Hi to all. Think I last wrote from Crete or Athens. We finished our Greek tour last night and flew to Israel today.
We went to 3 islands, all dry scrappy rock places with great whitewashed houses all joined by tiny paths and steps. Then we did 1400 kms in 4 days in a tour bus seeing Ancient sites and ruins in particular Delphi and Olympia all tied into Greek mythology about the Gods like Zeus, Hermes, Athina, Appollo etc. Amazing stories but like the Eygptian ones impossible to keep track of.
There are places from 2000 BC.
Greece is 75% mountains which doesn't leave much flat land and it is rocky and scrubby. Not one of Europe's prettier countries! Courtney does not agree with me mind you- she is a bigger fan of the country than me.
There is quite a bit of growing citrus fruit in particular lemons and then there are Olives!! Yuck.
Between 2 mountain ranges in Delphi there was a valley reputed to have 5 million olive trees!
We went thru Kalamata where Chelsea's favorites come from.
Yesterday we went to another place-Meteroa where monasteries were built on top of rock MTS so the Greeks could send their sons to avoid them being forcibly recruited by the Ottoman Turks into their army and ending up fighting their own people.
Very interesting, would have been scary getting there until recently but now there are bridges( which I crossed very quickly as very nervous suspended over great drops)
The communities have elaborate churches which we had explained to us in great detail!
Last night we zapped around Athens again but did little shopping in the end.
I have had great difficulty getting accommodation in London after Courtney goes it finally got something- probably a hovel as doesn't cost an arm and a leg !!
Think I will hire a car too in the UK, cannot be bothered mucking around with trains and buses with my heavy pack.
It was 23 kgs today on the flight tho will be lighter once Courtney takes things back for me.
Ok had 24 hrs to look around Tel Aviv.
Bigger than I expected, modern in places, shabby Middle East in other areas. It has fabulous beaches with kms of promenades and beach shelters, volley ball nets, exercise equipment,parks etc. And white sand!
What a con the Greek beaches are!!!
There is an army presence but nothing exciting except a school group at our hotel had an armed guard with them!!
We have walked all over the place, seen the original settlement in Jaffa and Rothschild Blvd here where the first post war settlers worked out the new state.
It is more expensive here than Greece and Italy but not surprising.
Some army helicopters went over today and last night there was a general test alarm at 7 pm all over the country.