Author Archives: Eric

History of Turkey

Posted on by
1

Modern day Turkey is located on what is literally a land bridge that joins the continents of Europe and Asia. A small part of northwestern Turkey is within the European continent, where it borders Greece and Bulgaria. The rest of the country is considered part of Asia, bordered on the west by the Aegaen sea, to the north by the Black Sea, to the south by the Mediterranean Sea and to the east by Iran, Iraq, Syria, Georgia and Armenia. Because it lies in a major crossroad between civilizations and cultures, it has a rich and vast history. We are only visiting western Turkey, along the Aegean coast, so this history summary is going to focus on the west. Continue reading →

Welcome to Turgutreis, Mugla Province, Turkey

Posted on by
2

We pulled out early this morning to head to Turgutreis, Turkey, which is on the western edge of the Bodrum Peninsula. We would have liked to have spent another day exploring Kos and another day or two exploring Rhodes, but the marina at Kos was full and we needed to go. When we made the reservation they had told us we could only stay for the three nights.

The trip to Turkey was short, only taking 1 1/2 hours. Good thing, because the waves were rough yet again. We had made a reservation at D-Marina. The reservation had been confirmed via email, but they had not asked for payment up front. We pulled up to the marina and called on the radio. They responded that they had no space for us. What? We replied that we had a reservation. They didn’t respond, nor did they respond to subsequent calls. We waited in the harbor outside the marina, hoping they would respond to us eventually. We heard a boat on the radio call for a pilot boat to help them leave. Maybe we could get this newly vacating spot? Eric hailed Continue reading →

Exploring Rhodes, Greece

Posted on by
Reply

Continued from yesterday”¦ From the museum we headed over to the palace, and on the way we passed the living quarters for the knights. The Knights were grouped together according to the language they spoke, and each group resided in the same house. The houses are lined up one after another on a long street. The houses were built at different times, ranging from the early 1400’s to the early 1500’s. All have a similar exterior façade, though if you look carefully you can see nuances that make each a little different. All of the houses are now government administrative offices. We don’t know if you are allowed to go inside. We didn’t try. One door was open and we peeked in and saw a courtyard with a beautiful garden surrounded by a rectangular building, very similar in layout to the hospital. There are also some floor plans on the informational signs, and they are definitely bigger inside than they look outside.

imgp5662-small.JPG

The palace is Continue reading →

Welcome to Rhodes, Dodacanese Islands, Greece

Posted on by
1

This morning we were up early to catch the ferry to Rhodes. Like Santorini, the marina in Rhodes is first come, first serve, and the anchorages are not good. We figured we were better off leaving Kosmos safely in Kos than to risk having to anchor her in an anchorage infamous for its poor holding.

The ferry over was a fast catamaran, similar to the one we had taken to Santorini. It was a quick two hour trip, and a smooth ride. We were dropped off at the main town on the island, the city of Rhodes. The imposing fortress walls of the old city of Rhodes loomed in front of us, similar to the walls in Kos. We walked from the bay to one of the city gates. Christi felt like we had walked into a history book. It is a true medieval city, different than anything we have ever been to before, with gothic buildings made of stone block and stone block roads.

imgp5655-small.JPG

imgp5547-small.JPG

Rhodes is Continue reading →

Sightseeing in Kos – Castles, Medical Facilities and More

Posted on by
1

Continued from yesterday”¦ We headed a few blocks north to the ancient stadium, which is now an empty field with no overt markers to indicate what it once was. As we strolled along, we enjoyed the sweet smell of figs in the air. Figs smell good.

Once we had passed the stadium, we were back in the heart of the old town. We continued one more block north we got to the bay, then followed the bay around to the fort/castle. To enter the fort, you go up a slope to the Plateia Platanou, a cobblestone courtyard with an 18th century mosque (now home to tourist shops) and one of the oldest trees in Europe.

From the Platiea Platanou, you cross a bridge over what was once a mote into the fort/castle built by the Knights Hospitalier in the 14th century. From the outside, the castle looks like it is intact, so we were disappointed when we paid the entrance fee and walked in to see that the outside looked a lot better than the inside. There are remains of a building in the center, but for the most part, the majority of the interior is dead grass with bits of broken bits of sculpture and other marble pieces strewn about. Here are some shots from various spots around the fort.

dsc01913-small.JPG

dsc01923-small.JPG

imgp5538-small.JPG

Like at the Western Excavation site, there are no signs. You can walk around the perimeter of the exterior walls, which offer beautiful views from the top.

dsc01914-small.JPG

There are little Continue reading →