G is for Germany and Giardia

I turned in the sun of the Mediterranean for verdant valleys, amazing hospitality and cool, cloudy days. Germany is picturesque and Linda, my host, could not be kinder. After nearly 3 days of stomach ailment (food poisoning, giardia, bad water….who knows?) I finally made it out of the house to explore the town. Besigheim is a charming village hugged by rivers and surrounded by vineyards. There are numerous trails for running and seemingly endless paths to wander about, get lost, and happen across locals gardening and working the vines. Over the weekend there was a festival complete with copious amounts of beer, brats, and wine...


One of the things I was anxious to do while in Germany was visit a spa. Unlike spas in the US, spas here are a multi-hour ordeal complete with soaking tubs of all temperatures, dry saunas, wet saunas, indoor areas, outdoor areas, waterfalls, snack bars, beer, salt scrubs, coffee scrubs, you name it, they got it… So, yesterday I drove to Baden Baden to spend the day at Caracalla Therme. Nearly 5 hours after I walked through the doors I emerged completely blissed out and fully exfoliated. The most interesting part of the experience was the brown sugar scrub. The scrub itself was not so different from what you might find in the States, but what transpired immediately after was new to me. Just when I thought it was over, a large bladder I hadn’t even noticed in the treatment bed began to fill with warm water and surround me. A bit claustrophobic at first I needed reassurance from the attendant that I wouldn’t be suffocated. “Just water” she said, “15 minutes”, then she turned out the lights and left. The treatment bed continued to fill with water until I was floating on what felt like a pan of jello or a water bed I'd rather forget from the 80's. Then it began to bubble and vibrate…then lights came on underneath and turned the room red, then blue, then green…I looked around to see if there was a hidden camera somewhere terrified of ending up on You Tube. Once I was able to relax I have to admit, it felt great. All in all, a terrific and very relaxing day.  Here's to new experiences, a sunny day in Germany, and Cipro!

Santorini Sunsets

We strategically stayed on the north end of Santorini as it's known for it's beautiful sunsets.  While we ended up missing a couple of them, the ones we caught did not disappoint...

Opa! Santorini!

Built into a steep cliff side with views of the caldera, Volcano of Palia, and Island of Thirassia, Sanorini is absolutely magical. White washed, blue domed Greek Orthodox churches connected by cobblestone streets and hundreds of stairs dominate the architectural landscape.  There are more than 250 such churches on the island, 1 for about every 40 residents.

We stayed on the northern most tip of the island in the village of Oia. Oia is the source for many calendar and postcard photos of the Greek Islands and was nothing shy of spectacular. Home base for us this week was a cave house built around 1400 and renovated with plumbing and electricity in 1990. The stunning view from our balcony begged for us to sit each afternoon, enjoy a glass of wine, and watch the boats sail by. This leg of the trip was much more laid back than Turkey – we hit a couple beaches, drove around the island, listened to some live music but for the most part simply relaxed and enjoyed the perfect, humidity free, sunny and 85 degree weather.

Ephesus

One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World this sacred city lay in ruins until the early 20th century. It is now one of the most extensive archaeological sites in the world. We arrived mid morning hoping to avoid some of the crowds and heat but while the crowds weren’t bad the site quickly heated up. It seems walking around on marble streets in an ancient city made of stone is a lot like being in a clay oven. Despite baking, we spent four hours exploring and marveling at the Roman engineering used to construct a gymnasium, stadium, theatre, library, bath houses, temples and living quarters. The main street, which would have been lined with shops back in the day, even had street lighting as early as 400BC. Perhaps so Mark Antony was sure to see Cleopatra when she arrived? All in all a fascinating day that ended with sun kissed shoulders and a good bottle of wine over dinner back in Selcuk.

The Aegean Coast - Selcuk

We arrived in Izmir after a short bumpy flight from Istanbul and picked up a car for the drive to Selcuk, our home base for touring the ruins at Ephesus.  Being the driver, I was relieved that there is far less traffic here than in Istanbul.  That said, you still need to stay alert for the inevitable motor scooter passing on the shoulder or the huge tour buses that simply drive down the middle of the road and push you off to the side.  There are also tractors, carts, cows, and other obstacles but these are easier to avoid as they are slower moving.  Normally I don't get the extra insurance coverage when traveling; here we signed up for it promptly.

The people in Selcuk are simply fantastic.  Warm and helpful, it was surprising to us that they speak better English than nearly everyone we met in Istanbul.  On Saturday there was a large market in town that we were told is a good representation of true Turkish life.  I spent several hours there tasting nuts and dried fruit, spices and teas, all of which are offered up quickly by the vendors as samples.  Of course my favorite section was the food area but there were also textiles, clothing, household goods, car parts, etc... It rained much of the day so I often had to keep my camera bagged but I managed to get a few photos.

These lovely ladies were selling their wares and quick to converse with me.  The woman in the white head scarf was selling table cloths and other crocheted items, all of which she had made herself.  The woman in green was selling delicious red cherries.   

We met an interesting man in the market in Sirince who gave us a quick education on Turkish Silk.  The photo on the left is a box of silk worms in mulberry leaves, their preferred food.  (You can see one the worms in the upper right hand corner).  The worms encapsulate themselves in a silk cocoon which needs to be boiled in order to process the silk into fabric.  There is a Turkish story about the worms; it's believed that since the worms do not take a mate they wrap themselves in the cocoon to keep from being lonely - kind of like a hug.  Makes it even more tragic that they meet their demise in a boiling pot of water...

These photos are from a neighboring village called Sirince famous for it's grape and fruit wine.  We did some tasting of course; the tasting rooms were very colorful and wine pours are done in shot glasses. 

Shopping Istanbul Style

We headed out this morning on a mission to find good pashmina scarves and spices.  We were successful; perhaps even too much so.  Shan and Teri had no free hands by mid afternoon so we headed back to the apartment to pack up their bounty.  We catch a flight to Izmir in the morning then rent a car to drive to Ephesus.  We're looking forward to a few days at a more relaxed pace...

We started our shopping trip near the Blue Mosque

Stay in any shop longer than a couple minutes and you'll be treated to a glass of tasty tea. We liked the apple tea best; it's somewhat reminiscient of cider.

Who knew henna started green and turned brown when mixed with water. I thought this was matcha when I first saw it...

Magic Genie anyone?

We were invited behind the counter to take a closer look at several shops. This guy really wanted to sell me some custom mixed perfume...

Don't ask me how but Teri managed to find a massage conga...no purchase necessary!

Historical Turkey

Had a great time visiting some of the historical places yesterday; Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, Basilica Cistern, Hagia Sofia...there was a bit of a fuss over the Israeli attack on the Turkish aid ship which led to protests a few blocks from our apartment.  We were advised to stay in for the evening while things settled down so we picked up fresh produce from a nearby market and made a nice meal to pair with the wine that Teri brought from France.  Things seem to have blown over today so we'll head out again this evening to meet a Starbucks contact for dinner.  Below are a couple photos from the day...

Basilica Cistern - the largest of several hundred ancient cisterns that lie beneath the city of Istanbul. 

At the Blue Mosque.  Until the 1950's women were unable to worship in the mosques.  Today they are allowed but must stay behind screened in areas on the periphery. 

Backgammon and Hookah

Had a great second day in Istanbul.  Teri arrived safely this afternoon so the three of us quickly set out for some dining and people watching.  After having dinner in a repurposed museum we stopped for dessert and a night cap in Taksim.  The alley was lined with locals playing backgammon and smoking hookah.  Since Orthodox Muslims don't drink alcohol, hookah bars serve a similar purpose as Western pubs and bars in that they provide a place to congregate, socialize, and relax with friends.  The flavored tobacco has a more pleasant scent than cigarette smoke and was reminiscent of my grandfather's pipe.  I couldn't help wondering if he would have enjoyed sharing his apple tobacco and passing the pipe around to all his neighbors...  

Turkey Day 1 - Escaping the Airport

We arrived in Istanbul nearly 24 hours after waking up Thursday morning. The journey from Ataturk Airport baggage claim to the apartment (10 miles from the airport) felt as though it took nearly as long. I had forgotten how "exciting" it can be to travel in developing countries. The series of events went something like this: driver doesn't show, airport concierge calls hotel, guy at rental car counter is alerted, argument ensues...we're asked to wait 10 minutes, 20 minutes later no one comes, we ask again, mix and repeat twice...finally someone comes to get us and we make it to the garage. Driver inserts key in ignition, car doesn't start, repeat three times... Angela says "car is not good", driver begins to argue with other men at rental car desk, bags are moved to new car...1/2 way out of the garage we notice the gas gauge is below empty. Angela asks about "petrol?" which nearly sends the driver into a seizure. Car is turned around, back to the rental car desk, another argument ensues between the men. Finally we get to the garage exit and the gate is stuck...and on and on and on...finally, a couple hours later we make it to our apartment and promptly crash.

We woke this morning at 5am for a jog along the Bosphorus. With each mile hints of Turkish culture revealed themselves. We quickly noticed that the courtesy smile and "good morning" that's customary when passing people on the streets is the US is typically met with stern glances or blank stares here. Later it occurred to us that of the hundreds of people we'd passed in well over an hour, almost none of them were women. I romanticized that this is because Turkish men so revere their women they insist they sleep in on Saturday morning. It's very apparent to us how much freedom women have in the States and a bit unsettling to be reminded that not every culture approaches equality the same.

Toward the end of our run cafes and roadside stands were beginning to open. The stench in the streets was replaced by the smell of butter, bread, and honey. We're looking forward to a day of exploration and of course eating! The photo below is of a neighbor we met on the street early this morning...

Capital Reef Utah, April 24-25

It's the end of the Canyon Lands trip and Capital Reef has been as surprising and wonderful as the rest.  Finally got some sun today and went out camera in hand, thinking in black and white.  I think John Muir summed it up nicely when he said:  "Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity; and that mountain parks are useful not only as fountains of timber and irrigating rivers, but as fountains of life".

Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park, April 20 - 23

Spent the past few days chasing sun breaks and dodging hail and thunderstorms.  There wasn't a lot of good light to be found for photos but Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park are truly spectacular.  The landscape of southern Utah in general is far more beautiful than I imagined.  The contrasting colors of red rock, white snow, blue sky, and black clouds made a perfect western scene which I quickly paired with the local country western station in the car to get the full effect.  As though on stage, supporting cast members revealed themselves one by one to complete the story:  a field of bison, a man on a horse with a cowboy hat and spurs on his boots, a junk yard containing only vintage trucks, signs selling ostrich eggs and elk steak...this part of the country definitely warrants further exploration at a future time...

Arizona Sonora Desert Museum

My last day in Phoenix I took a day trip to the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson.  The museum is a zoo, natural history museum, and botanical garden all in one.  April welcomes blooming cacti and hatching hummingbirds at the museum and was a terrific time to visit.  Bright displays of cactus blooms lit the desert floor.  In the hummingbird aviary, Costas and Annas got up close and personal while defending their territories.  Tiny hatchlings the size of a pinky finger peered out from miniature nests tucked carefully into Palo Verde branches.  I never imagined the desert so full of life as I experienced on this visit.  See slideshow below for pics...

Arizona Sonoran Desert Slideshow

Phoenix April 17 - 20, 2010

Sabbatical travel began with a trip to Phoenix to visit friends from college.  Trent and Ann have four beautiful, intelligent, and often hilarious children ages 2-10.  The visit was all kinds of crazy wonderful and I was invited back even after creating a new sport called "grass diving" while watching the two youngest boys.  In case you've not heard of this sport, grass diving is what happens when you run down a grassy hill at lightning speed, lose control of your footing, and dive face-first into the ground.  It often leads to raspberries on your nose, bloody lips, and grass between your teeth.  Hayden (age 4) became a champion grass diver while in my care.  Luckily his parents brushed off the incident as quickly as he did and the childless friend was forgiven.  I left feeling as though I'd spent good quality time with dear friends and gotten a nice snapshot of each child's unique personality.  My favorite comment of the visit came from Hayden who stated one afternoon, "You're pretty good looking for someone old like a dinosaur with big veins".  This flattery was quickly followed with an inquiry about the "crack in my eye".  That my young friend, is called a wrinkle. 

Costa Rica, Manuel Antonio National Park

What a great day in the park! We toured Manuel Antonio yesterday for three hours with a naturalist who had an amazing knack for spotting animals. Like an encyclopedia, he rattled off statistics about each thing we saw - howler monkeys, white faced monkeys, three-toed and two-toed sloths, killer bees, vipers, toucans, tarantulas and more. I highly recommend using a guide if you visit this park; we wouldn't have seen a thing if left to our own devices (and eyesight).