Allure of the Adriatic & Christmas Markets
with Overseas Adventure Travel
Dec. 10-26, 2023
Venice, Italy; Rovinj & Bale, Croatia; Trieste, Italy; Piran, Slovenia; Ravenna, Italy; Pula, Cres, Beli , Rijeka, Motovun, Hum & Zagreb, Croatia.
I booked this 17 day “Allure of the Adriatic & Christmas Markets” adventure with Overseas Adventure Travel. This is another of many, many times I have traveled with this company. Really enjoyed doing this journey at Christmas time with my my oldest son, Eric. We had an very enjoyable group of 18 travelers for this small ship adventure in Italy, Slovenia and Croatia. And, oh my goodness I loved the Christmas Markets that we visited along the way!
Map & our small ship, the Artemis: I am including a map that I copied from the OAT website. This map shows the destinations of our trip. Our adventure began with 3 nights in Venice, Italy at a great hotel located on the Grand Canal. Then we boarded the “Artemis” (pictured below) for our 10 night cruise on the Adriatic. Due to the weather our trip didn’t go exactly as the map, but we saw everything, just in a different order (as indicated by the numbers I inserted). We cruised from Venice to Rovinj, to Trieste, to Piran, to Ravenna, then to Pula, Cres, and Rijeka. We transferred by coach to Zagreb, Croatia, with a couple stops along the way. Our last destination of our adventure was 2 nights in Zagreb, Croatia at a great hotel located right in the city center. From there we were homeward bound.
This is Alex, our awesome trip experience leader. He is indeed one of the very best!
Save Money
: If you decide you’d like to go on this or any Overseas Adventure or Grand Circle Travel trip, and you are a first time traveler with them, they will give you each $100 off any trip. All you have to do is mention the name of my travel blog and my name, Marilyn. New travelers instantly receive $100 off the cost of the trip, and I will receive $100 when you depart on your trip.
********************
Since this is a trip that Eric & I did during December and Christmas I decided that Christmas Markets would indeed be a highlight of my adventure. The Christmas Markets were marvelous with merriment of children and families, and I loved every minute of them! Christmas Markets were in almost every town that we toured with the exception of Venice, Italy. To begin this blog, here are just a few pictures of some various Christmas Markets.
********************
And thus, our “Allure of the Adriatic & Christmas Markets” adventure begins.
Venice, Italy & Hotel: Venice is built on a group of 126 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are linked by 472 bridges. I must say that due to the uniqueness of Venice I have decided that it is one of my favorite cities in the world. Overseas Adventure Travel treats its customers right; here are pictures of our wonderful hotel, The Palazzo Barocci, which was located on the Grand Canal in Venice. We arrived by boat to check into our hotel.
******
Piazza San Marco (St. Mark’s Square), Venice: It is the largest and most important piazza in Venice with the widest swath of flat, open land in the water-bound city.
******
Piazza San Marco, Venice: The present structure is the third church, begun probably in 1063. St. Mark’s Basilica is famous for the dominance of golden mosaics. The interior of the domes, the vaults, and the upper walls were covered with gold-ground mosaics depicting saints, prophets, and biblical scenes.
******
The Grand Canal of Venice: The banks of the Grand Canal are lined with more than 170 buildings, most of which date from the 13th to the 18th century. It’s an S-shaped thoroughfare that runs through the heart of the city.
******
Neighborhood Canals: In addition to these large canals, Venice has more than 150 neighborhood canals that vary in width and boat capacity.
******
Footbridges of Venice: The historic center is connected by nearly 400 footbridges.
******
Gondola Ride, Venice: I can’t even tell you how much fun I had on the gondola ride. The laughter from our group was contagious as we glided along and we even had a guy playing his guitar and singing music to us. Such fun!
******
Some Piazzas in Venice: Picturesque squares called piazzas are scattered throughout the city. It was pleasant strolling along the winding streets to discover the town squares, and to see the ancient architecture.
******
The Rialto Bridge: The bridge is the oldest of the four bridges spanning the Grand Canal in Venice. The present stone bridge, a single span, began to be constructed in 1588 and was completed in 1591.
The Rialto Fish Market: The fish market has been taking place in the Rialto area since 1097. The fish sold at the market comes straight from the Venetian lagoon.
******
The Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari: It was originally built in the mid-13th century but rebuilt in Gothic style in the 15th century. In the front of the church is the original masterpiece of Titian painted between 1519 & 1526. The church contains many other masterpieces, statues, carvings & monuments that date back hundred of years.
********************
M/V Artemis: We bid farewell to wonderful Venice and boarded our ship which would be our home for the next 10 nights. This 50 passenger ship is owned, operated and staffed by Overseas Adventure Travel. There can be 25 per group on the cruises, we had 18 happy and friendly travelers in our group. I have included a map that shows the route of our cruise (the blue lines). Due to the weather the route had to be changed (as per the numbers I’ve included on the map). So let the cruise begin!
********************
Rovinj, Croatia: {2} We boarded the M/V Artemis in Venice (#1) and cruised to our first stop which was Rovinj, Croatia (2). Rovinj is situated on the Adriatic coast with a population of about 14,000. It has a picturesque old town, colorful houses, and stunning views of the sea and islands. The hilltop baroque church stands watch over the old town. And…..my first of many Christmas Markets on this adventure.
*****
Rovinj, Croatia: In old town the streets weaved their way up to the church at the top of the town. They are a tangle of little streets and alleys and twisting stairways. It was a Monday and I guess that is laundry day in Rovinj because laundry it was hanging here, there, and everywhere. My focus of these photos was on the laundry in this medieval little town.
******
St. Euphemia Church, Rovinj, Croatia: At the top of the town is located the 17th-century church of St. Euphemia which was built by the Venetians, who were in control of Rovinj throughout this period. Beautiful views of the sea from the top of the town…and there is our ship in the last photo.
********************
Day in the Life, Rovinj, Croatia: Overseas Adventure Travel provides an opportunity to spend the day with a family to experience what life is like in another part of the world. We went to a Croatian lavender farm, but before we hiked to the fields we helped prepare a typical Croatian lunch.
******
Lavender Fields, Rovinj, Croatia: Lavender can be found along the Croatian coast and inland. It should be planted in a shady location and protected from the wind. Because it does not require water, it can live in temperatures as low as minus 15 degrees Fahrenheit for an extended period of time. The rock building is a couple hundred years old and was built for shelter.
********************
Bale, Croatia: It was built around a medieval castle in the 15th century. Today it has a population of approximately 1,000 with a bilingual population of Croatians and Italians. And low and behold there was a cute little Christmas Market. We even enjoyed singing a Christmas Carole to the little lady in the window.
********************
Trieste, Italy: {3} We cruised from Rovinj, Croatia (#2) to Trieste, Italy (#3). The city of Trieste flourished under the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and these grand 18th-and 19th century buildings from the golden era are still there today. Trieste was beautiful at night and groups signing Christmas Carols made it so festive!
******
Christmas Markets of Trieste, Italy: So much fun and merriment going on at the Christmas Markets! Eating, hot drinks, ice skating, singing and family togetherness.
******
Cioccolato Peratoner, Trieste, Italy: Now this is what Hot Chocolate was meant to be! It was thick, and hot, and delicious dark chocolate, so thick that a spoon could almost stand up in it.
******
The Risiera Di San Sabba, Trieste, Italy: The former rice processing factory was used in 1943 by the Nazi’s during WWII as a concentration camp and detainment center. It has been a national monument and museum since the 1960’s. It was a somber experience seeing this history.
********************
Piran, Slovenia: {4} The town has a population of approximately 4,000 and is located in southwestern Slovenia, on the Gulf of Piran on the Adriatic Sea. Piron is known for its medieval architecture, has narrow streets and Venetian architecture. It is famous for its salt, and salt makers still play a prominent role in Piran’s economy.
******
Piran, Slovenia: I love exploring the streets of Medieval towns and this little town also had the advantage of having a lovely seaside.
******
Church of Saint George, Piran, Slovenia: It is a Roman Catholic church located on the hill above Piran. It was built in the Venetian Renaissance architectural style and is dedicated to Saint George. This structure was completed in the 1600’s. There was a great view from the church.
********************
Ravenna, Italy: {5} Beginning in 402 AD, Ravenna served as the capital of the Western part of the Roman Empire. During this age, skilled craftsmen covered the city’s terracotta brick churches in beautiful mosaics. This town has one of the world’s most remarkable collections of early Christian mosaic artwork. Since 1996 Ravenna has been on UNESCO’s World Heritage list.
Basilica di San Vitale, Ravenna, Italy: The Basilica is Ravenna’s most visited site. Construction began in 526 and was completed in 547. It is full of mosaics and frescoes, with domes and columns and windows maximizing the sparkle of the elaborate mosaics. The church is almost 1500 years old and one of the most important examples of early Christian Byzantine art & architecture in Europe. The mosaics in the church were beautiful. It’s a UNESCO world heritage site.
******
Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, Ravenna, Italy: It sits in the courtyard of Ravenna’s magnificent 6th-century Basilica of San Vitale. The mausoleum was commissioned around 426 AD by empress Galla Placidia. The mosaics, are described by UNESCO as “among the best surviving examples of this form of art in Europe.” On the ceiling there are 900 gold stars against a deep blue sky, with a cross in the center to symbolize resurrection.The mosaics are over 1,500 years old. It’s a UNESCO world heritage site.
******
The Christmas Market of Ravenna, Italy: Time to sit down for a cup of hot chocolate.
********************
Pula, Croatia: {6} It’s located on the southern tip of the Istrian Peninsula. It was a popular destination in ancient times and today for its known for its impressive Roman ruins. This massive structure is the sixth largest amphitheater in the world with space for 22,000 spectators, and it was built between 27 BC and 68 BC. There are caverns underneath which were used to keep wild animals and the gladiators.
******
Temple of Augustus, Pula, Croatia: This is the only visible remnant from the Roman era on the Forum. The Forum was Pula’s central meeting place from antiquity through the Middle Ages. It used to contain temples and public buildings, but today this temple, erected from 2 BC to AD 14, is the showcase. When the Romans left, it became a church and then a grain warehouse.
******
Christmas Market in Pula, Croatia.
********************
Cres, Croatia: {7} The town of Cres on the island of Cres is a 2,000 year old town located on the bay. The island of Cres is about 156 sq. miles with a population of approximately 2,700. On the Thursday we were in Cres, there was not much open or happening in the town. However, they say it’s very busy in the summer with swimming and water activities.
******
The Church od Saint Mary the Great: The main church in Cres was finished during the final years of the 15th century. I thought it was a nice little church in a little town. This is the scripture on the open Bible.
Luke 1: 26-28.
26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.
28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
********************
Beli, Croatia: Rather interesting today. We drove up the mountain on a little road that overlooks the sea and went to the tiny, tiny town of Bali on a tiny road, where they have a Vulture Rescue Center. That was somewhat interesting but the ride was beautiful. Pictures out the bus window are posted.
********************
Rijeka, Croatia: {8} This city of approximately 108,000 population is the principal seaport and the third largest city in Croatia (after Zagreb and Split). The city’s economy largely depends on shipbuilding. Rijeka is a blend of a 20th-century port and the Italianate Habsburg grandeur.
******
Istrian Cooking Class, Rijeka Croatia: This was a hands-on experience and a lot of fun. The cooking class was well set-up and very well done. The pasta we made was also very tasty.
******
Christmas Market in Rijeka, Croatia: Another of my beloved Christmas Markets, and again this was so much fun strolling through and joining in on the merriment.
******
Trsat Castle, Rijeka, Croatia: The thirteenth century Trsat castle, is situated on the steep hill above the city. This site was in use from Roman days for being an easy place from which to control access to the sea. The Trsat castle was completely reconstructed and renovated in the 19th century. The courtyard of the castle has now been turned into a restaurant. Several of us went with Alex on the city bus and absolutely loved the evening with all the Christmas lights and the beautiful scenery overlooking Rijeka.
********************
Motovum, Croatia: We drove inland to the charming and picturesque hilltop town in Istria. This medieval town is surrounded by a wall and towers, and offers outstanding views of the valley below. Motovun is famous for its truffles, which grow in the nearby forests and are celebrated in a festival every October. It has a population of approximately 900 in the municipality, with about 400 in the village itself.
******
Cemetery, Motovun, Croatia: I’m always fascinated with cemeteries around the world. I think this one is unique. It was located just a little below Motovun, but still of the hilltop.
********************
Hum, Croatia: Hum is billed as the smallest town in the world. It had a population of 30 people in the 2011 census, but according to the 2021 census, I see its population was 52. The tiny town consists of a town wall, a town gate, a cemetery, 2 churches, a restaurant and some residential buildings and is therefore acknowledged as a town. It was first mentioned in documents dating from 1102. Enjoyed being in the little town.
******
Assumption of the Virgin Mary, Hum, Croatia: The church was built in 1802.
******
Museum of Hum AurA, Hum, Croatia: We visited the museum which is located in an old townhouse and is dedicated to the history of Hum in Croatia and the former trades of the town.
********************
Farewell to the M/V Artemis: We said goodbye to the captain and superb crew of the Artemis. We disembarked the ship and went by coach to Zagreb, making a couple stops along the way.
********************
Zagreb, Croatia: Located in the north of the country, it is the capital and largest city of Croatia with a population of approximately 767,000. The city has an upper town which is the old town, and a lower town made up of neo-baroque and art deco buildings. And being Christmas, to me the very best thing of all was the fantastic Christmas Markets everywhere!
Upper Town, Zagreb, Croatia: It’s been Croatia’s capital since 1557. The old Upper Town has the city’s medieval landmarks. Photo 1. The funicular that you take from the lower town up to the upper town. 2. St. Mark’s Church with the famous colorful roof representing coat of arms, church built as early as the 13th century. 3. Street in the Upper Town. 4. Zagreb Cathedral being restored from damages from the earthquake in March 2020.
******
Christmas Markets, Zagreb, Croatia: Zagreb is famous for its award-winning Christmas Markets, and was named the best in Europe for three years in a row (2015, 2016, 2017) by European Best Destinations. The biggest and best Christmas Markets I’ve ever see! This is the fabulous main Christmas Market in Zagreb, located in the lower town, in Ban Josip Square, which is the city center and main square in Zagreb.
Christmas Market, Zagreb: Fuliranje is another Christmas Market located in a big park, a few minutes from the main town center. Lots and lots of food stalls, mulled wine, and music playing. So festive!
Christmas Market, Zagreb: Yet another one in Ice Rink Park. However, it was Christmas Eve and no one was ice skating.
Christmas Market, Zagreb: This Market was located in front of our hotel, Hotel Dubrovnik, (silver building on right). A perfect location for a cappuccino.
******
Tunnel Gric, Zagreb, Croatia:: This experience was extremely unique. This underground pedestrian tunnel was once a WWII bomb shelter, and is now a tourist attraction. During the Advent period it is the site of several holiday exhibitions. So here we go through the WWII bomb shelter!
******
The Christmas Story, Kaptol Street, Zagreb, Croatia: On Christmas Day we went to a live nativity scene where the Christmas Story from the Bible was reenacted. It was spectacular! It put the true meaning of Christmas into my heart on Christmas Day in Zagreb, Croatia. Costumed actors recreated the scene of Jesus’ birth. We watched the people of Bethlehem, shepherds, wise men, real animals and of course, Mary & Joseph and the Baby Jesus. Listening to the reading of the Christmas Story in Croatian was inspiring!
********************
And thus ends another wonderful adventure with Overseas Adventure Travel. “Allure of the Adriatic & Christmas Markets” was outstanding. Alex, our trip experience was beyond outstanding and our group of 18 travelers were a joy to be with. I am so thankful to have these wonderful experiences and see these fantastic places. I am most thankful because I got to do this trip with my oldest son.
“Life is what you make it!”
Keep on traveling.
Tuscany & Umbria: Rustic Beauty
with Pre-trip to Bologna & Parma
with Overseas Adventure Travel
Oct. 14-Nov. 5, 2023
Bologna, Venice, Parma, Giarola Island, Pontremoli, Testaroli, Lucca, Carrara, Florence, Florence American Cemetery, Chianti Valley, Poggibonzi, San Gimignano, Siena, Pienza, Chianciano Terme, Sovana, Montepulciano, Pitigliano, Perugia, Assisi, Spoleto, Spello, Village in the Apennines, and Rome, Italy.
I booked this 22 day “Tuscany & Umbria: Rustic Beauty” adventure with Overseas Adventure Travel. This is another of many, many times I have traveled with this company. Really enjoyed being out and about with my friend Wanda. We had an very enjoyable group of 14 travelers for this adventure in beautiful and fascinating Tuscany & Umbria, Italy.
I am including a map that I copied from the OAT website. This map shows the destinations of our trip, and I put red check marks indicating where we stayed at hotels. Our adventure began with the Bologna & Parma pre-trip (bottom left) by staying 4 nights in Bologna, Italy (Wanda & I arrived a day before the tour started), then 3 nights in Parma. After the pre-trip our main trip began with 3 nights in Lucca, followed by 3 nights in a villa in the Chianti region. From there we stayed in the little hilltop town of Pienza for 3 nights followed by 3 nights in the village hilltop town of Spoleto. Our last destination was 1 night in Rome and from there we were homeward bound.
This is Paola, our trip experience leader of our pre-trip in Bologna & Parma, Italy, and Matteo, our leader for Tuscany & Umbria. They were both kind and caring individuals and loved showing us the happiness of Italy!
Our happy group of 14 travelers. This group of travelers were the best! Easy going, friendly, and kindness one to another made for a awesome adventure.
Save Money: If you decide you’d like to go on this or any Overseas Adventure or Grand Circle Travel trip, and you are a first time traveler with them, they will give you each $100 off any trip. All you have to do is mention the name of my travel blog and my name, Marilyn. New travelers instantly receive $100 off the cost of the trip, and I will receive $100 when you depart on your trip.
***
And thus, our pre trip of “Tuscany & Umbria: Rustic Beauty” begins.
Bologna, Italy: Wanda & I chose to arrive a day before the actual trip began. We were transferred by OAT from the airport in Bologna to our hotel. Bologna is the seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants. It is known as the Fat City for its rich cuisine, and the Red City for its red tiled rooftops.
———————————
Secret Food Tour, Bologna: Since Bologna is known as the Fat City, Wanda & I had booked a food tour with Secret Food Tours. It was a fun experience with lots of good food and seeing the little streets of Bologna!
Pasta Making Lesson, Bologna: Our pre-trip with Overseas Adventure Travel began and the first thing we learned was how to make pasta the Italian way.
Bologna City City: The weather wasn’t cooperating but we walked all about in the city center with rain, on again, and off again.
***
Venice, Italy: Since Bologna is located less than a 2 hour train ride away from Venice, Wanda & I decided to get train tickets (28 Euro round trip per person) and head to that enchanting city. The train station is located on the Grand Canal in Venice, so we purchased an inexpensive ticket on the public water taxi to St. Mark’s Square. It was a fascinating 25 minute ride.
St. Marks Basilica, Venice: The present structure is the third church, begun probably in 1063. It is dedicated to and holds the relics of Saint Mark the Evangelist, the patron saint of the city. The church is located on Saint Mark’s Square, the former political and religious center of the Republic of Venice, and is attached to the Doge’s Palace.
The beautiful canals of Venice: Just strolling along enjoying it all!
Cannoli in Venice: We are in Italy, let’s have a cannoli!
***
Transferred from Bologna to Parma:
Parmesan Cheese: On our way to Parma we stopped at a cheese farm, where Parmesan cheese is made. We discovered how Parmigiano Reggiano is a hard Italian cheese made from skimmed, unpasteurized cow’s milk, with a lengthy aging process with a minimum of two years. During the production process, rennet is added to develop soft curds. The curds are then cooked, cut, and added to wheel-shaped molds to age. By the way, a wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano costs at least 1,000 Euro! A fun tasting of the cheese followed.
***
Parma, Italy: It’s a city in the northern Italian region of Italy, known for its architecture, music, art, prosciutto, (ham) and cheese. It has a population of about 198,000. The city is home to the University of Parma, one of the oldest universities in the world.
Parma Cathedral: It is an important Italian Romanesque cathedral that dates back to 1106. We had a wonderful local guide. In the church she’d talk about a picture and bring it to life. It brought great meaning to everything.
Tetro Regio Opera House, Parma: It was especially fun to get to see the beautiful opera house in Parma. The 1,400-seat auditorium, with four tiers of boxes topped by a gallery was inaugurated on 16 May 1829.
***
Countryside near Parma: We went for a ride on a beautiful sunny day. We visited a “Salumifico” that produces traditional “calatello” Parma ham. Mind you in the pictures where you see the hanging ham…they each cost at least 500 Euro! In the cellars they had around 5,000 hanging curing hams.
Prosciutto: The really fun part of the morning was the fact that there was a huge tent set up and I think every vender from near and far were there offering samples of their prosciutto. We all completely enjoyed the generous sampling of the fine prosciutto hams.
Po River: How about a ride down the Po River on a beautiful day? We went to Giarola Island and had a picnic lunch.
***
From Parma to Lucca: We transferred to Lucca (top left of the map). We saw some pretty countryside (Apennine mountains & Lunigiana valley) as we traveled along.
***
Pontremoli, Italy: In route we stopped at the medieval town of Pontremoli and a local guide showed us the highlights of the ancient town.
***
Testaroli, Italy: It’s a regional pasta made from egg-free dough. We watched the process then ate the Testaroli for lunch. It was okay, but nothing special.
***
Our pre-trip in Bologna & Parma ended and we bid farewell to Paola when we arrived in Lucca. She was a great pre-trip experience leader and it was an enjoyable experience but more of Italy was calling us.
***
Tuscany & Umbria: Rustic Beauty: We arrived in Lucca and this was the beginning of our main trip. I copied this map from the OAT website and I have added red checkmarks indicating where we stayed at hotels. The main trip began with 3 nights in Lucca, followed by 3 nights in a villa in the Chianti region. From there we stayed in little hilltop town of Pienza for 3 nights, followed by 3 nights in the hilltop town of Spoleto. Our last destination was 1 night in Rome and from there we were homeward bound.
Matteo was our really grand Trip Experience Leader. Matteo loved showing us his country and included lots of fun surprises. He kept everything going perfectly. A great guy! Our happy group of 14 travelers made it even more fun. And thus, the main trip “Tuscany & Umbria: Rustic Beauty” begins.
***
Lucca, Italy: A UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was founded by the Etruscans and became a Roman colony in 180 BC. Lucca’s medieval city walls are of the best preserved ramparts in Italy. They were built between 1544 and 1650, to defend against Pisa and then Florence. It rained like crazy most of the time we were in Lucca. It would have been fun to stroll in more of the ancient town without the rain. Wanda I did enjoy a cappuccino with the locals under umbrella’s.
San Michele in Foro Church, Lucca: It’s located in the large square that was originally the Roman Forum in the center of Lucca. Construction began in 1063. It’s Roman a Catholic Cathedral dedicated to Saint Martin. The columns of the façade are different. The façade features busts of important men of the age rather than mythological or biblical people.
Puccini Concert, Lucca: Several of us braved the rain and went to a Puccini Concert. It was very enjoyable. We were the first to arrive so we had front row seats.
***
Carrara Marble Quarries, Carrara: We drove up the slopes of the Apuan Alps for a visit to the famous Carrara marble quarries. This is where the block of white marble used by Michelangelo to sculpt his David came from. The pictures show how the mountain is solid marble, and they work from the top, down. The white that you see in the last 3 photos in all marble.
***
Florence, Italy: The birthplace of the Renaissance! The historic city center of Florence is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We began our day at San Minato al Monte that tops one the the highest points in the city. From there we had a good overlook of the city of Florence, then we walked down through the gardens to the city center.
Palazzo Vecchio & Piazza della Signoria, Florence: The Romanesque fort-like palace was built in 1293. In front of the building stands Michelangelo’s David together with Bandinelli’s Hercules and Cacus. The Piazza della Signoria is a beautiful square with lots and lots of fantastic artwork.
Fountain of Neptune. Florence: I have decided that this is my all time favorite sculpture! It was created by Ammannati and Giambologna and built between the years 1563-1565. The figure stands on a high pedestal in the middle of an octagonal fountain.
Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence: When it was consecrated in 1436, it was the world’s largest church, able to accommodate 30,000 worshippers. The external walls are covered in white, red and green marble with geometric figures and stylized flowers.
Baptistery of Saint John, Florence: The Baptistery is one of the oldest buildings in the city, constructed between 1059 and 1128 in the Florentine Romanesque style. The Baptistery is renowned for its three sets of artistically important bronze doors with relief sculptures.
Ponte Vecchio, Florence: Until 1218 this was the only bridge that crossed the Arno River. The bridge was rebuilt in 1565 during the reign of the Medici family when they wanted a route which would connect them directly between Uffizi and the Palazzo Pitti on the other side of the River, without even stepping foot outside. So the covered corridor across the bridge was constructed on top of the bridge stores. The bridge survived WWII when the German’s destroyed all of the city’s bridges except this one.
***
The Florence American Cemetery and Memorial: The final resting place for our American Soldiers that gave their life fighting in Italy in WWII. Just beautiful! Emotional for all of us. They gave each of us an American flag to put in front of a grave and to read the soldiers name aloud. The back wall with all the names is the memorial to those missing in action and known only to God. At exactly 4:45 Taps were played, and the flag lowered and folded.
***
Chianti Countryside: Our drive from the Florence area through the Chianti countryside was just beautiful!
***
Villa San Lucchese, Poggibonzi, Italy: My favorite hotel of the trip. It was located on top of a hill in the countryside. Absolutely awesome views from my window and from the Villa. Beautiful Villa, lovely room, delicious meals and the perfect place in Tuscany!
***
The Potter: We enjoyed watching a potter create his lovely pottery.
***
Cooking Lesson: We all enjoyed our hands-on lesson on cooking the Tuscany way. We also learned how time consuming it is to make the homemade pasta. And, of course we got to eat the wonderful food.
***
San Gimignano: Not in our itinerary, but Matteo asked if we’d like to check it out….and YES was the answer. It’s a medieval hill town in Tuscany, which is famous for its medieval architecture and towers. At the height of its glory, San Gimignano’s patrician families had built around 72 tower-houses as symbols of their wealth and power. They stood in defense of the walled city. Only 14 have survived time. San Gimignano is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I love this hill town! Kellee, JimB, Jim & I stayed here in 2014 at the little hotel on the main piazza (2nd picture, the building with the greenery on it). Wonderful memories!
***
Siena, Italy: The historic center of Siena is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Siena is built on three hills, surrounded by well preserved walls, and is filled with Gothic architecture. We walked from this overlook picture to the top of Siena, which is the Cathedral.
The Siena Cathedral: It’s is a medieval church which was originally designed and completed between 1215 and 1263. The exterior and interiors are decorated in white and greenish-black marble in alternating stripes.
Piazza del Campo, Siena: Siena has one of the world’s most unique piazzas, which is shaped like a shell with scalloped edges. The twice a year horse race on July 2 & Aug. 16 takes place here. During this special occasion, the main square in Siena, the Piazza del Campo, is prepared for the race as the ring around the square is covered with tuff clay. It is a huge, popular event with people standing in the center to watch. This is the piazza where the horse races are held. Can you imagine the horses going ‘round & round’ the outer edges of this piazza?
Contrades, Siena: In Siena they have 17 different districts or contrades each named for an animal or symbol. The members do activities together, have a small church within the main contrade and the big thing is sponsoring a horse for the big Palio horse race. It is a huge competition and on the day of the race the horse is even brought into the church to be blessed.The 2nd picture is of the horse from the Goose Contrade that won the race this year. The horse is riderless because the jockey fell off which they said wasn’t s uncommon. It’s legal to win without a rider.
***
Pienza, Italy: It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and our next hotel was located here for 3 nights. I really liked this little hill-top town because even though it’s on a hilltop, the town itself is flat and the town is small. Overlooking the country side beneath Pienza is just beautiful. The name of Pienza comes from Pope Pius II, who was born here, and it means the city of Pius. The construction of Pienza started around 1459 because Pope Pius wanted to transform his birthplace into the ideal Renaissance town.
***
Countryside Landscapes near Pienza: Since we have arrived in the Pienza area the landscape and scenery are different than the previous area. This area has lots of rolling hills for crops. We don’t know which crops, but the ground is worked and ready. They farm every inch of the rolling hills. We have seen lots of big bales of hay that is in large barns. We have not seen any cattle whatsoever in the countryside. We saw a few sheep today in one location, but that’s it.
***
Etruscan Museum, Chianciano Terme, Italy: The Etruscan’s were ancient people of central Italy, whose civilizations flourished from about 700-400 B.C. They were subsequently dominated and absorbed by the Romans. We visited this museum to view artifacts from the Etruscan era.
Making Clay Models at the Museum: After touring the museum we all went to the workshop and made our own clay creations. Then we watched the volunteers as they worked at restoring artifacts.
***
The Etruscan Necropolis of Sovana: Having toured the Etruscan Museum, it only seemed fitting to go the Ancient necropolis where the artifacts in the museum have been found.
Ildebranda Tomb, Sovana: This tomb was discovered in 1924, and is the most important tomb in the necropolis. It dates from the 3rd-2nd century BC. The tomb, which has the form of a temple, is dug in the tufa and is finely decorated. The 2nd pictures shows how they think that it looked in ancient times.
Etruscan Cave Road of Sovana: This Etruscan cave road connects between Sorano and Pitigliano. Originally used as roads to reach areas of burial, but became the roads of communication.
***
Montepulciano: Standing high atop a hill in southern Tuscany is this medieval town of beauty and well worth visiting. Approximately 14,000 people live in the medieval town. Legend has it that the city was founded in the 4th century BC. by an Etruscan. A walk through Montepulciano (up, up and more up) provides one stunning view after another, from beautiful landmarks to the outstanding views of the surrounding countryside.
Wine Tasting & Lunch, Montepulciano: We had wine tasting and lunch at a historic cafe in a cellar in Montepulciano.
Fancy Coffee, Montepulciano: Making time for a fancy coffee with thick chocolate. Sure was good, but didn’t expect it to be so small.
***
Pitigliano, Italy: Pitigliano and this area was inhabited in Etruscan times. The first written mention of Pitigliano is in 1061. Today,it is a well preserved old town perched high on a ledge overlooking two rivers. It has a rich Jewish heritage. Jews began settling in Pitigliano in the 15th century. During WWII, the town’s few remaining Jews escaped the Nazis with the aid of their mostly Catholic neighbors.
Lunch, Pitigliano: We had a really nice lunch outside on a lovely day and then were entertained with a bag-pipe.
The Jewish Ghetto, Pitigliano: The parts of the ancient Jewish Quarter of Pitigliano open to visitors includes a small museum, ritual baths, dye works, the Kosher butchering area, bread ovens, and the restored synagogue from 1598. The first photo shows the entrance to the ghetto where the Jewish people were forced to live.
***
Perugia, Italy: We bid farewell to Tuscany and drove toward Umbria. Umbria is rich with agriculture, olive oil making and forests. Our first stop in Umbria was Perugia and we literally took 4 escalators up to the mostly pedestrian thoroughfare lined with prominent buildings, museums and a cathedral. We were in luck because “Day of the Dead” festival was going on. Wanda & I even bought some roasted chestnuts and they were yummy.
Candy-Making, Perugia: We visited a candy shop owned by two sisters and tried our hand at chocolate-making .
***
Assisi, Italy: Matteo had another surprise for us, even though Assisi wasn’t included in the itinerary, since we were close by he asked us if we’d like to go there. Yes! Assisi is best known for the legacy of Saint Francis and his followers who practiced humility and compassion in the face of poverty. We visited the 13th century Basilica. (No photos were allowed inside). The church was begun immediately after St. Francis canonization in 1228, and completed in 1253.
***
Spoleto, Italy: We stayed in Spoleto for 3 nights, it was another town of walking up and up and up. I’ve never dreamed I’d ever walk so many hilltop towns! It is a walled hill town framed by the towering Apennine Mountains. During our walking tour we saw the Roman Theatre, the main city and the Roman bridge from the 1st century BC.
Spoleto Cathedral: The church is essentially an example of Romanesque architecture. Construction of the Duomo begun around 1175 and completed in 1227. The beautiful frescoes are four Scenes from the Life of the Virgin Mary, begun in 1467 by Filippo Lippi and completed two years later by his pupils.
Dinner, Spoleto: We had an elegant dinner tonight at our hotel in Spoleto.
***
Spello, Italy: This hilltop town retains its medieval aspect. As you can see the residential area of the town is beautiful and the ancient town was charming as we strolled along. The town is enclosed in a circuit of medieval walls built on Roman foundations.
La Cappella Baglioni, Spello: We visited this chapel which is renowned for its early 16th century Renaissance frescoes.
Evening of music, Spello: We joined some local musicians in the home of the lead singer. It was a fun evening of Umbrian folk tunes, appetizers & wine.
***
Truffle hunting in the Mountains: And then it was truffle hunting day way up in the Apennines mountains. We drove higher and higher for 30-35 minutes on little roads. It was cold and very windy on our mountain venture. After we arrived we had coffee together then set out in the owners cars to go higher up into the mountain. Truffles are very expensive to buy. They teach the dogs to find them, but the truffle guy has to get it out of the dogs mouth immediately or the dog eats it. (It’s true because the darker dog found one and ate it as we watched).
Scrambled Eggs & Truffles in the Mountain: After returning to the house we had hot coffee or tea to warm up, then prosciutto, cheese, wine and scrambled eggs with truffles grated over the top.
***
Rome, Italy: We have arrived to our last day in Italy, and we transferred by coach from Spoleto to Rome. Rome is generally considered to be the “cradle of Western civilization” and Christian culture, and the center of the Catholic Church. Rome’s history spans 28 centuries. Rome, the Eternal City, is beautiful architecture and monuments, and great works of art. It’s historic center is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Trastevere District of Rome: Upon our arrival in Rome we met up with a local guide and explored the Trastevere district. Trastevere is located just over the Tiber River on the same side as Vatican City. We started our tour on one of the 7 hills of Rome and had an overlook of the city.
Walking to the Roman Forum, Rome: We had the afternoon free so Wanda & I walked to the Roman Forum (photos 3-6). It was 1.5 miles each way, sure thought it seemed a lot further.
***
And thus ends another wonderful adventure with Overseas Adventure Travel. The pre-trip to “Bologna & Parma” and the main trip of “Tuscany & Umbria: Rustic Beauty” where outstanding. Matteo & Paola were awesome Trip Experience Leaders and our group of 14 travels were a joy everyday to be with. I am so thankful to have these wonderful experiences and see these fantastic places.
“Life is what you make it!”
Keep on traveling.
Alpine Europe: France, Italy’s Dolomites, Switzerland & Austria
with Overseas Adventure Travel
June 19-July 7, 2023
Chamonix, Montenvers Cog Railroad, La Mer de Glace’s Ice Cave, Aiguille Du Midi, France; Aosta, Biella, Cheese Farm in the Mountains, Sacred Monte di Oropa, Gattinara, Arborio, Italy; Lugano, Gandria, Oak Tree Trail, Mount Bre, Switzerland; Lake Como, Villa Balbianello, Monza, Bolzano, Otzi the Iceman, Ritten, Lake Braies, WWII Bunker Museum, San Candido, Show Mine of Predoi, Italy; and Innsbruck, Austria.
I booked this 18 day “Alpine Europe: France, Italy’s Dolomites, Switzerland & Austria” adventure with Overseas Adventure Travel. This is another of many, many times I have traveled with this company. Really enjoyed being out and about with my friends Nancy & Wanda. We had an enjoyable group of 16 travelers for this adventure in the beautiful Alpine mountains.
I am including a map that I copied from the OAT website. This first map shows the destinations of our trip, and I put red check marks indicating where we stayed at hotels. Our Adventure began with 4 nights in Chamonix, France (arrived a day before the tour started), then 3 nights in Biella, Italy. Next was 3 nights in Lugano, Switzerland, followed by 2 nights in Bolzano, Italy. From there we stayed in San Candido, Italy for 3 nights. Our last destination was 2 nights in Innsbruck, Austria and from there we were homeward bound. The 2nd map Guido, our trip experience leader gave to us, and I like how the dark brown area highlights the Alps (of which we did gloriously see).
This is Guido, our great Trip Experience Leader and the youthful, kind leader of our many hikes in the Alpine area. He was an enjoyable, kind and considerate leader.
We were a happy lot of 16 travelers and always ready for a new experience.
Save Money: If you decide you’d like to go on this or any Overseas Adventure or Grand Circle Travel trip, and you are a first time traveler with them, they will give you each $100 off any trip. All you have to do is mention the name of my travel blog and my name, Marilyn. New travelers instantly receive $100 off the cost of the trip, and I will receive $100 when you depart on your trip.
And thus, our “Alpine Europe: France, Italy’s Dolomites, Switzerland & Austria” begins.
Chamonix, France: Wanda & I chose to arrive a day before the actual trip began. We were transferred by OAT from the airport in Geneva, Switzerland and transferred to our hotel in Chamonix, France. Our hotel was located right in the heart of the beautiful town of Chamonix. We took advantage of the fact that our hotel was located next to the little train station, and the hotel gave free passes on the Mont Blanc Express trainline. We rode both directions on the train and I took a few photos of our sightseeing. Loved the little church from the 1100’s and found the cemetery interesting.
Chamonix, France: We stayed in Chamonix at Hotel Mercure Centre, for 4 nights. Chamonix is popular with skiers and mountain enthusiasts. It was the site of the first Winter Olympics in 1924, and has a population of approximately 8,000. It is a lovely little town and completely surrounded by the Alps.
Montenvers Cog Railway: Our mission today was to go on the Montenvers Railway, The Montenvers Cog Railway was the first custom built tourist attraction in the valley and started operation in 1908. We snaked our way up to an elevation of about 6,990 feet.
Gondola & Walking to Ice Cave: Next we got on a gondola which took us down to a platform where we began our walk to see the La Mer de Glace’s (The Sea of Ice). We walked down 520 steps down to the Sea of Ice (Ice Cave), the largest glacier in France. I took a picture of the number of stairs (photo# 2)….it sure was a long way down & longer going back up 520 stairs! The stairs were safely done with hand rails and platforms between banks of stairs. I’ve added little red arrows to indicate the path of the 520 stairs.
La Mer de Glace, or The sea of Ice: The largest glacier in France and the 2nd largest in the Alps. It’s over 4 miles long and 660 feet deep. After coming down 520 steps we finally were at the entrance to the Ice Cave. I didn’t know what to expect inside the cave, but it was worth the journey. Then back up 520 steps we did go!
Aiguille Du Midi: We went by cable car to Aigulle Du Midi, the highest mountain peak that can be reached by an aerial lift. At just over 12,600 feet, it is assessable year round. The first cable car took us to Plan de l’Aiguille at 7,542 feet. Then the second cable car took us to Aiguille du Midi at 12,605 feet. These pictures are taken at the first stop then we changed funicular’s and went even higher and further. You can see our final destination peeking out of the clouds (red arrow in 2nd photo).
At the top of Aiguille Du Midi: We boarded the next funicular and when we arrived at the destination we were right up next to the cliff and we were then pulled straight up. The building in the second picture is the highest point where you can overlook. Most of my pictures are taken from there. All around are hikers out in the snow.
Our naturalist guide gave our some good pointers if we ever decided to climb up an ice wall! He is a mountain climber and had some very interesting mountain climbing stories.
It was extremely interesting to find hikers and mountain climbers as we looked over the edge! I’ve added some red arrows so you can see were these mountaineers are located. And finally at photo of me, and I like the flats of Kansas just fine!
Chamonix: Back off the mountain and back into town to watch the finish of a 90K (56 mile) run through these mountains! Note this guy was finishing in 14:39:06 (14 plus hours). Oh, dearest me, I can’t imagine, just like I can’t imagine climbing straight up icy mountains. Oh, yes, then we feasted on fondue, then ice cream and then listened to music as we strolled along.
We bid farewell to France and headed down the road towards Biella, Italy. On the way we stopped at the ancient city of Aosta, Italy, which is also known as the Rome of the Alps.
Aosta, Italy: It was founded in 25 BC and has the second largest number of Roman ruins still visible in Italy. It was Saturday and a soccer tournament was happening in the center of town. I thought the front of the church in Aosta was beautiful.
Cheese Cellar, Aosta, Italy: Guido took us to a cheese cellar. A neat experience! The owner makes his cheese in the country side and has a store and cheese cellar in Aosta. First we looked at the cheese for sale then climbed down the tiny stairs to the cellar to see the aging cheese and also had a cheese tasting.
Bielle, Italy: We stayed in Biella for 3 nights. It has a population of about 40,000 and lies at the foot of the Alps. It has both a lower and upper town. We rode the funicular to the upper town. There we visited the La Marmora Palace which is a 16th century mansion in the upper town of Biella. It has belonged to the same family for 8 centuries. The Duke gave us a personal tour if his family home.
A Day in the Life: We drove up into the mountains near Biella to experience what it is like on an Italian cheese farm high in the mountains. Our little bus took us to the bottom of a lane that was barely wide enough for a car. We walked and walked, up and up and then down, then up, then down. An absolutely beautiful area! All in all that day as a total of this and everything else we did we walked about 7.5 miles.
Our first event of the day was walking over to the laboratory where they make the cheese and then learning about making the farm’s special cheese. Each of us made a container of cheese which we later ate for lunch.
This is the building where they store and age the cheese.
Can’t say I’ve ever had a picnic in a more beautiful place!
A delightful lunch outside looking over the mountains. What a view! Then it was time for the dreaded walk back to our little bus for our ride down the mountain to our next stop.
I personally think this picture is beautiful!
Sacred Mount di Oropa: After we left the mountain farm we went to a Roman Catholic devotional complex and we toured the Basilica on the Sacred Mount. It’s a UNESCO world heritage site, located at 4,000 feet and surrounded by the Alps on all sides. In another chapel we also saw the famous Black Virgin Mary & Child. According to tradition, Luke the Evangelist carved this statue and it was brought to Oropa in the 4th century AD.
Transferred by coach from Biella, Italy to Lugano, Switzerland. Along the way we stopped in Gattinara & Arborio. We stayed in Biella for 3 nights.
Travaglini Winery, Gattinara, Italy: A fun stop while driving to Lugano. My friends said it was pretty good, I don’t really care for wine, so my opinion wouldn’t count.
Arborio, Italy: We went to Arborio, Italy and this is the official place where they produce….yes Arborio rice. We saw the rice fields as we drove into that area, then toured the factory and learned all about rice, it was rather interesting. Then guess what? We had Arborio rice for lunch.
The Alps: Since we have arrived in Switzerland, I am inserting this map again. Guido gave us this map showing the Alps and I found it interesting since that is the essence of this trip. With white arrows I marked the locations of the towns where we stayed during the trip.
Lugano, Switzerland: Nancy, Wanda and I had rooms side by side in the 5th floor and a beautiful of Lake Lugano. The hotel, “International Au Lac Lugano” had a nice area to bring in food and an “honors” bar with beer, soft drinks and a fancy coffee machine. You just get it and write your room number down. Our very nice hotel is right in the center if everything.
Oak Tree Trail: We took a public transportation boat on Lake Lugano to the little town of Gandria, located on the other side of the lake. We did a 2.5 mile hike from Gandria on a lovely lakeside trail. It was a very enjoyable walk.
Mount Bre, Switzerland: After the pretty hike and a picnic lunch we walked so more, then went up in a funicular to the top of Mount Bre for a scenic view of the lake. The day had been overcast so the scenic overlook picture isn’t very good. However, it was good to sit down and enjoy a cold drink at the top of the mountain.
Boat Ride on Lake Como: We enjoyed our boat ride on Lake Como. Our destination was Villa Balbianello (pictured in the last 2 photos.
Villa Balbianello, Italy: We had of guided tour of Villa Balbianello of what some call the most beautiful villa of Lake Como. The villa was built in the 1700’s. It has passed through many owners but the final owner was Guido Monzino, a billionaire from Milan. He was a fervent traveler, collector and explorer. He never married or had children and died at 60 years of age. His will left it all to a foundation and trust. The grounds of the estate were beautiful!
Inside of Villa Balbianello: A few pictures as we toured inside the Villa.
Some good food of the day.
We transferred from Lugano, Switzerland to Bolzano, Italy. The map looks like a long way, but it was about 150 miles. We stopped in Monza for a stroll and lunch. We stayed in Bolzano for 2 nights.
Monza, Italy: We stopped at Monza for lunch and enjoyed a walk in the town and seeing the Cathedral. It is located in northern Italy, about 12 miles from Milan, and has a population of around 120,000. At the Cathedral we saw the famous iron crown which was made in the Middle Ages which numerous European sovereigns were crowned with (no photos allowed).
Bolzano, Italy: It is a city of approximately 108,000 in the heart of the Dolomites, where Italian and German cultures blend harmoniously. The city has both medieval and modern architecture. The town is famous for Otzi the Iceman (info is later.) I really enjoyed this town and loved the location of our little hotel overlooking the town square and a beautiful church. First 3 photos taken from my hotel window and the last one is our hotel, The Greif Hotel.
Walking tour of Bolzano, Italy: It was market day.
German Food: Bolzano was part of the German speaking Austro-Hungarian princely but was annexed to the Kingdom of Italy in 1919. It’s character remains distinctly Germanic. We really enjoyed the German food, and later more liquid nourishment was also enjoyed.
Otzi the Iceman, Bolzano, Italy: Older than the pyramids of Egypt, Otzi, the Iceman, dates from about 3300 BC and now rests at the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology. Otzi was discovered in 1991 in the Alps at the border between Austria and Italy. He is Europe’s oldest known natural human mummy. (Pictures were not allowed in the Otzi room, but I took these 2 pictures of photos that were on display in the museum.) The first photo is Otzi the Iceman while still frozen in the glacier, photographed by Helmut Simon upon the discovery of the body in September 1991. The second photo is what they think Otzi actually looked like.
Commune of Ritten, Italy: While is Bolzano we took a cable car up the mountain to the commune of Ritten, to a collection of villages set high on a plateau. Beautiful scenery as we rode the cable car.
Train Ride: After arriving on the cable car at the village of Collalbo, we all boarded a train and went to explore further on the beautiful mountain top.
And then……: Then we hiked to see more. Then back on the train, and back on the cable car, and back to our hotel. Get this……today we walked a little over 7.5 miles! These are some pictures along our hike which seemed to be mostly up, up and up. The 3rd photo is what they call the Earth Pyramids in Ritten.
We transferred from Bolzano, Italy to San Candido, Italy. Along the way we stopped for a walk at Lake Braies.
As we drove from Bolzano to San Candido, Italy, we entered the beautiful Dolomites mountain area. Here are a few pictures out the bus window.
Lake Braies: Along the way we stopped at Lake Braies, which is a natural lake in the Prags Dolomites in South Tyrol, Italy, approximately 60 miles from Bolzano. It is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a nature park. Nancy, Wanda & I walked along the lake in this spectacular natural landscape, while the others in the group walked much further. We loved our walk and our cappuccino.
Lunch in the Mountains: After driving up and up on tiny roads we had a delightful and bountiful lunch in this mountain Chalet.
Dobbiaco Bunker Museum: This fortress was used at the time of WWII and even before that it was used by NATO during the Cold War. This bunker was part of the Alpine Wall, an Italian system of fortifications to secure the northern frontier.
San Candido, Italy or Innichen in German: Located near the border of Austria, it’s a ski town of about 3,000. It hosts Italy’s International Snow Sculpture Festival each year. This is a view from my balcony of our hotel, Post Hotel San Candido, in this little town that I really liked.
San Candido: A delightful little town.
Beautiful Drive: A splendid day! We spent the entire day driving through and stopping all along the way in the heart of the Dolomites. First are some pictures as we drove to where we were going to hike. The day before had been a bicycle marathon through the Dolomites, therefore bicyclists were everywhere on the narrow roads.
Colfosco (Corvara in Badia) Italy: This was our first stop and it’s located in the heart of the Dolomites. In summer this area is the starting point of many walks and in winter it offers numerous slopes for all difficulties. We went for an easy walk in the beautiful area.
Talk about a beautiful setting for a church and a cemetery.
The Dolomites: Now we are in the rugged part of the Dolomites. The Dolomites is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Dolomites comprise a mountain range in the northern Italian Alps, numbering 18 peaks which rise to above 9,800 feet and cover approximately 550 square miles. It features vertical walls, sheer cliffs and a high density of narrow, deep and long valleys.
San Candito to Innsbruck, Austria: We transferred today from San Candito to Innsbruck, Austria, our last stop. Along the way we stopped to tour an old copper mine in Predoi. These are pictures on our way through the mountains going to the Copper Mining Cave. Everything was so pristinely beautiful.
The Show Mine of Predoi: Copper was mined in Predoi since about 1400. The mine closed in 1971. It was interesting and rather fun going into a mountain instead of over the mountain for a change. We entered the mountain in a pit train and and then carefully walked around to discover the operation of the mine. We all wore yellow coats and helmets. They came in handy because the ceiling of the cave was a bit low in some places and some water was dripping.
Innsbruck, Austria: This was our last stop on our beautiful Alpine trip. Innsbruck is the capital of the mountainous area of the Tirol region and it’s Austria’s fifth largest city. Innsbruck attracts skiers in the winter, while hiking and other outdoor activities are popular in the summer. We had a guided tour of downtown Innsbruck.
Swarovski Store, Innsbruck: I would be remiss if I didn’t give you the opportunity to see what we DID NOT purchase in Innsbruck. I have 3 photos that include the price of these Swarovski items. The bunny is 12,000 Euro/$13,133 USD. The mermaid is 15,000 Euro/$16,420 USD. The 3 elephants are 18,000 Euro/$19,700 USD.
Hot Chocolate: Thus ends our Alpine adventure with the best hot chocolate ever. We put the chocolate ball in the hot milk, stirred until it melted, then put the whipped cream on top. Hip hip hooray…it was time to drink our hot chocolate! So long Alpine Europe, it has been a beautiful and memorable tour of the fantastic Alpine’s of France, Italy, Switzerland and Austria!
Sure was fun! Thank you Overseas Adventure Travel & Guido.
“Life is what you make it!”
Keep on traveling.
Egypt & the Eternal Nile by Private, Classic River-Yacht
with Overseas Adventure Travel
April 7-21, 2023
Egyptian Museum, Great Pyramids in Cairo, Queen Hatshepsut Temple, Valley of the Kings, Luxor Temple, Temple of Khnum in Esna, Temple of Horus in Edfu, Besaw Island, Fares Village, Kom Ombo Temple, Daraw Camal Market, Abu Simbel, Temple of Philae in Aswan, and Aswan Old Cataract Hotel, Egypt.
I booked this 16 day “Egypt & the Eternal Nile by Private, Classic River-Yacht” adventure with Overseas Adventure Travel. This is another of many, many times I have traveled with this company. Really enjoyed being out and about with my friends Nancy & Wanda. We had an enjoyable group of 14 travelers for this adventure in Egypt.
I am including a google map that I copied from the OAT website. This map shows the destinations of our trip, and I put red check marks indicating where we stayed at hotels and also the route of our yacht cruise (on the right). Our Adventure began with 3 nights in Cairo, then 2 nights in Luxor, we then boarded our Yacht and sailed the Nile for 5 nights, next was Abu Simbel for 1 night, followed by 2 nights at the famous Old Cataract Hotel in Aswan. We flew back to Cairo and stayed 1 night, and headed to the airport the next morning to fly home. OAT provided escorts for us at the airports for all our flights, and this was a HUGE plus for me.
This is Helmy, our awesome Trip Experience Leader and our walking encyclopedia of anything & everything historical in Egypt. He knowledge was vast and he was also experienced, fun and a kind individual. He made it a joy to be in Egypt. Thank you Helmy.
Save Money: If you decide you’d like to go on this or any Overseas Adventure or Grand Circle Travel trip, and you are a first time traveler with them, they will give you each $100 off any trip. All you have to do is mention the name of my travel blog and my name, Marilyn. New travelers instantly receive $100 off the cost of the trip, and I will receive $100 when you depart on your trip.
And thus our “Egypt & the Eternal Nile by Private, Classic River-Yacht” begins!
After completion of our wonderful pre-trip to Jordan, we flew from Amman, Jordan to Cairo, Egypt to begin our adventure in Egypt. It was only a 50 minute flight and we got to our hotel around 3 pm. No itinerary, we just hung out at the Cairo Marriott Hotel, our very nice and very huge hotel. The 2 pictures I’m posting are looking from my 12th story balcony. The hotel complex has two huge towers and I’m in the tower facing the other tower (right side in first photo). It also had seven restaurants, banks, shops etc. The second picture shows the Nile river in Cairo as I look out from my hotel balcony. This was the first of all really nice hotels where we stayed in Egypt.
The Egyptian Museum: It is home to the greatest Pharaonic treasures in the world. We traced the history of Egypt from Cheops to Cleopatra. If you want to see old stuff and I mean old, this is the place to go. Statues from the time of the Pharaohs date back to over 2500 BC. We went into the Tutankhamen exhibit, and saw his gold mask etc., but no photos were allowed. And no, the new Egyptian Museum wasn’t open yet, this is the old original museum.
The Great Pyramids of Giza: We saw them, including the greatest of them all—-the 4,600 year old Great Pyramid of Khufu. The only survivor of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World! It is the largest and the oldest Egyptian pyramid and the tomb of Fourth Dynasty pharaoh Khufu. Khufu ruled from 2589-2566 BC. The pyramid was built in the early 26th century BC during a period of around 27 years. This pyramid was the worlds tallest man-made structure for more than 4,000 years.
Khafre Pyramid: Khafra built his pyramid at Giza next to his father’s pyramid. The pyramid of Khafre is the middle of the three Ancient Egyptian Pyramids of Giza, the second tallest and second largest of the group, only about 10 meters lower than the Great Pyramid. The pyramid is unique in that the remains of the original cladding have been preserved in its upper part. It is the tomb of the Fourth-Dynasty pharaoh Khafre, who ruled c. 2558−2532 BC.
The Great Sphinx: It is a limestone statue of a reclining sphinx, a mythical creature with the head of a human, and the body of a lion. Historians believe it was carved for King Khafre. The Sphinx is the oldest known monumental sculpture in Egypt and one of the most recognizable statues in the world.
Then it was time for the riding of the camels! Oh my.
Luxor, Egypt: We flew from Cairo to Luxor and stayed at the historical and lovely Sofitel Winter Palace for 2 nights. Sofitel Winter Palace Luxor is a historic hotel located in Luxor, Egypt. It is situated on the Nile River amid luxuriant tropical gardens and ancient temples.
Temple of Karnak, Luxor, Egypt: The massive temple complex of Karnak was the principal religious center that was built as a cult temple and was dedicated to the gods Amun, Mut, and Khonsu. Construction at the complex began in 1971 BC and continued about 1,500 years and was added to by generation after generation of pharaohs which resulted in a collection of temples, sanctuaries, pylons, and other decorations.
Queen Hatshepsut’s Temple: From our hotel we walked across the street and went by boat across the Nile to the West Bank which was the burial side of the Nile. We first visited Queen Hatshepsut’s Temple, built for Egypt’s first known female monarch. She ruled for 20 years in the 15th century BC.
Valley of the Kings: Valley of the Kings is situated in a secluded locale in the Theban Hills. It is the burial site of nearly all of the pharaohs of Egypt from 1539–1075 BC, from Thutmose I to Ramses X. The valley contains 62 tombs. The ancient Egyptians built massive public monuments to their pharaohs. They also created hidden underground mausoleums. Mummification was used to preserve the body. The tombs had elaborate preparations for the next world surrounded by all the treasures they would need in the afterlife. Almost all the burial chambers, with the exception of Tutankhamun’s were robbed during antiquity. After discovering his tomb in the 1920s, its treasures were placed in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
The tomb of Rameses IX: This was the first of four tombs we visited. Rameses IX ruled from 1129–1111 BC and was the 8th pharaoh of the 12th Dynasty of Egypt.
The Tomb of Rameses I: The 2nd tomb we visited was Rameses I and he was the founding pharaoh of Ancient Egypt’s 19th Dynasty. The dates for his short reign are not completely known but but it is thought to be late 1292–1290 BC.
The Tomb of Rameses III: This is the 3rd we visited. Ramses III succeeded his father to Egypt’s throne upon his death in 1187 BC. Ramses III reigned over Egypt for around 31 years until 1151 BC. This is one of the largest tombs in the Valley of the Kings.
Tomb of King Tutankhamun: The 4th tomb, and the last tomb we visited was King Tut’s buried chamber. It wasn’t discovered until 1922 and inside they found in total over 5,000 objects. King Tutankhamen’s linen-wrapped mummy lies in the tomb to this day and it is preserved in a glass case. Most of King Tutankhamun’s treasures are on display at the National Museum in Cairo.
Driving to Luxor Temple: I took these pictures out the bus windows as we drove.
Luxor Temple, Luxor, Egypt: We did an evening visit to Luxor Temple. It was the center of Egypt’s mighty pharaohs over nearly 1,500 year period. It was constructed about 1,400 BC by Amenhotep III, Ramses II, Tutankhamun, and other pharaohs. Luxor Temple was the largest and most significant religious center in ancient Egypt.
After exploring the Luxor Temple we saw the Avenue of Sphinxes that began at this Luxor Temple and stretched for more than a mile, all the way to Karnak Temple.
Temple of Khnun, Esna, Egypt: We departed Luxor this morning and drove south along the Nile. We stopped in Esna to see the Temple of Khnum. It isn’t as old or as big as most we’ve seen, it’s only about 2,270 years old! The remains of the Temple of Esna contains a hall of columns with 24 pillars beautifully decorated with lotus floral capitals and palm capitals. The walls are covered with 4 rows of reliefs.
Dahabiya: Our accommodations for the next 5 nights was on this classic Nile river-yacht (dahabiya). The Amunet is a privately chartered, 16 passenger ship. We had 16 members in our OAT group, our Trip Experience and a crew of 15. Talk about feeling like a queen as we glided quietly along the Nile from Esna toAswan! It was a absolutely wonderful experience with a a great crew and a great group of new friends.
People of the Nile: I loved taking pictures as we cruised so there will be several different groupings as we sail along.
Temple of Horus, Edfu, Egypt: The Temple is dedicated to the falcon-headed god. The temple is nearly intact and was built between 237 and 57 BC. The inscriptions on its walls provide important information on language, myth and religion during the Hellenistic period in Egypt.
Fun Evening Picnic: We had a fun surprise with a picnic just ashore from our yacht.
Besaw Island: We are arriving at the little island to experience “A Day in the Life” with the people of the little village. First we watched how our bread for the day was baked by the ladies. Then we were entertained by the little children of the village as they sang the “A,B,C’s” in English for us.
Next was a walk through of the village.
We were welcomed to our host’s half-acre property and were greeted by his family and welcomed into their two-story mud-brick house. The parents, and three sons with their families all live at the home. We were served a nice lunch by the ladies of the house.
Fares, Egypt: We did some island exploring by stopping at this traditional Egyptian village to visit a local craftsman. We went by tuk-tuk and I took photos out the door.
Fares, Egypt: The local craftsman was making baskets out of cane that would be used to carry fruits and vegetable in. He then presented each of us a cross that he had made.
The Kom Ombo Temple, Kom Ombo, Egypt: It was constructed 180-47 BC. The building is unique because its ‘double’ design meant that there were courts, halls, sanctuaries and rooms duplicated for two sets of gods. The Temple is famous for two engravings, one being what is thought to be the first calendar and other representations of medical and surgical instruments. The depicted medical instruments include scalpels, saws, hooks, forceps and scales.
A few more scenes along the Nile.
Camel Market, Daraw, Egypt: A grand day. Did something I’ve never ever thought about doing. We went to a town along the Nile and attended a camel market. The camels were from the Sedan. They took us there in the back of pick-ups. Such a fun experience!
Then we walked through the market in the town.
We bid Good-bye: We all had such a grand time on the Amunet Dahabiya. The beautiful sails waved us farewell.
We drove south for 3.5 hours through nothing but desert and sand to reach Abu Simbel.
The Great Temple of Ramses II, Abu Simbel: It was constructed over 3,000 years ago, being hewn out of the rock in the 13th century BC. To prevent the constant flooding of the Nile the High Adam was built. The massive temples were doomed to vanish beneath the water. The entire complex was cut unto 1,036 blocks (weighing 11 tons each) and 25,000 workers moved them 290 feet up the cliffs. This place is tremendous! (One cannot be at Abu Simbel and not have individual photos taken while standing in front of the colossal place!)
The Small Temple of Hathor & Nefertari, Abu Simbel: This Temple is dedicated to Nefertari for the worship of the goddess Hathor and adorned with 35-foot statues of the king and queen. (And here we three are again!)
Temple of Philae, Aswan, Egypt: I promise this is the last Temple. Temple of Philae is located in Aswan. Similar to the plight of Abu Simbel, this temple complex was moved in order to save it from the rising waters of Lake Nasser. It was built in 380-362 BC and was moved to its present location in 1970. We went in a boat to visit the Temple.
Old Cataract Hotel, Aswan, Egypt: We drove from Abu Simbul to Aswan and we checked into the historic and famous Old Cataract Hotel in Aswan. It is a 5 star hotel located in the Nubian Desert on the banks of the Nile, opposite Elephantine Island. Among those who has stayed here have been Winston Churchill and Agatha Christie,…and us! Agatha Christie lived here one year and wrote “Death on the Nile.” I’ll tell you what…this hotel is a really nice hotel!
My room at the Old Cataract Hotel and the balcony and the beautiful views.
Thus ends our adventure in Egypt. I’m ready for the farewell dinner at the Old Cataract Hotel and, well, Wanda thinks it’s time to grab a bag and head home. And, Nancy says nope I’m not riding a camel anymore! We three friends have had a wonderful trip with Overseas Adventure Travel. Now, it is time to bid farewell to enchanting Egypt.
Sure was fun! Thank you Overseas Adventure Travel and Helmy.
“Life is what you make it!”
Keep on traveling.
Jordan: The King’s Highway from Amman to Petra
with Overseas Adventure Travel
April 2-6, 2023
Amman, Jerash & Petra Jordan
I booked this 5 day “Jordan: The King’s Highway from Amman to Petra” adventure with Overseas Adventure Travel. This trip to Jordan was booked as a pre-trip to “Egypt” with Overseas Adventure Travel. This is another of many, many times I have traveled with this company. Really enjoyed being out and about with my friends Nancy & Wanda.
I am including a google map that I copied from the OAT website. The red check marks indicates where we stayed at hotels, which was 4 nights in Amman and 2 nights in Petra.
This is Khaled our Trip Experience Leader in Jordan. We enjoyed having him patiently showing us all around and giving the historical information of the wonderful sites that we saw in Jordan. Thank you Khaled for a great tour of your country.
Save Money: If you decide you’d like to go on this or any Overseas Adventure or Grand Circle Travel trip, and you are a first time traveler with them, they will give you each $100 off any trip. All you have to do is mention the name of my travel blog and my customer #000561413. New travelers will each instantly receive $100 off the cost of the trip, and I will receive $100 when you depart on your trip.
And thus our pre-trip of Jordan: The King’s Highway from Amman to Petra begins.
Amman, Jordan: It’s the capital and the largest city of Jordan, and the country’s economic, political, and cultural center. With a population of over 4 million, Amman is the fifth largest city in the Arab word, and the ninth largest metropolitan area in the Middle East.
Wanda & I arrived the evening before the trip began and enjoyed a nice dinner at the Crown Plaza Amman where we stayed for 4 nights because of our early arrival.
The Jordan Museum: Since we had the day free before the welcome dinner that evening, we went to The Jordan Museum. The museum is the largest museum in Jordan and hosts the country’s most important archaeological findings.
One of the two main permanent exhibitions are the Dead Sea Scrolls. Most of the scrolls are held by Israel, but their ownership is disputed by Jordan. The Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in a series of 12 caves around the site near the Dead Sea in the West Bank (then part of Jordan) between 1947 and 1956 by Bedouin shepherds. (Pictures were not allowed but I copied the Scroll picture from The Jordan Museum website.)
The Dead Sea Scrolls: They are written documents that date from the 3rd century BC to the 1st century AD. They contain some of the oldest known copies of biblical books, as well as hymns. The Dead Sea Scrolls include fragments from every book in the Bible except The Book of Esther.
The other main permanent exhibitions is of the oldest human statues ever made by human civilization from Ain Ghazal and dating back to 7250 BC!
Dinner: After a nice dinner at the hotel our tour of Jordan began the next day. We had an enjoyable group of twelve travelers.
Amman’s Citadel: The area known as the Citadel sits in the center of the city, on the highest hill in Amman. The Citadel has a long history of occupation by many great civilizations with a blend of ancient Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Islamic ruins.
The Roman Theatre of Amman:This 6,000 seat theatre, built in 138-161 AD. is a famous landmark in Amman. It dates back to the Roman period when the city was known as Philadelphia. It is built into the hillside, and was oriented north to keep the sun off the spectators.
Nymphaeum and stroll around the Old City: The nymphaeum was built in AD 191, and was an elaborate public fountain where the citizens came to get their daily water. It was once a large, two-story complex with water features, mosaics, and stone carvings. Next we continued our walk through the Old City.
Welcome Dinner: We had a grand dinner at a lovely restaurant in Amman. So much food!
Jerash, Jordan: It is considered the most well preserved Roman ruins outside the city of Italy. It was first established as a town in 70 AD. We were greeted by the triple-arched gateway built to honor the arrival of the Emperor Hadrian in 129 AD.
Temple of Zeus & South Theatre: Walking up the hill to the Temple of Zeus we first see the impressive pillars of the Temple. This Temple is considered as one of the most important monuments of this archaeological site. This sanctuary with a wide sacred courtyard was built during the early Roman period (about 162 AD). Next to the Temple of Zeus is the South Theatre. The South Theater was built during the reign of Emperor Domitian, between 90-92AD.
Looking down from the Temple of Zeus: Looking down one can see The Forum and the Oval Plaza with 56 Ionic columns. From the Forum & Oval Plaza you can see the Cardo Maximus, the city’s main thoroughfare. It is still paved with original stones and we could see chariot tracks. And….the Temple cat and junk stand.
The Church of Saints Cosmas and Damianus was completed in 533 AD and this is the original mosaic floor.
Looking down into the North Theater. The North Theater was built in 165 AD. In front is a colonnaded plaza where a staircase led up to the entrance.
Cardo Maximus: One of the longest and best-preserved Roman colonnaded streets in the world, the Cardo Maximus in Jerash is an ancient wonder that still proudly carries most of its components. This street is lined with many columns and wonderful architecture. Jerash, Jordan is a wonderful antiquity that I feel honored to have explored.
Spice Store: Khaled took us to a local spice store in Amman, and talk about seeing lots of spices in one place…well we sure did.
Mount Nebo, Jordan: We drove from Amman to Petra, Jordan, having several stops along the way. Our first stop was Mt. Nebo. In Deuteronomy, in the Bible it says that Moses ascended Mount Nebo, in the land of Moab (which today is in Jordan) and from there he saw the the Promised Land (Land of Canaan), which God had said he would not enter; Moses then died there. We first viewed the area across the Jordan Valley and Dead Sea. Inside the church we saw preserved mosaics uncovered from Archaeological digs that date back to the 6th century.
Mosaic Workshop, Madaba, Jordan: We visited this mosaic workshop and showroom to gain insight into this ancient mosaic craft.
St. George’s Church, Madaba, Jordan: We arrived in Madaba and visited St. George’s Church. This 19th century church is home to a treasure of early Christianity. The Madaba Map depicts part of the Middle East and contains the oldest surviving original cartographic depiction of the Holy Land and especially Jerusalem. It dates to the sixth century AD. The map contains some two million mosaic pieces dating to the 6th century.
Petra, Jordan: Petra was founded in 312 BC as the capital of the Nabatean Empire. It was home to 20,000-30,000 people during the first centuries BC. The red-rose city was thriving as a trading center because the Nabateans controlled the trading route which stretched from the West Bank to Jordan to the northern border of the Arabian peninsula. Camel caravans loaded with spices and textiles would pass through Petra. The Treasury (a huge monument with a stunning facade) is Petra’s centerpiece. Petra was named as one of the new Seven Wonders of the World in 2007.
To me it may be the most beautiful of all ancient ruins…..the Fabled red city of Petra! It is unique, it is mystifying, it is fascinating, it is amazing! I was fortunate to see it for the first time 19 years ago with my husband Jim and our oldest son Eric. It was as exciting to see it this time as it was then. For 2,000 years, only the Bedouin people knew of its existence, because they lived in its caves. Swiss traveler Johann Ludwig Burckhardt found the list city in 1812. The ancient city of Petra is reached through a towering narrow canyon. The city is carved into the solid red sandstone cliffs. These are pictures as we first approach and enter Petra.
Walking through the Siq: We approached the site from the east. The impressive eastern entrance leads down through a dark, narrow gorge, in places only 10-13 feet wide. This is called the Siq and it is a natural geological feature formed from a deep split in the sandstone rocks. It’s the raw beauty of Petra that takes ones breath away. The entire city of ruins is a work of art, painted on a natural stone backdrop that changes color every hour.
Now…we are approaching the Treasury! At the end of the Siq (narrow gorge) stands Petra’s most elaborate ruin, known as the Treasury, hewn into the sandstone cliff. This magnificent structure was built around the 1st century AD by the Nabataean Kingdom, and served as a tomb, temple, and storage space for the King’s treasure.
Enjoying every moment in this fantastic spot!
After walking down through the narrow gorge and after beholding the beauty of The Treasury, suddenly the valley opens out into the plain, and the site of the city is revealed. We had to carefully avoid being run over by camels, I guess just like in ancient days! On one side, at the foot of the mountain, is a theatre positioned so as to bring the greatest number of tombs within view. It is said that the theatre held 8,500 people.
Thus ends our pre-trip to Jordan which was followed by “Egypt & the Eternal Nile by Private, Classic River-Yacht,” our 16 day trip to Egypt.
It was a grand trip to Jordan. Thank you Overseas Adventure Travel and Khaled.
“Life is what you make it.”
Keep on traveling!
Family Visit in Ireland
Nov. 16-29, 2022
Dublin, Belfast Northern Ireland, Dingle, Dingle Peninsula, and Kinsale, Ireland
My oldest son, Eric, and I met up at Boston Logan Airport and flew to Dublin, Ireland together to visit my oldest daughter Kellee and her husband Jim, who live in Dublin. While in Dublin, Eric & I stayed at their home, and toured around Dublin on public transportation. Additionally Jim & Kellee drove us to Belfast Northern Ireland, the Dingle area (where we celebrated Thanksgiving) and also the Kinsale area. It was such a fun time being with the kids and seeing sites around Ireland. Thank you for the fun time! I am including a Google map of our tour. It just shows the major highways but believe me we were also on lots of tiny roads also.
Dublin, Ireland: The area of Dublin Bay has been inhabited by humans since prehistoric times. In 841, the Vikings established a fortified base in Dublin. It’s the capital and largest city in Ireland with a population of almost 1.5 million. Situated at the head of Dublin Bay of the Irish Sea, Dublin is the country’s chief port. Today, it is said that Dublin is as intimate as a village and as friendly as an Irish pub. I certainly agree about friendly and I must say how impressed I was with the politeness of the people.
American Embassy Event: The night of the day that we arrived Kellee invited me to attend an U.S. Embassy event with her. I had the privilege of going to the American Ambassador’s house and meeting Ambassador Claire Cronin and also Mary McAleese, the former president of Ireland. It was a delightful evening.
Pre Thanksgiving Dinner in Dublin: Kellee invited her U.S. Embassy staff for a delicious Thanksgiving dinner prepared by Jim.
Belfast, Northern Ireland: Since we had the weekend ahead of us we drove to Belfast to spend two nights. It is about a 2 hour drive. Belfast is in located in northeastern part of the island of Ireland, it is a part of the United Kingdom and not a part of the Republic of Ireland. Most of us are familiar with Belfast due to the Catholic-Protestant disorders “troubles” that went on from 1968-98. Peace walls built to protect each side from the other’s troublemakers. It’s friendly now.
St. George’s Market: Our first stop was St George’s Market. It was built in the 1890’s and is the last surviving Victorian covered market in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is open on the weekends and said to have 150 stalls. Lots to see, eat and do!
Eric & Kellee had an oyster on the half shell. The expressions on their faces was pretty funny. Maybe Kellee enjoyed hers less than Eric.
Then it was time to buy some olives and cheese. I’ve never seen so many olives!
Belfast Christmas Market: Continuing on down the street we found our way to the Belfast Christmas Market. Every year it takes place within the grounds of Belfast City Hall at Donegall Square in the city. As with every Christmas Market it is a place of merriment, eating, strolling and beer gardens. As you can well imagine we had a really good time.
Mac & Cheese: This was our favorite food stall. Macaroni & Cheese! It was fun to watch because the gal literally shaves out a low spot in a huge block of cheese, adds cream, butter & truffle oil and stirs as the cheese from the huge block melts into the macaroni, until.…you guessed it, she had macaroni & cheese. It was so good!
Belfast City Hall: While at the Christmas Market we saw that we could do a free tour of Belfast City Hall. So we did. We ascended the grand staircase and had a lovely view of the beautiful Baroque Revival building. We went into many rooms but the fanciest was the Council Chamber where 60 elected members of Belfast’s City Council meet.
Beer Garden: The Christmas Market at night and a last stop at the Beer Garden.
Belfast Pub: Time for some good food in a very crowded Pub that we were fortunate to find a table. I had my first Irish steak and I thought it was pretty tasty.
Belfast Titanic Museum: Outstanding museum! The Museum is located in the very place where the Titanic was designed, built and launched. It starts with Belfast in the early 1900’s, through the Titanic construction and launch, to her infamous maiden voyage and catastrophic demise. There are special effects, dark rides, full-scale reconstructions and innovative interactive features.
Sunday Dinner: After leaving the Museum & Belfast we headed northeast to the countryside (top right of map). We got off the A1 motorway and were on tiny little roads. Kellee said she was going to practice driving in Ireland and did very well navigating while being on the opposite side of the the car and also the opposite side of the road, that we are accustomed to in the United States. Take a look at our Sunday noon dinner! It is customary to eat roast, potatoes & carrots on Sunday so that is what Kellee & I ordered. Delicious!
Portaferry, UK: After eating we drove on more tiny roads East & South to the little town of Portaferry that has a ferry crossing. On the ferry we crossed the Strangford Lough and then headed West on even tinier roads trying to find our way back to the super highway. After dark it was very interesting. We got it done and arrived back to Dublin.
Dublin City Sites: After having spent the weekend in Belfast, Northern Ireland it was time to see Dublin. Eric & I spent two days touring downtown Dublin and saw lots of sites of the city. We did public bus transportation, Hop On, Hop Off bus tour and a Secret Food Tour. I must comment on how impressed I was with the people that rode the city buses. When anyone would get off at a Stop they would literally turn to the bus driver and say “thank you!”
The city’s heart is divided north-south by the River Liffey, with O’Connell’s Bridge connecting the two parts. The first day we had to put up with on again off again rain! It was nice being on the bus during various deluges of rain. The photo’s are showing some street scenes around downtown Dublin.
Trinity College: Located in the heart of central Dublin, Trinity College Dublin is Ireland’s oldest, and most prestigious university. Trinity was founded in 1592 on the orders of Queen Elizabeth I. It has around 18,000 students with around 600 of them living on campus. The famous “Book of Kells” is located on trinity campus. It is an an illuminated manuscript of the Gospels, perhaps made by Irish monks in Iona in the 8th or early 9th century.
St. Patrick’s Cathedral: It was built in honor of Ireland’s patron saint. It was founded as a Roman Catholic Cathedral, but currently is the National Cathedral of the Church of Ireland and is the largest church in Ireland.
Phoenix Park: It has a land perimeter of 7 miles and is situated on the north bank of the Liffey, about 2 miles west of the city center. Phoenix Park was opened to the public in 1747. The home of our American Ambassador to Ireland is located within this park.
Secret Food Tour: We booked this food tour and it was really enjoyable. It was 3 hours of strolling around neat areas of downtown Dublin and stopping at various places to have a local specialty food. It was nice to have a guide to show us the various neighborhood and explain things of importance. We wouldn’t have seen this much on our own in a sensible time frame. Our first stop was potato pancakes, Prosecco and a shot of Guinness at a little Pub.
It was fun strolling through the back streets. In the Temple Bar area we had salmon served on freshly baked soda bread.
Next, into the Dublin Castle area with lots to be seen. We had Irish Stew for lunch, one made with beef and the other made with lamb. This Kansas gal preferred the beef of course. It was interesting getting to also have slices of various Irish breads with butter. The bruschetta was made of potato bread and stuffed with cream cheese & tomatoes. All very good.
We toured George’s Street Arcade and Powerscourt Gallery and lastly we had Murphy’s Ice Cream, which had some unique flavors, and saw the Molly Malone Statue. I highly recommend this Secret Food Tour. We saw so much in the various areas of downtown Dublin and also enjoyed the food.
“Skip the Line Guinness & Jameson Irish Whiskey Experience” by Viator:
Jameson Irish Whiskey Tour: Jameson was founded by John Jameson in 1780. On our tour we viewed 230 years of history, learning about the whiskey making process and even the ebbs and flows of the Dublin whiskey industry. We had a whiskey tasting. We tried Jameson Original, Jameson Crested, Jameson Distillery Edition and Jameson Black Barrel Cask Strength. Our guide suggested that if one holds their breath for 7-8 seconds then tastes the whiskey it won’t burn your throat and all the way down. I’m not into tasting whiskey and it might have helped with my tiny sip. Eric & I actually enjoyed the Jameson tour more than the Guinness tour.
Guinness Storehouse: We walked several blocks from the Jameson Brewery to the Guinness Brewery. It’s located at St James’s Gate Brewery has been home to Guinness since 1759, when Arthur Guinness signed a lease for 9,000 years. In 1860 the Guinness Stout was available all over the world. Since opening in 2000, it has received over twenty million visitors. The Storehouse covers seven floors surrounding a glass atrium shaped in the form of a pint of Guinness. We worked our way up to the Gravity Bar for a complimentary pint of the black stuff.
The Brazen Head: After our Jameson & Guinness Kellee joined us at the oldest Pub in Dublin for dinner. Local tradition claims that the site has housed a tavern or alehouse since 1198. It has been refurbished to retain the original features that tell the story of its history within Dublin city. I ordered mussels and Eric had banger & mash.
Driving from Dublin to Dingle: Over our American Thanksgiving Holiday, from Thursday through Sunday, we enjoyed a road trip to the west coast and then the southern coast of Ireland with the expert driving of Jim & Kellee. We spent two nights in Dingle and then two nights in Kinsale. It googles to be about a 4 hour drive to Dingle, but we enjoyed a leisurely drive with stops and it took us a little more than 6 hours. At Tralee we got on a little road and we went to Dingle over Connor Pass on a narrow twisting road. The Pass is one of the highest mountain passes in Ireland. Our driver Jim navigated it perfectly, even though at times it wasn’t for the faint of heart. It was raining but I took pictures from the back seat looking out the front window.
Dingle, Ireland: Located in County Kerry, it’s the only town on the Dingle Peninsula and sits on the Atlantic coast. It has a population of around 2,000 and it’s principal industries in the town are tourism, fishing and agriculture. These are photos of Dingle town, our cozy apartment and a Pub we went to before our Thanksgiving dinner at a fine restaurant.
Celebrating our American Thanksgiving in Ireland: Dinner at a very nice restaurant and then festivities at a local Pub and so happened that locals playing Irish music. A fun Thanksgiving!
Driving the Dingle Peninsula: The morning after TG we headed out to do the Slea Head Loop drive from Dingle on a scenic road along the peninsula.
Ring Fort: Our first stop on the Dingle Peninsula was Stone Age Ring Fort. While this spot is not excavated, archaeologist have found evidence that people have lived on this peninsula since about 4,000 BC. The best part of this was Eric getting butted by a goat.
Beehive Huts: It was a bit of a walk up a hill but it was prehistoric back to 2,000 BC. While reconstructed, these mysterious stone igloos, which cluster together within a circular wall was interesting. My goodness those folks had a lot of rocks to choose from.
I think this is such a pretty part of the Slea Head Drive on the Dingle Peninsula.
Refreshments at a little Pub on the Peninsula.
The Ruined Church of Kilmalkedar on Dingle Peninsula: The 12th century church has a classic Romanesque arch & well worn cross on the top. In front of the church are late medieval tombs, a medieval sun dial and a stately early Christian cross. The church fell into ruin during the reformation.
Dingle Town: Back in Dingle Town after our Slea Head drive on Dingle Peninsula we and still had time to stroll around the town and eat at the “Fish Box”. The best calamari I have ever eaten, and a lot of it!
We departed from Dingle and drove to Kinsale. We spent two nights in Kinsale and drove back to Jim & Kellee’s home in Dublin and the following day Eric & I departed back to the U.S.A.
Kinsale, Ireland: It is a historic port and fishing town in County Cork. It is a cute town with a population of around 5,000. We stayed at an apartment right in the center of the little old town.
Seaside Drive: From Kinsale we went for a lovely drive in the countryside and along the seaside.
Fort Charles, Kinsale Harbor: Originally built in 1677, Fort Charles has a massive star-shaped outer wall. Strategically set to be the gatekeeper for this critical harbor, it’s a testimony of this little town in the 17th century. It is among the largest military installations in Ireland, and it is steeped in history and well-preserved.
Can’t think of a better conclusion to a wonderful family tour in Ireland than eating some more fishy stuff. And a huge thank you to Jim and Kellee (my fantastic kids) for showing us such a good time. Can’t beat family time!
Sure was fun!
Thank you Jim & Kellee
“Life is what you make it.”
Keep on traveling!
Turkey’s Magical Hideaways
with Overseas Adventure Travel
Sept. 27-Oct. 13, 2022
Istanbul, Cappadocia, Konya, Antalya, Aspendos, Perga, Demre, Fethiye, Kayakoy, Kaunos, Marmaris, Kusadasi and Ephesus Turkey.
I booked this 17 day “Turkey’s Magical Hideaways” adventure with Overseas Adventure Travel. This is another of many, many times I have traveled with this company. Really enjoyed being out and about with my friends Nancy & Wanda. We had an enjoyable group of 11 travelers for this Turkish adventure. So, let’s go!
I am including a google map that I copied from the OAT website. This map shows the destinations of our trip, and I put red check marks indicating where we stayed at hotels. Our adventure began with 4 nights in Istanbul. From there we flew to the Cappadocia area and stayed near Uchisar in a cave hotel carved into a mountain cliff for 3 nights. Then it was overland to Antalya for 3 nights, followed by 4 nights on a Turkish Gulet (two-masted wooden schooner) for 4 nights. Our last destination was 2 nights in Kusadasi and that is where we toured the ancient city of Ephesus.
This is Ersin, our awesome Tour Experience Leader. He is an experienced, knowledgeable and patient leader that made sure we saw everything listed in the itinerary plus many extras. He was a genuinely nice person and we really enjoyed being with him as we explored his country of Turkey.
Save Money: If you decide you’d like to go on this or any Overseas Adventure or Grand Circle Travel trip, and you are a first time traveler with them, they will give you each $100 off any trip. All you have to do is mention the name of my travel blog and my name, Marilyn. New travelers instantly receive $100 off the cost of the trip, and I will receive $100 when you depart on your trip.
Istanbul, Turkey: It was first founded around 660 BC as Byzantium. The city now known as Istanbul developed to become one of the most significant cities in history. For nearly sixteen centuries following its re-establishment as Constantinople in 330 AD, it served as the capital of four empires: the Roman Empire (330-395), the Byzantine Empire (395-1204 and 1261-1453), the Latin Empire (1204-1261), and the Ottoman Empire (1453-1922). Located on both sides of the Bosphorus, the city bridges Asia and Europe both physically and culturally.
Sultanahmet Sarayi Hotel, Istanbul: Our hotel was in a wonderful location, within two blocks of the Blue Mosque and all the historical monuments located there.
Istanbul Archaeological Museum: Wanda & I arrived a day early and made our way to this museum. Opened to the public in 1891, it houses a collection of Greek, Roman and Byzantine artifacts. It has about a million artifacts from a variety of cultures, brought from the imperial lands. It is a splendid museum!
Many of the rooms had huge murals that coincided with the statues in the area.
Alexander the Great. 3rd century BC and Statue of Tyche, 2nd century AD.
Sarcophagus, 350 BC and 3rd century AD.
The oldest thing we saw was Mother Goddess. Neolithic Age, 8000-5500 BC. The gold crowns date to 3rd century BC.
Egyptian Obelisk: It was built around 1500 BC, and stood outside Luxor until Constantine had it brought to Constantinople (Istanbul) around 324 AD. The obelisk is actually broken and this is only one third of its actual height. It stands in what was once the Hippodrome. The Hippodrome was a huge stadium that held up to 100,000 people.
The Blue Mosque: It was constructed between 1609 and 1616 and is an active Mosque. Hand-painted blue tiles adorn the mosque’s interior walls, and at night the mosque is bathed in blue as lights frame the mosque’s five main domes, six minarets and eight secondary domes. It was closed for restoration.
Hagia Sophia: A UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was a Christian church for almost 1,000 years, then it served as a mosque after the conquest of Constantinople in 1453 by the Ottomans, who added minarets and fountains. In 1934 it was designated as a museum. It is now a Mosque. The marble jar from the 4-3 century BC, was brought from Pergamum, Turkey in the 1500’s. The jar was carved from a single block of marble.
Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar: It is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with 61 covered streets and over 4,000 shops. If you are in Istanbul you really must see it, but glad it was early morning and not busy. We didn’t veer off to any side streets or we would have never found our way out.
Basilica Cistern: This vast underground water cistern is a beautiful piece of Byzantine engineering. It was laid out in 532 AD, mainly to satisfy the growing demands of the Great Palace for water. As you tour you walk on a raised platform over water. The cistern’s roof is held up by 336 columns, each over 26 ft. high.
Topkapi Palace: This complex of grand pavilions and courtyards was built by Mehmet II in the middle of the 15th century and served as the residence of Ottoman sultans—along with their wives and concubines—for the next 400 years. The first photo is a scale view of the complex. The last photo a view from the palace of the Golden Horn and the Asian side of Istanbul.
The city of Istanbul Turkey connects Europe & Asia and is split by the Golden Horn and the Bosphorus Strait. We went by coach across the bridge and toured the Galata area which is the oldest neighborhood in Istanbul.
Next was a boat ride on the Bosphorous Strait.
The Spice Market: They say that no visit to Istanbul is complete without stopping by the atmospheric Spice Bazaar. The Grand Bazaar may be the largest and most famous of Istanbul’s covered bazaars, but this spice market wins the prize for being the most colorful and fragrant.
Wanda & I enjoyed a fun dinner at a restaurant a couple of blocks from our hotel. I ordered Testi Kebab that is cooked in a clay pot over fire. The production of preparing my food was fun.
Cappadocia, Turkey: Over millennia, rain and wind have shaped the soft white volcanic rock (called tufa) of the surrounding Anatolian plain into an otherworldly landscape of dripping cones, pillars, pinnacles and fairy chimneys soaring more that a hundred feet into the sky.
Our hotel, Yunak Evleri Cappadocia, was set in Cappadocia’s landscape of fairy chimneys. It was wonderful! The first two photos are looking from my room and then two photos of my very nice room.
Geologic Wonders: These geologic wonders and remarkable human history is amazing. People have inhabited the region since ancient times, using hand tools to hollow out thousands of the freestanding tufa formations. Loved driving through this spectacular scenery.
![DSC05969_thumb[4]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc05969_thumb4_thumb.jpg?w=499&h=382 "DSC05969_thumb[4]")
![DSC05982_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc05982_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=499&h=381 "DSC05982_thumb[3]")
![DSC05987_thumb[4]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc05987_thumb4_thumb.jpg?w=498&h=381 "DSC05987_thumb[4]")
We were overwhelmed by the spectacular landscape, entirely sculpted by erosion. This was a popular Byzantine settlement in the fourth century. Cave churches are also carved out of soft volcanic cliffs are also located here.
We had a very interesting “day in the life” of a Cappadocia family. The ladies are boiling down grapes into molasses.
Making bread!
Underground City: During the Hittite era, as successive armies swept across Asia Minor, these multi-leveled complexes were built as uniquely defensible communities. They all had heavy millstones for doors that could be rolled in place to seal off the enemy. There are believed to be about three dozen of these underground cities in the region but only a few have been excavated. It was an interesting journey down into the underground city as we wandered the narrow, sloping passageways containing water cisterns, stables & living quarters and all well-ventilated by giant air shafts.
![DSC06007_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06007_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=581&h=443 "DSC06007_thumb[3]")
![DSC06008_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06008_thumb2_thumb.jpg?w=343&h=449 "DSC06008_thumb[2]")
![DSC06010_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06010_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=493&h=377 "DSC06010_thumb[3]")
![DSC06011_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06011_thumb2_thumb.jpg?w=495&h=378 "DSC06011_thumb[2]")
A delightful walk through the fairy chimneys, sweeping valleys and beautiful landscapes of Cappadocia.
![DSC06015_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06015_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=494&h=377 "DSC06015_thumb[3]")
![DSC06016_thumb[4]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06016_thumb4_thumb.jpg?w=499&h=381 "DSC06016_thumb[4]")
![DSC06017_thumb[4]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06017_thumb4_thumb.jpg?w=497&h=380 "DSC06017_thumb[4]")
![DSC06019_thumb[4]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06019_thumb4_thumb.jpg?w=494&h=378 "DSC06019_thumb[4]")
![DSC06023_thumb[4]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06023_thumb4_thumb.jpg?w=497&h=380 "DSC06023_thumb[4]")
![DSC06021_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06021_thumb2_thumb.jpg?w=498&h=380 "DSC06021_thumb[2]")
Whirling Dervishes: We witnessed the “Ritual of Sema.” The Semazens believe that the fundamental condition of our existences is to revolve. Their whirling motions represent a spiritual journey.
![DSC06037_thumb[4]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06037_thumb4_thumb.jpg?w=499&h=382 "DSC06037_thumb[4]")
![DSC06049_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06049_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=499&h=382 "DSC06049_thumb[3]")
![DSC06050_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06050_thumb2_thumb.jpg?w=504&h=385 "DSC06050_thumb[2]")
![DSC06054_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06054_thumb2_thumb.jpg?w=495&h=378 "DSC06054_thumb[2]")
We bid farewell to uniquely lovely Cappadocia. Our day’s journey took us southwest, first across the plains and then across the Taurus Mountains toward the Mediterranean seaside town of Antalya.
![DSC06085_thumb[4]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06085_thumb4_thumb.jpg?w=494&h=378 "DSC06085_thumb[4]")
![DSC06088_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06088_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=497&h=380 "DSC06088_thumb[3]")
![DSC06087_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06087_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=498&h=380 "DSC06087_thumb[3]")
Konya, Turkey: It’s known as the home of the Whirling Dervishes. We toured the museum and saw the tomb of the founder of that religion.
![DSC06068_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06068_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=499&h=382 "DSC06068_thumb[3]")
![DSC06071_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06071_thumb2_thumb.jpg?w=499&h=381 "DSC06071_thumb[2]")
![DSC06076_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06076_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=498&h=380 "DSC06076_thumb[3]")
![DSC06078_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06078_thumb2_thumb.jpg?w=499&h=381 "DSC06078_thumb[2]")
Lunch in Konya: Pizza on a board.
![DSC06079_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06079_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=498&h=380 "DSC06079_thumb[3]")
![DSC06081_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06081_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=495&h=379 "DSC06081_thumb[3]")
Antalya, Turkey: This seaside resort is located on the southwest coast of Turkey and bordered by the Taurus Mountains. Antalya is the largest Turkish city on the Mediterranean coast outside the Aegean region with over one million people in its metropolitan area.
![DSC06162_thumb[4]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06162_thumb4_thumb.jpg?w=496&h=379 "DSC06162_thumb[4]")
![DSC06173_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06173_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=502&h=384 "DSC06173_thumb[3]")
![DSC06168_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06168_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=496&h=379 "DSC06168_thumb[3]")
![DSC06179_thumb[4]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06179_thumb4_thumb.jpg?w=497&h=380 "DSC06179_thumb[4]")
Hadian’s Gate: It was located across from our hotel and was built in honor of the Roman emperor Hadrian, who visited Antalya in the year 130. The original Roman era walkway still exists.
![DSC06249_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06249_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=498&h=380 "DSC06249_thumb[3]")
![DSC06181_thumb[4]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06181_thumb4_thumb.jpg?w=500&h=382 "DSC06181_thumb[4]")
![DSC06182_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06182_thumb2_thumb.jpg?w=333&h=436 "DSC06182_thumb[2]")
![DSC06183_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06183_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=572&h=436 "DSC06183_thumb[3]")
East Elegance Hotel: Our hotel was located on this tree lined street across from Hadrian’s gate. Nice pool and sitting area and lots of cats. Not only here, but in all of Turkey everyone feeds the cats and takes good care of them.
![DSC06189_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06189_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=499&h=381 "DSC06189_thumb[3]")
![DSC06188_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06188_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=497&h=380 "DSC06188_thumb[3]")
Aspendos: It is known for having one of the best-preserved theatres of antiquity. It was built in 155 AD with seating for 7,000. It is remarkably preserved and still with near-perfect acoustics. The space still hosts plays and operas today. To gain a better look at this remarkable stadium I copied the first picture from the web.
![Fullscreen capture 10262022 20509 PM.bmp_thumb[4]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/fullscreen-capture-10262022-20509-pm.bmp_thumb4_thumb.jpg?w=512&h=363 "Fullscreen capture 10262022 20509 PM.bmp_thumb[4]")
![DSC06096_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06096_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=476&h=364 "DSC06096_thumb[3]")
![DSC06097_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06097_thumb2_thumb.jpg?w=530&h=405 "DSC06097_thumb[2]")
![DSC06098_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06098_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=312&h=408 "DSC06098_thumb[3]")
Roman Aqueduct: It was built in the 2nd and 3rd century. This Roman Aqueduct is a most important monument, since the last bit of the conduit is a well-preserved inverted siphon, rather than an open channel, which made this aqueduct famous. The siphon allowed shorter arches to be constructed at the expense of finding a way to contain the water pressure in the siphon in an era when large diameter piping was difficult to seal.
![DSC06102_thumb[9]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06102_thumb9_thumb.jpg?w=500&h=382 "DSC06102_thumb[9]")
![DSC06101_thumb[20]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06101_thumb20_thumb.jpg?w=499&h=381 "DSC06101_thumb[20]")
Perga, Turkey: It was originally settled by the Hittites around 1500 BC. This wealthy city was abandoned in the 7th century. St. Paul visited Perga in 46 AD and preached his first sermon here. [Acts 14:25 “and when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia.”] We first toured the (Roman) Perga Theatre which was built between 70 AD and the middle of the 2nd century AD, presumably on top of a Hellenistic predecessor building.
![DSC06191_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06191_thumb2_thumb.jpg?w=340&h=445 "DSC06191_thumb[2]")
![DSC06204_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06204_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=580&h=442 "DSC06204_thumb[3]")
![DSC06198_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06198_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=498&h=381 "DSC06198_thumb[3]")
![DSC06203_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06203_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=495&h=379 "DSC06203_thumb[3]")
Perga: After leaving the theatre we we saw more excavated city ruins. Our first stop was at the Roman baths of Perga. Amazing what those ancient Romans could do with water.
![DSC06211_thumb[5]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06211_thumb5_thumb.jpg?w=492&h=376 "DSC06211_thumb[5]")
![DSC06213_thumb[4]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06213_thumb4_thumb.jpg?w=494&h=378 "DSC06213_thumb[4]")
![DSC06217_thumb[4]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06217_thumb4_thumb.jpg?w=499&h=382 "DSC06217_thumb[4]")
![DSC06218_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06218_thumb2_thumb.jpg?w=499&h=381 "DSC06218_thumb[2]")
![DSC06221_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06221_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=607&h=463 "DSC06221_thumb[3]")
![DSC06222_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06222_thumb2_thumb.jpg?w=354&h=464 "DSC06222_thumb[2]")
Perga: We walked down the ancient colonnaded streets of Perga, viewing the agora (marketplace) on either side. Under the Romans from the 1st to the 3rd century AD the town became a magnificent city with many impressive buildings.
![DSC06233_thumb[4]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06233_thumb4_thumb.jpg?w=499&h=381 "DSC06233_thumb[4]")
![DSC06235_thumb[4]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06235_thumb4_thumb.jpg?w=499&h=381 "DSC06235_thumb[4]")
![DSC06236_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06236_thumb2_thumb.jpg?w=501&h=383 "DSC06236_thumb[2]")
![DSC06237_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06237_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=497&h=379 "DSC06237_thumb[3]")
![DSC06240_thumb[4]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06240_thumb4_thumb.jpg?w=498&h=381 "DSC06240_thumb[4]")
![DSC06210_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06210_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=499&h=382 "DSC06210_thumb[3]")
Now we’re talkin’
![DSC06243_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06243_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=501&h=383 "DSC06243_thumb[3]")
![DSC06167_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06167_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=497&h=380 "DSC06167_thumb[3]")
Antalya Muzesi: In this museum we saw artifacts from the Stone and Bronze Ages to Byzantium. There was a large collection featuring sculptures dating back to Roman times from the ancient city of Perga. The following statues are all from Perga dating back to the 2nd century AD.
![DSC06129_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06129_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=548&h=419 "DSC06129_thumb[3]")
![DSC06124_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06124_thumb2_thumb.jpg?w=320&h=418 "DSC06124_thumb[2]")
![DSC06127_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06127_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=355&h=465 "DSC06127_thumb[3]")
![DSC06134_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06134_thumb2_thumb.jpg?w=354&h=464 "DSC06134_thumb[2]")
![DSC06142_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06142_thumb2_thumb.jpg?w=332&h=434 "DSC06142_thumb[2]")
![DSC06148_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06148_thumb2_thumb.jpg?w=569&h=434 "DSC06148_thumb[2]")
Transfer from Antalya to Fethiye: It was a beautiful ride along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.
![Fullscreen capture 10262022 124809 PM.bmp_thumb[10]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/fullscreen-capture-10262022-124809-pm.bmp_thumb10_thumb.jpg?w=503&h=368 "Fullscreen capture 10262022 124809 PM.bmp_thumb[10]")
![DSC06269_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06269_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=484&h=370 "DSC06269_thumb[3]")
![DSC06289_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06289_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=499&h=382 "DSC06289_thumb[3]")
![DSC06290_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06290_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=499&h=381 "DSC06290_thumb[3]")
St. Nicholas: We stopped in Demre, Turkey and went to the Church of St. Nicholas. In the fourth century AD, during the Roman Empire, St. Nicholas was the bishop of Myra. He was known as a protector of children and the bishop showered the children with gifts at every opportunity. St. Nicholas was later declared a saint, he was the model for Santa Claus or Father Christmas. This church is regarded as the 3rd most important Byzantine structure in Anatolia. It is noted for the remarkable wall frescos.
![DSC06278_thumb[6]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06278_thumb6_thumb.jpg?w=496&h=379 "DSC06278_thumb[6]")
![DSC06271_thumb[5]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06271_thumb5_thumb.jpg?w=502&h=376 "DSC06271_thumb[5]")
![DSC06275_thumb[5]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06275_thumb5_thumb.jpg?w=500&h=382 "DSC06275_thumb[5]")
![DSC06276_thumb[6]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06276_thumb6_thumb.jpg?w=499&h=382 "DSC06276_thumb[6]")
Turkish Gulet: We cruised from Fethiye to Marmaris aboard the OAT privately chartered, 13-passenger traditional Turkish gulet-style yacht. Our yacht had both sails and a motor, and featured an outdoor dining veranda and cushions for relaxing on the observation decks, located both fore and aft. Our gulet-style yacht had small cabins with private bath. We all had a grand time on our Gulet!
![DSC06400_thumb[6]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06400_thumb6_thumb.jpg?w=626&h=478 "DSC06400_thumb[6]")
![DSC06364_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06364_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=365&h=477 "DSC06364_thumb[3]")
![DSC06341_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06341_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=498&h=381 "DSC06341_thumb[3]")
![DSC06342_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06342_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=500&h=382 "DSC06342_thumb[3]")
![IMG_0137_thumb[5]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_0137_thumb5_thumb.jpg?w=497&h=380 "IMG_0137_thumb[5]")
![IMG_0127_thumb[5]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_0127_thumb5_thumb.jpg?w=500&h=382 "IMG_0127_thumb[5]")
![IMG_0135_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_0135_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=498&h=380 "IMG_0135_thumb[3]")
![DSC06397_thumb[7]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06397_thumb7_thumb.jpg?w=496&h=379 "DSC06397_thumb[7]")
![DSC06353_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06353_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=498&h=380 "DSC06353_thumb[3]")
![DSC06359_thumb[4]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06359_thumb4_thumb.jpg?w=496&h=379 "DSC06359_thumb[4]")
Really good food on the Gulet. It seemed we always had time to belly up to the table!
![DSC06351_thumb[4]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06351_thumb4_thumb.jpg?w=499&h=381 "DSC06351_thumb[4]")
![DSC06296_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06296_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=497&h=380 "DSC06296_thumb[3]")
![DSC06369_thumb[4]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06369_thumb4_thumb.jpg?w=501&h=382 "DSC06369_thumb[4]")
![DSC06352_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06352_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=495&h=379 "DSC06352_thumb[3]")
![DSC06476_thumb[5]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06476_thumb5_thumb.jpg?w=497&h=378 "DSC06476_thumb[5]")
![DSC06481_thumb[5]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06481_thumb5_thumb.jpg?w=496&h=379 "DSC06481_thumb[5]")
Kayakoy, Turkey: We ventured off the Gulet and went to this “ghost town,” which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Anatolian Greeks once inhabited this city of about 600 homes, but in the l920’s, the entire population was relocated to Greece in the aftermath of the Turkish War of Independence. We toured this place being reminded of how politics can affect human lives.
![DSC06331_thumb[5]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06331_thumb5_thumb.jpg?w=496&h=380 "DSC06331_thumb[5]")
![DSC06315_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06315_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=497&h=380 "DSC06315_thumb[3]")
![DSC06319_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06319_thumb2_thumb.jpg?w=329&h=430 "DSC06319_thumb[2]")
![DSC06324_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06324_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=563&h=429 "DSC06324_thumb[3]")
After the ghost town visit it was time for a bit of a snack.
![DSC06332_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06332_thumb2_thumb.jpg?w=503&h=384 "DSC06332_thumb[2]")
![DSC06333_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06333_thumb2_thumb.jpg?w=494&h=377 "DSC06333_thumb[2]")
![DSC06338_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06338_thumb2_thumb.jpg?w=497&h=380 "DSC06338_thumb[2]")
Small riverboat: We boarded a small riverboat and did a ride up the Dalyan River heading to the ancient seaport city of Kaunos.
![DSC06405_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06405_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=496&h=379 "DSC06405_thumb[3]")
![DSC06406_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06406_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=495&h=378 "DSC06406_thumb[3]")
Kaunos, Turkey: Kaunos was an ancient seaport city with roots dating back to the ninth century BC. After the capture of Caria by Turkish tribes, and the serious marlaria epidemic of the 15th century AD, Kaunos was completely abandoned. We viewed the remains of a theatre, acropolis & a Roman bath.
![DSC06415_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06415_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=496&h=379 "DSC06415_thumb[3]")
![DSC06416_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06416_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=494&h=378 "DSC06416_thumb[3]")
![DSC06426_thumb[4]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06426_thumb4_thumb.jpg?w=495&h=379 "DSC06426_thumb[4]")
![DSC06432_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06432_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=499&h=381 "DSC06432_thumb[3]")
Lycian-style Tombs: The tombs sculpted from the rock face of the cliff across the river from Dalyan are from the days of the Lycians about 2,400 years ago.
![DSC06450_thumb[10]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06450_thumb10_thumb.jpg?w=494&h=377 "DSC06450_thumb[10]")
![DSC06458_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06458_thumb2_thumb.jpg?w=493&h=377 "DSC06458_thumb[2]")
Fare thee well to our Turkish Gulet. It was fun!
![DSC06380_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06380_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=500&h=382 "DSC06380_thumb[3]")
![DSC06390_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06390_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=499&h=382 "DSC06390_thumb[3]")
![DSC06391_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06391_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=498&h=380 "DSC06391_thumb[3]")
![DSC06396_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06396_thumb2_thumb.jpg?w=499&h=381 "DSC06396_thumb[2]")
After disembarking from our Gulet we traveled from Marmaris to Kusadasi, Turkey. We passed through interesting countryside along the way.
![Fullscreen capture 10262022 124809 PM.bmp_thumb[14]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/fullscreen-capture-10262022-124809-pm.bmp_thumb14_thumb.jpg?w=509&h=373 "Fullscreen capture 10262022 124809 PM.bmp_thumb[14]")
![DSC06482_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06482_thumb2_thumb.jpg?w=488&h=373 "DSC06482_thumb[2]")
![DSC06491_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06491_thumb2_thumb.jpg?w=496&h=379 "DSC06491_thumb[2]")
![DSC06495_thumb[4]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06495_thumb4_thumb.jpg?w=497&h=381 "DSC06495_thumb[4]")
Talk about a lunch!
![DSC06492_thumb[4]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06492_thumb4_thumb.jpg?w=500&h=383 "DSC06492_thumb[4]")
![DSC06493_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06493_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=495&h=379 "DSC06493_thumb[3]")
![DSC06494_thumb[5]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06494_thumb5_thumb.jpg?w=484&h=358 "DSC06494_thumb[5]")
We drove up to the top of a mountain and had a stop to stretch our legs.
![DSC06496_thumb[4]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06496_thumb4_thumb.jpg?w=477&h=365 "DSC06496_thumb[4]")
![DSC06500_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06500_thumb2_thumb.jpg?w=477&h=365 "DSC06500_thumb[2]")
![DSC06504_thumb[4]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06504_thumb4_thumb.jpg?w=498&h=380 "DSC06504_thumb[4]")
![DSC06505_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06505_thumb2_thumb.jpg?w=311&h=381 "DSC06505_thumb[2]")
Views from our hotel, Korumar Hotel Deluxe in Kusadasi, and then another huge meal!
![DSC06512_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06512_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=498&h=381 "DSC06512_thumb[3]")
![DSC06513_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06513_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=497&h=380 "DSC06513_thumb[3]")
![DSC06518_thumb[4]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06518_thumb4_thumb.jpg?w=499&h=381 "DSC06518_thumb[4]")
![DSC06519_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06519_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=500&h=382 "DSC06519_thumb[3]")
Ephesus, Turkey: My very favorite and largest and best-preserved ancient cities in the world! Ephesus is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city was built in the 10th century BC. Its excavated remains reflect centuries of history, from classical Greece to the Roman Empire to the spread of Christianity. Its many monumental buildings included the Library of Celsus, The Temple of Hadrian, and a Great Theatre which was capable of holding 24,000 spectators. Paved streets wind past squares, baths and monumental ruins.
The Library of Celsus: It was the third-largest library in the Roman world behind only Alexandria and Pergamum, and was believed to have held around twelve thousand scrolls. It was built in 117 AD. The Library is one of the most beautiful structures in Ephesus.
![DSC06573_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06573_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=497&h=380 "DSC06573_thumb[3]")
![DSC06580_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06580_thumb2_thumb.jpg?w=499&h=381 "DSC06580_thumb[2]")
![DSC06609_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06609_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=538&h=410 "DSC06609_thumb[3]")
![DSC06621_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06621_thumb2_thumb.jpg?w=313&h=409 "DSC06621_thumb[2]")
Temple of Hadrian: The Temple of Hadrian at Ephesus is regarded as one of the most famous monuments of the ancient city of Ephesus. It was built before 138 A.D. for Emperor Hadrian’s visit.
![DSC06598_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06598_thumb2_thumb.jpg?w=333&h=436 "DSC06598_thumb[2]")
![DSC06597_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06597_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=569&h=434 "DSC06597_thumb[3]")
![DSC06595_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06595_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=338&h=441 "DSC06595_thumb[3]")
![DSC06599_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06599_thumb2_thumb.jpg?w=577&h=440 "DSC06599_thumb[2]")
Temple of Artemis: The city was famous in its day for the Temple of Artemis (completed around 550 BC). Little remains of the famous Temple of Artemis, one of the “Seven Wonders of the World,” which drew pilgrims from all around the Mediterranean. I took the 2nd picture in the Ephesus Museum and that is what they think the Temple of Artemis looked like.
![DSC06509_thumb[7]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06509_thumb7_thumb.jpg?w=390&h=411 "DSC06509_thumb[7]")
![DSC06651_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06651_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=581&h=411 "DSC06651_thumb[3]")
The small Theatre: Is small, semi-circular theater originally constructed in the 2nd century A.D.
![DSC06539_thumb[5]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06539_thumb5_thumb.jpg?w=494&h=371 "DSC06539_thumb[5]")
![DSC06540_thumb[5]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06540_thumb5_thumb.jpg?w=497&h=373 "DSC06540_thumb[5]")
Strolling down some streets of the ancient city of Ephesus.
![DSC06543_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06543_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=493&h=376 "DSC06543_thumb[3]")
![DSC06551_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06551_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=496&h=379 "DSC06551_thumb[3]")
![DSC06553_thumb[7]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06553_thumb7_thumb.jpg?w=491&h=375 "DSC06553_thumb[7]")
![DSC06559_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06559_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=493&h=377 "DSC06559_thumb[3]")
![DSC06560_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06560_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=495&h=379 "DSC06560_thumb[3]")
![DSC06569_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06569_thumb2_thumb.jpg?w=494&h=377 "DSC06569_thumb[2]")
Fountain of Trajan: It was built in around 104 AD. The fountain was constructed in honor of Emperor Trajan, and the statue of Trajan stood in the central niche on the facade overlooking the pool.
![DSC06572_thumb[4]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06572_thumb4_thumb.jpg?w=580&h=442 "DSC06572_thumb[4]")
![DSC06574_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06574_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=338&h=442 "DSC06574_thumb[3]")
The Toilets of Ephesus: They were constructed in the 1st century AD over a channel with an uninterrupted flow of water. The toilet seats were formed by cutting holes into marble benches that lined the walls.
![DSC06602_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06602_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=327&h=428 "DSC06602_thumb[3]")
![DSC06603_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06603_thumb2_thumb.jpg?w=565&h=431 "DSC06603_thumb[2]")
The Agora (marketplace): Being the most important trade center of Ephesus, the Agora was built in the third century B.C in the Hellenistic Period.
![DSC06613_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06613_thumb2_thumb.jpg?w=501&h=383 "DSC06613_thumb[2]")
![DSC06623_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06623_thumb2_thumb.jpg?w=493&h=377 "DSC06623_thumb[2]")
![DSC06627_thumb[4]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06627_thumb4_thumb.jpg?w=500&h=382 "DSC06627_thumb[4]")
![DSC06628_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06628_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=498&h=380 "DSC06628_thumb[3]")
The Great Theatre: It is considered the most magnificent structure in the ancient city of Ephesus. The excavations of the Great Theatre reveal that it was first constructed about 250 B.C. The Theatre could accommodate up to 24,000 spectators.
![DSC06633_thumb[4]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06633_thumb4_thumb.jpg?w=495&h=378 "DSC06633_thumb[4]")
![DSC06634_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06634_thumb3_thumb.jpg?w=496&h=379 "DSC06634_thumb[3]")
Sure was fun! Thank you Overseas Adventure Travel and Ersin!
“Life is what you make it.”
Keep on traveling!
Scotland Revealed: Legends, Lochs & Landscapes
with Overseas Adventure Travel
May 28 – Jun. 10, 2022
Glasgow, Oban, Inverness, Aberdeen & Edinburgh, Scotland
I booked this 15 day adventure with Overseas Adventure Travel. Yet another of the many, many times I’ve traveled with this company. Really enjoyed being out and about with my friends Nancy & Wanda. We had an enjoyable group of 14 travelers for this Scottish adventure. So here we are in Scotland….let’s go!
I am including a google map that I prepared. This map shows the destinations of our trip, with the red check marks indicating where we stayed at hotels and the number of nights at that area. Our first 3 nights were spent in Glasgow, then Oban 3 nights, 2 nights in Inverness, 2 nights in Aberdeen and ending with 3 nights in Edinburgh.
Save Money: If you decide you’d like to go on this or any Overseas Adventure or Grand Circle Travel trip, and you are a first time traveler with them, they will give you each $100 off any trip. All you have to do is mention the name of my travel blog and my name, Marilyn. New travelers instantly receive $100 off the cost of the trip, and I will receive $100 when you depart on your trip.
Glasgow, Scotland: It’s the most populous city in Scotland with approximately 635,000 people. It is a port city on the River Clyde in Scotland’s western Lowlands and is famed for its Victorian and art nouveau architecture.
Doulton Fountain & People’s Palace: The fountain in French Renaissance style was designed to commemorate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee in 1887. It is the largest fountain ever constructed of terracotta. The People’s Palace and Winter Gardens is a museum and glasshouse situated in Glasgow Green, and was opened in 1898.
Glasgow Cathedral: It is a parish church of the Church of Scotland in Glasgow. It is the oldest cathedral in mainland Scotland and the oldest building in Glasgow. It was erected between 1136 and 1484.
Glasgow Necropolis: Sometimes referred to as “city of the dead” it’s a Victorian cemetery on a low but very prominent hill to the east of Glasgow Cathedral. 50,000 individuals are buried here.
My google map shows Glasgow (where we stayed 3 nights) and one day we went to Stirling and another we drove south to Alloway. From Glasgow we transferred to Oban for 3 nights. Our drive was through beautiful countryside with several interesting stops along the way.
Stirling Castle: One of my favorite places was Stirling Castle. From Glasgow, Wanda, Nancy Ted & I took a local train and went to the cute little town of Stirling and went on up to the Castle. Stirling Castle is one of the largest and most important castles in Scotland, both historically and architecturally. The castle sits atop Castle Hill, an intrusive crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill geological formation.
Looking down from the Stirling Castle.
Leaving Stirling Castle & walking back down to the town of Stirling to the train station.
Robert Burns Museum, Alloway Scotland: includes the famous Burns Cottage where he was born, landmarks included in his work, the Burns Monument and Memorial Gardens and museum. Burns is celebrated for works like Auld Lang Syne. The local tour guide was quite a story-teller and it seemed he could recite anything of Robert Burns at the drop of a hat.
We walked the Poet’s Path to the local church to see Robert Burns memorial.
The Robert Burns memorial garden was beautiful!
Loch Lomond: A photo stop along the bonny, bonny banks of Loch Lomond.
The pretty countryside between Loch Lomond & Gartmore Village.
Gartmore Village: We had the opportunity to visit and eat lunch in a little village of 475 residents. To keep the village alive the residents purchased the local pub and the general store.
More pretty scenery as we drove in the Scottish Highlands in the Glencoe area. And…a toast to the Scottish Highlands!
Oban, Scotland: 3 nights. My Google maps shows our hotel town of Oban and the other arrows are where we ventured while we stayed in Oban.
Oban, Scotland: It’s a seaside resort town that offers a picturesque bayside setting. Oban is a gate way to the Isle’s with ferries leaving several times a day. I really enjoyed our stay at the Oban Bay Hotel, which was located sea-side and we had the most delicious breakfast’s of the trip here.
Dunollie Castle: Dunollie Castle is a small ruined castle located on a hill north of the town of Oban, on the west coast of Scotland. This castle was once inhabited by the Clan McDougall. The castle dates back to the 15th century. Wanda & I hiked up to the castle (Nancy decided to not hike) and it was a beautiful view of Oban, the harbor, and outlying isles. This was my favorite venture while we stayed in Oban.
It was such a nice stroll along the sea on a beautiful morning.
Walking through the gardens on our way to Dunollie Castle.
We made it up the hill see the Clan McDougall Castle ruins. The Clan built castles to defend their broad dominions and this castle was probably fortified as early as the sixth century!
Kilbride Graveyard: The friends of Kilbride have cleaned up and restored this historical site. The Chiefs of Clan MacDougall, one of Scotland’s oldest, are laid to rest here, along with some 300 others from all walks of life. History says that The Church of Saint Bride the Virgin (the building ruins in the pictures) has been a site of Christian worship since at least the 6th century.
Campbell of Lerags Cross: This stands above the road from the cemetery. It was re-erected on its present site in 1926, having lain in pieces in Kilbride Church for over 200 years. Carved from a single block of green schist, the cross was originally erected by Archibald Campbell of Lerags in 1516.
We boarded a ferry in Oban and about 45 minutes later we arrived at the Isle of Mull. From there we boarded our private bus and drove across the Island and then took a short ride on a passenger ferry to the Isle of Iona.
I took some photos out the bus window as we crossed the Isle of Mull.
Isle of Iona: Iona is a tiny island off the southwest coast of Mull in the Inner Hebrides. It is only 1.5 miles wide by 3 miles long, with a population of around 170 permanent residents.
The Iona Nunnery: It was an Augustinian convent of nuns established sometime after the foundation of the nearby Benedictine monastery in 1203.
Iona Abbey: It was founded by St Columba and his Irish followers in AD 563. The abbey was a focal point for the spread of Christianity throughout Scotland. The abbey church was restored at the beginning of the 20th century.
We transferred from Oban to Inverness making interesting stops along the way.
Fort Augustus: On this beautiful sunny day we stopped for lunch in the village of Fort Augustus, located on the shores of Loch Ness. Our entertainment as we ate lunch was watching boats going through the locks right in front of where we were eating. If you look you can see how the water level goes down and how the gate at the end opens.
Urquhart Castle: The castle ruins overlooks Loch Ness in the Highlands of Scotland and is one of the largest in Scotland in area. The present ruins date from the 13th to the 16th centuries and was built on the site of an early medieval fortification.
Loch Lomond: Then we did a cruise on Loch Lomond. It’s covers an area of nearly 700 miles, and is one of the largest bodies of freshwater in Great Britain.
Inverness, Scotland: It’s located along the River Ness and is the largest city and the cultural capital of the Scottish Highlands. The Pubs and music is always a great feature.
Aberdeen: It’s a port city in North East Scotland and with a population of almost 200,000 is the 3rd most populous city in Scotland.
Footdee: It’s an old fishing village in the east end of Aberdeen harbor. Dating back to medieval time, its cobbled streets are lined with mid 19th century cottages. We friends did a very long walk to find this place!
We transferred from Aberdeen to Edinburgh, stopping to tour St. Andrews along the way.
St. Andrews Golf Course: They were getting ready for The Open which will be played at St. Andrews. The Open will be the 150th playing of the championship and the 30th time that St Andrews has hosted the world’s biggest and most popular golf event.
St. Andrews: A very pretty town located on the East Coast of Scotland with a population of approximately 17,000. We saw many interesting places on our walking tour of the old town.
The prestigious University of St. Andrews. It’s most notable alumni are Prince William & Kate Middleton.
The ruins of St. Andrews Castle overlooks the North Sea.
The ruins of the huge St. Andrews Cathedral. It was built in 1158 and became the center of the Medieval Catholic Church in Scotland. It fell into disuse and ruin after Catholic mass was outlawed during the 16th-century Scottish Reformation.
Edinburgh, Scotland: This hilly city has been recognized as the capital of Scotland since the 15th century. It has a medieval Old Town and elegant Georgian New Town with gardens and neoclassical buildings. Looming over the city is Edinburgh Castle. There is a population of approximately 506,000.
Edinburgh on a sunny day.
Edinburgh on a rainy day.
Edinburgh Castle: This castle was once the residence of Scottish monarchs and now serves mostly as a museum. It overlooks the city of Edinburgh from a volcanic crag called Castle Rock. In 1058-1093 the first King of Scotland is known to have made his residence on Castle Rock. The day we visited it poured rain almost the entire time.
St. Margaret’s Chapel was built between about 1130 and 1140 on the highest point of the rock and is the oldest surviving building on the castle grounds.
The Falkirk Wheel: It is a rotating boat lift in Tamfourhill, Falkirk, in central Scotland, connecting the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal. It reconnects the two canals for the first time since the 1930s. The wheel, opened in 2002, is the only one of its kind in the world. We rode up on the lift and down the canal for a bit.
The Kelpies: The largest equine statues in the world. The statues are based on the mighty Clydesdale horses which once helped to pull the ships and barges up the canals located in Scotland.
Food of Scotland: As usual I feel this blog isn’t complete until I post some pictures of some of our delicious meals.
“Life is what you make it.”
Keep on traveling!
Untamed Iceland
with Overseas Adventure Travel
June 10 – 21, 2022
Selfoss, Borgarnes, Hvammstangi, Akureyr and Reykjavik, Iceland
I booked the 14 day “Untamed Iceland” adventure with Overseas Adventure Travel. This is another of many, many times I traveled with this company. In my first trip out after Jim’s passing I met a great new friend and travel buddy (Nancy) & this is our 13th trip together. We had a delightful group of 12 travelers in Iceland. So…it’s time for another adventure, here we go again!
I am including a google map that I prepared. This map shows the destinations of our trip, with the red check marks indicating where we stayed at hotels and the number of nights at that area. Our adventure began with 2 nights in Selfoss, Iceland. From there we spent 2 nights in Borgarnes, 1 night in Hvammstangi, and 3 nights in Akurekyri. Then we flew to Reykjavik and spent our final 3 nights there.
Margret was our awesome Tour Experience Leader. She is a fun-loving, experienced, knowledgeable, and extremely organized person. She was always so kind and helpful and loved being sure everyone was having a wonderful time. She absolutely “made” this trip. Thank you Margret for being you!
Save Money: If you decide you’d like to go on this or any Overseas Adventure or Grand Circle Travel trip, and you are a first time traveler with them, they will give you each $100 off any trip. All you have to do is mention the name of my travel blog and my name, Marilyn. New travelers instantly receive $100 off the cost of the trip, and I will receive $100 when you depart on your trip.
S.W. Iceland Map: This is a map of the area in southwestern Iceland showing all the locations of the beautiful sites that we saw that are described below.
Selfoss, Iceland: Selfoss is a town of about 8,000 located in southern Iceland on the banks of the Olfusa river. This is the river looking out my hotel window. It’s a nice destination town which is located near many popular scenic sites. Something I did notice in Iceland is the fact that it takes quite a while to get anywhere because of the narrow little highways. However, I hope it stays just that way because you have time to see the beautiful scenery along the way.
Seljalandsfoss Waterfall: It’s situated on the south coast of Iceland along the Ring Road. Melting glacier water pours over a rocky cliff with a fall of about 200 feet. You could also walk behind the waterfall. And, there were mountain goats gazing near the waterfall.
Dyrholaey & Black-Sand Beach: "the hill island with the door hole" is located near the village of Vik. In front of the peninsula, there is a gigantic black arch of lava standing in the sea. The black sand is naturally created due to volcanic activity in the area. While above the beach we saw Atlantic puffins nesting on the cliffs.
Okjokull Glacier: This glacier used to be 1,800 miles of ice. It was the first glacier in Iceland to lose its status in 2014. Since then 56 more glaciers have vanished in northern Iceland, melting into crater lakes. The Okjokull glacier was officially declared dead in 2014 when it was no longer thick enough to move. What once was glacier has been reduced to a small patch of ice atop a volcano. (The glacier is the mountains of gray color, photo #4 you can see some of the ice through the gray.) Our local guide chopped some ice from the glacier for our celebratory drink.
Gullfoss Waterfall: As part of the Golden Circle tour, Gullfoss was our first stop. It is located in the canyon of the Hvítá river in southwest Iceland. It features two tiers of rushing water that flow into a hundred foot deep crevice.
Geysir Hot Spring Area: Our next stop along the Golden Circle was the highly active Geysir Hot Spring Area with boiling mud pits, and exploding geysers. The area became active more than 1,000 years ago and consists of more than a dozen hot water blow holes. Strokkur geyser spouts water about 100 feet into the air every few minutes.
Out the bus window as we traveled along the Golden Circle. The purple flowers are considered weeds. I considered them very pretty.
Thingvellir National Park: This is where you walk between two continents. The park sits in a major rift between two tectonic plates—the Eurasian and North American. The rift creates a valley in the land, ringed by rocky cliffs and fault lines. It is also a historic site known as the site of Iceland’s parliament from the 10th to 18th centuries. This was our last stop on the Golden Circle.
Hraunfossar Waterfalls: This series of waterfalls comes from rivulets streaming over a distance of about 300 feet. This mystical lava field flowed from an eruption of a volcano lying under a glacier over a thousand years ago. The was a very nice walking path that took you to various parts of the waterfall.
Daeli Guesthouse: We transferred from Borgarnes in southwest Iceland to a country Guesthouse near Hvammstangi in northwest Iceland. This was my favorite accommodation in Iceland. It was completely in the countryside a long way from anywhere. At our Guesthouse we watched a horseshow with Icelandic horses.
While at the Guesthouse we hiked up the hill behind and planted trees, and (hehe), then back down. We ate, visited, played games and generally had fun.
Kolugljufux Waterfall: Oh look another waterfall! This was located just a few miles from our Guesthouse, in a canyon that was complete with a spectacular waterfall.
Sheep of the area: The Icelandic is the Icelandic breed of domestic sheep. It is thought that they were introduced to Iceland by Vikings in the late ninth or early tenth century. There were thousands all over the hills and mountains of Iceland.
Icelandic Horse Farm: We visited a nice horse farm located a couple miles from our Guesthouse. The horses of Iceland are the original Viking horses and one of the purest horse breeds in the world. The breed has been isolated on the rugged island since the settlement over 1000 years ago, without any genetic input from other breeds. They tend to be small in size, and are known to be hardy and long-lived and survive in this harsh climate. The government aims to maintain their good health by outlawing the import and export of the horses.
Hvammstangi to Akureyi: We transferred from to our northernmost location on our tour of Iceland. We were approaching summer solstice and each day was longer daylight than the day before. I took pictures along the way to Siguifjorour, which was our first stop. The landscape was just beautiful!
Siglufjordur: It is a small fishing town of about 1,200 nested in a narrow fjord with the same name on the northern coast of Iceland. To me this town looks like a town I envision in Iceland, and it was so pleasant to be there. The town has been shrinking in size since the 1950s when the town reached its peak of 3,000 inhabitants.
Herring Era Museum, Siglujordur: We had an interesting visit to this museum which is the largest maritime museum in Iceland. We learned all about fishing and processing of herring. The town grew up around the herring industry that was very strong in the 1940s and 1950s. In 1969 the herring failed to appear due to over-exploiting, and the herring processing plants were closed. Today herring fishing is no longer productive in the region.
We stayed in Akureyri three nights (located in the center) and visited the various sites identified with red arrows.
Akureyri: Located in northern Iceland and situated on the northern fjords near the Arctic Circle. The area around Akureyi has one of the warmest climates in Iceland, even though it’s only 62 miles from the Artic Circle. It is the 2nd largest urban city with a population of approximately 18,000.
Godafoss Waterfall: The current carries rushing water along a glacial river and over the rocks, falling 40 feet into the pool below.
Namafiall Hot Mud Pools: Here in this geothermal area we saw a series of fumaroles, mud pots and pools that range in color and are ever-changing. We could walk right down among them.
Dimmuborgir Black Castles: These “black castles” are lava formations that were formed in an eruption that occurred in the area around 2,300 years ago. As lava flowed across the area, it passed over a lake, causing it to boil. This both quickened the cooling of the lava and caused pillars of steam to shatter parts of it. What I vividly remember about the area were the “midges” by the thousands, which are relentless flying bugs that bite and annoy!
Skutustadin Pseudo-crater Field: Pseudo-craters are formed by steam explosions when burning lava encounters lakes or wet lands.
Lake Myvatn: It is a volcanic lake in northern Iceland with an area of about 9,000 acres. It is Iceland’s fourth-largest body of water.
Summer Soltice: It occurs on June 21 when one of Earth’s poles has its maximum tilt toward the Sun. We were way North in the Northern hemisphere and there was continuous daylight time while we were in Iceland. These two photos were taken about 3 in the morning out my hotel window on Akureyri on June 17 and Reykjavik on June 21.
Dalvik Iceland Whale Watching Excursion: We went on a three hour search for humpback whales in the longest glacier fjord in Iceland. We actually got to watch two whales and I got a couple mighty poor photos of the whales. Yes, that is our group in the red coveralls. It was a bit cold and also a bit rainy by times.
We flew from Akureyri in the north to Reykjavik in the southwest for the last 3 days of our adventure in Iceland.
Reykkjavik: It is the northernmost capital in the world, and the largest municipality in Iceland and the capital city of the country. The capital area has about a total of 60% of Iceland’s population, which is about 360.000 people, with approximately 123,000 people living in Reykjavik proper. Reykjavik is ranked as the 14th most expensive city in the world to live in and the sixth most expensive city in Europe, according to The Economist. I personally thought it was very expensive in Iceland!
Reykjavik, Iceland: Our hotel was in an excellent location right at the Marina. I enjoyed watching the marina activity from my balcony. It was fun to celebrate my birthday in Reykjavik! Thank you Margret for the party complete with balloons and a gift.
Hallgrimskirkja Church: It’s visible from almost any point in the city. It was completed in 1986 and took almost 40 years to build. The pipe organ at the back of the church weighs over 25 tons. In front of the church is a statue of Icelandic Viking Leif Erikson. He was the first European to set foot on the North American continent around 1,000 AD.
Birthday: My birthday happy hour and dinner with friends.
Walking around in Reykjavik:
The Blue Lagoon: It is comprised of 70% sea water, 30% fresh water and maintained at a steady 100 degrees. It is rich in blue-green algae, mineral salts and silica mud. It was located about an hour away of Reykjavik. Our happy little group had fun playing in the water.
Food in Iceland: I can’t complete this travel blog of Iceland without showing some of the good food that we experienced while in Iceland.
Sure was fun! Thank you Overseas Adventure Travel and Margret!
“Life is what you make it.”
Keep on traveling!
Crossroads of the Adriatic: Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia & Herzegovina and Slovenia
with Overseas Adventure Travel
Mar. 4 – 22, 2022
Croatia: Dubrovnik; Montenegro: Kotor; Bosnia & Herzegovina: Mostar, Sarajevo, Kotromanicevo; Croatia: Karanac, Zagreb, Mirogoj Cemetery, Kumrovec, Plitvice Lakes, Opatija, Motovun, Truffle hunt and Hum; Slovenia: Postojnska Caves, Ljubljana, and Lake Bled.
This is our happy group of OAT adventure travelers. I went on this trip not knowing anyone and gained new friends. These travelers were the kindest, most welcoming group I have ever been with.
I am including a google map that I prepared. This map shows the destinations of our trip, with the red check marks indicating where we stayed at hotels. Our adventure began with 4 nights in Dubrovnik, Croatia. From there we spent 3 nights in Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina, 1 night in Karanac, Croatia, then 3 nights in Zagreb, Croatia. Then we headed toward the Adriatic Sea and spent 2 nights in Opatija, Croatia, then on to Ljubljana, Slovenia where we spent the last 3 nights. It was wonderful traveling with our group of 12 especially after all the Covid19 ordeal. It all went well because one has to be vaccinated to travel with OAT, you could not enter the countries we visited without being vaccinated and we had to have a negative coved test to re-enter the United States.
Marina was a grand Tour Experience Leader. It seemed she knew all the ins and outs of everything. Her knowledge of the history of the entire area was tremendous and her various presentations we very interesting. Everything was always completely organized and in addition to all of this she is a very kind and caring person. Thank you Marina for our outstanding trip experience.
Save Money
: If you decide you’d like to go on this or any Overseas Adventure or Grand Circle Travel trip, and you are a first time traveler with them, they will give you each $100 off any trip. All you have to do is mention the name of my travel blog and #000561413. New travelers instantly receive $100 off the cost of the trip, and I will receive $100 when you depart on your trip. Check out all the adventures and the covid19 info on www.oattravel.com
And thus, our Crossroads of the Adriatic trip begins.
Dubrovnik, Croatia: My favorite ancient walled city in the world, of which I’ve had the privilege to visit more than once. The old city of Dubrovnik is located on the Adriatic Sea and is encircled with massive stone walls completed in the 16th century. It was a fortress city that served as the base for a fleet of ships that carried trade between much of Europe and the Middle East during the years from 1358 to 1808. Despite the heavy damage sustained during the breakup of Yugoslavia in the early 1990’s the city has regained its former splendor.
Ancient Walls of Dubrovnik: We walked along most of the city’s ancient ramparts (a little over a mile in length) and enjoyed views of the rooftops of Old Town and the Adriatic Sea.
Headed to Kotor, Montenegro: We crossed the border from Croatia to Montenegro and it was a beautiful drive. We stopped along the Bay of Kotor and boarded a small boat to take us on into Kotor.
Kotor, Montenegro: Kotor happens to be another one of my favorite towns. It is truly a picturesque walled city, with one of the largest and best-preserved medieval areas of the Adriatic region. The town of about 3,000 is butted up against a steep cliff, and watched over by an imposing town wall. Kotor has survived centuries of invaders by its imposing town wall, which scrambles in a zigzag line up the mountain behind it. Many years ago Jim hiked to the top of the city wall, Karree did the same a few years ago, I went a little ways but was to scared to continue.
We transferred from Dubrovnik, Croatia to Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina: First we saw pretty scenery along the Adriatic, then countryside living. At about halfway of our journey we stopped at Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina.
Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina: Mostar is famous for this bridge. The city is named for the watchtowers of its historic bridge. The bridge spans the Neretva River, which divides the town into Muslim and Croat sections and was built in the 16th century. The original structure was destroyed by a bomb during the Bosnian conflict in 1993, and UNESCO helped fund its rebuilding to look just like the original.
Bosnian Coffee: We were introduced to the typical coffee of this area of the world and I rather liked it. We also now know the proper way to prepare it to drink. Oh yes, we had a very good lunch also.
Our drive from Mostar to Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina: There were some really pretty sites as we drove about 2.5 hours on to Sarajevo.
Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina: Founded by the Ottomans in the 15th century, Sarajevo was multicultural with Muslims, Serbs, Croats, Turks and Jews for hundreds of years. After hosting the 1984 Olympics, Sarajevo descended into chaos during the Yugoslav wars of the early 1990’s. Bosnian Serb artillery pounded the city during a 3.5 year siege, killing more than 14,000 people in the city.
Today, Sarajevo, is the capital and cultural center of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It lies in the narrow valley of the Miljacka River at the foot of Mount Trebević. It was a very enjoyable place to visit.
Savajevo Tunnel: The tunnel was built by the Bosnian Army in order to link the city of Sarajevo, which was entirely cut off by Serbian forces, with Bosnian-held territory on the other side of the Sarajevo Airport, an area controlled by the United Nations. It allowed food, war supplies, and humanitarian aid to come into the city, and allowing people to get out. We visited the tunnel and also heard stories from survivors about what life was like during the Bosnian Serbs barrage that resulted in the deaths of nearly 14,000 people, including almost 5,500 civilians. It was a sobering morning, especially since practically the same is now happening in Ukraine.
I was all about the Bosnian Coffee.
Overland: Today it was overland from Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina to Karanac, Croatia. Another border crossing, where we’d get off the bus and go to the border control window and show the officer our passport and covid vaccination card. He’d stamp it, we’d board the bus and off we’d go. It was enjoyable looking out the bus window and we also made several stops along the way.
Village of Karanac, Croatia: We enjoyed and overnight stay at a little agri-tourism farm. Our rooms located on the left in the 2nd photo were very pleasant and complete with private bathroom. We learned to make cheese that ate it for part of our breakfast the next morning.
Our “day in the life” in the Croatian village continued the next morning. We helped prepare breakfast, ate the cheese we made the night before, made bean goulash that was cooked on an outside fire (delicious) and watched pottery making.
Zagreb, Croatia: From Karanac Village to Zegreb. Zagreb is the capital and most populated city in Croatia with 800,000 people. It has an upper town and a lower town. The Lower Town in the modern area, then one has the option to ride a funicular (the shortest in Europe) to view the medieval Upper Town. This is the lower town.
The Upper Town: We rode the funicular to the upper town. Between the 11th & 14th centuries two medieval settlements developed here. And…..my fabulous find! Several years ago Jim & I had the most delicious and the thickest EVER hot chocolate. Marina helped me find it again! And to go with it I had a piece of double chocolate cake.
Mirogoj Cemetery: We went with Marina on the city bus to Mirogoj, which is a cemetery of cupolas, domes, arcades and elaborate tombs all within a carefully manicured park. It’s Croatia’s most majestic cemetery and is listed as one of the most significant cemeteries in Europe.
Rural Countryside near Zagreb: We drove north seeing rolling hills, winding roads and vineyards. We first went to Klanjec, which is the birthplace of renowned Croatian sculptor Antun Augustincic. He created the Peace monument that stands in front of the United Nations building in New York City. The third photo below is the replica that we saw in the museum. The entire museum houses only his artwork.
Kumrovec Open Air Museum: I always enjoy this type of museum. It featured the traditional ways of life a century ago. This village is renowned as the birthplace of Marshal Tito, president of the former Yugoslavia. The 2nd and 3rd photo are Marshal Tito’s childhood home.
Countryside Lunch: More beautiful scenery out the bus window and lunch at a quaint restaurant on top of a hill overlooking a castle. And..…the pet rooster.
Festival of Lights: Back in the city of Zagreb that evening it was “Festival of Lights.” We strolled with Marina and loved seeing all the lights, entertainment and merriment!
Plitvice Lakes, Croatia: The Plitvice Lakes is a 114 square mile national park that has at its heart, 16 turquoise lakes linked by a series of wooden footbridges, waterfalls and cascades. It is a UNESCO world heritage site. We did a 2.5 hour walking tour of this beautiful national park. The first three photos are looking down into the park. The 3rd photo with red arrows shows our hike into the big waterfall, and the 4th is a closer shot showing the wooden footbridges that we walked on to get to the big waterfalls. Number 5 photo shows the beginning of our hike down the mountain towards the water.
Leaving the big waterfalls we continue our glorious hike in the Plitvice National Park. The last 3 photos is looking down at the extensive amount of wooden footbridges all along the water.
Opatija, Croatia: It’s s seaside resort town located on the Adriatic Sea. In 2005 Jim & I walked the entire 7 miles of their seaside promenade. I walked a little bit of it for old-times sake.
Motovun, Croatia: From Opatija we explored some hill towns of Istria. Our first stop was Motovun. It’s one of the regions 136 medieval hill towns. And as indicated it was on the tip-top of a hill. The population of the village is approximately 500. We walked all around the village and also on top of the ancient town wall surrounding the village.
Truffle Hunting: We met up with a truffle hunter and his dog for a demonstration of how these expensive morsels are gathered. The dog has learned the scent of truffles, the dogs digs them up and the hunter quickly gathers them.
Hum, Croatia: It is considered by many as the smallest village in the world. It has a population of 20-30 people. It’s old because the freestanding church tower in the first picture was built in 1552 as a fortified tower. We had a nice lunch at the only restaurant in town and also visited a little museum of things-gone-by-in the town. The tiny village was a neat experience.
Ljubljana, Slovenia: It’s the capital and largest city of Slovenia. Ljubljana Castle was built in the 12th century and it overlooks the town. The Ljubljana River runs through the town and many bridges span that river in the city. There are lots of pretty buildings, monuments, and bridges in the town. It is a lovely city.
Cruise of the Ljubljanica River: We boarded a private boat and the way we went for a different view of Ljubljana. We cruised the suburbs then back into town and cruised under some of the bridges we’d been walking over.
Postojnska Cave, Slovenia: It is the 2nd largest karst cave system in the world that is open to visitors. First, the 140 years old cave rail takes you over 2 miles through the underground landscape, and from there you walk seeing more and more of the fabulous underground attractions. Eventually we arrived back to the train to exit the cave. It is the biggest & best cave I’ve ever been in.
Lake Bled, Slovenia: We drove to Lake Bled. It features a 17th century church perched on a little island in the middle of the lake and an 800 year old castle clinging to a rocky cliff, against a backdrop of the Julian Alps. This is the place with the story I’ve told many times. In 2010 Jim & I were at Lake Bled in the snow. We decided to hike up to the castle, I asked a guy that hardly spoke English the directions where the trail was. He “not today” and it didn’t dawn on us what he meant until we were too far up the hill and realized it was a bit dangerous. It seemed less dangerous to continue going up than trying to go down. We made it! As I looked down from the castle I could see a bit of the trail (photo #2). I often think of “not today” and it always causes me to laugh.
Lake Bled, Slovenia: The Church of the Mother of God on the Lake, stands on little Bled Island in the middle of Lake Bled. The church was built in its current form near the end of the 17th century. There is a stairway from 1655 with 99 steps leading up from the water edge. To get to island you pay to go on a Pletna Boat which is the Slovenian version of a Venetian gondola boat, with guy standing at the back paddling.
Sure was fun! Thank you Marina and Overseas Adventure Travel for another awesome adventure.
“Life is what you make it.”
Keep on traveling!
![DSC05969_thumb[4]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc05969_thumb4.jpg "DSC05969_thumb[4]")
![DSC05982_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc05982_thumb3.jpg "DSC05982_thumb[3]")
![DSC05987_thumb[4]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc05987_thumb4.jpg "DSC05987_thumb[4]")
![DSC06007_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06007_thumb3.jpg "DSC06007_thumb[3]")
![DSC06008_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06008_thumb2.jpg "DSC06008_thumb[2]")
![DSC06010_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06010_thumb3.jpg "DSC06010_thumb[3]")
![DSC06011_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06011_thumb2.jpg "DSC06011_thumb[2]")
![DSC06015_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06015_thumb3.jpg "DSC06015_thumb[3]")
![DSC06016_thumb[4]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06016_thumb4.jpg "DSC06016_thumb[4]")
![DSC06017_thumb[4]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06017_thumb4.jpg "DSC06017_thumb[4]")
![DSC06019_thumb[4]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06019_thumb4.jpg "DSC06019_thumb[4]")
![DSC06023_thumb[4]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06023_thumb4.jpg "DSC06023_thumb[4]")
![DSC06021_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06021_thumb2.jpg "DSC06021_thumb[2]")
![DSC06037_thumb[4]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06037_thumb4.jpg "DSC06037_thumb[4]")
![DSC06049_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06049_thumb3.jpg "DSC06049_thumb[3]")
![DSC06050_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06050_thumb2.jpg "DSC06050_thumb[2]")
![DSC06054_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06054_thumb2.jpg "DSC06054_thumb[2]")
![DSC06085_thumb[4]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06085_thumb4.jpg "DSC06085_thumb[4]")
![DSC06088_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06088_thumb3.jpg "DSC06088_thumb[3]")
![DSC06087_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06087_thumb3.jpg "DSC06087_thumb[3]")
![DSC06068_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06068_thumb3.jpg "DSC06068_thumb[3]")
![DSC06071_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06071_thumb2.jpg "DSC06071_thumb[2]")
![DSC06076_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06076_thumb3.jpg "DSC06076_thumb[3]")
![DSC06078_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06078_thumb2.jpg "DSC06078_thumb[2]")
![DSC06079_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06079_thumb3.jpg "DSC06079_thumb[3]")
![DSC06081_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06081_thumb3.jpg "DSC06081_thumb[3]")
![DSC06162_thumb[4]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06162_thumb4.jpg "DSC06162_thumb[4]")
![DSC06173_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06173_thumb3.jpg "DSC06173_thumb[3]")
![DSC06168_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06168_thumb3.jpg "DSC06168_thumb[3]")
![DSC06179_thumb[4]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06179_thumb4.jpg "DSC06179_thumb[4]")
![DSC06249_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06249_thumb3.jpg "DSC06249_thumb[3]")
![DSC06181_thumb[4]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06181_thumb4.jpg "DSC06181_thumb[4]")
![DSC06182_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06182_thumb2.jpg "DSC06182_thumb[2]")
![DSC06183_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06183_thumb3.jpg "DSC06183_thumb[3]")
![DSC06189_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06189_thumb3.jpg "DSC06189_thumb[3]")
![DSC06188_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06188_thumb3.jpg "DSC06188_thumb[3]")
![Fullscreen capture 10262022 20509 PM.bmp_thumb[4]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/fullscreen-capture-10262022-20509-pm.bmp_thumb4.jpg "Fullscreen capture 10262022 20509 PM.bmp_thumb[4]")
![DSC06096_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06096_thumb3.jpg "DSC06096_thumb[3]")
![DSC06097_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06097_thumb2.jpg "DSC06097_thumb[2]")
![DSC06098_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06098_thumb3.jpg "DSC06098_thumb[3]")
![DSC06102_thumb[9]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06102_thumb9.jpg "DSC06102_thumb[9]")
![DSC06101_thumb[20]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06101_thumb20.jpg "DSC06101_thumb[20]")
![DSC06191_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06191_thumb2.jpg "DSC06191_thumb[2]")
![DSC06204_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06204_thumb3.jpg "DSC06204_thumb[3]")
![DSC06198_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06198_thumb3.jpg "DSC06198_thumb[3]")
![DSC06203_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06203_thumb3.jpg "DSC06203_thumb[3]")
![DSC06211_thumb[5]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06211_thumb5.jpg "DSC06211_thumb[5]")
![DSC06213_thumb[4]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06213_thumb4.jpg "DSC06213_thumb[4]")
![DSC06217_thumb[4]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06217_thumb4.jpg "DSC06217_thumb[4]")
![DSC06218_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06218_thumb2.jpg "DSC06218_thumb[2]")
![DSC06221_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06221_thumb3.jpg "DSC06221_thumb[3]")
![DSC06222_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06222_thumb2.jpg "DSC06222_thumb[2]")
![DSC06233_thumb[4]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06233_thumb4.jpg "DSC06233_thumb[4]")
![DSC06235_thumb[4]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06235_thumb4.jpg "DSC06235_thumb[4]")
![DSC06236_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06236_thumb2.jpg "DSC06236_thumb[2]")
![DSC06237_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06237_thumb3.jpg "DSC06237_thumb[3]")
![DSC06240_thumb[4]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06240_thumb4.jpg "DSC06240_thumb[4]")
![DSC06210_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06210_thumb3.jpg "DSC06210_thumb[3]")
![DSC06243_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06243_thumb3.jpg "DSC06243_thumb[3]")
![DSC06167_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06167_thumb3.jpg "DSC06167_thumb[3]")
![DSC06129_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06129_thumb3.jpg "DSC06129_thumb[3]")
![DSC06124_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06124_thumb2.jpg "DSC06124_thumb[2]")
![DSC06127_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06127_thumb3.jpg "DSC06127_thumb[3]")
![DSC06134_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06134_thumb2.jpg "DSC06134_thumb[2]")
![DSC06142_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06142_thumb2.jpg "DSC06142_thumb[2]")
![DSC06148_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06148_thumb2.jpg "DSC06148_thumb[2]")
![Fullscreen capture 10262022 124809 PM.bmp_thumb[10]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/fullscreen-capture-10262022-124809-pm.bmp_thumb10.jpg "Fullscreen capture 10262022 124809 PM.bmp_thumb[10]")
![DSC06269_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06269_thumb3.jpg "DSC06269_thumb[3]")
![DSC06289_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06289_thumb3.jpg "DSC06289_thumb[3]")
![DSC06290_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06290_thumb3.jpg "DSC06290_thumb[3]")
![DSC06278_thumb[6]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06278_thumb6.jpg "DSC06278_thumb[6]")
![DSC06271_thumb[5]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06271_thumb5.jpg "DSC06271_thumb[5]")
![DSC06275_thumb[5]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06275_thumb5.jpg "DSC06275_thumb[5]")
![DSC06276_thumb[6]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06276_thumb6.jpg "DSC06276_thumb[6]")
![DSC06400_thumb[6]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06400_thumb6.jpg "DSC06400_thumb[6]")
![DSC06364_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06364_thumb3.jpg "DSC06364_thumb[3]")
![DSC06341_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06341_thumb3.jpg "DSC06341_thumb[3]")
![DSC06342_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06342_thumb3.jpg "DSC06342_thumb[3]")
![IMG_0137_thumb[5]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_0137_thumb5.jpg "IMG_0137_thumb[5]")
![IMG_0127_thumb[5]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_0127_thumb5.jpg "IMG_0127_thumb[5]")
![IMG_0135_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_0135_thumb3.jpg "IMG_0135_thumb[3]")
![DSC06397_thumb[7]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06397_thumb7.jpg "DSC06397_thumb[7]")
![DSC06353_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06353_thumb3.jpg "DSC06353_thumb[3]")
![DSC06359_thumb[4]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06359_thumb4.jpg "DSC06359_thumb[4]")
![DSC06351_thumb[4]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06351_thumb4.jpg "DSC06351_thumb[4]")
![DSC06296_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06296_thumb3.jpg "DSC06296_thumb[3]")
![DSC06369_thumb[4]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06369_thumb4.jpg "DSC06369_thumb[4]")
![DSC06352_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06352_thumb3.jpg "DSC06352_thumb[3]")
![DSC06476_thumb[5]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06476_thumb5.jpg "DSC06476_thumb[5]")
![DSC06481_thumb[5]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06481_thumb5.jpg "DSC06481_thumb[5]")
![DSC06331_thumb[5]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06331_thumb5.jpg "DSC06331_thumb[5]")
![DSC06315_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06315_thumb3.jpg "DSC06315_thumb[3]")
![DSC06319_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06319_thumb2.jpg "DSC06319_thumb[2]")
![DSC06324_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06324_thumb3.jpg "DSC06324_thumb[3]")
![DSC06332_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06332_thumb2.jpg "DSC06332_thumb[2]")
![DSC06333_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06333_thumb2.jpg "DSC06333_thumb[2]")
![DSC06338_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06338_thumb2.jpg "DSC06338_thumb[2]")
![DSC06405_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06405_thumb3.jpg "DSC06405_thumb[3]")
![DSC06406_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06406_thumb3.jpg "DSC06406_thumb[3]")
![DSC06415_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06415_thumb3.jpg "DSC06415_thumb[3]")
![DSC06416_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06416_thumb3.jpg "DSC06416_thumb[3]")
![DSC06426_thumb[4]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06426_thumb4.jpg "DSC06426_thumb[4]")
![DSC06432_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06432_thumb3.jpg "DSC06432_thumb[3]")
![DSC06450_thumb[10]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06450_thumb10.jpg "DSC06450_thumb[10]")
![DSC06458_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06458_thumb2.jpg "DSC06458_thumb[2]")
![DSC06380_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06380_thumb3.jpg "DSC06380_thumb[3]")
![DSC06390_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06390_thumb3.jpg "DSC06390_thumb[3]")
![DSC06391_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06391_thumb3.jpg "DSC06391_thumb[3]")
![DSC06396_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06396_thumb2.jpg "DSC06396_thumb[2]")
![Fullscreen capture 10262022 124809 PM.bmp_thumb[14]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/fullscreen-capture-10262022-124809-pm.bmp_thumb14.jpg "Fullscreen capture 10262022 124809 PM.bmp_thumb[14]")
![DSC06482_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06482_thumb2.jpg "DSC06482_thumb[2]")
![DSC06491_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06491_thumb2.jpg "DSC06491_thumb[2]")
![DSC06495_thumb[4]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06495_thumb4.jpg "DSC06495_thumb[4]")
![DSC06492_thumb[4]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06492_thumb4.jpg "DSC06492_thumb[4]")
![DSC06493_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06493_thumb3.jpg "DSC06493_thumb[3]")
![DSC06494_thumb[5]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06494_thumb5.jpg "DSC06494_thumb[5]")
![DSC06496_thumb[4]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06496_thumb4.jpg "DSC06496_thumb[4]")
![DSC06500_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06500_thumb2.jpg "DSC06500_thumb[2]")
![DSC06504_thumb[4]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06504_thumb4.jpg "DSC06504_thumb[4]")
![DSC06505_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06505_thumb2.jpg "DSC06505_thumb[2]")
![DSC06512_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06512_thumb3.jpg "DSC06512_thumb[3]")
![DSC06513_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06513_thumb3.jpg "DSC06513_thumb[3]")
![DSC06518_thumb[4]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06518_thumb4.jpg "DSC06518_thumb[4]")
![DSC06519_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06519_thumb3.jpg "DSC06519_thumb[3]")
![DSC06573_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06573_thumb3.jpg "DSC06573_thumb[3]")
![DSC06580_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06580_thumb2.jpg "DSC06580_thumb[2]")
![DSC06609_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06609_thumb3.jpg "DSC06609_thumb[3]")
![DSC06621_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06621_thumb2.jpg "DSC06621_thumb[2]")
![DSC06598_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06598_thumb2.jpg "DSC06598_thumb[2]")
![DSC06597_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06597_thumb3.jpg "DSC06597_thumb[3]")
![DSC06595_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06595_thumb3.jpg "DSC06595_thumb[3]")
![DSC06599_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06599_thumb2.jpg "DSC06599_thumb[2]")
![DSC06509_thumb[7]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06509_thumb7.jpg "DSC06509_thumb[7]")
![DSC06651_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06651_thumb3.jpg "DSC06651_thumb[3]")
![DSC06539_thumb[5]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06539_thumb5.jpg "DSC06539_thumb[5]")
![DSC06540_thumb[5]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06540_thumb5.jpg "DSC06540_thumb[5]")
![DSC06543_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06543_thumb3.jpg "DSC06543_thumb[3]")
![DSC06551_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06551_thumb3.jpg "DSC06551_thumb[3]")
![DSC06553_thumb[7]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06553_thumb7.jpg "DSC06553_thumb[7]")
![DSC06559_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06559_thumb3.jpg "DSC06559_thumb[3]")
![DSC06560_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06560_thumb3.jpg "DSC06560_thumb[3]")
![DSC06569_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06569_thumb2.jpg "DSC06569_thumb[2]")
![DSC06572_thumb[4]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06572_thumb4.jpg "DSC06572_thumb[4]")
![DSC06574_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06574_thumb3.jpg "DSC06574_thumb[3]")
![DSC06602_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06602_thumb3.jpg "DSC06602_thumb[3]")
![DSC06603_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06603_thumb2.jpg "DSC06603_thumb[2]")
![DSC06613_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06613_thumb2.jpg "DSC06613_thumb[2]")
![DSC06623_thumb[2]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06623_thumb2.jpg "DSC06623_thumb[2]")
![DSC06627_thumb[4]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06627_thumb4.jpg "DSC06627_thumb[4]")
![DSC06628_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06628_thumb3.jpg "DSC06628_thumb[3]")
![DSC06633_thumb[4]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06633_thumb4.jpg "DSC06633_thumb[4]")
![DSC06634_thumb[3]](https://thefarmersmeanderings.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/dsc06634_thumb3.jpg "DSC06634_thumb[3]")
The Farmers Meanderings 