FROM İSTANBUL TO CAPPADOCİA - TURKEY

We enjoyed four days in Istanbul before joining our tour group, however Lizzy became very ill on our last day and vomited for 22 hours. We called a doctor who arrived by ambulance with a driver and paramedic assistant. He put Lizzy on a drip with medication and within 24 hours she was much better. We then joined our Turkey tour guide in Istanbul to fınd ourselves on a 44 seater coach with 42 other people, not the max 20 seater coach we were expecting. Not a good start. Jenny who is not a good back seat passenger suffered with the bouncing motion and became very sick on the first day, collapsing and passing out in Eceabah as we were about to board the ferry to cross the Dardanelles to Cannakkale. She was taken away by ambulance for treatment at a medical centre and just made it back in time to join the ferry crossing. The next day was almost as bad with more vomiting until we could get some motion sickness medication. Thank goodness for the toilet on the bus.

Visiting Gallipoli was a very sobering yet moving experience. To walk on the beach that so many ANZACS gave their lives on is hard to describe. Standing there looking up at the cliffs that they had to climb under enemy (turkish) fire made you realise what a terrible mistake had been made landing the troops on the wrong beach. We visited the Australian and then New Zealand war cemeteries and found the inscription of Jenny's grandfathers brother Mr Bain. We laid four poppies on the memorial, a special moment.

Over the next few days as we travelled south down the west coast, visiting the Ancient City of Troy and saw the replica of the wooden horse, Pergamon the terraced hillside city, Izmir the large port town and spend the night in Kusadasi at a lovely hotel overlooking the Mediterranian. Nearby the ancient city of Ephesius was facinating with its collonaded streets, Hadrians temple, Roman bath house, public toilets with marble toilet seats, grand library and carving of the goddess Nike with her feather, now portrayed as a stylised tick by the Nike sport brand. We also visited Mary's House, the mother of Jesus Christ, set in the woods near the top of a hill overlooking Ephesius. İt had a very special serene feel to it and we had a moment to stop and pray and light a candle.

Travelling further south we arrive at Pamukkale and the ruins of Hieropolis and the cascading white terraces caused by calcium deposits from the mineral springs above in the hillside. İn the valley below there are steaming vents and a thermal power station.

On the southern coast of Turkey we arrive at Antalya, a modern tourist city of 1 million people that hosts 7 million tourists per year. Staying at the Sheriton for 2 nights its a nice change and we enjoy the food and lovely accomodation. A highlight was visiting the old city with its marina with gulettes (traditional turkish sailing boats) and other boats. We visited Perge with its stadium and 200m track that hosted sporting events in 200AD and its gymnasium with bath house and underfloor heated rooms - facinating and incredibly clever for its time.

Changing direction we head through the mountains and drive a couple of hundred kilometres north and inland to Konya which is at the crossroads from North to South and East to West. We are on the old Silk Road which the Trade Caravans followed hundreds of years ago. We visit a Caravan House on our way across the flat central plateau with its snow covered volcanic mountain range in the eastern distance. This fortified house was were the traders and their camels overnighted in its shelter from the bandits who regularly attacked and pillaged these caravans.

We stopped on the side of the road and talked to a traditional turkish farmıng family who welcomed us into their paddock. We had a great photo session and finished up with them wanting to keep Lizzy as a bride for their youngest son who was returning next week from completıng his 18 months of compulsory Military Training.

Finally we arrive in the Cappadocia Region of central Turkey with its amazing underground houses carved into the soft sandstone and the Fairy Chimneys, cone shaped rock structures that people carved the centre out of to form houses - hard to describe but an amazing sight! We experience a traditional Cappadocian meal out at a restaurant, where they cook Lamb in sealed pottery jars in earth ovens like İndian tandoory one's. They break the jars open with an axe - all very dramatic but very tasty.

I am sorry that I have no photos this posting, as the hotel doesn't have a cable for my camera and my USB adaptor for the memory card won't work on this computer. Oh well.

I trust you our family and friends are well and thank you to those of you emailing us news from home/NZ

FROM ST KATERINES IN EGYPT THROUGH JORDAN TO ISTANBUL TURKEY

Since our last post, we have still found it difficult to get on the internet or when available in the hotel its is grossly expensive. But here we are, our first day in Istanbul and the internet is cheap and free in the hotel; if you can get a computer!

We visited St Katherines on Mt Sinai which was quite moving, where Moses received the ten commandments and we touch the burning bush. We then drove back down out of the mountains and north up the coast to Nuweiba to catch our 2pm ferry up the Red Sea to Aqaba, Jordan. We wait but by 2.30pm our guide returns telling us there is no ferry but one may come at 10pm tonight. We discuss options and decide to try our luck crossing through Israel. The border is about 80 km north, so we set off driving. We complete customs on the Egyptian side and pass through their border checkpoint and then we walk dragging our cases behind us 200m across no mans land towards armed guards on the Israeli side - just like the movies but no ones running and there are no shots !!! We are received and questioned as to why we are entering Israel and what are our plans. When we say we are just passing through from Egypt to Aqaba in Jordan on a family holiday, they then want to know where we are going and what countries we will visit later. Satisfied with the answers we are moved through to a section to Xray our bags. All is well until the last bag, when they demand who's is this bag. We check the label and its Jenny's. She melts into the ground and they ask us to open it. Searching through, they find her Epilady leg shaver with transformer next to a container filled with pure perfume oil we bought in Egypt - it all becomes clear, they thought it was a bomb. The bag goes back through the Xray and they start smiling again. We walk past the guys holding AK47 machineguns and head on out of the border post for a change of undies!! Outside we find ourselves in the town of Elat. We talk to a taxi driver and ask how much to the border post of Aqaba, Jordan. We get scalped US$20 for the 15 minute Taxi ride, despite my attempts at negotiating. We were told US$10 max is what we should pay. We arrive and pay US$82 departure tax and are allowed to pass with little fanfare. We walk the 200m through no mans land like old pros and cross into Jordan no problems. We meet our guide Mahmoud and then wait one hour for an entry visa - some excuse that the system is down, meanwhile being eyed out the window and Mahmoud explaining why we have come through Israel. Finally its getting dark and they issue the visa and away we go the 15 minutes to our hotel - and finally the change of undies!

Our hotel, The Movenpick in Aqaba is very nice, on the shores of the Red Sea. We have a good rest and swim the following morning. At 12.30pm we meet Kamal our guide and driver for the Jordan Tour and leave heading north to Wadi Rum, a desert area where we meet a Beduion Tridesman and have a ride in his 4 x 4 (no camels anymore!) into the desert. Amazingly tall rocky hills extend out of the desert and we drive around exploring the landscape where Lawrence Of Arabia was shot. He takes us to caves and then we stop at the base of a massive sandstone hill 300m high and he makes Beduion tea in ther shade and we eat pita bread with cheese segments. lots of fun and we communicate with his broken english and lots of hand gestures.

We drive north 180 km and stop at Petra. We stay in an old village that has been converted in to a 5 star hotel called Taybet Zaman, where each room was one of the tridemens houses but has been rebuilt with modern appliance - very novel and a great view from the side of the hill. The following day we drive down to the new town of Petra and then walk 1km to the Siq, a narrow passage 1.8km long through the mountains towering above. This was where one of the Indiana Jones movies was filmed. Walking out of the end of the Siq, we see an incredible view of the Treasury El Khazneh, carved into the red sandstone - breathtaking! We rest, its 32c and only 10-30am. We walk on another 2.5km past incredible temples and tombs carved into the sandstone mountains, then past a a more recent Roman colonnade and Amphitheatre. We have a break and some snacks for lunch then start the gruelling walk and climb 1.5km of tracks and 850 steps up the Ad Deir mountain to the Monastry, which like the Treasury but bigger and not as elaborate has been carved into a red sandstone mnountainside. The view from the top is breathtaking and we need the rest as we are exhausted. Many people are making the trip on the back of donkeys, but not us kiwis - mad buggers walked it!! The walk down although faster and less tiring is tricky passing people and donkeys on the narrow steps and then at the bottom the long walk slightly uphill all the way out of the valley and the Siq. We collapse at the Sandstone Restaurant where we are to meet our guide and after a rest and a drink we have some food. Back to the hotel we fall into bed at 7pm and sleep.

We proceed on with our trip heading to Amman in the north. Along the way we see the vast changing countryside, from desert to mountains to massive canyons to green valleys, travelling up the Ancient Kings highway, route of the ancient trade caravans. We stop and visit Kerak Castle on the way.

Then on to Madaba, where we see the Greek Orthodox Church of St George with the oldest known map of the Holy Land in its floor as a Mosaic.

Next we drive to Mount Nebo where Moses looked out over the holy land after his 40 years of wandering in the desert. In the distance in the valley through the heat haze, we can see the north end of the Dead Sea and the city of Jericho.

We arrive in Amman the capital of Jordan with a population of just under 2 million. We have got on well with Kamal our Driver/Guide and he asks if we would like to visit his family before going to the hotel. We agree and find he lives in a 3 storey house on the east side. The ground floor he rents out, the next level his widowed mother lives, then his family consisting of wife and 5 kids live above. He is part way through building a top level which will be for his eldest son (now 20 years old) when he marries. We arrive to find the house full of relatives, as it is a three day public holiday weekend to celebrate the Prophet Mohammed's birthday and they are visiting their mother. She invites us to sit in her level and have tea and meet the family. This we do (she is left on the couch) and chat in broken english with Kamal translating for an hour.

We have a couple of days in Amman and drive north with Kamal to visit Jerash, Pompeii of the East. Amazing how the Greeks built their city over earlier towns. It is an amazing site, with an Amphitheatre seating 7000 and a beautiful Circle collonade and street which was the market and main street. Jerash had a population of 20,000 people with a water supply and its own sewer, attested by the manholes in the middle of the limestone paved streets - incredible. Abraham our guide was very wise and knowledgeable and despite the 34oc temperature we enjoy the visit.

We then spent two days at the Dead Sea about 80km west of Amman. We needed the break from being on the go and the Movenpick Reort was wonderful. Floating on the Dead Sea due to its salt content or covering ourselves in the mud was a lot of fun. We also enjoyed a massage each to get us ready for our Tour of Turkey.

And so we have arrived in Istanbul Turkey. We are staying in the Old City and having a good time before joining our Tour in 2 days. The weather is noticeably colder, only 20oc when we arrived yesterday and I would guess 160c today. First time I have put trousers on.

Well we will keep in touch as and when we have internet access and update you on our Turkey experience.

Egypt and cruising down the Nile River

We left Cairo 11 March and flew via Aswan to Abu Simbel to view the massive statutes of RamsesII and his wife Neferitari. Mind blowing in size and incredible to think that they paid US$40 million to move them up out of the Nile valley before they flooded the Nile following the building of the High Dam and creation of lake Nasser.

We fly back to Aswan and join the boat the NILE PLAZA for our cruise starting tomorrow down the nile heading north back towards Cairo stopping at Luxor. We have a sail in a Falucca (traditional egyption sail boat) across to Elephantine Island - bit of a non event! Back to the boat and the quality of which we (and we find out later many others) are very disappointed in. Lucky if it was 2 star and the food inedible. We complain and consider leaving the boat, but are advised to stay put as everything is fully booked. We manage to get kids moved from their room, the floor of which is 1 metre below the waterline and stinks of diesel and is damp and musty!

We visit Philae temple on an island by small motorboat, the high dam (massive) built in 1971 with help from the Russians and Lake Nasser the largest lake in the world and then a factory shop making pure essential oils. We buy two small quantities and a glass bottle.

We cruised to Kom Ombo and visited the temple from which we saw the sun set over the Nile - magical. We cruise on to Edfu and visit the Temple Of Horus which is well preserved as it had filled with sand and lay undiscovered and accordingly not defaced or pillaged. Amazing structurehyroglyphics and statues

On to Esna a very poor town. I get off and go for a walk, but most people stay on board. Watch them extending the river wall to accomodated more boats - now almost 500 between Aswan and Luxor and growing all the time as they are all full! We wait our turn to go throught the Lock and drop 7.5 m down to cruise on the Luxor. Takes from 2pm until 5.30pm to get through, 2 boats at a time.

We cruise on to Luxor and visit the Valley of the Kings on the West Bank. We visit 3 tombs, Ramses III, Ramses IV and Setnakht. Very interesting in the Alabaster hills, dusty and incredibly hot at 32c with thousands of people everywhere. We then go to the Necropolis of Thebes - built into a massive alabaster hillside it is incredible. We walk up and discover howbig it is. The view across the valley floor and the green crops to the Nile is an amazing cntrast to the dusty hills. On the way back to the boat, we visit an alabaster factory and shop to see how they craft items from little boulders. In the afternoon we visit Karnak Temple, the largest temple in Egypt and right in Luxor. Very impressive with its rows of Sheep Sphinx, which used to run for 3 miles in a straight line all the way to Luxor Temple. We drive to Luxor and view what was built by Amenophis III and RamsesII. This temple had silted up over time by 12 metres being on the banks of the Nile. When discovered, it had a more recent city built on top of it, so most of the columns and statues had been cut off at 12m. We see the restored remains of a Mosque 12 m up still in the top of part of the temple - incredible.

We leave Luxor after two nights on the boat, with a galabaya party. Our group wins all the competitions but one and seems to be the most bonded group... fun fun fun.

We fly across the Red Sea to Sharm El-Sheikh a resort area still in Egypt. In the cusp of land where he Red Sea meets the Sea of Suez. Built on desert land between the hills and the Red Sea it is amazing. Our resort on the edge of the cliffs has good terraced access to the sea, coral reef and fish. Huge pools and grounds the rooms are massive - a nice change and a couple of days rest and access to the internet is great. Internet is very expensive in Egypt and hard to find outside of the hotels which charge 44 pounds (NZ$13 for 15 minutes!)

Tomorrow we will visit St Katherines. Mt Sinai, then the port f Nueiba to catch a ferry to Aquaba in Jordan. Will see how internet in Jordan.

THIS COMPUTER WILL NOT READ MY SD CARD SO NO PHOTOS TODAY.

England and Egypt

We finish sightseeing in London on 29 February and we drive north oround the M25 ringroad to head north, but get stuck in a traffic jamb due to a traffic accident. We force our way off the motorway and stay the night. Over the next five days we explore Cambridge including Kings College and the Fitzwilliam Museum(incredible), Royal Leamington Spa, Stratford upon avon, Oxford including Christ Church.We stayed in a farm stay outside of Oxford at a place called Ramsden (see photo). It had a fantastic little pub where we had a beautiful meal.

We visited Woodstock and Blenheim Palace, Bath and the Roman Baths, and Stonehenge (see photo). We then headed to the southern coast and Bognor Regis a town caught in a time warp for 40 years and Little Hampton a pretty little seaside town. We then head back up to Heathrow and fly out to Egypt.

We arrived in Cairo on Thursday the 6th March. Incredible place with 17million people. Everything is mud coloured and streets are very dusty. We have a day of rest then begin 2 days sightseeing. We visit Memphis the original capital of Egypt with its statue of Ramses II, the pyramids and the sphinx in Giza (see photos) and paid to enter the largest kings pyramid and walk 100meters up and into the centre of the pyramid to the room which holds the huge red granite sarcophagus that held the kings mummy (since removed). We visited an Egyptian carpet factory (beautiful but we don’t buy) then a papyrus studio where they use original paper making techniques with hand painting. We went to the museum and saw the Tutankhamun display which was mind blowing. We spend the next 2 days walking around Cairo, skipping across 3 to 6 lane roads dodging cars visiting the shopping district where the shops with certain goods are all grouped together, the bazaar and have a rest a few hours around the pool.

11th March we are flying to Aswan and Abu Symbel then cruising down the Nile. Will update the blog when next we can.

Our journey to London

We left Wellington on Saturday 9 February and arrived safely in Honolulu on the evening of Friday 8 February. After two days in Waikiki we travelled to the big Island of Hawaii and stayed at the Hapuna Prince hotel in Kona.

We went and visited the volcanoes on the eastern side of the island. It was freaky driving across the volcano with the old lava beside the road.

We left Kona and flew back to Honolulu, and then on to Las Vegas via LA. We stayed at Paris, a hotel with the Eiffel Tower as its main attraction.

We took a day tour out to the Grand Canyon, wow what a place. The size is overwhelming and the views are breathtaking.

We found Las Vegas an interesting but plastic/false city, worth a visit but wont be coming back.

We continued our trip back through LA and onto London on an overnight flight. The pacific premium seats were great and the service and food a nice tonic. We arrived in London early after a very smooth flight at 10am London time. We have seen the horse guards and the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace.

We took a trip on the London eye and visited "Big Ben" and the houses of parliament.

We then visited the horse guards stables, Nelsons column and came across an old red telephone box!

And our London trip continues!

Saturday 9^th February – Our adventure begins

Wellington to Honolulu, via Auckland.

We arrive in Honolulu at 8pm, on the 8^th of February, where we stay at the Outrigger on Waikiki Beach.

10^th–18^th February

Honolulu to the big island of Hawaii.

We stay in Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel, which is on the main island of Hawaii in a settlement called Kona. Peter is attending the Dodge Seminar for the week including the bi annual meeting of N Z Independent Funeral Homes.

18^th – 23^rd February

Hawaii to Las Vegas, via Honolulu and Los Angeles.

We fly back to Honolulu then catch a plane overnight to L.A. and on to Las Vegas.

In Las Vegas we have 5 days and we are staying at Hotel Paris. It’s our first time in Las Vegas and we look forward to a day trip to the Grand Canyon.

24^th – 29^th February

Las Vegas to London, via L.A

We have 6 days in London staying at The Mansions Apartments in Earls Court. We will do the tourist thing in London, as it has been 22 years since Jenny and I were last there. Lizzy visited London in 2005 and for Anthony it will be a new experience. We intend exploring the Tower Bridge, The Tower Of London, Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, St Pauls Cathedral, Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, The London Eye, British Museum, Lyceum Theatre to see The Lion King, Buckingham Palace and the changing of the Guard, Harrods and the shopping district …hold on we’re spending pounds!

29^th February – 5^th March

Tour Bury St Edmonds, Cambridge, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Oxford and Windsor

We pick up a rental car in Kensington and have a brief 5 day tour of a few key towns and districts around London. We will be staying in Bed and Breakfasts in little townships along the way, to get a flavour of the countryside. We drop the rental car off to Heathrow Airport and fly out on the evening of the 5^th March to Cairo.

6^th-10^th March

Cairo, via Frankfurt.

We arrive in Cairo at 3-35am on the 6^th and stay 5 days at the Ramses Hilton Hotel in the centre of the city. We have a couple of free days and our Egyptian Tour begins with a couple of day tours around Cairo to Memphis, the Pyramids at Giza and the Sphinx. We visit the Egyptian Museum, the Citadel, the Mosque of Sultan Hassan and explore Khan El Khalili Bazaar.

11^th March

Cairo to Abu Simbel via Aswan

Early today we will fly from Cairo to Aswan and then on to Abu Simbel. We visit the Sun Temple and Colossi of Ramses II. These temples honour one of Egypt’s greatest Pharaohs the Master Builder Ramses II and his wife Queen Nefertari.

These massive temples were moved when the Nile was dammed in the 1960’s and new Lake Nasser was formed. In an amazing feat of engineering, the temples were hewn into huge blocks of 30 tonnes each and hauled 180m up the side of the valley and reassembled.

We then head back to Aswan and in the afternoon sail in a felucca (a traditional Egyptian sailboat) on the Nile around Elephantine Island. That evening we board the Presidential Nile Cruise Boat, and overnight in Aswan, before we start our cruise down the Nile.

12^th - 15^th March

Aswan, Kom Ombo, Edfu, Esna, Luxor.

We begin our cruise down the Nile over 4 days. First we visit the Aswan Dams and the re-sited Temple of Philae, renowned as one of the most picturesque locations in all Egypt. Later we sail to Kom Ombo and view its famous temple completed during the reign of Ptolemy during 181 – 146 BC. This temple was shared by the two Gods, Sobek and Haroeris. We travel on to Edfu where we overnight. In Edfu we view the remains from the Old Kingdom as well as the Temple of Horus and houses of the Byzantine period. We then sail on to Esna and cross the lock and on to Luxor to overnight. The next morning we cross the Nile to the West Bank, and experience a day full of highlights including The Necropolis of Thebes and the Valley of the Kings, where there are the tombs of the Theban rulers, such as Ramses II & Tutankhamun. We then go on a tour of the Mortuary Temple of Hatchepsut, who was the only woman Pharaoh to rule ancient Egypt. We’ll see the famed Colossi of Memnon facing the Nile. In the afternoon we take a drive to the Luxor Temple built by two kings, Amenophis III and Ramses II. After touring Luxor Temple we continue to Karnak Temple, the main centre of worship in ancient Egypt. We return to the boat and stay overnight in Luxor. Our final morning on the Nile, we visit the city of Luxor and then fly to Sharm El Sheikh.

16^th and 17^th March

Sharm El Sheikh, St Catherine’s, Nuweiba, Aqaba.

We stay in the Movenpick Golf Resort Hotel for two nights. Sharm El Sheikh is a popular seaside holiday resort situated between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba. It has some of the finest snorkeling and diving sites in the world and is a sun lovers and water sports enthusiast’s paradise.

We travel across the Sinai to St. Catherine’s this morning and here we visit the Monastery. After lunch we continue to Nuweiba port where we check in for our ferry sailing to Aqaba and entry into Jordan. Here we stay at the Movenpick Aqaba Hotel.

18^th – 21^st March

Aqaba - Wadi Rum – Petra

On our first morning in Jordan, we travel to Wadi Rum where Lawrence of Arabia rode over the desert. We take a jeep ride through this impressive moon-like landscape, with its dramatic canyons and dunes. Later, we continue to Petra, the rose-red city described as ‘half as old as time’. We will stay two nights at the Taybet Zaman Hotel on a bed and breakfast basis.

The next morning we enter Petra via the narrow siq which reaches approximately 300m high. We will see El Khazneh - the Treasury carved ornately in the red rock. Other magnificent sights include the amphitheatre, tombs and temples with burial chambers, banquet halls and arched gates all spectacularly carved from the red rock.

We wake the next morning and leave early to travel north to Amman via one of the oldest Highways on Earth, the King’s Highway. Along the way we stop at Kerak Crusader Castle, then proceed to Madaba to visit the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George with the earliest surviving map of the Holy Land. We continue on via Mt. Nebo, where Moses looked out over the ‘Promised Land’. On arrival in Amman, we stay at the Regency Palace Hotel for two nights.

While in Amman, we travel north to Jerash which was known as the ‘Pompeii of the East’. We will also explore the famous Amman gold souk and gold chains galore - look out Ali G !

22^{nd –} 23^rd March

Sweimah (Dead Sea)

We drive from Amman west to Sweimah, a Resort town on the shores of the Dead Sea and stay at the Movenpick Resort and Spa.

The Dead Sea is 75km long and varies from 6 to 16 km wide. It is fed by the Jordan River, but it has no outlet. As its name suggests, the Dead Sea is entirely devoid of plant or animal life. This is due to an extremely high content of salt and other minerals. In fact there is 350 grams of salt per kilogram of water, compared to about 40 grams in the world’s oceans. This concentration is caused by a rapid rate of evaporation. These natural elements give the waters of the Dead Sea certain curative properties, recognized since the days of Herod the Great over 2000 years ago. We will see if they are right!

24^th-26^th March

Amman to Istanbul

Fully refreshed (!), we leave the Dead Sea on the 24^th and drive back to Amman where we fly on Royal Jordanian Airlines to Istanbul, Turkey. We stay at the President Hotel for three nights, right in the middle of the City. We will use these three days to explore Istanbul and surrounds.

We will also investigate and book our transport from Istanbul, for when we return at the end of our Turkish tour on 10 April.

27^th – 28^th March

Istanbul and the start of our tour

Today we will be transferred to the Holiday Inn City Hotel, where accommodation is reserved for two nights with the tour group. We meet our tour companions at a welcome and are briefed by our tour director.
We spend the days doing more sightseeing in Istanbul with the group. We visit:

· The magnificent Topkapi Palace to see the dazzling displays of treasures of the Ottoman
· Sultans. (Harem excluded !).
· The beautiful Saint Sophia Basilica, seat of the Byzantine Church, built in 537 AD. Saint Sophia is now a museum whose mosaics, stained glass windows and decorated Domes have been carefully fashioned to create an atmosphere of breathtaking beauty.
· The Byzantine Hippodrome, the stunning Blue Mosque and the colourful Grand Bazaar.

29^th March

Istanbul - Gallipoli - Canakkale

This morning we drive along the Sea of Marmara to the Gallipoli Peninsula where the WWI battles took place claiming so many lives. There we see the Kabatepe War Museum, visit Anzac Cove and the Lone Pine memorials before crossing the Dardanelles Waterway to Canakkale. We overnight in Canakkale at the Kolin Hotel.

30^th – 31^st March

Canakkale - Troy – Kusadasi (Ephesus)

This morning visit the ruins of Troy where Greek and Trojan heroes fought the Trojan War for the honour of the beautiful Helen. We see the legendary walls, buildings and a replica of the wooden horse. Continue later to the acropolis of ancient Pergamum, famous for work by the great Roman physician, Galen. We see the Altar of Zeus, the Asklepion and a famous Roman medical centre. Later we continue the drive down to Kusadasi where we stay two nights at the Charisma Deluxe Hotel.

The next morning we drive across the fertile Menderes Valley to Ephesus, capital of Roman Asia Minor. We will see the extensive ruins which include 2000 year old marble streets, a huge theatre, the library of Celsius, a gymnasium and the temple of Hadrian.

Also we visit the nearby St Mary’s stone cottage. Later in the day we return to Kusadasi.

1^st April

Kusadasi – Aphrodisias – Hierapolis – Pamukkale

April fools day ! This morning visit the ‘city of the goddess Aphrodite’ at Aphrodisias. Later we drive to Pamukkale, with its ‘Cotton Castle’ of cascading limestone formations formed by hot mineral springs. Also see the vast ruins of the Roman health spa of Hierapolis. We stay overnight at Pamukkale, in the Lycus River Hotel.

2^nd – 3^rd April

Pamukkale – Perge – Antalya

We drive today to the resort of Antalya on the sunny shores of the Mediterranean. In the afternoon we visit the ancient city of Perge, then its on the Antalya where we stay two nights at the Dedeman Hotel.

The next day we spend sightseeing or resting! Around Antalya.

4^th April

Antalya – Aspendos – Konya

We travel via the Taurus Mountains to Konya. Here we visit the Mausoleum of Mevlana,
founder of the Whirling Dervishes, then see the Karatay Medersa. We overnight at the Dundar Hotel in Konya.

5^th – 6^th April

Konya – Cappadocia

We depart early for Cappadocia visiting en route the 13^th Century Agzikarahan
Caravansary in the land of the ‘fairy chimneys’. We stop and visit the underground city of
Kaymakli, before driving on to Cappadocia. We stay at the Nevsehir Dedeman Hotel in
Cappadocia for two nights.

The next morning we visit Goreme, Pasabagi and the beautiful Red Valley home of the
pottery making village of Avanos.

7^th April

Cappadocia – Ankara

Drive to Turkey’s capital, Ankara, visiting on route the Ataturk Mausoleum and Museum
of Anatolian Civilisations with its Hittite treasures. We stay the night at the Ankara
Dedeman Hotel.

8^th April

Ankara – Istanbul

This morning we catch a boat and cruise across the Sea of Marmara to Istanbul arriving
back at the Holiday Inn City Hotel for our tour’s farewell dinner.

9^th – 24^th April

Istanbul to Athens

Back on our own again!

The plan is to make our way down the west coast, possibly sailing on a felucca, and then catch a ferry from Izmur or Kusadasi, island hopping through the Greek Islands up to Athens.

24^th – 28^th April

Athens to Rome

This morning we catch a flight from Athens to Rome. On arrival we have booked an
apartment for 5 nights in a good central location by the Spanish Steps in Via Leonina.

We have five days to sightsee in Rome, where we will visit the Vatican (we will put in a good word for you Larry and Wade with the big guy!) and St Peter’s Basilica, the Circus Maximus, The Roman Forum and Colosseum, etc This will be a trip down memory lane for Jenny and I, and it will be interesting to see Lizzy and Anthony’s reaction.

29^th April to 7^th June

Look out Italy!

We have arranged with Peugeot France to drive our new Peugeot Wagon lease vehicle from Paris down to Rome, where we collect it this afternoon and begin our Italian odyssey.

Broadly, we plan to head down the west coast through Naples zig zagging from the coast to inland areas and working our way down to Sicily. We will have a couple of side sojourns, like to the Island of Stromboli (an active volcano). Then we repeat the process working up the east coast to Lecce (the heal of the Italian shoe) and on up the Adriatic Coast. We will see how far we north we get, taking each day as it comes. By the 7^th June we are due in Todi, a small Umbrian town north of Rome and just south of the Tuscan border.

7^th – 28^th June

Todi, Umbria

We have leased a villa for three weeks in the countryside, 1 km from Todi, where we intend having a rest from our travels, enjoying the Italian summer living alfresco and taking day trips to explore small towns and the countryside in Umbria and Tuscany.

During these three weeks, Anthony and Peter will celebrate their birthdays.

Stay tuned and we will share our experiences with you.

28^th June – 1^st August

Italy, Switzerland and France

Back in our Peugeot and on the road again. Our plan is to tour the upper part of Italy up to Venice then looping north through Switzerland back down into Italy through Milan, Turin and into France. We will head through the French Riviera visiting Monte Carlo, Nice, Cannes, Marseille and then loop up through the countryside to Paris and where return our car. A few days in Paris and then across the channel to London and we head for home.

1^st – late August

London, Hong Kong, China, New Zealand

At this stage we have booked to leave London on the afternoon of the 1^st August.
Our tickets are from London to Hong Kong for a couple of days, a side tour across
into China, then home.

This section of the journey has not been booked yet, so that we have some flexibility to stay on in Europe longer if we need to. Lizzy plans to change her ticket and stay on in London with friends. Jenny, Anthony and I plan to be home late August.

We would love our friends to stay in touch and share this experience with us by posting messages on this blog.

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Jenny Peter Elizabeth and Anthony