Is this heaven on earth Santorini

We arrive at our apartment, which is on the cliff looking over the Caldera in the town of Oia and it's so luxurious and we are so happy. We spend the next six days lying on deck chairs, walking down to the pool, reading, and the occasional Nanna nap. It's famous for its sunsets, and we see a few. We enjoy dinners out at few restaurants each night and the feeling is so relaxed. The staff at the Nostos apartments are so wonderful and make us feel so welcome. The yachts and big cruise ships sail by and we don't have a care in the world. It's been such a wonderful trip and it's been beyond my expectations. Mum, I would travel with you again in a heartbeat, and I know it was so special and I will cherish this forever. Booka, thanks for your incredible love and support, as it has been so wonderful to have this joy in our lives to share, and yes, you finally made it to Turkey! To my blog followers, I hope you have enjoyed the trip with me. I'm getting on the plane now. Goodbye for now. Love Robbie xx

Athenia

We arrive in Greece and we are staying at the Athens Gate hotel as recommended by DC. It's lovely and modern and the view from the rooftop terrace is out to the Acropolis. We have a Nanna nap as we are so stuffed. We call Mum and just catch her before she leaves on her long journey home. Tonight we head to Plaka and walk the streets and find a nice place to eat. In the morning we enjoy the rooftop view over a great breakfast and real cappuccinos. We decide to jump on the hop-on hop-off bus and see the sights. We climb up to see the Pantheon, Acropolis and many other ruins. It's so hot as we make our way around, and the view from the top is amazing. We shop in the afternoon, and also watch the changing of the guards at Parliament, which is amazing to see. Tonight we just eat and head home, as I think we are really keen to get to Santorini. This is my second time to Athens,  and I don't think I would come again. It will be interesting to see what happens after the elections as there are demonstrations and police around all the time.

Our last stop is Selcuk and we say farewell to Turkey

We travel 4 hours today to a place called Pamukkale. I have been looking forward to this as it's the town with the natural phenomena of the white travertines and the ancient city of Hierapolis. We head up the hill where we all have to remove our shoes and roll up our pants and you can't bear to take off your sunglasses. The water is so lovely and warm on your feet. The travertines are a little wrinkled as you walk. Ozan warns us not to stand on the brown parts as it's slippery. The thermal pools up the hill are quite healing and it's seems full of Russians. Oh my goodness some of these European women like a pose, and now they are in very skimpy bikinis posing for their lovers like kittens!! I didn't see the brown spot as I went near the ledge of one of these pools and my legs went completely from underneath me, and next minute I'm fully sitting in the pool, camera and all. Ozan very quickly comes to my rescue. I'm now not looking very glamorous with a wet crotch. We make our way to the top and I hear that Mum has face planted into the pool, camera and all. Her camera didn't have the case on it and it's not looking good. We put a bandaid on Mum's leg, as she has given it a decent knock. We see all the people swimming in the healing pool, and it has all these ruins in the water - a few columns here and there. It's very crowded but Keith and Trevor give it a go. We walk to see this huge theatre and they are doing work to restore it. We make our way down and then make our way to Selcuk by night. We eat out, and the town, which has a population of 29,000, has a nice feel. We are told that the markets are on in the morning - hello shopping. Mum, Booka and I go shopping, and Booka lasts about 10 minutes, so we agree to meet her later. Mum and I enjoy the sights and especially the fresh fruit and veggies, and we purchase fresh nuts and figs and bananas. All the cheeses are amazing. This town is where there is a belief that St John brought the Virgin Mary back to die. Booka, Kerry, Keith and Kellie and I go to visit to her house. Mum and I enjoy a vist to the Ephesus museum, and I must say I think I have had enough of the museums now. This afternoon was great, as we go to this local town called Sirince, and the group tries some local fruit wines (word was, they weren't nice at all). I buy some olive oil products and a guy tells me where to go to get a great Turkish coffee. We then drive down to Ephesus and this is another highlight. It's so huge and so much is preserved but some is just well done replicas. As Ozan is telling us all the history, someone spots a snake in the distant and my girl is on full alert. We visit at about 4pm as most of the crowds are gone and the light is hitting the top of the ruins. We go down to the old toilets and they have a row of these holes dug out in marble like a communal sit. Of course we all sit and Ozan snaps a shot of us straining!! They have the hugest theatre and the last person to play with amplifiers was Sting in the 90's. They don't allow it now, as they are trying to preserve it. Tub quotes some middle English classic and it's terrific. We walk another half hour past Ephesus. We eat at a local restaurant that makes Gozlemes and then we head home as we have to get up at 6.00 am as we fly back to Istanbul.  We check back into our hotel and I dump my huge bag of laundry to be done. Mum and Booka visit the Topkapi place and I decide to take a Nanna nap. Tonight is our farewell dinner and it was superb, as we catch a ferry to the Asian side of Turkey, and we go to this fabulous restaurant that serves Southern Turkish food, and we enjoy artichokes cooked in a light milk, and vines rolled in rice and cheese. The desserts were amazing - pumpkin, olives, figs and walnuts that are all caramelised with clotted cream. We end up back at the hotel and we say our goodbyes and our appreciation to Ozan who has been so fabulous - a beautiful, gentle soul who really looked after us and showed us the real Turkey. We have our last breakfast together and we go shopping at the Bazaar. We all eat together that night, which is a lovely way to end the trip. Booka and I depart early the next day as we are flying to Greece. We go and say goodbye to Mum, which feels so strange as she is going to back to Sydney tonight. We get a lift to the airport and I cry as I will miss Mum.

Hiking part of the Lycian way

We walk up through the old ghost village, and stone houses are everywhere. They built them so everyone could have a view, and we see goats and a donkey roaming wild when we hike and we all make it to the top. We then start our hike along part of the Lycian way and we are to walk 6 kms which takes us 2.5 hours. It's quite rough in parts and it's quite hot, but the views are spectacular. We get over this mountain like goats. I was really struggling towards the end. Ozan tells us to be very careful as the terrain is slippery. Helen goes down, and further down the track, Tub falls straight on his side, and then I slip on my shoulder, but we made it in the end with a few bumps and bruises. We see the magic view of the infamous Blue Lagoon. We walk on ahead and we get to the sea, and it's so blue, and I try and get in, but the waves crash on the shore before the drop of point. They have a lot of pebbles but I managed to get wet and cool down. We see so many skydivers overhead and they all land on the beach. We head back to our villa and I sleep for 2 hours while the others swim and lay around the pool. We all have dinner in the local village where a family makes us the best Gozleme - savoury and sweet. We walk home and purchase some gifts from some local artists. My legs are still throbbing from the hike, and I will sleep like a baby.

Aah, a dip in the Mediterrranean perhaps

Keith, one of the lovely guys on our trip, is a bit of a sports nut and an avid swimmer. I wanted to go for a dip in Mediterranean sea before breakfast, and I was feeling a little uneasy about going on my own. So I decide to call Keith from the front of the hotel up to his balcony. It was very funny as everyone could hear except Keith. Finally we head down a kazillion steps and you walk through the cafe which has steps directly down to the sea. The water was so deep and the most incredible deep turquoise blues. We jump in, and it literally took my breath away and I got panicked but could still swim towards Keith. Strangely he didn't seem to take to the idea of me insisting on him coming towards me to share the warm spot!! What a great way to start the day. The Hotel Linda has an automatic coffee machine and I work out if you put in a cappuccino and an expresso in the one cup, it is perfect. I really sound like a coffee addict!! Today is another casual day where we will spend the day cruising on a Gulet over the sunken city. We have this running joke about Ozan as he tells us quite a bit to clear our minds re the sunken city and not to think it's like Atlantis. We spend the day just cruising and they have these large yoga mats where you can lay on the top deck and rest. We pull into a few different swimming spots and we jump off the boat and swim in water that is so clear I can see the freckles on my toes. Mum is concerned about being on the boat all day as she suffers afterwards with the motion after the ship has docked. She looks like she is enjoying herself and that's what I love about Mum - she pushes through and gives it a go. We share many stories and a wonderful lunch on board, and yes, we did go near the sunken city. Tonight we enjoy a slow shopping time and I pick up some Turkish bath towels, and Booka bought me a lovely string and silver necklace. Kas has been so great and so easy - I could spend more time here. We will head to Kayakoy (population of 150 people) today, and Keith and I decide to take another dip in the sea before breaky and our short 3 hour public bus trip. This is a small village and intially a ghost village. As the result of the Greek Turkish War of Independence, the largest forced migration of about 2 million people followed. The Greek christians went back to Greece, and the Turkish muslims had to leave Greece. So people went back to countries where they didn't know the language and sometimes left great wealth to start again. The highlight of our stay is the place we are going to stay for 2 nights called "Villa Rhapsody" with our hosts Atilla and Sharn. This is an oasis in the middle of nowhere, and when we arrive, we are served up a a beautiful salad, sitting around the bar by the pool. Atilla announces that if we want to have dinner tonight, they will be preparing an African roast lamb dish with plums. Oh ok, let's stay for dinner. Mum and I catch the local bus that speeds by us to the local beach, and enjoy a Nescafé coffee and icecream while writing postcards. Mum has a realisation that somewhere along the way on the trip her Simone Perele bra and knickers have disappeared. We meet for dinner which is on a long table, beautifully set for the 13 of us, next to the pool. The food was magic and the lamb certainly didn't disappoint. Ozan has the guitar from the villa and he plays us some of his own music which was superb. He had written a song to his girlfriend who became his wife when he did his military service, and the other songs were so lovely, as we all listened by the candle light. The villa has all these lovely cats and dogs that were once strays and now they are a part of this wonderful family. The dog jumps up on the lounge where the cat is sitting and the two spar with each other. We all hit the sack, as tomorrow is our big hike!!

On the road again; to Antalya and Kas

We are "on the road again", and this is a song we grow fond of on the bus. We all have plenty of snacks that we share along the way. I must say I have taken a shine to some biscuits which are unfortunately called Negro. We are so lucky with our group as we all look out for each other, and they are so much fun and easy going. We take a public bus to Antayla which is about 6 hours, and the old tray on the bus will make its return. We are warned not to make too much noise as they don't like it. Well, that was until they showed the horror movie where a granny turns into a mad woman possessed, and bites the neck out of a man, and Deb and I scream our heads off. A Turkish lady gave me daggers. We arrive to the Aspen Hotel in Antayla, which is a lovely spot and it's a popular tourist spot with 1,000,000 residents and 8,000,000 visitors each year. Here I should mention about the Turkish bed linen set-up. It's like a sheet and then a cotton throw that doesn't fit over you and your lady friend. Kerry on the trip has nicknamed it the "sheetlet". We have our little tour of the town and it's a mix of old world charm nestled into a marina. We all meet up for a pre-dinner drink, and the weather has turned. We ate high on the cliff and they give you blankets to put over your shoulders. Melbourne could take note of these, but from what I hear, perhaps a doona would be better at the moment. They sell fresh mussels on the street and they drizzle fresh lemon over them while you stand there and eat them. We head off for dinner at a place that specialises in roast chicken. We have all these mezzes which are dips and by the time dinner comes, you are just about done!! They have 2 guys turning about 25 chickens over a pit by hand. The chicken is delicious. Oh, I tried to order turnip juice from the menu and they very abruptly told me "no", to everyone's relief. The next day we walk a few kms to Antayla Archaelogical museum which is meant to be the best in Turkey. When you see all the sights from where they were excavated from, it's amazing. They have the statues of Aphrodite, Zeus and a whole area of the sarcophagus tombs which are so ornate in their carvings. Melinda, I'm through first, and Mum and Tub come last, as they absorb the whole lot. We go by bus about half an hour from Antayla to the ancient Hellenistic city called Termessos and we have to hike up to the Plataeu which is 1,050 metres above sea level. Thank god I have done the pre-hike training by walking in France and Italy with Mum. It was turned into a National Park in the 1980's. Kaye in our group needs a new knee when she gets home but she heroically climbs to the top. The views are breath taking, and the ruins just lying around are amazing. When we get about three quarters of the way up, we come across the stunning theatre that is still in great shape. Tub, we are told, is a singer but we are yet to hear any tunes. Ozan is also a musician. Ozan and Tub head to the bottom and Ozan sings a Turkish song followed by Tub singing Danny Boy which makes me a bit teary as they were so beautiful. The hike to the top was wonderful. Booka and Kaye walk back together, and right before they make it to the bottom, Kaye tumbles. Ozan is great as he stops when we get back on the bus to get a can of cold coke and it's tied around her shoulder. A comfort stop wouldn't go astray. We stop and I try to make my way into the men's toilets which wasn't a good look. We have lunch where underneath they farm fresh trout, which is baked in the oven. Mum and I share stuffed mushrooms filled with cheese. A girl needs this after a hike. We then make our way to Kas, another 4.5 hours away, and we drive through heavy rain and the terrain is ever changing - we go from about 25, down to 13 degrees in a couple of hours. This town used to be filled with artists in the 1970's but it has gotten more touristy now and they have moved away. It has a population of 7,800. I'm looking forward to Kas as it's tucked away in a curved bay hugging the coast 500 metres high, and looking out over the Mediterranean. Ozan and his wife live here. Booka and I have had the best rooms and ours looks over the sea and we have this huge spray of Bougainvillea on our verandah. Ozan takes us on a tour to orient ourselves and he suggests we try the local ice cream, which is described as "burnt milk". I give it go, and let me tell you, it tastes of burnt toast in the morning. Tonight we are in for a treat as we sail on one of the boats, and we find ourselves in a little protected cove on the Mediterranean. We have two lovely guys looking after us, and Booka, who has taken it upon herself to be our drinks girl, as we get a separate tab. As we sail, Booka's hair is flying back like Barry Gibb. We have lovey fresh sea bream and the most incredible salads. He tells us to just the throw the fish bones overboard, and I do, and it completely misses and hits the deck. This night was so relaxing and we begin to unwind in the town that is so laidback as well.

Underground city here we come

This morning we had a knock at the door, and it was poor old Mum who managed to make it up the steps to tell us she isn't well and has come down with vomiting and gastro and won't be coming with us to the Underground city. I'm so glad that we are here for a few days as there is no way she could travel like this. We leave her with dry bread and a can of lemonade as she crawls back into bed. We travel on the mini bus and already, we have a good system of rotation on the bus. The city is amazing and we make our way down to the depths of this place. The Christians at the time lived down here to shelter from the weather and wild animals and a raid by the Arabs in the medieval raids. It has a little church and food preparation areas and a school. A few of us brave it to go down into the tunnels where you have to crawl to get through, and it's a bit claustrophobic at times. We see this valley and they look like a huge penis. Tub, one of the guys on the tour, is a walking encyclopedia and he nicknames it "the valley of the pricks". We also visit a place where hermits used to live in peaked cave dwellings, and this is a place where they didn't want to have contact with the outside world. Milroy, I spotted some black and white chickens and I'm sure they play for Collingwood. This afternoon we have free time. They have a great laundry service anywhere in Turkey - you just drop the bag off and it comes back in the afternoon. Tonight we head to this fantastic restaurant and we had to pre-order what meat we wanted. We enjoy a local dish called "testi kebab" - they are a slowed cooked casserole served in a sealed terracotta pot which is broken open upon serving. I of course had a go at breaking my own, and only a little piece ended up in my food. We had a private room and our host was a real character. Off to check on Mum, who is slightly better, as she has slept all day. We get up to leave Goreme and set off for our next stop which is Konya, a town of 1,000,000 people, so you can imagine it's a little overwhelming. We have to wear long pants and long tops as it's quite conservative here. We get taken to try a simple restaurant which only serves two things - a main and a dessert. We of course eat "tirit" which is a lamb served with small bread pieces underneath, yoghurt, melted butter and a tomato sauce. It's a real light weight meal!! Poor Mum is chomping on her roll with Vegemite that we made at breakfast. On the way, Ozan points out the Turkish Red Crescent and they are running a soup kitchen set-up. I don't want to upset anyone at work but I may shine with a few Red Cross shots!! Ozan tells me that the Red Cross has had the feeling of being a bit corrupted, which I was sad to hear, but he said it was at the time of the big earthquake and they seem a little better now. We head off to a museum, which has the tomb of the great Sufi poet Rumi, who was known as Mevlana and the founder of the Mevlevi dervish sect of Islam, known to us as the whirling dervish. It was really interesting. If you wanted to join them, you had to sit in the same position for 2 weeks and if they thought you could move on, they would accept you for the long training ahead. If you didn't make it, they turned your shoes away from you. A little devastating after 2 weeks!! The dervishes don't sleep - they have a rod that sits under the chin so you lean on it to rest. We go inside the mosque where the tombs are, and a lovely Turkish lady offers us all these mints that are chalky and taste of lemon. The Turks are so generous. We finish the night with our group and no Ozan, but he recommends a lovely home family cafe and Mum even has a little bite to eat. We are served a special family juice that is a deep red and she won't tell us the ingredients but they are all from her garden. The father plays the flute and he is very proud and we enjoy the music.

We fly to our first destination Goreme

We all leave Istanbul to fly to our first stop and then we get a mini bus at sunset to travel to Goreme with a population of 2,000 people. It's in the Cappadocia region. We arrive at night and this place is amazing, as it's full of cone-like structures from the volcanoes that erupted here millions of years ago. They are huge and the shapes are amazing as they sit amongst these vast canyons. We check into our cave hotel and Booka and I have a cave right at the the very top. We do our little orientation tour, and then hit the sack, as we have to get up at 4.00am to be picked up at 4.40am for our balloon ride over the region. Thank god they take us to a breakfast place prior, as I need a coffee to wake me up. Mum wasn't sure if she could go up due to the height, but she has decided to come as we are doing the shorter trip. We finally find our balloon crew and it's all systems go. The balloon is rolled out and they are pumping it full of hot air. They attach the basket, and the next minute we are flinging our legs over into the basket. There is about 20 of us. It's so hard to describe the breathtaking views, but my god "could you feel the serenity" - it was so amazing, as we are we're up at about 2,000 feet. The sky is full of the balloons, and the region and the rock formations are so different. People actually were still living in the cave houses right up until the 1920's. We land safely to be greeted by champagne, cherry juice and cake. We head back to hotel and we then hiked for a couple of hours through this amazing valley, and towards the end, there was a rustic little cafe, where I grabbed a Turkish coffee. We purchased some nuts and dried fruits from a couple who set up a stand to capture the hikers. They have these great peanuts covered with molasses and sesame seeds. We head back and we are taken to see Ruth who is a New Zealand woman who has been living in Turkey for 25 years selling rugs. It was so interesting to learn about how they are made, and the time to make them, as part of the dowry. It would have been ok if we hadn't been up since 4am but we were all nodding off. A few people made some purchases. We just chill out this afternoon as we have dinner with Fatima and her 2 boys. She is a local woman who will cook us dinner in her home. She is so hospitable and her English is great. She makes jewellery as well by crocheting them, and we make some purchases. The meal is served on small tables on the floor and it's so lovely and Booka goes back for more dessert. We stumble back to our cave and snore the night away.

Let's get ready for our trip around Turkey

Today we move to the tour hotel called The And, and it's a lot nicer and central. We find an upmarket coffee place and decide to sit. They give you a chocolate in the shape of a spoon on the saucer. Booka has taken us to a new level of maps, as she whips out the iPad as we go, and it points you in the right direction. We visit the Grand Bazaar and manage to find a post office to send our postcards, which are probably still making their way back. Of course, the place is packed. We see jewels and rugs ("please come in and see our rugs lady, and we can have some tea and talk about them") and anything you want. We decide that we need to get some smaller bags for the trip, as our cases are too big, so we wheel and deal and get some backpacks. They tell you can even get 100% genuine fake - how good is that. I find this lovely little spot for lunch and we all agree to sit. It's tiny with a little table and chairs, and we sit with all these men. The Turkish championship football league was played last night and the winning team's song is playing, and it's a really good tune that we bob along to. We enjoy fresh lamb and chicken shish which is served with salad, and I take another yoghurt drink. I'm dying for my Turkish bath. I don't take a recommendation from DC and stupidly take the advice from the old hotel man as he tells me it's much better. So I go downstairs and this guy who looks like a pimp shows me around and turns on the lights as I was the only one there. He offers me the works and I take it. This young Turkish woman comes out and she insists I get in the shower!! Then I'm in the sauna, then the shower, and then the ice plunge pool. I'm in the stream room and apparently I still need to shower, and then the plunge pool again. Obviously I'm not clean enough. Finally we hit the marble room and she soaps me up and removes an incredible amount of dead skin. I'm then on a couch with some cay and then off to my oil massage. Even though it may have been an undercover brothel, it did the job of getting some feeling back in those legs after France and Italy and all the walking. I get back in time for our group tour meeting. We meet Ozan who is our leader and he gives us a run down and tells us about him. We are 12 in total.  We have 3 couples Newcastle (NSW), the three of us, and two sisters and their mum from the US. We all head out and have a get to know you dinner and we have the feast of Turkish platters, and we are already laughing with our new friends.

It's been 10 years since I was in Istanbul

We sleep in a little after our massive trip to Gallipoli. Our hotel has such a great view as the breakfast room is on the top floor and I can see the the boat traffic which is very heavy on the Bosphorus. Let me tell you about a Turkish breakfast. Its consists of fresh cucumber, tomato, boiled eggs, several types of olives and a wonderful selection of cheeses. You have sweet little biscuits and cakes and then they bring out hot Boreks filled with cheese. I head out to get a cappuccino fix to start the day, as it's best for all concerned. Today we head off to Hague Sophia which used to be a Christian church and then it became a mosque. The roof is a bright yellow with lots of lovely frescoes. We have to put our thumb in this hole and try and turn it anti clockwise in one go. I think it's meant to be good luck, or perhaps some great footage for "funniest home videos". It's now a museum and it's beautiful. I have a simit with cream cheese while we walk, which is like a king size skinny bagel with sesame seeds - it's really delicious. We then head to the Blue Mosque and it's so lovely as it has these low hanging lights and the reason the call it the Blue Mosque is the lovely blue tiles, some 20,000 of them. I start to remember my time here last time. Here we all have to wear our scarves, and Booka and I have to wear wrap around skirts to cover our knees as my skirt and her shorts are not long enough. Wait until you see the photos. The men wash themselves out the front before praying. The women can pray, but not with the men, as it's separated. Their space is so much smaller which is hard to take. I see a young boy of 8 all dressed in traditional clothing and a wonderful hat. He is with his Dad and looks quite happy with himself. I later find out this is his circumcision ceremony. He may not have been for the snip as yet!! We then move on to the Cistern which is this amazing underground water supply. They have two big stones of Medusa in there. They also have this fantastic dress up section of Sultans and headdress and gowns. Of course I convince Mum and Booka to dress up in them. Booka was a tad disappointed as she wanted to be a Sultan and she had to make do with being a Sultana!! George and Max, Nannie has the photo, so please have a look, as you will laugh so much. We get the most crazy taxi ride over to Taksim square as I head to a meeting. The driver slams on the brakes, and as it's been raining, we of course slide and I'm a nervous wreck. I hook up with Mum and Booka later on and they are overwhelmed as much as I am, as this place is pumping on a Sunday with thousands of people. We have a quick bite to eat and then we go to a place that I went to 10 years ago called "Inci Pastanesi" - it's famous for its chocolate profiteroles. They have about 20 bowls fresh on the counter covered with chocolate sauce. You just simply eat them quickly and move on, so others can enjoy this heavenly desert. Melinda, you would have loved it. We catch a funicular and a tram and find our way home, and we are quite happy with ourselves. It's so nice to see Booka enjoying Turkey, as this has been such a dream of hers to come.

Gallipoli

We head off on a little mini bus at 6.30am and it takes us to the biggest bus depot you have ever seen. Turkey is run by buses, and any size you want Madame. We get on some sort of public bus that has all sorts on it, and all types of cargo. As I'm desperate for a coffee before we sit on this bus for 5 hours, Mum and I make a dash to this little teahouse. We grab two take away Nescafes in a plastic cup and a serve of cheese Boreks. The coffee was so hot, I now have a blister on my lip. The bus is a coach with a TV screen on the back of the seat. It's all Turkish but we manage to enjoy some American films in Turkish!! The bus is so great, as you have this man who pulls out a tray on wheels and serves you drinks and snacks for free. Then he comes by with a huge bottle of some lemon cologne which you wash your hands with and it's pure alcohol. It puts the greyhound buses to shame. We have what they call comfort stops. It's mainly Turkish toilets which you squat on (there is no way that you can get constipated in Turkey) or you can choose the occasional English one if you like. You pay for these, just like most places in Europe. We get to Eceabat, which is where our hotel is and our tour guide will be. You have got to love it as it's the "Crowded House" hotel. We are taken out the back for a quick lunch, and then all aboard the next bus to Gallipoli. Our guide's name is "Bullante" and he is very knowledgable and passionate. We stop down at where the Australians landed which was North Beach instead of Brighton Beach. Next stop is Anzac cove and it's so small, as it looks so much bigger on TV. This is where the Allied forces set up. When you turn around to see the hill they had to get over, you know they were up against it. Mum's grandfather was from the Lighthorsemen brigade and she has his certificate framed at home. We see so many graves, and most are so young. We go to Lone Pine and the battle fields and it's amazing to see the trenches and hear about the ceasefire day when the Turks and the Allies helped each other to bury the dead. So many men lost from all parties. I can now understand the pride you feel, and mostly why the Turks are so passionate about this country. I meet a young woman who is curious to know where I'm from. She must be 15. We are near the big statue of Mustafa Ataturk who was the general responsible for the defeat of the Allies and he later becomes the President and they love him to death. She looks up and says "he is my hero and I love him". The passion is incredible. We head back to our hotel and we have dinner at a Baltak restaurant and we ate the best hummus I have ever tasted. Sitting next to us are heaps of cats fighting over fish bones. There is no shortage of cats, Lena. They eat with you all the time. The next day we just potter, as we are going back on an earlier bus. Mum and I head down to the water to what looks like an men's only cay house. We sit down and order two Turkish kahve (coffee). Mum describes the coffee as lifting your head off!! We bus it back another 5 hours, and when we come into Istanbul there are toll gates and the lanes are about 7 or 8 wide, with no structure. So much so, that guys just get out of cars and say goodbye to people. There is a young man selling bananas to the cars passing by!! It's insane and on the hill beside the freeway the people sit and watch; it must be a spectator sport. Tonight we hit a Turkish restaurant where I enjoy an ayran (drink made of yoghurt, water and salt). Mum and I try what seems to be a dark fruit juice with red carrots. We eat some rolled up pastry filled with cheese and we happily take photos like we are smoking them, as they look like cigars. Early to bed, as we need to rest now before our trip starts. Oh, I have told you about the call to prayer. It goes 5 times a day and we wake up sometimes to the 4am one!! Goodnight.

Sometimes when you are tired, you don't make the best decisions

We check out all the transport options into Istanbul from the airport and we decide to negotiate a taxi fee, as we have been travelling most of the day. The money went well, but the ride was terrifying. As you know, I'm not the best passenger and this guy is speeding like a man who is keen to break the record for the trip! Mum kept on telling me to look out the window and not straight ahead. After several stops at wrong hotels, and a very mysterious and scary turn up a one way street, dodging the other traffic, we make it to our hotel. We check in and the the reception dude tells that a lady has been ringing him to see if we have arrived. It's Books of course, as she has been waiting for us. It's so great to see her and I'm talking a million miles an hour trying to catch up. We head out and Books already knows the locals. Mum and I share a pide, and a cup of cay which is Turkish tea. This would be the start of many teas and my quest to get a decent coffee. The cay is served black and it comes in a lovely little glass. Books has the snacks sorted as we have to get up at 5.30am to head off on a tour to Gallipoli. Mum has her own room for the first time in 2 weeks - will she cope? Good night Turkiye.

One more look at Italia

Firstly, I'm sorry for the long break, but my eyes have been so full of many journeys and I have so much to tell. Mum and I decided that we will take the bus around Firenze. We head up the hill to a magic view of Firenze which I haven't seen before. We meet a lovely French artist who makes these traditional necklaces that are made from broken tubes of glass. A few purchases were made by Mum. Linney Pinney can you email my blog to Anna and Sasha? Anna, I see so amazing frescoes and I think of you. I have taken some shots for you. I see a lovely Jewish church and it's so ornate with serpentine marble. Mum and I can see a few more poses by woman for their partners and they really produce some sexy moves. I take Mum to an old favourite for lunch inside the Firenze markets, as they have a small version of their restaurant up the back. The food was superb except for the cranky old waiter that I thought Mum was going to tell off!!! We buy some nice strawberries and the stall owner lets us try fresh prunes. Like I need them!! We go to see the statue of David and man is he tall, it's really incredible. There are all these young students drawing him. We bump into our friends Wendy and Peter in the museum. Hi guys, if you have managed to stick with my blog. Sonia, my Mirka Mora book is delicious and it has people I know in it. I head off to a meeting tonight as I pass a demonstration with lots of police watching. Mum and I walk over Ponte Vecchio and have some wonderful shots taken of each other. We have a lovely meal at a family run cafe and Mum has a hot chocolate that a spoon stands up in! Back to our cat piss casa tonight. We get up in the morning and get a lovely Eurostar train to Milan. It's full of very good looking business men off to work. We have quite a bit of trouble finding an ATM and I feel a tanty coming on. We head off on a bus to Malpensa airport (Milano) to catch a flight to Istanbul to meet my Books. It's been to 2 weeks since we saw each other. Let's hope she has arrived safely. Ciao Italia

Oh Siena

We head off on our tour on this massive big coach. Our guide is translating into French, Italian, German and English. It has been such a bonus to get out of the big city. We have about 6 Americans behind us and it sounds like they have been taking some art classes in Florence. We arrive in Siena and the town is so beautiful and it's been a real highlight of Italia. There is a real rivalry that goes back for centuries between Florence and Siena. I personally feel that Siena is way ahead. This town is famous for the horse race around the centre. It happens twice a year in July and August so if you are nearby, put it in your travel plans. The people start arriving at 7am to get their spots and they end up with 40,000 people for when the race starts at 7pm. The course around the piazza has two very sharp bends and it's cobblestones underneath and the jockeys ride bareback! They have 10 jockeys from the regions and the 10th jockey decides when the race starts. This may not help him but a friend in another region who may want to take out another enemy from a region. The winner can simply be the first horse across, with or without a jockey. We have a guide take us around the town and we have these listening devices called "whispers". This town has real class and old world charm and they have a wonderful church with a Michelangelo statues, and a room with incredible frescos that Raphael painted and put himself in as a very young person. The floor work and the pictures are carved into marble and the stained glass windows are amazing. The Red Cross volunteers had set up in town offering free blood pressure checks, so of course Mum and I had ours done, and it was a little higher than normal, and she very kindly told it was from all our walking! We had our photos taken and I told them I worked for Red Cross in Australia. We had free time but most of the group have gone to the recommended cafe for lunch. Mum and I spotted all these young students eating these delicious looking huge slices of pizza. Now Mum isn't a pizza fan but she can smash a fine Italian slice. The place is really cool with some fine jazz music in the background as we ooh and aah. Next stop was Monterosso which was a small village and I have a fabulous shot of this old Italian couple sitting in the square, and it looks like they are laughing and talking about the tourists. We make our way to a family run vineyard in Chianti. The others sample all the wines while we are sampling the pecorino cheese, salami and the most delicious olive oil and balsamic syrup which is so lovely and sweet, and you can have it on your ice cream!! We then head to San Gimignano, which is a town that friends have mentioned as a must-see. It's totally lovely and quiet; even though lots of people visit, we are there later in the day. We go down a side alley and find this panoramic view, which I'm sure you will enjoy seeing on our 5,000 slide show night!! After such exhaustion Mum and I find ourselves on the end of Baci ice cream, ummm Baci. This town is infamous for its saffron ice cream which we had a little taste of. I'm glad we didn't get a whole one as it was very sweet. This is also the best place for "wild boar". We say goodbye and we make our way back to Florence. We met some young Australians from Mildura and Melbourne who arrive back in time to make a train to Bologna for a food tour. Guess what; we find ourselves down another Via and we arrive at a lovely Osteria for dinner. Lisa, you may need to get some inspiration for dinner now. For entree we share a bruschetta of Pecorino cheese figs and honey, followed by pesto spaghetti. Underneath our hotel is a patisserie where we convinced a lovely Italian barista to make us a hot chocolate as a nightcap. Norms and Relle, there isn't a scale in sight at this stage. We head back now to the cat pee haven. Buona Notte.

Ciao Firenze

The great thing about hotel Oasi is they offer real cappuccino and I'm making the most of this. We have an earlyish train booked from Levanto to Florence. We got a lovely Italian taxi man and he is very good looking. We arrive at the station and Mum can't get her seatbelt off. So our man is trying to get her out. Mum put a decent battle! We arrive at Pisa and we head for the cafe. I ask the toilet attendant how far it is to the leaning tower and it's only 15 minutes on a bus. So we dump our bags at the bagaglio and jump on the LAM Rossa bus. It was really worth the visit and of course we have our pictures taken like we are holding the tower up. I'm so disappointed I can't show you my pictures. Mum has been experiencing all the different classes of Italian trains, as we now head to Florence on the Eurostar that has just arrived from Rome. We arrive in Florence and I really show Mum the sights by dragging our cases via the cobblestone streets. We check into a hotel that I have stayed at 3 times before, but it will be last. It's too sparse and the room smells of cat pee and it has put me in a hole!  When I rang reception he bought up a can of air freshner. I had to ring Booka that night as I didn't think we could stay. I want to experience another part of Italy this time, so we have booked ourselves on a tour to Siena, San Gimignano and a winery tour in Chianti, and it leaves in the morning. I must say this is my 4th time to Florence and I don't think I would come again. Things are looking really tired. The Duomo (cathedral) is very grubby and they are in the middle of some renovations. Russell and Brian I have thinking of you in Bali on your well deserved holiday and I hope it's wonderful. Melinda and Lyn I dreamt that you two got married to each other.

Ah Cinque Terre

We have our pass and we are now on the train to get towards the village to do our walk along the beautiful rugged coastal line which is part of the Italian riviera.We start at Riomaggiore and it's a little windy, but you get a real sense of a lovely fishing village here. They have the classic old Italian fishing boats with such vivid bright blues. We walk up the top to see the views and meet the lovely Peter and Wendy from Gerringong in NSW. We take shots of each other and say our goodbyes as we may catch you in the next town. We continue on to Manarola and you walk on a cemented path, and one part is for the lovers (Via Dell'Amore). They have all these locks with people's names on as a declaration of their love. I saw a little Huggies nappy tied up next to the locks and I thought maybe that is the next step of the love! The lemon trees are everywhere and I forgot to mention that in Levanto the lemons were as big as grapefruits, but long like a droplet. You can see why the Italians thought "what can we do with all of these? Why don't we make a liqueur - limoncello perhaps." The cliffs and the views are fabulous. We can't walk to Corniglia as they had a huge mudslide last October of 2011. From our view you can see four tracks that have washed the hill away in parts. I can't quite see how this will be repaired and not so quickly. We catch the train and we view Corniglia.  They have all these old black and white shots of the men and women who carted down all the grapes on their heads from the vineyards. I grab my first slice of pizza and some piccolo dolce - yummm. We bump into Peter and Wendy as they enjoy lunch at the hotel and we head back. Next stop Vernazza. Mum has an interesting story to tell re what happened at this station. We get off at Vernazza and it's so devastating as this is the village I walked to in 2002. This village was absolutely wrecked even worse by the floods and the smell is still lingering, and no boats are in the sea. If you can imagine a lovely shop front and you look up to the roof - that was the height of the water that rushed down the mountain and ruined the bottom of the town and their livelihood. From here we start the rugged walk to Monterosso and it takes us about 2.5 hrs. As we climbed so high we had the inefficient cooling systems at full tilt. Our thighs and calves are going to peel open like a banana! We battle on through moss, a little water, some rickety old fences, and pass people who look exhausted. We then see real devastation where houses on the cliffs have been washed away; they have no floors and there are only window frames left. The path at times is so narrow and it's best not to look down. As we are descending, we come across a little vineyard and a man has a hole in the fence where he offers fresh homemade lemonade, limoncello & wine; Mum and I scull two lemonades. We make our way around to Monterosso with many leg stretches. We have a lovely dinner in the village and the owner's husband was a great rower and they display many trophies. It's a great eclectic mix of art and family photos. We decide that we will catch the train back to Levanto at 8.30pm but after many cancelations we make it back to our hotel by 10pm. DC, thankfully we didn't have to share a pillow at the Oasi.

Au Revoir France - Buon Giorno Italia

We leave the Cap this morning and Terry has organised a driver to pick us up to take us to Monaco train station. We drive down 12 floors of this carpark but can't find the entrance, so we drive up 12 floors again. The attendant tells us that we have to go down again!! I'm feeling really great by now. We hop on the train while Mum is trying to an email to Dad from the platform as we make use of the wifi. They are getting ready for the Grand Prix and they are erecting signs on the platforms. Just a little info on Monaco - its population is 18,000 and 35,000 commute to work to service the 35,000 visitors each day. It's only 3/4 of a square mile in size; Central Park is bigger. Our train takes us to the Italian border, where we head for another change over in Genoa. We have a quick stopover and we head for the cafe bar and I am reminded we are in Italia now, as I have to pay for a cornetto and coffee beforehand. We head from Genoa to Levanto which is one village prior to the Cinque Terre walk. We board the train and, surprise, a young Italian guy is sitting in our seat and we have the same seat number. The conductor comes and I explain our situation. We find out later from a lady that the conductor told him off, said he wasn't very gallant to the tourists and was cross with him. But such are the Italians, he didn't chuck him off. The ticket he had was for yesterday and he had his finger over the date. We arrive in Levanto, grab our map for the walk, and take the local taxi to our hotel Oasi. The hotel was lovely, but this time Mum and I are in the Queen bed. They don't get our request; va bene! Tonight we head around the town where I come across the Red Cross in Levanto. The town is right on the coast and there are two guys out surfing in wetsuits on some really small, desperate waves. We find a lovely little family trattoria where Mum tries the local fish, and I have a lovely cheese and pine nut pasta. We have a good night's sleep to prepare ourselves for the big walk.

Good morning French Riviera

Mum and I shared a bed last night and we had such a great sleep after a big day yesterday. It's nice to stop for a couple of days. We went for a morning walk around The Cap and it's so amazing with all the huge houses and the yachts on the water. They even have a "petit chien" fountain. David Niven had a house here and apparently the parties at his house were infamous. We have a lovely breakfast as we look out to a massive cruise ship from the balcony. The water is very deep and it can host American war ships out the front. I saw a lady swimming out there in her bathers, and she was way out far and deep. We decide to drop our trusty car and Ken back in Monaco as it was easier than trying to do it in Nice at the crack of dawn. We head down to Monaco and I drove the car along the Grand Prix track of Monaco, which is happening two weeks later. I think Books, Frank & Stu would be impressed especially when I had to park it on the start line! Every Friday Jan and Terry go to this English pub in Monaco called the Ship & Castle and they have fish and chips and mushy peas. Well who are we to break tradition? Trisha, I think you asked me if we went there - it was good fun. We walked around the sea and now we can we see some serious mega cruises. We drove past the casino and we saw the palace up the top. We went to this lovely rose garden that's dedicated to Princess Grace as she loved roses. We went around the route of the Grand Prix, and man, are some of those turns tight! We finished the night at a lovely old village called Villefranche-sur-Mer, and they put on this magnificent fireworks display. The houses here are places people come for summertime retreats and they have minders look after them while they away. For the last couple of years the Russians have been buying everything up and renovating them. You have to keep the original shell. In peak time you are not allowed to renovate or light bonfires when the tourist are around. There is this huge house on the water that was owned by Americans and this guy from Moldova went to the real estate agent and wanted him to ask the owners to sell. He did and they declined. This guy is 40 something and he goes to the house, knocks on the door and tells them he wants to buy it for $10 million and they declined. He said how about $40 million and they said yes and would you like the curtains. He makes his money by chopping down forests in Siberia. I lay in bed and hear the water, aah.....

Are we there yet?

We have set off from Bonnieux and our destination by nightfall will be Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat on the French Riveria. DC was curious re our final destination and she googled it. It's really the land of the rich and famous, so please have a look. Mum and Dad's friends from Melbourne live there for 6 months of the year. We were driving for a while and we got stuck behind a tractor and of course I was too scared to take over. Finally he stopped and let us pass so we could get out of first gear!! Our next stop was a town called Forcalquier, and you have be careful how you pronounce this. This town is lovely and I bought a great scarf in this little shop and the guy was quite interesting, especially with the fresh bruise he was sporting on his eye. He told Mum and me to go check out the fountain and see if we can find anything that looks a little strange. So here we are looking, looking... and then Mum spotted the picture of a couple in a 69 position!! The guy was really pleased with her. We then decided to stop for lunch. Just in case you were missing our food update, well here it comes. We had lunch in a Moroccan restaurant. For my friends that know me all too well, you could imagine my surprise when they served us up a bowl of chickpeas for entree!! Poor Mum, we didn't need to fill the car with diesel;  I fueled it with gas instead. We drove on via lovely villages in the Provence and then we hit this hill where we went up 1000 feet above sea level. My eyes and nose were really tight with a lot of pressure. I was really quite anxious at this stage as I was driving up one hairpin bend after another; it was really scary. We made it up to the top and then we could see the French Alps. Forgive me P-man, I can't remember the name. We found these huge fields of some dry bush and when we stopped, it was lavender and the smell was wonderful. We were on the road to Gorges du Verdon, but we didn't get there as time was ticking away. We drove around this bend and then it took our breath away, as there was this huge lake of some sort called Retenue De Saint-Croix, which produces electricity. The colour was amazing and it was like we were in the Mediterranean. After a few more stops on the way, Ken has got us on the freeway and now I'm quite nervous. We grab a ticket and then about half an hour down the freeway, we have to chuck coins into the basket; it was like when I used to cross the Sydney Harbour bridge. The speed limit is 130 km thank god, and I quite quickly get into the swing of taking over the trucks. Ken keeps telling us that we need to leave the highway and go via Cannes. So we go via Cannes in the insane traffic for 45 minutes and then we get back on the freeway. Bad Ken!!! Mum and I are now not talking to Ken. By the way, I always wanted to go to Cannes, but it doesn't look like much chop. We head towards Nice and pull over and double park like the French, and punch in Cap Ferrat. We come into the "The Cap" as it's known and it's so amazing. We have definitely gone up a few notches tonight. Are we there yet? Yes, we make it to Jan and Terry's place and are greeted with the most amazing view overlooking the water.  We sit down to a terrific lamb roast and do a load of washing. Good night Cap.

You drove in France!!

I have just face-timed Booka; you gotta love this modern technology. She is leaving tonight and we will see each other soon in Istanbul, and I can't wait. We left the town of Avignon and caught a bus to pick up our car. It was a lovely Renault and the camp guy on the desk insisted on giving us the car with the sat nav in it and showed us how to use it. He was ever so excited about us finding an Australian chap called "Ken" on the TomTom. Ken is our new best friend. Mum asked me if I wanted to drive and I thought "what the heck". We bravely drove from the Gare d'Avignon at 5 kms per hour!!! Managing the first roundabout on the wrong side of the road, oh my god!!! We set off, and look out Provence, here we come. Not having used a TomTom before, we soon discovered a "deviation, as the French call it. So we are not 5 minutes out of town and we are lost, and bloody Ken insists on telling me we need to turn around. We finally get back on track and it is hilarious as Mum is still trying to work what the hell Ken is talking about!! If you have ever driven through Provence, you will know it is so beautiful. Mum described the countryside as soft and it's so lush and green. I think she liked the small peloton of men in lycra on bikes in front of us for a while!! We stopped at a fruit stall on the side of the road and bought half a kilo of strawberries and they were so sweet. We ate as we drove with not a care in the world. We hit the following places - Gordes (medieval town that stops you in your track) and then we drove to Apt as we thought we may stay the night. It was so dodgy looking that we drove onto a lovely little town called Bonnieux. If you get a minute, google some of the images of these towns. We had no accommodation and we managed to get a room at the very top of the village. This village is across the way from Lacoste. We had dinner over looking the valley and we both had duck with the most delicious mushroom sauce. Now about the duck, I think he gave us one each, it was huge. The French election debate was on and they were all glued to the tv in the restaurant. You know who won by now. At the end of the day my neck was tight from surviving the day driving in France. I'm so proud of myself and Mum, as it wasn't easy at times, especially when a bus is coming - yikes! We are still friends and laughing lots which is great. Good night my lovelies, it's 11.45pm now and I need to make sure Mum isn't snoring her head off. Ciao for now.

Sur le Pont d'Avignon

We arrived in Avignon on the train from Paris and we went about 600 kms in 2.5 hrs. Well the flavour of our trip has been many modes of transport and thank god that we have had a variety! I have been walking so much that I reckon I could represent Australia in London for the 25 km walk!! We walked "sur le pont d'Avignon", which was amazing and it doesn't go the length of the river. Now listen to this one. This guy, a peasant, gets a message from God and he tells him to gather all the people in the village and get them to help him to build the bridge, and they all do this amazing job. I have been waiting and I'm still yet to get my message!!! So hang on to your knickers, as a great monument is coming I'm sure. We caught this tiny train around Avignon and it was so great, as you get all the lowdown of the history. We managed to convince a guy in an American bar to make Mum and me some take-away hot chocolates in plastic beer mugs!! Are we desperate? The food trail still continues - I think "a few pastries a day keep the Doctor at bay". It's 10.30 at night and I'm sitting in the hotel breakfast area on the wi-fi updating you. I'm now in Italia (Firenze) and we are just next door to the Duomo and in the distance, a band is playing with a bass, and they are wonderful. Mum is up in bed as it's been a long day for us, having been out since 8.30am. Has anyone seen Mrs Brown; it's a man dressed up as a woman and I have been showing it to Mum on the iPad. I'm having trouble adding photos from the iPad to the blog. Any tips anyone?

The rest of Gay Paris

It's me; I'm back again, and thanks to Sonia for giving me the heads-up, as she has told me that I haven't been posting my updates the right way. So I am now lying in bed in PJ's updating you on the last part of our travels in Paris before we headed to Avignon. We travelled around Paris some more via those jump-on, jump-off buses, which I haven't done before. It was really good as you get a lot of detailed history. Don't you love the French? You do something incredible for your country and then they chop your head off!!! What thanks is that? The Marais, where we stayed, is so great, as it's always buzzing with people, shops and of course, great food. I have been getting a few comments from friends about our eating tour of Paris, and you will be pleased to know, it still continues. My high school French is killing the French; they can't get enough of it. We jumped on the Batobus that took us all around the Seine at night, so we could see the city sparkle. I mean how many photos can a couple of gals take of the Eiffel Tower!!! Oh, did I mention that we climbed the Arc de Triomphe. Thankfully oxygen was at hand as we took our final step up!! As it was Anzac Day recently, they had a massive French flag flying in the middle of the Arc. Sally and Wong, we found the lovely apartment where you stayed and it's looks big, and in such a great location. As you know, I work for the Red Cross and if you see any offices on your travels, you take photos. So we stumble across one in Paris, and so I take a snap. Well, later that night, I see Red Cross volunteers selling flowers for the May Day Celebrations, so of course I introduce myself, and next minute I'm in one of their jackets having a photo with the whole group!! You gotta love the Humanitarians. Bonsoir my lovelies - until next time.

Hi Mum, look at what I have set up for us for our trip.  I'm getting so excited as we are only five weeks away from take-off.  Can't wait to see you tommorow.  Love Robbie