magic carpet ride

yesterday we were in ephesus.  some critters built a beautiful city around 300 BC.  A lot of it is still standing (including a 25,000 person amphitheatre, hospital, library, and some of the world's first running water toilets).  We had a guide named Dervish.

We had tea in two different carpet shops.  One of the shops was home to a Van cat.  A super rare cat that swims and has one blue eye and one yellow eye.  Ben used his 20 turkish lira to buy a cool diary that has the evil eye on it.  Currently we are trying to get him to write in it as part of creative writing class.  He is stalking around the room with writer's block .  Maybe time for breakfast.

Today's plan is: museum, beach, more tea and backgammon with carpet shop folks.

turkey

made it to turkey.  as advertised, most folks are outgoing and friendly.  just had breakfast on the roof of the nazar pension.  tomatoes, cucumbers, yogurt, omlette, turkish coffee, while gazing out on yet another fantastic medieval castle.  we have rented a fiat for three weeks.

yoga class

jill is teaching yoga.  clare is in full lotus with her duck on top of her head.  last night we had a superb meal: marinated white anchovies, fava bean dip, zucchini flowers stuffed with feta and herbs, sick homemade pasta with monster prawns, litre of the house rose.

ben is really not feeling the whole yoga thing.

on the ferry to lesbos

just got the cool vodafone thingy for mobile internet access.  49 euro.  still trying to jailbreak jill's iphone.  latest internet research says that it is very easy and that it is impossible.  samos provided some excellent snorkeling, the sweet samian wine (that u have heard so much about) and the start of homeschooling.  there were some grueling moments of multiplication table adjustment, but the deep waters were a motivating factor.  we probably will head for turkey from lesbos.

wedding tradition

yesterday saw traditional wedding preparation.  the groom's friends shave and dress him.  In this case they basically pinned him to a rock in the aegean, shaved his chest and thighs and then proceeded to smear mustard (dressing) all over his body.  During this time one dude was discharging his extremely loud blunderbuss on the public beach while another guy was setting off reams of firecrackers.  when i asked if this was a tradition all over greece, i was told that it was highly unlikely and that ikarians were the only ones this crazy.

ben found a hole in a rock on the way back from seychelles beach

the walk back up from seychelles beach, ikaria

little minnows, seychelles beach, ikaria

on the way down to seychelles beach, ikaria

manganitis, ikaria

the view from the fortification at the top of the mountain

fortifications at the top of the highest mountain in ikaria

wild dianthus, ikaria

where people farm

the ikarian approach to building steps

getting ready to jump in, amorgos

faithful steed, ikaria

edge of a typical mountain dirt road, ikaria

ben getting a hot stone treatment at seychelles beach

ben with a goat backpack

more photos

bags of nets, manganitis, ikaria

PHOTOS

did that last post show only 1 photo? let me know and (roger or) I will figure it out. almost out of batteries, eating octopus and anchovies. J

photos from ikaria and one from amorgos (last place we were)

I'm about to upload some photos. We are making reservations for an apartment on Samos for next week. Having lunch at a taverna in evildos.

yesterday on ikaria

Yesterday we went to a gorgeous pebble beach at the bottom of a big rock scramble. After that we were on the CRAZIEST roads I have ever driven on. Two lane (though they look like what we could call a footpath and only allow for two lanes if you, for example, back down a hill until there is a wider spot) dirt roads along ridges and contour lines with shear drops. The signage is useless b/c

Greek/Greek lettering- our problem

Signage does not match up with map (even the greek)

many roads do not show up on map

ditto for hamlets

hamlets and towns have multiple names

The only sign we could read said cyoling road- we surmised to mean, "cycling road" after a while

At one point we had to get out of the car and open a jerry-rigged gate to continue. The road was too crazy to back down and not possible to turn around on. Both digger and I had (private), "Deliverance" thoughts (shared later). 

Of course all worked out great and we ate at our now favorite taverna again.

Ikaria, where people stay up late every night

We are on Ikaria and planning to leave for Samos tomorrow. Today and tomorrow we have a car so we can explore Ikaria more. They say the Ikarians are unique and a little crazy, seems true! We have gone to this taverna two nights in a row. There they have local food and lots of locals eat there. In this tiny hamlet there seem to be young people who have decided to continue living here. I think they have a sense for the value of the traditional ways of farming, etc. Down the road from our pensione is a donkey who is ready to help carry stuff at all times. He grazes all day and his, "saddle" is on the ground by the fence at all times. I saw one of these wooden saddles hanging in a tree next to the taverna last night. It took me a minute to realize it was not a decoration. No much decoration like we think of it here. Flowers or grapes overhead to create shade, basil in pots, potatoes and almonds drying on the roofs. We have picked some figs on the way to the market. Yesterday, a guy who was staying at our pensione received a present from a local (he visits every year). What he got was a backpack made out of a goatskin. It was ingenious. I'll attach a photo of him or Ben wearing it if I have one. Will download photo later 

drinking suggestions

yesterday morning we were treated to a quick thunderstorm.  It was the first rain on ikaria since june.  today it is back to blue sky, light breeze and about 90 degrees. our new home is the dionysus rooms.  we made it here after one of those gruellingly brutal 30 hour travelling jaunts that supposedly build character.  It culminated with a 6km uphill trek at high noon under a blazing sun hauling all our luggage after not sleeping for 24 hours.  thankfully there was a cold beer and amazing dip at the end.  jill just said "if there is not going to be grape stomping, I don't want to go to Chios."  although lesbos is sounding promising...