SWITZERLAND
August 7 - 18 , 2009

Katrine, the daughter-in-law of Dori drove us to the Swiss railroad station in Wehr and we boarded the train for Basel, Switzerland. This town is in the northwestern canton ( providence ), is the second largest city in Switzerland, and doesn't receive much press. There is a point in Basel where France, Germany, and Switzerland all meet. The station is 11 miles from Wehr and cost $12US. The rail stations in Switzerland are places to be. There are designer shopping, grocery shopping, wine stores, and bookstores. The rail station drops you off right in the middle of old town and it didn't take long to find the hotel that Bob and I, separately, spent 2 hours trying to decide where to stay. The internet does take you hours if you don't know where you want to go or stay in an area. You have to familiarize yourself with the different regions, chose a destination and then start looking at hotels. The one we had decided on was booked so we had to find no. 2. Finally we booked The Central Hotel which was right on the same block as the rail station. Marilyn Monroe was pictured over our beds, we settled in, and went out exploring.

 

 

BASEL
August 7 - 9, 2009

The local trolley system is very well marked and the trains run every few minutes. We never had to wait more then 4 minutes for a trolley. We explored several neighbourhoods, all within blocks of each other. There were 4 different walking tours of the city and we managed to do two of them. There were some magnificent sites and I was reminded of Seattle's founding fathers…the crooks. Two families of the same name made their fortune in manufacturing silk ribbons and when a king came to visit he was disheartened to find out they had megabucks because they paid no taxes in Switzerland.

 

 

You have to be impressed with the Town Hall ( Rathaus ). It really has no date but they use the 16th century as a starting point. Over the centuries there has been constant adding on but it manages to keep its integrity. The colourful roof tile was repeated around the city on some of the oldest buildings.

 

 

SPALENTOR

This 600 year old city gate was supposedly the prettiest of the 40 defensive gates and turrets and is only one of three to survive the walls' demolition in 1866. It still has the original two drop gates and set of wooden doors. There were whimsical creatures carved into the walls and turrets. Also note the roof tiles in their colourful geometric configuration.

 

On one of the tours you would get a ride across the river in this oldest innovation. There are etchings of people trying to cross the river on someone's back so this was a better alternative. The cable ran on a pulley system that is now an electric motor but originally was done by hand. The Rhine River flows swiftly through the center of Old Town. It boasts the hottest weather in Switzerland and there were people getting the thrill of the summer by swimming down the river with air bladders strapped to their backs.

 

 

The Grossbasel is on the north side of the river and Kleinbasel, being the working-class locality, is on the south side. The relief bust of Lallekeenig or the Tongue King by the Mittlere Brucke Bridge pretty much sums up how the stuffy courtesans felt about the craftsmen. You can look at buildings and furnishings and wonder how ancient peoples lived but to know how they thought is precious. This bust is a reproduction as the original is in a museum so that future generations can marvel about attitudes of the past. The old town is in Grossbasel but I liked the unusual buildings, narrow cobbled streets, and little shops of the Kleinbasel.

 

 

The city delights in painting the walls with tromp-de-'ole and other buildings around the area are painted with light hearted figures of butchers or medieval partying figures. Swiss currency is also irreverent with a CHF 10 note portraying the etching of a man pushing his tortoise-rimmed glasses up onto his forehead. So you can imagine our surprise at how many Swiss smoke. There is no way we could eat in the sidewalk cafes as we had to eat indoors where it is forbidden to smoke ( except in certain areas ).

 

 

Basel is famous for its celebration of the arts. The zany Tinguely Fountain has all sorts of wacky machines spewing and shooting water in all directions. The self possessed mad scientist Jean Tinguely ( 1925 - 91 ) was an artesian who lived in Basel and has many kinetic sculptures featured all over the world. He uses springs, togs, wheels, feathers and nuts and bolts to radiate in every angle and move in all directions. Guess it would be proper to say that his most successful destructive art was "Study for an End of the World #2" in the desert near Las Vegas in 1962.

Basel boasts the usual symphony, opera, and museums of art but it also has a cartoon museum and a teddy bear museum. The highlight of our journey was the Van Gogh exhibit "Between earth and heaven: The Landscapes". No sunflowers or starry, starry nights but a very well thought out progression of his insanity through his landscapes. I was impressed equally with their collection of medieval art from the 11-13 century. I had forgotten how brutally vivid images of heaven and hell were etched on the faces of the mortals here on earth. Torment reigned high on teaching the illiterates how to behave.

 

 

No tour is complete without the church and this one was a doozy. Up on the hill overlooking the river it had been added on to many times. It had your usual heavily carved wood and high arched ceilings and it even had two towers that were built to hold more graves. The more famous people have their faces carved into the sarcophagus and each one had an emotion; some with amusing smirks, some with power and nobility, and some with peace.

 

 

When this addition was added they thought to blur the edge of the old and new by adding a statue of St. Martin. Originally, he was helping a beggar but later it was not fashionable to have a beggar so close to a church so they jack-hammered the beggar and turned him into a stump…go figure.

 

 

Ah Ha!! Finally I found out why there are so many troughs and not so many animals. The water is drinkable for everyone. This one was just outside the church. They come in many sizes and materials; from wood, stone, or tile and from many ages. The water is cold, clear, and refreshing.

The next morning I was awaken by a huge clap of thunder and torrents of rain. It's a great day for traveling to Zurich. It was an uneventful 45 minute ride and we were ceremoniously dropped off at the huge station….then the fun began. There were multitudes of young people dressed in neon green or flaming pink or dressed in nothing at all. Themes and costumes were the order of the day. New wave music was loudly pulsating to the strobes and laser colour show that lit up the terminal. There were roars from the crowd and you could feel the excitement. We, on the other hand, were trying to get from the train station to the airport to pick up a car. When we did get to the airport and rented a brand new car the guy told us not to go into Zurich as it was gridlock for the whole day - it was the Techno Parade. Go figure, so much for the Swiss reputation of orderly and sublime.

We spent 1.5 hours driving through the countryside to Luzern and its famous lake. Bob misses his mobile GPS as we drove around the city looking at neighbourhoods that we haven't seen. The maps are for informational purposes only and not to be trusted ( according to Bob ).

 

 

LUZERN
August 9 - 10, 2009

Lucerne was first mentioned in 840AD. Luciaria means light in Latin and it is known as the City of Light. According to the local guide it is one of the world's six most frequently visited cities in Europe. Everyone from the likes of Queen Victoria, Wagner, Mark Twain and many rock stars have passed through here and sung its praises.

By this time the threatening skies unleash its fury again with a single thunderclap and we were in for a wet ride. Since we had nothing but time ( and no umbrella ) we took a small motorized train tour of the city. This helped us see everything in the dry comfort of the cars. The one question that was left unanswered was that there were city gates and walls from the medieval ages and old Baroque homes from the late 1800's but nothing in between. What happened to all the history in between the 13th century and the 20th century?

It didn't take us long to find out we were not going to be spending the night in town so we headed out the road north along the lake. Meggan is 15km from Luzern and we found a great little place with excellent pasta. Swiss beds don't use sheets but a fluffy down comforter with a seer-sucker like duvet cover. The bed was so wonderful I actually dreamt that night that I was sleeping in the best bed ever.

 

 

By morning light (the clock bells start ringing at 8 am sharp) the skies had cleared enough to help us make the decision to stay another day and do Luzern proper. First we went to the center of Meggan and to the shore of Lake Luzern for a view of the mountains.

 

 

Then it was back to the village and its history. We started at the oldest church and then took a detour by walking up a long steep stairway. At the top of the stairway was a sign saying we were going the wrong way if we wanted to go to the Lion's Gate.

 

 

No worry, we knew that, we were looking for exercise and a great view of the lake and village. The Swiss place a lot of emphasis on exercise. From the old church this narrow roadway wound up the hill and every 100 yds. was a small plaque on a stand that represented a station of the cross. Christians could say their rosary, get into heaven, and get into shape all on a Sunday morning.

 

 

THE LION'S GATE

The dying lion of Luzern carved into natural rock face was created in 1820/21 in memory of the Swiss heroes who gave their lives at the Tuileries in Paris in 1792. This memorial was so moving I wouldn't be surprised if after fighting for France in the French Revolution is when they decided to become a neutral territory.

 

 

MUSEGG WALL AND ITS TOWERS

Nine towers dominate this ancient fortress forming a part of the wall that protected the city. There is a short walk along the wall and you can climb up into 3 of the towers. The clock tower was fascinating with the old and new clock works available to see on three floors. Bob kept wondering where the gears were for the minute hand and then on observation of the face we realized there was no minute hand. Out of respect this clock gets to ring its bells several minutes before the rest of the clock bells in the city.

 

 

The watchtower has this whimsical top that I hadn't noticed until we climbed all the way to the top in this tallest of the nine towers.

 

 

CHAPEL BRIDGE or KAPELL-BRUCKE

This wooden covered bridge crosses the Reuss River connecting the old town with the working-mans hamlet across the way. Built in 1333 it featured a number of gabled paintings of Swiss history and mythology. In August 1993 the bridge was seriously damaged by fire and rebuilt within 8 months. There was some talk about what to do about the 81 gabled paintings that survived the fire and they are in a museum. The first ones on each end of the bridge are original and the rest are from a painter of the 18th century. The octagonal water tower was a watchtower in the 13th century and later became a dungeon and torture chamber.

 

 

THE SPREUERBRUCKE BRIDGE

This is a little further down the river and is a darker and smaller version of the Chapel Bridge. Built in 1408 it has never been restored. To think the wooden logs were original and in such great condition was mind boggling. This bridge is affectionately known as the "Death Dance Bridge" for the gable paintings depicting how the plague affected all of society. They were gruesome with lots of skeletons and blood.

 

 

ARCH OF RAILROAD STATION

It is all that is left of the original train station. The station burned down but the arch is well preserved. The statues had their arms and noses! You will notice this is the only Swiss clock that we have seen that is not working.

The next morning we packed up the car and headed towards the Alps.

 

 

The trip through Val Blenio valley up to the Lukmanier Pass was just as you would expect from the Alps. Switzerland must hold the record for tunnels and it does hold the record ( so they say ) for the longest road tunnel. There was a method to the madness and a traffic light told you when it was your turn to enter. 17km later we exited into the sunlight and a ragged narrow colourful canyon lay before us. Bob is a better sea navigator than mountain navigator and somehow in the middle of the tunnel we were supposed to make a left turn. Guess we were so excited about the tunnel we didn't see the turnoff before the entrance. Taking the long way is never a problem in the mountains and soon we were climbing the ridge on a narrow, two lane winding road.

 

 

The trees became scarce as the cliffs loomed before us. Soon as we got to the top of the Lukmanier Pass the terrain looked like it was covered in moss. No trees, no flowers, no rocks, just a blanket of green alpine grasses.

 

 

The buildings changed too. As we descended down from the pass the tiny hamlets blended into the scenery. The desolation and isolation was imminent. Slate roofs, stone buildings, and wooden barns blanketed the countryside with very little colour. You couldn't help notice though how all the barns, no matter how old, were neat and tidy. No rusting farm equipment lying by the barns, no trashy fences, and fields that are clipped on a regular bases. The language is also changing. It looks like Italian but is called Romansch.

 

 

We slid down between several peaks and entered the area called Graubunden Alps. Called the "Swiss Grand Canyon" it is a deep river canyon than has many limestone pinnacles and crevasses. Unlike the Grand Canyon, it was carved 10,000 years ago by an enormous glacier that receded out of the Survelva Valley and created Europe's most fantastic landslides. The Vorderrhein River sent thousands of tons of debris down the valley and formed the 400m deep gorge. Flimster Bergstutz landslides and a million years of erosion created the Ruin' Aulta ( high quarry in Romansch ).

 

 

ILANZA

The train stops here and so this is the largest community around these desolate mountain peaks. This village has only 3 hotels and you can walk from one end to the other in 10 minutes. We looked at several hotel guides and decided to try the next town of Val. This hamlet is at the end of the line and has two claims to fame; a sparkling water factory and a mineral hot water bath that was designed by a Basel architect. The journey was idyllic with a winding single country lane road hugging the side of the mountain overlooking some very green valleys. The factory is a sterile, modern industrial complex and the mineral spa was buried in the trees.

 

 

On our way back to Ilanza Bob marveled at how they can cut the grass on such steep slopes. The barns dotting the hillsides are used to store the grass but where is all the livestock? I marveled at what it must take to get the livestock up to the high pastures when we hugged the edges of the roadway looking for safety. Later I found out that some towns have competitions to see who the head bull is. These butting bulls bully each other ( sorry just had to use the cliché ) and the winner gets the best oats and wine. He also gets to lead the herd to high pastures and is probably king heifer in the eyes of the cows. This competition is so fierce ( although no one gets hurt ) that sperm is frozen and there is in vitro fertilization to assure the biggest and best bulls.

We found a 1901 nice hotel with great food. There is a local dish that the proprietor could not explain in English. Well, that means we absolutely had to try it. Spinach wrapped ravioli-like pockets of something that was not beef. Chapun was so delicious we ordered it every night for an appetizer.

 

 

Oh Goody!! I found a great hiking trail that promised views of Ruin' Aulta.

 

 

Bob, of course, demanded he be the navigator and so off we started up the country lane. We walked through rolling hills of farms and orchards and we were treated to a glorious view of

 

 

( don't laugh ) Crap da Flem. Not long into the trip Bob asked me if this is what I expected and I said I thought we would be walking along the river not climbing 1,000's of feet into the stratosphere.

 

 

My legs were screaming but the views were stupendous…it just wasn't what was described in the guide. We had a picnic lunch at an outlook point and when we continued up the narrow path I finally had to say we were lost.

 

Now hiking is a serious sport so the intersecting passages in Switzerland are very well marked with lots of fresh water troughs along the way. Upon further bantering we decided to walk back down the slope for 2 miles before we found where we had gone astray. Bob says it is not fair because, ideally, he should have his GPS and a topographical map. I said we would have never seen the eagle-eye view of the gorge if we had stayed on the path. We both agreed we had had enough exercise and maybe we should find the nearest train station and head back to Ilanz.

 

 

We stopped to resupply our water and resumed the walk down to the river and experienced the gorge towering over us. No sun reaches this part of the gorge except in the heart of the summer so occasionally we would get a great glimpse of contrasting light of the crags and crevasses in the limestone.

We found the nearest station went back to the hotel and had our Chapun before turning in for the night. Tomorrow will prove to be even more exciting and we will see the rest of the Ruin' Altura that we missed today.

 

 

There is a turbulent stretch of the Vorderrhein River that is white-water heaven and we absolutely have to raft it. After breakfast we took off for Reicheneau to drop off the car, took the train back to Ilanza, and met the rafting guide at the train station at 2:30pm.

 

 

It was a class 3 river; I got to sit in the bucking bronco backseat of the raft and got tossed into the center of the boat twice! I am losing my touch. Our last dinner and Lizbeth served Bob his last Chapun.

We left Ilanza with "Auf Wiedershen", had lunch in the mountains with "Bon Appétit", and entered the village of Lauk with "Boun Giorno". The Swiss are so accommodating. It is August and high summer season, the Swiss retire early, and we were turned down at several hotels. We almost had to spend the night under the car and the stars but at the last minute we found a Zimmer... a room in the most delightful old couples home and she fixed us breakfast. Along side of the house was a grape orchard, several fruit trees and several rows of those pinky raspberries. I took a stroll of the garden with the old gent and he told me he makes his own wine and gave me three crisp apples for the journey ahead.

 

 

The Rhone river snakes through the valley and the hillsides are covered in grape orchards. The main road glides along the river but as you descend into the floor of the valley the mountains are rising in front of you. Turn off the main road and about 6 miles up the road you see a village stuffed into the crevasses of the hillsides.

 

 

LUEK
August 13 - 15. 2009

Over the centuries Romans, Celts, and Burgundians inhabited this small cliff top village and you feel like you are in a time warp. It is a small community of narrow cobbled streets and it closes up by 9pm.

 

 

The Hotel Schloss is a former monastery and now houses brain damaged clients along with a few visitors that pass muster. We qualified and signed up for two nights!

 

 

The view out our window was expansive with the Rhone River twisting around the high steep mountain limestone cliffs. There was lots of stain glass and marble floors with heavily carved doors. We played dominos in the playroom which could hold several poker games all at the same time.

The Swiss are generous with the honour system. There was plenty of local wine and beer available in our kitchen. Just jot down your name and take all the snacks and goodies with you. They make a very good local red and white wine and we enjoyed its smoothness and crispness at all the restaurants we visited.

 

 

ZERMATT

The road twisted up the foothills from Luek and the slopes are covered in grapevines. The Rhone River basin is perfect for 13 types of grapes. In 2005 Caves Fernand Cina won Switzerland's first gold medal at the Vinalies Internationales in Paris. The vines gave away to grasses and rocks before we entered the grotto called Tasch. This is the end of the line for cars and from now on services to the hotels and restaurants are accomplished with silent electrical cars.

 

 

We parked and rode the taxi into town and walked the pedestrian way into the heart of the ski village and soaked in the atmosphere. The village has only come into its own in the Mid-19th century so you would find old rail-road like timbered homes and sheds were interspersed with the newer stone buildings.

 

 

Can you guess why there are these stone discs on the foundation supports?
The streets were bustling with kids carrying skis, old hikers with their Nordic Poles, and summer sun bunnies buying sausages from a roadside stand. It was hot, dry, and the air was thin and still.

 

 

MATTERHORN

At 4478m the trigonometry of the solid rock monolith standing all by itself among other peaks is awesome. We started hiking up the slopes and found it a little too rigorous for us and so we consulted the map and traversed a mountainside slide to a cog-train station. This station is where the cars going up trade rails with the cars going down and, knowing the Swiss, it was accomplished flawlessly. We rode in style up to the 3090m Gornergrat and

 

 

soaked in the view of the glaciers and valleys that make up the basin. Just as we were approaching the top I noticed something way out of place and just could not believe it until I saw the poster in the lodge….a golf tournament!! Not a blade of grass in site, nor a tree, but there are leveled areas with a pole and flag. Putting may be the hardest part of this course but I bet the drives really go far in this thin air! Bob's thoughts ran to wondering why we were not there in the winter to ski. There were ski enthusiast skiing the upper slopes of the glaciers but it was too cold for us to go that high up the mountain.

 

 

Bob had blown out his hiking boots on the other trips and had on the wrong shoes for hiking down the slope. He wanted to do lunch in the lodge then take the cog-train back to where we got on so we would still have a mild hike. I looked over the terrain and knew it was my chance for something new. I could not miss an opportunity to practice my skills in front of so majestic a mountain.

 

 

I hit the trail and many paths crossed my way meandering down the slopes about 4 miles to the main village. The path was sparkling and twinkling from the crystallized rocks and intense sunlight. The harsh environment kept the wildflowers sparse and close to the ground. As I descended the slopes there were surprises,

 

 

Like this mountain pond of melted glacial water. The grasses are now plentiful and the wildflowers are taller with more variety. Another surprise was a left turn that I couldn't read the sign but said it ended up where I wanted to go. It was by far the steepest, narrowest, most harrowing experience I have ever had on a mountain. One slip and it would have been bounce, bounce, crash! Twice I scooted on my butt to cross over slippery boulders or on my hands and knees for 6' drops. Bob may have had the right idea by having lunch on the mountain top, and taking the cog-train back to the base. In 3 1/2 hours I had made the slopes, crossed the electrical sub-station and followed the raging milky turquoise waters to the village. I met Bob at the internet café in the village.

I was hungry but I wanted to skip lunch so that we could have a decent dinner at the Swiss dinner hour which is too early for us. We keep missing dinner and end up with snacks or, if we are on the road, stopping at not-so-good truck stops. The plan worked as, after a short walk through the narrow cobbled streets and medieval buildings of Luek I had a thick, perfectly grilled pork chop with spaetzle.

 

 

SAAS FEE

The next morning we took the other fork in the road and went to the lesser known ski area where the Matterhorn cannot be seen.

 

 

This place has a magically quality to it. The magic is a huge bowl where 9 glaciers have fingers snaking down through the crevices looking like a claw gripping the mountain range and dragging it away from us. More magic comes in the local legends about little forest people and trolls. Saas Fee had spirit and fantasy, healthy air, and numerous trails with water troughs of the cleanest, freshest water I have ever tasted. Bob and I had been walking a trail when we came to a diversion. I must quote the sign.

 

 

"Saas Fee is embraced by a wreath of 4,000m high mountains. Water flows into the valley from three sides from glaciers, mountains, and streams turning Saas Fee into some kind of 'water castle'. The element 'water' is found in abundance everywhere and forms the basis for creating 'The Alpine Wellness Experience' In the 19th century Sebastian Kneipp fell very ill. No doctor could help him so he started studying the health properties and the effect of water and the healing power of certain plants."

And you really don't want to know about the rest of his health regime because it involves exercise, diet, and attitude…ever hear that before? I didn't follow the Wellness rules exactly but first step is to warm up the body with rigorous exercise. This I accomplished by climbing up the steep pathway to this site.
Second step…I failed. I failed to keep my arms…

 

 

Or face in the water long enough to feel the true experience. There was a deep trough carved from a single log with a spigot constantly adding yet colder water to the bath. I slowly lowered my arms into the icy clear water and could feel my body tightening up everywhere. The cold seeped into my arms till it was like pins and needles. When I pulled out my arms and shook them they felt like they were floating in a sea of warm (it was 82dF). It was glacially ice cold, numbing, and made you tingle for several hours. The treatment tensed up your arms and face and made me feel taller. I managed to keep my arms in that pool for one minute imagine if I could of made it the full 5 minutes.

The next morning we were going to try for Chamonix in France to wonder why we were there in the summer instead of skiing in the winter. I was reading the guide and a jog off the highway would give us something new. The tiny hamlet of St. Leonard was just off the highway and we couldn't resist.

 

 

ST. LEONARD'S UNDERGROUND LAKE

In 1942 there was a landslide and so begins the history of Europe's biggest underground lake. Bob says when he is reincarnated he wants to come back as a Swiss pet. They take them everywhere including restaurants and public toilettes. So we were not surprised when a couple had a huge golden lab nervously trying to not slip on the metal boat. They felt the need to drag it into the experience. The air was cool, the water not as cool as I thought, and it was stocked with large trout that appeared weightless in the dimly lit crystal clear water.

I started to notice that the western part of Switzerland has lots of attractions that held more interest for me than another alpine ski destination. High in the Alps Val d'Heremence is home to one of the world's greatest hydraulic marvels,

 

 

The 285m high GRANDE DIXENCE DAM

When we got to the base of the dam we were thousands of meters up the slope and it was still a 45 minute walk to the top. No way, after all the climbing we have done on this trip my calves are just not going to cooperate. Collecting the melt water of 35 glaciers, weighing 15 million tons and supplying a fifth of Switzerland's energy this dam is an enigma. It reminded me of the monolith in 2001: A Space Odyssey. It felt like it had its own life looking at its scale and statistics.

 

 

This is the canyon compromising the Val d'Heremence. 15 million tons of water would rain down on the villages you can see on the floor of the valley.
We stopped at a gas station and I asked what would happen if the dam burst. She blinked and said "It's made in Switzerland ( nothing can go wrong ).

The irony of this side trip is that all over Switzerland there are small electrical stations on small, fast running streams supplying energy for the area immediately surrounding itself. The advantages, I deduced, would be because of constant threat of avalanches more stations would mean a smaller area would be affected. I hadn't seen any indication of a unified electrical system like in other countries. The irony of the largeness of this dam and it's potential and yet there are small back-up systems working together smoothly. It's the Swiss way.

 

 

The guide pointed out that on the way to the dam, in the hamlet of Heremence, is a Cubist-style church built in the wild 1960's that caused the traditionalist to pray to the heavens for redemption. I didn't think it was so outlandish. It looks more like a modern prison to me. Would have liked to see some colour splashes and more blocking, maybe which is why the locals were so upset.

We left the village, the road narrowed to a country lane, and we did the usual switchbacks up the steep sides of the valley. Several of the tunnels we zipped through had LED lighting in the roadway. The Swiss infrastructure is first class with quality of goods and services. Not wanting to backtrack down the mountain side we took a circular route and ended up in Val d'Herens.

 

 

Here we were promised some pinnacles with basalt tops and are called the Cheminees des fees ( fairy chimneys ). I thought Cappodocia, Turkey was unique and here we will see some more needle-thin sharp spires defying gravity. The difference being that these pinnacles were created by glacial movement not just erosion.

 

 

The layers of earth appeared to look similar to Cappodocia but with larger stones in the tufa ( conglomerate ) with the harder stone, basalt, balancing precariously on top. It still had the same effect.

The sun was beginning to drop towards the horizon and so we needed to start heading north, away from the Alps and towards the Swiss Riviera. The rugged mountains gave away to a carpet of green hills with dairy farms dominating the landscape. Within an hour we were skimming the east end of Lake Geneva.

MONTREUX

In the 19th century Montreux was gaining a reputation of being the perfect lake-side gathering place for artist, musicians, and other artsy types. It has gained in stature with the art crowd and those seeking a holiday on a mirror picturesque lake. Parking was easy, walk the underpass to the train, and there was the most pleasant walk around the lakefront. Gravel path weaving through grasses, flowers, and people having fun in the sun on towels or just sitting in beachwear on the rocks. As the path beckons you to follow there was a bend in a stone wall and before us was the most breathtaking site. A 13th century fortress built on an outcropping into Lake Geneva with her surrounding mountains. The path led us right to

 

 

CHATEAU de CHILLON

Lord Byron brought it to the world's attention and wrote about it in 1816. Why, even painter William Turner, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Mary Shelley have been moved to write about it. This fortress is filled with a maze of courtyards, towers and buildings. The country is full of museums of every sort and this castle held much of what I would interest me. I know I would have loved the 13th century furniture that lined its vast halls. The gardens would be full of native flora with stone courtyards. (Sigh) It was getting late in the day and we chose not to visit the famous oval castle. I easily could have spent the full day in the Chateau but we are on a whirlwind to see as much of Switzerland as we can before we need to reach Zurich.

Further down the lake is the Casino area which started the annual summer jazz festival in 1968. In 1971 somehow jazz turned into rock and Frank Zappa was on the queue giving a concert when the Casino caught on fire. The smoke was thick over the water of Lake Geneva but there were many lights from neighbouring buildings reflecting off the water. This inspired Deep Purple to pen their hit "Smoke on the Water" which was my all-time favourite dance tune in college.

Now I know the rest of the story. The original Casino may be gone but the area is remembered with lots of businesses with the name 'Casino' in its title.

We kept driving on out of Montreux proper which was making us arrive late on a Sunday; this is bad news because nothing is open on a Sunday in Switzerland. Several hotels had no vacancy and locked doors. Zimmers were closed up tight and there were no open restaurants. The dairy districts, Gruyere and Neuchatel lay before us and the shadows on the rolling hills were getting longer. We were not even planning to drive as far as Freiburg but we drove through 4 towns looking for shelter and could not find anywhere else to stay.

 

 

FREIBURG

Not by design but we saved my personal best of Switzerland for last. This was a medieval 12th century alpine town at its best. Driving through the old town and up the steep , narrow lanes I knew I was going to want to stay and explore. There were ancient, picturesque, heavy hewn beamed covered bridges ablaze in flower boxes spanning the river. Winding our way through many a narrow cobblestoned lane that was hugging the sides of the cliff, we pulled over into a parking spot and found a 14th century Inn that was beautifully restored right in the middle of the oldest part of Old Town. This is where the river bends twice through one small area molding it into a twisting maze of buildings, walkways, and fountains ( most with a drinking trough ).

 

 

First stop was to visit the CATHEDRALE DE ST NICOLAS DE MYRE. It dominated the town and sat on the hill just above the river. This brooding 13th century Gothic cathedral begins it's enchantment in the portal before you open the heavily carved oak doors. You are surrounded by a 15th century representation of the Last Judgment all done in statues and high relief.

 

 

There are lots of main prophets and small angels and each and every one of them has a different expression about the coming doom.
Speaking about doom this was the main theme of the spiritual experience both inside and outside this house of worship. There was stain glass windows vividly expressive with beheadings and being shot up with arrows. Ancient artwork lined the upper clearstory showing death, terror, and destruction. There was a modern bronze sculpture of the Last Judgment with some vivid primal terror. ( I can sell you some vivid pictures of this description and mail it in a plain brown wrapper )

 

 

And then you turn around and before you is the balance.

Switzerland loves its museums and Freiburg has many to choose between. There is Espace Jean Tinguely, a Guttenberg printing press, Swiss sewing machines (which had a beautifully carved door),

 

 

and the Musee Suisse de la Marionnette! Many of the museums of Switzerland have live performances and workshops.

We walked up a cobbled street lined with quaint shops and cafes, crossed a busy street, and instantly we were in the industrial city of Freiburg. From the sidewalk, an escalator down led to a cultural shock experience. It was mall-town USA! Four floors of everything the West can bring; from designer to made-in-china discount it was there.

How could I ever face myself if I didn't visit a Swiss Chocoteria. It wasn't a long walk from the Old Town before we arrived at a red and caramel brick home of Villars Chocolate Factory. Swiss chocolate is Swiss chocolate because of the Alpine rich Gruyere milk and Villars sits in the dairy heart of Switzerland. Pity I couldn't get a tour but the café-shop was inviting and I found my chocolate heaven.

Once again we have missed the lunch hour. We looked at every restaurant on the way back to the car but the Swiss like their time off. We were in no hurry to reach Zurich as we have called ahead for reservations. Repeating a scene, we stopped at the usual roadside haunt for a mediocre meal in a spotless café and continued on to Zurich. We didn't explore Zurich as the next day we turned in the car, and as we were in line for customs, Bob is marched away with two agents at his sides. I waited till the monitors said it was time to be at my gate for the return flight to Istanbul. Bob never got off the tram for his flight which left 8 minutes before my flight.

I left for my gate never saying Goodbye to Bob.

 

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TOULON, FRANCE
July 30, 2009

 

I flew from Istanbul, Turkey to Nice, and took the train to Toulon. Bob picked me up at the station and we took the fast ferry across the water to the yard where Gaia is going to spend the winter. It was great to see the 'ol girl again. I dropped off lots of gear, repacked my bags for a much lighter travel, and helped Bob with some last minute storage issues. It was hard to believe that I had just been here less than 2 weeks ago for the delivery of the Harmony sailboat to Turkey. At that time we had had a bad dinner with a snotty waiter.

 

 

The next day we were again heading on the fast ferry to the train station.

 

 

Imagine our delight when traveling 2nd class we ended up in an enclosed car with no other people. Bob won the game of dominos, we ate some sandwiches, and had a good nights sleep.

 

 

IN 2 DAYS WE WENT FROM SAILBOATING TO SAILPLANING
August 1-6, 2009

 

 

At the edge of the Black Forest, nestled in a green valley on the border with Switzerland is the small German town of Wehr. When daylight woke us up and we gazed out the window of the train, we couldn't believe the lush bright green meadows and small farming communities. Bob and I both commented on how long we have been surrounded by rock, sand, and scrub. The train stopped at the German station (there is also a Swiss station 20 k to the south) and we were to be picked up by friends but no one was in sight. Later we discovered they had gone to the Swiss station because they thought we wouldn't figure out the train system. Jutta and Ludvig drove us up the mountain and Bob made the observation that every house had a huge pile of split logs. "Where does all the wood come from?" Jutta had such a look of surprise and so I said "Bob isn't use to being near a forest because we have been in desert conditions for so long"

 

 

Jutta and Ludvig dropped us off at the airfield where his friends Dori and Eckhart are involved in a glider competition. Eckhart has been gliding since he was 14 years old and his wife and 2 sons have followed along in his foot steps. Bob was in memory heaven as he used to fly the tow plane for gliders in Issaquah, Washington.

I was amazed at the parallels between sailing a boat and sailing a plane.
1) There is the interpreting of the winds, using clouds, the sun, and technology.
2) There is mass confusion and then you wait for the weather to cooperate.
3) Competition is fierce and to the onlooker you don't know why because nothing seems to be happening.
4) You have to 'read' the lay of the land and look for 'puffs' or 'thermals'
5) GPS is your best friend
6) You can win the race but lose on the handicap.
7) After the sailing is finished only the experts know how to properly put the sailer away for the next time.

The weather was not cooperating and so the day's competition was cancelled. This allowed us the time to finagle our way into a ride in the skies. Bob even got to do a winch launch. A power driven winch pulled the glider at 5 G's almost straight up into the sky and Bob thought it was better than any amusement ride he had ever experienced.

The next day was raining and no competition. Bob and I spent the day catching up on the website and looking where we wanted to travel for the next 17 days. Bob had introduced Dori to Eckhart and since they did not kill him and it was their 36th anniversary we went out to an excellent German dinner.

 

 

The following day was too damp to fly and the next day was Dori's birthday. It was a sunny with fluffy clouds that signaled there were thermals for the gliders.

 

 

Bob and I decided to hike up to the ridge and armed with nothing but a piece of paper that said "Segelfluggelande Hutten" ( put double dots over the 'u's ) we started up the path on the side of the mountain. We hadn't left the asphalt yet when we pointed to the paper and a lady, in perfect German, told us something about straight ahead…fork in the road… and 2 of something. Off we headed with some vague plan and we argued about whether we should turn left or go to the second fork.

 

 

Hansel and Gretel managed to get themselves lost, covered in mud, and scaling up the steep slopes on our hands and knees. The Black Forest does look black and there were stretches where no underbrush grew.

 

 

There were pines, hemlock, maple, and mostly ash. There were also piles of split logs all through the forest and Bob said this is what he meant by asking about where the wood came from. It took us 2 1/2 hours to find our way. I kept stopping at the most pinky raspberries and deep blue blackberries, washed by the rains of the last two days and organic as well.

 

 

The climb was a lot of vertical as you can see Wehr below in this picture. By the time we had arrived at the plateau all the planes had already left and so there was nothing to do but rest, drink sparkling water, and head on down the trail…this time with a plan. 1 hour 10 minutes we were back home.
Our last day in Wehr, we went for a walk through the village to loosen up the tight muscles from yesterday.

 

 

The next day we were to climb the ridge again so we thought we would warm up our legs with a walk through the town. A common occurrence was the homes attached to the barn. Everywhere on the main street were nice tractors under cover or moving down the road. The smell of horses and cows were everywhere. I liked it.

 

 

And what else was everywhere were drinking troughs with running water for the thirsty animals. It was very cool and my aching feet loved it ( although I didn't want anyone to see me put my feet in their livestock's drinking water so I just splashed it over my barking dogs ).

Later we hiked up the same mountain trail to the airstrip. It took us 1 hour 45 mins. because I had to stop every so often because my calves were screaming at me. I don't know if it was the steep slope or the light air but I can read my body and know when to stop…unlike Bob who is a machine trucking up the trail.

 

 

Another parallel to sailing is that at the 1/2 way point you have a party. I have been craving roasted pork as it is a crime in Turkey and this was perfection at its best.

The following day we packed up and said our Good byes and were off on the Swiss train to go back to Basel, Switzerland for a holiday before heading for Zurich.

 

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HARMONY 43
July 8 - 18, 2009

My aunt left 3 days ago for the States and I have her apartment all to myself. I will have plenty of time to explore Istanbul; not to mention catching up on my reading and web ramblings before she returns. Then the phone rang. I had two days to pack and be ready for the flight to Nice, France.

I arrived at the airport and I was picked up by Akrem and his girlfriend, Maria. These are some people that Aydin knew and he put us in touch with each other.
They wanted to show me around Nice before we headed for Toulon and the boat.

 

 

We walked the beach with a strong off shore breeze and ducked behind the first row of buildings and

 

 

explored the market. Finding a great little café for lunch I was ready to enjoy my first taste of French wine in France.

 

 

So imagine my surprise when this is the height of French snobbery in the wine industry.

 

 

The architecture was a blend of Classical and Renaissance done very tastefully.

 

 

Way up on the hilltop was a waterfall that seemed too large to be a fountain.

Then I met Ibrahim, the skipper, and started to become familiar with the brand new boat. There were still a lot of details to be worked out with the manufacturer so we were stuck at the dock for 5 days with not much around for entertainment.

 

 

It's not a marina just a working industrial dock and so I hiked up the hills and got a bird's eye view of the area. The waiting to leave wasn't bad as there was major provisioning and supplying to finish before we left for Marmaris, Turkey. Participating in the shopping I found out the latest in Personal Floatation Devices, portable GPS units, and electronic units that were very different than Gaia's.

It was OK that we were busy because we could not leave in the gusting 30 - 40 knts winds that buffeted the dock for 5 days. The weather was predicted to calm down and finally we were ready to sail. We would be traveling with a sister ship; a Harmony 47 with Akrem and Maria on board. The sailing was ideal for 3 days crossing the Ligurian Sea to Corsica with great 10 - 20 knts wind ahead and behind the beam. We were living the dream of following the rhumb line with a smooth cruise. During the third night in the Bocche Di Bonifacio straits between Corsica and Sardinia the wind changed to 12 knts on the nose and we found out the 300 meters of anchor chain was plowing into the waves and slowing us down. The owner was so proud of the bargaining he did and received all the options and accessories he wanted. In this case too much anchor chain is too much of a good thing.

 

 

On July 16 we reached the Isle of Lipari and anchored in the Port of Pignataro.
How quaint! Why are we the only ones in the anchorage of any size?

 

 

Yes those two masts are us. The island is not very touristy so we got to meet and talk to many locals. After all the Muslim influences it was refreshing to see young, tan, dock boys in tight shorts helping boats to moor and disembark.

 

 

Walking through the town you knew you were in Italy. It just had a light colourful ambience with narrow streets lined with cafes and small interesting shops. Akrem had worked here several times and was familiar with the island. We rented a car and headed out to circle the island and discover its secrets.

 

 

We passed through small villages full of flowers and kids running in the streets

 

 

At Cala Sciabecca was the most beautiful view and we wished we had a map so we could see if the further land was attached or another island

 

 

In less than 3 hours we had made it back to Port Pignatero and its tiny harbour. As the sun was setting the local church was setting up a stage and I went back later to watch the folk dancing. Afterwards, a young dance troupe performed some modern dances that would have sent the Muslims to the floor begging Allah for forgiveness. It is not very often I find myself being prudish and had to remind myself that America was founded by the puritans and there is a little in all Americans.

I wandered over to the edge of the cliff above the town and could barely see a glow of red on Stromboli. It is a very accessible volcano island that has lots of tours. The pictures were amazing but it is not very active at the moment. That night I dreamt about experiencing an earthquake with some friends and awoke to things falling off the shelves in my berth. The rocking and rolling in the marina was the worst I have ever seen. It's no wonder that they put an inflatable between our two boats for fenders.

We provisioned for a 4 day trip and hopes of making it all the way to Marmaris. As we entered the Straits of Messina the land was very flat on the Sicilian side with beaches and tons of sun worshippers crowding the shore. On the toe of the mainland of Italy it was rugged cliffs with a narrow flat shoreline. There was a major brush fire in the hills of Villa S Giovanni and so we did get the fiery glow that was lacking on Stromboli.

 

 

There was a lot of cross traffic with ferries criss-crossing the narrow straits. It took diligence to time our speed to weave between them. Once we even came to a dead halt and waited for 2 ferries and an industrial cargo ship to cross in front of us.

The voyage was running smoothly with Ibrahim allowing me to trim sails, set courses, and work the helm. Then we entered the Ionian Sea between lower Italy and mainland Greece. We were not getting any weather reports but the cell phone worked fine. A call to Ibrahim's oldest boy gave us warning of a gale that was building up speed…we just didn't know where. For 2 days we battled 25 - 35 knts winds and 12' seas. The weather was slightly off the port side nose so it was difficult to maintain course so we could dash between two islands. At one point we were going to decide to abandon our original plan and head south of the lower island. I knew we had to drive the boat to save the autopilot and I was constantly bombarded with foam and seas ( my heavy foul-weather gear is on Gaia ). As we approached the Greek coast we set a course to stay close to shore and maybe the lee side would be mild. It was…the winds diminished to 25 knts. Although this is pretty strong it is better than 35 knts.

The open waters of the Aegean Sea between Greece and Turkey had the wind switching around to the port stern and so we could surf the waves. Although not as good of a dancer as Gaia, our boat Barracuda did pretty well and I enjoyed the long hours on the helm. On the sister boat, Wahoo, Akrem was exhausted because Maria is a novice sailor. He relied too much on the autopilot and it was compromised. Also, he lost a mainsail batten so the sails did not perform well. We lost a lot of screws in various places and put a hole in a brand new mainsail at the point of the top spreader. Ibrahim was a good day sailor but he is not the long, off-shore sailor that Bob is. Now I know what Bob's brother meant when he was pleasantly surprised on how well Gaia held up for a 2 year voyage.

 

 

Remember in the Turquoise Coast me saying that Turkey had huge flags to remind the Greeks that they are entering Turkish territory? It's apropos for the Greeks to return the gesture on this island very close to mainland Turkey.

We couldn't make it the extra day of sailing to deliver the boats to Marmaris with the opposing winds, waves, and current. We decided to stop in the same marina as Aydin and regroup. Everything was wet and disheveled so I spent the next day cleaning the interior of the boat. The voyage was to end there at Turgutreis instead of Marmaris and so I caught a plane from Bodrum to Istanbul. The same employee of the owner that had picked me up from my aunts drove me home.

I spent two days decompressing, working the internet, and reading 2 of my aunt's favourite murder mystery authors.

 

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CENTRAL TURKEY II
June 27 - 30. 2009

 

 

CAPPODOCIA

We left for the 8 hour air conditioned bus ride back to Kappodoyka and checked into the same hotel. That afternoon a thunderstorm and torrents of rain kept me inside and I had dinner for the fifth meal at the hotel. Tomorrow I am going to have to eat out and cruise the village.

 

 

GOREME

The next day was bright and sunny so we got an early, still cool, start on the tour. Goreme is only 6 miles from Urgup so

 

 

the young crowd had no time to fall asleep like they always do once they get on the bus. The town itself has lots of interesting architecture but everything is covered over in tourist crap.

First stop was to the underground city that my Mom had E-mailed me pictures of several weeks ago so I was prepared for a dazzling event.

 

 

DERINKUYU UNDERGROUND CITY

This is the largest and most famous underground city. Our guide said there were 400 known underground shelters. (?) When I told her I was told there were 36 underground cities she said "Yes, cities…but there are many smaller caves with some being a single room"

 

 

At the height of the Christian population in the third century 850 people could easily shut themselves and their animals into the Derinkuyu caverns and live for several years. They didn't want to do this on a regular schedule but were forced to by the persecution of the Persians and later the Romans. Unlike the other underground cities I have been to this one was doable.

 

 

You could stand up in most of the large rooms and although they had the tiny passages and steep floor angles I didn't feel as claustaphobic as I have in the other ones.

 

 

Even when they were not living in sheer terror they would use this room to make and store wine. The air temperature was consistent and cool.

 

 

If I was living underground with 850 terrorized people and their livestock I might not make it a year. In that case I would be put into these temporary graves that were close to the chapel or church. This guy did this a lot on this trip as these graves were not only in the underground cities but in the mountain fortresses too.

 

 

IHLARA VALLEY

This valley was formed 10M years ago when an earthquake split the land and pulled it apart. With my imagination I could see how you could push the two halves back together with hardly a seam in the topography.

 

 

Ihlara means 'Green Valley' and the hot stream nourished the farm animals and vegetation. When the Christians became tired of living in fear underground they migrated to this valley in the 12th century.

 

 

It was just too difficult in this valley for their enemies to kill everyone.

 

 

When an old lady of nobility died the Christians turned her home into a church.

 

 

Still in the 12th century it was not good to use any figures in their paintings so they were still using symbols. There were some very nice carved detailing to the arches and doorways. Notice how they painted in stone work so they didn't feel like they were in a cave.

 

 

2 centuries later they decided they would be killed anyways so why not paint the deities and saints. The walls and ceilings had painted frescos of saints. So they plastered over the symbols and worshipped as they wished until they were found out.

 

 

There was a beautiful woman who was tormented by men because of her beauty. She prayed to God to help her make men stop lusting after her. He listens to some of us and he turned her into a very old man. Better watch what you wish for you may get it. Because you are allowed to touch the walls, people have carved their professed love into the soft plaster ruining the integrity of the paintings. Of course the Muslims scratched out the faces years ago.

 

 

UCHISAR PIGEON VALLEY

Imagine my surprise when I overlooked the vista and there was an amazing amount of carvings in the pinnacles. Then to find out no one lived here except millions of pigeons. Pigeons had been revered by the early Christians. Locals still enter the enclosures and gather up the dropping to use in the fields for nourishment. If you saw how fat and huge these creatures are you would know how much fertilizer the locals could get in a short period of time.

I can't wait to tease my mother about the Holy Trinity. I was taught a dove was involved in that Trinity but the early 3rd century Christians thought a pigeon was the bearer of peace and prosperity.

 

 

GOREME OPEN AIR MUSEUM

An open air museum is the same as walking down the streets of Ephesus. It is a walk through a ghost town that tells the story of an ancient civilization. Here the streets (harden tufa paths) wander between the pinnacles and up to doorways of lots of churches, homes and community gathering places.

 

 

It was like being a kid again and using my imagination to discover all sorts of cubby holes, vistas, and charred roofs of kitchen areas.

 

 

There were churches from the 3rd century with their red painted symbols because it was against the law to paint any figures of God or saints (why I have no idea but they were killed for it).

 

 

By the 12th century frescos were in abundance and sometimes you could see the old symbols exposed in the deteriorating plaster.

 

 

There were lots of churches and lots of temporary graves. This one had some awfully small niches carved in the floor and the walls.

You could just walk up and touch any of the delicate paintings you desired. I guess the Turks have not caught on to the fact that this is history and cannot be duplicated.

 

 

SELIME MONASTERY

This was a single grouping of pinnacles that were carved into living quarters to be used for a place of higher learning.

 

 

There was only one way up to the monastery and so it was easy to defend.

 

 

Priest, educators, and students lived most of the time up here only going down to do some agriculture (and maybe visit families?)

 

 

They had classroom areas and the churches had more carved arches, columns and ornamentation in the inside of the caves than we had seen so far to date.

 

PASABAGI FAIRY CHIMNEYS

Just when you think you have seen it all a whole new crop of chimneys. We are still in Cappodocia but heading NE less than 20 minutes by minibus.

 

 

The guide said that each of the volcanoes laid a different layer of rock. The bottom layer being original solid rock, the second was the tufa, and the third was basalt.

 

 

Given 10M years of erosion and the tufa was the first to go. It's amazing that the huge earthquake of 1990 did not topple the basalt.

 

 

AVANOS TURKISH DINNER

No trip to the interior of Turkey is complete without an authentic dinner.

 

 

Lots of local wine and raki, exotic music from strange instruments, and storytelling in dance form. It was a great experience and I'm glad to find the extra time after my tour.

My last day in Urgup and I am getting around nicely. The Muslim customs are starting to get to me. I am overdressed for the heat and thirsty.

 

 

Hark!! What do I see over yonder? This suave and dedicated lady escorts me into the caves and it is floor to ceiling in local wines.

 

 

We could not understand each other and so I just had to taste everything to decide what I wanted to buy. For a country that is dry it was amazingly cheap…and good.

Later that day I boarded a big air-conditioned Mercedes for the overnighter to Istanbul. We had the same experience as the bus bringing me to this exotic part of the world with the bus washing and the all night fruit stands. This time though I had someone sitting next to me and so I could not stretch out.

Istanbul here I come!

 

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EASTERN TURKEY
June 24 - 27, 2009

 

 

First stop was to the 13th century Seljukian caravanseral called Karatayhan. It was being renovated extensively but there was no mistaking the Arab influences in the architecture and the adornments.

 

 

Caravans would stop for a break, unload their goods, feed the pack animals and enjoy the hospitality of the sultan. Like my Dad always said "Fish and relatives stink after 3 days" the sultan would have someone pay for room and board if they stayed longer than 3 days.

As we were getting ready to leave when another minibus pulled up and out jumped a couple that I though I recognized. They recognized me and I became reacquainted with Frenzy a sailboat that we had BBQ with on Sundays in Crete. They asked about Gaia and my tour schedule. Seems we will run into each other some more during this tour.

 

 

MOUNT NEMRUT

This is the highest mountain in the Taurus Range and you can see its distinctive peak from all angles.

 

 

King Antiochas I fancied a sanctuary so he could see all of his lands. He not only wanted a hierothesion but also it would be the centre of his new religion. From the top of this mountain his new religion would unite the Persians and the Greeks.

He built a tumulus which means that the Kommagene people completely dismantled the top 75 meters of the mountain, carved out the King's tomb, and piled the small sharp stones on top to a depth of 50 meters. Grave robbers to this day cannot dig in the rubble because it is hard to pile the stones and prone to slide. Three Antiochus were buried there before Antiochus IV lost the war and it was forgotten for 2 centuries. The Christians came next and they knew nothing about the sanctuary. They thought it could be the work of the legendary Nimrod so they named the mountain Nimrud. In the 19th century a German archeologist discovered the sanctuary and he was more surprised by the fact that there was no mention of it on any map of Asia Minor than he was with the find itself.

We had left the cozy hotel at 1:30am for the 3 hour ride to the mountain. We still had to climb another 150 m up a steep slope with uneven rock steps in the faint glow of the sunrise.

 

 

It was worth almost losing a lung in the thin, cool air to see the sunrise over the misty mountain range. Frenzy joined almost at the last moment before the sunrise and I found out they were on the broken down minibus that we had passed on a narrow road that we could not stop to help (when we got to the next pension the driver told the watchman of the other tours plight). After the sunrise I was thinking we would go back to the hotel for a snooze.

 

 

I rose from the restored fire altar we were sitting on to watch the sunrise and as I turned around there was the 3 terraces of Nemrud.

 

 

East Terrace

The stairway leading up to the terraces is very worn by thousands of worshippers. 5 statues blend into the surroundings and look very comfortable in their sitting positions instead of the usual standing position. The heads of all the statues are sitting on the ground in front of their thrones. I won't bore you with the details but the King is always regarded as a God so he was included in the mixture of Persian and Greek Gods.

 

 

West Terrace

This is the most sacred terrace and not accessible to the common person as only priest and nobility could go to this side of the sanctuary.

 

 

From this terrace you look out to the plain of Mesopotamia. The sun, moon and all the stars of the zodiac rise on the left and reach their zenith directly in front of you. The same gods and humans grace this side of the sanctuary but they are carved with more detail and not as eroded.

 

 

There are 5 steles in great shape. 4 of them show the King greeting different gods and one is of the horoscope.

A pleasant surprise was a stop at Kahramanmaras; famous for its ice cream. There was a picture of a guy in an apron and he was cutting up the ice cream with a chainsaw. It is such a hard goat confection that you eat it with a knife and fork.

 

 

It was delicious and has ordered it several times at other locations. The boys tease you as a huge chunk will not fall off the shovel and they shove it at you and turn the shovel upside down. It gets lots of screams and giggles from the younger girls.

 

 

ARSEMIA

The summer home of King Antiochus he chose this spot because he could look out over his entire kingdom from a much cooler height.

 

 

Here he is shaking hands with Hercules which proves that he is a god and worthy of a handshake (people were easily persuaded in those days)

 

 

CENDERE BRIDGE

This bridge over the Kahta Creek is one of the oldest still in use in the world. Romans built it as one arch spanning the river. It is constructed of 92 stones, each weighing 10 tons. This was the best route to get to their new territory, Arsemia.

 

 

There were 2 columns on each end of the bridge representing the King's family. One was taken down when the soon-to-be king killed his brother so it was no longer needed. Killing ones brother was a common practice in those days as he may kill you for the throne so you had to be quick.

We walked down to the river and there were masses of the smallest frogs jumping in all direction to get out of your way. Haven't see tadpoles since I was a kid but the pools by the river were full of them. As we were getting ready to leave guess who showed up? You got it….Frenzy!

 

 

KARAKUS

King Antiochus had this tumulus built for his queen and princesses.

 

 

Walking around the peak you could see the 3 Terraces as the highest mountain in the distance.

 

ATATURK DAM

Named for the most revered Turk in recent history this is the biggest dam in the Middle East. 24 people died building it in 1992 and it supplies 25% of all the electrical needs in Turkey. It also irrigates most of Eastern Turkey.

 

 

SANLIURFA - URFA

The history of this city can be traced back 9,000 years. This is a living history city with a traditional atmosphere of life, culture, and even clothing spanning Turkish, Kurdish and Arabic influences. The parks surrounding the holy places were green with trees, grass, and flowers. It was such an unusual site to behold as I have not seen so much green since Crete. This is a holy place for pilgrimages for many religions because it is thought to be the birthplace of the prophet Abraham. I donned the traditional raincoat and head scarf and entered Abraham's cave where he is thought to have been born. It was stuffy, smelly, and full of crying babies. I wonder what the man side of the cave smelled like.

There was the Sanliurfa Castle perched up on the hill but you were not allowed to enter and no one seems to care. What was more important to everybody was the church/mosque/temple and

 

 

the pools of the holy carp. The story (legend) is so outrageous that I will not subject you to the ridiculous reason these ugly carp are holy. I had the distinct vision of Jesus driving out the money changers from the temple. There were scamming people everywhere and the guide said if you do not stay close to the group you will be absconded and that's what happened to me. A small girl asked me for money and when I asked her if she had some for me she ignored me. She then asked me for my necklace and when I said 'NO' asked for the small evil eye I had pinned to my blouse. No shyness in these children. I saw more teens headed my way and quickly caught up with my group.

 

 

We passed this industrious man earning his living pleasing people. He would rinse out the cup and fill with tea. They were lined up waiting; must have been great tea. The further we traveled the more conservative it became. Hardly a women was not dressed from head to toe in restrictive robes and I endured nasty looks because I was wearing a short sleeved blouse and 3/4 very loose pants. I didn't care as the further east we went the hotter it became. The tractors gave away to wood hewn farm implements and donkeys. The way of life has been unchanged for centuries.

 

 

HARRAN

Only 18 km from the border with Syria this is one hot dry climate. The bus said it was 59 C and I wondered at what temperature you would instantly burst into flames. Hurran is very important to the religious history as it is mentioned in the Holy Books. Camel caravans traveled the trade routes through this area and so did most of the prophets. Abraham stayed here when he was traveling from Sanliurfa towards the south. Terah, Abraham's father is buried here. Paul preached on the hillsides. The very foundations of the three religions of Moses, Jesus, and Mohammed are laid in Harran.

 

 

It is also the home of the very first Islam University.

The natives have found that building their homes of mud bricks (there is not a tree in site) with a 'bee hive' top will keep the home cool and we found this to be the case.

 

 

We were invited into a family's home which was originally built 200 years ago. Mud bricks melt in the rain so about every 3 years they need to patch up most of the exterior coating.

 

 

Upon entering the home we had fun dressing up and discovering that is really is cooler to wear a long robe (but not necessarily the head gear).

 

 

I could really see that this was a great way to exist. Our bus driver spent the whole time lounging around smoking and drinking tea. The younger generation is not leaving the area as the dam has allowed irrigation and agriculture. Life and the village have not changed much for centuries.

 

 

The next morning we left to see the Kelaynak (bald ibis) birds. Extinction doesn't come close to describing these birds. There are only 118 left in the world. They look like a cross between a vulture and an ibis and live exclusively in this part of Turkey. They are happy here and not caged. Seems this area has the calcite that they need to procreate. This year they laid 20 eggs. When the call to migrate comes they will be put into a large cage for the winter because when they use to migrate so very few would return.

 

 

AVENOS POTTERY

Villages throughout the countryside have their specialty and Avanos is famous the world over for its pottery. It is all hand made and hand painted. After the demonstration they asked for volunteers to "throw" on the wheel.

 

 

It is a messy job but a lot of fun.

Then we began the journey back to Cappadocia to see more of the sites that I had missed.

 

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CENTRAL TURKEY
June 23 - 25. 2009

The 'red-eye' bus ride was quite pleasant. We would stop every 2-3 hours at bus stops designed just for us. Lots of tourist stands, restaurants, fruit stands, major bathrooms ( with different sides for the Western or Turkish toilettes ), and even a book store. They were open and hustling for business all night

 

 

Meanwhile, at every stop the bus was getting a wash down. It was mostly for the dust because there sure were not very many bugs. At 7 am I had made it to the end of my line and there I am standing between behemoth busses, people running everywhere, and I have no idea whether I am to meet a person or a bus for the ride to my hotel. A tour guide from the same company was there and I felt saved…until I found out he didn't know who I was. He told me someone would probably be along soon and I waited. And I waited some more till I decided to be pro-active and start asking more questions. The same guy asked around and there was total confusion. Shortly, he asked me where the rest of my troop was and when he found out I was single he wanted to be my boyfriend ( his words ) because Turkish girls were difficult. I thanked him for thinking American girls were any easier to live with and he whisked me up the stairs and I waited some more. Eventually a smaller bus did appear and with much gesturing I was on board and in about 30 miles of changing countryside I made my way to the hotel.

 

 

URGUP AND HER URGUP FAIRY CHIMNEYS

If I had a Turkish keyboard there would be two dots over the U's in Urgup. It is a small very old town, not too touristy, and with older and newer sections of town.

 

 

I checked into my "cave hotel" which is carved out of the side of a cliff face. It is extremely hot outside in the sun but my room is naturally almost cool enough to wear a long sleeved shirt. I don't sleep well on busses so spent most of the afternoon napping and working the semi-good internet connection.

 

 

I made a mistake of taking a walk in the searing heat. I passed lots of other older buildings and homes taking advantage of the coolness of the cave way of living. The next morning I was picked up in an air-conditioned minibus and off for the 20 mile journey to the most interesting scenery I have ever seen.

 

 

CAPPODOCIA - KAPADOKYA

I had seen the brochures and heard all the exclamations by tourist but was still unprepared for the vistas and strange geological formations that surrounded this huge valley. This day was so clear that you could see all three of the smoldering volcanoes that surround the valley and give it its' name.

 

 

It is because of these volcanoes erupting over the eons and spilling their ash over the huge lake that dominated the valley that the formations could be carved by erosion.

 

 

ROSE VALLEY

Our first stop was a panorama view of rock cliffs banded in colours. There was a predominant pink made by iron, a green hue of copper, yellow limestone and brilliant white calcite. Erosion had done its magic and carved the countryside into unusual shapes.

 

 

The tour hiked up through many canyons and you got to climb up, around, and into many of the abandoned homes and churches carved in the pinnacles.

 

 

KAYMAKLI UNDERGROUND CITY

This is why I am here. To see and experience the lifestyle of the early 3rd century Christians as they tried to exist in a hostile Muslim/Roman world. There are 36 underground cities but you can only go to 10% of the ruins. Most are too dangerous, unexplored, and full of danger.

 

 

The tufa ( ash mixed with tiny stones that settled on top of the huge lake ) created by the three volcanoes can be easily carved - sometimes with your fingernails. The Christians lived in homes above the cities but when danger lurked they could move their animals and possessions into the labyrinth of tunnels and rooms.

 

 

The early Christians could close off the entrances with huge stone wheels. They were strategically placed and could be closed by one person but it took 5 strong men to roll them away from the tunnel entrance. Obviously they had to be carved inside the cave room as they could not fit through the tunnels. People and animals could exist for months if not years underground till their enemies grew hot, tired, and hungry as there is not much to sustain life in the barren landscape.

 

 

My first impression was that it was cool and a soft breeze wafted through the tunnels. This is doable. There were rooms for grainerys, a winery, stables for the animals, living areas, and shrines all clustered around ventilation shafts. Wells were dug from underground streams or filled by jugs of water from above. This assured that the enemies could not poison the water.

 

 

The tunnels connecting the different rooms were purposely made narrow and low so you have to bend over and squat to move through them. This made it harder for the enemy to find their way in the complete darkness. The early inhabitants dug holes in the floor with deep chambers right in the middle of the tunnel to trip up adversaries and keep them protected from their enemies.

 

 

The first level of rooms was for the large animals, the next layer down was for smaller animals and the very lowest tier of rooms were the living quarters. There was hardly a room to stand up erect and all the rooms were fairly small with niches for various uses.

 

 

Cooking was done during the night so the enemies could not see the smoke rising through the chimneys from the cooking fires. The ceiling is covered in soot anyways. By the time we were halfway through the third tier I was feeling claustrophobic and tired of bending over and still hitting my head. With the smell of fear and stress of 80 some people and their animals living in these close quarters this were not a place you would want to spend any more time than necessary.

 

UCHISAR OLD HOUSES

This was a village that was carved into the hillsides and they would be hard to climb up into the living quarters.

 

 

Narrow tunnels with small steps would be quite steep and

 

 

pop open into smaller chambers that could be easily defended. This lasted for several centuries until weapons of destruction became more sophisticated. They had to find somewhere else to survive.

 

 

UCHISAR CASTLE

In the middle of the village was a church that was called a castle. The rooms were used for worship and also for education.

The following day I was again on a mini bus headed off for points further east. I cannot fathom it being any hotter than it is now but I am forewarned to experience some great heat and have plenty of water for the trip.

 

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WESTERN TURKEY TOUR
June 16 - 20, 2009

I walked down to the tour office after an hour because the bus never picked me up and waited another 15 mins. before we were off to tour Ephesus with the cutest tour guide, Ozzie.

 

 

EPHESUS
June 16, 2009

This is acknowledged as the highlight of any trip to Turkey. Ephesus was founded in the 2nd BC and became the second largest city of all the eastern world and home to St. Paul (for a short while), St. John and the Virgin Mary (after the death of Christ). Once the Romans entered the scene things began to expand quickly.

 

 

As you stood in the Gateway to the city it was easy to imagine a tired, dusty traveler entering the most glorified city of the ancient world. Upon entering the city the first stop was to take a bath. Next stop was to separate the nobility from the commoner. The corridor widens slightly and you tied up your animals where your slaves stayed with them and took care of them.

 

 

Finally, you entered the Gates of the City.

 

 

The next thing you were supposed to do is pay homage to Athena. She had a beautiful temple with lots of carving and statues. Further down the roadway on your left were the merchants with mosaic floors hawking their wares. On your right were the nobility latrines. Our guide said that they would take their slaves with them into the head and we all groaned. It was not what you think.

 

 

The center of the john was open for ventilation and the winters were cold. There was a trough of running water under the seats and this made the marble seats very cold. The slaves would sit and warm up the marble for their masters.

 

 

Further down the street was a magnificent fountain. Water poured out of marble lions and down three tiers. Commoners would be dipping their jugs in the pools of cool water at the foot of the fountain. When a king or Caesar would be visiting and walking down the pathway the city would fill the fountain with wine and pull out the stoppers in the bottom of the final pools. The street was bathed in red. Hence, our custom of bringing out the red carpet for dignitaries.

 

 

As you walk down the incline to the bottom of the public square, in front of you is the main library. Three libraries around the area housed most of the known parchments of all the history of antiquity and Ephesus was one of them.

 

 

Turn to your right and walk up the street you will come to the largest theater ever unearthed. The size of the theater determines the population of the city. Archeologists have determined that a theater held 10% of the population and this theater held 25,000 people. Walking further the city spread out into the homes, temples, and community buildings of the privileged locals.

 

 

Let me add to your trivial trivia. The goddess of victory is Nike. If she has her arms in front of her the battle is over. If her arms are swung back the battle rages on. Look at her robes…see the swish? (groan)

 

 

PREINE

The next day we headed for the ruins of Preine. It was a much smaller town than Ephesus and was situated further up the hill so it is in a cooler location. It was built later so they took all the good points of Ephesus and improved on it.

 

 

Take for instance the much smaller theater. They carved great seats into the first row for major dignitaries (along with an altar for giving gifts to the gods). The throne-like chairs were in a very good state of preservation ( for 4th AD )along with some of the statuary that lined the ground arena. Plays and oratories actually took place on the upper story.

Now here is where the story becomes a little out of my league. I won't go into the history on why I flunked religion in the 3rd grade but once again I was told to "have faith and just believe" so here goes the story.

 

 

Nestled up high in the craggy hills above Ephesus, tucked into the very fragrant pine trees and lush greenery of the hillsides is the final home of the Virgin Mary. There are 3 reasons why you should believe this. 1) When Christ was being crucified he asked John to take care of his mother. St. John's final resting place is Ephesus. 2) In the 4th century AD it is recorded by the prophets that the locals swear this was the exact place. 3) St. Catherine in the 15th century AD was such a devout Mary fan that she had an out of body experience and said the angels took her to Mary's final home. Although she had never been to Asia Minor she described the place in detail and she was on the money.

Do you have faith and believe?

 

 

Well, millions do as you can see by this wishing wall. People were scrounging for paper to write their wishes and say a prayer. There is also the sacred spring next to this wall that you can bless yourself and ask the Virgin for stuff.

The next day we started out heading east and our first stop was

 

 

DIDYMA

This temple has had hardly any renovation or excavation - what you see is it. It was the best example of what all these temples I have been exploring really looked like when it was built.

 

 

You walked up the steps, across the nave, and down the steps into the actual worshipping place that was for priest, nobles, princes, and kings. Until the middle 1500AD there were 4 columns across the back of the temple until an earthquake did it's most recent bad behaviour.

 

 

 

Most of the ornamentation was very deep relief and still in excellent shape. By now carving marble was an art form and you could see lots of detail in the friezes and statues.

 

 

MILAS

All the different sites have something to offer. This one was more of the town with a well preserved theater and a good part of the public baths still intact.

 

 

I commented on how the roof was so high in the bath and that everything was oversized and that's when an Indian on the tour told me "The Romans were just like Americans… supersize it!!"

After a great lunch we were off for the highlight of the day:

 

 

PAMUKKALE - COTTON CASTLE

You may have seen formations in hot springs in other parts of the world but I have not seen anything like this above ground.

 

 

Water seeps through all the cracks in the limestone, becomes heated from the fissures below the surface, and comes bubbling up with some streams being like fizzy water and others rich in minerals.

 

 

This calceus waters come out and falls down the mountain side and forms many pools with overflows into more pools and form Stalactites.

 

 

This pool was $16 US to swim in and it tasted like Alka Seltzer. It touted all the health features of blood circulation, nerve system, heart, rheumatism, skin diseases.

 

 

I didn't know how the kids could go in the calceus pools as you could feel the minerals sucking the life out of your skin.

 

 

You can still see the ruins from the ancient city of Hierapolis dating from 190 BC. It was a health destination and still had the drainage system snaking through the countryside.

We did not travel far before I was ceremoniously let off the bus in the city of Aydin to catch an air-conditioned Mercedes bus for the red-eye to Cappadocia and the East of Turkey. Blowing kisses to a great tourist group I was excited to be off in another direction from the rest of the group.

 

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BODRUM - HALICARNASSOS
June 9 - 12, 2009

I had taken an air-conditioned Mercedes bus from Turgutreis to Bodrum and checked into the cutest boutique hotel with friendly staff and an excellent breakfast.

 

 

Walking from one end to the other along the beach took several hours as it was lined with hotels, souvenir shops, leather shops, and bars. The city itself dates back to 13th century BC when it was called Halicarnassos. Wandering around the city I discovered a street that dated back to the 3rd century BC.

 

 

It wound around and eventually squeezed into a one lane, cobblestone walkway. I could see why city planning was started by the Romans to avoid so much confusion.

 

 

All over the city were these cisterns; some of them decrepit and some still in use.

I find it amusing that the Turks and the Greeks hate each other so much. Everything I have read is that they abused each other depending what century they were in at the moment. Currently, I have heard Turks say they don't understand why the Greeks had to be so abusive; after all they all lived in peace as long as the Greeks did not practice Christianity, did not eat their native pork dishes, and learned to speak Turkish. Since they refused to do this, of course the Turks had to throw out 200,000 Greeks in 1923 even though they had lived here for 4,000 years. Anyways the food, architecture, and culture are mostly the same. Don't tell a Turk they are so much like Greeks but I cannot pronounce what the Turks call a dolma (rice wrapped grape leaves) and they get irritated with me.

 

 

Take for instance the 'evil eye'. In both cultures you wear as jewelry, hang in doorways, and give to babies for good luck and to ward off evil spirits. You find these glass or ceramic 'eyes' everywhere.

 

 

BODRUM CASTLE

The town is divided into two sections with the Castle of the Knights of St. John dividing the harbour into the beach side and

 

 

The commercial, marina side.

The castle has been rebuilt many times with the Knights doing the most remodeling in the 14th century. It was easy to see what was original and what had been added since the last remodel in 1972. Various conquerors have built their own tower so you have the Italian, German, French, and finally the English (Order of St. John).

 

 

I just had to include the armor from the 14th AD that was displayed in the dining room of the English tower.

There was signpost telling you about all the wildlife that lives in the castle. This included snakes, rodents, insects,

 

 

and even listed some of the favourite delicacies of the Roman diet.

The castle houses many areas of interest but the one that caught my eye was the Museum of Underwater Archaeology. All the museums were impressive and this one did a fine job of explaining and categorizing the 9,000 years of sea history of the region. Stories abound about who, how they lived, and what and where these ships were going held my interest.

 

 

They have raised many ancient ships with the artifacts from a Bronze Age merchant ship being the oldest. This one was carrying 20 tons of copper ore.
Detailed descriptions showed how they figured out what the ship looked like and what it was carrying.

 

 

Now you know why the amphora had a pointed bottom. This is one of the ways they stored them in the holds of the ships.

 

 

MAUSSOLEUM OF MAUSSOLOS

All over Turkey you walk down the street and there are excavations surrounded by a low stone wall. This one perplexes engineers from all over the world because they can't figure out how the mausoleum was built. Maussolos was a great king and started building the maussoleum early in his career. The statues that ancient historians said existed on the roof could not support the reported style of the building. They have several different solutions diagramed on signboards around the site from universities all over the world giving their stab at how it was accomplished. Nothing exists to piece together though because it was dismantled to remodel the Castle of the Knights of St. John. Just goes to show that you can build a monument to yourself but that doesn't make you immortal.

 

 

MYNDOS GATE

The marauding hordes were putting on the heat so the locals built a gate in the 4th century BC to protect the city. The barbarian found out it was strong enough to deter catapults, chariots, and battering rams. The moat was wide and deep and in 334 BC when Alexander the Great was battling for control Ariannos the historian quoted him as noting how many of his men were lost at the gate or drowned trying to take the city (which they eventually did do).

 

 

Notice that the front of the grave has the most esquisite mosaic work. You could still run your hand over it and not feel any irregularities.

ROMAN NECROPOLIS

Just outside the gate and the moat is the Necropolis that dates to the 4th century AD. Nobles were not allowed to be buried inside the city ( I have no idea what happened to the peasants ). The burial grounds would be just outside the gate on the main road so that they would not be forgotten.

 

 

This hotel thought they were doing their part to preserve the site.

The bus from Bodrum to Selcik was an air-conditioned minibus and very comfortable. When we came close to the Aegean Sea I became melancholy for the life on the sea. Stepping off the bus a friendly lady asked me where I was staying and I followed her to the pension she, her sister, and her mother ran not far from the bus station. She was very helpful and recommended a tourist agent. I like what he put together for a 10 day excursion and I was set to explore the interior of Turkey.

 

 

As I was walking back to the hotel and right in the center of town was some ruins and on top…nesting storks.

 

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THE TURQUOISE COAST OF TURKEY
June 3 - 9, 2009

Merhaba!!

Note: I now understand why the Asians cannot say the letter R (lice instead of rice). The Turkish language must have 12 sounds that are foreign to Roman languages and they run 3-4 syllables together into more of a slur. This is the first country that I haven't been able to say Please, Thank you, hello or good bye. All I can say is Good Morning and olive oil? You will find no pronounce keys for any of words in my text since I absolutely cannot be sure I am pronouncing them correctly.

The ferry ride over from Kos, Greece took about 50 minutes on a small ferry. Aydin has sent me a picture of the boat and told me to make sure not to get on the wrong ferry. I told lots of people that they wanted me to get on the wrong ferry but they would have none of it. Then, right before the ferry left, a tap on the shoulder and lots of hand gesturing had me on the right one.

Aydin and I had been E mailing each other for several weeks and we had decided to tour the Turkish islands along the Turquoise Coast. Weather was not cooperating so we stayed in the harbour at Turgutreis and took in a day sail with a fellow British yachter, Mark.

When we found a weather window we did not hesitate and left in his 37' Grand Soleil with a Turkish guide that I had bought from Neva (from the BWR) that was a great help in deciding where to go in the bays and islands in the south of Turkey. The Turquoise Coast follows the southwestern coastline of Turkey along the Mediterranean. It is very rocky with steep cliffs, deep inlets, deserted bays, and sleepy villages. You would never find most of the bays without a chart because the entrance is almost non existent and even when you know where to look you can only guess.

 

 

KNIDOS - CNIDUS - BUYUK LIMANI

You know you have arrived when you see the big lighthouse on the cliff. The Turkish people have lots of national pride and the flag flees supremely on every high hilltop, building, and park. A super large Turkish flag is painted on the side of the lighthouse. Ayden says this is to inform the Greeks that they are entering a Turkish bay....just so there is no confusion. It amazed me how a Greek island could be surrounded on three sides by Turkey and be miles from the nearest other Greek island but we could not visit without checking in and out of Turkey. So there could be lots of confusion.

 

 

You are situated right in the middle of one of the six Dorian Confederacy cities of the ancient world. Knidos was renowned for two things: its statue of Aphrodite (4th century BC) and the scientist Eudoxos. What made the statue so famous was that it was the very first one to show a naked female although naked men had been carved for centuries. Rumour has it there was a back door to the temple so you could admire her posterior. It was said to bring good luck to sailors and it didn't hurt that it brought many early tourist to the area. More boring is Eudoxos, a mathematician and astronomer who lived in the 4th century BC and is considered one of the founding fathers of Greek geometry (In Turkey?? Heaven forbid). They had other claims to fame like Sostratus who designed the Pharos Lighthouse in Egypt: one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world. Later I was to find out that in the 3rd - 1st century BC Knidos would be world famous for its inexpensive wines. They put a third handle on their distinctive amphoras and they would be found all around the Mediterranean and Aegean.

 

 

All in all you anchor right in the middle of the ruins and as an orange orb came over the horizon you could feel the history rising with the moon. The lights of Nikos Rhodos (Island of Rhodes, Greece) could be seen sparkling on the horizon.

 

 

BOZUK BUKU

The ancient citadel on the W side of the entrance use to protect the ancient city of Loryma. It has not been restored but is in its original condition: virtually intact. It originates from the Hellenistic period (300 BC to 31 AD). We checked out the most protected cove in the bay but it was full of yatchies. We opted to anchor in 24' of water with sandy bottom.

 

 

It didn't take long before a young village beauty came driving up to the side of the boat in her dinghy with lots of locally made products. I chose an ankle bracelet and we ordered fresh bread for the morning. There was the usual jetty and restaurant. The generator wheezed away bouncing off the cliffs until the last singer left the premises. These German tourists do love to sing.

 

 

ENINCIK LIMANI

This is a very scenic place where the red cliffs and steep wooded slopes fall into the bay with literally no slope. It was my first attempt at the Turkish Med tie. You reverse the boat, drop all 50 meters of chain, and wait until the anchor hits something it can sink its teeth into. Hopefully you have not hit the shore yet. If all is good you jump off the back of the boat with a line in your teeth and swim to the rocks to tie off on a boulder. We were so tight that we could not raise the chain enough to put on the snubber. No worries as there were no swell and no wind. All these bays are like a parking lot though with many boats stern tied watching to see if you are going to mess up your anchoring duties. Across the bay was an impressive private resort built of local stone. We dinghyed over but we could not land because we were not wearing white shorts and a 3 button blue shirt.

We dinghyed to shore and hired a taxi to take us to the river the next day.

 

 

DALYAN - DELIKADA

The next day the bay emptied out and we were ready for the taxi at 9 am. Hugging the coastline gave us an excellent chance to observe all the different colours and textures of the rocks. Eventually we made it to the entrance of the Koycegiz River.

 

 

At the mouth is a sandy beach that is off limits to people. The big sign on the beach is written in Turkish with no translations until you get caught and have to pay the fine. There are loggerhead turtle tracks all up the beach as this is prime egg laying season. A local was teasing me with a large blue crab tied to a fishing line. Just as I was drooling and dreaming of dinner he dropped it into the water and along came a sea turtle for all to see. He teased him for awhile and then gave him the crab.

 

 

This is where they filmed the African Queen. The river has silted more since then and the reeds grow taller as the water becomes less salty. We had to pass through this gate. There was a guy on an ancient wooden wheel with a thick hemp rope cranking a wire net up and down so the boats could pass. It was to keep the escapees from the fish farm from polluting the waterways.

Rounding a bend in the reed choked river we came to the village of Dalyan and the ruins of the ancient city of Caunos. The city is on the other side of the hill and all you could see from the village was the tombs.

 

 

CAUNOS - KAUNOS

This city was on the border between two tribes and although Herodotus refers to the peoples as Carian he did remark that their customs resembled those of the neighbouring Lycians. The tombs themselves are designed in the Lycian style. Through the ages the inhabitants were considered a sickly lot and it is written in stone that they had a fever epidemic and a greenish cast to their complexion. Today, we would rid the river delta of the mosquitoes and drink lots of quinine water. It's not much of a site but the Romans did build a theater, bath, temples, and marketplace. From a medieval fort on a steep knoll you can see the shallow baths and remnants of a garden by the old harbour.

 

 

SARSALA KOYU

As we rounded the point and entered the bay…what is that? A lighthouse? Out came the binoculars and it was a single marble column with some more fallen over further down the point. The bay is full of coves but the guide's favourite cove, Pilloried Cove, was full of stern tie to the rocks yatchies so we opted to stern tie to the jetty with the restaurant.

It was 35 miles of a hot and glorious windy ride to the anchorage. As soon as we had docked I jumped into the water and snorkeled the rocks on shore. Not too glamorous but I did have fun chasing a large school of curious guppies. Later we climbed a rock face for an idyllic view of 3 coves. What made it the most fun was there was no trail; you just had to treasure hunt for the red paint on the rocks to find your way.

 

 

Dinner was on the water with the moon still a huge orange orb rising slowly in the starry, starry night sky.

 

 

It took us 5 days of island hopping to get all the way to the port resort town of Gocek in the huge Gulf of Fethiye. I didn't feel like going to shore after we had to avoid some very fast inflatable, paragliders, and speed boats. It looks like a Zoo and rumour has it this is preferable to Marmaris.

After looking at the weather charts Aydin had decided that if we didn't leave and spend a 13 hour day sailing into the wind then we were doomed to wait out a meltemi and who knows how long that would be? The wind was on the nose but it was mild with calm seas.

 

 

We had a treat when 3 huge porpoises came and swam with us. We took our time and tacked back and forth till we reached Turgutreis and not an hour too soon. The wind howled for two days blowing in the high 30's. During this time I was working on the website and there was this chopper noisily overhead. Aydin thought a dignitary was in town…happens all the time. It must have been some party with lots of VIP's as it kept up for over an hour.

 

 

I went up to the dock and there was a fire on the hillside. The fire brigade was out in force. In a matter of several hours they had the fire put out.

Several days later Aydin took me for my first bus trip. Bodrum is a resort town and a place many yatchies visit. We walked around town and then he said Good bye as his son and friend were visiting and he was off on an adventure of his own.

 

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NISOS KOS, GREECE
June 1-2, 2009

Flying over the Dodecanese chain of islands in the Aegean was a lesson in volcanic activity. The Mother Earth (Gaia) can be quite violent in her quest to create new oceans. (Note the Djibouti connection to a new ocean in the Gaia Diaries).

 

 

There were volcanic peaks with lava flows still visible in the landscaping, ragged cliffs where huge chunks of land fell into the ocean, and upheavals only to marvel the sinking of whole cities under the sea. Tucked into the Gulf of Kos, fingers of Turkey reach out and embrace this large island. By the time we landed at the island of Kos I was already ready for a history lesson in antiquity.

Kos has a rick history that can be traced to the prehistoric years of the Minoan Period. There are traces that perhaps it has been inhabited from the early Neolithic Period. You can find references of Kos in ancient Greek Mythology with Achilles and Hercules visiting the island. The most famous myth is of Poseidon: God of the Sea. He was chasing after Polybotes and as he passed Kos, snipped off a piece of the island with this trident and hurled it at Polybotes; killing him. The chunk formed the neighbouring island of Nisyros. Since myths contain a shred of truth geologist have discovered Nisyros was a part of Kos at some time. Starting with the Bronze Age (2800 - 1600 BC) Kos was enclosed in an ancient trading triangle of power that competed with Rhodes to dominate the SW Aegean Sea.

The city of Kos was founded in 366 BC and most historian think the harbour is exactly the same as it was in the heyday of Kos dominance. At one time Kos was known for its silk production and later introduced lettuce from the fertile valleys on the West side of the island to Bodrum, Turkey. The city is a mixture of Frankish and Turkish architecture with a smattering of Italian influences. Except for the Ottoman Empire that tried (unsuccessfully) for two centuries to eradicate everything that was Greek most of the conquerors over the centuries were not interested in destroying what came before them but in collecting taxes from the lucrative trading.

I soon became very happy that I had made the decision to come a day early to explore the last of the Greek Isles. I found a quaint boutique hotel and a very bubbly receptionist that spoke perfect American English. She has never been to America but has many American friends. With her help I found a great restaurant and managed to figure out the bus system so I could spend the day traveling by air-conditioned Mercedes bus through the history of the island and its people.

But first, a visit to the Kos Marina. Many people boast that this is the best marina in Greece and that it sets the standard for all marinas in the country. This could very well be true as it was very organized, large, and modern. (Sigh)

 

 

The island of Kos is not as touristy as most of the Greek Isles so the beaches were not cluttered with souvenir stands, umbrellas, and sunbathing beauties. Of course, you can see at the beach in central city you do not come here to relax on the beach so the next morning I hiked to the bus station and headed off for a tour of the island.

 

 

ZIA

Angela (the receptionist) told me to spend most of my time in Zia, a small village nestled in the mountains of the interior. When I arrived and exited the bus there were the usual souvenir stands selling everything from sunglasses to Cretan woven cloths.

 

 

I found this walkway that was to lead to an old 11th century church up the mountainside and off I went.

 

 

Soon I came to a dead end in a restaurant and was informed to pass through the restaurant and I would come to the church. It was a little disappointing as I thought I would get some exercise before I found the tiny whitewashed church.

 

 

Not to be deterred I kept climbing the road, path, and washout till I thought I had come to the end in an olive grove. I was trying to reach the small church of Moni Soyitos Dikaiou Christou at the very peak of Mount Dikaios but couldn't find it. Heading back down I ran into a German couple that told me I should have headed up a narrow crook in the hills and eventually I would run into tortoises milling about looking for edible vegetation (but not the church - they have failed to find it on several attempts). Not in the crocs (shoes) I was wearing thank you. As I headed back to the village I passed several groups of Germans/Danes that asked about the road ahead. Most of these people were older folks in very good shape with the proper equipment for hiking in the mountains.

Back in the village I was milling around wasting time when I found a pleasantly plump woman who thought what I was doing around the world was excellent. She asked me many questions about people I had met. I asked what was locally made as the Cretan goods are beautiful but not local. She quickly changed the subject to food and recommended the best moussaka on the island…she was right and I went back and told her so before I caught the last bus back to the city of Kos.

I went to other villages like Agios Fokas with its hot mineral springs and Marmari with its beautiful sandy beach (resort and disco right on the beach). There was the village of Pyli I found interesting with an old Byzantine part that was abandoned in the 1830's after an epidemic and the new area with lots of Castle and Monastery ruins still standing and surrounded by beautiful gardens. I missed a lot of views, beaches, and history because I ran out of time. Kos deserves a week to get the true nature of this island.

Kos has boasted many famous citizens but the most famous is Hippocrates born in 460BC. He strongly rejected superstitions and beliefs that ailments were created from supernatural forces. He emphasized a clean environment, sanitary conditions, vigorous healthy lifestyle and a proper diet.

 

 

The father of modern medicine believed in the power of the mind and spirit to heal the body and decided on the site of an ancient temple to build the very first hospital.
Epidavros was a tranquil, peaceful place and he called the hospital Acklepieion. It wasn't rediscovered till the early 20th century and was restored by Italian archeologist.

 

 

Three terraces lie on a hill by a medicinal spring overlooking the Bay of Kos. The only original temple is to Apollo Kyparissios and dates to 2nd BC. The Romans rebuilt the ancient temple in 3rd century AD. On the first tier the Romans built the arched recesses. The spring and water cistern are preserved to this day. On the second tier are the remains of an altar from the 4th AD dedicated to Asklepios. There are remains of the "abaton" - the place in which the sick waited for Asklepios to appear in their dreams and heal them (it took awhile for modern medicine to catch on). The third tier stands the large Doric temple of Asklepios.

Much of the superstructure was quarried by those pesky Knights of the Order of St. John to be used in the construction of the medieval castle.

 

 

In the castle that dominates the landscape of the city is a fortress built by the Knights of St. John (yes, same bunch of 14th century testosterone infested ego maniacs you find all over the Med). There is a plane tree that supposedly shaded Hippocrates when he was teaching. The current tree is only 4-500 years old but is in the same location and looks to be old enough to tell stories of antiquity. There is a small museum of local statues, mosaics, and frescos from the homes and tombs of noble ancestry ( Casa Romana being the best preserved ) and I was impressed with what they managed to keep from the big boys of Britain, Germany, and Athens.

 

 

In the middle of the city of Kos is a stone wall surrounding the ancient heart of the Agora or market place. By this time it had become the major port in the Med where goods from all corners of the Roman Empire could be purchased or traded. It is not unusual to have ruins fenced off with streets curving around them as I have seen it all over Greece. Modern buildings surround a site that can be overgrown with vegetation with very little signage. I guess the city sites are not as important as the temples or maybe not recorded in history so the historian can make sense out of a pile of fallen down columns. It's not like a park or a historical site it just seems to be… there.

 

 

Some effort was made by someone, I'm just guessing but maybe a bunch of university student decided to see if they could fit some of the jigsaw puzzle together. After all there is no money to hire a team of experts. There is no vandalism or graffiti so the public must revere the site somewhat.

The afternoon arrived quickly and I went to the ferry that would take me across the narrow straits to Turkey. I haven't read much about Turkey but I do know a lot of the New Testament of the Bible happened in the mountains and desert of this ancient land. I am looking forward to its history and people.