http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Barney-and-Liz-do-Europe/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Barney and Liz do Europe en-us Tue, 29 Dec 2009 05:12:47 +0000 Tue, 29 Dec 2009 05:12:47 +0000 We are almost home.Sunday night we spend our last night in Athens at Monastiraki. On restaurant row. we had been there before.Tonight we sit on the promenade. against the fence. flocks of pedestrians pass by. as we wait for our meal we notice a number of marble plinths and other assorted antiquities lying in a small fenced off area between us and the rail line. We are next to the Agora. In 1913 pa http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Hong-Kong/Lantau-Island/blog-276058.html We are back in Athens after 2 weeks. it feels like we've come home. the view of the Acropolis from the balcony still leaves us breathless. Last night we got in at 8 o'clock after the shortest flight in the world from Santorini. Honestly i've been speeding over speed bumps and stayed in the air longer. Our last day at Santorini was spent driving around catching up on places we hadn't seen. Basicall http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/Attica/Athens/blog-275046.html Had the best fish meal on tour last night at the local harbour. followed by 263 steps back to the top. Good for the soul.today we had a fabulous day touring the volcano. we caught a boat at 10.25 and spent the day travelling between isldands. the highlight was the volcano which still smokes and is still warm to the touch. the volcano last erupted in 1950 and is constantoly monitored.ran into Casse http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/South-Aegean/Santorini/blog-274461.html Santorini is what you see in pictures and soooo much moreComing in to the port on the seacat the first thing you notice are the cliffs with the white buildings clinging to the sides. The tourist info is really car hire and we hire a car as Oia is a bit of a drive from the port.Up the mountain road and through Fira the main city and suddenly we are looking down on a wide plain farmland a http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/South-Aegean/Santorini/blog-274134.html Just a quick update.Knossos was disappointing. There are a number of 19 and early 20th century archaeologists whoi have a lot to answer for. Arthur Evans did Knossos and rebuilt stuff in the style he thought was most appropriate. As a result he restored areas as he felt they probably were 1600 BC. HahThis morning we came on a seacat to Santorini.Hired a car. drove around the island today i http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/South-Aegean/Santorini/blog-273482.html Some catching up to do.FirstlyApologies to Sherry and Chengwai from Malaysia who we ran into at Delphi and said we would add you to our blog. It is now done.Secondly the name of our suburb in Athens was Exarchia where the anarchists resideThirdly we have had a small hiatus from our frenetic travelling in Crete.We arrived on Thursday. The car could not be organised until saturday morning. Meanwh http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/Crete/Heraklion/blog-272788.html It's argos actually. Napflion is the gold coast of the Peloponnese.Sunday. everything is closed for easter. We pick up our car and we decide on the spur of the moment to go to Delphi before the pel. All along the way there are spits roasting whole lambs. In every village there are industrial quantities of these spits. out on the footpath over an open fire. easter is big here. We get to Delphi. It' http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/Pelopennese/Nafplion/blog-271243.html Athens is wonderful.On Thursday night we visited a restaurant recommended to us by our friends Mandis Panagiotis and Eleni welcome aboard guys. It was very good although we ordered what we thought was whitebait. But this whitebait must have been sired by sharks cause they were huge. We wimped it and chose not to eat the heads. But hey the waitress gave us 2 free beersHeineken for no reason at http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/Attica/Athens/blog-270209.html You wouldn.t be dead for quids.this was the view from our balcony when we eventually arrived in Athens last night.our train left Istanbul at 8.30. Our sleeper was designed for people of limited stature. anyway we managed to get ourselves and our luggage in. The motion of the train meant that we were soon asleep well i was anyway. We awoke to be asked for our passports at the last station in Tu http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/Attica/Athens/blog-269635.html We had a very le305surely two days. Yesterday after the markets we had a rest. Th305s was the f305rst non act305v305ty for a long wh305le. Had a half and half meal last n305ght. Lamb kebabs were to d305e for. Ch305cken w305th P305stach305o nuts was so so. We chose a restaurant that d305d the huge bread that r305ses on the top layer. Ok. Have only had p30 http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Marmara/Istanbul/blog-268922.html some photos.Today we went to the Grand Bazaar and bought lots of prezz305es. http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Marmara/Istanbul/blog-268603.html We awoke at a much more reasonable t305me th305s morn305ng. The sun was 305n the East beh305nd Canakkale wh305ch means 305t would have been d305rectly 305n the305r faces and eyes when 305t rose on Apr305l 25. We eat a le305surely breakfast and dr305ve down and get on the ferry. The water 305s a m305lk bath. We spend a most serene 30 m305nutes sta http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Marmara/Istanbul/blog-268382.html We wake before dawn and are on the road as the sun r305ses. It hovers 305n my dr305vers s305de m305rror 305n the east. Th305s 305s one of the few t305mes 305f ever 305 have been awake at dawn and have been head305ng west. Gall305pol305 Gel305bolu 305s 4 12 hours away. The f305rst hour 305s spent gett305ng through the suburbs of Istanb http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Marmara/Canakkale/blog-268069.html Th305s afternoon we sat on the shores of the Hellespont. Byzant305um was or305g305nally a greek colony started 305n the 7th or 8th century BC. It controlled the entrance to the black sea and was soon followed by greek colon305es all around the BS. Byzant305um was the br305dge between Europe and As305a. When Zerxes 305nvaded Greece 305n 480479bc he had a pontoon br http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Marmara/Istanbul/blog-267768.html Guess whatOur flight from Italy was delayed and we missed our connection. Now we can say we've been to Britain.yesterday evening we had a rather large meal at the equivalent of a local pub. Quantity rather than quality but we received a complimentary sweet red wine oin arrival a lovely tomato bruschetta as an appertiser and were offered a sweet chianti and sweets as a complimentary finisher. Un http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Greater-London/Heathrow-Airport/blog-267423.html Let's start with Sunday.Imagine an area starting at Nobbys car park and running along the foreshore to a line level with Darby st turn left and go all the way up to Parkway Ave and then turn left to the ocean at Bar Beach. That is the area of the runins of the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill. Imagine at Nobbys carpark there is a huge arch and at the corner of Darby and Hunter there is another h http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Ostia-Antica/blog-267106.html I went to mass yesterday for the 2nd time in 2 days. Father Function great name at Sutherland Catholic Church would have been proud of me.We had a rather relaxed day yesterday. Spent a frustrating time trying to ring home from one of the myriad of cheap phone points that are dotted throughout Europe. I suspect it's for the various immigrants who have arrived over the past 20 years. Still 8c a mi http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Rome/blog-265919.html Ah Roma.We spent Wed night at Lake Trasimeno and travelled to Siena yesterday. On the way we stopped at an old mediaeval village called San Guimignano spelling is probably wrong but can't be bothered looking up. Beautiful with yet more of those ubiquitous markets.Before we left for Siena we visited the battle field to see Hannibal's victory site will not trouble you with pictures. Liz stayed in http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Rome/blog-265610.html 3 days in Florence.We have had the most wonderful time in Florence. Firstly the accommodation is fantastic. secondly there is so much to see. Yesterday we went to the musee academie where the statue of David is. Now i have the aesthetic sensibility of a fence post but this was perfection. We reckon it stood about 4 metres high and it was perfect in every detail. No wonder people rave about it. It http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Tuscany/Florence/blog-264766.html Buon GiornoWe left VeniceMestre bright and early and decided t take the back road through Ravenna. Boy these italians are cards on the road. I have worked out the following optionals for Italian driving1. Speed limits. Only if you feel like it2. Only one car per lane unless you are overtaking and a truck comes the other way and you need to get back on the right side of the road in which case http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Tuscany/Florence/blog-264041.html