ROME
Our first taste of Europe was Rome, Italy. We arrived around 9am after leaving Omaha at 10.45am and traveling for around 15 hours. We were completely exhausted and our hotel informed us that check-in was not until 2pm, but we could leave our suitcases at the front desk and take off if we didn't want to hang out in the lobby for 5 hours. So we did. The nice thing about Rome is that it is fairly easy to get around on your own. There were maps of the city in the lobby and since in Rome they build up and not out, there were a ton of sights to see within walking distance.
The thing I didn't realize about all the ruins that we were going to see is the thing that makes them the most amazing to me--their size. It was so amazing to see all of this in person that I realize pictures just don't do any of these places any justice. They really made me feel tiny and insignificant. And it made me realize how young our country really is. When you are staring at structures that were built over 2000 years ago and then think about our country being a couple hundred years old, it really brings things into perspective.
One funny thing that happened to us was on the last night there. It rained. Hard. We had to dash back to our hotel, which was only about a block and a half away, because we didn't want to get completely drenched. As we took off running up the street, some guy carrying a rack of umberellas started chasing us and yelling that we needed to buy one. He was quite the dedicated salesman. We declined his generous offer by shouting 'No thanks!' over our shoulder as we sprinted towards our hotel. He kept running at us shouting, 'No, you need an umberella!' No, he needs customer service training.
Pompeii
This was a city that I have wanted to see ever since I read a fiction story about a hungry little boy who is waiting on the beach for rescue while his faithful dog runs back to town to get him a biscuit. Let's just say there is no happy ending here.In case you aren't familiar with Pompeii, it was kinda the Beverly Hills of ancient Rome. Basically, a lot of rich folk and their slaves lived here back in the day. Enter Mt. Vesuvius, the local volcano. It erupted in 79 AD, killing all of the inhabitants and burying the town in ash for 1700 years. It was only
rediscovered when the locals were trying to lay water pipes and ran across the tops of buildings in the soil. What makes the ruins so significant is how well preserved the city is--since it was buried under ash, Pompeii was essentially sealed in a time capsule by mother nature, herself.What scientists believe happened when the volcano erupted, is that it sent a 900 degree heat wave across the land, which instantly charred the inhabitants of the city. That is why when they find the bodies, they are still posed in their final
positions. If they would have suffocated from the ash, as was previously thought, they would have passed out and fallen over--not sitting up as this person is doing.There is so much to see in Pompeii that going to see other ruins afterward is a little disappointing. I'm not even joking. We went to see the Acropolis in Athens the next day and Brendt and I were
like, 'Sooo, this is it?'
Athens
Don't get me wrong--Athens is a great place. But like I said, it was just a little disappointing after visiting Pompeii. I guess that is why they are working on rebuilding some of the ruins. There isn't a whole lot left.
The National Archaelogical museum by our hotel was awesome though. Some things I didn't know about the ancient Greeks: They had hand mirrors that look awfully similar to ones you might pick up at a store these days. They had buckets with swing handles. They had baby bottles, tops, yo-yos, and strollers to teach babies to walk.
Their surgical tools and eating utensils look like ours. Oh, and they had gadgets that modern day scientsts still can't figure out.
Since the Acropolis is on top of a high hill in Athens, which is actually what the name Acropolis means, they actually light up the ruins at night. The scene is breathtaking and you can see it from most anywhere. Our hotel actually had a dining area on the roof where Brendt and I spent every night so we could enjoy the amazing view. We wished we could've taken a picture, but we knew there was no way it would come out.
I can't justly describe the feeling of sitting on the candlelit roof of our hotel, enjoying a glass of wine, and looking out to see the lighted Parthenon on that lonely hilltop with the moon hanging overhead.
Also of note would be the number of stray dogs in Greece. They were everywhere. And they were fat. These dogs were so well-fed from all the tourists in the area that they would actually turn down food!
Don't get me wrong--Athens is a great place. But like I said, it was just a little disappointing after visiting Pompeii. I guess that is why they are working on rebuilding some of the ruins. There isn't a whole lot left.The National Archaelogical museum by our hotel was awesome though. Some things I didn't know about the ancient Greeks: They had hand mirrors that look awfully similar to ones you might pick up at a store these days. They had buckets with swing handles. They had baby bottles, tops, yo-yos, and strollers to teach babies to walk.
Their surgical tools and eating utensils look like ours. Oh, and they had gadgets that modern day scientsts still can't figure out.Since the Acropolis is on top of a high hill in Athens, which is actually what the name Acropolis means, they actually light up the ruins at night. The scene is breathtaking and you can see it from most anywhere. Our hotel actually had a dining area on the roof where Brendt and I spent every night so we could enjoy the amazing view. We wished we could've taken a picture, but we knew there was no way it would come out.
I can't justly describe the feeling of sitting on the candlelit roof of our hotel, enjoying a glass of wine, and looking out to see the lighted Parthenon on that lonely hilltop with the moon hanging overhead.Also of note would be the number of stray dogs in Greece. They were everywhere. And they were fat. These dogs were so well-fed from all the tourists in the area that they would actually turn down food!
Aegean Islands
Mykonos was easily our favorite island. It was so beautiful with its white-washed houses and abundance of windmills. It also seemed to have less tourists than the other islands and it just felt so laid back.
Kusadasi was actually in Turkey and it was our least favorite island. We didn't make it out to the ruins here, Ephesus, which is one of the wonders of the ancient world--the cost was 50 euro per person and we had seen enough ruins by that point that were were fine just checking out the shops. The thing was, all the shop owners were so pushy that walking up the street was a pain in the neck--i guess they have never heard of window shopping.
Patmos was a lot of fun for me. We had to climb to the very top of the island to see the monestary but it was well worth it. The hike was a bit exhausting and on the way down, anytime I stood still, my legs would quiver beneath me because they were so tired. When we were standing in line to see the grotto, I thought they were finally going to give out and I was going to tumble over!
Rhodes was another one of my favorites! We spent an hour searching for the site where they believe the mighty colossus once stood. We actually walked on the exact spot where it is thought that his left foot rested and didn't even know it! We just assumed there would be some sort of monument or plaque, but since most natives here believe that the statue never really existed, they don't even have a marker. Each island we visted seemed like such a different world from the last, but this one even more so becuase of its medieval flair. There was even a castle for us to explore!
Heraklion, Crete was our sea fort island. That is about all we had time to explore before our ship set sail.
Santorini was another beautiful island. The city is located on the very top of the volcanic mountain and many private residences are snugged right up to the edge of the cliffs! I think the shops here were some of the best shops we visited on the entire trip, but they were also some of the most expensive. Seeing the sunset here was gorgeous.
Mykonos was easily our favorite island. It was so beautiful with its white-washed houses and abundance of windmills. It also seemed to have less tourists than the other islands and it just felt so laid back.
Kusadasi was actually in Turkey and it was our least favorite island. We didn't make it out to the ruins here, Ephesus, which is one of the wonders of the ancient world--the cost was 50 euro per person and we had seen enough ruins by that point that were were fine just checking out the shops. The thing was, all the shop owners were so pushy that walking up the street was a pain in the neck--i guess they have never heard of window shopping.
Patmos was a lot of fun for me. We had to climb to the very top of the island to see the monestary but it was well worth it. The hike was a bit exhausting and on the way down, anytime I stood still, my legs would quiver beneath me because they were so tired. When we were standing in line to see the grotto, I thought they were finally going to give out and I was going to tumble over!
Rhodes was another one of my favorites! We spent an hour searching for the site where they believe the mighty colossus once stood. We actually walked on the exact spot where it is thought that his left foot rested and didn't even know it! We just assumed there would be some sort of monument or plaque, but since most natives here believe that the statue never really existed, they don't even have a marker. Each island we visted seemed like such a different world from the last, but this one even more so becuase of its medieval flair. There was even a castle for us to explore!
Heraklion, Crete was our sea fort island. That is about all we had time to explore before our ship set sail.
Santorini was another beautiful island. The city is located on the very top of the volcanic mountain and many private residences are snugged right up to the edge of the cliffs! I think the shops here were some of the best shops we visited on the entire trip, but they were also some of the most expensive. Seeing the sunset here was gorgeous.For the rest of the photos click HERE.
No comments:
Post a Comment