Thursday, June 30, 2011
Monday, June 5, 2011.
There are flood warnings in effect all over Montana because of the large amount of snow melt with this warm weather. The campground is really wet too because it has been raining for the last couple of days. the train beside the Sunrise Campground is loaded with cars of big, heavy rock called riprap for the flooding. They are expecting a lot because the snowpack was 270% above normal. We look at 2 houses tomorrow.
Saturday, June 3, 2011.
We went to the rodeo in Whitehall tonight. It is one of the steps to the the final rodeo in Las Vegas. We took Greta and she didn't know what to think about all of this horses. It was a Bucking Horse Rodeo, no bulls. One horse called lot Machine, received an 82.5, one of the highest points awarded. One horse fell down two times with a large rider on him. That rIder was allotted another ride. We haven't quite figured out how they score the horses.
Friday, June 2, 2011.
We left Mel's this morning and made it to Bridger Pass into Bozeman, Montana by 4:43PM. It is raining and extremely windy. in fact, it was windy all of the way up to here all day. daddy said he was having trouble keeping the coach on the road because all of the land is wide open to the winds. His arms actually ache from the effort. At 5:07 we actually arrived in Bozeman, Montana. WE ARE HERE AT LAST!!!!!!
We are staying at the Sunshine Campground right beside I -90. Now we need to start looking for property again. I still like the log cabin with the green metal roof in Ennis.
We are staying at the Sunshine Campground right beside I -90. Now we need to start looking for property again. I still like the log cabin with the green metal roof in Ennis.
Thursday, June 1,2011.
We stopped to visit Mel and Doris Gerhodlt's in Buffalo, Wyoming and had a really nice visit. Their dauschund, Fritz, really loved Greta. Poor Greta didn't understand what he was trying to do. And he is SO short, he couldn't reach her. Thank goodness! Boy am I glad I'm getting her fixed in Bozeman!
Mel suggested we all eat at the Bozeman Trail Inn in Big Horn, Wyoming. It was really good. Mel always wears his cowboy hat, jeans, boots and big buckles when he goes out. Then we went into Sheridan, Wyoming to visit the Histroic Sheridan Inn with the famous Buffalo Bill Saloon. Of course, we had to order drinks as if we were back in the late 1890's. The grand opening of this inn was on June 18, 1893. It was built by the Burlington and Missouri RaIlroads because the railroad came the previous year to carry all the coal, wheat and cattle. There needed to be a place to stay for the businessmen, so the inn was created. It cost $25,000 and its design was based on a hunting lodge that Thomas Kimball had visited in Scotland. It is also called the House of 69 Gables, The hand hewn beams are still visible in the dining room, lobby and saloon. The 3 fireplaces are built of the native cobblestone.
This was considered the finest hotel between Chicago and San Francisco. On the 2nd and 3rd floors were 64 sleeping rooms and a lobby, sitting room, dining room, kitchen and saloon on the first floor. The first electric lights turned on in Sheridan were in this Inn. Actually the lights originally came from a discarded threshing machine. The first running water in this area was here. It was pumped from a well located in the cellar to a holding tank on the thrd floor. The ladies had a bath on the second floor while the gentlemen had to bathe acroos the street. The first telephone was connected between the Inn and a drug store uptown. All of the guest rooms had steam heat also.
Whenever Col. Wm. F. Buffalo Bill Cody was in town he lived here at the Inn. In fact, from 1894 to 1902 the Inn was called the W. F. Cody Hotel Company because he was part owner. He would sit on the porch and auduiton acts for his Wild West show. His show depicted life in the west and featured lots of Indian culture. This show began here and also performed in Europe for several years. Many local cowboys and ranch hands auditioned for his show right on this porch.
The saloon's main attraction is its mahogany and oak bar which was made in England specifically for Sheridan. It was shipped to Huntley, Montana then brought to Sheridan by an ox-drawn wagon. Whenever a cowboy rode onto the porch and into the saloon it meant that "drinks were on the house".
The largest ballroom in the region is here inside the Inn. The Grand Ball was held here on June 23, 1893 when the Inn opened. Since many ranchers would spend gala weekends here, their wives would leave a trunk filled with their finest clothes ready for their next trip. In addition, the Inn ran a stagecoach from the Inn to downtown Sheridan. The inn had one of the wildest parties ever on the night before Prohibition in Wyoming. Even the liquor glasses were carried away as a souvenir. The waiters had to eventually serve liquor in teacups.
In the 72 years the Inn was a hotel, it had many famous guests. Among those were: Will Rogers, Charlie Russell, Ernest Hemingway, Bob Hope, Calamity Jane, Dr. Will Durant and Herbert Hoover. it was designated a National Historic Landmark by the U. S. Department of the Interior in 1964. It is an excellent illustration of the history of the west. In 1965, the Inn ceased its existence as a hotel. In 1967 just before it was to be knocked down and bulldozed away, Neltje Kings bought it because it represents our heritage, a symbol of all who believed in America to move west and created a life in the wilderness. It was their spirit which built the Inn. She wanted to preserve it for all of our nation and for our future generations. In December, 1990, the Sheridan Heritage Center bought the Inn and is now responsible for it's preservation. It has become a social gathering place for the community as it once was in the past. There are a variety of functions held here.
All of the creeks here are swollen also. They said 2 weeks ago it was all covered with snow! There are a couple of nice looking properties around Mel and Doris, but we are looking first around Bozeman, Montana for property; probably back into Ennis again where the log cabin is that we liked.
Mel has a couple of his son's horses in his pasture. Two are miniature horses and one isn't. He is trying to sell them. Greta didn't know what to think when she saw them. Here at Mel's I could let her run without a leash! She really liked that! Maybe we are all tired from being cooped up inside the RV. mel had us park the RV in his driveway. He owns many acres and the scenery is awesome!
Mel suggested we all eat at the Bozeman Trail Inn in Big Horn, Wyoming. It was really good. Mel always wears his cowboy hat, jeans, boots and big buckles when he goes out. Then we went into Sheridan, Wyoming to visit the Histroic Sheridan Inn with the famous Buffalo Bill Saloon. Of course, we had to order drinks as if we were back in the late 1890's. The grand opening of this inn was on June 18, 1893. It was built by the Burlington and Missouri RaIlroads because the railroad came the previous year to carry all the coal, wheat and cattle. There needed to be a place to stay for the businessmen, so the inn was created. It cost $25,000 and its design was based on a hunting lodge that Thomas Kimball had visited in Scotland. It is also called the House of 69 Gables, The hand hewn beams are still visible in the dining room, lobby and saloon. The 3 fireplaces are built of the native cobblestone.
This was considered the finest hotel between Chicago and San Francisco. On the 2nd and 3rd floors were 64 sleeping rooms and a lobby, sitting room, dining room, kitchen and saloon on the first floor. The first electric lights turned on in Sheridan were in this Inn. Actually the lights originally came from a discarded threshing machine. The first running water in this area was here. It was pumped from a well located in the cellar to a holding tank on the thrd floor. The ladies had a bath on the second floor while the gentlemen had to bathe acroos the street. The first telephone was connected between the Inn and a drug store uptown. All of the guest rooms had steam heat also.
Whenever Col. Wm. F. Buffalo Bill Cody was in town he lived here at the Inn. In fact, from 1894 to 1902 the Inn was called the W. F. Cody Hotel Company because he was part owner. He would sit on the porch and auduiton acts for his Wild West show. His show depicted life in the west and featured lots of Indian culture. This show began here and also performed in Europe for several years. Many local cowboys and ranch hands auditioned for his show right on this porch.
The saloon's main attraction is its mahogany and oak bar which was made in England specifically for Sheridan. It was shipped to Huntley, Montana then brought to Sheridan by an ox-drawn wagon. Whenever a cowboy rode onto the porch and into the saloon it meant that "drinks were on the house".
The largest ballroom in the region is here inside the Inn. The Grand Ball was held here on June 23, 1893 when the Inn opened. Since many ranchers would spend gala weekends here, their wives would leave a trunk filled with their finest clothes ready for their next trip. In addition, the Inn ran a stagecoach from the Inn to downtown Sheridan. The inn had one of the wildest parties ever on the night before Prohibition in Wyoming. Even the liquor glasses were carried away as a souvenir. The waiters had to eventually serve liquor in teacups.
In the 72 years the Inn was a hotel, it had many famous guests. Among those were: Will Rogers, Charlie Russell, Ernest Hemingway, Bob Hope, Calamity Jane, Dr. Will Durant and Herbert Hoover. it was designated a National Historic Landmark by the U. S. Department of the Interior in 1964. It is an excellent illustration of the history of the west. In 1965, the Inn ceased its existence as a hotel. In 1967 just before it was to be knocked down and bulldozed away, Neltje Kings bought it because it represents our heritage, a symbol of all who believed in America to move west and created a life in the wilderness. It was their spirit which built the Inn. She wanted to preserve it for all of our nation and for our future generations. In December, 1990, the Sheridan Heritage Center bought the Inn and is now responsible for it's preservation. It has become a social gathering place for the community as it once was in the past. There are a variety of functions held here.
All of the creeks here are swollen also. They said 2 weeks ago it was all covered with snow! There are a couple of nice looking properties around Mel and Doris, but we are looking first around Bozeman, Montana for property; probably back into Ennis again where the log cabin is that we liked.
Mel has a couple of his son's horses in his pasture. Two are miniature horses and one isn't. He is trying to sell them. Greta didn't know what to think when she saw them. Here at Mel's I could let her run without a leash! She really liked that! Maybe we are all tired from being cooped up inside the RV. mel had us park the RV in his driveway. He owns many acres and the scenery is awesome!
Wednesday, May 31, 2011.
Now we are in Gilett, South Dakota and are saying in a RV park. Found a restaurant called a Chop House with really delicious food. They use empty wine bottles and add a light to the top! Really unique! The waitress said to google wine light.com to order one. We are going to visit Mel and Doris tomorrow.
Tuesday, May 30, 2011.
We are in Mitchell, South Dakota and staying at a Walmart. it is raining, but we are making good time. Daddy got soaked from the wind blowing the rain under the overhang at the gas pumps. the rain was blowing sideways! At the Walmart I finally found strawberries to buy. haven't been able to find them since we left home.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
We left Highland, Illinois at 7:45AM and at 8:15 we crossed the Mississippi River. The Missouri River is flooded a quarter mile on each side! By 10:15AM our right front tire blew out! The angels must have been with us because the shoulder was very small and Daddy had to hold the wheel really tight to control the coach. If he had gone over on the shoulder another 6 inches we would have rolled over because the shoulder is a very steep drop off!
We had to sit on I-70 for 7 hours! Nobody could find a replacement tire until Tuesday AM! Our left tires are on the white line for the right driving lane of the interstate! Daddy called around and found a tire at a Love's Gas station 20 miles away! By 7:30PM we left the gas station with 2 brand new tires on the front of the coach. We saw a sign for Kansas City, Missouri 100 miles away,which is only 20 miles from Kansas. on a service road we found a RV Park called The Great Escape alongside I-70. Greta loved the walk on the next morning. She walked me all around their 2 ponds and all over the fields. I picked some big clover and a plant similar to the wild jimson weed from the cotton fields. It has a thick milky stalk, but the flower is lime green with lavender and small tiny oval shaped buds that open all along the shape. The flower doesn't resemble the jimson weed, but the leaves do.! carolyn would love it. I'm adding it to the magnolia bloom from Nashville. it's too big to press in a big ook. need to find out what it is. it seems to grow wild all over the roadside. The stem is thick and the thick leaves are similar to a hydrangea; but the flower is 1/3rd the size and lime green and lavendar. When Daddy walked Greta, she was so excited she knocked the trash out of his hands!
We had to sit on I-70 for 7 hours! Nobody could find a replacement tire until Tuesday AM! Our left tires are on the white line for the right driving lane of the interstate! Daddy called around and found a tire at a Love's Gas station 20 miles away! By 7:30PM we left the gas station with 2 brand new tires on the front of the coach. We saw a sign for Kansas City, Missouri 100 miles away,which is only 20 miles from Kansas. on a service road we found a RV Park called The Great Escape alongside I-70. Greta loved the walk on the next morning. She walked me all around their 2 ponds and all over the fields. I picked some big clover and a plant similar to the wild jimson weed from the cotton fields. It has a thick milky stalk, but the flower is lime green with lavender and small tiny oval shaped buds that open all along the shape. The flower doesn't resemble the jimson weed, but the leaves do.! carolyn would love it. I'm adding it to the magnolia bloom from Nashville. it's too big to press in a big ook. need to find out what it is. it seems to grow wild all over the roadside. The stem is thick and the thick leaves are similar to a hydrangea; but the flower is 1/3rd the size and lime green and lavendar. When Daddy walked Greta, she was so excited she knocked the trash out of his hands!
Friday, May 27, 2011.
We are getting a late start, but at least the A/C is fixed. We were able to drive to the outskirts of ST. Louis; actually it is Highland, Illinois just before the state line at a Walmart! At 5:15PM the RV turned 26,000 miles! At 6:15 we stopped for gas. we are actually making very good time, and on a holiday weekend! We have seen lots of flossing from the middle of Illinois on.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Leaving home at 6:19AM gave us a jump on the traffic. We stopped for gas at 7:50 and by 2:17 we ate lunch at Cracker Barrel. Greta has been adjusting nicely on this trip. She really enjoys sitting on the large dashboard because she can see people and birds. She hates to be left alone and really cried when we went I to Cracker Barrel. Daddy ate haddock and veggies and I had chicken and dumplings.
The coach has been very warm, so we are stopping at a Freight Liner to check out the A/C. They are open until midnight, but we are on the books for tomorrow morning. So they allowed us to stay overnight on their parking lot.
While they were fixing the coach we went to Costco and Walmart. Daddy bought a new computer at Costco because his laptop is not working correctly. We ate pizza and a hot dog for lunch. Then we stopped by the Grand Ole Opry to see what kind of tickets we could obtain for tonight's show. There weren't any good tickets left; maybe because it's a holiday weekend. I picked a big magnolia bloom almost ready to open. It smells heavenly! Sure wish I could have a magnolia tree at home!
Since we can't obtain decent tickets for the Opry, we are going to leave after the coach is fixed. The only traffic we have hit so far was coming into Nashville.
The coach has been very warm, so we are stopping at a Freight Liner to check out the A/C. They are open until midnight, but we are on the books for tomorrow morning. So they allowed us to stay overnight on their parking lot.
While they were fixing the coach we went to Costco and Walmart. Daddy bought a new computer at Costco because his laptop is not working correctly. We ate pizza and a hot dog for lunch. Then we stopped by the Grand Ole Opry to see what kind of tickets we could obtain for tonight's show. There weren't any good tickets left; maybe because it's a holiday weekend. I picked a big magnolia bloom almost ready to open. It smells heavenly! Sure wish I could have a magnolia tree at home!
Since we can't obtain decent tickets for the Opry, we are going to leave after the coach is fixed. The only traffic we have hit so far was coming into Nashville.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Friday, May 20, 2011.
Breakfast was outside on the roof of the clubhouse with an awesome view of the Acropolis! They had tables with umbrellas, planters with 18" tall olive trees, 12" tall rosemary and shrubs planted all around the exterior walls. This breakfast comes with the room and it is sort of a continental breakfast.
This morning we walked to the market where they actually butcher the meat with cleavers right in front of you to your specifications. There are no electric saws or blades. The chickens are hanging up by their feet with their heads still on, but no feathers!!! We saw pigs' feet and a small pig hanging up also. Many lambs are hanging up by their feet without their wool, but still having their heads with their eyes staring out! Creepy! At the seafood market there are every variety of fish you can imagine! Also, clams, mussels, shrimp, oysters, squid, calamari, octopus, eels, etc. Pigeons and very well mannered dogs walk all around. None of the dogs are skinny.
Then we started the extremely long walk up to the Parthenon built for Athena with several stops up the steep slopes! There are cafes along the way offering respite! The Parthenon is actually cordoned off; you are not allowed to walk on or touch the marble! When Daddy was here in 1971- 1972 during the Vietnam War you could walk all over the Parthenon. He was really disappointed! You can see the Myrotoan Sea and the harbor of Pireus where our ship had docked from up here. In fact, Acropolis in Greek means the highest point in town. The cost of the Acropolis was 469 times the cost of a warship! The Parthenon was originally built as Athenos Parthenos in 447-432BC.The one building on the side of the Parthenon has statues of Greek women and a huge olive tree that might be from when it was built since olive trees live forever.
We stopped at the Elixiras restaurant where they advertise meals made fresh from the countryside from old traditional recipes. I ordered Dolmades, which are grape vine leaves stuffed with rice and fresh minced meat sprinkled with dill. It was delicious! Then we walked back to the hotel to rest. It's been a long day only because of walking the steep hills. It was amazing to see how large the Acropolis is. The stadium we could see from the top of the Acropolis was the Theater of Dionysis. The Acropolis has not been rebuilt since it was bombed when the Turks stored their munitions there. You can still see the buttresses supporting the wall around the Acropolis! On our tour we have seen 9 cats, 2 kittens and many dogs. The dogs are always asleep in the shade.
Greece has the most ancient archeological sites with the Acropolis in Athens, the amphitheatrer of Epidaurus, the rebuilt palace of Knossos on Crete, the caldera of Santorini and the gray pinnacles of rock of Meteora. The sun rises above the Aegean Sea and sets over the mountains. Athens borders the Myrotaon Sea which flows from the Sea of Crete and the Aegean Sea. The Ionian Sea only flows into maybe 1/10th of it. We sailed from the Mediterranean Sea to the Adriatic Sea through the Ionian Sea to the Aegean Sea back to the Mediterranean Sea to Egypt and back through the Ionian Sea to the Sea of Crete and then Athens. The Delphi is the oracle near Mount Parnassos and Olympia on the island of Peloponnese. Homer's "Iliad" praises the Greek expedition to recapture the beautiful Helen of Troy led by the Mycean King Agamemnon. Troy fell as well as the Myceans to the mysterious invaders called Dorians!
A Greek politician said "a pot of basil may symbolize the soul of a people better than a play of Aeschylus." Every house has several pots of basil; they are displayed on every table in a cafe or restaurant too. They are clipped in perfect ball shapes and there are more pots of basil in Athens than there are cell phones!!!
The National Garden archway is covered with many tiny white roses climbing all over. There are also acanthus flowers, which they have carved into the columns, bridal wreath, pittosporum and many palms. The shrubs, trees and flowers are from all over the world. On the side of the National Garden where they needed to excavate for the Metro, they found the ruins of a Roman bath. They have left part of it visible for everyone to view. The rest will remain under the National Gardens.Then you pass by Hadrian's arch. In front of the Olympian Terrace is Zeus' Temple with only 13 columns remaining. They are of Corinthian style and some are just laying on the ground. You can see how they pieced the column together with each one a tiny bit smaller than the one it sits on. Olympia is surrounded by a tall wall. You can only see 3 columns no; but the excavations are still going on, and they will uncover more.
The following is a history of Greece to provide a basis of understanding for the present country and culture: Greece is the cradle of Democracy and the nursery of western art and archeology. Greece consists of 15 provinces or states: Thrace, Macedonia, Zagori, Epirus, Thessaly, Sporades, Central Greece, Ionian Islands, Peloponnese, Saronic Gulf Islands, Cyclades, Dodecanese and Northeast Aegean Islands and Crete. From 1453-1832 Greece was constantly occupied by Turks, Venetians and Franks. In 1832, the Great Powers (England, France, Italy and Russia) gave Greece their independence and sent a Bavarian princelet, Otto, to be King of the Hellenes. At the end of the 19th century Greece made Athens its capital, but most of what today is Greece was still ruled by the Turks and Italians. The Balkan Wars in 1912 allowed Greece to annex Epirus, Macedonia, Thrace and the large islands of Samos, Chiros and Crete. After WWI Greece attacked the Turks, but failed and the slaughter was called "Catastrophe". Greece and the Turks agreed to a population exchange: 1.5 million Greeks had to return to Greece and 500,000 Turks had to leave Greece. Now a small Greek Muslim population lives in Thrace.
The simple Greek megaron became the temples and basilicas of later civilizations, and our football and soccer stadiums mimic the Greek stadiums. The theater layouts of stage, wings and orchestras are all descended from the Greeks. Our shopping malls are designed like the Greek side by side shops. Even our pot and pan shapes are derived from the Greeks. The frescoe walls and red tiled roofs are all Greek in origin.
700,000-3000BC. Stone Age. Stone & obsidian knives & tools; human remains in Macedonia
3000-1500BC. Bronze Age. Anatoli(Turkey) invades; bronze workings and 1st palace found
1700BC. Huge earthquake on Crete destroys Minoans
1600-1100BC. Rise of Myceans; Dorian invasion
1450BC. Santorini volcano erupted; destroys as far away as Crete
Geometric Archeological period
1000-600BC. City-states formed;writing, coinage and trade invented
776BC. 1st Olympic games
700-500BC. Tyrants rule
525-485BC. Athenian democracy; Euripedes and Sophocles; marble & bronze building
490-480BC. 1st Persian Wars; Xerxes- emperor of Persia invades Greece; burns Acropolis, written in Herodotes
461-429BC. Under Pericles, Athens rebuilds Parthenon
Mid 5-4c. Classical era Rise of Philip of Macedonia; ancient Greek monuments built; Greek democracy born
431-404BC. Peloponnesian Wars, Athens and Sparta spar, Athens falls
430-428BC. Great plague kills 1000s and Pericles; Sophocles sentenced to death, drinks hemlock
4-1 century. Hellenistic era. Rise of Philip of Macedonia's son, Alexander the Great
338BC. Battle of Chaironeia, Greece defeated by Philip of Macedonia
336BC. Alexander the Great reigns over all from Egypt to India at age 23
323BC. Alexander the Great dies; Babylon successors squander his kingdom
146BC. Rome defeats Greece
2c-3cAD. Rome rules Greece, Egypt, Europe, North Africa, Asia Minor
168AD. Rome conquers Macedonia
50-200AD. New Testament written in Greek, John wrote Revelations on Patmos
324AD. Constantine moves capital of Rome to Byzantium on the Bosphorus; Greece belongs to Roman Empire
Made Christianity the favored religion
328AD. Roman Empire and Constantine the Great
Late 3cAD. Roman Empire divided into east and west
4c-15cAD. Byzantine era
1204AD. 4th Crusades, moves capital to Byzantium
1453AD. Constantinople falls to the Sultan of Turkey; 350 years of Turkish rule
1571AD. Turkish fleet destroyed by Italy, Greece, Sicily and Spain
This morning we walked to the market where they actually butcher the meat with cleavers right in front of you to your specifications. There are no electric saws or blades. The chickens are hanging up by their feet with their heads still on, but no feathers!!! We saw pigs' feet and a small pig hanging up also. Many lambs are hanging up by their feet without their wool, but still having their heads with their eyes staring out! Creepy! At the seafood market there are every variety of fish you can imagine! Also, clams, mussels, shrimp, oysters, squid, calamari, octopus, eels, etc. Pigeons and very well mannered dogs walk all around. None of the dogs are skinny.
Then we started the extremely long walk up to the Parthenon built for Athena with several stops up the steep slopes! There are cafes along the way offering respite! The Parthenon is actually cordoned off; you are not allowed to walk on or touch the marble! When Daddy was here in 1971- 1972 during the Vietnam War you could walk all over the Parthenon. He was really disappointed! You can see the Myrotoan Sea and the harbor of Pireus where our ship had docked from up here. In fact, Acropolis in Greek means the highest point in town. The cost of the Acropolis was 469 times the cost of a warship! The Parthenon was originally built as Athenos Parthenos in 447-432BC.The one building on the side of the Parthenon has statues of Greek women and a huge olive tree that might be from when it was built since olive trees live forever.
We stopped at the Elixiras restaurant where they advertise meals made fresh from the countryside from old traditional recipes. I ordered Dolmades, which are grape vine leaves stuffed with rice and fresh minced meat sprinkled with dill. It was delicious! Then we walked back to the hotel to rest. It's been a long day only because of walking the steep hills. It was amazing to see how large the Acropolis is. The stadium we could see from the top of the Acropolis was the Theater of Dionysis. The Acropolis has not been rebuilt since it was bombed when the Turks stored their munitions there. You can still see the buttresses supporting the wall around the Acropolis! On our tour we have seen 9 cats, 2 kittens and many dogs. The dogs are always asleep in the shade.
Greece has the most ancient archeological sites with the Acropolis in Athens, the amphitheatrer of Epidaurus, the rebuilt palace of Knossos on Crete, the caldera of Santorini and the gray pinnacles of rock of Meteora. The sun rises above the Aegean Sea and sets over the mountains. Athens borders the Myrotaon Sea which flows from the Sea of Crete and the Aegean Sea. The Ionian Sea only flows into maybe 1/10th of it. We sailed from the Mediterranean Sea to the Adriatic Sea through the Ionian Sea to the Aegean Sea back to the Mediterranean Sea to Egypt and back through the Ionian Sea to the Sea of Crete and then Athens. The Delphi is the oracle near Mount Parnassos and Olympia on the island of Peloponnese. Homer's "Iliad" praises the Greek expedition to recapture the beautiful Helen of Troy led by the Mycean King Agamemnon. Troy fell as well as the Myceans to the mysterious invaders called Dorians!
A Greek politician said "a pot of basil may symbolize the soul of a people better than a play of Aeschylus." Every house has several pots of basil; they are displayed on every table in a cafe or restaurant too. They are clipped in perfect ball shapes and there are more pots of basil in Athens than there are cell phones!!!
The National Garden archway is covered with many tiny white roses climbing all over. There are also acanthus flowers, which they have carved into the columns, bridal wreath, pittosporum and many palms. The shrubs, trees and flowers are from all over the world. On the side of the National Garden where they needed to excavate for the Metro, they found the ruins of a Roman bath. They have left part of it visible for everyone to view. The rest will remain under the National Gardens.Then you pass by Hadrian's arch. In front of the Olympian Terrace is Zeus' Temple with only 13 columns remaining. They are of Corinthian style and some are just laying on the ground. You can see how they pieced the column together with each one a tiny bit smaller than the one it sits on. Olympia is surrounded by a tall wall. You can only see 3 columns no; but the excavations are still going on, and they will uncover more.
The following is a history of Greece to provide a basis of understanding for the present country and culture: Greece is the cradle of Democracy and the nursery of western art and archeology. Greece consists of 15 provinces or states: Thrace, Macedonia, Zagori, Epirus, Thessaly, Sporades, Central Greece, Ionian Islands, Peloponnese, Saronic Gulf Islands, Cyclades, Dodecanese and Northeast Aegean Islands and Crete. From 1453-1832 Greece was constantly occupied by Turks, Venetians and Franks. In 1832, the Great Powers (England, France, Italy and Russia) gave Greece their independence and sent a Bavarian princelet, Otto, to be King of the Hellenes. At the end of the 19th century Greece made Athens its capital, but most of what today is Greece was still ruled by the Turks and Italians. The Balkan Wars in 1912 allowed Greece to annex Epirus, Macedonia, Thrace and the large islands of Samos, Chiros and Crete. After WWI Greece attacked the Turks, but failed and the slaughter was called "Catastrophe". Greece and the Turks agreed to a population exchange: 1.5 million Greeks had to return to Greece and 500,000 Turks had to leave Greece. Now a small Greek Muslim population lives in Thrace.
The simple Greek megaron became the temples and basilicas of later civilizations, and our football and soccer stadiums mimic the Greek stadiums. The theater layouts of stage, wings and orchestras are all descended from the Greeks. Our shopping malls are designed like the Greek side by side shops. Even our pot and pan shapes are derived from the Greeks. The frescoe walls and red tiled roofs are all Greek in origin.
700,000-3000BC. Stone Age. Stone & obsidian knives & tools; human remains in Macedonia
3000-1500BC. Bronze Age. Anatoli(Turkey) invades; bronze workings and 1st palace found
1700BC. Huge earthquake on Crete destroys Minoans
1600-1100BC. Rise of Myceans; Dorian invasion
1450BC. Santorini volcano erupted; destroys as far away as Crete
Geometric Archeological period
1000-600BC. City-states formed;writing, coinage and trade invented
776BC. 1st Olympic games
700-500BC. Tyrants rule
525-485BC. Athenian democracy; Euripedes and Sophocles; marble & bronze building
490-480BC. 1st Persian Wars; Xerxes- emperor of Persia invades Greece; burns Acropolis, written in Herodotes
461-429BC. Under Pericles, Athens rebuilds Parthenon
Mid 5-4c. Classical era Rise of Philip of Macedonia; ancient Greek monuments built; Greek democracy born
431-404BC. Peloponnesian Wars, Athens and Sparta spar, Athens falls
430-428BC. Great plague kills 1000s and Pericles; Sophocles sentenced to death, drinks hemlock
4-1 century. Hellenistic era. Rise of Philip of Macedonia's son, Alexander the Great
338BC. Battle of Chaironeia, Greece defeated by Philip of Macedonia
336BC. Alexander the Great reigns over all from Egypt to India at age 23
323BC. Alexander the Great dies; Babylon successors squander his kingdom
146BC. Rome defeats Greece
2c-3cAD. Rome rules Greece, Egypt, Europe, North Africa, Asia Minor
168AD. Rome conquers Macedonia
50-200AD. New Testament written in Greek, John wrote Revelations on Patmos
324AD. Constantine moves capital of Rome to Byzantium on the Bosphorus; Greece belongs to Roman Empire
Made Christianity the favored religion
328AD. Roman Empire and Constantine the Great
Late 3cAD. Roman Empire divided into east and west
4c-15cAD. Byzantine era
1204AD. 4th Crusades, moves capital to Byzantium
1453AD. Constantinople falls to the Sultan of Turkey; 350 years of Turkish rule
1571AD. Turkish fleet destroyed by Italy, Greece, Sicily and Spain
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Thursday, May 19, 2011, Athens, Greece.
We disembarked from the Princess Ship this morning and took a taxi to the hotel-Intercontinental Athenium. It Is upscale and we upgraded for 54E extra per day to gain access to the clubhouse that has free food all day; a special lobby with wifi and Internet. Really nice. The room has an awesome bathtub with marble all around. It is so nice after being on ship with a shower. The bed has 350 thread count percale sheets! The hotel supplies a free shuttle bus to the downtown area called Plaka. We met a couple from Victoria, Australia, not far from Renmark, where the McLean couple from the cruise are from.
It started raining so we found a small restaurant on a side street.It is outside under awnings and the pigeons are walking all around eating crumbs dropped from the tables. On the walk here we saw many fat, lazy big dogs asleep beside the buildings. maybe they are waiting for their masters to come out of the shops! We ordered a very good Greek red table wine and they gave us refills for 1E extra. Then we ordered chicken kebobs on a pita with yogurt, grilled tomatoes, green peppers and French fires. This area is a shopping district with all kinds of stores: shoes, many Gucci purses, Gap, Sephora, undergarments, Starbucks, Diesel, White House, Black Market. They have an unusual alphabet; some of their symbols stand for several of our letters together. The waiter said they had no desserts- but he went and found some baklava from another vendor for me! Daddy told him he needs to join capitalism. Buy baklava for 1E and sell it for 5E! It was delicious!!! Not as sweet as the ship's; therefore, it is better! Daddy then ordered an ouzo, I thought for him; but no, he wanted to Serbia I could handle it. The waiter added bottled water to it. it was very good, an anise flavor!
It started raining so we found a small restaurant on a side street.It is outside under awnings and the pigeons are walking all around eating crumbs dropped from the tables. On the walk here we saw many fat, lazy big dogs asleep beside the buildings. maybe they are waiting for their masters to come out of the shops! We ordered a very good Greek red table wine and they gave us refills for 1E extra. Then we ordered chicken kebobs on a pita with yogurt, grilled tomatoes, green peppers and French fires. This area is a shopping district with all kinds of stores: shoes, many Gucci purses, Gap, Sephora, undergarments, Starbucks, Diesel, White House, Black Market. They have an unusual alphabet; some of their symbols stand for several of our letters together. The waiter said they had no desserts- but he went and found some baklava from another vendor for me! Daddy told him he needs to join capitalism. Buy baklava for 1E and sell it for 5E! It was delicious!!! Not as sweet as the ship's; therefore, it is better! Daddy then ordered an ouzo, I thought for him; but no, he wanted to Serbia I could handle it. The waiter added bottled water to it. it was very good, an anise flavor!
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Wednesday, May 18, 2011.
We dropped anchor in the Thira Bay off of Santorini, Greece and took liberty boats into the island. Before civilized towns there was a group of Minoans on Crete with a highly developed culture that traded all over the Mediterranean and made bronze tools and knives. They built huge palaces with indoor plumbing and colorful walls. Their designs which were free and flowing were adopted by the Trojans and Greeks. Centuries ago this bay was called Thera and shaped like a round cone. Before 1600BC the volcano erupted with the center of the island exploding out. The resulting tidal wave washed over the Minoan culture on northern Crete. They never recovered. The caldera that is left makes a natural harbor. This is where our ship is anchored. On the other side of the island they are close to trade with Africa, Egypt, Algeria, France and Italy. This aided in their survival for many centuries. The cliffs rise quickly from the water to great heights. The highest point is where they built ST. Elias Monastery. I believe every house has a view that is incredible.
In 1967 excavations revealed a large settlement of 30,000 inhabitants at Akritiri very similar to the Minoans but no preserved bodies were found. They had toilets and hot and cold running water. They have also found evidence of the ice age here. The layers of rock show colored layers of lava, slag, ash and pumice stone. From the largest eruption they uncovered charcoal of an olive tree from before the eruption. Between the 2 volcanoes there is a hot sulphur springs. It appears there may have been a large land mass between Thera and Crete; maybe the lost continent of Atlantis from Greek literature. The island was repopulated quickly. Egyptians used it for their ships. There are remnants of Roman buildings and Christian churches. In 1204 during the 4th Crusades Italian knights came to name the church Saint Ireni. In 1209 Venetian nobles came. In 1579 the Ottoman Empire took over. The last volcanic eruption was in 1929. In 1950 smoke came out, but not any lava. In 1956 an earthquake destroyed 80% of the homes and those people left. The houses up on the cliffs that are carved into the pumice stone are the only houses that are earthquake proof. That stone bends with the earth.
Santorini is having an unusually cold spell. By this time of the year their flowers are usually dried up. But now their flowers are in full bloom and they also had an unusually long and cold winter. The mountain on which these flowers are blooming is made of pumice stone from the volcano and it was used to built the Suez Canal. Now vineyards grow all over it's slopes because the soil is acidic. They keep the vineyards low because the winds from the July and August storms will blow the grapes away. The only precipitation they receive in the spring is in the morning from the fog. In the summer they only need 3 rain storms to fill up the cisterns under their houses. They use this water to irrigate their crops. In the winter most of the vineyards are in the clouds for weeks. In the 1980s they went for 7 years without any rain.
Santorini has a 12,000 year old vineyard variety from 1626 years before Christ. Between 1840 and 1845 Europe lost all of their vineyards, but Santorini didn't. In fact, Santorini was the first to start producing organic wines. In 1885, 80% of their wine was exported to Russia after the Ottomans opened the Bosporus. They are known for their wines. Their ascetico wine is like a dry Riesling and it is exported. They leave the white grapes in the sun for 14 days to dry to make the wine. They do not use mechanical presses. This becomes their sweet dessert wine. In the summer they drink a light red wine. The dry red wine is a mablodragono.
The farmers use the rain water collected in the 2 cisterns under the houses to irrigate their crops. They grow grapes, olives, zucchini, cherry tomatoes and garlic. A lot of the time their rain is mixed with sand from the Sahara Desert and is rose tinted. Therefore, they only drink imported bottled water. Every farmer has two to three donkeys because they can handle the narrow steep paths to the fields on the terraced mountain sides. One donkey only makes 3 or 4 trips, then they switch to another donkey. After 2 months of working, the donkeys are given 30 days of field rest. Some of the farmers would enjoy being a donkey in their next life!!! Also these donkeys do not have to wear any iron shoes.
During the summer is their high tourist season. Because of their heat many tourists turn up the air conditioners and the electric for the island cannot keep up. They usually have black outs throughout the summers. From early November to March most of the tourists are usually Asian. The island is not crowded this time of year. The beaches are all black sand and gravel from the volcanoes. I cannot imagine laying on a beach towel by the water! The water off the coast is basically fished out. The seafood is very slowly coming back.
Easter is the Greek Orthodox New Year. They traditionally eat a soup made from the veggies of the land and BBQ lamb. The houses have replicas of the Saint Ireni Chapel. This island has 45 churches and on Good Friday every one of them are illuminated.
In 1967 excavations revealed a large settlement of 30,000 inhabitants at Akritiri very similar to the Minoans but no preserved bodies were found. They had toilets and hot and cold running water. They have also found evidence of the ice age here. The layers of rock show colored layers of lava, slag, ash and pumice stone. From the largest eruption they uncovered charcoal of an olive tree from before the eruption. Between the 2 volcanoes there is a hot sulphur springs. It appears there may have been a large land mass between Thera and Crete; maybe the lost continent of Atlantis from Greek literature. The island was repopulated quickly. Egyptians used it for their ships. There are remnants of Roman buildings and Christian churches. In 1204 during the 4th Crusades Italian knights came to name the church Saint Ireni. In 1209 Venetian nobles came. In 1579 the Ottoman Empire took over. The last volcanic eruption was in 1929. In 1950 smoke came out, but not any lava. In 1956 an earthquake destroyed 80% of the homes and those people left. The houses up on the cliffs that are carved into the pumice stone are the only houses that are earthquake proof. That stone bends with the earth.
Santorini is having an unusually cold spell. By this time of the year their flowers are usually dried up. But now their flowers are in full bloom and they also had an unusually long and cold winter. The mountain on which these flowers are blooming is made of pumice stone from the volcano and it was used to built the Suez Canal. Now vineyards grow all over it's slopes because the soil is acidic. They keep the vineyards low because the winds from the July and August storms will blow the grapes away. The only precipitation they receive in the spring is in the morning from the fog. In the summer they only need 3 rain storms to fill up the cisterns under their houses. They use this water to irrigate their crops. In the winter most of the vineyards are in the clouds for weeks. In the 1980s they went for 7 years without any rain.
Santorini has a 12,000 year old vineyard variety from 1626 years before Christ. Between 1840 and 1845 Europe lost all of their vineyards, but Santorini didn't. In fact, Santorini was the first to start producing organic wines. In 1885, 80% of their wine was exported to Russia after the Ottomans opened the Bosporus. They are known for their wines. Their ascetico wine is like a dry Riesling and it is exported. They leave the white grapes in the sun for 14 days to dry to make the wine. They do not use mechanical presses. This becomes their sweet dessert wine. In the summer they drink a light red wine. The dry red wine is a mablodragono.
The farmers use the rain water collected in the 2 cisterns under the houses to irrigate their crops. They grow grapes, olives, zucchini, cherry tomatoes and garlic. A lot of the time their rain is mixed with sand from the Sahara Desert and is rose tinted. Therefore, they only drink imported bottled water. Every farmer has two to three donkeys because they can handle the narrow steep paths to the fields on the terraced mountain sides. One donkey only makes 3 or 4 trips, then they switch to another donkey. After 2 months of working, the donkeys are given 30 days of field rest. Some of the farmers would enjoy being a donkey in their next life!!! Also these donkeys do not have to wear any iron shoes.
During the summer is their high tourist season. Because of their heat many tourists turn up the air conditioners and the electric for the island cannot keep up. They usually have black outs throughout the summers. From early November to March most of the tourists are usually Asian. The island is not crowded this time of year. The beaches are all black sand and gravel from the volcanoes. I cannot imagine laying on a beach towel by the water! The water off the coast is basically fished out. The seafood is very slowly coming back.
Easter is the Greek Orthodox New Year. They traditionally eat a soup made from the veggies of the land and BBQ lamb. The houses have replicas of the Saint Ireni Chapel. This island has 45 churches and on Good Friday every one of them are illuminated.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Monday, 5/16/11
Today we pulled into Alexandria, Egypt. Alexandria was originally an island in the Mediterranean connected to the mainland by a bridge. It is the largest and oldest port in Egypt. The harbor entrance is the Fortress of Quait Bay which is a 15th century medieval castle on the old Pharos Lighthouse. Nearby is Ras El Tin Palace, the summer residence of kings. King Farouk signed his abdication papers there. Alexander the Great founded the library as a clearinghouse of the world's knowledge. He is buried here. This is the second largest city in the Roman Empire and the second largest in present day Egypt. It is also the capital of Egypt. Before the 3rd century, Egypt was ruled by Greece and Pharaohs. In the 3rd century Alexandria was under the Roman Empire until the Ottoman Empire conquered it in the 7th century and trade ceased. The Christians arrived in Egypt in the 4th century. By the 19th century the trade was finally revived. Mohammed Ali helped Egypt fight off the French soldiers in the 19th century. On July 23, 1952 Egypt revolted, had King Farouk sign an abdication, and became a republic with a President. Another revolt erupted on January 25, 2011. In September they will elect a new Parliament and in December they will elect a new President. Now the people realize they need the police that belonged to the previous government under Mubarak. At first they policed themselves, but they still have to work and can't do both. But there's a feeling of hope now that Mubarak is gone.
Alexandria is the result of the Nile River Delta Valley, the first place civilization developed. Egypt is called the Gift of the Nile because the river bestows rich life along its banks. The Nile River starts at Lake Victoria in Africa which floods from the snowmelt of Africa's greatest mountains into the White Nile River. The rotted vegetation flows down through Sudan and merges with the Blue Nile River flowing from Ethiopia's Lake Taua with nitrates and phosphates. This is the perfect fertilizer. Every year the Nile floods in a 7-9 foot width all along its banks and adds rich silt to the fields.
In 3100BC the ancients developed a reliable calendar by watching the sun and moon. Within one generation, they developed written numbers, letters, accounting, geometry, architecture, astronomy, reservoirs, canals, and taxation. The labor before 2200BC on the pyramids was not by slaves, but by farmers and craftsmen who needed jobs when the Nile flooded. This ensured the entire society was at work during the off season.
The Mosque of Mursi Abul Abbas is the largest with 4 domes and a minaret. Egyptians are mostly Muslim. Muslims must pray 5 times a day and must clean their whole body before they pray. Then they must kneel and face the east to pray. The minaret sends out a chant over a loudspeaker when it is time to pray. The devout stop what they are doing and prepare themselves for prayer.
Pompey's Pillar is really a Roman Memorial column dedicated to Diocletian; it is not Pompey's tomb.
In 31 BC Julius Caesar entered Egypt and married Cleopatra, who was the ruler at 16 years of age. They had a son, Caesarium. But Romans killed Julius Caesar and Cleopatra and her son had to be smuggled inside a carpet back to Egypt. Then Cleopatra married Marc Antony. He was killed; then she took her life and left a 13 year old son who was killed also. Then Egypt came completely under Roman rule.
The catacombs in Alexandria were built by a Roman family who adopted the Egyptian style, but added a banquet hall because family and friends that visited would stay all day. They brought food from home and broke pottery when finished. It was okay to bring pottery in, but wouldn't take it back to their house because it had been near the dead. In the banquet hall are 3 benches for the family to sit and lay down on because they always reclined when they ate. For the first 100 years it was private. After that it was opened for anyone. the Greeks and Romans cremated the bodies, but in the catacombs are mummies. The Greeks and Romans wanted to be like the royals and pharaohs, so they started doing mummies. The catacombs has a central shaft. Leading to 3 underground levels; but you cn only access the top 2 levels because an underground stream has deteriorated the 3rd level. Once it was discovered everybody started using it as a cemetery.
We drove through the streets and saw many markets. they stack their wares on the sidewalks and streets so full it's difficult for the bus to pass by without hitting them. You can buy anything here: bread, sponges, clothing, veggies, fruits, purses, shawls, curtains, etc.
Khakotis Village is one of Upper Egypt's towns which Alexander the Great built in 293AD. First the Christians lived here, then it became a Greek community. The Egyptians worshipped animals. The Greeks worshipped animals in a human form. Pompey's Pillar was the highest and largest when it was built. It was made in Aswan and floated down the Nile when it flooded to Aleaxandria. The Greco-Roman Museum used to be a private home in 1922. It was sold to the American Embassy in 1952.
In 3000BC Egypt was divided into 2 countries: Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt. This was the time when writing started. It encompassed the old, middle and new kingdoms with the intermediate periods scattered in between when Egyot was attacked many times by the Asians, but not occupied. Queen Hatshepsut was the princess of Moses I. Moses II married his half sister to be able to rule legally. She was 20 and he was 69. She started to wear the double crown to represent both upper and lower Egypt. She reigned for 22 years and it was the most peaceful time Egypt had known. When she died her stepson scratched out her name everywhere.
The Persians were the first people to attack and occupy Egypt. When Alexander the Great arrived in Egypt he told them he was the son of their god, Amon, so they would accept him. Then he helped them defeat the Persians. ST. Mark was the first Christian to visit Egypt and spread Christianity. In the 4th century AD Christians were allowed to practice their religion. They were called Coptic Christians. In the 7th century AD the Arabs entered bringing Islamic culture with them. They made Cairo the capitol.
Alexandria is the result of the Nile River Delta Valley, the first place civilization developed. Egypt is called the Gift of the Nile because the river bestows rich life along its banks. The Nile River starts at Lake Victoria in Africa which floods from the snowmelt of Africa's greatest mountains into the White Nile River. The rotted vegetation flows down through Sudan and merges with the Blue Nile River flowing from Ethiopia's Lake Taua with nitrates and phosphates. This is the perfect fertilizer. Every year the Nile floods in a 7-9 foot width all along its banks and adds rich silt to the fields.
In 3100BC the ancients developed a reliable calendar by watching the sun and moon. Within one generation, they developed written numbers, letters, accounting, geometry, architecture, astronomy, reservoirs, canals, and taxation. The labor before 2200BC on the pyramids was not by slaves, but by farmers and craftsmen who needed jobs when the Nile flooded. This ensured the entire society was at work during the off season.
The Mosque of Mursi Abul Abbas is the largest with 4 domes and a minaret. Egyptians are mostly Muslim. Muslims must pray 5 times a day and must clean their whole body before they pray. Then they must kneel and face the east to pray. The minaret sends out a chant over a loudspeaker when it is time to pray. The devout stop what they are doing and prepare themselves for prayer.
Pompey's Pillar is really a Roman Memorial column dedicated to Diocletian; it is not Pompey's tomb.
In 31 BC Julius Caesar entered Egypt and married Cleopatra, who was the ruler at 16 years of age. They had a son, Caesarium. But Romans killed Julius Caesar and Cleopatra and her son had to be smuggled inside a carpet back to Egypt. Then Cleopatra married Marc Antony. He was killed; then she took her life and left a 13 year old son who was killed also. Then Egypt came completely under Roman rule.
The catacombs in Alexandria were built by a Roman family who adopted the Egyptian style, but added a banquet hall because family and friends that visited would stay all day. They brought food from home and broke pottery when finished. It was okay to bring pottery in, but wouldn't take it back to their house because it had been near the dead. In the banquet hall are 3 benches for the family to sit and lay down on because they always reclined when they ate. For the first 100 years it was private. After that it was opened for anyone. the Greeks and Romans cremated the bodies, but in the catacombs are mummies. The Greeks and Romans wanted to be like the royals and pharaohs, so they started doing mummies. The catacombs has a central shaft. Leading to 3 underground levels; but you cn only access the top 2 levels because an underground stream has deteriorated the 3rd level. Once it was discovered everybody started using it as a cemetery.
We drove through the streets and saw many markets. they stack their wares on the sidewalks and streets so full it's difficult for the bus to pass by without hitting them. You can buy anything here: bread, sponges, clothing, veggies, fruits, purses, shawls, curtains, etc.
Khakotis Village is one of Upper Egypt's towns which Alexander the Great built in 293AD. First the Christians lived here, then it became a Greek community. The Egyptians worshipped animals. The Greeks worshipped animals in a human form. Pompey's Pillar was the highest and largest when it was built. It was made in Aswan and floated down the Nile when it flooded to Aleaxandria. The Greco-Roman Museum used to be a private home in 1922. It was sold to the American Embassy in 1952.
In 3000BC Egypt was divided into 2 countries: Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt. This was the time when writing started. It encompassed the old, middle and new kingdoms with the intermediate periods scattered in between when Egyot was attacked many times by the Asians, but not occupied. Queen Hatshepsut was the princess of Moses I. Moses II married his half sister to be able to rule legally. She was 20 and he was 69. She started to wear the double crown to represent both upper and lower Egypt. She reigned for 22 years and it was the most peaceful time Egypt had known. When she died her stepson scratched out her name everywhere.
The Persians were the first people to attack and occupy Egypt. When Alexander the Great arrived in Egypt he told them he was the son of their god, Amon, so they would accept him. Then he helped them defeat the Persians. ST. Mark was the first Christian to visit Egypt and spread Christianity. In the 4th century AD Christians were allowed to practice their religion. They were called Coptic Christians. In the 7th century AD the Arabs entered bringing Islamic culture with them. They made Cairo the capitol.
Sunday 5/15/11
Today the ship docked at Port Said, Egypt. Most of the passengers were taking tours into Cairo. We have already been there, so we stayed on the ship. It was extremely warm out anyway. Ray and Carol went on a tour of the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx. The buses were put into a caravan with the military stopping traffic to enable the buses to stay together. We are the first Princess ship to enter Egypt since their unrest started. The Egyptians protect their tourism.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Saturday, 5/14/11
Up on the Mount Beatitudes a church was built to mark the spot where Jesus did all of His teachings. Here He did the 8 Beatitudes and the church is on the Sea of Galilee. The Sea of Galilee is 170 feet deep. You can see the Kaffir Mountains from another window. The 8 Beatitudes are written in stained glass at the top. Every window in the church is exactly in the middle so you can see the Sea of Galilee wherever you sit. The windows are not tall rectangles but long horizontal rectangles. The church was built in the 20th century from 1924 to 1976. From this church you can see all the places where Jesus performed His miracles: the water into wine in Canaan, turning the loaves of bread and a few fish into an amount to feed a multitude, when He calmed the Seas while they were in the boat, and when he walked on the water, the village where He gave life to a small child, when He healed Peter's mother-in-law. There is a gorgeous mosaic floor with all kinds of symbols displayed: a diamond on it's side means holy place, a 6 with it's open side laying down means water, little tiny squares put together in a 3 x 3 grid means land. There is no marble to be found naturally in Israel, so any building with it has been brought from outside.
There are 7 springs here that flow into the Sea of Galilee. The town Capernaum is on the Sea of Galilee. This is where Jesus found His first five disciples, Matthew, Peter, James, Andrew and John. The church here is called TABA which means 7 springs. It has a door engraved with pictures of Jesus' miracles and His life. The altar in the church is built on top of where Jesus performed the miracle of the bread and the fish. On the floor are mosaics with a peacock, other birds and plants. these are the older mosaics. The newer mosaics have animals, the Nile River and symbols from Egypt because the artist was from Gaza, Egypt. One mosaic is a snake wrapped around a stork's leg. This means if you are going to sin, snake'll get you! the old Christian sign is a Y with an arch over the top. Then the cross was used with slight differences between the Greek, Roman and Russian. The Greek cross has 2 equal lines crossing. The Roman cross has the vertical line longer than the horizontal line. The Russian cross is the same as the Roman except they add a diagonal line towards the bottom to support Jesus' feet.
There is a church in Capernaum called ST. Franciscus done in all black and white volcanic stone. In front of this church is where Jesus gave Peter the staff which became the Church. Today the Pope carries this inside his staff. This is one of the things that Hitler wanted to get. there are carvings on the outside of the church of Jesus' miracles. In this town is Peter's mother-in-law's house. She was a very large woman and when Peter took her to Jesus to heal, he had to lift her out of the roof. They only receive rain during spring, so the roof is remade every spring after the rains. For the first 350 years the Church and the synagogue were in the same building. After Constantine, the shape changed from the central column of The synagogue to 6 columns in the shape of a fishing boat. The steps leading up to the church were 2 small steps then 1 big step. You had to concentrate on climbing the steps to avoid falling, therefore, it forced you to take time to prepare your heart for God. All synagogues around Galilee have 3 entrances.
The Jewish people have to follow 470 laws everyday. They also had to buy their first born from the Rabbi. therefore, they placed a coin under the floor when they built the house. In the synagogue the women had to sit up at the top so they would not distract the men. The Jews say the men are weak. There is a separate room next to the synagogue where the young boys must study the Torah.
The upper mountains of the Golan Heights are snow covered. The snowmelt flows into the Jordan River and then into the Sea of Galilee. The rainy season is in spring. if they don't receive rain then, they won't get any. Between 2 and 5 PM waves from the Mediterranean Sea flow into the Sea of Galilee and it becomes extremely rough. When the Jordan River is brown colored it is because of the sand from the farms.
We visited the Jordan River where John the Baptist baptized Jesus. People pilgrimage here to be baptized in the same spot. the water is a pretty shade of green blue. There were many fish of all sizes there and people were feeding them. Also there were muskrats all over. they are not native to here, but were brought here from South America and have no natural enemies, so they are multiplying rather quickly. The weather here is too warm to use their skins for clothing.
In Nazareth there is 1 church built on the spot where the Angel Gabriel visited Mary to tell of the Immaculate Conception. The door has the whole story of Jesus engraved on it. It starts with Gabriel, Mary marries Joseph, Elijah and Elizabeth, Jesus' birth, Gabriel and other angels telling the shepherds of His birth, Jesus' miracles, Jesus turning over the tables in the synagogue, His crucifixtion , His resurrection. This church was destroyed 3 times, but always rebuilt. On the west wall is a statue of Jesus and on the east wall is one of Mary. Mary has the 3 stars above her head. Mary the Church of the Annunciation is built on top of the grotto where Mary lived with her parents. This is the second tallest church in the world. The tallest is in ST. Peter's in Rome. There is no central column because it is centered over the grotto and it needs to have natural light on it. You have to look down into it. There is also the grotto where Jesus lived with His parents, Mary and Joseph.
There are 7 springs here that flow into the Sea of Galilee. The town Capernaum is on the Sea of Galilee. This is where Jesus found His first five disciples, Matthew, Peter, James, Andrew and John. The church here is called TABA which means 7 springs. It has a door engraved with pictures of Jesus' miracles and His life. The altar in the church is built on top of where Jesus performed the miracle of the bread and the fish. On the floor are mosaics with a peacock, other birds and plants. these are the older mosaics. The newer mosaics have animals, the Nile River and symbols from Egypt because the artist was from Gaza, Egypt. One mosaic is a snake wrapped around a stork's leg. This means if you are going to sin, snake'll get you! the old Christian sign is a Y with an arch over the top. Then the cross was used with slight differences between the Greek, Roman and Russian. The Greek cross has 2 equal lines crossing. The Roman cross has the vertical line longer than the horizontal line. The Russian cross is the same as the Roman except they add a diagonal line towards the bottom to support Jesus' feet.
There is a church in Capernaum called ST. Franciscus done in all black and white volcanic stone. In front of this church is where Jesus gave Peter the staff which became the Church. Today the Pope carries this inside his staff. This is one of the things that Hitler wanted to get. there are carvings on the outside of the church of Jesus' miracles. In this town is Peter's mother-in-law's house. She was a very large woman and when Peter took her to Jesus to heal, he had to lift her out of the roof. They only receive rain during spring, so the roof is remade every spring after the rains. For the first 350 years the Church and the synagogue were in the same building. After Constantine, the shape changed from the central column of The synagogue to 6 columns in the shape of a fishing boat. The steps leading up to the church were 2 small steps then 1 big step. You had to concentrate on climbing the steps to avoid falling, therefore, it forced you to take time to prepare your heart for God. All synagogues around Galilee have 3 entrances.
The Jewish people have to follow 470 laws everyday. They also had to buy their first born from the Rabbi. therefore, they placed a coin under the floor when they built the house. In the synagogue the women had to sit up at the top so they would not distract the men. The Jews say the men are weak. There is a separate room next to the synagogue where the young boys must study the Torah.
The upper mountains of the Golan Heights are snow covered. The snowmelt flows into the Jordan River and then into the Sea of Galilee. The rainy season is in spring. if they don't receive rain then, they won't get any. Between 2 and 5 PM waves from the Mediterranean Sea flow into the Sea of Galilee and it becomes extremely rough. When the Jordan River is brown colored it is because of the sand from the farms.
We visited the Jordan River where John the Baptist baptized Jesus. People pilgrimage here to be baptized in the same spot. the water is a pretty shade of green blue. There were many fish of all sizes there and people were feeding them. Also there were muskrats all over. they are not native to here, but were brought here from South America and have no natural enemies, so they are multiplying rather quickly. The weather here is too warm to use their skins for clothing.
In Nazareth there is 1 church built on the spot where the Angel Gabriel visited Mary to tell of the Immaculate Conception. The door has the whole story of Jesus engraved on it. It starts with Gabriel, Mary marries Joseph, Elijah and Elizabeth, Jesus' birth, Gabriel and other angels telling the shepherds of His birth, Jesus' miracles, Jesus turning over the tables in the synagogue, His crucifixtion , His resurrection. This church was destroyed 3 times, but always rebuilt. On the west wall is a statue of Jesus and on the east wall is one of Mary. Mary has the 3 stars above her head. Mary the Church of the Annunciation is built on top of the grotto where Mary lived with her parents. This is the second tallest church in the world. The tallest is in ST. Peter's in Rome. There is no central column because it is centered over the grotto and it needs to have natural light on it. You have to look down into it. There is also the grotto where Jesus lived with His parents, Mary and Joseph.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Friday, 5/13/11
Today we docked at Ashdod, Israel to go by bus to Jerusalem. Jerusalem is the largest city and the capital. The second largest city is Tel Aviv and Haifa is the third largest. In 1200BC the Philistines migrated from the Aegean because they couldn't obtain access into Egypt. They are considered the "mysterious sea people ". They called this land Palestine. Ashdod is the ancient city of the Philistine Confederation. They were always a powerful foe of King Saul and David. In fact, they never defeated the Philistines.
Israel is the bridge between Europe, Asia and Africa. Jerusalem is holy to the Jews, Christians and Muslims. The central focus for all 3 religions is Mount Moriah, the highest point. This is where Abraham was asked to sacrifice his son to God. King David built an altar here. King Solomon built his Temple around the altar. When it came under Roman rule, King Herod made it his temple. The Romans annexed Judea and Jerusalem into the Roman Empire because they realized its importance. When the Roman Empire fell, the Ottomans took over the temple. This was where Mohammed ascended to heaven from Mount Moriah. They built a dome over the spot and it is called Dome of the Rock and is holy to the Muslims. There is only the west wall (main support wall) left from the original temple of Solomon and this is now in Jewish control. It is called the Wailing Wall where the Jews pray to God and leave pieces of paper on which their requests are written. Israel gained it's independence from Palestine in 1948 and for 63 years now the country is divided into an east bank and a west bank. In 1967 they had the 6 Days War when they regained the Wailing Wall from Palestine.
The walled city of Old Jerusalem was built on 7 hills and has 7 gates into its city. The Lions Gate is the gate Jesus passed through on Palm Sunday. This is the 1st station of the cross. The Mercy Gate (Golden) is never opened. Jerusalem is surrounded by 2 valleys; the Garden of Gethsemane is in one of them. The Desert of Judea goes to the Dead Sea which is 400 meters below sea level and has no outlet. The Negev Desert covers 30% of Israel. Lake Galilee is fresh water and the Jordan River flows out of Lake Galilee and into the Dead Sea. Everything from the Jordan River east is the East Bank and under Palestinian rule. The West Bank is under dispute, but now is under Israel's control. Israel has no natural resources. Oil is all around it, but not in their country. They receive 30 days of rain in the winter. It rains each day for 30 - 45 minutes.
The population of Israel is 8 million. All females from 18 - 20 years of age must serve in the military. All males from 18 - 21 years of age must serve in the military, then they must go into the reserves until they are 30. Israel's main industry is diamonds which they buy rough from Africa, cut, polish and set for sale. There are 3 languages spoken here: Arabic, Hebrew and English. Their currency is the shekel which goes back 2000 years. The city of Jerusalem is a city of layers. Whenever you dig somewhere, you always find something from the past. Today's sidewalks and streets are 20 - 30 feet higher than they were 2000 years ago. Jerusalem is a town that is more than 3000 years old. So the hill of Golgotha is below the street level and is actually inside a church; now called the church of the Holy Sepulcher. It has a large gray dome. This is also a country of contrasts between 3 different religions. All 3 religions call Jerusalem Holy, which leads to many conflicts. After seeing how close all these Holy places are to each other, we can understand why there is always conflict in this region. Judaism is 5078 years old; Christianity is 2000 years old, the Muslim religion is only since the 7th century AD. For the Jews this is where Abraham was asked to sacrifice his son, Issac, where David built the altar to God and where King Solomon built his Temple which contained the 10 Commandments and the Arc of the Covenant. For the Muslims, this is Holy because Mohammed ascended up into heaven on a horse from on top of this same hill. They built the Dome of the Rock here covered in gold 500 years ago. They made sure their minaret is higher then either the Jewish or Christians churches. For the Christians this is where Jesus was raised, preached and was crucified. So it is their Holy place also. All 3 of these Holy places are all inside the walls of Jerusalem and in the same spot. Friday at 6PM is the start of the Jewish Holy Day, Shabatz, on Saturday. They are not allowed to work, cook, smoke, drive, etc. and must pray 3 times a day. The strict Orthodox Jews make up 20% of the population. The Muslims Holy Day is Friday and that is today. When we rode by a Muslim Temple there were military guards surrounding it. You can hear the Muslims being called to worship with a chant from a loud speaker on top of their minarets. They follow the Koran and must pray 5 times daily.
Via Dolorosa, the Sorrowful Way, is the winding road of Jesus' walk carrying the cross. It is also called the 14 stations of the cross. At the end of the walk is the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Inside this church is the hill of Calvary, also called Golgotha. During the Roman Empire Hadrian destroyed it, rebuilt it as the Temple of Venus. Where Jesus' body was prepared for burial after His crucifixion is called The Stone of the Anointing. Hadrian placed the Temple of Adonis here. Jesus was placed in a tomb carved out of the hillside and a stone was rolled in front to cover it up. hat was typical of their burials 2000 years ago. There are no cemeteries inside the city because of diseases. The Garden of Gethsemane is in a valley and it is filled with olive trees. They have it cordoned off so you don't walk on it, but can see it perfectly. It looks exactly the way the picture in my Bible shows it with the trees and the big rocks. Olive trees can live 3000 to 4000 years; therefore some of the really old olive trees we saw were here when Jesus prayed the Lord's Prayer on Maundy Thursday and sweated tears of blood here. It is SO moving being here!!! Jesus' cross was made of olive wood and they sell many small crosses as momentoes of the cross and they are made out of olive wood also. It takes 7 years for the olive wood to dry enough to carve. There is that magic number 7 again.
Constantine's mother, Helen, was a Christian and found all of the places where Jesus was, identified them and built a church in the 4th century AD. The Church of All Nations, the Basilica of Agony is Roman Catholic. Every nation helped to built it. The altar has the stone from Gethsemane on which Jesus prayed. There are 3 mosaics inside: 1- Jesus with the apostles, 2- Jesus in Gethsemane, 3- Judas kissing Jesus. Jesus had holes in his hands and his feet, and a Roman soldier pierced his chest with a sword to be sure He was dead. Jerusalem has a special cross made of 5 crosses to represent the 5 wounds, the 5 nails and the 5 countries. On the back is written the word Jerusalem. This can only be bought in Jerusalem. This symbol was also the symbol of the 5 countries of the Crusades as they were trying Ta save all the Holy places from the Muslims.
There are 14 stations of the cross. The first is at the Lions Gate where Jesus rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. The 5th station is the rock where Simon leaned against when. The 6th station is where Jesus fell 3 times carrying the cross. it is now inside the Church of Holy Veronica. He was crucified outside of the city and a crucifixtion typically lasts 6- 7 hours. There are 4 stations inside the Holy Sepulcher church which has been rebuilt several times. Jesus lost 1 drop of blood from the cross when He died. When that drop of blood touched the earth an earthquake occurred. It split the earth all the way down through the hill of Golgotha. They couldn't find a grave in which to bury Jesus, so a nobleman named Joseph gave his to Jesus. Station 14 is the tomb. A mausoleum was built in 1810 by the Russian church on top of the tomb. Then the disciples had to hurry before they closed the gates back into the city because it was Friday and the Jewish Sabbath started at 6PM. The statue of the Lion of Judea on his hind legs holding an olive branch is the symbol of Jesus.
We then drove to Bethlehem to see the Church of the Nativity built in the 4th century AD by Constantine on top of the stable where Jesus was born. it was rebuilt in the 6th century. When the Ottoman Turks took over they made the doorway much shorter to prevent horses from entering.There is a painting on the outside wall of the 3 Wise Men coming from Persia. Since they were from Persia, the Turks didn't destroy it. The mosaic floor was laid during Constantine's reign. Later on Pope Justinian raised the floor up and added 44 columns in the 12th century The frescoes are done during the Crusades and Byzantine eras.
Christianity has 13 denominations. The original manger is in Rome in ST Mary's Basilica. The stall marks the spot where the stable was. The stables there 2000 years ago were caves. The stable is divided into 2 parts: one small where the manger was and one larger. All of the different denominations of the Christian church wanted the single oil lamp and the church over the stable. But they ended up sharing all of it. So there are several denominations represented in this church. When the radio broadcasts the Xmas Eve service, it comes from this church. Priest Jerome from Rome translated the Old Testament of the Bible from Hebrew to Latin. Then he translated the New Testament from Greek to Latin, called the Latin Vulgare. He stayed in this cave for 34 years to do these translations. He was buried there, then moved by Constantine to Rome. In the 4th century when the Hebrew was translated to Greek to make the split from Judaism, they also wrote the Greek language from left to right.
Haifa, Israel is the third largest city and it's port was built in 1976. They pipe water from the Sea of Galilee to water their crops. There are not many trees here because when the Ottomans were in control for 401 years, they cut down all the trees. Now they supply veggies for all of Europe in the winter.
Israel is the bridge between Europe, Asia and Africa. Jerusalem is holy to the Jews, Christians and Muslims. The central focus for all 3 religions is Mount Moriah, the highest point. This is where Abraham was asked to sacrifice his son to God. King David built an altar here. King Solomon built his Temple around the altar. When it came under Roman rule, King Herod made it his temple. The Romans annexed Judea and Jerusalem into the Roman Empire because they realized its importance. When the Roman Empire fell, the Ottomans took over the temple. This was where Mohammed ascended to heaven from Mount Moriah. They built a dome over the spot and it is called Dome of the Rock and is holy to the Muslims. There is only the west wall (main support wall) left from the original temple of Solomon and this is now in Jewish control. It is called the Wailing Wall where the Jews pray to God and leave pieces of paper on which their requests are written. Israel gained it's independence from Palestine in 1948 and for 63 years now the country is divided into an east bank and a west bank. In 1967 they had the 6 Days War when they regained the Wailing Wall from Palestine.
The walled city of Old Jerusalem was built on 7 hills and has 7 gates into its city. The Lions Gate is the gate Jesus passed through on Palm Sunday. This is the 1st station of the cross. The Mercy Gate (Golden) is never opened. Jerusalem is surrounded by 2 valleys; the Garden of Gethsemane is in one of them. The Desert of Judea goes to the Dead Sea which is 400 meters below sea level and has no outlet. The Negev Desert covers 30% of Israel. Lake Galilee is fresh water and the Jordan River flows out of Lake Galilee and into the Dead Sea. Everything from the Jordan River east is the East Bank and under Palestinian rule. The West Bank is under dispute, but now is under Israel's control. Israel has no natural resources. Oil is all around it, but not in their country. They receive 30 days of rain in the winter. It rains each day for 30 - 45 minutes.
The population of Israel is 8 million. All females from 18 - 20 years of age must serve in the military. All males from 18 - 21 years of age must serve in the military, then they must go into the reserves until they are 30. Israel's main industry is diamonds which they buy rough from Africa, cut, polish and set for sale. There are 3 languages spoken here: Arabic, Hebrew and English. Their currency is the shekel which goes back 2000 years. The city of Jerusalem is a city of layers. Whenever you dig somewhere, you always find something from the past. Today's sidewalks and streets are 20 - 30 feet higher than they were 2000 years ago. Jerusalem is a town that is more than 3000 years old. So the hill of Golgotha is below the street level and is actually inside a church; now called the church of the Holy Sepulcher. It has a large gray dome. This is also a country of contrasts between 3 different religions. All 3 religions call Jerusalem Holy, which leads to many conflicts. After seeing how close all these Holy places are to each other, we can understand why there is always conflict in this region. Judaism is 5078 years old; Christianity is 2000 years old, the Muslim religion is only since the 7th century AD. For the Jews this is where Abraham was asked to sacrifice his son, Issac, where David built the altar to God and where King Solomon built his Temple which contained the 10 Commandments and the Arc of the Covenant. For the Muslims, this is Holy because Mohammed ascended up into heaven on a horse from on top of this same hill. They built the Dome of the Rock here covered in gold 500 years ago. They made sure their minaret is higher then either the Jewish or Christians churches. For the Christians this is where Jesus was raised, preached and was crucified. So it is their Holy place also. All 3 of these Holy places are all inside the walls of Jerusalem and in the same spot. Friday at 6PM is the start of the Jewish Holy Day, Shabatz, on Saturday. They are not allowed to work, cook, smoke, drive, etc. and must pray 3 times a day. The strict Orthodox Jews make up 20% of the population. The Muslims Holy Day is Friday and that is today. When we rode by a Muslim Temple there were military guards surrounding it. You can hear the Muslims being called to worship with a chant from a loud speaker on top of their minarets. They follow the Koran and must pray 5 times daily.
Via Dolorosa, the Sorrowful Way, is the winding road of Jesus' walk carrying the cross. It is also called the 14 stations of the cross. At the end of the walk is the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Inside this church is the hill of Calvary, also called Golgotha. During the Roman Empire Hadrian destroyed it, rebuilt it as the Temple of Venus. Where Jesus' body was prepared for burial after His crucifixion is called The Stone of the Anointing. Hadrian placed the Temple of Adonis here. Jesus was placed in a tomb carved out of the hillside and a stone was rolled in front to cover it up. hat was typical of their burials 2000 years ago. There are no cemeteries inside the city because of diseases. The Garden of Gethsemane is in a valley and it is filled with olive trees. They have it cordoned off so you don't walk on it, but can see it perfectly. It looks exactly the way the picture in my Bible shows it with the trees and the big rocks. Olive trees can live 3000 to 4000 years; therefore some of the really old olive trees we saw were here when Jesus prayed the Lord's Prayer on Maundy Thursday and sweated tears of blood here. It is SO moving being here!!! Jesus' cross was made of olive wood and they sell many small crosses as momentoes of the cross and they are made out of olive wood also. It takes 7 years for the olive wood to dry enough to carve. There is that magic number 7 again.
Constantine's mother, Helen, was a Christian and found all of the places where Jesus was, identified them and built a church in the 4th century AD. The Church of All Nations, the Basilica of Agony is Roman Catholic. Every nation helped to built it. The altar has the stone from Gethsemane on which Jesus prayed. There are 3 mosaics inside: 1- Jesus with the apostles, 2- Jesus in Gethsemane, 3- Judas kissing Jesus. Jesus had holes in his hands and his feet, and a Roman soldier pierced his chest with a sword to be sure He was dead. Jerusalem has a special cross made of 5 crosses to represent the 5 wounds, the 5 nails and the 5 countries. On the back is written the word Jerusalem. This can only be bought in Jerusalem. This symbol was also the symbol of the 5 countries of the Crusades as they were trying Ta save all the Holy places from the Muslims.
There are 14 stations of the cross. The first is at the Lions Gate where Jesus rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. The 5th station is the rock where Simon leaned against when. The 6th station is where Jesus fell 3 times carrying the cross. it is now inside the Church of Holy Veronica. He was crucified outside of the city and a crucifixtion typically lasts 6- 7 hours. There are 4 stations inside the Holy Sepulcher church which has been rebuilt several times. Jesus lost 1 drop of blood from the cross when He died. When that drop of blood touched the earth an earthquake occurred. It split the earth all the way down through the hill of Golgotha. They couldn't find a grave in which to bury Jesus, so a nobleman named Joseph gave his to Jesus. Station 14 is the tomb. A mausoleum was built in 1810 by the Russian church on top of the tomb. Then the disciples had to hurry before they closed the gates back into the city because it was Friday and the Jewish Sabbath started at 6PM. The statue of the Lion of Judea on his hind legs holding an olive branch is the symbol of Jesus.
We then drove to Bethlehem to see the Church of the Nativity built in the 4th century AD by Constantine on top of the stable where Jesus was born. it was rebuilt in the 6th century. When the Ottoman Turks took over they made the doorway much shorter to prevent horses from entering.There is a painting on the outside wall of the 3 Wise Men coming from Persia. Since they were from Persia, the Turks didn't destroy it. The mosaic floor was laid during Constantine's reign. Later on Pope Justinian raised the floor up and added 44 columns in the 12th century The frescoes are done during the Crusades and Byzantine eras.
Christianity has 13 denominations. The original manger is in Rome in ST Mary's Basilica. The stall marks the spot where the stable was. The stables there 2000 years ago were caves. The stable is divided into 2 parts: one small where the manger was and one larger. All of the different denominations of the Christian church wanted the single oil lamp and the church over the stable. But they ended up sharing all of it. So there are several denominations represented in this church. When the radio broadcasts the Xmas Eve service, it comes from this church. Priest Jerome from Rome translated the Old Testament of the Bible from Hebrew to Latin. Then he translated the New Testament from Greek to Latin, called the Latin Vulgare. He stayed in this cave for 34 years to do these translations. He was buried there, then moved by Constantine to Rome. In the 4th century when the Hebrew was translated to Greek to make the split from Judaism, they also wrote the Greek language from left to right.
Haifa, Israel is the third largest city and it's port was built in 1976. They pipe water from the Sea of Galilee to water their crops. There are not many trees here because when the Ottomans were in control for 401 years, they cut down all the trees. Now they supply veggies for all of Europe in the winter.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Wednesday, 5/11/11
Ephesus, the ancient name, is Kusadasi, Turkey. This is the coast of Asia Minor that ST John could view from the Cave of the Apopylypse while he wrote Revelations. It is on the Aegean Sea, which is an extension of the Mediterranean and is very salty in the summer, with a Mediterranean climate of hot summers (110) and mild winters. It is close to Didymo, Priene, Miletos and Pamukkale, the ancient Greek thermal spas. Ephesus is the most and best preserved ancient city of the world. The ancient city had marble streets and inside the Magnesia gate is the entrance to Hadrian's Temple, Trajan's Fountain, the baths of Scoloastika, the ancient theater and library.
Turkey is a country of 70 million people with 250,000 living in Kusadasi. It is a beach town with a statue of the patron saint of the Ottoman Empire above the town. The oldest part is the castle which is now a hotel. Financially, there are no mortgages; just cash on the table. So young couples need to borrow money from grandparents to be able to buy a home. The houses we can see are terrace homes of the rich for $250,000. There were many apartments further into the city. Alongside an apartment building and the road we were riding on was a horse eating grass. They produce cotton, linen, peaches, apricots, figs, grapes, pomegranates, olives, oil, soap, pine nuts, saffron, Turkish cotton and blue jeans. In Turkey 95% are Muslim and 5% is Jewish. The Muslim ladies wear burkas, long black dresses and cover their hair. 70% of the marriages are chosen by the parents.
In 37 - 42AD when Mother Mary and ST John came here Christians were being persecuted; so they lived outside of the town. Mary's house was built in the 1st century AD for protection in the Moissommi Mountains. When you look up into the mountains all you see are rocks, trees and shrubs. You cannot tell that a house is up there. It wasn't even found until a German nun saw a vision of Mary in that area. A Basilica was built on this spot in the 6th century AD by Emperor Justinian with 6 domes. In 1304AD the Ottoman Empire conquered and turned it into a mosque. It was reconstructed in the late 18th century. Excavations in 1869 revealed a fortress with a large statue of Mary where Paul used to preach and the foundations of her house. The statue of Mary is the largest in the world. The Muslims call her " Mother of Miracles" and consider her holy; but Jesus is just a prophet. They say there are no bones for Mary because instead of dying and being buried she rose up to heaven at this location. Our guide informed us that a lot of young women pray to Mary here to bless them with a child. Now it is in really good shape and they keep it spotless and the shrubbery well trimmed.
Ephesus was founded 800 years before Christ with a tribe of Amazons. During the Roman era, Jews and Christians had visited here. The ruins show they had marble streets and a colosseum to hold 24,000 people. In 300BC they had lead sewer pipes to push the waste out and the drinking water in. They also had a smaller theater to hold only 1400 people. The floors of the rich homes had central heating with separate pipes for hot and cold water between the floors and the floors were mosaic. The Turkish carpets copy these mosaics. In 7AD they had a population of 250,000 and an outbreak of malaria set in. Then a level 10 earthquake occurred and the town was leveled. Whoever was still alive left the town. There was another earthquake from 1365-1370. Nobody lived here until the railroad came through in 1869 when they uncovered the ruins. They used the ruins as quarries for their building materials. In 1927-1930 the Austrian government did the excavations. Ephesus is only 25% excavated and renovated now.
The ruins have Doric (200 BC and vey simple) , Ionic and Corinthian columns. They found a wall of a hospital with markings of herbal treatments. At the gate are columns and a statue of Hercules holding a lion in his hands. There is a statue of Dr, Alexandros without a head. When the Christians had to meet in secret they found symbols written in the marble to direct them where to go. It was a circle with a cross inside. Then it was bisected 2 more times with the ends connected together with 8 curved lines. So what you see is a cross with 8 fish around the circle. The fish and cross represent Christianity. The Fountains of Emperor Trajan is in front of a 2 story building with a statue of Trajan with his foot on a ball which represents the world. The statue of Aphrodite is in front of the building also. Greek mythology has a goddess Neke, which is the goddess of sports; where our Nike comes from. The Temple of Hadrian had a tiny relief of statues in a pediment on the top. The statue of Lady Medussa is on top of the arch with the power of her "evil eye" watching everybody. Inside of the arch is the town's bathroom with 44 toilets for both sexes. They all wore togas so nobody could see anything; therefore, no separate stalls. This was the place to go to hear the latest news!
The Greco-Roman library built by Celsus is the second largest in the world. It is 2 stories and has a space between the floors and walls to keep the humidity away because of the manuscripts and books. When it caught fire, the wooden ceiling between the floors burned. Inside the library was a secret tunnel that led to the brothels. So the males could say they were going to the library and really go to the brothels. Outside the library was the Agora gate that led to the marketplace where slaves were sold. Slaves were prisioners of war, born slaves, sold as a slave by a parent or an African slave. This was a popular lectrue spot. ST Paul shaved his hair and changed his toga color and preached here. When he was put into jail on top of the hill he wrote the book of Ephesians. This was 1 of the 7 churches the saints speak about. During the 4th century AD it became a Christian area.
In the 6th century AD they brought the body of ST John from Rome to be buried here. It is a simple grave with 4 columns.
Turkey is a country of 70 million people with 250,000 living in Kusadasi. It is a beach town with a statue of the patron saint of the Ottoman Empire above the town. The oldest part is the castle which is now a hotel. Financially, there are no mortgages; just cash on the table. So young couples need to borrow money from grandparents to be able to buy a home. The houses we can see are terrace homes of the rich for $250,000. There were many apartments further into the city. Alongside an apartment building and the road we were riding on was a horse eating grass. They produce cotton, linen, peaches, apricots, figs, grapes, pomegranates, olives, oil, soap, pine nuts, saffron, Turkish cotton and blue jeans. In Turkey 95% are Muslim and 5% is Jewish. The Muslim ladies wear burkas, long black dresses and cover their hair. 70% of the marriages are chosen by the parents.
In 37 - 42AD when Mother Mary and ST John came here Christians were being persecuted; so they lived outside of the town. Mary's house was built in the 1st century AD for protection in the Moissommi Mountains. When you look up into the mountains all you see are rocks, trees and shrubs. You cannot tell that a house is up there. It wasn't even found until a German nun saw a vision of Mary in that area. A Basilica was built on this spot in the 6th century AD by Emperor Justinian with 6 domes. In 1304AD the Ottoman Empire conquered and turned it into a mosque. It was reconstructed in the late 18th century. Excavations in 1869 revealed a fortress with a large statue of Mary where Paul used to preach and the foundations of her house. The statue of Mary is the largest in the world. The Muslims call her " Mother of Miracles" and consider her holy; but Jesus is just a prophet. They say there are no bones for Mary because instead of dying and being buried she rose up to heaven at this location. Our guide informed us that a lot of young women pray to Mary here to bless them with a child. Now it is in really good shape and they keep it spotless and the shrubbery well trimmed.
Ephesus was founded 800 years before Christ with a tribe of Amazons. During the Roman era, Jews and Christians had visited here. The ruins show they had marble streets and a colosseum to hold 24,000 people. In 300BC they had lead sewer pipes to push the waste out and the drinking water in. They also had a smaller theater to hold only 1400 people. The floors of the rich homes had central heating with separate pipes for hot and cold water between the floors and the floors were mosaic. The Turkish carpets copy these mosaics. In 7AD they had a population of 250,000 and an outbreak of malaria set in. Then a level 10 earthquake occurred and the town was leveled. Whoever was still alive left the town. There was another earthquake from 1365-1370. Nobody lived here until the railroad came through in 1869 when they uncovered the ruins. They used the ruins as quarries for their building materials. In 1927-1930 the Austrian government did the excavations. Ephesus is only 25% excavated and renovated now.
The ruins have Doric (200 BC and vey simple) , Ionic and Corinthian columns. They found a wall of a hospital with markings of herbal treatments. At the gate are columns and a statue of Hercules holding a lion in his hands. There is a statue of Dr, Alexandros without a head. When the Christians had to meet in secret they found symbols written in the marble to direct them where to go. It was a circle with a cross inside. Then it was bisected 2 more times with the ends connected together with 8 curved lines. So what you see is a cross with 8 fish around the circle. The fish and cross represent Christianity. The Fountains of Emperor Trajan is in front of a 2 story building with a statue of Trajan with his foot on a ball which represents the world. The statue of Aphrodite is in front of the building also. Greek mythology has a goddess Neke, which is the goddess of sports; where our Nike comes from. The Temple of Hadrian had a tiny relief of statues in a pediment on the top. The statue of Lady Medussa is on top of the arch with the power of her "evil eye" watching everybody. Inside of the arch is the town's bathroom with 44 toilets for both sexes. They all wore togas so nobody could see anything; therefore, no separate stalls. This was the place to go to hear the latest news!
The Greco-Roman library built by Celsus is the second largest in the world. It is 2 stories and has a space between the floors and walls to keep the humidity away because of the manuscripts and books. When it caught fire, the wooden ceiling between the floors burned. Inside the library was a secret tunnel that led to the brothels. So the males could say they were going to the library and really go to the brothels. Outside the library was the Agora gate that led to the marketplace where slaves were sold. Slaves were prisioners of war, born slaves, sold as a slave by a parent or an African slave. This was a popular lectrue spot. ST Paul shaved his hair and changed his toga color and preached here. When he was put into jail on top of the hill he wrote the book of Ephesians. This was 1 of the 7 churches the saints speak about. During the 4th century AD it became a Christian area.
In the 6th century AD they brought the body of ST John from Rome to be buried here. It is a simple grave with 4 columns.
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