Venezia!!!!!!

August 31^st, 2011

Ahh Venice, such a wonderful city! I was so excited to finally be arriving in such a renowned metropolis. This beautiful city built on the water doesn’t have any motorized vehicles except for boats! There are hundreds of bridges and water-taxis at your disposal instead!

I arrived in the early afternoon to St. Mark’s Square and to my shock and amazement I found that most of the square was partially under water due to the coming in of the tides. I could not believe what I was seeing! All the stores just brought out mops and platforms. This was an every day occurrence that was just a part of the Venetian lifestyle.

Bustling vendors, swift moving tourists sloshing through the flooded pathways, and dozens of pigeons, surrounded the square. It was quite a scene. You could see the Byzantine influence scattered across all 118 islands connected by the snaking web of 150 canals and 400 brides.

The characteristic winged lion of St. Mark could be seen every few feet as it symbolized the city’s emblem. The richly decorated Basilica San Marco stood next to the great square, built as a Greek cross with several eastern domes; it truly exemplifies the Byzantine influence on the metropolis. The Basilica is so richly decorated that it really embodies its name, the “golden church.” Inside the great beauty stand bronze statues captured from the Hippodrome of Constantinople and intricate mosaic tiling of the domes and floors.

It provides the perfect setting for the great Venetian composers like Vivaldi and Monteverdi. Beyond the breathtaking beauty, the acoustics inside this masterpiece are so unique that the musical works of these great composers do not sound the same when preformed elsewhere.

This beautiful city is so unique and I truly enjoyed my time exploring its pathways and distinct culture. The famed Gondola ride was fantastic and picturesque. The boat ride through the web of winding canals gave me deeper insight into the city of Venice and a greater appreciation of the ancient tradition. The agile craft maneuvered swiftly and with such ease through the tight turns and narrow canals. The personalities of the Gondoliers alone were hilarious. I swear I couldn’t stop laughing. They sang some Dean Martin, explained the history of Venice, and even hollered at one another, cracking jokes the entire way. What an experience!

By the time the day was through I had managed to explore Venice and their gelato stores-that desert was the best ice cream I have ever had! The lunch was amazing! I don’t think I can ever get used to regular food again after my adventures in Italy! The pasta is really something else. But alas, all good things must come to a close. I had reached the final chapter in my European adventure. It was time to go home and to get back to fencing. Ciao Italy!

As always, I would love to here your feedback and questions! Please leave your comments below!!!!

Courtney Dumas

The Climb to Athens

August 29^th, 2011

We hit Athens bright and early at 8:30 this morning on the venture to the Acropolis. Our guide led us through the city and to the Olympic stadium from the first modern day Olympics in 1896! From there the bus drove us through the city to the heart of the ancient ruins.

We climbed the 80 steep steps through the Propylara, the monumental marble gateway to these incredible ruins. Along the venture I saw the Temple of Nike and had a great view of the valley in which Athens was built. The whole Acropolis is under massive renovation to restore it to its great glory. It was so amazing to see the ancient ruins and to imagine the civilization once there.

On the north side of the Acropolis stood the Erectheum, the sacred site where it is said to have been decided that Athena would rule the city. At the center was the amazing and gigantic Parthenon. This massive monument was better than I could have ever imagined. It truly is one of the greatest monuments of ancient times. I really felt one with the Athenian culture and really gained new respect for the creativity and forward thinking of their culture.

From the Acropolis we strolled through the modern day Athens to the Plaka, the city’s historic shopping district. We sat down to a great authentic Greek lunch. The food there is truly amazing! It was a little shocking to see that my shrimp still had eyes and a head that looked straight back at me, but it was still fantastic.

Perusing the boutiques, jewelry stores, taverns, and cafes and visiting the local museums and galleries was fantastic! Zipping around the cobblestone lanes of such a colorful marketplace made my day. I loved plunging myself into this great culture and hope that I have the opportunity to visit again soon!

Courtney Dumas

Adventure in Turkey

August 27^th, 2011

The boat ride into Turkey this morning was amazing! The sun was shining bright and the domes of the Blue Mosque and St. Sophia were glistening. It was quite a site! My tour of Istanbul was first thing in the morning once the boat was docked. Our tour guide led us right to the Topkapi Palace where all of the sultans had lived. It was huge!

The palace is decorated with thousands of tiles since Muslims do not and did not believe in depicting the faces of people. Each tile is worth around $2000 to $3000! Here at the palace many religious relics are supposedly held as well like the staff of Moses. The palace is also the residing place of the Topkapi dagger and the Topkapi Diamond. This diamond is no regular diamond. It is 86 karats! It was unbelievable.

Our next stop after a fantastic lunch was the Blue Mosque. The decoration was so beautiful! The lights lit up the room perfectly and the stained glass looked as though hour upon hours of work must have been put into them. The interior of this mosque has over 20,000 blue Iznik tiles that give it its characteristic blue color. I could not believe the detail that went into the production of such an ornate building.

As we moved on to our next stop, the St. Sophia, we had a chance to grab a quick drink before we were off again. St. Sophia or Haga Sophia was a church built by Justinian in the Byzantine period before it was later converted to a mosque during the Ottoman takeover. From there the beautiful building was further converted to a museum with the rise of Ata Turk. The architecture alone of this museum is unbelievable. Its rich mosaic work and fine craftsmanship cause one to stare in awe of its beauty. Most of the mosaic tiles in this fine building are incredibly decorated with real gold leaf! The marble pillars are grand and the coverings ornate.

The amazing thing was that the Ottomans never destroyed the mosaics depicting the biblical figures. They merely covered them with plaster and redecorated the church. Today the massive disks they hung on the pillars still stand and depict the five pillars of Islam. The stucco has been removed and at the head of the building both the Christian alter and Muslim alter remain. One is literally not even a half turn to the right of the other! This museum is an amazing blend of both cultures and religions!

At the end of the tour around Istanbul we were taken to see the construction of fine Turkish carpets. Unlike normal carpets, the threads are knotted twice. From there we were set loose on the Grand Bazaar. I honestly could not believe my eyes. This market place was the biggest thing I had ever seen! There were so many stores and people bustling about and scurrying from place to place. It felt like a giant shopping maze! I’m pretty sure we went in circles for forever, but we finally after shopping for a couple hours found our way back to gate one and our bus and back to the boat.

The next stop is the Ephesus ruins! Please leave your comments below, I would love your feedback and would be happy to answer any questions!

Courtney Dumas