Mediterranean Cruise- Chania, Crete (Last stop!)

 We had a lovely, relaxing day in Crete.  After we got off the ship, we walked through part of the port city of Chania, stopping to check out the small, but ornate, Cathedral in town.

Then, we went to a small beach to enjoy the sun.  Elijah had a great time playing in the sand and in the water.  It was such a peaceful and relaxing day to spend as a family.

Crete was also the culinary highlight of our cruise stops.  We had gyros at every stop, but the ones in Crete were the best and the cheapest. We saw a sign at a cafe on the harbor that was a special gyro meal for two and included two gyros, fries, and beer or another drink for 10 euros.  Little did we know that we each got two gyros, fries and a drink.  We couldn't even finish!! 

Furthermore, we are huge gelatto fans and have tried it at easily over a dozen places in several European cities, but the gelatto we had in Crete was the best!  It was so creamy and the chocolate and hazelnut flavors were to die for!

This (finally) concludes the blogs about our cruise.  Overall, it was a very nice trip and we are so happy to have seen some cities we wouldn't have been able to travel to if it weren't for the cruise.

Mediterranean Cruise- Kusadasi/Ephesus, Turkey

Kusadasi/Ephesus may be our favorite stop on any of our European travels.  The religious significance of this area is very important to us and it was amazing to see some of these places where friends and family of Jesus actually walked.  We had an excellent tour guide who was able to explain all of the sights, which was very helpful because signage was limited.

 First we went to the House of the Virgin Mary.  It is widely believed that St. John took Mary to live in this house after the death of Jesus.

Then we went to see the actual ruins of Ephesus.  Some of the more notable sites are pictured here:

The theater could hold 25,000 people.  It was used for plays and for gladiator competitions. 

Much of the original plumbing is still in tact.  These are pipes used to carry water in and out of the city.

Original roads of Ephesus.

Hadrian's Temple

These are the terrace houses, which are particularly fascinating because much of the paint and mosaics on the walls, floors, and ceilings are still in tact.  These were the "city apartments" for the most wealthy citizens of Ephesus.

 Library of Celsus.

This is one of the places in Ephesus that St. Paul was commonly known to preach.

Finally, we went to see Artemis' Temple.  Although it is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, it seemed a bit underwhelming compared to some of the other ruins.

Little man was a little worn out by all of our sight seeing!!

After going through the ruins, we went to have lunch at one of the places where the weavers make traditional Turkish rugs.  Lunch consisted of several Turkish salads, bread, and roasted, kabob-like chicken.  It was amazing to see the intricacy and beauty of some of the weavings.

We couldn't get back on the ship without trying a Turkish gyro from a street vendor.

We would highly recommend a trip to Ephesus and hope to one day be able to see more Christian heritage sights in Israel and beyond.

Mediterranean Cruise- Athens

Athens was a bit of a whirlwind, to say the least.  We got off of the ship early in the morning and walked quite a ways to the train station, where we took the metro into Athens proper and got off on the back side of the Acropolis. 

We walked up a million steps, with Drew carrying the stroller (with Eli in it), and found an entrance to the Acropolis.  At this point it was time for Elijah's lunch so we fed him and let him have a little nap in the stroller before we had to check it to enter.  While we were waiting for him to wake, Drew climbed a hill that St. Paul used to preach on and got an amazing view of the Acropolis.

Inside the Acropolis was amazing.  It was a little disappointing that many of the structures, including the Parthenon, were under construction so our view was obstructed by scaffolding and cranes, but it was spectacular, none the less.  Elijah didn't like being in the sling and the sun was very strong on the hill so we didn't spend too much time inside after checking out all of the important highlights and taking a good look around.  It was particularly amazing to me how the structures themselves, and even some of the writing in the stone has survived from the fourth or fifth century until now.

When we were through with the traditional sights, we went to a little flea market on the back side of the Acropolis.  It was so interesting to see all the icons, lamps, ouzo, spices, and other Greek specialties sold in the market.  We also enjoyed cold drinks and gyros from a street vendor in the market.  We met a young man who had studied at Michigan State and was very interested in where we were from and our story.  He gave Elijah an icon magnet of the Saint Elijah for him to remember his time in Greece.

 

Overall, we felt like our time in Athens was a litte rushed, but really enjoyed the people and culture there.  Here's to a return trip to Greece!