On Thursday, we flew south to see the ancient Roman ruins of Ephesus. These ruins were discovered in 1865 by the Brits building a railroad. Some say that it is even a greater discovery than Pompeii. At its height, 250,000 people lived here in this once coastal town (the ocean is now over 4 km away). The outdoor theater held almost 25,000 citizens for concerts, plays & other cultural events. In recent years, Elton John, Sting, The Three Tenors and others have performed here. The archeologists are still in the early stages of discovery at Ephesus. It will continue for years as funds are available.
We then went to the home where the Virgin Mary lived out here later years after Jesus was crucified. The home is now a small chapel and a shrine for the Muslims. They recognize Jesus as a prophet and therefore the home of his mother is a shrine. It was a very moving experience for us to go into the chapel and say a prayer. As you exit the chapel, there is also a wall for Muslims to place their wishes and prayers (written on small cloths) . The spring water from the fountain outside the chapel is also supposed to have healing powers. It was quite a serene and spiritual place.
The tour then took us to the typical carpet & leather shops. We only agreed to go because we had so much time before our plane back to Istanbul. This is so often the problem with tours. They try to make a day out of 1/2 day of material. This was a private tour and, if it was local, we would have returned to our hotel. Unfortunately, they scheduled the plane 6 hours after we were “done”. It was particularly annoying as we had been picked up at 5:00 AM for the 7:00 AM flight.
In summary, it was interesting but the timing of it all really degraded the total experience.
The ruins of Ephesus
Main street in EphesusMen’s marble toilets (slaves arrived early to warm them up)The LibraryBrothel across from the libraryImagine Elton John below!The Theater
Virgin Mary ShrineMuslim prayers & wishesNearby seaport (we wandered around killing time!)
On Tuesday we arrived in Istanbul. The flight was interesting because one of the airline stewards was dressed in a full chef’s outfit, including a hat. The food in Turkish Airlines “economy” was better than most domestic business class food we have experienced. Go Turkish Airlines!!
Our hotel is in the old city section of Istanbul near many of the traditional tourist sites. Clearly, there are not a lot of American tourists and our guide on Wednesday said that tourism was way down because of terrorist fears. The USA Turkey warnings really apply to the Syrian border area. So far in our 1 1/2 days in Turkey, we feel safe and are not concerned. The shop owners and others are aggressive but friendly and quite often hilarious, especially when they called David, “James Bond”! It is easy to joke with them and they seem to enjoy the back and forth.
Our 3-hour walking tour on Wednesday was excellent. We started near our hotel outside the Hagia Sophia Mosque & Museum. We visited the Blue Mosque (site of the January suicide bombing) which is a huge structure with the interior laden with beautiful blue Turkish tiles. Both of these mosques are enormous and the large center domes are supported by a series of half domes supported by more quarter domes. It was an engineering breakthrough at the time.
We wandered through palacial gardens, loaded with tulip which is the national flower of Turkey. Shortly, the city is planting more than a million tulips as a city celebration. The next stop was the spice market which was full of great aromas. Just outside this market, there is a coffee store where the locals stand in long lines just to buy their coffee. We then visited a small mosque (Rushtem Pasha Mosque) that was built by a rich architect just to house his tile collection.
After a simple Turkish lunch of vegetables & some meat we were off to visit the Cistern Basillica. The large underground facility was originally a water storage facility used during periods of war. In Istanbul, you cannot miss the Grand Bazaar, an enclosed area of 5,000 shops. The owners are aggressive (no match for Beijing’s Silk Market, though) and again quite often very funny. Just like the Medina in Marrakesh, many, many stores sell the same goods.
On Thursday & Friday we have separate trips, including 7AM flights, to Ephesus & Cappadocia. With a 5 AM pickup & returning late on both days, it should be quite an exhausting adventure.
Hagia Sophia Mosque
Largest Tulip “Carpet” everThe Blue MosqueInterior of the Blue MosqueA great fountain idea (the water is like a turning page)Wonderful park near us
The tulip ladySoaps in the Spice MarketSpices at the Spice MarketPastries are a favoriteSweets sell well in the Spice MarketRushtem Pasha Mosque – Blue tile collectionCistern BasillicaThe Grand BazaarThe Grand Bazaar
After 4 days of heavy sightseeing, Monday is going to be a slower day. As we came out of our hotel, we were shocked at the lines of people waiting to get into the Vatican (the entrance is just across the street). Clearly, Monday is not the day to sightsee in Rome!
Prior to arriving in Rome, we were totally intimidated by the breath of sightseeing activities and the size of the city. When we arrived in Rome, we were overwhelmed. The map of the city makes everything look so far away. After 4 days of walking (not one taxi, subway or bus ride), we realized that the city is not that large (at least the tourist part of Rome). We really have gotten to know the area and have found that it is easy to get around. Tourists are everywhere with maps in hand. While Lesley was in a store, David even helped some Americans find their way.
We made a quick stroll through one of Rome’s best-known food markets, the Campo de’ Fiori market. The market is filled with great colors, smells and tastes and made us hungry. We always like to visit the most popular outdoor market in each city and were surprised that Campo de’ Fiori was much smaller than the major markets in Buenos Aires, Sydney, Melbourne, etc. given that Italy, especially Rome, is a foodie’s paradise.
We crossed over the Fiume Tevere (Tiber River) into Trastevere which is a charming medieval neighborhood with loads of cafes and restaurants without the crowds. We headed toward the Piazza di Santa Maria which felt like the heart of this labyrinthine district. We walked into the unassuming (from the outside) Basilica di Santa Maria and were absolutely stunned by its beauty.
After lunch in the shopping district, Lesley could not resist purchasing a few Italian-made shoes. Fortunately, she was limited to buying only two pair because she will have to drag them around for another 3 months of travel! On Tuesday, we fly to mysterious Istanbul for 7 days where we have two day trips by air to both Ephesus and Cappadocia.
Lines into the Vatican MuseumAt the market – hats for all!Olive & other oils aboundBasilica di Santa Maria
Temple Adriano with a newer buildingDetail carvings in another piazza
On Sunday, we knew would be busy but we had a few surprises. We started our walk and stumbled across the 22nd Rome Marathon. The marathon road closures funneled us into St. Peter’s Square where the normal flow of tourists, pilgrims and others was all ready heavy. That, along with the increased security, created a slow march – similar to walking down 5th Avenue in NYC Thanksgiving week. We then discovered that the Rome Marathon really is a series of switchbacks through the city. As we got through one street blockade, we would run into another 4-5 blocks later.
Our walk to the Crypts of the Capuchin Church was doubled as we struggled with the crowds & blockades. The Capuchin monks were an order that followed St. Francis. Below the church, the monks have created 5 crypts that are decorated with the bones of over 3000 monks. Each crypt is not only the burial ground for some (the earth being transferred from Israel & Palestine) but a shrine to others as their clothed skeletons (5-7 in each crypt) were on display. Obviously pictures are not allowed but the images will remain with us for a long time.
We made our way over to the Da Vinci Museum. The genius of the man was is undeniable. Much of what we saw was quite interesting, considering what Leonardo was up to when he created these many revolutionary (at the time) yet quirky devices. There were a number of hands-on devices allowing us to try them out.
We headed off to see the largest fountain in Rome – Trevi Fountain. It was much more magnificent that we expected and the crowds were plentiful. After lunch, we continued our wondering and couldn’t get to a couple of our destinations because of the street blockage. We did see some of the late finishers (6+ hours) of the Marathon where they were awarded medals, a picture with various Roman soldiers along with silver capes that were handed out to keep the marathoners warm.
The Jewish Ghetto (a.k.a. Ghetto Ebraico) with its many outdoor kosher restaurants and bars was our next stop. We were surprised to find out that nearly half of Italy’s 35,000 Jews call Rome home. This lively area is along the river which consists of a few cramped streets and squares and is much smaller than we expected. At its height in the 17th century, it housed nearly 5,000 people. There is also a gorgeous Synagogue in this bustling neighborhood. Lesley purchase two small watercolors on the street. In this most Catholic city in the most Catholic country (with churches everywhere), one of the watercolors has the synagogue in the background – What’s wrong with this picture?
22nd Annual Rome Marathon
Saturday crowdsMany heading to St. Peter’s SquareAnother government buildingChanging of the guardAt the Trevi!Trevi FountainThe first time we have seen small umbrellas also
The Marathan finish in the distanceA great finish – if not a great outfitNew Balance provided the silver capesA pic with a Roman soldier for all that finishAnother view of the Roman ForumA random set of columns from a demolished buildingJewish QuarterFiume Trevere with St. Peter’s in the background
there are breathtaking plazas and beautifully-hued, colorful Italian buildings. We started our second touring day (Saturday) with a 3-hour walking tour beginning at the gate that Julius Caesar entered Rome after conquering the French. This important gate is located at the “Porta del Popolo” Piazza meaning The People’s Square. The Piazza (Plaza) also contains one of 3 original Egyptian obelisks that the Romans brought home. It is one of the largest public squares that we have visited so far in our travels. We continued wandering the narrow streets stopping at Augustus Caesar’s memorial (he is considered the greatest of the emperors as he “turned Rome from a city of clay to a city of marble” with his extensive building projects and 100 years of peace). This mausoleum looks very unkept and we were told that it was once home to a vast colony of cats in the 1980’s. Although we saw no signs of renovation, apparently, this mausoleum is now being restored.
We then proceeded to The Pantheon which is absolutely an amazing construction feat. The large round hall’s roof is an engineering masterpiece since it contains no visible supports and has a large center opening in the ceiling. It is the largest brick dome in the history of architecture. While strolling over to the The Piazza Navona, we came across the Fiumi fountain (Fountain of the Four Rivers) which represents the 4 most significant rivers of the 4 continents at the time of its construction. The marble that was used to create these impressive four river gods even has small veins in it. They actually look like the blood veins of the statues! We passed by some ancient Roman baths on the way to Castel Sant’Angelo. The interesting fact about the baths is that there was an army of hundreds of slaves, that were kept out of sight of bathers but scurried along the tunnels feeding sometimes 50 ovens with tons of wood a day to heat water surging through a network of underground channels that arrived via an aqueduct from a source 60+ miles away. The slaves had to continually keep the appropriate heat for the spas hot; so, they spent lengthy hours underground.
Our last stop on our walking tour was the Castel Sant’Angelo. It was originally commissioned by the Roman Emperor Hadrian as a mausoleum for himself and his family. This rotunda-type building was later used by the popes as a fortress and castle and is now a museum. It was surprising to find out that the Castle was once the tallest building in Rome!
We finished the day with a walk along some of Rome’s most prestigious high-end shopping areas near the Spanish Steps. The crowds were massive but many more looky-loos than shoppers. There are numerous revitalization projects within Rome and many large buildings are draped in scaffolding and cloth to hide the work. The one consistency was the Samsung Galaxy 7 billboards on these buildings-so historical!
Piazza PopoloEgyptian Obelisk captured by the RomansPlaza Popolo with the Samsung ad on the building being renovatedNeighborhood ChurchPantheonPantheon amazing engineeringInside the Pantheon4 Rivers FountainHe represents the NileOne of the many pilgrimages to the VaticanDiorShopping Crowds on SaturdayAlways interesting window displaysRiverfront living at its best!
On Friday, we were off on two walking tours of Rome. In spite of it being a slower time of year, the number of tourists is, at times, overwhelming. Where we haven’t seen many Americans in our month long travels so far, Rome is full of them – by the bus loads! We could hardly walk the streets today (Saturday) because it was so busy. Traffic appears always heavy and the number of Mercedes’ Smart Cars is amazing.
Our first stop on Friday was the Coliseum and the Roman Forum (the original “downtown” of Rome). Also, known as the “Flavium Amphitheater” (named after the family that built it), it is the most amazing structure when you actually see it in person. Pictures do not do the Coliseum justice. It was a surprise to find that inside the Coliseum, it is actually an oval structure rather than a round configuration. There were 80 arched entrances allowing easy access to 55,000 spectators who were seated according to rank. The Roman gladiators (who were usually prisoners of war, slaves, or condemned criminals) put on bloody shows multiple times a day. Should the ground become too soaked with blood, it was covered with another layer of sand and the show went on! There actually were a few female gladiators, but our guide told us that little has been written about these female fighters.
The Arch of Constantine was another spectacular sight, where pictures don’t do it justice. It was located right next to the Coliseum and was the entrance road to the Roman Forum, one of the most important archaeological sites in the world, and ancient Rome’s showpiece center. Although it is an impressive site; it is also a rather confusing sprawl of ruins. It was the marketplace of Rome were commerce, business, prostitution and administration of justice took place. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the forum was buried by the silt from the annual flooding over the 600 years that Rome was abandoned. It actually was a cattle pasture during the Middle Ages!
After lunch, we met our guide and visited the imposing Vatican City. We were told that the Papal Palace is 9 miles long-a fact that did not surprise us! This “tiny” country is truly “enormous” due to its abundance of historical religious treasures. There are 4.4 miles of exhibit halls with about 54 galleries and 40 rooms in total. The majority of the museum are rooms of ancient Roman sculpture and Renaissance paintings. One of the most impressive areas was actually the Gallery of Maps “Hall”. It is a 394 foot long tunnel and it includes a set of all the maps that represent Italy. The maps were amazing-especially considering the low-tech way they were made. Another interesting area was the Gallery of Tapestries were all the floor-to-ceiling tapestries were designed in Raphael’s Belgium workshop and tell picture stories from Raphael’s drawings. The tapestries were quite spectacular and one of the tapestries actually had an optical illusion woven into it. The “animal room” containing life-size stone animals was another highlight. We were quite surprised that the Museum was so incredibly crowded in early April. Often, it was impossible to get good pictures.
The last part of the tour was a visit to the famous Sistine Chapel which attracts about 4 million visitors a year. Prior to entering the Chapel, our guide explained the significance of the Michelangelo’s first commissioned frescoes on the ceiling (which took 5 years to complete and is the most impressive part of the room) and Botticelli’s and Perugino’s paintings on the walls. Upon entering the Chapel, one is mandated to maintain complete silence; however, the sheer quantities of people who were here today made the experience not quite serene and magical.
After the tour, we headed to St. Peter’s Basilica. It is one of the largest churches in the world and so spectacular it left us almost speechless. It is regarded as one of the holiest Catholic sites and can hold up to 60,000 people. Today was a remarkable and memorable day for us in beautiful Roma.
Along the River Tevere
ColliseumIt’s oval“Locker rooms” belowEntrance to the ForumMichaelangelo lived here (along with other wealthy on this hill)Church within the forumRoman Forum
Hall of AnimalsOnly statue with “eyes”Hall of MapsHall of TapestryRaphael added Michelangelo (writing on the lower left)St. Peter’s BasilicaSt. Peter’s SquareOne of 100 Swiss guardsWe were here!
There are really very few similarities between Porto and Lisbon-they are both near the coast and have some fairly daunting hills, but we think that is where it ends. The two cities have a different feel and different charms. Porto almost has a “faded grandeur” about it similar to Buenos Aires. (In our opinion, Lisbon, even though it is larger, trumps Porto for charm.) We were told that there is a strong sense of rivalry between Porto and Lisbon. Porto is a riverside town that has a thousand and one nooks and crannies with loads of local culture and history. It was a trading and commercial city dominated by the church and all that can be seen and felt in one of the oldest cities in Europe. It’s like taking a trip back to Olde London town. Today, was the first sunny day in Porto since we arrived; so, we decided not to take any day trips by train and just meander the streets and explore this delightful city. We strolled along the steep, cobbled, convoluted streets and alleyways of the historic center and the downtown area. The network of tiny streets, where no cars could possibly travel, had lots of laundry swaying in the wind from the windows. There were numerous small shrines and churches dotted throughout the city. We were awestruck by the number of churches that had absolutely magnificent blue and white tiled scenes on the facades.
The Ribeira District is the heartbeat of the city. It lines the banks of the River Douro with pastel-hued, tile-faced houses with ornate iron balconies that has made Porto a World Heritage town. Ribeira also lies next to the most beautiful bridge of Porto, the Ponte Dom Luis (a 240 foot high double-decker bridge). Ribeira, is full of bars and touristy restaurants and overlooks the area across the river called Vila Nova de of Gaia. Gaia is where the original port families stored and aged their port wine. Gaia is what made Porto so famous. Unfortunately, both of us are not fans of port wine so we didn’t partake in any “flight” samplings.
We stopped by the Bolhao Food Market which was disappointing (perhaps because it was on a Tuesday?) and then headed to the Torre dos Clerigos which is a 240-step landmark tower with panoramic views of Porto. The Sao Bento train station might be one of the most beautiful train stations in the world! The station, which used to be a former monastery, marks the transition from the old town to the downtown area. The station is famous for its massive and stunning Portuguese tile (a.k.a. traditional azulejos) panels that depict scenes of the history of Portugal. We also visited two Porto institutions that exemplify a bygone era: The Lello Bookshop which is considered to beone of the most beautiful bookshops in the world (they even charge admission!) and the iconic Cafe Majestic, opened in 1921, where waiters serve you tea and pastries in white jackets. Photography in the bookstore is not even allowed. The bookshop is well-know for its red stairway that looks like a giant tongue!
Tonight, we dined at an upscale restaurant that served “contemporary” Portuguese food, specializing in tapas. We feasted on 4 different Portuguese tapas ranging from sausages, octopus, fish cakes and a ham and mushroom mixture. All were quite delicious.
Tomorrow we fly back to Madrid for the night and then we fly on to Rome on Thursday.
Always lots of high end children’s clothesGraffitti?Majestic CafeGood example of Porto buildingsHills of PortoOne of many blue-tiled churchesQuite a bookstore!The metropolitan area (3.7m people) stretches a long way.One of the great trams.Riverfront & many bridges of Porto
The window displays rotate up & down – interestingOne of Porto’s shopping streetsA popular plaza????Douro River & all of its bridges
On Monday, we awakened to pouring rain as we grabbed a quick breakfast and headed to the train station for our 2 1/2 hour train ride up the Douro Valley. The Douro Valley is one of the world’s oldest and noted wine regions. It is a UNESCO world heritage natural beauty site since 2001 and is famous for cultivating more than 250 grape varietals. We were part of a group of 10 foreigners/tourists that were eagerly awaiting to participate in a leisurely, and scenic 5/6 hour riverboat cruise experience back down this scenic river. The Douro Valley is home to the famous Port wine. We were surprised to learn that the Douro River is 557 miles long and runs through both Spain and Portugal.
These river cruises are very popular as there are numerous day & overnight cruise boats on the river. It seems to us that Portugal’s Douro River cruises tend to be off the beaten “river cruising” track in comparison to the popular Rhine, Danube and Rhone. Obviously, this is a slower time of year as our boat, with a capacity of 216, had only 15 tourists aboard. While many cruise travelers have yet to stumble across the Douro River, we have been told that U.K. operators have been plying the river for years. (It was the Brits who started the port wine industry 300 years ago with their Portuguese allies.)
The scenic hills are filled with steps for growing these famous port grapes. Some vineyards go all of the way down to the bank of the river. In addition to the farmhouses, wineries and small towns, there were various small hotels and condominiums.
Other than the gorgeous scenery (even in the pouring rain), the most exciting adventure for us was going through two locks, the largest of which lowers the boat over 115 feet. It may be the 2nd deepest lock in Europe. Below that dam the river was slower flowing than above it – primarily because the river was much wider.
It was a long boat ride and we arrived back to Porto around 5:30 p.m. When the announcer is acknowledging the architect of a concrete highway bridge or pointing out the water treatment plant, you know that you have probably seen the best already!
Douro River from the trainClusters of homes & step vineyardsCouldn’t figure out the “remodeling status” of this homeEntering the lock – 115+ foot drop to the river belowSlowly loweringI hope that this gate holds!!We’ve dropped a lot!Emerging
The rain finally stopped!
Our PousadaAround Porto there are a lot of small tourist boatsVila Nova de Gaia, town across the river from PortoPort Wineries across from Porto
The train from Lisbon to Porto was a pleasant 2 1/2 hour ride. However, upon arriving we were faced with 2 1/2 days of rain. Our hotel, a beautiful old 18th century baroque palace with a separate building added for rooms, is very ornate but elegant. It sits overlooking the river and the Feixer harbor. Our room has a lovely view of the Douro River. The hotel has 20+ foot ceilings with very elaborate designs. Two foot thick granite walls are throughout the “palace”.
We walked the 2.5 miles to the center of Porto in spite of the drizzle. The path follows the river with it’s tourist boats plodding up and down the Douro River. Most of Porto is on a hill directly above the river so the walk up the hill is either on endless steps or on curvy roads that meander up the hill. We enjoyed the walk but the rain forced us into a taxi for the ride back.
On Sunday, we tried to wait the rain out as it poured in the morning. We loaded our backpack with all of our rain gear, including rain pants, and headed off. Our walk to town was not too wet with only light showers. In anticipation of our rail trip on Monday, we found the Sao Bento rail station which has extensive blue Portuguese tiles depicting important historical events in the main lobby. They were very impressive. Thunder, lightening and heavy rain kept us in the train lobby longer than we wanted; and, the periods of rain varied throughout the day. Porto is the home of Port wine and we headed to the Taylor Winery. Lesley’s father used to give her Taylor port & ginger ale at age 8 as he bounced her on his legs. She must have been something to require that elixir at that age!! The Taylor Winery is one of a dozen+ port tasting rooms along the river bank. We missed the tour in English but we may try to pick it up on Tuesday.
Porto is a lovely town of 250k people – the 2nd largest city in Portugal. The town with many narrow winding streets is filled with brightly colored buildings, restaurants & small shops. The riverfront is hopping with restaurants, tour boats, winery cruises and larger river cruise ships. Most of the tourists in our hotel are English speaking, many from the UK. There were many more English speaking tourists than we saw in Lisbon; most likely due to the close proximity of England to Porto. We also have found that there are many more English speaking locals than in Lisbon. It is probably because of the UK visitors and the importance of tourism.
The “Palace” from our roomA climb up the hill in PortoPortoTiles are commonTiles within Sao Bento Rail StationSao Bento Rail StationRiverfront
Today, we visited the ancient village of Obidos with its white-washed walls and towering castle (which is now a hotel). This village is commonly known as the “wedding present town”, as it was a gift from King Dinis to Queen Isabel on their wedding day in 1282. This charming, walled fortress village is known for it’s ginja, a Portuguese cherry liqueur. There were numerous handicraft/touristy shops and wine taverns in Obidos.
We drove to the Alcobaca Monastery of Santa Maria, one of the few European monuments that has managed to preserve intact an entire group of medieval buildings with its church. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is the biggest gothic-style church in Portugal. The interior of the church was bright, light and quite spectacular in a simple way. There was very little art work and other decorative items – quite unusual for most churches. The church was built by a king for his and his Queen’s final resting place.
For lunch, we headed to the sea cliff fishing town of Nazare, a very picturesque coastal town in the Estremadura region. Nazare is home to the some of the largest waves in the world due to an underwater channel right off the shore break. We spotted a quaint little restaurant on the main street across from the ocean which appeared to have a few native Portuguese dining inside-a good sign! We both had the fish stew and were not disappointed. It was by far the best meal we have had so far in Portugal. It was absolutely, as the Europeans’ say “brilliant”.
Our last stop was Fatima about 1 1/2 hours outside of Lisbon. Fatima, whose name is derived fom a Moorish princess, is one of the most important Catholic shrines in the world. Millions of pilgrims and tourists come from around the globe to honor the apparition of the Virgin Mary. It was once a sleepy village that became an important pilgrimage site in 1917 when three shepherd children reported apparitions of the Virgin Mary. A subsequent miracle was confirmed by thousands in attendance.
Portugal is truly Europe’s hidden treasure and seems to be overlooked as a European destination. Tomorrow we are headed by train to Porto and the famous Douro Valley noted for its fabulous table and port wines.
Another village street
A very bright cathedralA king’s final resting place
Nazare – Beach cityThese Nazare cliff homes are still livable!Church at Fatima (under repair before the Pope’s visit in 2017).New Fatima Catholic Church – holds 8000 worshippers
