"I am once more amongst the merry Greeks, who are worth all other nations put together...All their bad habits are Venetian; their wit, their eloquence, their good nature, are their own." Sir Charles Napier 1825 (Of the seventeen British governors who ruled Kefalonia, only Sir Charles Napier is was looked upon favorably. His great affection for the island is obvious from the name of his daughter, Emily Kefalonia.) Our next two stops in Greece were much shorter, unfortunately. We had only about four hours each day in Santorini (Thera) and in Kefalonia the following day. "The devastating volcanic eruption of Thera has become the most famous single event in the Aegean before the fall of Troy. It may have been one of the largest volcanic eruptions on Earth in the last few thousand years. The violent ... read more

We decided not to go to the Princes' Islands today, partly because we got a late start, partly because of the State Department warning about docks, and partly because of the weekend crowds... Instead, we walked, and walked and walked....down to the water from our apartment, along the Bosphorus, up the hill to the Museum of Innocence, back down to the Museum of Modern Art, along the water the Dolmabahce Palace, up hill again (and down and up more times than I can count) to get back home! Our first stop was the amazing Museum of Innocence, a creation of the Nobel prize winning Turkish writer, Orhan Pamuk. He used his prize money to painstakingly create the Museum described in the book of the same name. I've been reading the book, but sadly didn't finish it ... read more

The Symplegades or "Clashing Rocks" were encountered by Jason and the Argonauts as they tried to sail into the Black Sea. As we crossed the Bosporus today, we passed what historian think are the rocks that the tale was based upon. They are now marked with lights and pillars, but still hold dangers for the many ships that pass them each day. We got to see them from the boat we took on a cruise up the Bosporus and back yesterday. there is so much history crowded in to this region...layers and layers of it! The cruise is a must-do if you visit here: only costs about $8.00 round-trip, and lasts 6 hours (including a three hour lunch stop at the turn-around point). A vendor comes around with hot coffee and tea for sale. you can ... read more

Well, we survived a 24 hour travel day....got a few short naps in along the way, but it was so good to get into bed last night! The whole trip went smoothly..all the connections worked...no problems with lines or wait times in any of the airports. British Airways from Seattle to London was a treat: great food and service. We had arranged an airport pick-up from the apartment owners, so getting here was easy too... The host (part of the family who rents several apartments that they have remodeled for tourist stays; the company, which we highly recommend, is called Stay Istanbul) was welcoming and helpful. But the conversation took a sad turn when we asks about the effect of the terrorist attacks on business. He teared up and said they will have to give up ... read more

We left Chico Wednesday morning after a short hike and delicious breakfast, and headed into the foothills to the northeast towards Lassen National Park. We have wanted to do this drive for several years, but the roads have been closed due to snow in May until this year. The drive to Lassen was pretty, but the weather was rainy and clouds blocked some of the views. Our first stop was the Sulphur Mine area, where we saw the boiling mud! There were many fumaroles dotting the landscape; reminders of just how active this volcano is.... After a drive between high snow banks to the site of the devastation from the last eruption, exactly a hundred years earlier, we left Lassen and headed to Old Station buy gas. After crossing through Modoc National Park, we stopped in ... read more