Thirtieth Post From Türkiye: Marmaris & Rhodes

Hey, this is Jack. Rather than hound my wife to update the blog, thereby giving her a reason to begin her post by complaining about what a pest I am, I volunteered to do posts on the last couple trips under her CLOSE supervision. She pointed out that my posts would not be as clever or witty as hers. In fact, she said I would, “write things nobody wants to read.” True enough. Just look at the pictures.

I promised the family a trip to the beach this summer, and I wanted to go to a Greek island. I’ve wanted to go to Rhodes since first reading about Kanuni Suleyman conquering the island from the Knights of St. John. I figured it was the best way for the beach-loving half of the family to get sun and sand, and for the medieval fortifications-loving faction to be satisfied as well (Trum is represented on both those teams). Also, it was my b-day, so I should get what I want. Right? To get to Rhodes we had to take the ferry from Marmaris, Turkey.

Merry's Feet and Sunburned Limeys at Marmaris 

 

 Marmaris is a party town. It's full to the brim with working-class cockneys who come to booze and karaoke the nights away, while turning themselves as red as lobsters under the burning sun in the daytime. Downside of Marmaris: drunken reveling and pulsing dance music until 3 am. Upside of Marmaris: Full English breakfast. Where else you going to get real pork in Turkey? 

Better than Miami Beach? Maybe, but no Crockett and Tubbs. 

The Heat is Filling Merry with Rage

 The ferry ride to Rhodes was short, around an hour or so on a super speedy hydrofoil. The main city on Rhodes is Rhodes Town. Like every other chunk of rock in this part of the world, it has been inhabited by, well, everybody. Back in the day, it was home to the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. After the ancient Greeks came the Romans, Byzantines, and then the crusading Knights Hospitallers captured it in 1307. The Ottomans took over in 1523 and held it until 1912 when the Italians absorbed it into their empire. It didn't become part of Greece until after WW2. 

Knight's Street. Each section was inhabited by knights from different parts of Europe.

 

Main Gate of the Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes 

Palace Courtyard

There's no way Trum can pass up a dress-up photo op.

Church Steeple and Minaret

The Former Hospital of the Hospitallers

Trum Discovers an Ancient Lego

That kid has ALWAYS hated water in his face.

Trum and me eating fish, b/c, hey, we're on an island.

After our first day in Rhodes Town we decided to rent a car and drive down the coast to the ancient city/modern village of Lindos. It was my b-day, but we decided to forego the nudist beach. After I work on my abs some more we'll reconsider.

St. Paul's Bay at Lindos. Paul supposedly landed here when he brought Christianity to the island.

In case you were wondering, the Mediterranean is MISERABLY hot in the summer. I mean UNENJOYABLE. I mean you take a shower and then 5 minutes later buckets of sweat are coursing down your face. Last year we went to the Aegean in July and I swore I would never go the beach again at that time of year. Apparently I have lost my memory/gotten dumber since last summer, b/c I agreed to do it again. The sun that day in Lindos reduced us to puddles of sweat.

You can see the carving of a Greek Trireme in the rock behind these two.

Trum Seeking Any Shade he can Find

Part of the tourist fun in Lindos is riding a poor spindly-legged donkey up the old acropolis hill. Unfortunately, we couldn't find the donkeys on the way up. We did find them at the top, however, and for my b-day present I made Merry and Trum ride them down, so I could walk alongside and take pictures.

Trum loved the ride, Merry, however...

That night we headed back to Rhodes Town, and walked around the old walls.Old Rhodes Town has the most impressive medieval fortifications I have ever seen. Its massive Gothic walls and towers, built by knights of Western European extraction, are oddly juxtaposed with their Mediterranean surroundings—sun-bleached rocks, scrubby thorns, palm and olive trees. Besides all that crap, the temperature was at least 10 degrees cooler walking around in the old moat.    

After a couple enjoyable days of copious pork consumption in Greece, we boarded the ferry back to Turkey-land. We had a day to kill in Marmaris, and to escape the scorching sun we paid to see the Fantastic Four. The movie was terrible, but, mercifully, we got to be in a semi-air-conditioned theater for a couple hours.

By all means visit the Mediterranean...just do it in the fall.

Twenty-Ninth Post From Türkiye: Side Trip to Dublin On Our Way Home.

Jack found out that when you are traveling on the Government's dime for home leave you can add a little detour on your flight for a side trip and then just pay however much extra it costs for the detour. So we thought about it and decided to give Dublin a try. It cost about $150 to fly there all thanks to the US Government and Jack's ever scheming mind.

Speaking of Jack's scheming mind, I thought I would include his trip plan for our time in Dublin so you can get a glimpse into what it is like to be in Jack's Army. 

July 20   Arrive from Baltimore at 07:35, pick up car at 8:15

  Drive to Bru Na Boinne Visitors Center (48min) 

Drive to Monasterboice, high crosses (18min)

Drive to Old Mellifont Abbey (13min)

Drive to the Hill of Tara (35min)

Drive to Trim, see castle (21min), Trim 

July 21  Drive to Dublin airport (39min), drop off car at 9:00

Take Airlink bus (#747 or 748) to Busaras Central Station (35min), walk to hotel

Trinity College Tour/the Book o’Kells

National Museum

Walk—St. Stephen’s Green, Grafton Street, Dublin Castle, Christ’s Church cathedral, dinner in Temple Bar area, Dublin

July 22  1916 Rebellion Walk (11:30)(2hrs) 

Cab to Kilmainham Gaol

O’Connell Street walk, Dublin

July 23 Fly Dublin to Ankara

This is a paired down schedule as we were only there for a few days and were a bit jet lagged. I tease him a lot and Trum and I complain about wanting to cut our aching feet off every night but really it is so nice to be organized and because of that get to see so much cool stuff. So here is how we followed the schedule.

July 20th

Picking up the rental car. Freaking out a little bit about remembering to drive on the left again.

Bru Na Boinne

Bru Na Boinne is a complex of Neolithic mounds, chamber tombs, standing stones, henges and other prehistoric enclosures, some from as early as 35th century BC - 32nd century BC.

 So cool! Loved it.

We went in that tomb. Not for the claustrophobic.

Monasterboice

Historic ruins of Monasterboice are of an early Christian settlement in County Louth with a round tower and high crosses.

For some reason we didn't go to the old Abbey. I can't rmember why that didn't work out. Hmm...

Anyway,

Hill of Tara

An archaeological complex that contains a number of ancient monuments and, according to tradition, was the seat of the High King of Ireland. 

Trum shows us how Saint Patrick explained the Trinity to the Irish.

 

Whose kid is that in the grass?

 

Gorgeous Irish countryside.

Trim

We saw the castle. Jack ate fish and chips. And the next morning we had a full Irish breakfast, including black pudding. Which I tasted but then gave to Jack to finish.

Charming town.

 

July 21st

Dropping off the car. 

This is what jet-lag looks like on Trum.

 

 Waiting for the bus into town from the airport.

 Tour of Trinity College.

A student tour guide complete with robe. Fun times!

 1916 Proclamation of the Irish Republic

 The Long Room

  

 St. Stephen's Green

Trum, let me take your picture in front of this drunk guy, surrounded by empty beer cans, sleeping it off in the park.

National Museum

Ooooh, thrilling!

 

Jack's Walking Tour of Dublin

Dublin Castle

 Temple Bar District

Trum, let me take your picture in front of this crazy Leprechaun.

 One of the many beautiful spots on the River Liffey.

This is what jet-lag looks like on Jack. Sleeping during daylight hours! Well, I never! 

July 22  

1916 Rebellion Walk 

 Before our guided walking tour we went over to see the Molly Malone Statue. It was mobbed by American tourists. Including these college aged kids who were doing a scavenger hunt that included taking a selfie with a stranger by the statue. Truman was asked to participate in several of these fine photo sessions.

With our silver-tongued tour guide in front of the General Post Office with it's bullet holes from the stand off. 

Garden of Remembrance at the end of our tour and O'Connell Street. 

We actually took the bus to Kilmainham Gaol and then guess what. You had to have reservations made in advance so we didn't get to go in. Jack was VERY upset. He had to have some alone time. While he did that Trum and I enjoyed the gardens outside a museum nearby.

 Shut out is better than shut in, I guess.

Famine Memorial

More sites along the river.

 So glad we stopped by!