Gythion, in Greece ( Sparta)

 Gythion 

This is a tender port and most of the excursions here are listed as strenuous. The country is steep and involves walking a lot of stairs so we have decided to explore this part of the world on our own. We can walk and explore as much as we feel capable of doing. Debbie said there is a lovely walkway which will take us to a shopping area very easily.

During the lecture Debbie told us that there is a lighthouse there but I will have to research that. 

The area was famous because of its purple dye.

There are many small family chapels. These are used to remember family members who have passed. We saw many of those blue roofed chapels during our past visit to Greece. They have become iconic.

Gythion is the site of ancient Cranae, a tiny island where according to legend Paris of Troy and Helen from Sparta spent their first night together before departing for Troy, thus igniting the Trojan War. Gythion used to be an important port until it was destroyed in 4th century AD, possibly by an earthquake.

The weather has improved and it is not as cold or as windy as it was yesterday. We waited until around eleven to head for the tender. By then it had warmed up and of course the crowds were less.

 When we disembarked the tender we walked along the dock and headed to the right. Our goal was to find a place to exchange US dollars for Euros. The ship had run out and they had none to sell me. The businesses here will only take Euros . We finally did find a bank, the National Bank. They had a priority ticket system and when we arrived we had ticket #47. They were currently serving the person with #36. About 20 minutes later they were serving #38. We gave up and left. The businesses would take credit cards but since we only wanted to buy an ornament for the tree we did not want to use VISA. So I will go to plan B for my tree. I will print a picture of the port about 2X2 and frame it and hang it on the tree.

We continued walking around this beautiful area. We headed for the shore and the area of the light house. We walked out there and it was a real treat to see such a beautiful light.

I researched the lighthouse and this is what I learned.

The Lighthouse of Gythio: The lighthouse of Gythio lies on the small islet of Kranae, to the east of Gythio town. The lighthouse is a whitewashed octagonal construction. It is made of white marble and is 25m high while the height of its focal plane is about 78m. It was built in 1873 and from 1989 it houses the Maritime Museum that displays items from the long nautical history of Gythio town and the area of Mani in general.

At the first period of its construction, the lighthouse used to work with petroleum and its luminosity extended for over 15 nautical miles. However, during World War II, it fell in disuse until 1945, when the Hellenic Navy decided to reconstruct the lighthouse network. Four years later, it started to use acetylene. Today, it flashes every 18 seconds and has a range of 9 nautical miles. The lighthouse of Gythio is open to the public and constitutes a famous sight of the town. This is no longer true it is closed.

During our walk out to the lighthouse we came across what looked very much like a small castle.

Mr Google informed me that what I saw was the Tower of Tzanetakis,

The Tower of Tzanetakis in Gythio Peloponnese: The Tower of Tzanetakis in Gythio is a characteristic example of the towers of Mani. This impressive and well-preserved construction is actually placed in the center of Kranae, the small islet that faces the port of the town. The tower was built around 1700 and initially used to be a fortress that protected the harbor and the town of Gythio from invasions.

Later on, it housed the family of Tzanetakis Grigorakis, a fighter of the Greek War of Independence. In 1993, the building was donated to the Greek State and today it hosts the Historical and Ethnological Museum of Mani. It is one of the most popular sights of Gythio and certainly worth to visit.

Also on this little island we saw the Church of Agios Petros. We did not try to enter we just took photos.

We made our way back to the ship stopping along the way to enjoy the sea and the scenery. It was a perfect afternoon. I was amazed to see all of the steps leading to the homes on the hillsides. I kept thinking I would not want to carry my groceries up those stairs.

On the way back I watched as workmen did their paving work. Each brick is placed individually. So unlike the way they do it in the West. I will be curious to see how long this will last.

I also watched a young man pick lemons from a neighbourhood tree. A lot easier than heading to the super market.

The tender ride back to the ship was quick and easy . The water was almost flat calm.

The rest of the day was as usual for us. We had a hot dog and fries for a very late lunch, had a little nap, went to dinner and tonight we took in the show. It was the Little Opera Company. I am not well educated when it comes to operatic music but they did do a few pieces I recognized. I especially enjoyed their selection from Phantom.

Tomorrow is a sea day, the third segment is almost over. Segment four is very busy with at least 12 ports of call. 

Kusadasi

 Kusadasi 

Kuşadası is a beach resort town on Turkey’s western Aegean coast. A jumping-off point for visiting the classical ruins at nearby Ephesus (or Efes), it’s also a major cruise ship destination. Its seafront promenade, marina, and harbor are lined with hotels and restaurants. Just offshore on Pigeon Island is a walled Byzantine castle that once guarded the town, connected to the mainland via causeway. 

We have never been to Turkey so we used our usual criteria to choose a tour. This is the tour we have chosen. It is 3 and a half hours long and is rated Easy.

A motor coach tour from the port of Kusadasi travels through the picturesque countryside, dotted with vineyards and peach orchards. You will view Ephesus from the upper gate, Selcuk Castle, Temple of Artemis, Isa Bey mosque and the walls of St. John's Basilica. You will visit the Ephesus Museum, home of some of the most extraordinary antiquities in the world. there is much variation in the collection and the famous statue of Artemis, Goddess of fertility, is housed within its walls. 

your next stop is a traditional weaving village, where local artisans demonstrate the process of dying, spinning, and weaving splendid Turkish carpets. Returning to Kusadasi, you have the option of browsing the bazaars and walking back to the ship at your leisure, or taking the motorcoach directly to the port.

This tour uses headsets and involves some walking.

The tour departs at 9:15 and we are supposed to be in the Provence dining room at nine.

Well we had a wild night. The wind kept the ship bouncing. Fortunately I slept and did not get sick. In the morning it was still bouncing and it was COLD. The temperature was 9 degrees C and the wind was still howling. For a while it looked as if we would miss this port but our skilled captain and the tug operators managed to get us safely tied up. 

As we exited the terminal we were welcomed by local dancers in costume.

We had a new bus with a good heating system so our ride to Ephesus. As we drove our very capable guide recounted the history of the area. The system on board was excellent and we heard everything. He spoke fluent English which helped.

This port city is very nice with lots of scenes to enjoy. Once we left the city there were orchards everywhere.

Our first stop was a photo stop where we were able to see Ephesus in the distance. There was a lovely statue of Mother Mary there as well. 

Ephesus close up taken by other passengers.

Our next stop was supposed to be the Museum where the Ephesus artifacts are displayed but our guide called the museum and he was told that there were 6 buses there , and it was crowded. Our guide changed the schedule and we went to the weaving village instead.

I am so glad that we did. We saw the entire process all of the way from the cocoon to the finished product. I was so impressed. Turkish rugs are breath taking. We did not purchase one because we do not have a place where we could put something so beautiful. These rugs are as beautiful as those we saw in Buckingham Palace

I guess it is a custom to offer food and drink to your visitors so we were treated. The drink was a hot apple cider type of beverage and the food was a wonderful soft roll.

We were there for about an hour and our next stop was the museum. Now it was clear and we were the only bus there. Our guide explained what there was to see and then he gave us 45 minutes to enjoy the artifacts. I will not try to describe what we saw but you can enjoy some of the pictures . I took too many to post them all. It was truly amazing.

Then we began our half hour return to the port. Once there we were able to do some shopping. I got a magnet of Ephesus to add to our tree. 

The wind was still blowing and it was very COLD so we hurried back to the ship. The rest of the day went as is routine, rest, dinner and relaxation.

Tomorrow we are going to be in Gythion Greece. It is supposed to be cold again.