Europe

With ten days remaining in our around-the-world adventure, we began our dash through European cities. Please pardon the poor quality of this blog as it has been hastily written and posted in our final hours in Frankfurt. Two days in each city has not given ample time for much reflection and yet we know that when we get home tomorrow, blogging will drop lower on the to-do list, somewhere behind seeing friends, buying groceries and rebooting our "regular" lives.
ZAGREB
We left Dubrovnik on the southwest coast of Croatia and spent a night in Zagreb. What a stunning European capital this is. Large boulevards with expanses of grass and tall trees. Seized by the urge to do cartwheels in the grass, we reflected that we haven't seen big trees and grassy areas since leaving Istanbul. Musicians peppered the streets of Zagreb, from a youthful, thrash metal band performing in a square to a mature man belting show tunes in a gazebo, one can find it all here. How wonderful to see this city so vibrant and prospering after first being introduced to Zagreb by CNN's Christian Amannpour during the civil war. Here we validated our Eurail Pass and headed for Hungary.
BUDAPEST PHOTOS
From our hotel window on the Buda side of the city, we watched the Danube River flow past Parliament and under the Chain Bridge. Comparisons to Paris abound when one walks the streets of Budapest: the soaring architecture, excellent shopping, sidewalk cafes and a vibrant art scene. Every weekend a pedestrian market takes over the Chain Bridge, so we got to hear loads of musicians and peruse artists' wares.
We spent six hours walking around on the Pest side of the river, moving from one stunning building to the next, from the Parliament to St. Stephen's Cathedral to the enormous Synagogue. We spent a few hours in the National Museum studying Hungarian history. Especially intriguing was the resistance of the Hungarians to the Germans and then the Soviet occupations. When the Austrian-Hungarian empire cleaved apart after WWI and then the Soviets controlled the territory between Berlin and Moscow, Hungary was separated from their western european bretheren by an iron curtain. Now reunited in the EU, Hungary is thriving.
VIENNA PHOTOS
While sitting at a sidewalk cafe, Brian Wilson walked right passed us! You know, the genius behind the Beach Boys. He was singing (to himself) as he strolled along. It was quite a highlight, as was our dinner with Annette's cousin, Conny and we got to have great conversations with her (unlike Brian Wilson). In fact, we visited a Versaille-like chateau called Schloss Schoenbrunn and ate a delicious meal together. Thanks Craig and Annette for introducing us to this lovely lady! The weather turned pleasantly cool while we were here, a relief from the 40+ degree celsius we had in Greece and Croatia.
SALZBURG PHOTOS
What fun to revisit the land of Maria and Mozart with the girls. A bus tour took us through the rain to various scenes from the Sound of Music while we sang along to the soundtrack. It was like the Magical Mystery Tour bus in Liverpool, only really, not nearly as good. Wearing gansta' hoodies and matching trousers, we headed below ground into the land of "white gold", the saltmines. Sliding down wooden slides at 20mph and taking an underground boat ride made this an outstanding adventure.
MUNICH PHOTOS
On safari in Kenya, we met an amiable German couple, Birgit and Dejan who live in Munich. Now, a month later, we met for dinner in their hometown at a great local beer hall and restaurant. The last time we saw them they were pushing the back of their safari van, mired in the mud leaving the Masai Mara. How fun to hear the rest of their adventure and share photos and travel stories. With images of Disney and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang dancing in our heads, we took the train to Fuessen to visit Neuschwanstein Castle. The weather cleared as we explored the castles and the dramatic mountains that form the backdrop. Over dinner we toasted the last field trip of world school and the final sightseeing adventure of our trip.
HOMEWARD BOUND
It's hard to believe that 131 days has already passed. We fly home from Frankfurt in the morning. Hopefully in the coming days we will write a final blog about what this journey has meant to us. On the other hand, that will certainly require four blogs, one from each of us. Thanks for traveling around the world with us. See you soon.
The Z Family

Dubrovnik, Croatia

Dubrovnik is called the "Pearl of the Adriatic" for good reason. Looking out our apartment windows at the white marble city walls, against the clear azure waters of the sea, it seemed like a Hollywood set for a pleasant fairy tale or pirate movie. We marveled at the contrast between the present beauty and the damage of the war, that scarred the architecture and the hearts of the Croats we met.

One man told us of his experience during the eight month siege without electricity or water. At one point the women and children were allowed to leave and his family went to America. He fought in the Croat army and did not see them again for 2 and a half years. Now that peace has returned, the Croats seem happy with their lives and their country. Many people we talked to will vote against EU membership because they don't see how it will benefit them. The referendum is 2008 so we shall see.

Here we vacationed from our travels for a week. What fun to cook our own meals, do laundry (a task well overdue), check emails in our apartment and watch DVD's. We got a lot of exercise, walking around town, sightseeing, swimming and climbing the many stairs in this terraced city. Often we conducted gelato taste tests in the evenings.

During a day trip to the island of Mljet, we met an engaging family from Seattle. We passed a memorable day together exploring this national forest and swimming in the saltwater lakes. The girls thoroughly enjoyed having other young people to play with. We met again for gelato that night and hope our paths will cross again.

Now we make a sprint to the finish line, visiting Zagreb, Budapest, Vienna, Salzburg, Munich and Frankfurt in the next ten days.

Enjoy more photos of Dubrovnik!

Meteora, Greece

Enjoy more photos of the stunning monasteries and convents of Meteora.

Our jaws dropped at the sight of monasteries and convents perched at the zenith of natural stone towers. A prehistoric inland sea carved these formations; a lot of human labor created edifices atop them. Meteora is first and foremost a holy center for prayer and study. Photography inside the buildings is prohibited, visitors are limited and the monasteries are open on a rotating basis to limit interruptions. In fact, when the James Bond movie, "For Your Eyes Only," was filmed there, the Church insisted they completely camouflage the monasteries so they didn't appear on film. I may just have to watch a James Bond movie, just to see how they pulled off that feat.

Ladies must wear skirts and gentlemen long trousers to enter the premises. Appropriately attired, we explored the chapels with their elaborate frescoes. Martyred saints: beheaded, eaten by lions or stoned to death, were common motifs and somewhat disturbing to the children. We studied the two headed egret, symbol of the East/West schism dividing the Church. Besides the enthralling views and welcome breezes, the old elevator captured our imaginations. Before there were stairs to reach the monasteries, monks sat in cargo nets and were hoisted up by their bretheren, a first test of faith perhaps....

We knew we'd reached a convent when we smelled the gardenias. The nuns have enchanting gardens at the convents and it reminded me of visits to Bethlehem, Connecticut as a child. My mother took us to visit a cloistered nun she knew from college. It was there that I first smelled gardenia and honeysuckle perfumes, ate hand-churned, vanilla ice cream and joined the Latin masses. Indeed it made an enduring impression as did this visit to the holy communities in Meteora.

Thank you Melissa and Ken for recommending Meteora. It was definitely a highlight!

Athens and Delphi, Greece

At right: Girls at the ruins of Delphi, north of Athens.





GREECE: THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY
By Maya
THE GOOD - Greece is truly a lovely, wonderful place to be. The people are kind and always willing to help and 60% of the time it's NOT to sell you something or to take you to their 2nd cousin, twice-removed's store or to spend the night at their uncle's hotel etc. The beaches in Greece are marvelous, with water seemingly made to cool you down after the heat of the day. Though not always soft sand, the water is positively cool and crystal clear. The monasteries placed on the top of sheer cliffs, white washed buildings with blue windows, centuries old columns like at Delphi and the Acropolis, you name it, Greece has it. The food is delicious. Greek salads are truly fantastic in Greece. (The tomatoes are so yummy!) As a vegetarian I tend not to eat animals, but supposedly the fish is delectable. Clothes, shoes and accessories are in abundance in Greece. Most aren't utterly repulsive and the majority are cute. Lastly the ice cream is really yummy. Plus, they have many sweets you haven't heard of before such as sesame cookies or twists, and honey dippers (big crunchy rolls smothered in honey).

But, no person or country is perfect so we proceed onto THE BAD. Unfortunately not only pleasant people go to Greece. Now, I'm not saying that these people are bad at heart, but in my opinion, if you are a man with a really big belly, you should not be wearing a speedo as you will cause "speedo trauma" to the children who see you. Topless bathing is just gross. Also, there should be a law against obnoxious, self-absorbed tour guides, like the one we had at Delphi. It really is easier to walk around by yourself and spend time where you want to and avoid the expensive, repulsive food you're served on tour.

But none of this is as awful as THE UGLY. It is so bloody hot in Greece! With temperatures reaching up to 40+ degrees celsius, it's almost unbearable. Especially because there are large amounts of white everywhere, reflecting the heat right up in your face. Also, Greeks can bare grudges that last for eternity. Don't mention Turks, Turkey, Turkish architecture or Greek made buildings that reside in Turkey unless you want a sharp telling off and/or a piercing stare. Plus, there is no falafel in Greece! Don't go to Greece with the expectation that you're gonna get a great falafel. No, apparently though the falafel and pita sandwich made it across both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans to North America, it hasn't managed to get from Egypt to Greece. What's up with that?

All in all, Greece is truly a wonderful place, just don't go expecting a falafel.
To enjoy more photos of Athens and Delphi, click here.

Patmos, Greece By Skylar

We are staying in a house in the Hora. (It is the top of the island.) It is beautiful! When you walk in, you walk into the kitchen. The next room in front of you is the living room. Then if you go back into the kitchen, there are stairs. You go up the stairs to the balcony with a table. Inside the blue doors are the three beds. One is a loft and below it is a single bed; one is a double bed. All of the houses in Patmos have blue doors and white stone walls. Our house was built in 1604!!!!!

One day my Mom found a way to the roof and we watched sunset. It was fun. We brought drinks and we made brownies that day so we had brownies too! The sunsets were beautiful! Another good place to watch sunsets is at the windmills. We go to the windmills and look over Patmos. It is very beautiful and windy.

Ireni Gouras is really nice. She is our landlord. She gave us 2 chocolate bars and invited us to her house for a sweet called Honey Dippers. Another day she gave us cherries. She is like a grandma. Two other friends on Patmos are Robert and Christopher. They are very nice and showed us a lot of good places to go on the island. Robert's sister works at my school so that's how we learned about Patmos.

Lampi Beach is my favorite beach on Patmos. It is full of beautiful rocks(see picture above). Some of them look like shiny marble. I saw so many colors: all different shades of blue, brown, green and more. It was fun to collect rocks and swim there.

I got leather sandals with flowers on them. They are pretty and so comfortable! I even got the next size bigger so I can wear them for longer. Even though I have to wait until next year to get my ears pierced (when I'm 10), I got gold hoop earrings. They are so pretty.

WHAT I DO IN PATMOS
I get up and get dressed. My mom and dad go for cappuccinos while Maya and I have breakfast. We either go to a beach and swim, go shopping, check email, get ice cream or take a car ride around Patmos. We come back for lunch, read, do stuff, have dinner and go to bed. Patmos is fun and beautiful.
Click here for more pictures of Patmos!

Ephesus, Turkey

Click here for more of Jeff's awesome photos of Ephesus.
We arrived in Selcuk by night bus from Istanbul. (The drive bore no resemblance to the night bus in Harry Potter.) The bus had airplane style service and at midnight, unexpectedly drove onto a ferry to cross the Dardanelles. Oddly, men were not allowed to remove their shoes on the bus, though women and children could.

A bit weary from only napping on the bus, we arrived in the ancient ruins of Ephesus, built by the Greeks, it grew to 200,000 people at its zenith. We walked the marble roads and climbed across all kinds of old rocks, marble carvings, ancient latrines and amphitheaters. The girls became Greek goddesses atop unoccupied pedestals. (Most of the high quality statuary and mosaics can be viewed in the British Museum or the Louvre.) Occasionally we would follow an English speaking tour to hear a fact or two, then continue our self-guided tour. The library is really cool with its two story facade still in tact. The library windows frame trees, hills, blue sky and clouds, like a portrait hall in mother nature's home.

While sitting on a fallen column from the first century, eating a macaroon, Skylar lost yet another tooth. She has added a Turkish tooth fairy to her pantheon of U.S, Hawaiian, Japanese and Kenyan fairies. She writes letters, asking questions about their country and collecting cash and self-portraits from them.

As we left the ancient city, among the newer cars, a fabulous 1964 Chevy Impala taxicab was waiting to take us back to town. Riding in this blast-from-the-past was a highlight for Jeff whose mom owned one back in the day. We explored the center of Selcuk, dining at Erjun Restaurant at the base of the Roman Aquaduct. The Selcuk storks now reign atop the columns, raising their young in Big Bird-sized nests.

Traveler's Note: Arrive early to Ephesus and go directly to the library. By 10:00 the tour groups arrive in a steady stream and photography without large groups of people becomes impossible.
Second Note: It was so difficult to get ferry timetables and reservations, it seemed that we were the first tourists to attempt a trip from Turkey to Greece. Internet sites are unreliable; travel agencies are the best bet and they will need to make several phone calls. Even then, the 8:30 ferry from Selcuk to Samos left at 9:30 and the 15:30 ferry from Samos left at 16:30. When traveling, don't ever be in a hurry.

Istanbul, Turkey

Istanbul, ancient Constantinople, its location on the waterways connecting Europe and Asia made it a target for conquests of every Empire. This crossroads blends cultures, religions, foods and languages into a unique flavor as deep and rich as their coffee. Turkey is a nation of Turks. After saying, "Shukran," (Arabic for thank you), we were quickly corrected. They do NOT speak Arabic. They speak Turkish. "Thank you" in Turkish sounds something like a tea-sugar-a dream, but our awkward tongues settled for "Sow," meaning "thanks." It's a beautiful Mediterranean nation, not unlike Italy or Greece and our family experienced warmth and kindness at every turn during our stay.

We stayed in a bed and breakfast in the heart of Istanbul's old city, Sultanahmet, where each morning we gladly climbed to the rooftop for breakfast overlooking the Bosphorous. Savory olives, feta cheese and tomatoes graced the daily buffet, along with fresh yogurt, breads and jams. We looked forward to fresh Turkish bread and meze for dinner each night. It's like an antipasta plate with stuffed grape leaves, garlic spreads, hummus, eggplant, ratatouille, mushrooms and more. One night we tried to eat like the Turks, ordering meze starters and a main course, but we were too stuffed. So, the rest of the time, we just confused the wait staff by ordering only meze.

Turkish people are charming and there is a constant patois from business people on the sidewalks, particularly in the labyrinthian Grand Bazarre:

Hey, can I help you spend you money?
How many for dinner? (Even when you have no intention of dining in their restaurant)
Are you looking for my shop?
You look like rug buyers!

After four days in the city, as silly as a pack of middle schoolers, we decided to alter our route to the hotel to avoid a few folks: the rug salesmen we continually refused, the man who wanted Skylar to have apple tea in his shop and the restaurant owner who was moving to SanFrancisco. If we lived in Istanbul, we would soon be unable to leave the house for fear of offending someone :-)

The soaring architecture of Aya Sofia, the Blue Mosque and the Topkapi Palace gives Istanbul a stunning, minaret-studded skyline. However, we were a bit disappointed visiting the Church of Divine Wisdom (Aya Sofia); the famed "floating" dome was held up by a mile-high scaffolding, wrecking the illusion. It was like seeing Notre Dame while the stain glass windows were being cleaned. Shoulders covered in our borrowed wraps, we sat on the carpets of the Blue Mosque and observed the goings on. The vibrant blue tiles wear a wide array of patterns. It would be a bold homeowner to decorate a kitchen with this scheme. As for Topkapi, we enjoyed walking through this palace museum, picturing where brutish rulers exhibited their enemies' heads on tall standards. The monuments felt slightly familiar as Jeff and I had both recently finished The Historian, a fun work of fiction spanning centuries and roaming from France to Istanbul, while searching for vampires.

Istanbul continues on the other side of the Marmara Sea. To get a panoramic view of the city, we took a local ferry to Karacoy and back again. Of course, we stopped at the original turkish delight candy shop and stocked up so we could sample these chewy sweets on the boat ride. Aside from Edmond in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, we'd not really heard of it, but it's mighty tasty. We particularly recommend the lemon and pistachio flavors.

Beneath Istanbul, we walked along the raised boardwalks of a roman cistern, finding carved Medusa heads awkwardly placed at the bottom of two columns, one upside down and one sideways. Why did they bother to decorate a room that would be filled with water? Were there slacker builders who finished the columns and then said, "Oh snap, we put her head upside down!@#! Leave it. No one will ever notice."

Whirling dervishes or "semazen" are Sufi Muslims who follow the teachings of Rumi: love and tolerance, a refreshingly simple creed. We watched them whirl for an audience of tourists at the train station on Wednesday night. How can these guys walk a straight line after spinning for 30 minutes? It's a graceful and yet dizzying way to pray.

Mr. Mustache squeezes the best orange juice in Istanbul. His righteous facial hair, kind eyes and tasty juice earned him loyal customers in our family. When we stopped at his hole-in-the-wall shop, he had changed to a gray fez and was praying on the floor. Instead of leaving us to stand on the sidewalk, he invited us to sit on a couch in his tiny shop while he pressed the oranges.

Each night, we waited to sleep until the al-mu’azin's final prayer call at 10:30. It seems a bit late to keep a whole city awake, as the melodies to Allah broadcast from multiple minarets. No one climbs the towers any longer to chant across the city; they employ loud speakers and amplification systems now.

Traveler's Note: Beware the travel agents of Istanbul. They are not all travel agents. If they don't have Grade A certificates on the wall and computers on their desks, they will probably be ripping you off. We compared prices among travel agents for bus and ferry tickets and found that one such "travel agency" attempted to charge us $300 US over the actual cost of tickets. Needless to say, he didn't get our business. Also note that the DHL shipping company bargains the cost of packages. There are no fixed prices in this country.
To enjoy more photos of Istanbul, click here.