slices of pizza and then headed to Piazza del Campo- the main piazza of Siena where most of the towns roads meet and then onto the Basilica which had amazing tiled floor patterns and mosaics. We did some shopping and walking around town that evening, mailed a few postcards and find a great place to eat right outside the city walls. The girl working there helped us figure out the menu and was our private server since we were the only people in the place! I had a vegetable sauce over curly pasta (I should know the name for that), Mom had a pumpkin cream sauce and Tim had rabbit.
Saturday November 7th
Today we went to a few small Tuscan towns surrounding Monepulciano. Our first stop was Pienza- the town known for their Pecorino (a cheese made from sheeps cheese) The town also has a great view over the Val d’Orcia. We stopped at a little snack bar, had sandwiched with pecorino of course, a few of us had cappuccinos or gelato for our dessert! Our next town was Montalcino- know for their Brunello wine. On the drive their we was a few more small tuscan towns, great valleys, and overall amazing sites of Tuscany! We did a few wine samplings in Montalcinao, walked around the Fortezza, saw a group of local young boys playing soccer and then had a late snack in town. We had a plate of a variety of meats and one of cheeses served with honey- this was a first for me but it is absolutely delicious!! We accompanied our snacks with a nice Brunello di Montalcino! Tonight was our last night staying in Montepulciano so we all went to the Trattoria where I had most of my meals throughout the 10 week program. It was a great way to end my time in Montepulciano!
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