Gaziantep (October 17-October 20, 2011)

From Cappadocia we headed further east into Turkey to the city of Gaziantep. This city initially intrigued us because of its reputation throughout Turkey for its cuisine, baklava in particular (fabled to be the best in Turkey). What we found when we got there was a city of delicious food, friendly and curious people, an interesting history, and a fabulous archaeological museum.

Gaziantep’s reputation for its cuisine is deserved. There seemed to be baklava shops on every corner (and we tried as many as we could in our short stay, but there are supposedly more than 180), but the city also has several wonderful restaurants showcasing regional cuisine. At one wonderful lokanta the waiter took pity on us (and our total naivety about the menu) and brought us small plates so we could try a little of everything. At a kebab and baklava restaurant – what more could we ask for – we discovered what might have been our favorite type of kebab, ali nazik: grilled ground lamb served over pureed eggplant and yogurt.

In between visits to baklava shops we found some time to visit the city’s archaeological museum devoted to mosaics from the nearby Roman city of Zeugma. Excavations started at the city in 1987 and uncovered a large number of beautiful mosaics, but there was little action at the site until 1999, when archaeologists rushed to excavate and preserve the mosaics before the newly built Birecik Dam flooded the city in 2000.  The museum has an amazing collection of mosaics saved from the ruins just before the flooding, and while about 800 square meters of mosaics are displayed in the museum, many were lost forever as a result of the flooding and, sadly, still others were looted by collectors after the discovery of the site but before they could be moved to the museum. The most famous piece in the collection, “Gypsy Girl,” is a fraction of one of these looted mosaics. The fact that only part of this girl’s image remains – her bangle earrings, head scarf, and severe stare – make the work even more intriguing.

Finally, at another city museum, we found that Gaziantep played a memorable role in Turkey’s eventual reunification. After WWI the Ottoman Empire was divided among European powers, with the French, Italians, Greeks, and Russians all laying some claim. When French soldiers attempted to siege Gaziantep (then known only as “Antep”) in 1920, the citizens resisted. The French cut off all supplies, essentially starving the city into submission; some 6,000 Gaziantep citizens died before the city surrendered 10 months later. Though they lost the battle, the city’s courageous stand was made an example of the need for Turkish solidarity and independence and held up as an example by General Kemal Mustafa (eventual founder and first president of modern Turkey). Just as this General would take the name “Ataturk,” meaning “Father of Turkey,” Antep would take the prefix “Gazi,” meaning “war hero."

Click on the photo below to view our Gaziantep photo album.

Cappadocia (October 13-October 17, 2011)

Located in central Turkey on an arid, 1000-meter high plateau dotted with dormant volcanoes, the geologically- and historically-rich Cappadocia region was one of the highlights of our six weeks in Turkey. Relatively recent volcanic activity in the region deposited a thick blanket of soft tuff (rock formed from volcanic ash) and harder lava across the area, and subsequent erosion of these rock layers has created a unique and fascinating landscape featuring tall columns, cones, and spires of rock, locally referred to as fairy chimneys.

The region also has an intriguing history: between the 4^th and 11^th centuries, Christians seeking refuge from religious persecution by the Romans carved their churches and monasteries into the soft tuff to keep them hidden. The result is a landscape scattered with the spectacular remains of their efforts. These range from small fairy chimneys with one-room churches (complete with small windows and doors) to large, multi-story churches with high-arched ceilings and beautiful, well-preserved frescoes, to complete monastic communities with living quarters, dining rooms and kitchens. The best are generally preserved and protected, but many other amazing structures are open to anyone who can find them. Meanwhile, hundreds are being used for storage by local farmers.

With so much to offer, it is not surprising that the area has become popular with both foreign and Turkish tourists. We stayed in one of the many popular “cave hotels” in Goreme that offer rooms carved into the bedrock (though much more recently). The town is surrounded by a number of valleys, each with a unique landscape, and we spent much of our time here hiking through them in the crisp fall weather.

We visited the Goreme Open-Air Museum, which protects a monastery with some of the most well-preserved frescoed churches in Cappadocia. The best was the “Karanlik Kilise” (Dark Church) – every inch covered in frescoes of the holy family and important saints. In most churches with paintings of people the eyes were later carved out by Turks who were wary of the “evil eye”. Other churches, from the iconoclastic period (when images were outlawed), are simply painted in red and white patterns with no images of people or animals.

Our hikes included a walk through the “Rose Valley” and “Red Valley” areas to the town of Cavusin, and another to the Devrent Valley and Pasabagi Valley. The Rose Valley and Red Valley trail system meandered through a series of deeply incised canyons along the face of a high plateau. We encountered numerous churches along the way, but fortunately, not many people. This hike ended at the village of Cavusin, with a spectacular abandoned old town cut into the rock face. We climbed to the top of the old town and watched the sun set over the area with our feet dangling off the edge. Our trip to Devrent Valley and Pasabagi Valley happened to be on a Sunday, and we found that locals were also out exploring in full-force. These valleys are both pretty small, so our plan included taking a public bus to a starting point, walking along the road to Devrent Valley (known for rock formations that look like animals), and then walking along the road to Pasabagi Valley (known for its mushroom shaped pillars). In reality, though, we found that we never had to walk because generous Turkish locals would pull over and offer us rides (without our even asking). One such vehicle was a mini-bus full of college-age Turks. When we got in the van they put on Turkish music and danced and sang along in the aisles, presumably for our benefit, but all in good fun. Many of the locals were equally intrigued by our presence and asked to take photos with us as we explored. One young girl and her grandfather chatted us up at the bus station and later added us as facebook friends!

The Cappadocia region is rather large and there is a lot to see, so one day we joined an all-day tour group that took us hiking in the Ilhara Valley, on a visit to Selime Monastery, and to one of the region’s several “Underground Cities." Built by Byzantine Christians in the 7th century, Kaymakli was a defensive stronghold that extended 8 stories underground and could house up to 3000 people and their supplies for several months at a time. The conditions would have been cramped, but the architecture of this structure was impressive.

On our final morning in Goreme we woke before sunrise and hiked to a view point above town to watch hot air balloons take off at dawn. This is an extremely popular tourist activity in the region, and we can only imagine that the scenery viewed from above at first light is particularly dramatic and spectacular. Unfortunately, our budget didn’t allow for a trip ourselves, but even watching the balloons light up and soar across the landscape made for a pretty sight and a nice way to spend our last morning in Cappadocia.

Click on the photo below for our Cappadocia photo album.

Pamukkale and Hierapolis (October 10-October 12, 2011)

Our next stop took us east to the town of Pamukkale (Turkish for “Cotton Castle”), home to some distinctive terraced travertine deposits and the ruins of the Roman city of Hierapolis. The tiny town itself doesn’t have much to offer (though we did find some half-decent Korean bi-bim-bap), and we spent one of our days here watching movies in our room while we waited out a rain storm. We spent the following day exploring the bleached-white travertines and the ruins that sit above them. The unusual landscape is the result of a series of hot springs along the top of the steep, 200-meter high slope that emit mineral-rich waters that deposit white calcium carbonate as they flow down the hillside, creating a series of pools and terraces.

As you walk uphill from the town you follow a path across the travertines (no shoes allowed!) to get to the ruins of Hierapolis. Here you get fabulous close-ups of this unique geological formation, nice views of the town and countryside, and can enjoy the warm waters that still flow down the terraces. Fortunately for us, few people took the time to walk up the travertines; most people, it seemed, got dropped off by their tour bus at the ruins at the top and only explored the upper 100 meters of the path through the travertines. These tourists did, however, make for excellent people watching: for some reason the site is popular among Russian tourists who pose provocatively for photos in their bikinis and speedos around the travertines; an interesting and peculiar contrast to the modestly dressed Turkish tourists (we also noticed this, to a lesser extent, at Ephesus).

At the top of the hill are the ruins of the Roman city of Hierapolis, founded as a spa and healing town in the second century BC (they believed that the waters had therapeutic properties). The site is extensive and contains the ruins of a Byzantine church and several temples, a 12,000-seat theater, agora (one of the largest ever discovered), baths and a public latrine house, and a large necropolis with hundreds of tombs overlooking the travertines. We spent an entire day exploring the fascinating site (and gaping at our fascinating fellow-tourists) then caught another overnight bus further east to the town of Goreme, in Cappadocia.

Click on the photo below to view our Pamukkale and Hierapolis photo album.

Selcuk and Ephesus (October 8-October 10, 2011)

From Istanbul we took an overnight bus south to the town of Selcuk, jumping off point for a visit to the ruins of Ephesus. Since our bus did not depart until 11:30 p.m., we watched Turkey lose to Germany in a Euro 2012 soccer match while we waited at the main Istanbul bus station. The circus-like atmosphere that erupted at the station during the game, however, did not cease when the game did. In fact, it seemed to increase. The Turks continued to beat on drums, sing, chant, and race around the large, oval-shaped station honking and hanging out the windows waving flags. The bus boarding area was swarmed, fireworks were being shot off, and young men were being picked up by groups of their friends and tossed in the air. After we pushed our way through the crowd and boarded our bus, we discovered that the celebration was for the young Turkish men departing for their mandatory military service, and the mobs of people were friends and family. Eventually, the enthusiastic young men boarded our bus, and the mob surrounded it, rocking it and slapping the sides and windows (the same scene was playing out at the other 30 departing buses). The angry driver had to literally inch his way out of the station. At one point, a crowd blocked the path of the bus, and a man lit a red torch and held it in the air as the group sang the Turkish national anthem. The young soldiers moved to the front of the bus to salute them during the anthem as tearful mothers and girlfriends waved goodbye. When we finally departed the station about 45 minutes late, we both breathed a sigh of relief. We didn’t know at that point, though, that the same scene was about to replay four more times as we stopped at different Istanbul stations to pick up more passengers, ultimately putting us about 2½ hours behind schedule!

Needless to say, we were a little tired when we reached Selcuk, but we found our way to a nice pension in town and, after a long nap, set out to explore the town. Selcuk is relatively small, but has some interesting ruins that we wandered through, including the Basilica of St. John, built by Emperor Justinian and dedicated to the Saint who is said to have visited Ephesus twice, and a Roman aqueduct, now a nesting place for storks. In the afternoon, we stumbled upon the huge Saturday market. For a ridiculously small amount of money, we stocked up on grapes, tomatoes, fresh feta cheese, and olives, which made for an excellent lunch the next day while exploring Ephesus.

Founded in the 10^th century BC, Ephesus became an important Roman port, growing to an estimated 250,000 residents during its peak in the first century BC before eventually falling into decline as its harbor silted in. The city was most famous for its Temple of Artemis, dedicated to their goddess of fertility. The temple was the largest in the world at the time, earning it a spot as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Today, however, one reconstructed column and the foundation are all that remain.

Though only about 20% of Ephesus has been unearthed so far, what exists is certainly impressive. Curetes Way, the main thoroughfare of Ephesus, is lined with the ruins of shops, fountains, baths and latrines, and even a brothel. The beautiful Library of Celsus, now not much more than a façade, was once the world’s third largest library, and the Terraced Houses of the city’s wealthy class have beautifully preserved frescoed walls and mosaic floors (currently carefully being excavated and reassembled by a team of Austrians).

We also visited the Ephesus Museum, in Selcuk, where many of the statues and artifacts found at the site are now located, including several versions of the multi-breasted Artemis herself. Other gems included Priapus, the Phallic God, an infantile head and arm from a 7-meter tall statue of Emperor Domitian, and innumerable statues of Eros.

Click on the photo below to view our Selcuk and Ephesus photo album.

Istanbul (Not Constantinople) (September 25-October 7, 2011 and Ocotber 28-October 30, 2011)

Simply put, Istanbul exceeded all of our expectations. It’s a city of contrast – old and new, east and west, traditional and cosmopolitan – melded harmoniously into a bustling, pulsating metropolis in a beautiful setting. The Bosphorus splits the city, and the European and Asian continents, making Istanbul the only city in the world to straddle two continents and creating stunning waterfronts and skylines everywhere you turn. Add to this 13 million residents (or 17 million, depending on your source) who exude a contagious zest for life, packing every street corner, tram, teahouse, café and bar and you have a vibrancy unrivaled by any other city we have visited. We fell in love with this city almost as soon as we arrived and relished every moment of our sixteen days here.

Our stay in Istanbul began with a bang. We spent two jam-packed days and nights exploring the sights, eateries, and nightlife with Patrick’s friend Alan, who managed to schedule a quick visit to Istanbul to coincide with ours. During the day we walked through the gardens of the beautiful Topkapi Palace, where Ottoman rulers lived from the 15^th to 19^th centuries, admired the architecture and intricate Iznik tiles of the 17th century Blue Mosque, stood in awe of the spectacular Aya Sofia (completed in 537 by Roman Emperor Justinian), and wandered through the maze-like Grand Bazaar (which we thought was relatively tame after the chaotic medinas of Morocco). In the evenings we puffed apple flavored shisha, tried Turkish coffee, and watched a Whirling Dervish show in the shadow of the Blue Mosque; we sampled meze (small plates of Turkish dishes) in meyhanes (taverns) and doner kebaps at late-night eateries; but mostly, we drank rounds of “buyuk Efes” (big Efes beers) while surrounded by locals who were enjoying the pleasures of an evening on the town as much as we were.

After Alan left we slowed our pace down a bit, eating in a bit more and drinking a little less Efes, as we explored the city by foot, tram, and boat. We visited many of the city’s wonderful Ottoman-era mosques including the Suleymaniye, Rustem Pasa, Beyazit, and New Mosques and also the Chora Church, a beautiful 11^th century Byzantine church covered in splendid mosaics. We spent an afternoon and an evening with Casey and Kami (friends of our friend Jayme), who graciously gave us a tour of Kadikoy, a vibrant neighborhood on the Asian side of the city, and Yesilkoy, their enjoyable (and tourist-free) neighborhood in the western part of the city. They showed us around markets, took us to local eateries, and taught us a little Turkish too. We also explored the waterways, taking a ferry part way up the Golden Horn and another up the Bosphorus, admiring Istanbul’s skyline, with close-up views of Dolmabahce Palace, Rumeli Hisari (The “Fortress of Europe,” built in 1452 by Mehmet the Conqueror to cut Constantinople off from resupply, making it vulnerable to his siege), and the modern bridges that connect the European and Asian sides of Istanbul. We haggled for souvenirs at the Spice Bazaar and Grand Bazaar, though we mostly wandered aimlessly, getting lost among the stalls of antiques, rugs, tiles and lamps, and we visited the Istanbul Modern Art Museum with an impressive collection of Turkish artists.

We capped our trip here with a visit from Nora’s uncle and aunt, Brian and Elsie, whose cruise ship stopped here for 24 hours at the end of our stay. Again, it was a whirlwind visit. We wandered the backstreets while catching up and visited the 6^th century Basilica Cistern before heading to a rooftop bar for a beer and sunset view of the Blue Mosque and Aya Sofia. On day two we rushed around trying to find a pleasant lunch before their cruise ship departed, settling on a nice little lokanta directly opposite their ship. Though their visit was short, we loved seeing them and meeting up with them in this unexpected location (and are grateful for the hiking socks and crossword puzzles they brought from home)!

We also ate, a lot, while we were in Istanbul. We could devote an entire post to the meals we had here. It goes without saying that we sampled our fair share of kebaps (in many forms – doner, shaved, and skewered; some with fries and ketchup, others with grilled vegetables and yogurt sauce, but almost always served with Ayran, a salty yogurt drink). But we also had quick meals of borek (filled pastry), gozleme (filled crepes), and pide (Turkish pizza); we tested all the best baklava and lokum (Turkish delight) shops; we found a small and busy shop near the bizarre that sold only a chicken-and-rice dish and honey-soaked cakes  (we went here twice); we had manti (Turkish ravioli in yogurt sauce) and kofte (meatballs); and grabbed balik ekmek (fish sandwiches) grilled directly on tumultuously swaying boats and passed to you on shore. Everything was fresh, and quick, and with few exceptions, excellent. 

Istanbul was a mesmerizing place – unlike anywhere else we visited in Europe or in the rest of Turkey. The sights, the food, the people were all extraordinary, and we were lucky to be able to share it all with friends and family. After travelling around the country for another three weeks, we happily returned to Istanbul for a final three days of wandering the streets and soaking it all in one last time before catching a flight to Dubai and beginning our Asian adventure.

Click on the photo below for our Istanbul photo album.

Turkey's Mediterranean Coast (September 17-September 24, 2011)

From Rhodes we took a 90 minute hydrofoil ride to Fethiye and spent the next eight days traveling eastward along Turkey’s remarkable Mediterranean coast, where the clear, blue, warm waters of the Mediterranean meet the mountains of the Tekke peninsula. We were really excited to set foot in Turkey: it was one of the inspirations for our trip and we had heard nothing but positive reviews from everyone we knew who had visited. So, though we had already been traveling for three months, arriving in Turkey made us feel like our adventure was really, finally, in full swing!

Fethiye is set in a nice harbor, above which lie the ruins of a 2^nd century BC Roman theater, and is home to elaborate Lycian tombs dating back to the 4^th century BC. We spent one day exploring the town and walking to the impressive temple facades of the tombs that are carved into the cliffs above town. Fethiye is also a popular place for boat cruises, and we spent our second day here on a trip around the bay and nearby islands swimming in the crystal clear, warm waters. It was a fabulously relaxing way to spend a day.

Our next stop was the ghost town of Kayakoy. The village was abandoned in 1923 as part of a population exchange between Turkey and Greece. Greek Orthodox Turks were deported to Greece, and Greek Muslims were deported to Turkey. Because there were more Greek Orthodox citizens in Turkey than Muslim citizens in Greece, many of the Turkish villages were never resettled and were either demolished or became ghost towns, like Kayakoy. We thought the town was beautiful, but also eerie and sad; its churches and homes still stand, though they have been severely damaged by the elements.

From Kayakoy we followed a segment of the 500-km Lycian Way trail, hiking in near solitude through pine forests with splendid Mediterranean views, to the very touristy town of Oludeniz. We stayed here long enough to watch a handful of paragliders land on the beach (the town is famous for its paragliding), and then quickly escaped the crowds by heading to the tiny village of Kabak and its secluded beach. Connected to the main road by only a steep, unpaved track, Kabak remains fairly quiet and laid-back. We spent two nights here, staying in a bungalow on the hill above the beach, swimming, hiking and relaxing, before moving on.

Our next destination was Patara Beach. Besides its pristine 18 km long sandy beach (the longest stretch in Turkey), Patara was the site of an important Lycian seaside settlement. The city was eventually abandoned as the inlet on which it sat silted in, and the ruins of the city’s triumphal arch, baths, basilica, theater and agora still stand in a beautiful seaside location. After Patara we headed to Olympos, another beach town with impressive ruins. Tucked away in an overgrown forest, the ruins here still feel somewhat undisturbed. After a swim at the beach, we spent our only evening here lounging at our “treehouse” hotel, celebrating Patrick’s birthday with beer, a delicious Turkish dinner, and a convenience-store chocolate cake. We would have loved to stay in this region of the country longer, but the weather was becoming increasingly fall-like and we had to get to Istanbul to meet up with Patrick’s friend Alan. So, after a final day in Antalya (which we mostly spent waiting around for someone to remove all the sand from our camera), we took an overnight bus to Istanbul, and said goodbye to the Mediterranean.

Click on the photo below for our Turkish coast photo album.

Gone Trekking

We set out for Bhulbule, Nepal this morning to go trek the Annapurna Circuit. We won't be able to post any updates during our trip (which we expect will take two to three weeks) but look forward to sharing our experiences and photos from Turkey (and beyond) when we're back online.

Rhodes: Island in the Sun (September 12-September 17, 2011)

From Thessaloniki we caught a flight to the Greek island of Rhodes (Rodos) where we spent five nights before catching a hydrofoil to Turkey. Old town Rhodes (maybe most famous as the former home of the Colossus of Rhodes - one of the seven wonders of the ancient world) is a medieval maze of narrow cobblestone streets and crumbling buildings surrounded by thick city walls. We spent a day exploring the town; though founded in the 5^th century BC, most of what still stands was built in the 14^th century AD by the Knights of St. John. The Knights, a religious and military order whose objective was the care and defense of the Holy Land, settled in Rhodes after being expelled from Jerusalem by rising Muslim powers. Besides the 12-meter thick city walls, the Knights left behind their imposing residences and Palace of the Grand Masters along what is now called the Avenue of the Knights.

After battling tour groups in Rhodes town’s narrow streets and sunburned Brits on its beach, we spent two days exploring the island on a scooter. On our first day we headed south along the windy, hilly west coast. After a perfectly clear morning, a thick fog rolled in over the hills, reminding us of the Bay Area. After a circuitous route to Monolithos Castle (1480), we followed the sun inland for a picnic lunch. Patrick navigated our 80cc scooter (the aptly named “Dink”) up an unpaved road to a hilltop for a wonderful view of the island. At the top, we found two firemen manning a fire lookout, and one, who spoke impeccable English (with an Australian accent), invited us to join them while we ate our lunch. We agreed and he immediately pulled out his homemade souma, fished around for some ice at the bottom of his cooler, and poured us each a stiff one. As we drank, he told us about growing up on the island and how things have changed, and of course about the process of making his souma. We finished the day heading north along the sandy east coast, stopping for a swim at Gennadi beach and a meander around the ruins of the Castle of Faraklos near Haraki.

We began our second day on the scooter by visiting the town of Lindos on the east coast. Its hilltop location, ancient Acropolis, whitewashed buildings, and blossoming bougainvillea make it postcard-pretty. Unfortunately, for this very reason, Lindos is firmly on the tourist trail. We found that the narrow streets were even more packed with bright-red tourists than were the streets of Rhodes. After visiting the Acropolis at the top of the hill, we got back on the scooter and spent the rest of the day beach-hopping up the east coast back to Rhodes town. With their warm turquoise waters and colorful beach umbrellas, each beach seemed better than the last. It would have been hard to leave Rhodes if we hadn’t known more sea, sun, and sand awaited us on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast.

Click on the photo below for our Rhodes photo album.

Thessaloniki (September 10-September 12, 2011)

As we moved south and east across Europe, our plan had always been to travel from Bulgaria directly into Turkey. When we realized that we would need to delay our arrival in Istanbul to coincide with the visits of some friends and family, however, the allure of a quick jaunt through neighboring Greece became too great for us to resist.

Our first stop in Greece was Thessaloniki, where we spent a couple of days before flying to the island of Rhodes. Located on the Mediterranean Sea in northern Greece, Thessaloniki was an important Roman, Byzantine, and then Ottoman port. Presently, it is Greece’s second largest city, though it is off the Greek tourist trail and sees far fewer tourists than Greece’s first city, Athens.

We had wonderful weather during our short stay and spent as much time as we could outdoors exploring Thessaloniki. High above the newer parts of the city built along the coast, we followed the Byzantine city walls to the Acropolis and stopped for coffee and brunch at a bustling outdoor café that reminded us of San Francisco on a sunny Sunday morning. Meandering downhill through winding streets, we eventually made our way into the newer parts of town and the waterfront. Here, remnants of the city’s past such as the huge palace complex (including the Arch of Galerius and the Rotunda) and the Roman forum (all built by the Roman emperor Galerius in the fourth century), and the White Tower (a 15^th century Ottoman fort and prison known for bloody massacres), sit amidst modern pastel apartment buildings and along busy intersections.

Thessalonikians were also taking advantage of the lovely weekend weather. Sidewalk cafes and restaurants were packed with locals and we could hear the roll of the dice and quiet click of people playing backgammon from their balconies. A pedestrian promenade along the waterfront made for a nice stroll and good people watching one evening after kebabs (stuffed with french fries and topped with ketchup and mustard). Other Thessalonikians were getting out for a different reason: the Greek prime minister was in town for a speech about the economy and the protesters were out in full force. Though we arrived too late to witness most of the action, we caught a glimpse of a march through downtown on our first night and later saw the smashed windows of banks and government along the protesters’ route.

Ultimately, we really liked what we saw of Thessaloniki and felt that it is a worthwhile off-the-beaten path destination. Had we known how much we would like this vibrant city, we surely would have allowed for more time here before catching our flight to Rhodes.

Click on the photo below for our Thessaloniki photo album.

Plovdiv (September 7-September 10, 2011)

Plovdiv is Bulgaria’s second largest city after the capital, Sofia. It has a pretty, but small, old town as well as some Roman ruins which we explored with Nadege (whom we had met in Veliko Tarnovo). The majority of the city, however, is a sprawling homage to the communist era with lots of concrete apartment buildings and lingering communist statues - including Alyosha - the statue of a Russian soldier, on the “Hill of the Liberators.” We explored the hill (a city park) on our way to the statue at the top and found what seemed to be a once lovely park in ruins. At the top, the dilapidated monument to Russian soldiers hints at the former grandeur of this era.

Plovidiv is also a convenient city from which to visit Bachkovo Monastery, the country’s second largest monastery. Founded in 1083, it lies in a beautiful mountainous setting along the Chepelare River. At the monastery, the Sveta Bogoroditsa cathedral and inner courtyard have some nice frescos, but our favorite part of the visit was hiking up into the mountains behind the monastery to visit some smaller churches, including one  built around a mountain spring and one built in a cave on the side of the mountain. Though we weren’t sure where the trail lead (there were signs, but only in Cyrillic) and though we had a briefly scary, but ultimately hilarious, encounter with a barking, growling dog that came charging at us, it was well worth the journey.

We also spent one evening in Plovdiv at a jazz concert Nadege had heard about. The setting, a pretty outdoor bar, was a lovely venue for live music and we were looking forward to the show (we even convinced two Brits from our hostel to come with us). When the band came out, however, and consisted of only a singer, keyboard, and drum player we were a little suspicious of what jazz means in Bulgaria. Our doubts were confirmed when they began playing something similar to smooth jazz, and the singer tried to “scat,” beat on his chest frequently, and occasionally jingled some chimes. They sang some originals with lyrics like “if I give you my love, will you treat me like a child,” and some old favorites like “Summertime” (which was all but unrecognizable), and “I shot the sheriff” which was sung as “I shot a sheriff, but I did not shot a deputy.” We had trouble controlling our laughter at a few key moments, and though it wasn’t what we expected going in, it ended up being a totally entertaining, if odd, evening!

Click on the photo below for our Plovdiv photo album.

Veliko Tarnovo (September 4-September 7, 2011)

Though we had never heard of Veliko Tarnovo, it was well-regarded by other travelers we met and was a convenient place to meet up with David (our host in Lucerne), who also happened to be traveling through Bulgaria at the time. Located in central Bulgaria, Veliko Tarnovo sits along the meandering gorge of the Yantra River and once served as the capital of the Bulgarian empire from the 12^th to 14^th century (before the Ottomans conquered the area).

On our first full day here we went with David to the nearby folk village of Etar where we watched artisans use traditional techniques to make a variety of crafts (woodcarving, weaving, cutlery making). Being a bit unsure about what else to do here, we did as the Bulgarians did and stood in a long line to sample what looked to be delicious vanilla and chocolate drinks and fresh-baked cinnamon rolls, but which, disappointingly, turned out to be buttermilk, wheat juice and plain bread. The highlight of the day, though, was the adventure of getting to Etar on public transportation. Our first obstacle was that none of us can read Cyrillic, making the rare posted timetable useless to us. Second, while everyone was extremely helpful and eager to please, no one spoke English or seemed to know much about the bus system (including the people working at the bus station). Finally, we were reminded several times that in Bulgaria nodding your head means “no” and shaking your head side-to-side means “yes”—very confusing when you ask whether the bus you are on actually goes to the city you are aiming for.

On our second day we visited the extensive Tsarevets fortress in town. Mostly built between the 5^th and 12^th centuries, it was a defensive stronghold and home to the royal family before being destroyed by the Ottomans in 1393. The grounds were nice, with excellent views of the area, but we found the life-size animatronic talking mannequins of some imaginary royal family a bit creepy. In the afternoon we visited another folk village, Arbanasi, with Nadege, a French woman we met at our hostel. The highpoint of the village was the late 16^th century Church of the Nativity. The plain exterior, built to look like a small barn to disguise the structure from the Ottomans, belies the amazing frescoes covering every room of the interior.

The highlight of our stay in Veliko Tarnovo, however (besides getting to spend time with David and meeting Nadege), was our nearby Bulgarian mehana (tavern) where we ate dinner each night. Things didn’t start well the first night when the owner came to take our orders.  David asked the owner if he spoke English to which the man responded by throwing the menu on the ground, telling us this was Bulgaria (in Bulgarian, of course, but the meaning was clear), and pointing to the exit. We apologized, didn't leave, and after a few minutes were able to sheepishly put in our orders. Luckily, the simple, fresh food here was delicious and cheap, and we stayed for several hours (and several rounds of beer). We’re sure this contributed to the owner’s gradually warming up to us as the night wore on. We had clearly enjoyed the food, were having a good time, and were communicating with the few Bulgarian words we knew and through hand gestures and pointing. By the end of the night, the owner was pouring us tastes of his homemade pear brandy (60 percent alcohol) and showing us the details of his moonshine operation - including the huge plastic bin full of fermenting pears. The food was so good, (and the experience so odd and fun), that we decided to return for dinner on our second night. Once again, the food was delicious (we had fresh roasted pepper, tomato, cucumber, and feta salad each night), and our host continued to warm to us, bringing us his private stash of homemade pickled hot peppers and sneaking in a few English words. After dinner Patrick asked for a glass of his pear brandy, which so flattered the man that at the end of the night he gave Patrick an entire bottle of it!

Click on the photo below for our Veliko Tarnovo photo album.

Bucharest: No Expectations (September 2-September 4, 2011)

To say that we came to Bucharest with no expectations is an understatement. In fact, after the poor reports we’d heard from other travelers and the less-than-glowing recommendation from our guidebook (the section on Bucharest uses the phrases “stray dogs,” “rip-off taxis,” and “grey housing blocks” to describe the city), we almost skipped coming here at all. In the end, though, we decided to see for ourselves about Romania’s capital.

At the heart of central Bucharest is what remains of the city’s old city center – a few square blocks of cobblestone streets and historic buildings. Thanks to some EU grants, this area is undergoing major renovations. Some buildings have already been returned to their former glory (though, sadly, most of these are now occupied by Irish-style pubs, Italian restaurants, and nightclubs) but many remain vacant and dilapidated. Most of the old city, however, was torn down under dictator Nicolae Ceausescu to make way for a boulevard (Bulevardul Unirii) of huge concrete apartment buildings and the Palace of Parliament, which at 12 stories and 1,100 rooms is the world’s second largest administrative building (after the Pentagon). North of the old town, the former Royal Palace sits across the street from the former home of the Central Committee of the Communist Party. It was from the balcony of this building that Ceausescu gave his never-finished last speech on December 21, 1989 as he tried to suppress revolution. As the crowd turned on him and violence broke out, he fled but was quickly captured. Ceausescu and his wife were executed, after a brief trial, on Christmas day of that year.

As we walked around town we found that, despite all the concrete, the city seemed warm and vibrant. Near the university, we found a farmer’s market and several blocks of book vendors selling everything from textbooks, to old communist propaganda books, to antique German military pins. In Cismigiu Park we watched at least half a dozen wedding parties take photographs and a group of very talented teenagers play a game that appeared to be a mix of soccer and tennis. We stopped for lunch at a tiny diner for one of the tastiest and friendliest meals we ate in Romania. In the end, while the city lived up to our expectations in some ways (there’s no denying the concrete apartment blocks and stray dogs), it mostly exceeded our expectations and we were really glad we stopped here before moving on to Bulgaria.

Click on the photo below for our Bucharest photo album.

Transylvania (August 26-September 2, 2011)

After twelve days of living the city life in Budapest, we were ready for a change of pace and headed directly to the central Romanian region of Transylvania. Admittedly, we knew little about the area before our arrival – other than its associations with Dracula and vampires. We arrived not sure what to expect, but half-imagined we would find an area of foreboding mountains, stormy skies, and gothic castles (but we knew better). What we did find was a region, bounded on two sides by the Carpathian Mountains, that was sprinkled with cities and villages of Saxon origin set amidst a pretty landscape of mountains and rolling hills, and where, yes, there are also a few Gothic castles. We also found a region where ugly reminders of the recent past are common, where poverty abounds, and where the growing pains of the developing tourism industry were sometimes obvious.

All told, we spent about a week here. We explored the castles, old towns, and fortified churches (mostly built by Saxons, who were invited by the Hungarians to settle the region), shared the road with horse-drawn carts, dodged sheep and cow herds, encountered Roma (Gypsy) encampments, and tried to outrun the busloads of vampire seekers and Dracula references.

The Dracula references were strongest in our first destination, Sighisoara, birthplace of Vlad III, (aka Vlad the Impaler; aka Dracula), the former ruler of Wallachia (a region of Romania to the south). Known for impaling his enemies on a sharp pole, he was the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula and the town does its best to capitalize on this connection – there is no shortage of plastic vampire teeth and black capes, and his birthplace (now a restaurant) provided the backdrop for numerous photo ops. Despite the hokey souvenirs, the hilltop old town is lovely and though the region is full of fortified churches (built by Saxons to protect against Ottoman invasions), Sighisoara was one of the few fortified towns and was, therefore, different from other Transylvanian towns that we visited.

We spent one night in the city of Brasov, where we picked up our rental car, and then headed south high into the mountains to visit the relatively modern Peles Castle, constructed in the late 1800’s as a summer home for the Romanian royal family. Next, we visited Bran Castle, which is known as “Dracula’s Castle,” though Vlad himself never lived there. Bran was supposedly the inspiration for the castle described in Bram Stoker’s novel (though some say he likely knew nothing of its existence), and it certainly looked the part. Originally built in 1378 to defend against the Ottomans, by the 1920s it had become a residence of the Romanian Royal Family. After a period of uncertain ownership (it had been seized by the communist government in 1948), the castle was awarded to a Habsburg heir who has turned the castle into a museum (devoted to the period of royal residence circa 1935 and dedicated to his grandmother) making it a bizarre (though still beautiful) place to visit.

We then spent a night in the town of Sibiu and discovered its beautifully refurbished old town. From there we headed through a web of small Transylvanian villages over the next two days. In this, we entered a world where it sometimes seemed that time had stopped. We got friendly waves from the elderly Romanians sitting along the road to sell fruit, vegetables, or honey, or to simply watch the traffic go by, and enthusiastic “hellos” from children playing along the road (or in one case a middle finger!). We stopped for cattle and sheep crossings, and rolled up our windows as one or two of Romania’s infamous stray dogs got a little too close. We also stopped at a number of fortified churches. They were all different (some were UNESCO world heritage sites, some were crumbling; some had entrance fees and managers, others required you to find the old man in the village who held the key), but all fascinating, and vampire-teeth free, and made us happy to have journeyed off the beaten path.

Click the photo below for our Transylvania photo album.

Budapest (August 15-August 26, 2011)

We liked Budapest so much that we quickly extended our stay here from six nights to eleven. Part of this was due to the perfect sunny weather during our stay, and part was due to the little studio apartment that we rented and made ourselves at home in. Mostly though, Budapest itself deserves the credit. There is something quirky and eclectic about the city, with its Magyar pride, Turkish-influenced thermal baths, never-used Habsburg palace, dilapidated Jewish Quarter, and lingering Communist influence. We never got tired of exploring some new aspect of the city.

Originally two cities, Buda (on the hilly west bank of the Danube) and Pest (on the relatively flat east bank of the Danube) were only united in 1873. The area was first settled by Celts and Romans before the Magyars emigrated from central Asia and called present-day Hungary home (interestingly, Hungarian is not related to the languages of any neighboring countries, but to Estonian and Finnish). Buda is home to one of the city’s most iconic sites: Castle Hill. Overlooking the Danube, Castle Hill (Varhegy) is divided in two parts, the Royal Palace (built, but never used, by the Habsburgs, and now home to two major museums), and a beautiful old town whose “Fisherman’s Bastion” provides an unbeatable view of Pest.

Also on the Buda side of the city, we visited Gellert Hill which provides the foundation for the Citadella, a fortress built by the Habsburgs to quell Hungarian insurrection, and the Liberty Monument, raised in 1947 to commemorate Soviet soldiers who died liberating Hungary. It is one of the few remaining Soviet monuments in the city, though the dedication has now been changed to honor all those who died for Hungary’s independence (the original Cyrillic inscription and several Soviet soldier statues have been removed). Further afield, we ventured into the Buda Hills for a long walk that included a stop at Szemlo-hegy, one of two huge cave systems here (if our tour had been in English we could tell you more about it).

Though we really liked old town Buda, we spent most of our time in Pest – our apartment was here, as are many of the city’s sights. Central Pest’s skyline features two prominent domed buildings: St Stephen’s Basilica (Szent Istvan Bazilika) and Parliament. The buildings are the tallest in the city, by law, at 96 meters, symbolizing the year (896) of Hungary’s unification. The Basilica is named in honor of the country’s first Christian ruler (and patron saint), and houses the relic of his withered right hand (deemed a miracle after his body was exhumed 500 years after his death and his right arm was found to be mummified). Parliament, which was across the street from our apartment, boasts 690 rooms and has its own slightly less creepy St. Stephen memorabilia on display: his crown (the Holy Crown of Hungary).

In Pest we also visited the House of Terror, a fascinating and sad museum devoted to the Nazi and Soviet occupations of Hungary, and spent a day at the City Park’s enormous Szechenyi Baths (it has 3 outdoor and 15 indoor thermally-heated pools), a cultural remnant of the Ottoman occupation. We also made a visit to Memento Park - the graveyard for all the Soviet statues not destroyed after the fall of communism in 1989. At night we enjoyed visiting the so-called “ruin bars” – nothing highlights the quirky side of Budapest quite like them. The bars pop up in old apartment buildings in the city’s Jewish quarter filling the courtyards, parlors, and bedrooms of these abandoned buildings with bright and strange artwork, neon signs, foozeball and lots of young people. Our latest night at the ruin bars started innocently enough, but developed into a pub crawl of sorts whose cast of characters included two ready-to-party Swedes, two curious Australians, a local drunk known as George from Wales, and one random, drunken Hungarian who could barely speak English (but joined us all for some reason).

We also happened to be in town on August 20^th, the Hungarian national day and found that from first thing in the morning until late at night, Hungarians celebrate their nation’s birthday with gusto. We followed the crowds to a military flag-raising ceremony at Parliament, Danube boat race and air show, a street fair at which we sampled some Hungarian birthday cake (something like apricot cheesecake), a mass (after which St. Stephen’s right hand was paraded around town to much fanfare, including Hungarian president Pal Schmitt), and then finally back to the Danube for the most spectacular fireworks show either of us may have ever seen. August 20^th exemplified what we loved about the city – its vibrancy and eccentricity – and it will remain one of our fondest memories of our stay in this fabulous city.

Click on the photo below for our Budapest photo album.

Bratislava (August 14-August 15, 2011)

Just 65 kilometers from Vienna and more or less en route to Budapest, we couldn't resist a stopover in Bratislava. The city is split by the River Danube, and the compact but pretty old town sits on the north shore of the river surrounded in all directions by communist-era construction. This dichotomy makes for an interesting contrast that we both found fascinating, and we would have liked to spend more time here and in Slovakia (but had to get to Budapest where we had rented an apartment for the following day).

Bratislava served as the official capital of the Hungarian empire for about 250 years during the 16^th to 18^th centuries, and the old town is full of baroque palaces, copper-roofed towers, sidewalk cafes, and cobbled streets. The boxy Bratislava Castle, perched on a small hill just west of the old town, served as the royal seat during this period. Sadly, the castle burned down in 1811 and was not reconstructed until the 1950’s. St. Martin’s Cathedral also played an important role – eleven of the monarchy’s kings and queens were coronated here during this period.

The newer communist-era construction around town is quite a contrast to the quaint old town, including lots of concrete block apartment buildings to the south of the Danube that we viewed only from afar. Closer to the old town, Novy Most (New Bridge) dominates all views of the Danube. Certainly not the most eye-pleasing structure (it is known as “the UFO”), it is also a sad reminder of the city’s recent history. After the city’s Jewish population was decimated during the war, communist authorities tore down a significant portion of the old town, including most of the Jewish quarter and a historic synagogue, in the late 1960’s in order to build this bridge. Slavin, meanwhile, stands higher up in the hills above the old city. This monument for the Soviet soldiers who died during the Soviet liberation of Bratislava in 1945 is surrounded by the graves of 6,845 Soviet soldiers (the only military cemetery in the city).

Click on the photo below for our Bratislava photo album.

Vienna (August 10-August 14, 2011)

Vienna (Wien), with a population of about 1.7 million, was the largest city we had visited since Rome. In contrast to the succession of smaller cities we visited in Switzerland and Austria, Vienna is a modern sprawling city and it has something of a generic big-city feel to it. Still, the city has a beautiful old center, an enduring Habsburg influence, a variety of first-rate museums to choose from, and is noted for its excellent culinary and nightlife scenes. Our three days in Vienna were crammed full trying to take in all that the city has to offer. Between sights, we sampled local cuisine (in particular the city’s specialty – wienerschnitzel, and Nora’s favorite - cheese spaetzle), but didn’t make it out to partake in the nightlife (although it seemed most everybody else in our hostel was there for that reason only).

The historic city center (Innere Stadt) is surrounded by the Ringstrasse (Ring Road), a tree-lined boulevard built in the late 1800s on the former city walls. The majority of the city’s attractions are within or near the Ringstrasse. One of the highlights of this area is Stephansdom (St. Stephen's Cathedral), a 13^th century gothic cathedral with a beautiful brightly colored tile roof. Nearby are the Hofburg (Hapsburg Imperial Palace), Parliament and Rathaus (City Hall) buildings, the Opera House, and the Spanish Riding School. Just outside the Ringstrasse there is a heavy concentration of some of the city’s best museums. We chose to visit the Leopold Museum, with a fabulous collection of paintings by Austrian artist Egon Schiele (thanks for the recommendation Mike!), and the Kuntshistoriches Museum (Museum of Fine Arts), displaying a huge collection of European masters including Peter Brueghel the Elder, Rubens, and Velazquez.

Beyond the Ringstrasse, we also visited the Schloss Schonbrunn (Hapsburg summer palace), which was quite obviously modeled after Versaille, and the Naschmarkt a large open-air farmer’s market (and flea market - on Saturdays anyway), and strolled around town and along the Danube Canal. One evening we also went to a screening of Orson Wells’ The Third Man, set in a post-war Vienna divided into four quarters by the occupying English, French, Americans, and Russians. Neither of us had seen the movie before, and it was fun to watch it after having explored the city (we kept recognizing scenes and whispering things like “We saw that today!”). Because the movie was actually filmed in Vienna shortly after the war, it was also interesting to see how much devastation the city experienced during the war and how much rebuilding has been done since.

Click on the photo below for our Vienna photo album.

Innsbruck: Blame it on the Rain (August 7-August 10, 2011)

In a generous gesture, Leon, a Welsh friend Nora met in Australia, invited us to stay with him and his girlfriend Johanna in Innsbruck if our travels took us to Austria. As luck had it, we were already planning to travel through this area, but we might not have stopped there if it weren’t for their hospitality. Leon and Johanna were wonderful hosts, making us breakfast and dinner each day, and we wish we could have spent a little longer with them in Innsbruck.

Innsbruck is located in the Tirol region of western Austria, where it sits in a valley surrounded by the Austrian Alps. It is a popular destination for mountain sports enthusiasts (it has hosted the winter Olympics twice).  Unfortunately, we did not have great weather during our stay and we weren’t able to explore the outdoors as much as we would have liked. Still, we were able to explore the lovely Old Town (Altstadt), including the Golden Roof (Goldenes Dachal), Imperial Church (Hofkirche), the Stadtturm (City Tower), and a folk museum where we learned all about “stube” (the parlors/social centers of traditional homes in this region that were decorated with wood from floor to ceiling and relied on ceramic-tiled stoves to provide heat). The poor weather also encouraged us to take shelter in cafes and restaurants, where we happily sampled Austrian cuisine (including strudel, knudle, and Austrian beer). One night we went with Leon to English-language trivia night at an Irish pub and ended up winning the entire thing (and a bottle of Jameson’s whisky each) thanks, in part, to being the only people in the entire pub (including the MC) who could recognize a photo of (or had even heard of) Rod Blagojevich!

On our last day in town, the weather improved and we set out for the Nordkette mountain range that towers over the city. At the lower reaches we stopped to visit the Alpenzoo (housing alpine animals) before taking two cable cars to the highest peak - Hafelekar (2256m) with a great view back toward Innsbruck. Sadly, we didn’t have time (or the proper clothes) to explore more before heading down the mountain to catch our train to Vienna.

Click the photo below for our Innsbruck photo album.

Gimmelwald (August 2-August 5, 2011)

We broke up our stay in Lucerne with four days in the Swiss Alps – no trip to Switzerland would be complete without a visit here. Gimmelwald is a village located above the gorgeous glacial Lauterbrunnen valley, which reminded us of Yosemite for its sheer cliff walls and waterfalls cascading from hanging valleys. After a scenic train ride to Lauterbrunnen, we hiked along the valley floor for about 90 minutes to Stechelberg where we caught a cable car up and out of the valley to the village. In addition to the gorgeous natural surroundings, the walk was made more interesting by watching BASE jumpers fly around the valley. We would usually first notice them from the flapping noise of their wingsuits or the loud clap of their parachute bursting open at perilously low altitudes. It was quite a sight to take in.

Situated high above the valley near the cliff’s edge, Gimmelwald has magnificent views of the Lauterbrunnen valley and up into some of the highest parts of the Alps (the Eiger, Monch, and Jungfrau peaks all loom over town). The village is small, only a couple hundred residents, and most make their living through traditional farming. The Swiss government subsidizes their work in order to preserve these old (but not particularly profitable) farming techniques.

We went to Gimmelwald primarily to hike and our first day we set out early for one of the lower peaks across the valley from Gimmelwald which was supposed to afford us views back to town as well as uninterrupted views of Eiger, Monch, and Jungfrau. About 2 hours into the hike, however, storm clouds quickly rolled in and we began hearing thunder. We took cover under a tree as the sky turned dark, the thunderclaps grew louder, the wind picked up, and the once visible mountains on the other side of the valley disappeared. As the storm approached an unusual sound grew louder – at the last second we realized it wasn’t just a thunderstorm, but a hail storm. We huddled up against the tree trunk, curling into balls to protect our heads as grape-sized hail rained down on us. Eventually the storm subsided, the sun peeked out, and we decided to continue our trek up the mountain. When we got nearly to the top, however, we heard thunder and the skies began darkening again, so we decided to turn around. We reached the same tree that we had huddled under previously just in time for the rain to begin again. Ultimately, as we grew wetter and the rain didn’t let up, we decided to hike back to town in the rain. Of course, once we got there, the sun came out and stayed out for the rest of the afternoon.

On our second day we stayed on our side of the valley and hiked up toward Schilthorn (the highest peak on our side of the valley - which we were never able to see) to visit a waterfall and ascend one of the lower peaks while staying below the clouds that shrouded the upper reaches of Schilthorn. The weather stayed nice most of the day, and we spent the day hiking along the mountain ridge, stopping for lunch at an Alpine hut (where cows are brought from the village during the summer to graze and produce milk for cheese), sharing a cheese plate and a slice of homemade chocolate cake. We then hiked down into a tributary valley and followed the river to a huge open meadow at its headwaters.

On our last day, we hiked back down into the valley with our packs on, and then along the valley floor until we got to Trummelbach Falls. These falls are the run-off from the largest peaks in this part of the Alps, and as such, dump up to 20,000 liters of water per second. The falls have carved a corkscrew tunnel into the mountain, and the Swiss (excellent engineers that they are) have carved a route for tourists to walk along the falls inside the mountain. Neither of us had seen anything like it. The water thunders around you as you gape at the tunnel it has carved out over time. Unfortunately our photos didn’t do this place justice.

Click the photo below for our Gimmelwald photo album.

Lucerne (July 24-August 2 and August 5-August 7, 2011)

Lucerne is a beautiful city on Vierwaldstattersee (Lake of the Four Forested Cantons, aka Lake Lucerne), with spectacular views of the Swiss Alps. We went there to visit the Mallonee family’s former exchange student David (who is German but now lives in Switzerland). David was an extremely generous host and we really felt at home while staying with him.

On days when David had to work at the KKL (Kultur and Kongresszentrum – a modern concert hall), we relaxed and discovered the city at a leisurely pace. We explored the beautiful medieval old town and its most famous attractions: the covered wooden bridges (Kapellbrucke and Spreuerbrucke), the Lowendenkmal (the dying Lion Monument), and city walls (Museggmauer) and towers. We also took in a few free concerts at the Blue Balls Festival that happened to be going on during our visit.

On David’s days off, we went further afield. One day the three of us took an all-day cruise around the lake, making it far enough to see Rutli Meadow – the place where Switzerland was born in 1291. Another, we made the trip to the top of Mount Pilatus, along with David’s girlfriend Olivia. Mount Pilatus, at 2132m, normally towers over Lucerne but was, sadly, mostly shrouded in dense fog when we ascended via the world’s steepest cog railway. On August 1, we celebrated Swiss National Day by relaxing in a lakeside park, swimming in Lake Lucerne, and sampling some Augustweggen (a type of bread made especially for the holiday).  On most evenings, the three of us cooked (we made Nora’s dad’s enchiladas one night, David made us fondue another), drank beer, and chatted.

We really appreciated David’s hospitality and relished being in the company of a good friend. We enjoyed our time here immensely (so much so that we returned for a couple more nights after three nights in the Swiss Alps), but we happened to be visiting during the strongest Swiss franc in years. Without David’s generosity, we wouldn’t have been able to afford to stay in Switzerland as long as we did.

Click the photo below for our Lucerne photo album.

Lugano (July 21-July 24, 2011)

We made a stopover in Lugano, Switzerland on our way from Venice to Lucerne. Located in the Italian-speaking region of southern Switzerland, it’s a small, picturesque town situated on the shores of beautiful Lake Lugano in the lake-dotted southern foothills of the Swiss Alps (famous neighbors include Lake Como and Lake Maggiore). We spent our short time here exploring the town, swimming, and hiking back to town after taking a ‘funicolare’ to the top of Monte San Salvatore (912m) for fabulous views of the lake and surrounding mountains (we could even see as far as Milan).

Click the photo below for our Lugano photo album.

Venice: With a Little Help from Our Friends (July 17-July 21, 2011)

We capped off our time in Italy with four nights in Venice thanks to our friend Deron. With his sons, Nicholas and Alexander, Deron had rented an apartment there for a week as part of their European vacation and graciously invited us to stay with them. As soon as our train from Bologna crossed the Laguna Veneto and arrived on the island, we knew we had arrived in a magical and unique city. We are tremendously grateful to Deron and his sons for allowing us to crash the end of their month-long adventure.

The afternoon we arrived we joined Deron, Nicholas, and Alexander in exploring Venice on foot. It was the second day of the Festa del Redentore (Feast of the Redeemer), which celebrates the end of the plague in 1576. As part of the festivities, a floating bridge had been erected for only 24 hours connecting the Dorsoduro district of the main island to the Redentore church on the island of La Giudecca. We ventured across, visited the church, explored the island, and admired the views back toward Piazza San Marco (St. Mark’s square) before heading back to the apartment to watch the Women’s World Cup final (what a frustrating loss!).

On our subsequent days in Venice we visited the island of Murano, known for its glassblowing (where we barely resisted the urge to buy an extremely fragile souvenir); toured the Canale Grande and the outskirts of the city by vaporetto; explored the Basilica di San Marco while huddled with Deron around an iPod listening to Rick Steves’ free audio tour; learned about Venetian history and art at the Museo Correr; explored the private chambers and dungeon’s of Venice’s Palazzo Ducale (Doge’s palace); and happily sampled the local cuisine (pizza, pasta, pastries, and a Venetian specialty – the Spritz: aperol, white wine, and sparkling water).

We took advantage of the apartment, too, making coffee and breakfast in the mornings, cooking a big dinner one night, and spending most evenings at the kitchen table drinking beer and playing cards. While we thoroughly enjoyed our time here, even four days wasn’t enough to see all of Venice and we left a lot of museums and neighborhoods unseen (and gelato uneaten)! We look forward to going back but are indebted to Deron and his sons for helping us make Venice one of the stops on our around the world trip!

Click the photo below for our Venice photo album.

Bologna (July 15-July 17, 2011)

We spent just two days in Bologna on our way from the Gulf of Naples to Venice, but could easily have spent more time in this city known for its medieval architecture, rich food, and university (founded in 1088 it is Europe’s oldest). We spent our short time here meandering down the streets and soaking up the architecture – so different from that of Rome or southern Italy. The city is full of covered arcades (38 km of them, according to our guide book), has a beautiful central plaza (Piazza Maggiore) and basilica (San Petronio), and the views from the Due Torri (Two Towers), leaning ominously in opposite directions, were spectacular. We also treated ourselves to a nice meal that included, of course, a Spaghetti Bolognese.

Click the photo below for our Bologna photo album.

The Gulf of Naples and Amalfi Coast: That's Amore (July 11-July 15, 2011)

From Rome we headed south to the Gulf of Naples to meet Patrick’s friend Jon, the captain of a charter sailboat that was docked at the town of Castellammare di Stabia for the month of July. The journey there was more difficult than we expected, as our train from Rome broke down several times, and we missed our connecting train in Naples. When we finally made it to town several hours late, it took John and his girlfriend Eva nearly two hours to find us because we were dropped off at a little known station in town (the agent at the main station even told Jon that there was no other station). When they did find us, they took us back to the boat and made us a delicious dinner of fresh salad, fresh bread, and a huge slab of fresh mozzarella di buffalo.

The following day we rented scooters and rode up to the top of the mountain (Monte Faito) overlooking Castellammare di Stabia for a spectacular view of the Gulf of Naples and Vesuvius, and then rode to the Amalfi Coast – truly one of the most breathtaking places either of us has ever seen. The coastline there is dramatic, and dotted with picturesque towns whose yellow and pink buildings give off a warm, inviting glow at sunset. We stopped along the coast first at Positano for coffee and a swim in the refreshingly cool and clear waters of the Mediterranean, and then at Amalfi for dinner and drinks. The next day we rode up and down to the coast, leisurely working our way back to Castellammare di Stabia, while making time to stop at the Grotta dello Smeraldo (a beautiful sea cave with a strange tour), at a beach for another swim and a seaside lunch, and for several coffee breaks (of course). It was really wonderful spending two days with Jon and Eva, made more special by the setting.

We also made an excursion to Pompeii. The ruins there, unlike their dismantled counterparts in Rome, preserve daily life in the Roman empire: well-worn carriage tracks are clearly visible in the stone-paved roads; there are political ads painted on buildings; shelves and terracotta food vessels sit in shop fronts suggesting their former wares; the brothel walls are covered with suggestive paintings providing a “menu” for the non-Latin speaking customers. Though the destruction caused by Vesuvius is also on display in the form of casts of people and animals in their last moments of life, the city has been recreated to focus on life before the eruption, and we left with a better understanding of life in the Roman empire, not just that fateful day nearly 2,000 years ago.

Click the photo below for our Gulf of Naples and Amalfi Coast photo album.

Rome (July 8-July 11, 2011)

We were very excited to arrive in Rome. After three weeks in Morocco we were ready to be back in Europe and in a country less foreign to us. In particular, we were really looking forward to the food. So, on our first night in the city, we made food our top priority with dinner at Pizzeria da Baffetto followed by gelato at San Crispino – the places listed in our guidebook as some of the best pizza and best gelato that Rome has to offer. Neither disappointed and afterward we knew we would be eating well in Italy.

We spent our first full day in Rome visiting the Vatican. The Vatican Museum houses a staggeringly large and impressive collection that includes works by Raphael and, of course, the Sistine Chapel. At times it was hard not to feel overwhelmed by the large crowds or that the collection was a bit ostentatious. After passing through the Sistine Chapel, however, the crowds dissipated and we were able to enjoy the collection of modern art – including works by Van Gogh and Dali – at our own pace. The Vatican’s basilica, St. Peter’s, was beautiful (and opulent), but at times felt more like a museum than a peaceful place of quiet prayer or worship.

Our second, and sadly last, full day in Rome was set aside for the Roman ruins: the Colosseum, Palatine, and Forum. All three were as spectacular as we imagined. In the Colosseum, our guide painted a detailed picture of the extravagance and excess that occurred there. The full- or multi-day affairs, often sponsored by politicians, included exotic wild animals (many from northern Africa, including Volubilis, which we described in an earlier post), extravagant props and stage effects or convicts being publicly executed in gruesome ways, all before the gladiators took the stage and fought for their lives (and sometimes their freedom). On the hill overlooking the Colosseum sit the ruins of the Palatine, ancient Rome’s most upscale neighborhood, and home to Nero and before that Romulus. Though much of this area was buried, built over, or plundered, the intricate granite and tile floors and walls of many of the buildings still suggest the neighborhood’s former elegance and wealth. Back down the hill, adjacent to the Colosseum sit the ruins of the Forum, the public center of Ancient Rome. Here we walked down the cobbled streets, past former markets and shops, churches, and civic buildings. Looking up to the Palatine and down toward the Colosseum, you have a clear sense of the extravagant, bustling city Ancient Rome must have been.

Our stay in Rome also included a visit to the Pantheon, the city’s best preserved ruin (still in use after nearly 2,000 years), and the Trevi Fountain, where we threw coins to ensure our return, not to mention a lot of pizza and gelato. Two of our favorite places were Pizzarium and Old Bridge – both worth a stop if you visit!

Click the photo below for our Rome photo album.

Marrakesh Express (June 27-June 30 and July 6-July 8, 2011)

We were in Marrakesh twice during our time in Morocco: June 27-30 after Tinerhir and again July 6-8 before our flight to Rome. One of the first things we noticed about Marrakesh was that there were many more tourists here than anywhere else we visited. This meant that prices were reasonable, hotels had amenities like wi-fi, and that Nora felt modest in a knee-length skirt and tank top next to the many inappropriately dressed European tourists. It also meant that shopkeepers and restaurant workers were very aggressive. Every time we walked past a shop (which was almost constantly) the shopkeeper shouted something like "come see my shop – just for looking," while actually showing interest in a shop resulted in a firm arm grab and an attempt to physically pull us in. In the main square of the Medina, the Djemaa el Fna, food stall workers danced in front of us trying to block our path long enough to get us to look at a menu, a woman selling henna tattoos grabbed Nora’s hand and squeezed henna on it before she could yank it away, and street musicians demanded money if we stood anywhere near their performances.

All that said, it was easy enough to escape this by getting away from the Djemaa el Fna. One afternoon we braved the stifling Marrakesh heat to visit the Saadian Tombs (tombs of the families ruling Morocco from 1554-1669) in the southern part of the Medina. Another we ventured into the northern Medina, past the major tourist souks, and found ourselves the only tourists walking among the workshops of leather and wood workers and metal smiths crafting their goods over torches and small, extremely hot, fireplaces. We also stumbled upon a tremendously crowded leather auction where hundreds of fresh hides from the tanneries were for sale.

Even the Djemaa el Fna became manageable once we learned to move quickly away from the musicians and laugh off the food stall workers. It was in this square that we felt most in the center of Morocco. If the country could be boiled down to one place, this would be it. There are snake charmers and men with monkeys on leashes; women and children begging; street musicians and performers of all kinds; men from other parts of Africa selling their goods with demonstrations involving live birds, ostrich eggs, lizard skins, and other exotic props (we could never figure out exactly what they were selling); people flying by on scooters and mopeds; and hundreds of people, like us, taking it all in. Food stalls set up in the square each evening also sold all types of Moroccan food: 40 cent Harira (bean and noodle soup), goat head stew, grilled meats, pastillas, and snail stew. Our favorite stalls were those selling orange juice: squeezed fresh and only 50 cents, we often stopped for more than one glass a night.

On our last full day here we ventured into the rug souk and had a truly Moroccan experience: rug buying. Pointing to one small rug sent the shopkeeper deep into the piles, throwing rugs all around us at our feet. Eventually we found a small rug we liked and the haggling began, with both sides writing down offers on a pad of paper until eventually he accepted our offer. On completing the sale the shopkeeper brought us mint tea, and told us about the rug souk, his shop (his grandfather first owned the shop), and excitedly showed us his favorable write-up in Frommer’s guidebook. Like all Moroccans we met, he was excited that one of us had a "Moroccan" name. It turns out Nora, which means "light" in Arabic, is a common Arabic name, and everyone we met had a sister, a cousin, or a niece with this name. The name, plus Nora’s haggling skills, led the shopkeeper to claim that she must be part Berber.


Click the photo below for our Marrakesh photo album.

Cascades d'Ouzoud (July 5-July 6, 2011)

We squeezed in a short trip to the Cascades d'Ouzoud, three hours northeast of Marrakesh, before heading back to prepare for our flight to Rome on July 8th. As in Imlil, we were looking forward to camping but found the reality underwhelmed our expectations and we ended up pitching our tent, alongside several others, on a bench in the slope behind a cafe.

The falls themselves were spectacular, falling from several points along the ridge (thanks to some modification by man) into a small pool, and then falling again into a series of pools where visitors (almost exclusively Moroccan) swam and played along the water’s edge. Barbary apes are also common here, and we encountered the small apes fairly frequently. In the evening on our first day, we encountered a group along the trail taking handouts from Moroccans (despite being just under the sign detailing why you should not feed the monkeys which are becoming dependent on humans).

On our second day we hiked away from the crowds farther down the river and found a small pool to swim in. The water was icy but clear and refreshing. Only being so far away from others did Nora feel comfortable getting into her swimsuit (the Moroccan women weren’t swimming – instead watching in full dresses and head scarves while the men swam), and even then she kept her shorts on.  We dried quickly in the warm, dry air, and watched several locals do daring dives into the same pool (Moroccan men seem to be very good swimmers), before climbing back out of the valley. At the top we met two women from England who were looking to share a taxi back to Marrakesh. Though it was a little bit of a splurge for us, we agreed, and spent the 3 hour trip in relative luxury (compared to the cramped, sweaty bus ride to the cascades).

Click the photo below for our Cascades d'Ouzoud photo album.

Essaouira: Castles Made of Sand (July 2-July 5, 2011)

Essaouira, on the Atlantic Coast, was recommended by every traveler that we met. It has the reputation of being the most laid back town on the coast, and also the windiest. Our introduction to Essaouira began on the bus when throngs of touts, offering hotels and riads, rushed onto the bus as soon as it arrived preventing the passengers from disembarking. The bus driver barked at them to get off, but eventually threw his hands up in defeat when they began blocking passengers' access to luggage.

Essaouira's medina was quite picturesque: whitewashed buildings surrounded by 18th century French ramparts. Despite our experience at the bus station, in town there was very little hassle and shopkeepers were much less aggressive than they had been in Marrakesh. We spent one day exploring the town – the ramparts, the fish market, the souks – and another walking along the beach. On this second day, we braved 25 mph winds (and the ensuing sand storms) to reach the ruins of an old fort, Bordj el Berod, crumbling just at the ocean's edge. According to our guidebook, locals claim this fort was the inspiration for Jimi Hendrix's "Castles Made of Sand" who, they say, played shows in town in the late 1960s. In reality, our book points out, Jimi Hendrix visited Morocco for a total of a week in 1969, more than a year after "Castles Made of Sand" was released. (Still, it's a nice story, playing into the town's laid back hippie vibe).

For the remainder of the day, we planned to stay at the beach, relaxing, swimming and sunbathing (a nice way, we thought, to celebrate the 4th of July), however, this quickly came to an end when the sandstorms proved too strong. Instead, we headed back into town to celebrate the 4th with a hamburger (a little small, a little squished), fries, and a Coca-Cola; and then with a couple of beers (the only alcohol we had during our three weeks in Morocco).

Click the photo below for our Essaouira photo album.

The High Atlas (June 30-July 2, 2011)

Following our visit to Todra Gorge, we spent three days in Marrakesh (more on that in a later post) before heading north by bus to the village of Imlil in the High Atlas Mountains. At an elevation of nearly 6,000 feet, it was a refreshing break from the stifling 110 degree heat of Marrakesh, and with fewer tourists the village was quieter and calmer.

We had hoped to camp in Imlil, but the "camping" option listed in our guidebook turned out to be "pitching a tent on the roof of a hotel." Instead, the owner let us sleep in an unused and unfurnished banquet hall on the top floor (the Moroccan rugs on the floor were more comfortable than roof tiles). There we met Guillaume, an enthusiastic young traveler from France, who talked us into hiking with him part of the way to Toubkal, the highest peak in North Africa (about 13,600 ft), the next day.

First, however, we set out on an afternoon hike to a nearby pass for a great overlook of the mountains and nearby villages. Along the way, we watched a group of boys play soccer in the road (making for a very narrow and steeply inclined pitch), were passed by countless Berber lorries (vans/buses) packed with locals (including those riding on the roof) en route to their distant villages, and had to decline the sales pitch of a moped-mounted fake geode salesmen. At the pass, the views were fantastic and we had the place to ourselves until a group of young boys showed up and became smitten with Nora and repeatedly shouted “I love you!”

The next morning, we hiked south out of town toward Toubkal with Guillaume. The trail follows the Mizane River until the tiny village of Sidi Chamarouch, at which point it climbs steeply, leaving the river behind. Along the way, we met another trekker, Maartin from Holland, who joined us on our ascent.

The views from the trail – down to the Mizane, up to the peaks – were spectacular and the air was crisp and fresh, a stunning contrast to anything we had yet to encounter in this desert country. We hiked with Guillaume and Maartin nearly as far as the Toubkal refuge, where they would spend the night before climbing the final 1,000 meters to the Toubkal summit the following morning. After completing so much of the hike, we were a little sad not to be continuing on to the peak, but still thought that the portion of the trail that we did was well worth it.

Click the photo below for our High Atlas photo album.