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Out and about in the Chatham Islands #2

2023-04-01T05:11:49+00:00April 1st, 2023|Akeake trees, Animals, Art, Beaches, Birds, Chatham Islands, Creative, Cuisines, Culture, Fauna, Flora, History, Marine life, photography, Port Hutt, seals, sheep, Travel, Uncategorized, Waitangi, weka|

Dear Friends, In this second journal entry on the Chatham Islands, there will be a bit more touring around the island to some interesting historic places as well as great sites to challenge the photographers to produce their best pix. At the end of the last blog, I promised shipwrecks and seals, flowers and [...]

Out and about in the Chatham Islands #1

2023-03-21T19:00:11+00:00March 21st, 2023|Akeake trees, Animals, Art, Basalt columns, Beaches, Birds, Bridges, Chatham Islands, Creative, Cuisines, Culture, Design, Fauna, Featured, Flora, History, Marine life, photography, Tidbits, Travel, Uncategorized, Waitangi|

Dear friends, Last week I had the opportunity to visit the Chatham Islands and spent three very full and fascinating days with a 'Women in Photography' group - six of us under our expert leader Lesley Whyte. Not only was she the photographic guru, never tiring of reminding us of shutter speed, aperture [...]

Türkiye #11: All those cats and kittens

2022-12-21T10:20:00+00:00December 21st, 2022|Animals, Archaeology, Art, cappadocia, Cats, Creative, Culture, Ephesus, Fall colors, History, Istanbul, photography, Travel, Turkey, Turquoise Coast, Uncategorized|

Dear friends, I realized that I couldn't finish this series without focussing on the many cats that I encountered as I travelled through Türkiye. They were sleeping in corners and on comfortable cushions, peeping out from under cars or tables, enhancing the ruins at Ephesus, waiting for food at restaurants, adorning shop windows, accompanying [...]

Türkiye #10: Visiting Istanbul

2022-12-17T11:52:35+00:00December 17th, 2022|Art, Basilica Cistern, Bosphorus, Carpets, Cuisines, Culture, Design, Grand Bazaar, Haghia Sophia, History, Istanbul, Museum, photography, pottery, Süleymaniye Mosque, Topkapi Palace, Travel, Turkey, Uncategorized|

Dear friends, My journey to Türkiye began and ended in Istanbul, so to finish off this series, here is a glimpse of this fabulous city and the treats within. There is so much to see and enjoy and we merely scratched the surface, so maybe another visit is in order to experience and learn [...]

Türkiye #9 : More on magical Cappadocia

2022-12-10T06:12:28+00:00December 10th, 2022|Anatolia, Animals, Archaeology, Art, cappadocia, Caravanserai, Cats, Cuisines, Culture, Design, History, Hot air balloons, Kaymakli, Mustafapasa, photography, Travel, Turkey, Uncategorized, Underground cities, Whirling Dervish|

Dear friends, One of the most famous sights in Cappadocia is the scores of hot-air balloons rising at dawn, a treat not to be missed. And what a wonderful way to start the day, although undoubtedly it was very early and very cold! Many already up and away when we arrived for our flight [...]

Türkiye #8: Magical Cappadocia

2022-12-04T09:11:41+00:00December 4th, 2022|Anatolia, Animals, Archaeology, Art, cappadocia, Cats, Cavusin village, Cuisines, Culture, Design, Fairy Chimneys, Goreme Open-air museum, History, photogrpahy, pottery, Travel, Turkey, Uchisar, Uncategorized|

Dear friends, After our cruise along the Turquoise Coast and our visit to Ephesus, we said good by to three of our group, and the remaining four of us flew to Kayseri in Central Türkiye, and from there carried on by van to the region known as Cappadocia. I won't be the first and [...]

Türkiye #7: Ephesus, Sirince and carpets galore

2022-11-27T09:57:10+00:00November 27th, 2022|Anatolia, Animals, Archaeology, Art, Carpets, Cats, Creative, Culture, Design, Ephesus, History, Museum, photography, photogrpahy, Sirince, Travel, Turkey, Uncategorized|

Dear friends, Probably the best-known of all the ancient sites in Türkiye is Ephesus, so of course we had to visit. Unlike most of the sites we visited along the coast, where we were often the only visitors, this place was pretty busy with tourists, many 'selfie' occupied. Historical accounts and archaeological remains of [...]

Türkiye #6: Hiking, nomads, ruins, shipboard life

2022-11-23T14:24:11+00:00November 23rd, 2022|Anatolia, Animals, Archaeology, Art, Cuisines, Culture, Dalyan, Design, History, Kaunos, Lycia, photogrpahy, Travel, Turkey, Turquoise Coast, Uncategorized|

Dear friends, This last episode from the Turquoise Coast takes us on a long hike with beautiful views, meeting a nomadic family, a visit to the ancient city of Kaunos, and the winding river through the marsh and reeds for a brief stop in Dalyan. After a rainstorm in the night, it was lovely [...]

Türkiye #5: Lycian cities, village hospitality, a monastery, a ghost town and a museum

2022-11-21T13:22:16+00:00November 21st, 2022|Anatolia, Animals, Archaeology, Art, Bezirgan, Cuisines, Culture, Design, Gemiler Island, History, Karakoy, Lycia, Museum, Patara, photography, Travel, Turkey, Turquoise Coast, Uncategorized, Xanthos|

Dear friends, I will cover a couple more days of action and fun in this episode and include an ancient city or two, a delicious lunch, and a walk through a little village high on a plateau above the coast, an island monastery, a deserted village, and a museum. Never a dull moment, that's [...]

Türkiye #4: History and myth, tombs and castles

2022-11-17T10:55:47+00:00November 17th, 2022|Anatolia, Animals, Archaeology, Art, Culture, Design, History, photography, Travel, Turkey, Turquoise Coast, Uncategorized|

Dear friends, Before beginning this episode, I want to add a little more about Lycia which I mentioned in my last story when showing a photo of the distinctive Lycian carved stone tombs.  The earliest references to Lycia can be traced through Hittite texts to sometime before 1200 BC when it is known as [...]

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