I apologise to anyone who is trying to follow our travels as I have been working on Greek time and have been remiss in my duties. I last posted on Friday and truth to tell we have done little since then.
On Saturday we drove into Corinth to try and find the market that we had been told about. After a few navigational issues we stopped and found a travel agent who gave us vague directions. Taking the 9th turn on the right we sasw a stall and turned down the next (narrow) road to find that we were in a one way street going the other way. Since there was no other traffic we did the Greek thing and continued until we found a side street, also one way going in the right direction.. We got some of the way down and attempted to park on the kerb, but a girl indicated she was leaving and we could have her park. That was good, but her car was a lot smaller than ours and we squeezed ourt way in. This was not a market as we have seen in France or Greece before. It was squeezed along a narrow residential street with the stalls taking most of the soace and no room to move between them. We did not look at the vegetable stalls and the areas we saw were mainly clothing and knick-knacks such as kichen fittings, watches and cheap jewelry. After half an hour of pushing our way through the crush we ahd enough and went back to the car. Where to go? We had seen one end of the Corinth Canal so decided to see the other and headed in that direction. We stopped at the side of the canal near an ancient road that the Romans used to haul their ships over the isthmus on carriages. The Romans started to dig the canal, but it had to wait for the invention of the stem shovel to become reality. Now it is too small for modern freighters, but is used for small craft and small cruise ships. I was intrgued to see how the bridges at each end worked as they did not seem to be the usual lift or swing type that I have seen, so I walked over the nearby bridge to find that the central span is actully dropped into the canal allowing boats to pass over it - I would never have thought of it.
As we have been driving around this area we have noticed the narrow gauge railways that were active when we were last here are now unused with dere,ict rolling stock sitting in the stations. Iassume this is part of the Greek austerity measures, but it is sad to see a complete network sitting idle.
We decided to continue north and drove out onto the peninsular we had been looking out to from our accommodation. After a drive along a surprisingly wide and modern road we found a beach on a salt water lake. After lunch at a beach taverna that is so unmemorable that I can't remember what we had, we swam and lazed on the beach for a while before heading back to Lecaio Beach.
Sunday and Monday we hung around the accommodation and swam in the sea and pool.
Tuesday we had to move on reluctantly. So reluctantly that we booked another 3 days when we returned from the south and cancelled our booking in Athens. The fact that we also saved some costs has nothing to do with it :-)
We found that the new motorway now extends nearly to the south coast and it feels strange to be travelling though Greece an a superb modern road at 130kph - so different to struggling down the usal national roads ready to jamb on the brakes at every corner if faced with a bus or truck taking up most of our side of the road. However once off the motor way we were back in familiar territory and found the drivers in the south a bit more "assertive" than we had met further north, particulaly if they are dring Mercs or Beemers which a lot of them seem to do.
We found our accommodation here near Pylos after Gillian had several nervous attacks over avoiding oncoming traffic on the narrow country road by pushing into the olive trees or balancing the near side tyres half on the asphalt with the rest hanging out over a drop. The cottage is clean, tidy and well equipped and stuck in the middle of nowhere.. We were met by Helen who has more German than English, but I think we understaood some of what she tod us. We are surrounded by olive trees and set back from a remote country road looking out over the Mediterranean. After settling in headed back to Gialova, a small town we had stayed at in 2005 - what a surprise - it has now gone upmarket and is a tourist trap. Anyway we found somewhere to buy basic supplies and had dinner at Hotel Zoe where we had stayed previously. The restaurant is set at the top of the beach under a canopy of trees and to Gillian's delight was able to offer moussaka which she has not found on the menu anywhere before now. An what moussaka - Gillian is still drooling and demanding to go back before we leave.
Today we drove into Pylos tp find a supermarket (more of a mini-mart)to gather supplies and managed to completely lose ourselves in the impossible maze that is so typical of Greekl villages. Once back we headed for the local "good" beach which is a lovely arc of sand with fairly shallow water. The beach is popular and looks great, but there is a banm of seweed on one side with fragments floating ove an area of the bay which is sticky and even after a quick shower we found fragments still attached.
It's 10:00pm and time for bed after watching coverage of the Istanbul bombing - sobering to think we were in that terminal a week ago, but the probability of being anywhere at prcisely the wrong time is incredibly low.
Wednesday 29 June 2016
Friday 24 June 2016
Relaxing in Greece
Friday 24 June. It has been nice to spend the last days lazing around in our apartment. Looking out to the north from our shaded and sheltered balcony over the pool to the sea and barren hills beyond with a complete lack of imperative things we have to do is an excellent way to relax.
Since we got here (Lechaio Beach if you're interested) life has slowed down. The weather has been warm, but with a persistant nrtherly wing that has made the beach swimming a little less comfortable. The beach is not up to NZstandards, but it is wonderful to wade out into water that is really luke warm and not have to leave because you are getting cold. The pool is a good size and again warm enough that you can hang around in the water for as londg as you want, especially as it is beautifully maintained by someone else.
On Tuesday & Wednesday we hung around the apartment. Thursay was a trip south to visit Ancient Epidaurus, a site that has been occpied from at least Mycinean times through to Roman. There is a large theatre that is still used for performances and has excellent accoustices, this being demonstrated by the guide of a tour party by clapping her hands all over the orchestra area with clear echos heard from where we were standing outside the theatre itself. The rest of the ruins indicate a wealthy and important centre, particularly for health and medical treatment, and there is a society dedicated to restoring parts of the ruins to their former glory. The town is set in a green valley with barren hills around. The restored parts of the ruins certainly give scale to the buildings and give an impression of how impressive they were when newly built. Like many settlements around here the town was sacked and looted more than once and was finally deserted after major earthquake damage.. Anyway after we had visited the theatre and the centre of the old town we were hot and decided to head for teh nearest beach at Palaia Epidavros.. The Greeks cannot keep the spelling of place names consistent, even in Greek, so you need to sound out place names phonetically to make sure you're heading in the right direction. Anyway we we found the town and saw a sign a a beach pointing down a barrow alleyway. With some doubt we manoeuved the car into it and headed round blind right angle corners and dodged the rubbish bins to suddenly arrive at the sea with the only way to go being a hard left hand turn onto an apparently pedestrian promenade. However there was a sign af a car at the other end so with much trepidation we rumbled over the beautiful paving to find a dusty unpaved parking area and small beach. Despite the perfect weather there were only half a dozen people on the beach so we grabbed a piec of shade under a permanent straw sunshade and made ourselves comfortable. The beach was mainly small shingle but once we were in the water we found a band of low weed and a silty bottom. However the water quickly got to a good depth and the temperature was great. We spent the rest of the afternoon here.
Unless you have visited Greece it is hard to comprehend what the roads here are like. In theory most allow 2 vehicles to pass, but between dodging potholes, pedestrians, parked cars and vegetation growing over the road it is difficult to stay on your side of the road. Mostly the pavement is tarseal with many patches with no pedestrian allowance. Corners are often blind and offer no extra width for large vehicles to turn. Even roads to major tourist sites though the local village can be single lane through the town centre and shared with pedestrians. There is a reason that large cars here are not common.
Today we visited the site of Ancient Corinth which again has been an important settlement from 3000BC through to Roman and Bysantiun times. The excavations seem to have focused on the commercial area and expose the Roman equivalent of a major shopping mall with 5 rows of shops around the centrl area and a couple of temples. There is a great view over the area down to the sea and the town is overlooked by the massive and shear Akro Corinth hill that lowers over the area and is topped by Roman, Bysantine and Ottpman fortifications.
Anyway, tonight we are eating in, so I need to start on dinner.
Tuesday 21 June 2016
Back in Greece
Monday 20 June
At 2:00am I received a text telling us that our flight was delayed by an hour. Unfortunately we had a pre-arranged transfer booked so at 3:00am we were on the way to Tel Aviv airport. In a way it was to our advantage as it took us an hour to get through security before we could get to passport control.
We asked at the checkin for a wheelchair for Gillian on arrival at Athens on the advice of our tour tour guide. While it saved Gillian's knees and chest and sped us through immigration and customs, we had a long wait for our luggage. Anway it arrived at last and we grabbed our rental car and headed for Corinth.The motorway tunnels we had seen in construction in 2005, the last time we had been here, are now complete and the toll route is a model of a modern 6 lane motorway. However, when we left the motorway the roads looked so familiar with dusty roads that narrow unexpectly, hidden corners, no footpaths and piles of rubbish spilling onto them. The road to our accommodation had cars parked both sides and with heavy traffic in the area due to a public holiday being forced to dodge into any available space and push into vegetation to avoid oncoming traffic my concentration was on the road so we drove past the accommodation without seeing it. Turning round we corrected this and arrived to find an oasis in a crazy scene. The Enalio Suites more than matched its reputation with a warm welcome and upgraded us from a lovely studio unit to a 2 level suite. The units are built in warm stone and the top rooms look out over the pool to the Gulf of Corinth. The place is spotless, the pool is just great and the outdoor dining area serves a superb breakfast. There seem to be at least 4 staff on duty at all times, which is surprising for a facility with only 14 rooms, but we're not complaining.
The area here at Lechaio Beach is not a touristy area, rather a holiday area for the Athenians with a mixture of old scruffy flat roof baches, empty overgrown sections, ornate 2 storey nouses and small apartment blocks. Once the holiday weekend was over the crowd thinned and most houses are shut up and the beach is almost deserted. While the beach does not measure up to Onemana, it is pleasant enough with a mixture of sand and shingle and warm water. In short it has a very comfortable feel for us and we are relaxed here.
At 2:00am I received a text telling us that our flight was delayed by an hour. Unfortunately we had a pre-arranged transfer booked so at 3:00am we were on the way to Tel Aviv airport. In a way it was to our advantage as it took us an hour to get through security before we could get to passport control.
We asked at the checkin for a wheelchair for Gillian on arrival at Athens on the advice of our tour tour guide. While it saved Gillian's knees and chest and sped us through immigration and customs, we had a long wait for our luggage. Anway it arrived at last and we grabbed our rental car and headed for Corinth.The motorway tunnels we had seen in construction in 2005, the last time we had been here, are now complete and the toll route is a model of a modern 6 lane motorway. However, when we left the motorway the roads looked so familiar with dusty roads that narrow unexpectly, hidden corners, no footpaths and piles of rubbish spilling onto them. The road to our accommodation had cars parked both sides and with heavy traffic in the area due to a public holiday being forced to dodge into any available space and push into vegetation to avoid oncoming traffic my concentration was on the road so we drove past the accommodation without seeing it. Turning round we corrected this and arrived to find an oasis in a crazy scene. The Enalio Suites more than matched its reputation with a warm welcome and upgraded us from a lovely studio unit to a 2 level suite. The units are built in warm stone and the top rooms look out over the pool to the Gulf of Corinth. The place is spotless, the pool is just great and the outdoor dining area serves a superb breakfast. There seem to be at least 4 staff on duty at all times, which is surprising for a facility with only 14 rooms, but we're not complaining.
The area here at Lechaio Beach is not a touristy area, rather a holiday area for the Athenians with a mixture of old scruffy flat roof baches, empty overgrown sections, ornate 2 storey nouses and small apartment blocks. Once the holiday weekend was over the crowd thinned and most houses are shut up and the beach is almost deserted. While the beach does not measure up to Onemana, it is pleasant enough with a mixture of sand and shingle and warm water. In short it has a very comfortable feel for us and we are relaxed here.
Free Again
Today (Sunday 19 June) we have finished the tour and can run to our own timetable, or should that be crawl - we slept in and decided to do only one thing. After a leisurely breakfast we caught a taxi to the Jaffa Gate in the old town. We had been told to allow 50 dhekels but Inoted that the meter said 41 shekels. More on this later.
Gillian had had to miss the old city while on the tour as she would not have been able to keep up with the group without severe stress to her chesy. Now we could saunter down to overlook the Wailing Wall at an easy pace. Unfortunately we had forgotten the dress code for religious sites here and I was in shorts and GHillian had bare shoulders so we did not go right up to the wall. This time there were almost no orthodox Jews by the wall, but there were a number of casually dressed people leaning with their hands aginst the wall.
Moving on we found the location of the citadel where Pilate condemned Jesuss which is station 1 of the cross. Following the Via Doloroso to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre we were again prevented from entering due to our dress or lack of it. Again I was impressed by gthe low key way the stations of the cross are marked with metal discs mounted high on the wall. Given that the route is a drawcard for thousands of pilgrims a year and the najoroty of the shops on the route are selling religious memorabilia I expected the route to be overblown.
After approaching a few taxis and being quoted inflated costs to get back to our hotel we grabbed one who was dropping off a fare and got back to the hotel for the standard 50 shekels. The first drivers wanted 70, dropping to 60 when we walked away showing that bargaining and fleecing are alive and well.
After a light lunch we spent the afternoon lazing in and around the swimming pool.
Anyway our transfer picks us up at 3:00am tomorrow so an early night.
Gillian had had to miss the old city while on the tour as she would not have been able to keep up with the group without severe stress to her chesy. Now we could saunter down to overlook the Wailing Wall at an easy pace. Unfortunately we had forgotten the dress code for religious sites here and I was in shorts and GHillian had bare shoulders so we did not go right up to the wall. This time there were almost no orthodox Jews by the wall, but there were a number of casually dressed people leaning with their hands aginst the wall.
Moving on we found the location of the citadel where Pilate condemned Jesuss which is station 1 of the cross. Following the Via Doloroso to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre we were again prevented from entering due to our dress or lack of it. Again I was impressed by gthe low key way the stations of the cross are marked with metal discs mounted high on the wall. Given that the route is a drawcard for thousands of pilgrims a year and the najoroty of the shops on the route are selling religious memorabilia I expected the route to be overblown.
After approaching a few taxis and being quoted inflated costs to get back to our hotel we grabbed one who was dropping off a fare and got back to the hotel for the standard 50 shekels. The first drivers wanted 70, dropping to 60 when we walked away showing that bargaining and fleecing are alive and well.
After a light lunch we spent the afternoon lazing in and around the swimming pool.
Anyway our transfer picks us up at 3:00am tomorrow so an early night.
Sunday 19 June 2016
The Holocaust Museum
I have realised that I have left out a day in this epistle, Friday 17 June.
We started with a visit to the Garden Tomb, an alternative site for the crucifixion abnd burial of Jesus. In the 19th cenytury an Engalish general decided the traditional site at the Church of the Selpulchre did not fit the gospels, mainly as he believed it had been inside the city walls at the time which would not have been acceptable. He found a site which he (and many others) thought seemed to fit alongside the road to Damascus just outside the line of the walls. He and others raised money to buy the land which has evidence of having been a vineyard in the time of Christ and creating an "English" garden around a rock with shadows that in some lights look like a skull and a tomb carved in the rockface. It is impossible to prove the location is correct, but it is a pleasant contrast to the arid streets around Jerusalem.
We were told that it is mandated the all new building in Jerusalem must be clad in stone leading to a pleasant harmony of colour looking over the city.
Next we headed over to the museum holding the Dead Sea scrolls. First stop here was to view a immense model of the entire city at the time of Herod based on excavations and contemporary reports. Where possible this is exact stone by stone. The main feature is the temple area which was the largest structure by a huge amount.. Everything else is diminhed in comparison. The model was created as a memorial for a young man killed in one of Israels conflicts after his parents heard about a similar model in Holland. The model is located next to a sort of onion shaped dome which is the repository for the Dead Sea scrolls.
We then went to the Holocaust Museum, an impressive modern complex that really brings the horrors of that time into focus. We started in the Childrens Memorial where you walk through a dark chamber with 4 small lights reflected in mirrors so that you are surrounded by hundreds of thousands of lights suspended in the air while the names, ages and countries of the 1.5 million children who died are read out in 3 languages.
Entering the museum itself we found a long triangular corriedor sloping upwards interrupted by barriers with video screens. At each point you are diverted into side chambers where the history of the second world war, naziism and the trestment of the Jews and other persecuted populations are presented in photos, recounts and videos. There was too much too take in in the hour we had available, but the message was unavoidable. Very sobering.
We started with a visit to the Garden Tomb, an alternative site for the crucifixion abnd burial of Jesus. In the 19th cenytury an Engalish general decided the traditional site at the Church of the Selpulchre did not fit the gospels, mainly as he believed it had been inside the city walls at the time which would not have been acceptable. He found a site which he (and many others) thought seemed to fit alongside the road to Damascus just outside the line of the walls. He and others raised money to buy the land which has evidence of having been a vineyard in the time of Christ and creating an "English" garden around a rock with shadows that in some lights look like a skull and a tomb carved in the rockface. It is impossible to prove the location is correct, but it is a pleasant contrast to the arid streets around Jerusalem.
We were told that it is mandated the all new building in Jerusalem must be clad in stone leading to a pleasant harmony of colour looking over the city.
Next we headed over to the museum holding the Dead Sea scrolls. First stop here was to view a immense model of the entire city at the time of Herod based on excavations and contemporary reports. Where possible this is exact stone by stone. The main feature is the temple area which was the largest structure by a huge amount.. Everything else is diminhed in comparison. The model was created as a memorial for a young man killed in one of Israels conflicts after his parents heard about a similar model in Holland. The model is located next to a sort of onion shaped dome which is the repository for the Dead Sea scrolls.
We then went to the Holocaust Museum, an impressive modern complex that really brings the horrors of that time into focus. We started in the Childrens Memorial where you walk through a dark chamber with 4 small lights reflected in mirrors so that you are surrounded by hundreds of thousands of lights suspended in the air while the names, ages and countries of the 1.5 million children who died are read out in 3 languages.
Entering the museum itself we found a long triangular corriedor sloping upwards interrupted by barriers with video screens. At each point you are diverted into side chambers where the history of the second world war, naziism and the trestment of the Jews and other persecuted populations are presented in photos, recounts and videos. There was too much too take in in the hour we had available, but the message was unavoidable. Very sobering.
The Dead Sea
Today (Saturday 19 June) we were supposed to start early, but were delayed by a couple of the group ging missing (I assume overslept). Once finally underway we headed east out of Jerusalem at an altitude of 760m (2,500ft) towards to dead sea at -430m (-1,400ft). At intervals beside the road were ramshackle collections of shacks surrounded by apparent piles of rubbish and occasional sheep, horses and goats. These are Bedouin camps each apparently holding about 5 families. We were told how Israel has tried to domesticate them in settled accommodation by paying them for each day a child attends school, there by tying them to one location. Apparently when accommodation has been provided with running water and power the Bedouin have moved their animals indoors and continued to live in tents :-) We passed about 14 of these camps that we saw in the descent from Jerusalem.
First stop was at Qumran where there Dead Sea scrolls were discovered. The land here is unforgiving with no sign of green among the rocks and dust of the hillside. That the Bedouin manage to run sheep or goats in this environment is difficult to believe, but the scrolls were discovered when shepherds tried to locate missing stock.
We continued to a kibbutz selling Dead Sea products, presumeably made from mud, that promised instant rejunenvation, skin repair, hair replenishment and anything else you can think of.. Another member of the party turned over a pack of merchandise to see the price, got out his phone to work out the conversion and rapidly hid his credit card from his wife. In the end he relented and they bought a budget pack. The kibbutz is a real oasis in the arid landscape. The hills are totally barrren and the only green visible is an occasional small plant in the bottom of a dry stream bed.
Next we drove the south end of the Dead Sea to visit Masada, touted as the 3rd stronghold built by Herod on his escape route to Jordan should the populace finally decide to kick him out. He was apparently a great builder and architect, but an unpleasant individual and very unpopular. The fortress of Masada was constructed in 4 years on a hill overlooking the Dead Sea with 300m sheer cliffs on 3 sides. Oppulence was the order of the day with the local rock walls plastered to resemble limestone blocks, frescos, a large bath house with an ingenious sauna system and a water supply system designed to allow 3,000 people to survive a 6 month siege. In the end Herod never visited the fortress, but it was used by the revolutionaries during a revolt against the Romans in the 1st century. The Romans took this as an affront and built a wall around Masada with 8 large forts. When the locals refused toi surrender the Romans built am immense ramp 150 M high to allow their siege engines to approach and breach the walls. Once the wall was breached the revolutionaries realised they were on the way out so they committed mas suicide leaving only 3 survivors. We were told the Romans were so impressed they did not destroy the fortress and one of them fully documented what was there - a great aid to the archaeologists. In the end the buildings ere damaged by a couple of earthquakes and the site was deserted in the 8th century.
We returned to the other end of the Dead Sea and stopped at a "beach resort" to experience the water at close hand. To get to the water we clambered down a long stairway to the "beach" which was a clay bank with several sets of steps designed to enter the water, but all were well above the shoreline. We waded gingerly into the murky water (mainly due to other swimmers smearing them slves with mud) and found that we had picked the wrong spot when my foot sank to knee level in a hole of soft mud. It was not easy to retrieve the leg and we were a little more cautious after that but still found the underfoot conditions challenging. Once we were knne deep we lay back in the water and found, of course, that we floated with our arms legs and heads above water. Big deal. At least the water was at a pleasant temperature.
We were driven back to our hotel and said farewell to our tour guide and the other group members as they were at different hotels. The group was an interesting mix of people, mainly from the USA, but with us from NZ, 1 from Australia and 1 from India. 2 of the group were pastors at home and there was a delightful young woman who is attending a theological college in Washington. A source of "amusement"was the 4 children, 2 of which were constantly asking where we were, where we were going, why, when will we eat, etc, despite having been told exactly the information they were seeking 5 minutes before.
Tomorrow we have a free day in Jerusalem.
First stop was at Qumran where there Dead Sea scrolls were discovered. The land here is unforgiving with no sign of green among the rocks and dust of the hillside. That the Bedouin manage to run sheep or goats in this environment is difficult to believe, but the scrolls were discovered when shepherds tried to locate missing stock.
We continued to a kibbutz selling Dead Sea products, presumeably made from mud, that promised instant rejunenvation, skin repair, hair replenishment and anything else you can think of.. Another member of the party turned over a pack of merchandise to see the price, got out his phone to work out the conversion and rapidly hid his credit card from his wife. In the end he relented and they bought a budget pack. The kibbutz is a real oasis in the arid landscape. The hills are totally barrren and the only green visible is an occasional small plant in the bottom of a dry stream bed.
Next we drove the south end of the Dead Sea to visit Masada, touted as the 3rd stronghold built by Herod on his escape route to Jordan should the populace finally decide to kick him out. He was apparently a great builder and architect, but an unpleasant individual and very unpopular. The fortress of Masada was constructed in 4 years on a hill overlooking the Dead Sea with 300m sheer cliffs on 3 sides. Oppulence was the order of the day with the local rock walls plastered to resemble limestone blocks, frescos, a large bath house with an ingenious sauna system and a water supply system designed to allow 3,000 people to survive a 6 month siege. In the end Herod never visited the fortress, but it was used by the revolutionaries during a revolt against the Romans in the 1st century. The Romans took this as an affront and built a wall around Masada with 8 large forts. When the locals refused toi surrender the Romans built am immense ramp 150 M high to allow their siege engines to approach and breach the walls. Once the wall was breached the revolutionaries realised they were on the way out so they committed mas suicide leaving only 3 survivors. We were told the Romans were so impressed they did not destroy the fortress and one of them fully documented what was there - a great aid to the archaeologists. In the end the buildings ere damaged by a couple of earthquakes and the site was deserted in the 8th century.
We returned to the other end of the Dead Sea and stopped at a "beach resort" to experience the water at close hand. To get to the water we clambered down a long stairway to the "beach" which was a clay bank with several sets of steps designed to enter the water, but all were well above the shoreline. We waded gingerly into the murky water (mainly due to other swimmers smearing them slves with mud) and found that we had picked the wrong spot when my foot sank to knee level in a hole of soft mud. It was not easy to retrieve the leg and we were a little more cautious after that but still found the underfoot conditions challenging. Once we were knne deep we lay back in the water and found, of course, that we floated with our arms legs and heads above water. Big deal. At least the water was at a pleasant temperature.
We were driven back to our hotel and said farewell to our tour guide and the other group members as they were at different hotels. The group was an interesting mix of people, mainly from the USA, but with us from NZ, 1 from Australia and 1 from India. 2 of the group were pastors at home and there was a delightful young woman who is attending a theological college in Washington. A source of "amusement"was the 4 children, 2 of which were constantly asking where we were, where we were going, why, when will we eat, etc, despite having been told exactly the information they were seeking 5 minutes before.
Tomorrow we have a free day in Jerusalem.
Saturday 18 June 2016
Around Jerusalem
For the record this is for Thursday 16th June
We started today by waiting. After 2 phone calls to our tour company and some concern the van finally arrived for us - the your guide had not been informed of our change of hotel and had bees searching for us.
With time tight and road closures for Ramadan looming we raced off to Bethlehem. As this is in the Palestinian Territories our Israeli guide was not allowed to drive us through the town or to accompany us. After a tortuoius route to use the least troublesome checkpoint we drove up a dismal back alley with dusty concrete waal and rubbish lying around the gutterrs. Here we transferred to 2 8 seater vans and travelled through a winding route that at time was up streets in the old town that were barely wide enough for the van between the buildings, let alone the pedetrians who squeezed to teh side. The shops here are mere cubbyholes with the front open side to side, or shut with metal shutters when closed, which mamny of them were for Ramadan. Most stores appeared to be about 2.5 m wide and 4 m deep and the merchandise display is across the street frontage. Much of the goods displayed are hung from the lintel meaning that access to the shop is difficult. However that is only my impression as we drove through these streets without pause.
Arriving at Bethlehem square we found the church of the nativity on one side wth the council offices and a mosque on the other. The church is a crusader church and was under major renovations. When we went in and headed for the crypt containing the reputed stable, we found that we had been delayed too long and an Armenian mass was in progress and access was blocked, so we were loaded back in the van and herded into a "christian"souvenir store where we were assured that all proceeds went to support the local christian community.. Later on, on the way out of Bethlehem the van driver stopped the van to collect an envelope that obviously contained the guides commission. Anyway we headed back to the church and our guide told the police that one of our party had an urgent toilet need so our group could duck in the exit to view the crypr which contained a 14 pointer star in the floor and a replica manger. The police were not impressed but didn't stop us.
After a trip through slightly more civilsed streets we met up with our usual guide and drove back into Jerusalem for a walk through the old city. Gillian opted out and spent the afternoon at the hotel where she caught up with some washing.
The walk started at the Jaffa gate where there is a large breech in the walls that was opened in the 1890's to allow the German Kaiser to enter the city in a coack with 6 horses. Just inside the gate are 2 graves reputed to be the engineers who designed the city wall who were executed by the Sultan at the time either because they left Temple Mount outside the walls or to signify that their work was perfect and he did not want them to build anything better. At least they were given pride of place foir their graves!
Once in the old town there are small narrow and slooping streets leading down towards the Temple Mount, but we followed a road just wide enough (and no more) for cars to the reputed site of King David's tomb. First we visited an upstairs room supposed to be the site of the last supper, a bare room with the ceiling supported by arches which our guide claimed were the oldest surviving examples of the gothic style./
Going downstairs we entered the area supposedly containng the stone over King David. The crypt has not been excavated due to religious sensibilities. The staone is about 3 m long and 2 metres high shrouded in a heavy embroided cloth. To see this we had to run the gauntlet of a group of Orthodox Jews praying in an antechamber - they were bobbing thei heads and dancing back and forth in their fervour, but each seemed to have their own idea of what was required. Access to the stone is segregated by gender with a cloth suspended over the middle of the stone. In models of the city in biblical times there is a large temonument built over this spot, but it is now part of a mediaeval urban area.
The old city is separated into sectors reflecting the religious affiliations of the majority of the occupants. These ones that were identified to us include the Moslem, Christian, Armenian and Jewish quarters, but it is difficult to figure out while in the citty as the maze of roads makes navigation difficult.
We walked down to the area along the Western Wall. I found that the wall that is so important to the Jews is actually the remains of a retaining wall built by Herod to suoort the second temple which was built over the site of the temple built by Abraham. Again access to the wall is segregated by gender, though I understand that there is an area for the reformed Jews who can pray together. However what we saw was several dozen orthodox all individually praying aloud and continually bobbing their heads. While it is obviously deeply moving for them, it does look slightly comical and similar to a bunch of penguins.
We dived into the narrow alleys of the Muslem Quarter which are lined with stalls full of colour and selling absolutely nothing I want to buy. On one unremarkable corner we stopped and our guide pointed up the side road to an archway which he explained is the location of stations 1&2 of the cross and we were standing at station 3.. We turned around and followed the Via Dolorosa past stations 4-10 to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. It is ironic that a tour of Israel chosen on the basis that it was not specifically religious turned out to be peopled by a variety of christians and focused largely on the places of importance to the christian community. This was not an issue for us - as after all this is the Holy Land.
The Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre has an unremarkable entrance with one of the two archways blocked up. On the second level up stands a ladder apparently placed there at one stage by the Sultan of Jerusalem to illustrate the only access available for one of the denominations involved with the church if they did not stop bickering about their rights and privileges while the church itself fell into disrepair. Each denomination now have sectors of the church under their control, but since divisions remain, the key of the door is held by a muslim family. The church starts with a climb to view the reputed rock of Golgotha followed by an endless series of passages and chapels until you reach the shrine of the tomb. Unfortunately the area was razed to build the church in the 4th century so it is difficult to determine the accuracy of the location. I failed to be convinced, but that does not matter.
We walked back to the Jaffa Gate through the bazaar with several stall holders trying to entice us in. While the stalls are colourful and inviting the constant attention of the sellers is off-putting.
Back to the hotel and hard decisions about the style of dinner for tonight.
We started today by waiting. After 2 phone calls to our tour company and some concern the van finally arrived for us - the your guide had not been informed of our change of hotel and had bees searching for us.
With time tight and road closures for Ramadan looming we raced off to Bethlehem. As this is in the Palestinian Territories our Israeli guide was not allowed to drive us through the town or to accompany us. After a tortuoius route to use the least troublesome checkpoint we drove up a dismal back alley with dusty concrete waal and rubbish lying around the gutterrs. Here we transferred to 2 8 seater vans and travelled through a winding route that at time was up streets in the old town that were barely wide enough for the van between the buildings, let alone the pedetrians who squeezed to teh side. The shops here are mere cubbyholes with the front open side to side, or shut with metal shutters when closed, which mamny of them were for Ramadan. Most stores appeared to be about 2.5 m wide and 4 m deep and the merchandise display is across the street frontage. Much of the goods displayed are hung from the lintel meaning that access to the shop is difficult. However that is only my impression as we drove through these streets without pause.
Arriving at Bethlehem square we found the church of the nativity on one side wth the council offices and a mosque on the other. The church is a crusader church and was under major renovations. When we went in and headed for the crypt containing the reputed stable, we found that we had been delayed too long and an Armenian mass was in progress and access was blocked, so we were loaded back in the van and herded into a "christian"souvenir store where we were assured that all proceeds went to support the local christian community.. Later on, on the way out of Bethlehem the van driver stopped the van to collect an envelope that obviously contained the guides commission. Anyway we headed back to the church and our guide told the police that one of our party had an urgent toilet need so our group could duck in the exit to view the crypr which contained a 14 pointer star in the floor and a replica manger. The police were not impressed but didn't stop us.
After a trip through slightly more civilsed streets we met up with our usual guide and drove back into Jerusalem for a walk through the old city. Gillian opted out and spent the afternoon at the hotel where she caught up with some washing.
The walk started at the Jaffa gate where there is a large breech in the walls that was opened in the 1890's to allow the German Kaiser to enter the city in a coack with 6 horses. Just inside the gate are 2 graves reputed to be the engineers who designed the city wall who were executed by the Sultan at the time either because they left Temple Mount outside the walls or to signify that their work was perfect and he did not want them to build anything better. At least they were given pride of place foir their graves!
Once in the old town there are small narrow and slooping streets leading down towards the Temple Mount, but we followed a road just wide enough (and no more) for cars to the reputed site of King David's tomb. First we visited an upstairs room supposed to be the site of the last supper, a bare room with the ceiling supported by arches which our guide claimed were the oldest surviving examples of the gothic style./
Going downstairs we entered the area supposedly containng the stone over King David. The crypt has not been excavated due to religious sensibilities. The staone is about 3 m long and 2 metres high shrouded in a heavy embroided cloth. To see this we had to run the gauntlet of a group of Orthodox Jews praying in an antechamber - they were bobbing thei heads and dancing back and forth in their fervour, but each seemed to have their own idea of what was required. Access to the stone is segregated by gender with a cloth suspended over the middle of the stone. In models of the city in biblical times there is a large temonument built over this spot, but it is now part of a mediaeval urban area.
The old city is separated into sectors reflecting the religious affiliations of the majority of the occupants. These ones that were identified to us include the Moslem, Christian, Armenian and Jewish quarters, but it is difficult to figure out while in the citty as the maze of roads makes navigation difficult.
We walked down to the area along the Western Wall. I found that the wall that is so important to the Jews is actually the remains of a retaining wall built by Herod to suoort the second temple which was built over the site of the temple built by Abraham. Again access to the wall is segregated by gender, though I understand that there is an area for the reformed Jews who can pray together. However what we saw was several dozen orthodox all individually praying aloud and continually bobbing their heads. While it is obviously deeply moving for them, it does look slightly comical and similar to a bunch of penguins.
We dived into the narrow alleys of the Muslem Quarter which are lined with stalls full of colour and selling absolutely nothing I want to buy. On one unremarkable corner we stopped and our guide pointed up the side road to an archway which he explained is the location of stations 1&2 of the cross and we were standing at station 3.. We turned around and followed the Via Dolorosa past stations 4-10 to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. It is ironic that a tour of Israel chosen on the basis that it was not specifically religious turned out to be peopled by a variety of christians and focused largely on the places of importance to the christian community. This was not an issue for us - as after all this is the Holy Land.
The Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre has an unremarkable entrance with one of the two archways blocked up. On the second level up stands a ladder apparently placed there at one stage by the Sultan of Jerusalem to illustrate the only access available for one of the denominations involved with the church if they did not stop bickering about their rights and privileges while the church itself fell into disrepair. Each denomination now have sectors of the church under their control, but since divisions remain, the key of the door is held by a muslim family. The church starts with a climb to view the reputed rock of Golgotha followed by an endless series of passages and chapels until you reach the shrine of the tomb. Unfortunately the area was razed to build the church in the 4th century so it is difficult to determine the accuracy of the location. I failed to be convinced, but that does not matter.
We walked back to the Jaffa Gate through the bazaar with several stall holders trying to entice us in. While the stalls are colourful and inviting the constant attention of the sellers is off-putting.
Back to the hotel and hard decisions about the style of dinner for tonight.
Friday 17 June 2016
To Jerusalem
Leaving the kibbutz our first stop was at Nazareth to visit the Church of the Annunciation which is positiond over the reputed house of Joseph and Mary. The crypt contains the ground floor of a small dwelling with steps leading upwards, presumeablty to the roof or a second storey. The church itself is a beautiful modern building suspended over the crypt with a clear circle over the site and a huge dome.
On to Beith Shean to walk through the excavated ruins of a large Roman town with a well preserved theatre, shopping arcade, main street with stormwater drainage and much more. The town was destroyed by an earthquake and the digging has revealed several towns, most levelled by quakes. Only about 10% of the site has been excavated but what is visible is impressive.
After lunch we headed to Jerusalem and stopped on the Mount of Olives to look over to the old city, particularly the old temple site crowned with the Dome of the Rock whuch is on this side of the city. At the foot of this hill we visited the Garden of Gethseman which is a small olive grove with ancient trees leading to a small chapel.
After being dropped off at the hotel we were told that there was no reservation for us. After a long wait the tour company sent a driver to take us to the correct hotel on the other side of the city. However they did not tell our guide and he wasted a lot of time trying to find us the next day.
On to Beith Shean to walk through the excavated ruins of a large Roman town with a well preserved theatre, shopping arcade, main street with stormwater drainage and much more. The town was destroyed by an earthquake and the digging has revealed several towns, most levelled by quakes. Only about 10% of the site has been excavated but what is visible is impressive.
After lunch we headed to Jerusalem and stopped on the Mount of Olives to look over to the old city, particularly the old temple site crowned with the Dome of the Rock whuch is on this side of the city. At the foot of this hill we visited the Garden of Gethseman which is a small olive grove with ancient trees leading to a small chapel.
After being dropped off at the hotel we were told that there was no reservation for us. After a long wait the tour company sent a driver to take us to the correct hotel on the other side of the city. However they did not tell our guide and he wasted a lot of time trying to find us the next day.
Galilee
Meals in the hotels in Israel have been buffet style with a large range of foods. What has surprised us is the breakfast selection which includes quantities of pasta and salads.. Interestingly some of the hotels do not offer coffee at dinner, but the dessert selection is wide and good.
This morning (Tuesday 15 June) we headed down to the Sea of Galilee, the lowest frsh water lake in the world at 215m below seea level. Currently the lake level has dropped drastically and Israel is proposing to pump desalinated water is to revive the environment. Already they have separated mineral spring water which is pumped out into the desert to avoid increasing the sale level in the lake. At one time the lake was used as a water source, but the climate changes have reduced the inflow.
We passed though the town of Tiberias which we were assured that Jesus never set foot here as, being a good Jew, he would have avoided an impure city as the town had a cemetary within the city walls - a mistake made by the romans.
Our first stop was to view a boat that had been excavated from the lake bed around 2004. Although no hard dates were given it is an example of the type of boat likely to have been in use around 200 years ago. At 10m long it is substantial and the hull planking is cleanly cut, but the structural timber is rough and still in branch form. The boat was discovered during low water level and lifted our of the mud by encasing it in polystyrene. It is now weel preserved in wax and is in remarkedly good condition, though most of 1 side is missing.
We then walked out to a large boat and sailed a little way north on the lake looking up at ing up at the Mount of Beatitudes. The shoreline here is reputed to be where Jesus walked on the water - a feat we did not attempt to replicate. The boat was a broad and clad in wood to give an aged appearance. The 15 of us (the tour group)was lost as the deck could have taken 200+. We had an impromtu sermon from a pastor in the group and then he demonstrated hIs fishing skill by hauling in a net devoid of fish. The way the net was constructed gave me the impression that it looked good when thrown, but was not capable of holding anything.
Leaving the lake we drove up to the Mount of Beatitudes where reputedly the Sermon on the Mount was preached. The church here is set in pleasant gdens overlooking the lake.
Directly below on the lake shore at Tabgha is the Church of the Multiplication, the reputed site of the miracle of the loaves and fishes.. Obviously there is no residue from the feast, but the church
Next stop was Capurnaum where the ruins include houses, possibly of fishermen, and a synagogue. As this was the closest "pure" large town to Nazareth it is presumed the Jesus would have visited here with his father when young and used it as the centre of hs ministry.
Next was the source of the river Jordan at Banias Spring where a clear stream runs from a cliff that contains several caves, some of which are reputed to have been used for human sacrifices.
Up to the Golan Heights to view the border territory with Syria At a parking spot shared with the Israeli army. As we arrived the smoke of an explosion in a town not far over the border rose and slowly drifted away. Hard to believe you are standing watching over an active battlefield. On the way up the road we were stopped by police for some unknown reason, but U-turned and used a. back road through a volcanic crater to get to our viewing point.
Several of the tour group wanted to experience full immersion baptism in the Jordan so we headed to the south of the Sea of Galilee to an area set up for the purpose. The sight of dozens of people wading chest deep in the tepid green water with fish swimming around their legs is memorable. Some of the groups went for a quick dip, while others formed rings and sang movingly.
Back to the kibbutz for the night.
This morning (Tuesday 15 June) we headed down to the Sea of Galilee, the lowest frsh water lake in the world at 215m below seea level. Currently the lake level has dropped drastically and Israel is proposing to pump desalinated water is to revive the environment. Already they have separated mineral spring water which is pumped out into the desert to avoid increasing the sale level in the lake. At one time the lake was used as a water source, but the climate changes have reduced the inflow.
We passed though the town of Tiberias which we were assured that Jesus never set foot here as, being a good Jew, he would have avoided an impure city as the town had a cemetary within the city walls - a mistake made by the romans.
Our first stop was to view a boat that had been excavated from the lake bed around 2004. Although no hard dates were given it is an example of the type of boat likely to have been in use around 200 years ago. At 10m long it is substantial and the hull planking is cleanly cut, but the structural timber is rough and still in branch form. The boat was discovered during low water level and lifted our of the mud by encasing it in polystyrene. It is now weel preserved in wax and is in remarkedly good condition, though most of 1 side is missing.
We then walked out to a large boat and sailed a little way north on the lake looking up at ing up at the Mount of Beatitudes. The shoreline here is reputed to be where Jesus walked on the water - a feat we did not attempt to replicate. The boat was a broad and clad in wood to give an aged appearance. The 15 of us (the tour group)was lost as the deck could have taken 200+. We had an impromtu sermon from a pastor in the group and then he demonstrated hIs fishing skill by hauling in a net devoid of fish. The way the net was constructed gave me the impression that it looked good when thrown, but was not capable of holding anything.
Directly below on the lake shore at Tabgha is the Church of the Multiplication, the reputed site of the miracle of the loaves and fishes.. Obviously there is no residue from the feast, but the church
Next stop was Capurnaum where the ruins include houses, possibly of fishermen, and a synagogue. As this was the closest "pure" large town to Nazareth it is presumed the Jesus would have visited here with his father when young and used it as the centre of hs ministry.
Next was the source of the river Jordan at Banias Spring where a clear stream runs from a cliff that contains several caves, some of which are reputed to have been used for human sacrifices.
Up to the Golan Heights to view the border territory with Syria At a parking spot shared with the Israeli army. As we arrived the smoke of an explosion in a town not far over the border rose and slowly drifted away. Hard to believe you are standing watching over an active battlefield. On the way up the road we were stopped by police for some unknown reason, but U-turned and used a. back road through a volcanic crater to get to our viewing point.
Several of the tour group wanted to experience full immersion baptism in the Jordan so we headed to the south of the Sea of Galilee to an area set up for the purpose. The sight of dozens of people wading chest deep in the tepid green water with fish swimming around their legs is memorable. Some of the groups went for a quick dip, while others formed rings and sang movingly.
Back to the kibbutz for the night.
Thursday 16 June 2016
Day one in Israel
Starting in Tel Aviv we headed north to Caesarium. The country is obviously dry, but a lot is irrigated and growing crops. Our guide commented that all the trees we saw had been planted. Caesaria, a roman town hosting a palace of Herod Agrippa, had been the site of the first recorded conversion of a gentile to Christianity. All that visibly remains of the town are the theatre, the foundations of the palace and the hippodrome, but it was a good break in the trip from Tel Aviv.
Next we stopped at Megiddo, a tel (a hill created by building towns on the ruins of previous towns) which dates back to prehistoric times and includes an altar dated around 3000BC, possibly used for humen sacrifice - our guide does like good stories. One sector of the tel has been excavated and clearly shows the layers. While we did not see it due to preservation efforts There is an interesting water supply system where a spring outside the town wall was accessed through a tunnel system to provde a secure supply during a seige.
Lunch was provided in a restaurant in a Druze village on Mt Carmel. The multiplicity and variety of religous sects and their various dress codes here are staggering. We continued to Haifa and looked down over the gardens of the Bahaii Temple. The gardens are set on a large acerage on the side of the steep hill above the town and are terraced. A little further north we visited Acre where we walked through the old town within the old crusader fort down to the port which is now only used for small boats.
That evening we stayed at a hotel on a kibbutz. The kibbutz was founded by a group mainly made up from the Jewish children smuggled to England before WWII. We were given a talk outlining how it was set up and how it has changed over the years, but still remains a community where there is no personal property and all needs are provided by the community.
Gallipoli
After an EARLY pickup we headed out of Istanbul with anther kiwi couple and a "minder", a delightful girl who looked after us for the trip down. The trip took us past a holiday home area for the Istanbulians, which our minder commented that they were built close together with no view and the sea along the coast is polluted so why bother. Once out in the country the land is generally cropped with some woodland areas. There were no signs of livestock. After a couple of potty stops we reached Eceabat for lunch. This is on the east coast directly opposite the ANZAC landing point and we joined our guide for the visit to the battlefields and Troy.
A short drive took us to the Gallipoli campaign museum which is an impessive modern facility with 2 floors below ground level filled with mementos, photos and explanatory panels. Obviously the focus is on the Turkish defence, but in general the depiction is evenhanded. We moved on to the landing beaches, first the intended landing point on Brighto Beach which is a long beach with easy access to the inland area but exposed to the local defensive gun battery, then to Anzac Cove, the actual pre-dawn landing site for the Australians. The cove is a short curved beach backed by a steep slope. At the time of landing there were only 160 Turkish troops in the area who quickly ran out of ammunition. We carried on to North Beach where the New Zealanders landed in the afternoon. There is now a commenorative site consisting of a wall and grassed area above the beach which is used for thr Anzac day service. The hills above the beaches are generally covered in scrub and low trees. At one point we stopped at a point known as "The Neck", a narrow point of the ridge leading to Chunuk Bair where a combination of bad timing and bad decissions lead to the death of hundreds in a matter of minutes. It is said that the Turkish machine gunners were calling for the Anzac troops to go back because there was no way for them to advance against their fire.
We moved on up the hill to stop at small cemetaries and the Australian an Turkish memorials before reaching the New Zealand memorial on Chunuk Bair. It is nice that the NZ memorial stands above the others with a statue of Mustafa (Ataturk) alongside.
We then retreated to the ferry across the Dardanelles to Canakkale to our hotel. In the morning we headed to Troy which turned out to be a lot more than we expected. Obviously there is a large wooden horse at the entrance for tourist photos, but once the excavations are reached the picture is much more interesting. Our guide had more of a passion for ancient history and the explanations were more detailed than for the Gallipoli battlefields. He was able to demonstrate the 10 distinct layers of building from the bronze age through to 600AD. Owing to its position at the southern end of the Dardanelles strait it was an important marine port. Whether the stories in the Illiad are accurate is doubtful, but much of the evidence fits.
Anyway, on to Israel.
A short drive took us to the Gallipoli campaign museum which is an impessive modern facility with 2 floors below ground level filled with mementos, photos and explanatory panels. Obviously the focus is on the Turkish defence, but in general the depiction is evenhanded. We moved on to the landing beaches, first the intended landing point on Brighto Beach which is a long beach with easy access to the inland area but exposed to the local defensive gun battery, then to Anzac Cove, the actual pre-dawn landing site for the Australians. The cove is a short curved beach backed by a steep slope. At the time of landing there were only 160 Turkish troops in the area who quickly ran out of ammunition. We carried on to North Beach where the New Zealanders landed in the afternoon. There is now a commenorative site consisting of a wall and grassed area above the beach which is used for thr Anzac day service. The hills above the beaches are generally covered in scrub and low trees. At one point we stopped at a point known as "The Neck", a narrow point of the ridge leading to Chunuk Bair where a combination of bad timing and bad decissions lead to the death of hundreds in a matter of minutes. It is said that the Turkish machine gunners were calling for the Anzac troops to go back because there was no way for them to advance against their fire.
We moved on up the hill to stop at small cemetaries and the Australian an Turkish memorials before reaching the New Zealand memorial on Chunuk Bair. It is nice that the NZ memorial stands above the others with a statue of Mustafa (Ataturk) alongside.
We then retreated to the ferry across the Dardanelles to Canakkale to our hotel. In the morning we headed to Troy which turned out to be a lot more than we expected. Obviously there is a large wooden horse at the entrance for tourist photos, but once the excavations are reached the picture is much more interesting. Our guide had more of a passion for ancient history and the explanations were more detailed than for the Gallipoli battlefields. He was able to demonstrate the 10 distinct layers of building from the bronze age through to 600AD. Owing to its position at the southern end of the Dardanelles strait it was an important marine port. Whether the stories in the Illiad are accurate is doubtful, but much of the evidence fits.
Anyway, on to Israel.
Thursday 9 June 2016
Turkish taxi drivers
I'll start with a rant. This afternoon we returned from the cruise terminal to our hotel, a distance that would normally be 1.7 km and take 7 minutes. This ahould have cost around TL5-8 ($NZ4-5). We should have known better - not only did the driver not know the address, but the taxi windscreen was shattered with a star burst in front of the driver and he drove through busy traffic with his head down typing the adress into his cell phone. After several near misses and a roundabout route he dropped us off at the back of the Blue Mosque 1.3km from the hotel with a meter reading TL40. He then tried to say that the TL20 notes we had were "old money"and not acceptable and tried to give us a TL50 note with some vague suggestion that we should give him TL100 and go shopping to get "real money".
On the other hand his driving was no worse than the norm here with our tour driver this morning taking a route through a busy petrol station to improve his position by 3 places in the traffic. There seems to no requirement to avoid cell phones or pay attention to the traffic and the norm is to change lanes without signalling or waiting for a suitable space.
Rant over.
On Tuesday night we dined at a restaurant (Lekker) ,a block from the hotel after a talk with the hustler. He claimed that after only 8 months in usiness thay were #36 in Istanbul on Tripadvisor. When we checked they were #78 which is still good given that is out of over 1200 listed.. The food was a mix of Turish/Ottoman, Italian, French and seafood. I opted for a Testi Kebab which is cooked in a ceramic pot with a aluminium foil cap and delivered to the table over a flaming base. To serve aluminium foil is drawn tight, the pot is inverted and the side of the pot is tapped leading to the bottom of the pot blowing off with a burst of steam. Very spectacular and the dish was really nice. I could not understand how the vegetables were still fresh tasting and crisp while they appeared to have been cooked with the lamb which was tender. I assume the meat was precooked and the mixture was heated rapidly not too long before serving.
Wednesday we visited the Hagia Sophia, a cathedral originally built in roman time and added to over the years. The style is very different to the European model with an almost square shape. The nave is covered by an immense dome supported by 4 half domes that cover the aisles and sanctuary areas (if it was a church). However after the Ottoman conquest it was converted into a mosque and remained that until Attaturk declared it a museum in the 20s. Surprisingly much of the Bysantine christian decorations were still there, though covered over and there are a lot of christian mosaics. Even with a lot of the interior covered by scaffolding for renovations it is still impressive.
After a relaxing bus tour around the Golden Horn (an estuary that separates the old town from the more moder city centre to the north) we headed for the Blue Mosque expecting to spend some time there being wowed. After crossing a large courtyard and being supervised to take off shoes, cover hair, etc, we walked in and found little keep us there long. The building is large with a huge dome and entirely covered inside with mosaic tiles, mostly blue, but once seen there is nothing to do other than listen to the quaran being read in a high voice and watch the faithful coming and going. We left after 15 minutes and as it was still early afternoon decided to visit the Topkapi Palace which turned out to further away and larger than we expected leaving us tired by the time we finished. The palace grounds cover a large area, originally the whole end of the old town peninsular, and the palace itself was built in 3 courtyards with progressively les public access. For many years this was the seat of government for the Ottoman empire which seems to have been less than democratic. Some of the private rooms for the sultan and his women are opulent, but the general feeling is quite modest. We did not get to see the reputedly spartan and unheated rooms of the court concubines as there were many renovations in progress.
Dinner was at a seafood restaurant rated at #30 by Tripadvisor which again was close to the hotel. The reataurant is small with the ceiling covered in hanging glass lamps of differing style and colour. The menu was not extensive and the food was good but not outstanding. (Gillian has decided that we will go back to Lekker so she can try the Testi Kebab)
Thursday we took a tour around the city including a boat trip up the Bosphorus, narrow strait connecting Marmara Seaa with the Black Sea that is the border between Europe and Asia. The first thing apparent to me was that there is obviously no tides here as the roads and piers are all constructed low to the water, the second the huge number of day trip boats tied up along the piers with very few apparently in use. The boat we were on had around 40 onboard against a capacity of around 700. The hotel we're in has 2 - 3 rooms in use per night and it is obvious that tourist numbers are well down on normal, probably due to the bombings.
We have just returned from dinner at Lekker and are preparing to head for Gallipoli early tomorrow. Hope to blog our impressions of the battlefield tomorrow.
On the other hand his driving was no worse than the norm here with our tour driver this morning taking a route through a busy petrol station to improve his position by 3 places in the traffic. There seems to no requirement to avoid cell phones or pay attention to the traffic and the norm is to change lanes without signalling or waiting for a suitable space.
Rant over.
On Tuesday night we dined at a restaurant (Lekker) ,a block from the hotel after a talk with the hustler. He claimed that after only 8 months in usiness thay were #36 in Istanbul on Tripadvisor. When we checked they were #78 which is still good given that is out of over 1200 listed.. The food was a mix of Turish/Ottoman, Italian, French and seafood. I opted for a Testi Kebab which is cooked in a ceramic pot with a aluminium foil cap and delivered to the table over a flaming base. To serve aluminium foil is drawn tight, the pot is inverted and the side of the pot is tapped leading to the bottom of the pot blowing off with a burst of steam. Very spectacular and the dish was really nice. I could not understand how the vegetables were still fresh tasting and crisp while they appeared to have been cooked with the lamb which was tender. I assume the meat was precooked and the mixture was heated rapidly not too long before serving.
Wednesday we visited the Hagia Sophia, a cathedral originally built in roman time and added to over the years. The style is very different to the European model with an almost square shape. The nave is covered by an immense dome supported by 4 half domes that cover the aisles and sanctuary areas (if it was a church). However after the Ottoman conquest it was converted into a mosque and remained that until Attaturk declared it a museum in the 20s. Surprisingly much of the Bysantine christian decorations were still there, though covered over and there are a lot of christian mosaics. Even with a lot of the interior covered by scaffolding for renovations it is still impressive.
After a relaxing bus tour around the Golden Horn (an estuary that separates the old town from the more moder city centre to the north) we headed for the Blue Mosque expecting to spend some time there being wowed. After crossing a large courtyard and being supervised to take off shoes, cover hair, etc, we walked in and found little keep us there long. The building is large with a huge dome and entirely covered inside with mosaic tiles, mostly blue, but once seen there is nothing to do other than listen to the quaran being read in a high voice and watch the faithful coming and going. We left after 15 minutes and as it was still early afternoon decided to visit the Topkapi Palace which turned out to further away and larger than we expected leaving us tired by the time we finished. The palace grounds cover a large area, originally the whole end of the old town peninsular, and the palace itself was built in 3 courtyards with progressively les public access. For many years this was the seat of government for the Ottoman empire which seems to have been less than democratic. Some of the private rooms for the sultan and his women are opulent, but the general feeling is quite modest. We did not get to see the reputedly spartan and unheated rooms of the court concubines as there were many renovations in progress.
Dinner was at a seafood restaurant rated at #30 by Tripadvisor which again was close to the hotel. The reataurant is small with the ceiling covered in hanging glass lamps of differing style and colour. The menu was not extensive and the food was good but not outstanding. (Gillian has decided that we will go back to Lekker so she can try the Testi Kebab)
Thursday we took a tour around the city including a boat trip up the Bosphorus, narrow strait connecting Marmara Seaa with the Black Sea that is the border between Europe and Asia. The first thing apparent to me was that there is obviously no tides here as the roads and piers are all constructed low to the water, the second the huge number of day trip boats tied up along the piers with very few apparently in use. The boat we were on had around 40 onboard against a capacity of around 700. The hotel we're in has 2 - 3 rooms in use per night and it is obvious that tourist numbers are well down on normal, probably due to the bombings.
We have just returned from dinner at Lekker and are preparing to head for Gallipoli early tomorrow. Hope to blog our impressions of the battlefield tomorrow.
Tuesday 7 June 2016
Istanbul - first day
We're sitting in our hotel in Istanbul, a small hotel with 10 rooms in the old city, aptly named Hotel Miniature. Very comfortable and located within short distance of 4 of the major attractions here, the Agia Sofia basilica (an ancient cathedral), the Blue Mosque, the Egyption Spice Market and the Grand Bazaar. While the distances ae short, the city is not flat and the walk back from the spice market was testing.
Our flight over here was long but otherwise pleasant with excellent food and an overnight stay in Seoul. The hotel there (Grand Hyatt) is beside the airport terminal and caters largely I suspect for the transit passengers. With 2 towers of 10 storeys, each with 3 wings, the number of rooms is huge and they have 60 seat buses providing.a shuttle to the terminal every 15 minutes - the scale of international travel is hard to envisage from a New Zealand perspective.
Our first impressions of Istanbul are confused. On the ride from the airport we passed areas with pleasant gardens, apartment blocks with nice tree lined streets but masses of road works which seem to have been abandoned for some time with dusty areas of the road cordoned off and no sign of activity. Arriving in the old town area the roads are generally narrow and shared by vehicles and pedestrians. Buildings are generally nondescript and the street level are small shops and cafes spilling out to the edge of the road. While the outer areas are pleasant and well kept the central areas feel gritty and a bit down at heel. There are a number of empty and apparently abandoned buildings with broken windows ands boarded facades.
Today we walked down to the tourist area of the Sultanahmet and caught a bus tour that took us across the Golden Horn (an estuary), past the main town area and across the Bosphorus into the Asian side of the city and back, getting off at the Egyptian Spice Market. This is a market building with small stalls selling nuts, sweets, dried fruit, herbs abd spices, dinnerware, gifts and local items like glass tea sets. To my surprise the merchants haven't been too pushy yet. I have noticed that most shops do not show prices against displays and we have been advised to bargain for everything and expect to pay no more than 60% of the first price quoted.
We plan on finding a rooftop restaurant tonight dependent on fine weather. In this area there are cafes everywhere with kebabs and seafood predominating.
Our flight over here was long but otherwise pleasant with excellent food and an overnight stay in Seoul. The hotel there (Grand Hyatt) is beside the airport terminal and caters largely I suspect for the transit passengers. With 2 towers of 10 storeys, each with 3 wings, the number of rooms is huge and they have 60 seat buses providing.a shuttle to the terminal every 15 minutes - the scale of international travel is hard to envisage from a New Zealand perspective.
Our first impressions of Istanbul are confused. On the ride from the airport we passed areas with pleasant gardens, apartment blocks with nice tree lined streets but masses of road works which seem to have been abandoned for some time with dusty areas of the road cordoned off and no sign of activity. Arriving in the old town area the roads are generally narrow and shared by vehicles and pedestrians. Buildings are generally nondescript and the street level are small shops and cafes spilling out to the edge of the road. While the outer areas are pleasant and well kept the central areas feel gritty and a bit down at heel. There are a number of empty and apparently abandoned buildings with broken windows ands boarded facades.
Today we walked down to the tourist area of the Sultanahmet and caught a bus tour that took us across the Golden Horn (an estuary), past the main town area and across the Bosphorus into the Asian side of the city and back, getting off at the Egyptian Spice Market. This is a market building with small stalls selling nuts, sweets, dried fruit, herbs abd spices, dinnerware, gifts and local items like glass tea sets. To my surprise the merchants haven't been too pushy yet. I have noticed that most shops do not show prices against displays and we have been advised to bargain for everything and expect to pay no more than 60% of the first price quoted.
We plan on finding a rooftop restaurant tonight dependent on fine weather. In this area there are cafes everywhere with kebabs and seafood predominating.
Friday 3 June 2016
Our Northern Migration 2016
Once again the Kiwi Bertrams are taking flight away from the southern hemisphere winter. This time we're heading back to some familiar places, looking at a few new and trying to slow the pace down to a relaxing level.
We start with 6 days in Istanbul with a side trip to Gallipoli and Troy, 8 days in Israel, 6 weeks enjoying the food in Greece, 2 weeks in Sicily and 3 weeks in the UK.
Istanbul is a recommendation from our travel agent and there seems a lot of history and the clash of cultures to experience, but I am looking forward to the roof top restaurants and lively markets.
Israel has always been a background to the christian tradition with place names that are part of our heritage. It will be good to put a visual perspective against the tradition.
Greece we last visited in 2005 and loved the food and the people. Again we're retracing the places that Gillian's father touched during WWII, particularly this time the wreck of the Jansen at Methoni. In reality we'll be lazing around in the heat and relearning how to make good Greek coffee. The last 2 weeks in Greece will be on the island of Samos with friends from the UK so we expect to see the beach and the bars of the island.
Sicily we know nothing about so this will be a visit of exploration and lazing around the beaches,
In England we will be seeing the West Country in summer, unlike the last time we were there in the middle of a freezing winter in 1997. We finish up with a week in Kent catching up with friends in Kent.
If you are reading this I hope you will follow our journey over the next 3 months. As I am not taking a laptop photos may not be frequent, but I will try to get some in the blog at some time.
Stephen
We start with 6 days in Istanbul with a side trip to Gallipoli and Troy, 8 days in Israel, 6 weeks enjoying the food in Greece, 2 weeks in Sicily and 3 weeks in the UK.
Istanbul is a recommendation from our travel agent and there seems a lot of history and the clash of cultures to experience, but I am looking forward to the roof top restaurants and lively markets.
Israel has always been a background to the christian tradition with place names that are part of our heritage. It will be good to put a visual perspective against the tradition.
Greece we last visited in 2005 and loved the food and the people. Again we're retracing the places that Gillian's father touched during WWII, particularly this time the wreck of the Jansen at Methoni. In reality we'll be lazing around in the heat and relearning how to make good Greek coffee. The last 2 weeks in Greece will be on the island of Samos with friends from the UK so we expect to see the beach and the bars of the island.
Sicily we know nothing about so this will be a visit of exploration and lazing around the beaches,
In England we will be seeing the West Country in summer, unlike the last time we were there in the middle of a freezing winter in 1997. We finish up with a week in Kent catching up with friends in Kent.
If you are reading this I hope you will follow our journey over the next 3 months. As I am not taking a laptop photos may not be frequent, but I will try to get some in the blog at some time.
Stephen
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