Greece 2012 #7 Temples and Take-Off
Then before we realised it, it was the last day of the road trip portion of our journey. In a desperate attempt to fit everything in we visited three major…
Tag: architecture
Greece 2012 #6: Mystra and Menelaoin
The morning we left Sparti we visited the stunning, Frankish, hilltop monastic settlement, Mystra. The Byzantine architecture fit beautifully into the rocky landscape. It was also a peaceful place and…
Greece 2012 #4 Itea and Delphi
Itea was once the ancient port of the Pan-Hellenic sanctuary of Delphi. After five days in dusty, sweltering Athens getting beside the sea was relief and a half. Itea is…
Greece 2012 #2
The study tour section of the trip started in earnest at half eight on Tuesday morning after our dishevelled group staggered down from breakfast, such as it was. I was…
An Archaeology Tour of Greece (2012) #1
I’ve wanted to go to Athens and see the Acropolis since I was eleven and my drama teacher started us on Greek tragedies. So when a university study trip of ten…
Istanbul (2012) #3: Topkapi Palace and its Harem
Topkapi Palace closes early in the mid-afternoon and fills up fast so if you want to see Istanbul’s most iconic Ottoman palace before the crowds at the gates become unbearable…
Istanbul (2012) #2: Blue Mosque, Chi Kofta and crossing to Asia
Istanbul has a wonderfully organised public transport system where with just one card, the Metro Card, you can take the tram, ferries, buses and metro. You can top it up…
Istanbul (2012) #1 Solid History
We froze, forks halfway to our mouths and halted our conversation as the sundown prayers were called out in song through the city evening. The restaurant, a tourist favourite, kept…
Orla ní Dhúill 