Mediterranean Cruise, Port 5: Santorini, Greece.

Santorini is like a dream. Our ship anchored very early, before either of us had awakened. After waking up, I pulled back the curtains and stepped out onto our balcony, my eyes wide with the sight of this truly amazing place.  I mean, our ship was anchored in the crater of what was once a tremendous Volcano.  The eruption that caused what we see today of this area was 3600 years ago. The cliffs that surround you from this vantage point, are the sides of the ancient mountain, and the towns of Fira and Oia that are perched atop these cliffs seemingly skim the sky, until of course you travel up and look down. The views from Oia and Fira are simply spectacular, and if you can take it in while eating Greek yogurt slathered with honey, you all the more likely to appreciate this place. And no we didn't take the Donkey's. Up or down.

Mediterranean Cruise, Port 4: Ephesus and Kusadasi, Turkey.

Next up was Turkey. We docked in the port city of Kusadasi, the gateway city for many attractions, but we only had one in mind, Ephesus.  An Ancient Greek city that was home to more than 50,000 people, Ephesus is home to the famed Temple of Artemis which remains one of The Seven Wonders Of the Ancient World.  It is also home to the amazing Library of Celsus. We hopped on the local bus from the station in Kusadasi and spent the day walking around with the souls of a lost empire. Simply amazing.

Once back in Kusadasi, we wandered the streets and had some apple tea, courtesy of the barber that Todd dared to let near his head with some sort of flaming ball that he bounced on his earlobes to singe the hair away. In truth, it was the best haircut I have ever seen on him. He even singed my earlobes too!

Mediterranean Cruise, Port 3: Mykonos, Greece.

Next stop was Mykonos, the requisite port in the Cyclades. A wildly popular spot in the warmer months for the fabulous party and beach crowd, November was a lovely month to walk the whitewashed alleyways with almost none of the crowds. We walked directly from the boat, along the water, into the main town, Chora. Since we were at the very end of the season, many things were closed for business, but in a way it allowed us to not get caught up in the hustle and just take the island town for a more simple spin. We explored the churches and Windmills in solitude. We enjoyed a lovely bite along the harbor, and slowly window shopped at the places still open. Warm enough to wear shorts, but never break a sweat, I think this was the perfect time for us to see this place.