Mediterranean

We had the opportunity to go on an Eastern Mediterranean cruise and spend some time in Italy with Josh's parents and uncle. We had so much fun, the weather was amazing and thanks to a bout with the stomach flu we didn't gain any weight from all the amazing food we ate!

The cruise started in Venice... so we had a chance to visit this beautiful city again!
Our first port was in Bari, Italy (southeast). It was a fun to check this little city out. This was a shrine-like display... they were all over the city just on the outside walls of the homes.Our next stop was Olympia, Greece. It was great to touch up on our Greek mythology and to visit the sites of the first Olympic games... glad they don't compete naked anymore :) The girls and Grandma getting ready to race in the first Olympic stadium dating from 776 BC. This site was also used for the shot put event in the 2004 Olympic games in Athens.
Next stop... Ephesus, Turkey. The apostles Paul and John preached here shortly after Christ died. This was an amazing city. Archaeologists have done a great job uncovering and preserving it.
Our tour guide took us to a rug shop. We loved watching the women weaving the rugs. It was one of the neatest experiences I've had to date.
This is how silk strands are made... silk worm cocoons are put in water then pulled out. 40 cocoons makes over a mile of silk. This was a room where they pulled out the rugs for display. All hand made unique rugs! It takes the women over 8 months to make most of the rugs we saw. Next... Istanbul, Turkey. This is the infamous Blue Mosque. Istanbul is the largest city in Europe. The skyline is awesome... lined with the pillars of Mosques. It was neat to go inside.Hagia Sophia... this building has had a long history of religious turmoil... from cathedral to mosque... now a museum. Next... stomach flu!!! Argghhh. Josh felt well enough to go into Dubrovnik, Croatia for about 18 minutes. The rest of us were overusing our small toilet.We stopped by in Florence, Italy for a few hours to check out the mains sites.
The kids outside the Coliseum in Rome.

A view of Naples, Italy from a boat... on our way to Sorrento.

A view of Sorrento... a little resort town on the Amalfi Coast. The water was so clear! Pompei, Italy. This is a photo of part of the city with Mount Vesuvius looming in the background. This city is said to be the best preserved Roman ruins. Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD killing most of its residents and burying the city in 20 feet of ash... not to be rediscovered until the late 1800s.Another view of Pomei.