Life is a patchwork of experiences
I discovered some of the most beautiful islands in Greece on a recent cruise. I am sharing my experiences and photos to inspire your next Greek island adventure.
My luxury Mediterranean sailing cruise took me to some of the most beautiful islands in Greece. Our itinerary combined the classic Greek islands of Mykonos and Santorini with some of the less touristy islands like Syros, Kos, Patmos and Milos.
Continue reading “Cruising In Style to the Most Beautiful Islands in Greece”
Experience the best sailing holiday in Greece with the beautiful Running On Waves tall ship.
This story was recognized by the North American Travel Journalists Association with a Silver award in the Cruise category in the 2021 annual media travel awards competition .There wasn’t just one star, but rather, a pantheon of constellations blanketing the sky as the last rays of the setting sun disappeared over the horizon. To the east, a slim crescent moon was slowly rising out of the sea with the same grace as the goddess of love in Botticelli’s painting. A slight breeze and the gentle back and forth rocking informed me that our ship was under way. My dream Greece sailing tour had started.
Continue reading “Release Your Inner Jackie O On A Luxury Sailing Holiday in Greece”
Day 2 of my cruise with Running On Waves started on the island of Delos. The ancient Greeks believed that it was here that the god Apollo and his twin sister Artemis were born. This belief made the island sacred and as a result, no mortal was allowed to be born or die there. One of the unique sights in Delos is the Terrace of the Lions which originally had about a dozen sculpted lions which were dedicated to Apollo by the people of Naxos in around 600 BCE. The island is one big archeological site and was named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1990.
Thanks for visiting.
Rose
Straddling two continents and over 2000 years of history, there is no other place like Istanbul. With its friendly locals, delicious food and incredible architecture, it is one of my favorite global cities to visit and photograph. So, along with my favorite 25 images, here is my love letter to beautiful Istanbul.
Since the age of 9, I have always wanted to see Istanbul. When I emigrated to the USA from Romania with my parents in the summer of 1970, our flight was rerouted through Istanbul to pick up more passengers. I don’t exactly remember what that 9 year old saw out of the plane window, but it left a lasting impression.
I planned our 10 day Israel and Jordan itinerary around my most important criteria: spending two days in Petra. A visit to the Petra Archeological site was high on my travel bucket list and I wanted to have plenty of time to take in this ancient wonder.
A ten day trip to Jordan and Israel was definitely not going to be enough time to see all that these two history rich countries had to offer, but that was all the time we had. So I prioritized what I wanted to see and built my itinerary around this, adding in time to get from one place to another.
Continue reading “Tips for an Independent 10 Day Israel and Jordan Itinerary”
I can’t resist a pretty scarf and I usually end up bringing one home from my travels. This colorful collection was on display on the trail up to the Monastery at the Petra Archeological Site in Jordan. The trail was a little over a mile and included 800 steps. If you have to huff and puff as you are going up hill, it’s nice to have pretty things to look at.
Thanks for visiting.
Rose
The Treasury building has become the symbol of Jordan’s Petra UNESCO World Heritage site. Made famous in the movie “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade”, this 2000 year old archeological site was first rediscovered by a westerner in 1812 by explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt. But unlike the movie version, the inside of the Treasury is just a few simple unadorned block rooms cut out of the stone. Sitting by itself in this canyon, there is no hint of all the other tombs and ruins of a once thriving the city beyond.
Thanks for visiting.
Rose
Throughout Petra, the local Bedouin young men offer tourists donkey rides to help them climb up to the viewpoints or to get around the huge site. At the end of the day, as the archeological site begins to close down and the setting sun casts an orange glow on the complex of Nabatean tombs, they ride their donkeys back home for the night.
Thanks for visiting.
Rose
Most photos of Petra show the “Treasury” building which was made famous in the “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” movie. I actually liked ad-Deir or the “Monastery” a little better.
If you’ve seen the movie Martian then you have seen the unearthly landscape that makes up the UNESCO World Heritage site of Wadi Rum in Jordan. Day tours of the area are common, but for a truly out of this world experience, consider spending a night surrounded by nothing but desert sand and star filled skies.
Thanks for visiting.
Rose
