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.
Friday, 17 June 2016
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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