Oia, Santorini

It was a discovery today, learning what "Greek time" is.  After deciding to take a local bus to a village on Santorini called Oia 12km north of Fira we headed to the bus stop.  Michael and I chatted to a French woman and her nephew, a chinese couple and a gentleman from the US while we waited for 1 3/4 hrs.  The bus is supposed to come each hour!  As it finally pulled up to the stop the driver yelled at us in Greek and we piled on to already packed bus!  1.40euro each and we arrived in beautiful Oia.

The pictures tell the story.

Pretty close to heaven on earth

Venetian fort at the mouth of the Iraklion port

Up early to drive back to Iraklion (Heraklion) this morning to catch the ferry to Santorini.  We were at the port in plenty of time to drop off the hire car and have a walk around the old Venetian port there.

Caught the ferry over to Santorini.  The water was like a mill pond - so calm. Taken to the Dana villas where we think we have died and gone to heaven.  The view across the water is absolutely magic.  We watched the sun go down with a glass of wine. Michael tried to describe it in his travel diary. 

Doesn't get much better than this!


Panoramic view from pool and in room. 

Arkadi Monastery, Rethymno. Crete

We travelled inland today, up in to the mountains where a 16th C Monastery exists as a monument to the bravery of 900 men, women and children who took refuge there during 1866 invasion by Turkey.  They blew up the gun powder to avoid being taken.  This time in Greek History is known as the Holocaust and is remember each November.  Two monks still live there.

The Fortress of Fortezza, Rethymno, Crete

The Greek flag flies of the fortress of Fortezza

Entry to the fortress

View over the ancient town of Rethymno

Trying to read Greek!

Built by the Venetians on the rocky hill a fortress dominates the landscape of Rethymno. It was built in 1573 on the ancient site of Rithimna. The fort consists of interesting buildings, some in ruins and some beautifully restored or being restored. 

Rethymno, Crete

We are now in Crete, staying in a 14th C building which is now the Veneto hotel. www.veneto.gr

Our room is 103 if you wanted to see. 

Front door of Veneto

Looking in through the front door to the restaurant.

The street outside the hotel

Another street view.

Last night with Rhys

Electra Palace

On the roof of our hotel, Electra Palace in Athens there is a restaurant (Electra Roof Garden restaurant).
It looks up to the Acropolis and as the sun sets the lights come on to light the Parthenon and other buildings up there.  It was a beautiful place to say "Goodbye" to Rhys and enjoy a delicious meal. (the more you pay the less you get on your plate!!).

You can just see the Acropolia in the background.  It was really, really windy too.

Rhys has now headed back to work in Cardiff although he thinks he will be home soon - misses his Mum too much.

Delphi

We took a bus trip today to Delphi.  Weather is cold and raining which is such a shame when we climbed high up into the mountains from Athens.

Rhys posing in front of the 2,000 year old ruins with fabulous view behind.

Bronze statue from Delphi Museum

178km north west of Athens is Delphi.  The city was most popular between the 6th and 4th Centuries BC when pilgrims came to this place high in the mountains to ask advice of an oracle who was believed to speak for Apollo. Built on the slope of Mt Parnassos ancient Greeks believed Delphi to be the centre of the universe.

'Kalimera' Rhys

Saturday morning early we were picked up by a driver from the Taslik Hotel in Istanbul to travel to Ataturk Airport.  Security check after security check we eventually found our selves on an Olympic Airways flight to Athens.   Lovely airlines - lots of room in the seats. 
Arrived in Athens to blue, blue skies after all the rain in Istanbul at 12:00 noon.  Once again picked up by a friendly driver and taken to the Electra Palace right in the centre of the Plaka district. 
"Your son is already here", they told us.  I could hardly wait to see him.  Got to the room - no Rhys.  Went up to the pool and there he was!!!  Looking gorgeous, with his Welsh tan - white, white. So much to catch up on and having a great time doing it.

Mick, Dale and Rhys outside the Parthenon

Dolmabahce Palace, Istanbul

Although we had to queue for two hours in various locations in the palace grounds we spent the day looking over the beautiful Dolmabahce (pronounced dolmabachay) Palace which was the summer holiday palace for the sultans from the Ottoman Empire.  Mustafa Kemal Ataturk also used this palace when he stayed in Istanbul and also died in one of the bedrooms in 1938. It poured with rain today so the pictures of this palace are downloaded from the net just to give you an idea of the opulence.

The chandelier in the main reception room weighs 4 tonnes and is magnificent.

Last dinner with tour group

Terry, Andy, Brian, Mick, Leanne, Sue, Claudeth, Dale, Rhonda and Christine at our table

Tonight was the last night for most of our tour group in Istanbul.  They have been a friendly, caring and fun group of people from all over the world.  We decided to go out to dinner at a little restaurant down the road from the Taslik hotel.  Aussies, Poms, Welsh, Canadians, Indians made up our group.  So sad to say goodbye. 

Two days till we meet Rhys!!

Another wet day in Istanbul

Hagia Sophia - gold mosaics from Christian times

The angel's face as it has been revealed in the restoration of Hagia Sophia.

Topkapi Palace overlooking the Bosphorous

In the corner of the huge central dome there are 4 seraphim mosaics ( God's protector angels with 6 wings) on the 4 pendentives that carry the dome. The 4 seraphims' faces were covered with 6-7 layers of plaster for almost 160 years during the sovereignty of Ottomans. The last person who saw the faces of the Seraphims was the Swiss architect Gaspare Fossati while he was holding the restoration at Hagia Sophia in 1840s. With 10 days hard work, experts managed to take off the 7 layers of plasters and reveal the face of one of the seraphims.

 

 

 

Back in Istanbul

Street scene in wet wet Istanbul.

Constantine Obelisk in the Hippodrome, Istanbul

Inside the beautiful Blue Mosque

Carpet in the Blue Mosque - pattern denotes where prayers will

 kneel to pray.

We queued up to enter the Blue Mosque in the rain.   We all had to take our shoes off before we entered.