So...How was your trip home?

My original plan was to end the posts about this journey with the previous one, but so many of our tourmates ask, "How was your trip home?" So, I decided to add one more post.



To begin with, the part of the trip planned by Ferrell went great. The part planned and executed by Olen and Jane…not so good.



When you travel so far to so many exciting places, you expect a long, tiring trip home. However, we managed to turn thirteen hours of actual flight time into one 32-hour marathon "day" from the time we left our hotel in Athens, Greece until we got to our house in Alabama! It wasn’t all our fault. It was a combination of Delta juggling schedules after we made our reservations, and just plain bad luck.



At the beginning of the tour we chose to drive two hours to Nashville for our domestic flight to JFK because of the excellent schedule available there. In the weeks after we booked the flights, Delta made several changes that made the schedule less than perfect. We stayed at a motel in Nashville the night before the trip because they offered free parking for our vehicle while we were gone. It sounded like a great deal.



So…when we arrived at JFK yesterday, Delta had changed the flight once again and our scheduled "quality time" in the airport there grew to more than seven hours. We finally arrived in Nashville about 10 PM local time. Then a series of events took place that could only be described as unreal. Our group (consisting of Frank, Virginia, Jack, Donna Jo, Billy, Carole, Margaret, Norm, and the two of us) called for the hotel shuttle van…arrived at the motel…loaded our luggage in the various cars and prepared for the two-hour drive home. It was about that time when we realized that the battery in our van was completely dead. We flagged down our friends before they left, and Billy and Jack drove to a local Advanced Auto and purchased jumper cables. (FYI: For you red-neck shade tree mechanics, Advanced Auto is open 24 hours…or at least that one was.)



We managed to start the van by jumping it from Jack’s vehicle. The engine started and we THOUGHT our problems were solved. As it happens, when we jumped the battery, our car "thought" it was being stolen, and the alarm went off. We could not get it stopped. Remember, now, we were in a motel parking lot where paying guests were trying to sleep nearby. While everyone in our group frantically tried to stop the obnoxious noise, Norm began to read the handbook in the glove compartment. He finally figured out that the noise would stop with the removal of a small fuse. That was a relief to all of us, and to the pajama-clad motel guests who were peering out the windows of their motel rooms.

Jack, Billy and Frank play mechanic.

Problem solved…or so we thought. Frank and Virginia drove off, along with a car with others in it. Norm, Margaret, Olen and I bid them a fond farewell and expressed appreciation for their help after such a tiring day. We got in the car and could not get the car (engine running) out of "park". Apparently this is another security feature. If the alarm has been disengaged, then the gears shut down. So there we sat.


At this point our only choice was to put the fuse back in (complete with alarm sounding) if we intended to drive home. We were a little way down the road when we figured out that the alarm sounds for about a minute and a half before shutting off automatically, so we eventually drove in relative silence. However, we could not open any of the car doors or the alarm would start again. This meant we could not have bathroom or any other type of stop until we arrived at home.


At one point on the interstate someone suggested that we push something on the key fob just to see if it would disengage the alarm system so we could at least stop for a bathroom. WRONG! So for a minute and a half we drove down Interstate 65 with the alarm horn blaring. (If you can’t appreciate this, try timing something obnoxious for a minute and a half. That is a VERY long time!)


We encountered a friendly policeman who was no help at all. When we were almost home we realized that once we stopped to let Norm off at his house (and then made another stop to let Margaret off at her house) that once we opened the car door, the alarm would start up again and wake all their neighbors. We considered several plans, which involved climbing out of the car windows, but realized the suitcases would not fit through the windows. (Also, we could not figure out how we would explain the injuries if someone got hurt climbing out of the car window and we had to take them to the hospital!) So, when we made each stop we aimed the car in the direction of the road before opening the car doors, and the passenger hopped out quickly, and as soon as possible we drove out of the neighborhood before anyone could call the police.


We did the same thing when we finally got to our house, but were able to stop the alarm sound a little faster by turning off the engine and removing the fuse. Still, all of our neighborhood, Norm’s neighborhood ,and Margaret’s neighborhood heard a special 2 AM fanfare when their neighbor arrived home from Greece.


We took the van in to the Honda dealer the first thing this morning.


So, how was YOUR trip home??

Too many photos...too good for you to miss!

Some people will do anything to get a great photo of the Acropolis in Athens!

Family portrait: Pam, Brad and Bonnie at Thyatira

Susan in Cenchrea.

Just a few more photos

Katherine and Buddy at formal night on the ship

Elizabeth is always fun! You'll have to ask her what the joke was here, but Carole, Glenda, Sharon and Kathy all know!

We all went to Florida College together years ago, so when we saw this old car, we just had to pose by it...Mike, Peggy, Virginia, Jane, Olen.

What a mistake! The tour guide asked Glenda to hold the group sign for a few minutes. When you give some people a little authority it goes to their head!

Yes, Lucy rode a donkey up to the top of the mountain at Santorini!

Day 14---Seeing Athens on our own

I must start out by reporting that last night’s evening on the rooftop with a view of the Acropolis and the Parthenon in lights was a fantastic experience, and well-worth the $10 Coke we bought and sipped on for about an hour while we visited with tourmates. What a memory.

However, we did not have the most exciting experience of the evening. With directions (and the loan of a tripod and a flashlight) from Jared, Glenda and Sharon had a bit more exciting evening. They left the hotel and hiked up paths to the top of a nearby hill for a nighttime photo of the view some of were enjoying from the safety and security of the hotel rooftop lounge. Those of you who know Glenda and Sharon will have to ask them for the details, but it involved several dogs that did not like their being in the area at night, and receiving help from a homeless man. By the time they told the story this morning, it was a laughable event, and the photos they took were wonderful.


Our last full day in Greece was warm (hot?) and sunny. We began the day with a wonderful worship service right after breakfast. We worshipped in song and prayer, and we listened to words read to us from God’s Word. Jared delivered a brief lesson. Following some announcements about our plans to leave early tomorrow morning, we took advantage of the rest of the day as a "free day" in Athens.

About half of our group went first to see the changing of the guards at the Parliament Building. Most of us took the subway, which was an interesting experience, and a little difficult to navigate since none of us knew any Greek. However, the Athens subway system is new, clean, and has historical artifacts on display in the stations. Once we arrived at the Parliament Building, the changing of the guards was an interesting ceremony, complete with a marching band. However, the outfits the soldiers wore were a little unusual. As Glenda put it, "No wonder no one accepts Greece as a major military power when their soldiers wear mini-skirts and pom-poms on their shoes." It might be something for those in positions of authority in the Greek government to think about.

From area of the changing of the guards, the group went in many different directions. Olen and I, along with Lucy, Sharon and Glenda, decided to take the subway once more and head across town to Lycabettus Hill. As it turned out, the nine blocks from the closest subway station to the viewing platform on top of the hill was a series of steps for all nine blocks! When we finally arrived at the funicular for the "ride" to the top, we had already climbed a large portion of the way. The view from the top was a view of the city of Athens in all directions, including a view looking down on the Acropolis and the Parthenon in the distance. It was a bit hazy, but still beautiful.

Sharon and Olen shoot the perfect photo from Lycabettus Hill. That is the Acropolis between them in the background.

From Lycabettus Hill we hiked back down to the subway station and took another subway back to the Plaka area. Once in Plaka, the five of us had lunch at one of the lovely sidewalk cafes before going our separate directions for a little more time for sightseeing and shopping on our own. On the way back to the hotel I was reminded of one of Billy’s memorable comments, "You know, even the graffiti in Greece looks high-class, since the words include all those Greek letters." You can always count of Billy to say something astute.

The final dinner together tonight was a combination of eating, laughing about events of the trip, good-byes to those who won’t be leaving on the same plane as the group, and thanking Ferrell for planning such a wonderful trip.

During dinner, Olen was the recipient of a plastic bag full of wooden sticks from Magnum Ice Cream Bars. He accepted the gift in a gracious manner, announcing that he planned to plant them (as you would seeds) and hopefully he would eventually harvest a bumper crop of Magnum Bars…the first in the United States. Since ice cream bars are definitely a cold-weather crop, we assume they will harvest in the winter. We will keep you updated on how that project goes!

The plan for leaving involves some early hours. Our bus to the airport leaves at 3:00 AM. It will be a short night, followed by a VERY long day.

All good things must come to an end. We made plans for this trip so many, many months ago. At the time the actual trip seemed so very far off. It took so long for the departure date to arrive, but in what seems like a blink of an eye all the exciting sights and events are behind us, and the trip home looms ahead. But, what a wonderful trip it has been! We have enjoyed the things we have seen, the many things we have learned, and the special people we have shared these exciting experiences with. We would not trade the events of these few days for anything. The memories will last a lifetime. We are all returning home better Bible students and better equipped to teach Bible classes. Thank you again, Ferrell.

What a wonderful world we live in! What a treat to get to travel to see a portion of it with Christian friends.

Day 13--From Athens to Corinth and back

Today we went to Corinth, but we drove along a wonderful new four-lane highway in a brand new bus…so our trip was not at all like the apostle Paul made! Our bus zipped past a view of the island of Salimas on the way, and there were other stops on our route before we arrived at Corinth.



The first stop was at the Corinth Canal. The Corinth Canal separates the small strip of land that divides the Aegean Sea from the Ionian Sea. During the time of Paul the Corinth Canal did not exist. In Paul’s time boats had to go all the way around, or be dragged overland! Now, since the four-mile wide canal has been completed across the isthmus, ships travel back and forth through the canal and cars drive over the highway that crosses it.



We made a brief stop at Cenchrea, which was the home of Phoebe, and also the port used by Paul in Acts 18. Cenchrea is about eight miles from Corinth.

At Cenchrea everyone listened carefully (?) to what Ferrell is saying!

We also stopped at the site of the ancient Istmian Games, second in importance to the Olympic Games, which also originated in Greece. (You might want to "google" Istmian Games…I was not familiar with them, myself.)

Our major stop of the day was in Corinth. Paul stayed quite a while in Corinth, and did much of his writing while there. At Corinth we saw the agora, the Temple of Apollo and the Bema, among other things. The agora was the marketplace, and ruins could be seen on either side of the ancient street. The Temple of Apollo has seven of its original 38 columns still standing, and is, of course, dedicated to the god Apollo. Each of the columns is about twenty-four feet tall and six feet in diameter, so we did not have to gather ladies to measure these! The Bema was the judgment place of the city, and was located in the center of the agora. It is likely that Paul stood before Galleo at this place. (Check out Acts 18:1-7 and several places in the Corinthian epistles.)

Temple of Apollo in Corinth

We made a stop at another pottery shop where they make museum-quality reproductions of the Corinthian-style pottery. Then one more stop…for ice cream, of course…before returning to our hotel in Athens. We had a couple of hours to spare, so Olen and I went to see Hadrian’s Gate and the ruins of the temple of Zeus.

There is always some tourist blocking your photo...expecially at the temple of Zeus in Athens.

We made the walk back to the hotel a little more interesting by walking through the Plaka area, a pedestrian shopping area with small, intimate cafes lining the street and up the hillsides.


Tonight most of our group plans to go to the rooftop area of the hotel to sip a Coke and watch the lights on the Acropolis area and the Parthenon before going to bed. How special! Every day is special…particularly the last thirteen days! What a wonderful trip!


I hope you are having a special day.

Day 12--Athens (Greece, not Alabama!)

This morning we docked at the port of Pireas, which is the port of Athens. Athens is the ancient and modern capital of Greece. We can read about the apostle Paul in Athens in Acts 17, but there is no biblical record that Paul established a church in Athens.

We met our new tour guide, Lula, and began to see the sights of the city. Our first stop was the Acropolis, the 512-ft. high rocky mountain in the center of the city with the Parthenon on the top. On the way up we met another tour group, and our friend, Judy, from Athens, Alabama was with them. I could not help but take a photo of Judy and Virginia…two Athens, Alabama ladies who ran into each other in Athens, Greece. Small world!

Virginia and Judy

We took many photos of the Parthenon. Benjie said these were valuable photos since for thousands of years the view had been unobstructed, and when we get there scaffolding is all around it. It is still impressive, though. From the Parthenon area we walked to Mars Hill, and climbed to the top of the rocky hill where Ferrell talked to us about the events described in Acts 17, and most of us learned more in his 15-minute discourse than we had in years of Bible classes. It was even more impressive in the setting where we were.

The Parthenon...Mars Hill (note size of people on top!)...the "brain trust" (Jared, David, Norm)

We went for a visit to the National Archaeological Museum, where we took a group photo of all the ABS alumni on this tour. (That is the Emperor Hadrian looking over their shoulders!) The group sends long-distance congratulations to the baseball team.

ABS Alumni: Steve, Harriet, Virginia, Ferrell, Billy, Peggy

After the museum visit, we were delivered to our hotel we had an afternoon free to do whatever we chose. Olen and I chose to go walking, and probably covered over five miles in the afternoon. We walked west of the acropolis for an "afternoon shot" since the light was better in the afternoon for photos. Then we continued north to the area of the agora (ancient marketplace) and continued eventually through small, winding streets and shops until we reached the city market where they sell meat and fresh fish. It is a primitive market by our standards. We watched them unload huge slabs of meat (half a cow, for instance) into an area with no refrigeration. (I hope it sells quickly!) We saw rabbit meat hanging up for sale, with the fur still on the paws. I guess they left that much fur on to prove to the buyer that the meat was actually rabbit and not some other unknown meat. (I ate peanut butter crackers for lunch, myself.)


Somewhere in our wanderings we passed an internet café, and I happened to have the information and photos from yesterday’s events on memory stick in my purse, so we went in and posted information on the blog. We got a bit confused about where we were and ended up in a beautiful part of town called Plaka. Plaka has lovely shops and picturesque outdoor cafes. By the time we wandered back to the hotel we had walked all the way around the base of the acropolis area, which is quite a journey. It was a lovely, but tiring afternoon. It is warm here today, but the sun is perfect for photos. We have taken thousands…literally.


Here is hoping your day is picture-perfect, too.

Day 11--Crete and Santorini

This trip is passing much too quickly! I just want the days to slow down so I can take it all in and stretch out the time that is left. However, time marches on…but I plan to enjoy every minute of it!


This morning we were docked at Heraklion on the island of Crete. In Titus 1:5 we learn that at one point Paul left Titus on this island. In Acts 27 the ship Paul was on when in route to Rome docked at Fair Havens on Crete, which is on the opposite side of the island from Heraklion. Today Fair Havens is known as Kali Limenes, if you are looking at a modern map. Olen and I decided to go out on our own this morning, and had quite an adventure. Our first stop was at an internet café where I posted the two previous entrees to this blog.


As it happened, there was a car rental store right across from the internet café, and Olen got busy talking to the proprietor while I was posting items on the blog. When we finished at the internet café, he told me that he thought we could rent a car for the few hours we would be in port, and would be able to drive out in the countryside for some lovely morning views. That sounded good, didn’t it?


The proprietor spoke English (somewhat), but he was Greek to the core! Let me give you some examples:

“You can rent car. All you need is drivers’ license and passport.”
“They took up our passports when we boarded the ship. We don’t have our passports.”
“No passports, no problem. It’s ok. Sign here.”
“We have to be back on the ship at 11:00.”
“It’s ok. No problem. Come by here. Pick me up. I drive you to ship. No problem.”


Then the real adventure began. He showed us how to drive the car. (It was a yellow Fiat Panda, not a bully of a car, by any means!) The first mechanical item he showed us was the horn, which we have noted is a very important item if you plan to make any vehicular progress on Crete. It had been a while since Olen had driven a stick shift, and I have never done it, but Olen remembered fairly quickly, and we were off. We wanted to see as much of the Cretan countryside as we could…and still be back on the ship at 11:00. (Cruise ships wait on no one!)
First of all, let me point out that it would have been helpful if we had known a little Greek so we could read the road signs. Quite often we were curious about what the signs said or meant. Like I said, it was an adventure. Our first adventure was a wrong turn that involved us in a maze of extremely narrow one-way streets. When we finally ended up exactly where we started, we again set out, this time heading out of town. The next thing we learned was that it is not wise to try to bluff local taxi drivers, so we gave them the right-of-way. We also learned that double-parking is the norm, so if you are headed down a street you might suddenly be blocked by the car ahead of you just coming to a dead stop in the road while the driver gets out and runs into a shop.


Having said all that, once we got out in the rural area, the scenery was spectacular. We drove about 12-15miles (It is all in kilometers here, so who knows for sure?) to the picturesque town of Archanes. This is in a mountainous area where there are grapes and olives grown on alternating parcels of land, making the entire hillside look like a quilt of various shades of green. It was absolutely stunning.


We took another wrong turn on the way back and ended up at the car rental shop with only twenty minutes to get back to the ship.


“No problem. I drive you.”
“Our ship is out on that dock.”
“I know short cut. No problem.”
“This is not right. Our ship is on the other side.”
“Oh, I see. I get you there. No problem.”


So, we arrived at the ship at approximately 10:59. We had almost a whole minute to spare. Like he said, “no problem”.


We sailed away from Crete, ate lunch, and headed for Santorini, which is a distance of about 70 miles from Crete. Santorini has no Biblical significance, but it very beautiful and interesting. In 1450 B.C. an enormous volcano erupted there, giving Santorini its crescent shape. (For real-time views of Santorini by web cam, go to http://www.santorini.net/caldera.html)


When we landed on the island there were three choices for getting to the town at the top of the mountain. We could walk…no way. We could ride the cable car, or we could ride a donkey. We elected to “donkey up” and “cable car down”, just for the experiences. Believe me, the donkey experience was interesting. I tried to take photos, but you can imagine how they turned out as I tried to take snapshots from a moving donkey with a mind of his own! The video I took was probably worse, but I have not viewed it yet. Lucy took the donkey along with us. Quite an experience for old friends!

Lucy

Spectacular is a word that does not do justice to Santorini. We stayed as long as possible on the island, and could have walked around taking gorgeous photos for a week or more. I am sending a few photos, but it was difficult to stop taking photos of such a beautiful place. If we ever have the opportunity again, this is one spot on the “must-return” list.

Steve and Vicki

This is our last night on the ship. We dock near Athens (Greece, for you Alabama people!) early tomorrow morning and get on another tour bus for the remainder of the trip.


We finally got word today that the baseball team at ABS won the state championship. Congratulations to the boys, and to their coach. Coach has waited many years for this to happen, and we are so glad he finally achieved this with his team. Congratulations from all of us on a ship somewhere in the Aegean Sea. We are thankful for a coach that leads a team to victory while setting such a great example of a Christian gentleman at the same time. Again, congratulations!

Day 10--Arrived safely on Rhodes

Wouldn't it have been wonderful if the apostle Paul could have sent that message "safely arrived on Rhodes", when he was on his travels back to Jerusalem? However, he didn't have access to the internet like we do, even though sometimes ours is a bit unpredictable.

I am sure by now you have realized that I was not able to get to an internet connection yesterday, but I post when I have the capability. You will have to scroll down to get yesterday's post.

During the night we sailed past what must have been a bevy of beautiful Greek islands, including Kos. When we woke up we were docking at Rhodes. Our tour left the ship at 7:30 AM. So much for rest-and-relax! The bus stopped at a pottery shop about 8:30…long before the normal “opening time”, but I am sure the cash tourist busses bring in trumps a later opening time. We met the master potter and watched him shape a beautiful vase in a matter of seconds. I am sure everyone in our group was thinking of the Biblical example of the potter and the clay, and we are glad that God is still working on shaping all of us since we are so far from perfection. We watched the artists carve designs in the newly-formed pieces, and paint them after they had been fired. The pieces were beautiful works of art, signed and dated by the potter. Some of the pieces featured a deer (the official symbol of Rhodes); some featured an olive branch (the official symbol of Greece).


We rode the bus about 35 miles to the town of Lindos, a picture-perfect town with white buildings all over the hillsides, which qualifies the area to be a National Historic Landmark. Once in Lindos we viewed the two harbors. One is referred to as “St. Paul’s Harbor” where some people think Paul’s ship landed on his third journey. (The city of Rhodes claims Paul actually landed in their harbor, and there are arguments to support both claims. From the Biblical record there is no way to determine which harbor was the one where Paul landed, so we photographed both of them! Unfortunately, it was a little cloudy when we were at Lindos, making the photographs not as colorful as we would have liked. We reminded ourselves that it could have been overcast the day Paul arrived, so our photographs might be more authentic than we think!


As our group walked to the top of the acropolis at Lindos for a view, there were local women selling lace and linens that Rhodes is famous for. Once we got to the bottom of the 410-ft. acropolis, the sun came out, but we did not have time to make the climb again to re-do our photos.

It was difficult, if not impossible, to stay awake on the ride back to the city of Rhodes after we had done the climbing and were tired. In the town of Rhodes we drove through the modern town and viewed the area where the Colossus of Rhodes once stood. (You may have to look that one up, or “google” it, if you don’t remember it from history.) Then we went to the fascinating area of “old town” area and did some walking before returning to the ship for lunch.


After lunch Olen and I got on a shuttle bus and went back into the harbor and old town area. We discovered an old clock tower, and for a few dollars you could climb to the top for spectacular views of the town of Rhodes and the harbor. It sounded tempting, so we bought tickets and went in. They did not tell us that the eighty-plus steps were wooden, and you could see down between each one, and they were the perfect width for someone with a size two foot! I was definitely out of my comfort zone, and the higher we climbed the more stressed I became. Finally at the top, the view was indeed spectacular, and worth the climb. By going very slowly and holding on to Olen’s shoulders very tightly I managed to make it safely to the ground level.

Before we knew it, the time had come to return to the ship. We ran into Boyd, Linda, Steve, Vicki, Sharon and Glenda, and all eight of us managed to get on one of the last shuttle buses going to the ship. The ship pulled out of the harbor at Rhodes while we did the best we could to clean up for our “formal” dinner.

Dinner was, indeed, an “event”. We were all so dressed up and cleaned up that we hardly recognized each other! We looked so different than we look in our “touring” clothes (jeans and sneakers) that Jared volunteered to take a portrait-type photo of each of us after the dinner. I am sure his pictures are much better than the ones I took sitting at the table. The dinner was special with baked Alaska as the final event of the evening.

Now it is time to rest for a few hours before we arrive at Crete early tomorrow morning.

We clean up pretty good for "formal" night!

Boyd and Linda

Dave and Marge

Frank and Virginia

Kathy and Judy

Day 9--Goodybye to Turkey; hello Greece!

We are currently on a cruise ship in the Aegean Sea! Unbelievable! Since that is where we are, I have no idea when I will be able to post this to the blog, but I am getting it prepared, anyway.

We got up at a leisurely pace this morning…not a commoon occurrence for this trip. Orhan went with us to the dock and got us headed for the ship, where we bid him a fond farewell. (We will have a new guide once we disembark on the mainland of Greece.) We are on a ship called the Aquamarine, which is in the Louis Cruise Line, if any of you want to google information about the ship. It has twelve decks, 525 cabins, and approximately 1,231 passengers, including our group of forty-four. This is definitely an exciting part of our trip.

The first thing we did after boarding the ship and checking out our cabin was to disembark and use the last hour before the ship sailed from Kusadasi for some last-minute shopping at the local bazaar, located near the harbor. We stumbled into a small shop, which was interesting because the elderly gentleman that owned the shop was a silversmith who made his own beautiful hand-made silver items…mostly jewelry. I thought it was interesting that we were attracted to the shop of a silversmith in the area of Ephesus where the silversmiths in Paul’s time made their living fashioning statues of the goddess Diana. Today the local silversmiths make their living fashioning jewelry for tourists! He was very interesting to talk to, and I ended up buying a camel charm and matching earrings. I plan to wear the earrings and pendant (on a chain) when I wear my camel bracelet I bought at the bazaar in Cairo in 2005. The photo shows my silversmith friend at work fashioning a silver bracelet.

The ship sailed on schedule, and as we sailed out of the harbor at Kusadisi we said “good-by” to Turkey and “hello” to the Greek islands. Leaving was somewhat bittersweet as we have seen so many remarkable sites in Turkey and met so many wonderful people that we have developed a special attachment to the country of Turkey. It is definitely a “undiscovered jewel” for tourism.

After lunch on board, we went up to the Sun Deck for a view of the island of Samos as we sailed through the strait. Because Paul left Miletus on a ship, we have to assume that he sailed through this same strait. We stood there on deck and viewed the island of Samos as we sailed by. It was surreal to think that the apostle Paul probably leaned on a ship’s rail and looked at this same view as he headed from Miletus toward the area of Palestine at the end of his third journey. The photo is of David and Norm on deck with Samos in the background.

Later this afternoon we arrived at the island of Patmos, best known as the island where John was when he wrote Revelation. We had to drop anchor in the harbor and be “tendered” to shore in smaller boats. Our tour took us to the “traditional” place…a cave…where John received the Revelation. (We know he was on this island, but the Bible gives no other details as to exact location.) We then went to visit a monastery that was located on the top of the mountain that dominates Patmos. From there we could view the island, and the small town at the harbor called Scala. The view was spectacular in the afternoon sunlight.

Dinner tonight on the ship was “Greek Night” and we all tried to wear blue and white clothing to dinner.

This evening we will be rocked to sleep by the gentle waves. I hope you will take time today to think of the struggles the apostles, especially Paul on his voyage through this area, and John in exile on Patmos. Enjoy your day. We certainly enjoyed ours!

More photos

Mike and Peggy on the library steps at Ephesus. Didn't they pose on the library steps when they were in college? Harriet and Steve in Ephesus. Don't you wonder what she has in the bag?

Mary Jane and Benjıe at the carpet store. Look at the emblem on that shirt. Free advertising for our cabin!

Day 8 --Sunshine, storks and silkworms

Another great day! Beautiful sunshine, a cooling breeze, and wonderful sights to see!

We started the day early by leaving the hotel in time to get to the site of ancient Ephesus before all the tourists that were scheduled to arrive from cruise ships in the harbor. Ancient Ephesus was about a twelve-mile drive from our hotel, and we did, indeed, beat most of the cruise ship people. One can read much about Ephesus in the Bible, including an entire book, but I was most interested in the events related to Paul’s second and third journeys. (Remember the burning of the books of the magicians, the riot in Ephesus, and Paul leaving there on his second journey and promising to return?) Also, with this stop at Ephesus we have completed our visits to the seven churches of Revelation.

In the ancient city we saw streets, the agora, water and sewage channels, and the Celsus Library. We had our group photo made in front of the library, and I am sure Ferrell will have it posted on his blog as soon as possible. We spent quite a bit of time at the great theater there. This is the theater that is mentioned in Acts 19 where the people cheered, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians”! Just standing there and thinking about the event made the entire incident really come to life. One photo was taken of the stage area from the area of the seats in the theater. The second photo is a view of the entire theater area from a distance.


Although the Temple of Diana at Ephesus was one of the wonders of the ancient world, there is only one column left standing today, and a local stork had made a nest on top of it, as if it were not a precious historical relic!

After experiencing Ephesus, we went to a local carpet shop where the lovely hand-woven Turkish carpets are made. We watched the weavers and saw a demonstration on how they get silk from the silkworms, which was very interesting. The manager of the shop also showed us some matter root, which produces the reddish-purple dye mentioned in the Bible. (Remember Lydia…seller of purple?)

The next stop was Miletus, today known as Milelt, if you are looking at a current map. As you remember, this was the coastal town where Paul met with the Ephesian elders. It was also the place where he left Trophimus when he (Trophimus) was ill. Although Miletus was a Greek harbor during New Testament times, today it is five miles inland due to the fact that the Meander River brought in silt and deposited it in the harbor area, thereby turning the coastal town into an inland area. The road we took to get to Miletus was a part of the Aegean Sea during Paul’s time, but now is used for farming, mostly rice.

Miletus has a theater, parts of which date from the fourth century B.C., so it was definitely there when Paul visited the area. More than likely he saw it. By climbing to the top of the theater we could see the harbor…or where it has been in the past…and we could imagine Paul disembarking in the area.

On the way back to Kusadasi we passed flocks of sheep, small towns and rich farmland at the base of the mountains. Occasionally we would have to slow down to keep from hitting a small donkey carrying a very large load.

Tomorrow we board our ship for the four-day, three-night Aegean cruise. (Doesn’t that sound like a dream??) As a result of the schedule to board the ship, we don’t have to get up until 7:00, so we’ll feel like we are “sleeping in”! Also, tomorrow we have to leave our excellent guide, Orhan. He told us today that he would remember our group for two things. (1) We take more pictures than any group he has ever had, and (2) We eat more ice cream than any group! I guess everyone has to be known for being outstanding at something…even if it is only for eating ice cream!

So, treat yourself to some ice cream sometime today and think about your friends who are stimulating the stock in Magnum ice cream bars in Turkey! Have a great day.

More Sunday photos

The group rests on the marble steps at the odeon ın Aphrodesıas.

Turkısh bathıng beautıes...Donna Jo...Carole...Lında...Jane...Glenda...Sharon

Our worshıp servıce was at the hotel thıs mornıng was ın a room set up for a conference. It worked nıcely.