Video Tour of our 2 Weeks in Iceland – Just Wow!

For our final blog on Iceland, we are bringing you some of our adventures in video so you can get an even better appreciation of the beauty of Iceland. I hope you enjoy it.

Kirkjufell Mountain

Kirkjufell, or ‘Church Mountain’, is a distinctly shaped peak found on the north shore of Iceland’s Snæfellsnes Peninsula, only a short distance away from the town of Grundarfjörður. It is often called the most photographed mountain in Iceland due to its dramatic formation and perfect coastal location. Several Game of Thrones scenes were filmed in this location.

Gullfoss Waterfall

If you start your tour of Iceland in Reykjavik, this will probably be the first waterfall you encounter — an iconic multi-step cascade along a 90° bend of the Hvitá River.

You might recognize the waterfall when you arrive as Gullfoss has been used as a filming location for several blockbusters and popular TV series. It was used as a backdrop for the TV series Lost in Space and in the popular Vikings TV series.

Seljalandsfoss Waterfall

The Seljalandsfoss waterfall is part of the river Seljalandsá, and has its origins underneath the glacier Eyjafjallajökull. The volcano beneath this ice cap erupted in 2010 and caused havoc at airports across Europe.

The cascade of the falls is relatively narrow but falls from a tall cliff that once marked the country’s coastline, the sea is now located across a stretch of lowlands and is visible from the site.

This waterfall flows from 200 feet above and you can walk behind it if you don’t mind getting a little wet.

Skógafoss Waterfall

Legend has it that a Viking named Thrasi hid a chest of gold beneath the falls. Many have attempted to retrieve it, and one man almost succeeded by tying a rope to the handle of the chest and pulling. He was only able to obtain the ring of the chest, however; now, it’s said, the ring is attached to a church door in the small village of Skógar.

As we walked towards the waterfall, wind grew to about 50 mph and it was difficult to keep grounded.

Vík í Mýrdal 

With a population of 300 inhabitants and no towns or settlements for at least 50 km in each direction, the small village of Vik is a perfect town for a sunset. The beautiful black beach Reynisdrangar rises majestically out of the Atlantic Ocean and in the distance you can see black basalt-lava columns sculpted by the sea. The story is that they are former trolls which were caught outside at dawn – trolls could not see the sunlight, then they would turn into stone.

Fjadrargljufur Canyon

Iceland has spectacular canyons, one of which is Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon in South-Iceland. Fjaðrárgljúfur is a canyon with a serpent-like shape and was not well-known to visitors to Iceland until a few years ago.  Justin Bieber was influential in introducing Fjaðrárgljúfur to other travelers, as he shot parts of his video “I’ll show you” in the canyon, and in other beautiful locations in South-Iceland during his Iceland visit back in 2015.

Northern Lights

We saw the Aurora Borealis 4 times during our 12 day stay in Iceland, this was in Southern Iceland in Kirkjubaejarklaustur. The night skies lit up in spectacular green, swirling beyond belief. Our tour guide, Stefano, said that someone in our group must have excellent karma because normally they don’t experience the Northern Lights in this way.

Fagurholsmyri

Amid misty glaciers and snow-capped mountains on Iceland’s southern coast, Fagurholsmyri is a beautiful agricultural county. It features mesmerizing glacial lagoons, an ice cave and the country’s highest mountain. We hiked this area to discover a flowing waterfall among serrated rock.

Jökulsárlón  Iceberg Lagoon

Film buffs will recognize Jökulsárlón from huge movie hits like Tomb Raider, Batman Begins, and 2 James Bond films: A View to a Kill and Die Another Day. It’s not surprising why famous directors would choose this amazing location as a backdrop! We took Zodiac to visit the icebergs, it was amazing!

A short drive from Jökulsárlón is Diamond Beach – a black sand beach with a shoreline dotted with clumps of ice that shimmer in the light, ranging from perplexingly clear gems to a deep, blue hue. These ice shards broke off from a nearby glacier, floated down the stretching Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, and came to rest on Diamond Beach. They make for the perfect addition to an already stunning sea view. We made it here at sunset and got some amazing photos.

East Fjords

​The Eastfjords of Iceland is a 75 mile stretch of coastline from Berufjörður, in the south, to the small fishing village of Borgarfjörður Eystri in the north.

East Iceland has many narrow fjords, surrounded by steep cliffs flanked by fishing villages. The East Fjords have fantastic scenery, remote fishing villages, sparkling lakes, dense forests and traditional farms and has the sunniest weather in the country.

This area is famous for herds of wild reindeer – the only place in the country where reindeer live. Initially brought over for farming, the industry was never lucrative, and they have roamed free ever since. We saw reindeer in this area and it was my first ever sighting.

Dettifoss Waterfall

Dettifoss waterfall is one of the most powerful waterfalls in Europe. It was a cold and windy trek to the waterfall but we were greeted with circular rainbows.

The thunderous fall has an average water flow of 6,186 cubic feet per second. It is 330 feet wide and plummets 150 feet down into Jökulsárgljúfur canyon.

This canyon is in the northern part of the greater Vatnajökull National Park, the largest national park in the country, thus Dettifoss is well protected.

Námafjall Geothermal Area 

The Námafjall Geothermal Area is located in Northeast Iceland, on the east side of Lake Mývatn. Here you will see many smoking fumaroles and boiling mud pots, surrounded by sulphur crystals of many different colours. This sulphur gives the area an overwhelming smell of rotten eggs.

Around the area is a small hiking trail up to Námaskarð pass and Námafjall mountain, which returns to the highway and the parking lot. In 1969 a geothermal power plant was built west of the Námafjall area.

Vogafjós Farm Resort

This restaurant is so unique, it deserves a video. It is located in the Lake Mývatn area but what makes it unique (other than the good food) is that it has a cow feeding area connected to the restaurant and you can see the cows through wall sized windows. Once you’re done eating, you can go out and pet the cows — very cool experience!

Dimmuborgir

Dimmuborgir, commonly referred to as the Black Fortress, is a dramatic expanse of lava in the Lake Mývatn area of Iceland and is the home of the 13 Christmas Santas (called Yule Lads).

In Icelandic culture, lava caves are allegedly the homes of the nation’s brutal and vile trolls. The most famous was Grýla and her husband Leppalúði. Grýla and her gigantic pet cat, that would eat children over the Christmas period for not finishing their weaving, knitting and sewing chores before season end.

Grýla and Leppalúði had 13 sons who lived in Dimmuborgir and are now known as the ‘Icelandic Santa Clauses’ or Yule Lads. On the 13 nights before Christmas, these trolls come one by one to terrorize Icelandic children, each with their own strategy after which they were named. For example, Window-Peeper would stare into houses, looking for things to steal while Skyr-Gobbler would steal children’s skyr. Skyr is a tasty dessert similar to cake.

The Yule Lads were probably invented to keep children from going out into the cold Icelandic winter nights, where many disappeared without a trace for centuries. More recently, the legend has changed as they now wear Santa costumes instead of traditional Icelandic wear and now bring gifts. But they steal skyr — who can resist?

Goðafoss Waterfall

Goðafoss, or “waterfall of the gods” was called this because in the year 1000, Porgeir Ljosventningagodi made Christianity the religion of Iceland and threw all of his pagan god statues into the waterfall. We were lucky to catch several rainbows around the falls.

Akureyri Whale Watching

We decided to go whale watching but knew it would be difficult to impress us since we had seen lots of humpback whales during our trip to Antarctica a few years ago, but that was premature. This excursion was not part of our Globe Drifters agenda but a few fellow travelers joined us.

In less than 30 minutes, we started seeing whales in all directions. They were coming up for air then doing a deep dive leaving only their tails in the air as they descend. We must have seen 30 or more whales — the whale spotter said this was the most whales they’ve seen in a long time. We have a lot of yogis in our group — so definitely great Karma going around for us to be able to see Northern Lights and an abundance of whales.

Beer Baths in Árskógssandur

You’ve never soaked your buns in beer? You don’t know what you’re missing! This restaurant and craft brewery allows patrons to soak for 30 minutes in the good stuff. I’ll spare you from seeing us in the spa but I can tell you it’s very relaxing!

Hraunfossar Waterfall

Hraunfossar Waterfall in West Iceland, believed to have formed in about 800 AD just before settlers arrived in Iceland. The falls are formed by surface water and melting glaciers that run between lava layers, giving the water a silky light blue hue. This was my favorite waterfall in Iceland.

Reykjavik 

If you get a chance to go to Reykjavik, visit the Sky Bar where you will be rewarded with a beautiful view of the bay.

Here is a quick recap of our tour:

Interested in Seeing More?

See more of our Iceland blogs here. Here is a map of our entire trip:

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The Eerie Fog of Maine’s Rockland Lighthouse

With our friends Greg and Kathy Tawes, we visited the historic 1902 Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse in Rockland Maine. Reaching the lighthouse requires a mile-long stroll along cracked and crevassed stone and can be quite eerie in fog.

Through the low-anchored clouds of fog, you had no idea how far you’d gone nor how much further you had to go. Along the route, we saw several lobster fishermen pulling up traps. Greg and Kathy had a brief conservation with one fisherman as he measured his catches.

Kathy’s perfect timing allowed her to snap the fisherman throwing back a lobster that was either pregnant or too small and the reflection off the water was brilliant.

As we continued our journey, the lighthouse came faintly into view and became clearer the closer we walked.

The lighthouse is white on one side and brick on the other. It was originally designed to be operated by keepers but in the late 1940’s, it was automated.

As we made our way back, the fog continued to drift, crystalizing moored boats in the harbor and seagrass strewn rocks.

I imagined how it might look during a winter storm and found a revealing video on the Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse Facebook page: https://fb.watch/fj9BKlPMLu/.

Mist by Henry David Thoreau

Low-anchored cloud,
Newfoundland air,
Fountain head and source of rivers,
Dew-cloth, dream drapery,
And napkin spread by fays;
Drifting meadow of the air,
Where bloom the dasied banks and violets,
And in whose fenny labyrinth
The bittern booms and heron wades;
Spirit of the lake and seas and rivers,
Bear only purfumes and the scent
Of healing herbs to just men’s fields!

Source: https://pickmeuppoetry.org/mist-by-henry-david-thoreau/

We enjoyed our time with Greg and Kathy and were happy they included a visit with us in their month long journey.

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7 Places You May Want to See in Northern California

If you’ve wanted to visit Northern California, here are 7 spots you may want to visit:

1. Sonoma and Napa Valley
2. Bodega Bay
3. Fort Ross
4. Armstrong Redwoods
5. Mount Shasta
6. Muir Woods Redwoods
7. Stinson Beach

Sonoma and Napa Valley

If you’re in the mood for wine tasting, consider making Sonoma your hub. Cheaper than staying in Napa, it has amazing wineries and is a short 25 minute drive to Napa. A couple of our favorite wineries in Sonoma were Jacuzzi and B. R. Cohen.

Jacuzzi Winery in Sonoma

B. R. Cohn — Owned by legendary manager of the Doobie Brothers band

Since we were staying 3 weeks, we rented a beautifully appointed rental home situated on a couple of acres surrounded by vineyards. We would wake up each morning to hot air balloons and jack rabbits scouting food among the vineyards.

This was the view we woke up to each day:

Notice the hot air balloon in the horizon

We also visited Napa. One of our favorite spots to visit is Frog’s Leap. Not for the wine so much, but for the farm surrounding the winery — it is beautifully done.

It also has some reasonably priced golfing — some built around vineyards. I golfed Eagle Vines Golf Course and the 2 pm tee time cost less than $30. Most tee boxes had views of vineyards that can be reached with your drive if not careful.

Bodega Bay

Just an hour drive from Sonoma is Bodega Bay — the iconic beach town where Alfred Hitchcock shot the 1963 movie “The Birds”. A coastal town, we rented a beach front house with amazing views.

Although it is about 20 degrees colder than Sonoma (in the 60’s), it was nice to wake up with these views.

The Links at Bodega Harbour offers spectacular views of the bay — this was a really fun golf course to play and if you play after noon, it’s not very expensive.

There are ample hiking opportunities in Bodega Bay, here was our view from one of our hikes.

Fort Ross

We decided to drive north along the coast from Bodega Bay and we stumbled on Fort Ross. This was a great find, an old fort built my the Russians who occupied this land from 1812 to 1841. If you are in this area, it is certainly worth a stop.

Armstrong Redwoods

In less than 45 minutes, you can drive from Bodega Bay to the Armstrong Redwoods. This impressive park has lots of huge redwoods and fun hikes.

Mount Shasta

If you’re feeling adventurous, take a 5 hour ride north to Mount Shasta. We dedicated a weekend to it. It is a beautiful mountain with great hiking but it also is a sacred site because it is a Chakra Center of Gaia. Just like our bodies, Earth reportedly has seven chakras, or energy processing centers and Mount Shasta is one.

While we were there, I was practicing creating long exposure shots with my iPhone and I took this picture on one of the hikes. Long exposure gives water a silky look. If you want to learn how to do this — shoot me an email.

Muir Woods Redwoods

Even more impressive than Armstrong Redwoods is Muir Woods Redwoods. This park is much bigger and you must purchase a ticket before you get there (you can do this online). It has miles of trails via boardwalk — if you are in the area, this is a must!

Stinson Beach

A short distance from Muir Woods is Stinson Beach — a beach with a bohemian vibe. If you are in the area, it’s worth hanging out here for a few days.

3 Fun Short Stay Activities in Lake Tahoe

Each summer we try to escape the heat and humidity of Florida. We first hung out in Denver, spending time with our youngest son, visiting old friends and playing a little golf. Lynn had never been to Lake Tahoe so we spent a few days enjoying lake views, golfing, and sampling a few wines.

Taking in Lake Views

We stayed in Squaw Valley — a 15 minute drive from northwest Lake Tahoe. This area is bike friendly so we rented bikes and cycled down the trail that goes from Squaw Valley to to Lake Tahoe. It was Sunday and there were lots of people floating down the river in tubes and rafts (you can rent these at the base of Lake Tahoe).

As you cycle along the river, you see scenic bridges, people enjoying the water, and families having picnics.

Once you reach Lake Tahoe, continue the trial south to enjoy beautiful views along the lake. A good place to stop for brunch is Sunnyside Restaurant. Located right on the lake, it has great food and lake views.

Another way to take in the views is to drive the perimeter of the lake. There are hiking spots along the way if you want to stretch your legs. The drive around the lake will take you about 3 hours but you will want to make some stops along the way. We spent about 5 or 6 hours, stopping to eat and and take short hikes.

One of our favorite stops was Sand Harbor on the Nevada side. It has a Bar and Grill but also has a few beaches with beautiful views of the lake. It gets crowded so its best to hit this place early.

If you’re into hiking, consider taking the gondola at Olympic Village in Squaw Valley. This is where the Olympics were held in 1960. Once you reach the top, there are tons of hikes for all skill levels. There is also a small museum with memorabilia from the 1960 Olympics.

You will also get views of the lake from up top.

Taking in Olympic Village

Olympic Village normally has something going on each weekend. When we were there, California wineries were hosting a wine tasting. This was ideal because we were visiting Sonoma soon and wanted some suggestions for wineries to visit. There were also musicians playing and people out enjoying the weekend.

Golfing Squaw Valley

I played The Links at Squaw Creek in Olympic Village — it is a course surrounded by 6 majestic Sierra peaks. The course was designed by Robert Trent Jones and offers a challenging round due to its narrow fairways, hidden greens and thick grass bordering every fairway.

I played alone towards the end of the day and it was a challenge to know where to hit the ball because of the hidden greens and dangers on both sides of the fairway. I lost about 6 golf balls because I just was not sure where to aim. If I had played with someone that knew the course, I would carded a much better score than 94! But this was a really fun course.

I’ll leave you with a final picture from the course. You traverse most of the holes along a boardwalk that keeps you out of the high grass along the fairway. Challenging. Beautiful. Incredibly Fun!

Visiting the Capital of Hungary: Budapest

While in Austria, we had a chance to visit Hungary’s capital city, Budapest. Budapest was previously 2 cities (Buda and Pest), separated by the Danube River. One of the most iconic landmarks is the Hungarian Parliament building (red-top building in the background of the picture below) — I will include a closer image of that at the end of this blog.

We first stopped at City Park, a place where locals ice skate in the winter and hangout in the summer.

Imagine this entire lake being frozen during winter.

The castle across the lake takes you back in time. You can climb the tower for a better lookout.

As we drove around the city, you catch glimpses of haunting statues. These are not statues of nobility but of suffering.

If you visit, be sure to spend some time walking around the Buda Castle district (Budai Varnegyed) — there is so much to experience here.

From the Buda side, you get a peek at the Hungarian Parliament building.

From the Pest side, you see it in all it’s glory.

Cycling through Vienna Austria

Our friends had just finished up a vigorous (and rainy) 200 mile cycling trip in Austria and met us in Vienna to start a trip that would span 3 countries and thousands of miles in the coming weeks. You would think they would’ve had enough of cycling but not so — we saw Vienna Austria via bike — what a great way to see the city!

Vienna is one of the largest cities in Europe with over 1.9 million residents. The city center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site so there’s lots to see. The State Opera house is a big attraction — you can enjoy opera or just take an inside tour.

We saw an Opera while there but not in the State Opera House. Opera is so plentiful in Vienna, it is easy to catch a show.

If you’re into horses, check out the Spanish Riding School. Here you can watch professional riders training for upcoming events.

Notice the decadent chandelier

As you cycle through town, you will catch glimpses of many churches. One of the most iconic is St. Stephen’s Cathedral with its Gothic architecture.

Another beautiful building is the Hofburg Palace.

If you have a flair for oddities, Hundertwasserhaus checks that box. Its creator Friendenserich Hundertwasser hated straight lines and angles, he was an ecologist and the buildings he designed are a combination of architecture and nature. It reminded us of some of the Guadi buildings we saw in Barcelona Spain.

One of my favorite areas we cycled through was Vienna University of Economics and Business. The architecture of the buildings is amazing. It was a collaboration of architectural firms from Spain, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan and Austria.

If you have an extra day to spend in Vienna, be sure to visit Wurstelprater amusement park. It’s about like going to Six Flags in America — it has rides for every age.

Seeking Kings Landing in Dubrovnik Croatia

Continuing our journey from Split to Dubrovnik, our next stop was Korcula, my second favorite city in Croatia. It is an old city surrounded by a fortress. Streets and buildings were designed in a maze to keep invaders from quickly exiting the city.

I love this city because of the unique castles and walls and the fact that Marco Polo spent a lot of time here. Some say he was born here (there is a Marco Polo house you can visit) but others say he was born in Venice.

MlJet, Croatia

Our next stop was Mljet, Croatia – a sleepy little fishing town with great seafood restaurants.

Next to it was a national park in an area called Pomena. Here you can cycle, swim or visit a local monastery.  The waters are glacial so the colors are amazingly emerald.

A short boat drive takes you to the monastery and the surrounding area is astonishingly beautiful.

We ended our evening enjoying a sunset in a local restaurant.

The waiter’s fiance’s mother owned the restaurant and he introduced us to her and his fiance. Everyone we met in Croatia were so warm and welcoming. The waiter also looks a little like our oldest son, Cameron.

Ston, Croatia

Ston is a walled city located at the south of isthmus of the Pelješac. Before visiting Ston, we stopped into an adjoining fishing village called Mali Ston.

From here, we took a boat to a local family’s oyster farm, where we tasted fresh oysters.

They explained how they raise the oysters before they gave us a taste.

This was the first time I’ve ever eaten oysters. I didn’t think I would like them but they were quite good.

After eating our fill of oysters, we made our way to the walled city of Ston. No, you’re not in China but they do have a great wall.

We needed to get more steps in for the day so we walked along the wall.

As you reach the top, you are rewarded with a nice view.

Dubrovnik, Croatia

Prior to reaching Dubrovnik, we were offered a couple of swims — I took advantage of each opportunity. Living in the Gulf of Mexico, we are used to 80 to 85 degree water. This water was more like 60 degrees — pretty cold! But it was refreshing.

If you haven’t visited Dubrovnik, you’re in for a treat. You can take a walk along the city walls, I highly recommend that — you can take great pictures from there.

This walled city is where Kings Landing (Game of Thrones) was shot. This is the perfect setting for the quest for the Iron Throne.

One of the funnest things we did was to take a Game of Thrones tour. They took us around Kings Landing and showed us where they shot certain scenes and how they pieced scenes together. They also shared funny stories about how locals encountered the stars of Game of Thrones and the cost and intensity of shooting the episodes. Check out the pictures below — I am sure you will recognize some of the scenes (Red Keep, etc.).

Recognize the Red Keep (top left of picture)?

Shot from the Red Keep

Standing at the top of the stairs where Cersei had her WALK OF SHAME

I can’t say enough about how we enjoyed our trip to Croatia and our favorite city Dubrovnik. We also enjoyed the company of our 2 great friends, Kathy and Greg Tawes.

I’ll leave you with one of my favorite pictures of Kings Landing (Dubrovnik), shot from the Red Keep:

Sea, Castles and Game of Thrones in Croatia

We started our Croatian journey in Rovinj, a medieval seaside town in the northern section of Croatia. Rovinj looks imposing but only about 14,000 people live there today.

Inside this idyllic city, you stride along cobblestone streets and you can hear the locals chatting and going about their day. Fishermen unload their day’s catch. Markets are buzzing. Clothes are hung up for drying along the balconies.

We stayed in Rovinj for about 3 days in this impressive hotel (Spirito Santo Palazzo Sterico). It was recently converted from a set of decrepit homes and they did an amazing job with the design and construction (we highly suggest staying there if you visit).

We hired a private tour guide for 2 days who showed us the entire Istria area (the largest peninsula in the Adriatic Sea) — Rovinj (along with many other cities) are in this area. We had wine tastings, olive oil tastings and visited Pula — a city just south of Rovinj.

When you roll into Pula, you may think you are in Rome, check out the arena.

Split to Debrovnik

After visiting Rovinj and the surrounding areas, we hopped on a small yacht with 36 other people to island hop from Split to Dubrovnik.

Split, Croatia

Split is a beautiful seaside city where many of the Game of Thrones scenes were shot.

They used the Palace of Diocletian as the place where Daenerys Targaryen’s dragons were raised.

The palace is huge and incredibly interesting — it has lots of shops and restaurants. It also has a Game of Thrones museum that I highly recommend visiting. They will tell you where each of the scenes were shot within the palace.

Bol, Hvar, Croatia

When you first sail into Bol, you will see the beautiful beach that lies just outside the city. Seas were rough and we had rain, so we did not get to swim here but it would be great to do if you get the chance.

We strolled a pretty empty city, visiting shops, a local church, and a winery.

Jelsa and Stari Grad, Croatia

We continued our journey to Jelsa and Stari Grad, seaside cities in route to Dubrovnik.

All of these medieval cities have squares and churches. I can only imagine what it was like to live here in older times — probably lots of community and plenty of gossip!

We capped off our day with a local dish called Gregada. Fish and potatoes cooked in the oven for about 45 minutes, it was the best fish I’ve ever tasted.

In an upcoming blog post, I will talk about our continuing journey to Dubrovnik, where we visit Korcula, Mljet, Ston and then Dubrovnik.

I will leave you with a lonely lighthouse we saw during our journey towards Dubrovnik.

Finding St. Paul in Ephesus Turkey

If you’re familiar with St. Paul (he wrote most of the books of the New Testament), then you are probably familiar with the Book of Ephesians. At the time, people of Ephesus worshiped idols (Greek goddess Artemis) and Paul was there to spread the Christian gospel. He spent 3 years there but eventually was run out of town by the silversmiths who created the idols because it was cutting into their business and causing them economic hardship!

Covered up by volcanoes for several centuries, the ruins of Ephesus were discovered in 1863 and are in amazing shape for their age.

As we began walking the cobblestone streets of Ephesus, it felt amazing to be walking the same streets as Paul, Alexander the Great, Antony and Cleopatra.

Ephesus Architecture

The architecture during this time frame was amazing, everything was hand carved — imagine the effort that went into this.

Palaces of Ephesus

If you visit Ephesus, you will have the option to visit the Palaces (for an extra fee) — I recommend you do it. The palaces were the homestead for royalty and many of the palaces are up to 10,000 square feet — absolute mansions.

Nike – Just Do it!

In Greek mythology, the goddess Nike flew around battlefields awarding victors with glory and fame, symbolized by a wreath of bay leaves. There was a carving of Nike at Ephesus:

Oh look, Nike must have lost her hat while flying around and Lynn picked it up:

It’s amazing to know that only about 20% of Ephesus has currently been excavated — 80% of the city still lies below the earth’s ground cover.

Turkish People

We found the Turkish people to be very friendly and warm. Our tour guide was Turkish and he knew as much about America as most Americans (he knew the states, local culture, etc.). They are a proud people but are challenged economically. You will find that many will come up and try to sell you things as you walk around, we did not see that in Greece. But they are polite and will not bother you if you decline their offer.

They also create a lot of knock-off watches, purses and other items. You can buy a Rolex for about $20 but it may not be working by the time you get back home. I love the sign below, how can it be genuine and fake at the same time?

I’ll leave you with our view as we docked at Kusadasi. Notice the Hollywood style sign on the hill and the multi-colored houses:

Snorkeling Milos Greece

Milos Greece was a perfect spot for snorkeling — it has crystal blue waters, amazing landscapes, and accessible caves. We took an afternoon cruise to the best spots.

As we sailed, we saw amazing port villages and pumice walled cliffs with ocean caves.

Doesn’t the middle rock look like a bear (head at top facing right)?

Snorkelers dove off the boat from about 15 feet up — you could never do that in America! Why not – I happily joined the few that dared.

We approached the infamous Sarakiniko Beach — a local hangout with stellar pumice beaches and cliffs that people dive from. Our boat sailed right along the beach and we later visited the beach from the land.

After leaving the beach, we stopped in at Plaka to view the sunset.

What a place!

Knossos, Crete

We made a quick stop in Crete to see Knossos, a bronze age archaeological site that is referred to as “Europe’s oldest city”. Knossos was built and inhabited by Greek royalty from 2700 to 1100 BC. Marked by huge palaces and complex architecture, the ruins of this site are awe inspiring.

Amazingly, they had running water, flushing toilets and elaborate architectural designs — all over 4,000 years ago! They painted frescoes on the walls eliciting hints as to how life was at the time.

There were also a lot of pottery found in this ancient city — notice the detail.

I’ll leave you with one more picture of Milos: