Day at Sea June 6, 2010

We finally had a day just to relax by the pool and take it easy.

Santorini, Greece June 5, 2010

Santorini is located on the Aegean Sea. When the ship docked we had to take a tender (little boat from cruise ship to island) and either ride the mules or take the cable car up. There is also the choice of walking, but once looking up the hill, we opted for the cable car over the smelly stubborn mules

When we reached the town of Fira we walked around for a little bit

Gene checking out the glass bowls

Kamari Beach with black sand

Map of the Island by the bus stop

Walkway in front of beach

The beach was too cold to relax in a chair on the black sand, but it was beautiful

Oh-oh! Gene found a side street with shops! Look at those long strides to get there

After walking around (and shopping) Bonnie and Trish decided to relax while waiting for the bus back to town

This is a vineyard! The grapes grow low to the ground

It started sprinkling when we were on the bus and Bonnie took this fabulous picture through the bus window

The highest point, Oia

Once back in Fira we took another bus to Oia. This is the highest spot and has the most fabulous views

We stopped at the Pelekanos for a glass of wine and admire the view

Tery, Gene, Trish, and Bonnie

Bonnie Clark

Trish Patterson

Gene & Tery

Gene, trying on a hat during his shopping spree

One of the beautiful churches

Looking down at the water

Heading down to catch the tender

Time to head back down and this time Gene and I decided to walk. The cable cars were a little scary going up, I couldn’t imagine what it is like to go down. There is a legend with the donkeys: it's believed to contain the souls of the dead, who are thus doing their purgatory. Maybe this is why mules are so stubborn

So here we are heading down the windy steps

I decided to take a break. I bought this hat when we were up on top

Wait! Wine break! Gene trying on my hat with his fat head

Ocean Shores Washington, April 22-23, 2011

Gene and I celebrated our 15^th anniversary by going to Ocean Shores for the weekend. We stayed at the Quinault Casino and Resort. Since we were in a casino we weren’t able to take pictures inside. The first night we each got $10.00 free to play the slots. That was the extent of my gambling both nights, on their money. Never won anything, but that’s OK. Gene played some Blackjack and lost, not much though, he showed restraint.

Here is Gene enjoying a rare sunny day. It was above 60 degrees.

This is a view from our room

On Saturday there was a low tide and we went razor clam digging. Gene on a mission!

Gene has a special shovel just for clam digging

After you dig a couple of shovel full you have to reach into the hole and try and grab the clam and they are fast little guys.

Here he is! And he is a scrumptious beauty! But if you notice Gene’s eye is on the next dig.

I enjoyed people watching. There were all kinds out there digging. Here are 2 brothers wearing shorts and t-shirts. It wasn’t that warm by the water! They are using what is called a clam gun. It looks really hard to use.

And a father teaching his young son the joy of clam digging! Looks like they are close to their limit.

Here is my favorite little family. They each had a job. One of girls would find the clam bubble, then dad would dig, the other girl would get down and start digging in the hole to grab the clam, then mom carried the bounty. Notice the 2 girls are wearing blue rubber gloves. Their no dummy!

Here is our limit of 15.



A picture of a sand dollar. They were all over the beach.

We had a wonderful time. My sister and her husband came up Saturday. My nephew Patrick and his wife live there so we got together for dinner and drinks.



Rhodes, Greece June 4, 2010

Rhodes (pronounced rod – long E – us) is on the Mediterranean Sea. We spent Gene’s birthday sightseeing, eating, and shopping.

Our port is in Old Town Rhodes. It is within a fort.



This is a view from a restaurant above some shops where we sat and sipped wine and beer.



Here are a couple of old churches



A walkway that gets you from one area to another.



Wine, Beer & Lunch. Happy Birthday Gene! What a way to spend your birthday than in a foreign country.



As a gift to Gene, Bonnie graciously said she would spend the day shopping with him. I caught a picture of them shopping before Bonnie could change her mind!



Kusadasi, Turkey June 3, 2010

Our next stop was Kusadasi, Turkey. The port is located on the Aegean Sea. Kusadasi is known for its fast paced, hedonistic nightlife. However, we missed all that because we decided to take an all day excursion to Ephesus and had to be back on the ship by 5 pm.

Our first stop was The House of Mary. According to the Bible, the crucified Jesus asked St John the Evangelist to look after his mother, Mary. John brought Mary with him to Ephesus in AD 37, and she spent the last years of her life here in a modest stone house. We weren’t allowed to take any pictures inside the house.



Outside the house there is a pathway along the river and a large wall they call the Prayer Wall. You write a message on a piece of paper and stuff it in the wall.




Then we headed to the ruins of Ephesus. It is considered one of the greatest ruined cities in the western world. The Greek built it in 1000 BC. The city we see today was founded in the 4^th century BC.




It’s amazing what great shape a lot of the pieces are still in.



The toilets are lined up in a row. Gene thought he would try it out to see how it felt to sit among others to do your duty. Evidently they weren’t a modest group.



My favorite was the Library of Celsus! Built in AD 114-117 and was damaged by the earthquake in 1000. The statues occupying the niches out front are Sophia (wisdom), Arete (virtue), Ennoia (intellect) and Episteme (knowledge).