The Mediterranean Adventure: Part II (Greece)


Acropolis

...So continuing where I left off, from Istanbul, we proceeded to Greece (the cradle of civilization as some people prefer to call it). We landed at Athens (the traffic is as bad as it is in India) and checked into our hotel to get some much needed rest.
Athens from the Acropolis
The next day we began our tour of Athens by first visiting the Acropolis which looked as splendid as always (in spite of large-scale renovations going on) and the view of the city from atop the hill is one to behold. We then visited the stadium that hosted the first modern Olympic games in 1896 followed by a few scattered remnants of Greek temples that dot the cityscape.
Corinth Canal
1896 Olympic Stadium
That night we visited the neighboring port of Piraeus where we enjoyed an authentic Greek dinner full of moussaka, gyro meat and the Greek version of pita bread along with some ouzo (Greek home-made liqueur).
We then continued our journey to a seaside temple of Poseidon  located a couple of hours away from Athens after which we proceeded on our trip to Sparta. Our first stop in Sparta was the Corinth Canal, one of the world's thinnest canals, that separates the island of Sparta from the rest of Greece. We then visited Olympia where we saw the ruins of a temple complex dedicated to Zeus, and the site where the ancient Olympic games were held. The Olympic torch of the modern Olympics are lit at this site before being transported across the globe to host cities.
Amphitheatre at Delphi
Temple of Apollo at Delphi
We then proceeded to town of Delphi, also known as the 'Navel of the World'. Delphi holds the ruins of the temple of Apollo and was the seat of the oracle in ancient Greek times when young women were recruited as oracles, who would then communicated the future of the world, as ordained by the Gods, to men. The amphitheatre at Delphi, was one of the largest open air theatres of the ancient era, and still possesses a captivating charm nestled on the slope of a picturesque hill.
Hydra
From Delphi, we proceeded to the town of  Meteora in central Greece. The complex of rock cut Eastern Orthodox monasteries that stand on the cliffs of Meteora are the second most important complex of this type in the world after Mount Athos.
We then drove back down to Athens and boarded a cruise to visit a few Mediterranean islands including the famous islands of Hydra and Poros. The view of white houses, white blue roofs nestled around a cove with a jetty is truly a memorable vision to take away from this trip!
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The Mediterranean Adventure: Part I (Turkey)

So, a new post after a long time, and this is going to be about one of my first trips abroad to Turkey and Greece!
Bosporus Bridge 
Back in 2006, we decided to visit these two Mediterranean countries to soak in the rich history, the magnificent architecture and the bright, blue sea. We first visited the Turkish city of Istanbul (to date it remains my favourite city ever, something that I don't see changing for a while).
Istanbul is beautiful in many different ways. As the only city to span two continents, it holds a unique place in history as the gateway to Asia for European empires, and the gateway to Europe for Asian empires, and yet today's Istanbul stands united both geographically and culturally. It is a symbol of harmony with grand mosques built into derelict churches, and palaces overlooking bustling streets and skyscrapers. Istanbul's atmosphere is unique to the city itself, something that is hard to replicate elsewhere.
Blue Mosque
Hagia Sofia
We visited the three great mosques of the city; the Hagia Sofia, which was built inside a Byzantine church when the Ottomans took hold of the city; the Blue Mosque, which stands tall, topped by its blur domes; and the Suleimaniye Mosque named after the great Ottoman emperor Suleiman II. We also visited the two palaces that adorn Istanbul; the Topkapi Palace, the abode of the Ottomans; and the Dolmabache Palace.
Suleimaniye Mosque
'From Russia with Love' Poster (LOL)
We also took in the beautiful scenery of the city of Istanbul as we drove up to edge of the Black Sea, and took the cruise down to some picturesque islands in the Bosporus Strait. Our guide took us to the Basilica Cistern, an underground water system where the James Bond movie, 'From Russia with Love' was shot!
The last thing we did in Istanbul involved a lot of shopping as we visited the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Bazaar.

(P.S. - Sorry for not having many good pictures, it was a long time ago and I'm having a hard time finding pictures)

(P.P.S. - Wait for Part II on Greece to come out soon!)

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