Limnos-

Lesbos had been a pleasant and safe introduction to Greece. Sigri on the west coast provided us with our last calm night at anchor before launching for Limnos. 

Near the entry to Sigri we noticed a boat wreck on a tiny island. I think it was an island since it was very sandy and rocky: maybe it was just a lot of rock. The wreck is on the far left of the photo below.

Wrecked boat at entrance to Sigri, Lesbos

Wreck of boat

The sail and later motor to Limnos was very calm. Earlier reports said that wind was coming so we wanted to be in a safe harbour by then.

lighthouse Sigri

We arrived at Moudros to be met by a Greek Coastguard ready to take our lines. They were expecting a cargo ship later that night but they were going to dock on the other side of the pier. Marcel and Martine dropped by to say hello. They were anchored nearby. He reported that wind was coming. He was right.

sunset Limnos

Pavlov "safe" but the calm before the....

Moudros town

Moudros church

Moudros

Neat garden "Greek style"

We left the boat early to locate the Military Cemetery. Limnos was the staging post for the attack on the Gallipoli peninsula in 1915. The harbour in Moudros is very large. Hospitals were set up to treat casualties. Little did they realise the catastrophe that this campaign was to be. British, French and Commonwealth troops, including my grandfather, left the comparative safety of Limnos for the hell that Gallipoli was to become. There are at least 2 cemeteries on this island where you can find graves of Australian young men. This cemetery just outside Moudros was beautifully maintained, as are all the cemeteries of war dead that we have visited here and in France.

Moudros Bay 1915

Moudros Military Cemetery

Many ANZAC graves

Owen's poem "Dulce Decorum Est" resonates here

so sad, died for the Empire!

looking towards British , Indian, Egyptian, French and Russian graves

We missed the bus to Myrina so true to recent form we hitched a ride. The first car to drive past picked us up. It was 30 kms to Myrina so we were grateful that the lift took us all the way.

The port was quite calm, but no yachts. There was the coastguard and fishing fleet. Behind the port was a large rocky outcrop. A Genoese castle was built on top it and overlooked the port.

Myrina

Myrina

Myrina

The other side of the castle, a pretty sandy beach but too cold yet to swim

Restaurants on sandy beach Myrina

Greek caiche Myrina

Genoese Castle

Myrina Archaelogical Museum

Myrina was settled in prehistoric times and in antiquity. Evidence has been found linking the island to Minoan period to Roman occupation.

Sacrificed young bull

Series of artefacts

Today, we woke to a different Moudros. Windy...... Glad we had relocated to our concrete jetty inside the harbour, the day looked grim.

Windy day Moudros

 Pavlov was being pushed off the dock by the wind, nevertheless my anxious self kept observing the lines to shore. Were they secure??

20- 40knots !!

See Pavie in background- the only yacht in port!

windy selfie

Leaving Turkey

Some of our friends believed it would never happen. In fact we were starting to wonder if we would ourselves. The issue under discussion was: leaving Turkey.

Where it all began. Fethiye.

We were meant to spend last winter in Greece but fear of a “skin condition” that we believed needed to be treated brought us back to Turkey. This treatment never eventuated, since we decided it wasn’t necessary. Thank heavens. Our pockets were not full enough and our trust in the man who was to do the work not complete enough to do the major peel. However we still came back to take Pavlov out of the water at Bozburun, let the hull dry out for three months then paint her ourselves. But back in Turkey!

Pavlov being hauled out for a bottom job in Bozburun

In 2012 we took out Turkish residency for three years. Turkey was to be our bolt hole. Schengan countries surrounded us so to escape back to Turkey was always a consideration. Turkey had begun to feel like our second home.  In 2013 our arrival back in to the little bay where the village of Orhaniye is situated was like coming home. We sailed in and we knew it. After sailing since April into foreign ports there was something comfortable about coming back there, the place we had wintered in 2012-13.

Christina and Megan at wedding Orhaniye 2013

As I said some thought we would never leave. We made some good friends here who we shared : glasses of wine, Xmas 2012, sailing exploits, Easter celebrations and a number of meals. They became our friends in Turkey. We also met a number of people while sailing around Turkey and Greece who we keep contact with and have and will visit in their countries.

Megan and Sarah Easter 2013

2013 was a year of travel with friends and family: Michelle, Nan and Ayla, Michael, David and Carolene and Bev. We don't expect anyone this year, but you never know.

Michael hunting for underwater city Epidaurus

But westward we must go. Leaving was stressful. From the known to the unknown. Add the process of sailing to your next destination, and you can understand why people for lots of good reasons don’t leave. But the fear of becoming that attached made me even more determined to leave. After all we are here to see the world, or at least the Mediterranean.

Since leaving Orhaniye we have sailed north along the Turkish coast: Knidos, Turgutreis, Port Saint Paul, Gokkovar Limani( our little fjiord from last year)Cesme, Eske Foca, and now Alibey( Cunda) opposite Ayvalik. We are now in new terrain which is great. The adventure continues. If the wind and rain stops tomorrow we leave for Lesbos, Greece.  Wish us luck!

Eske Foca

Cunda, opposite Avaylik. Pavlov in boat yard dock

Cunda

Cunda

Part 3 Jerusalem

We approached Jerusalem on route 1, from the east, and drove through a check point. This was the second checkpoint we had encountered. We were passing from the Palestinian Authority West Bank to the Israeli controlled zone. It reminded me of Berlin after the war with checkpoint Charlie. The car in front had driven onto the highway from Palestinian areas. Evidence of this was also the lack of Israeli plates on the car. They were stopped. The men were asked for identification and the car was looked over, and under. Memories of suicide bombings are still very clear. We were waived through since we clearly were not a threat. Arriving in Jerusalem had a feeling of entering a safe zone. At least for some, and for now.

View of Old City from Mount of Olives

Fortunately we had again booked accommodation and had to get rid of the car. Jerusalem was a city and we didn’t need or want the car. By chance we parked very close to our hostel in Jaffa Road. From the photos on the web I knew a light rail travelled right outside the hostel. After finding it, disposing of the car and eventually moving into our tiny room, we began our exploration of Jerusalem. As in Rome where we stayed on a road leading to the Forum, this was so convenient. Down Jaffa Rd was the Old City. Jaffa Rd was a pedestrian precinct with many shops  and up the road were the markets.

Jaffa Road tram

Running for a tram

It is hard to know where to begin. Like any major city of the world like London, Rome or Paris, Jerusalem was a city of many parts. The Old City, the modern areas with the Israel Museum, the Mount of Olives, and the predominately Moslem areas. We had 4 days.

The Old City would be visited many times. I was spell bound it. Religion has meant little to me. History however has been my passion. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre was quite awe inspiring.

Pilgrims waiting to enter

The Church is really a number of churches. In the past the Vatican, and Russian and Greek Orthodox vied for rites to this little piece of the Old City. Finally they agreed that the status quo should dictate, so no more arguing. Within the church you see ceremonies of the three denominations. This Church is said to stand on the site that Christ was buried and rose from the dead.  The rock that was used to place Christ's body within the cave, is available to be seen and touched. People queued to bend and kiss the stone, lay bags of crosses or other soon to be sacred objects, on the stone and pray. Presumably these objects were then going to sold or given to family.

Entry to Coptic Shrine in Church of Holy Sepulchre

Stone on which Jesus body is said to have been lain

Small bags of crucifixes being laid on slab to make them sacred

The ceremonies that go on every day are entertaining. The elaborate robes worn by the priests make it quite a show. Then there is the frankincense and the chanting: what a show. And mesmerising, even for this unbeliever.

 

Less elaborately dressed Russian Orthodox Priests

The next day we visited the Western Wall and Temple Mount. The Western Wall of the Old City or the Wailing Wall, as it is sometimes called, is the Jewish sacred area. Here males and females pray on different sides separated by a fence.  Boys and girls were having their ba mitzvah rituals. I spoke to one grandmother who watched her grand-son's ceremony, while standing on a plastic chair and looking over the edge of the fence, from the women's section of the wall. She welcomed me to Israel. I walked over to the wall where hundreds of women sat while others prayed at the wall. Little pieces of paper with their dearest wishes were tucked into all the crevices. I added my wish. Steve guessed what it was. Am I so transparent? My thoughts always turn to my children at these times. 

Men's side 

Ba Mitzvah and video 

Ba Mitzvah 

Women's section

Girl's Ba Mitzvah- she led the ceremony.

To visit Temple Mount we had to queue for the appropriate time for non Moslems: 12:30 pm to 1:30pm, and only via the Damascus Gate. Prior to this guards stood at one gate barring entrance. We wondered at the time what was happening, not realising that this was an entrance to this part of the city. As we entered we followed a suspended walk way, over the Western Wall watched by many armed guards. Clearly they were trying to avoid any violent acts. Police armed to the teeth with riot gear stood near and in the vicinity of the Wall. No Jews are allow to enter Temple Mount. This week I read about a clash between Palestinian youth and Israeli police at Temple Mount. No wonder the security is tight.

Police near Western Wall

Police guarding entrance to Temple Mount.

Al-Aqsa Mosque

Steve outside the Dome of the Rock

Dome of the Rock

The Dome of the Rock is significant for Jews and Moslems. It is on this site that Muhammed is said to have ascended to speak with God  and travelled from Mecca to here on The Night Journey. The Jews say it is the site of the Second Jewish Temple destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. In fact the site's significance stems from religious traditions regarding the rock, known has the Foundation Stone, at it's heart, which bears great significance for Jews, Moslems and Christians. 

The Al-Aqsa Mosque is the third holiest site for Islam. Unfortunately an Australian set fire to it in 1969, believing it would hasten the second coming of Jesus Christ. 

Israelies abroad tend to have a reputation as being strong and belligerent. While we were in Jerusalem it was Purim and so holiday time. Purim celebrates the deliverance of the Jewish people in the Ancient Persian empire, where there had been a plot to destroy them. It is celebrated by feasting and festivities. We wondered why everyone was buying up big in the many dress up shops. Purim is also a time to let their hair down and be silly, according to one Israeli we asked. See the result.

One of many musicians busking in Jerusalem

Jerusalem letting its hair down.

The Israel Museum was another excursion. It didn't open to 430pm when we arrived at 10 am so we visited the adjacent Scupltor Garden and The Dead Sea Scroll Museum. Later we returned to see the museum.

Sculpture Garden 

Israel Museum

 The Israel Museum contained archaeology, paintings both modern and impressionist, women's clothing of the past and film.  It was very modern and large. 

Women's clothing

Beautiful shawls

Sarcophagi

Masks

Van Gough

Next, and on our last day in Jerusalem we hiked up the Mount of Olives and walked throughout the part of the Old city we had not seen. The view from the there was spectacular and worth the walk. 

View of Mount of Olives from the bottom.

On the way up.

Garden of Gethsemane where Judas betrayed Jesus

View of the Old City

 One thing I hoped to see was the wall the Israeli government has built in East Jerusalem to keep out the Palestinians. The UN has labelled this a human rights abuse. It is certainly horrific to see. It reminds me of a scene from a science fiction movie.

View towards the West Bank- see the Wall constructed to keep the Palestinians out

The concrete wall is clearer here

That night we ate at the hostel. A Dutch couple were there too. The man was to go in the Jerusalem Marathon. While in conversation I mentioned to the woman that I had seen the wall and thought it was horrendous. She asked me if I believed this, Jerusalem, to be the Promised Land. Realising that she was Jewish and a supporter of the wall, in an instant my honest answer was, "No I don't". Clearly now I was an unbeliever and against the state of Israel. But I don't believe any people have a right to protect themselves at the expense of another people. You can't right historic wrongs by doing more wrong. This is my view.

So I left Jerusalem and Israel not a Zionist, but had met many very helpful and kind Israelis. The strength in the belief of the cause of Zion is strong. How a lasting and fair peace will emerge in this country is hard to imagine.

Israel a place to visit? 

Definitely!