Road Trips

A Prolonged Foray to Europe: Taormina, Sicily (Prima Parte)

Posted on June 10, 2023 by WolfeStreetTravel

The charming town of Taormina was to be the final stop on the Sicily leg of our prolonged foray. (Map and overview of the full foray is posted here.) If you’re following along, we have only three legs left after Sicily.

Perched high above the Ionian Sea, Taormina was founded by the Sicels and later became an important Greek settlement after refugees from the nearby colony of Naxos just south of Taormina’s current location relocated there in the 4th century BC (stay tuned later this year for a post covering travel to Naxos the Greek island, which is upcoming). The town flourished under Greek and then Roman rule, leaving behind its most famous monument, the spectacular Ancient Theatre of Taormina (which we’ll get to in the next post), whose stage frames views of both the sea and Mount Etna. Through the Byzantine, Arab, Norman, and Spanish periods, Taormina retained its strategic hilltop position and developed into one of Sicily’s most historically layered and visually dramatic towns.

Taormina’s 12th-century Porta Messina on the north end of town (where you would enter the town if you were coming from Messina to the north in the olden days; or from the gondola at sea level now):

And on the other end of town, the 15th-century Aragonese Porta Catania (replete with the Spaniards’ coat of arms), facing south to Catania (where we’d fly out of in several days):

And snaking between the two? Corso Umberto, Taormina’s main street.

Like the one-road Baroque town of Noto visited a week or so earlier, Taormina indeed is replete with streets, but there’s only one main drag and singular main event.

But what a fantastic main drag it is – way more restaurants, bars, and shops than Noto and incredibly appealing. Beginning in the 19th century, Taormina became a celebrated stop on the European Grand Tour, attracting artists, writers, aristocrats, and intellectuals drawn by its scenery, mild climate, and classical ruins. Today it remains one of the Mediterranean’s most stylish destinations, combining luxury hotels, elegant boutiques, refined dining, and breathtaking views in a setting that feels both sophisticated and timeless.

The corso appears packed here, but everything’s flowing and there was never any sense that we had embroiled ourselves in an overtaxed Positano-type situation.

Plus, the occasional religious festival procession winding its way down the corso – in this case, celebrating the Feast of Saint Anthony of Padua (that’s him on the litter); we think maybe they’re taking the lazy way out of this by proceeding with a litter on wheels instead on shoulders, like in Godfather II and Godfather III:

And around the midway point on Corso Umberto lies Piazza IX Aprile and Porta di Mezzo – the midway tower:

Because Taormina is perched on a cliff, Piazza IX Aprile offers a great belvedere with views of the coast below:

View into the corso under the clock tower:

Medieval palazzo off the corso, with a vibrant jacaranda tree in bloom, to boot.

Taormina’s second square (second to Piazza IX Aprile, of course): the Piazza Duomo:

There’s the duomo. And, uh, there’s the Quatro Fontanes (Four Fountains):

Topped by a female centaur – apparently the historic emblem of Taormina. She wears a crown and holds a scepter in one hand and a globe surmounted by a cross in the other—symbols of civic authority and power. Regardless, super weird.

Heading to the duomo, the Cathedral of Saint Nicholas of Bari, the popular bishop-saint whose cult spread widely throughout southern Italy and Sicily.

The duomo looks more like a castle than a church. Built from massive stone blocks and topped with battlements, it was designed as an ecclesia munita—a fortified church capable of providing refuge during periods of instability. This defensive appearance earned it the nickname “Cathedral Fortress” and reflects the turbulent medieval history of Sicily.

But the interior of the 13th- and 14th-century duomo looks pretty standard.

Down (and to the left) we encounter the 2nd-century AD Roman “Naumachie,” a long brick wall punctuated with niches, likely to house statues. Buried and unknown for a millenia and a half, the moniker was incorrectly (just like in Agrigento) applied by a Dutch scholar in the 18th century, who figured – and why not? – that the structure hosted naval battles.

The massive wall did function as the barriers of a reservoir to supply a gymnasium or massive municipal fountain complex.

But enough history; aperitivo hour is approaching with the setting sun and we needed to locate a decent perch.

This will do.

With a great view over the coast and also a glimpse of what once was a 14th-century Dominican monastery. . .

But now houses the Four Seasons and the setting for Season 2 of White Lotus (they were closed to outside visitors due to a private event when we were there, otherwise we would have checked it out).

Pretty great town.

To actually reach town (through Porta Messina), we had to walk about 2 blocks from our AirBnB to catch the gondola at this station, since Taormina is high up on a cliff, visible at the top of the pic:

You grab your tickets while in line, and head on up; we never had to wait more than a few minutes – pretty efficient system.

Why would we stay a gondola ride from town instead of nestled within centro storico? Because this:

Pretty great setting in the Sicilian heat.

Because we were fixated on lodging with pools, we snagged this thing probably 6 months before we headed off for our prolonged foray.

Great view of Isola Bella – Beautiful Island. King Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies donated the island to the town of Taormina in 1806. In 1890, Florence Trevelyan purchased it, built a small retreat, and transformed the island into a botanical sanctuary filled with tropical and subtropical species that thrived in Sicily’s climate. The Sicilian government acquired the island in 1990, and it later became a protected nature reserve. And unofficial symbol of Taormina.

Oh, and we’d occasionally see the goofy tourist sub (ubiquitous in coastal towns, it seems) go out and back from our place.

And also the occasional yacht.

Definitely the right place to stay for our Taormina tour.

Categories: A Prolonged Foray to Europe, Sicily | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

A Prolonged Foray to Europe: Taormina, Sicily (Parte Seconda)

Posted on June 10, 2023 by WolfeStreetTravel

Taormina offered three notable experiences during our stay:

  1. The town itself
  2. An epic hike to Castelmola high above Taormina
  3. Taormina’s spectacular Roman theater

Our last post addressed the first item above. This second one will bring completion to the triad.

Hike to Castelmola

To reach Castelmola, we hiked the Sentiero dei Saraceni (Path of the Saracens):

But to reach the trailhead, we first had to leave our place on the water, take the gondola to Taormina’s centro storico, then wind through town, and then finally deviate from the well-trod Corso Umberto to climb through the labyrinthine streets in the old town’s outskirts. THEN the real climbing began.

The trail takes its name from the ancient road used by Arab forces during their siege of Taormina in 902 AD.

The path itself is an old trazzera — a Sicilian dialect word for a country track — worn into the landscape by the constant passage of mules and horses through a wild terrain of fig trees and prickly pears.

Although not nearly as taxing as the Path of the Gods (Sentiero degli Dei) that we hiked on the Amalfi Coast earlier in the trip, the 7+ mile hike did have 1220 feet of ascent. And we also hiked on a pretty hot day. (In addition to the route on the map below, you can also identify Isola Bella and our AirBnB location on the right side.)

The path is an ancient way to access Castelmola from the southern slope of Monte Tauro, the mountain that looms above Taormina. Starting from Piazza Duomo in Taormina, the initial walk winds through the town’s streets, then the trail transitions to a combination of dirt and rocks — mostly steep stone steps.

You definitely get rewarded with some great views along the way.

And a forest of cactus.

A sign that we’re reaching the apex of our hike at the hill town of Castelmola:

The site was first fortified by the Byzantines around 800 AD, serving as an outpost for and above Taormina. In 902, the fortification fell to Muslim forces after fierce resistance. The Saracens broke into Castelmola’s forts and destroyed much of the village, sparing only the castle — and the access gate to the historic centre is still called the Porta dei Saraceni because of this event.

In 1078, Norman Count Roger I reconquered the area and built a new castle incorporating the original walls. Most of what remains today dates to a 16th-century version of the structure. A 10th-century plaque with Greek-Byzantine engravings on the cathedral façade reads: “This castle was built under Constantine, patrician and strategist of Sicily” — almost certainly referring to Costantino Caramalo, who defended the territory from Arab attacks in the 9th century.

Throughout later centuries, Castelmola sided with the Swabians and Aragonese against the Angevins, eventually becoming part of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies in 1738 and then the Kingdom of Italy in 1860.

In addition to some great historical context for Castelmola’s many lives, this recitation also recalls the convenient history-of-Sicily-on-a-t-shirt introduction in our first Sicily post. (The t-shirt, as it happens, actually was spotted during our stay here in Taormina.)

Regardless of the events that led up to Castelmola’s current iteration, it proved to be a pretty charming little hill town.

With a little cafe just for WolfeStreetTravel’s resident figeater:

And then there’s Castelmola’s chief attraction:

Bar Turrisi, or. . .

the dick bar.

The bar was founded in 1947 by Salvatore Turrisi, who later had three sons in 5 years and decided to celebrate this by absolutely filling this place with dicks.

It’s a riot of phallic symbols (all of them, btw, created exclusively by Sicilian artisans, for what it’s worth):

After some beers and pizza, we headed back down to Taormina, where our oasis awaited.

Definitely a welcome respite after the hike.

Roman Theater

Taormina’s Teatro Antico offered the last of the three highlights during our stay.

Although its known for the role it played during the Roman period, the theatre originally was constructed during the Hellenistic period, circa 265–215 BC. It is one of the oldest theatres in Magna Graecia to feature a curved cavea rather than the older trapezoidal design. The structure was carved directly into the rocky hillside of Monte Tauro, using the natural slope in the classical Greek manner to create optimal sightlines and acoustics.

Originally designed for dramatic performances, it hosted plays by ancient Greek playwrights such as Sophocles, Aeschylus, and Euripides. These performances were often part of religious festivals and reflected the myths and social issues of the time. Acoustics were engineered so that even whispers on stage could be heard in the highest seats.

During the Roman rule over Sicily, the Romans did not merely maintain the theatre — they systematically rebuilt and repurposed it over roughly two centuries, in three distinct phases.

Phase I & II — Expansion under Trajan and Hadrian (98–138 AD)

The major Roman renovation expanded the cavea, modified the retaining walls to run parallel with the stage, and constructed an elaborate multi-story scaenae frons (the ornate architectural backdrop behind the stage). This phase created the theatre in its most magnificent form. The first intervention enlarged the theatre’s capacity with the construction of an external ambulatory and a complete reconstruction of the scaenae frons. Scholarly research confirms the architectural ornament of that stage front is definitively Trajanic or Hadrianic in style — and the architect of the theatre at Taormina used illusionistic column effects closely similar to those at the South Theater at Gerasa, suggesting Eastern influence on its design.

Phase III — Conversion to Arena (Late 2nd / Early 3rd Century AD)

The second Roman intervention involved changes to the stage and an expansion of the orchestra to transform the theatre into an arena capable of hosting gladiatorial games. A ring corridor was built, closed by a raised parapet, along with underground spaces used as shelters for equipment and animal cages. Three vaulted passageways were built under the scaenae frons to provide access for gladiators and animals.

Phase III — Conversion to Arena (Late 2nd / Early 3rd Century AD)

The second Roman intervention involved changes to the stage and an expansion of the orchestra to transform the theatre into an arena capable of hosting gladiatorial games. A ring corridor was built, closed by a raised parapet, along with underground spaces used as shelters for equipment and animal cages. Three vaulted passageways were built under the scaenae frons to provide access for gladiators and animals.

A view up to Castelmola, the destination of our hike the previous day and home to the dick bar.

The theatre has a horseshoe-shaped cavea with a diameter of 107–109 meters, an orchestra measuring 28–29 meters across (later expanded to 34 meters during the arena conversion), and a seating capacity estimated at 8,900 to 11,150 spectators across more than 40 rows divided into nine cunei and three maeniani (levels). It is the second largest of its kind in Sicily, behind only the Greek Theatre of Syracuse.

The setting is arguably the theatre’s most famous feature. Oriented to face south-southwest, it frames a panorama of Mount Etna and the Ionian Sea simultaneously — a view that has captivated visitors for millennia.

During the Middle Ages, parts of the theatre were reused to build private residences and religious buildings, including Taormina Cathedral. It was the Grand Tour of the 18th and 19th centuries that restored the theatre to international fame. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe visited in 1787 and wrote in his famous Italian Journey: “Never has a theatre audience enjoyed such a view.” His words became perhaps the most quoted description of the site and drew generations of European travelers in his wake.

The theatre today is far more than a museum piece — it remains an active cultural venue. Since 1983 it has hosted the Taormina Arte festival and other cultural events. Since 1971, the Taormina Film Fest has been held in the Ancient Theatre, with premieres and new film screenings taking place here.

Final night in Taormina (and in Sicily):

On to Malta!

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A Prolonged Foray to Europe: Valletta Area, Malta

Posted on June 10, 2023 by WolfeStreetTravel

From Taormina, Sicily, we flew a very short hop to the island nation of Malta, country no. 79 for WolfeStreetTravel (and one we’d been eying ever since planning The Smallest 5 for the Big 5-0 trip to Europe’s micronations in 2017).

Malta also represents the third-to-last leg of our post-retirement prolonged foray to Europe trip, the overview and map of which are posted here. We’d spend 4 nights in Malta, and the dry little island nation did not disappoint.

Malta’s Grand Harbor upon arrival:

The island’s history includes Phoenician, Carthaginian, and Roman occupation before the Arabs transformed it between 870 and 1090 AD, leaving a lasting imprint on the Maltese language, which remains Semitic at its core.

The Normans then took Malta, beginning a long stretch of Christian rule that culminated in 1530 when Holy Roman Emperor Charles V granted the island to the Knights Hospitaller after the order lost their previous base of operations, the island of Rhodes, to the Ottoman Turks. (The emperor also granted them the city of Tripoli in modern Libya, but the Ottomans ran them out of town there, as well, leaving them with only Malta [and a small town in the Holy Roman Empire, which they controlled until the early 19th century and Napoleon]).

While under Hospitaler control, the Ottomans continued their westward expansion across the Mediterranean, and targeted Malta as their next conquest. In 1565, the Hospitallers – left essentially to fend for themselves – repelled a prolonged Ottoman siege in one of history’s most dramatic defensive stands. Pretty epic tale. (And a good read – we finished Empires of the Sea: The Siege of Malta, the Battle of Lepanto, and the Contest for the Center of the World before we arrived to give us a good feel for what we were getting into; definitely recommended if you’re into that sort of thing.) After fending off the siege, the Hospitalers transformed some fortifications opposite the Grand Harbor into their capital city and named it Valletta after Jean Parisot de Valette, their Grand Master, who led the defense of the island.

Britain took control of Malta in 1800 after helping the Maltese expel the French forces that had occupied the island following Napoleon Bonaparte’s invasion in 1798. Although Britain initially intervened as an ally, it retained Malta because its central Mediterranean location and excellent natural harbor made it a vital naval base for protecting British trade routes and projecting military power. Britain refused to return the island as required by the Treaty of Amiens, and Malta remained a British colony until it gained independence in 1964.

During Britain’s rule of the island in WWII, Malta became a critical naval hub and endured one of the most sustained aerial bombardments of the entire war, earning the troops the George Cross collectively from King George VI in 1942. Fort Angelo on the peninsula of Birgu, which was manned by the British Navy during WW II, seen from across the harbor from the peninsula of Senglea (we’d eventually visit it):

Malta gained independence in 1964, became a republic in 1974, and joined the European Union in 2004, completing a journey from ancient temple-builders to modern European democracy in one of the Mediterranean’s most strategically contested stretches of rock.

Our hotel in the background was located in a decommissioned fortress on Senglea, one of Malta’s historic Three Cities on a spit of land across the Grand Harbor from Valetta, the capital city.

First lunch in town on Senglea – pretty great start to our stay (we’d return there for our final dinner):

Walking along the Grand Harbor; we stayed on the left, the peninsula of Senglea; the parallel peninsula of Birgu is to the left, and Valletta itself is straight ahead.

The fortifications around Valletta, passed as we arrived from the water taxi stand many stories below the city elevation (there’s an outdoor elevator to get you from there to here):

The narrow and atmospheric streets of Valletta:

Punctuated by the city’s uniquely characteristic and multicolored gallarija:

“The gallarija is considered a descendant of the Maltese muxrabija, and it is closely related to the mashrabiya which are typical in Arabic architecture. . . [which consist of] an ornate timber screen, perforated with an intricate network of holes, tightly fitted into a window or loggia. . . Muxrabijet had the task to keep the interior of the building cool by allowing circulation of air through the carved wood. They were also used as cooling device for storing water, and as a security measure to observe the outside without being seen.“

Pretty much every single street in Valletta was flanked by gallarija.

A city of limestone, punctuated by brightly colored wood elements. Pretty picturesque.

Water taxi ride back to Senglea:

Our hotel occupied one of the Hospitalers’ old fortresses, which was freakin’ awesome. The walls in the rooms were 3′ thick and you could feel the history. Plus, this pool:

Pretty great perch of the Grand Harbor.

View from our room’s cannon embrasure-cum-window:

Very cool little harbor area off the Grand Harbor on Birgu that was, um, harboring a very nice restaurant.

Access to the restaurant was gained through the abandoned tunnels of Fort St. Angelo.

After walking around, sailing around, and walking under Fort St. Angelo, we finally decided to actually visit the place.

“The fort was garrisoned by the British from 1800 to 1979, at times being classified as a stone frigate known as HMS Egmont or later HMS St Angelo. The fort suffered considerable damage during World War II, but it was later restored.“

Map of the fortifications with dates delineating the evolution of the fort from the Hospitalers’ era in the 1500s (and even earlier to 1091 for one of the chapels that predated – by a long stretch – their arrival) to the 1940s:

View over to Senglea across the harbor:

Inside a watchtower on the very tip of the fort and of Birgu; the tip of Senglea is out the right window, but you can’t tell.

Another evening in Malta after a day trip to Mdina, which will cover in another post. Unbelievable weather the entire time, though.

Unexpected fireworks towards the end of dinner:

The dome of Hospitalers’ (Order of St. John’s / Knights of St. John’s) St. John Co-Cathedral in Valletta:

St. John’s Co-Cathedral was built between 1573 and 1578 by the Knights of St. John as their conventual church following the Great Siege of Malta, with its austere exterior designed by Maltese architect Girolamo Cassiere concealing one of the world’s most lavish Baroque interiors.

It’s a co-cathedral (we had never heard of this before) because the original (and still) bishop’s seat on Malta was in the interior town of Mdina at St. Paul’s Cathedral. But the Hospitalers new one got recognized by the Pope, as well, and he granted it equal cathedral status, as a co-cathedral. One bishop, two cathedrals. Pretty wild.

Today, the co-cathedral is Malta’s most important religious and artistic monument, symbolizing the power and legacy of the Knights Hospitaller while serving as one of Europe’s finest examples of Baroque architecture and a centerpiece of Valletta’s UNESCO World Heritage status.

Spectacular ceiling of the co-cathedral

Way better to us was the floor – the entire place was occupied by elaborate tombs of the Knights of St. John:

Most of which included macabre elements, to our delight:

One of the greatest treasures of St. John’s Co-Cathedral and one of the masterpieces of Western art is Caravaggio’s The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist (1608). It’s the cathedral’s most famous work and the reason many art lovers travel to Malta.

It’s significant for the following reasons:

  • It is Caravaggio’s largest painting. Measuring roughly 3.6 × 5.2 meters (12 × 17 feet), it is the largest canvas he ever painted and one of the few works created specifically as an altarpiece.
  • It is Caravaggio’s only signed painting. If you look near the pool of blood beneath John the Baptist’s neck, you’ll find the artist’s signature: “f. Michelangelo” (“Fra Michelangelo”), written in the blood. He signed it this way because he had just been admitted as a Knight of the Order of St. John—a unique moment in his tumultuous life.

Saint Jerome Writing, also by Caravaggio, painted around 1607–1608 during his stay in Malta, depicting Saint Jerome translating the Bible into Latin, with the skull symbolizing the fleeting nature of life.

Check out the discrete Maltese cross Caravaggio included in the bottom right of the painting, paying homage to the patrons who funded it. . .

Next up: Mdina, Malta, and then, finally, some biking.

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A Prolonged Foray to Europe: Mdina, Malta

Posted on June 10, 2023 by WolfeStreetTravel

While staying in the Valletta area, we grabbed an Uber for a field trip to Mdina, the Maltese capital’s forerunner until the 16th century. After the Knights of St. John made the new fortified town of Valletta their capital after the Great Siege of 1565, Mdina faded in significance and slid into backwater status significantly enough to be nicknamed the “Silent City.” Based on our stroll throughout town, this is pretty apt, although Silent Sunburnt City may be even more on brand.

Founded as a fortified settlement by the Phoenicians around the 8th century BC, the town later became the Roman city of Melite. Under Arab rule beginning in the 9th century, it was reduced and fortified into the compact medieval city that became known as Mdina. (The Arabs also separated the fortified city from the surrounding area—creating what became Mdina, literally the city, while the adjoining suburb became Rabat, meaning suburb or quarter in Arabic. We’d visit both during our little field trip.)

Mdina’s Baroque Main Gate, dating from 1724. Built during the rule of the Hospitallers, it replaced the medieval entrance that was destroyed during the 1693 Sicily earthquake nearby (which gave rise to the Baroque Towns we visited just prior, in Sicily).

The gate is flanked by two lions, which are associated with Antonio Manoel de Vilhena, the Grand Master of the Order of St. John in Malta during the late 18th century, as well as Vilhena’s coat of arms over the gate proper.

Extant fortifications of the city on either side.

Inside Mdina proper, on the other side of the Main Gate:

And this is what the entire town is like: sun-baked, narrow alleyways flanked by golden limestone:

Punctuated occasionally by colorful doors and knockers:

Heading back through the Main Gate, and down the street. . .

to Rabat, the ancient suburbs of Mdina. Replete with Valletta-style gallarija.

And down the street, much to the excitement of one and definitely not the other WolfeStreetTravler, to. . .

More catacombs! This will be our fourth set on this trip alone; first in Matera, then, the absolute grossest in Palermo, and TWO in Syracusa.

St. Paul’s Catacombs, located in Rabat just outside Mdina, form one of Malta’s most important ancient burial complexes, dating primarily from the Phoenician, Roman and Byzantine periods, but they continued to be actively used into the 7th or 8th century AD.

Carved into the island’s soft limestone, the underground complex contains an intricate network of burial chambers, corridors and rock-cut tombs that once formed part of a much larger cemetery outside of what was the Phoenician (and later Roman) settlement of Melite that predates Mdina and Rabat.

Hundreds of tombs across a complex of 24 interconnected catacombs are down here.

Most are now empty.

Some most certainly are not.

Every space was optimize to fit more bodies in.

Although tradition associates the catacombs with St. Paul, who was said to have been shipwrecked on Malta in AD 60, there is no archaeological evidence that he ever visited or was buried here. What makes the site especially compelling is the coexistence of pagan, Jewish and Christian burial traditions, offering a remarkable glimpse into Malta’s religious and cultural transformation during late antiquity.

Heading back out.

What to do now that we’re back in the glorious sunshine of a Maltese afternoon?

More catacombs! This time St. Agatha’s, just down the road. (This pretty much put an end to the catacomb visits; one of the WolfeStreetTravelers definitely had enough of this nonsense during the current trip, although her indulgence up until now was pretty amazing.)

Unlike St. Paul’s, which has one central entrance, the catacomb complex at St. Agatha’s offered multiple, small individual entrances / access shafts.

Entering each catacomb was a little reminiscent of Maxwell Smart and the phone booth at the start of the show.

As with St. Paul’s, St. Agatha’s catacombs complex contain a mixture of Phoenician/Roman, Jewish and Christian burials.

Some of which had fresh tomb tops (not to be confused with mummy tube tops).

One of the occupants:

Back on Senglea and the Grand Harbor, our final dinner before heading to France for our penultimate leg. We bookended our stay on Malta by dining at the same restaurant at which we had our first, awesome lunch upon our arrival. Good call.

The experienced enhanced by these dudes rowing by in a plastic crate.

Next up: back to France!

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Turkey and Back to Greece: Trip Overview

Posted on September 5, 2022 by WolfeStreetTravel

After three true road trips abroad all in the last 12 months (Languedoc/Provence/San Sebastian, Tuscany, and The Cotswolds/Wales), we pivoted to slightly more typical travel logistics over this past Labor Day and headed to a couple of locations in Turkey, and then back to Greece to explore another of the Cyclades islands there.

We flew into Istanbul, and spent 3 days there, then flew south to the town of Göreme, in Turkey’s Cappadocia region, and finally from there (through an overnight in Athens), to the Greek island of Paros.

After landing in Istanbul, we headed immediately to the venerable Hagia Sofia, built by the Byzantine emperor Justinian in the 6th century:

Hagia Sophia began as a grand church, replacing a previous model constructed in the 4th century. Then as a mosque after the Ottoman conquest in the 15th century, then a museum under Atatürk in the early 20th century, then BACK to a mosque in 2020 as Turkey has begun deviating from its secular modern roots to an increasingly Islamic society. With the latest change back to a mosque, we weren’t able to go to the second level to see the Viking runes graffiti left by members of the Varangian Guard sometime between the 10th and 11th centuries. Serious bummer, man. But on the bright side the place is freaking HUGE both inside and out, and the bolt-ons by different sultans over the centuries, including massive buttresses to prevent a repeat of collapses during earthquakes were clearly apparent.

Hagia Sofia interior:

Just across a plaza from Hagia Sofia lies the Blue Mosque, an Ottoman-era imperial mosque constructed between 1609 and 1616 during the rule of Ahmed I. Sporting five main domes and eight secondary domes, it’s the only mosque in Istanbul with six minarets.

The subterranean basilica cistern in the heart of Istanbul’s old town:

Built in the 530s by Justinian as a major municipal water supply for Constantinople, this multi-acre complex used to be filled up to 7 meters deep with fresh water supplied by the city’s aqueduct. Pillars and other materials from across the empire, including two Gorgon heads, were looted from pagan temples and repurposed to construct the enormous cistern. Abandoned and forgotten in the subsequent centuries. Rediscovered only in the 18th century, the place is architecturally, functionally, and atmospherically astounding. Plus, good to get underground and out of the heat!

Topkapi Palace, seat of power for the Ottoman Empire between the 15th and 18th centuries:

A little Turkish music our last night in Istanbul in an entirely different cistern across town, converted to a restaurant:

The absolute highlight of the trip was Cappadocia, in the middle of Turkey. We based ourselves in the town of Göreme and then drove all over the place to check out sights in the region’s lunar landscape of eroded volcanic tuff.

A dawn balloon ride on our first morning:

Really cool stuff all over the region, including two monastery cave complexes right down the road from Göreme. The first was a Byzantine monastic community in the Zelve valley, which thrived between the 9th to 13th centuries. The valley’s troglodyte houses were occupied until 1952, when villagers were relocated due to safety concerns.

We found the complex nearest to Göreme to be even more compelling, though. Founded in the 4th century on the instruction of Saint Basil of Caesarea, this complex of monasteries, nunneries, churches, and chapels existed for a thousand years.

The abundance of cave churches in the complex intrigued us the most:

Two distinct styles of decoration are immediately evident in the cave churches: “During the iconoclastic period (725–842) the decoration of the many sanctuaries in the region was held to a minimum, usually symbols such as the depiction of the Christian cross.”

After this period, new churches were dug into the rocks, and they were richly decorated with colourful frescoes.” Super cool to actually walk into a space and see untouched art from the 8th century just sitting there in the open.

The mountain castle of Uçhisar, dominating the skyline north of Göreme in Cappadocia.

Originally occupied by the Hittites, the structure was once home to 1000 people throughout its labyrinth of cave warrens and later served as cloisters during the Byzantine era.

Descending into the ancient multi-level underground city of Derinkuyu, which is large enough to have sheltered as many as 20,000 people together with their livestock and food stores. The city began in the 8th to 7th centuries BC, and continually expanded. Fully formed between 780–1180 AD, Derinkuyu was occupied for protection from Muslim Arabs during the Arab–Byzantine wars.

Capadoccia’s characteristic fairy chimneys:

A little balloon action from outside the basket this time at sunrise in town.

Even our pool was Capadoccia cool:

Last evening in Göreme:

From Cappadocia in Turkey, we headed to the island of Paros, in Greece’s Cyclades archipelago. We previously visited two nearby Cyclades islands – Santorini and Mykonos. We thoroughly enjoyed both, but wanted an island with a slower pace this time. Paros delivered.

Our base camp of Naousa in Paros – a really compelling combo of working fishing port and the island’s densest cluster of restaurants. As far was we could discern, every one of them had octopus on the menu.

The Monastery of St. John’s of Deti:

Paros’ main port town of Parikia:

At the top of the town, a 13th-century Frankish Crusader castle established as part of the short-lived Duchy of the Aegean Sea and built from materials taken from ancient sites that existed nearby, including the temple of goddess Athena, the protector of the ancient town of Paros:

At the outskirts of town lay the Ekatontapyliani church complex dating from the 6th century:

A short ferry ride delivered us to Paros’ Mini Me neighbor: the island of Antiparos:

Morning hike to the Akrotiri Korakas lighthouse at the northwestern tip of Paros:

We found ourselves hanging out on multiple days at the low-key Ampelas Beach on the east side of the island, across from Naxos:

After seven sunset cocktails and evenings in Naousa, we’ll definitely be back here.

Last night in Paros. . .

Categories: Greece, Istanbul, Cappadocia, and Paros, Turkey | Tags: , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Turkey and Back to Greece: Istanbul Part 1 – Two Mosques and a Hippodrome

Posted on September 5, 2022 by WolfeStreetTravel

We’re finally getting around to posting pics from a trip in September 2022 to Turkey and back to Greece. We posted an overview of the trip shortly after our return, but never found time to post the details of each destination. The next series of posts will address this omission.

The trip, as originally planned, entailed the following itinerary:

  • 3 days in Istanbul, Turkey
  • 3 days in Cappadocia, Turkey
  • 1 night in Athens en route to Greece islands
  • 7 days on the Greek island of Paros
  • 4 days on the Greek island of Milos
  • 2 days on the Greek island of Folegandros
  • 7 days on the Greek island of Naxos

This plan assumed that the second WolfeStreetTraveler would be retiring in August 2022, and that this month-long trip would be our first extended foray abroad post retirement of both members of the consortium. This was not to be.

Work priorities related to supercomputing support to NOAA’s National Weather Service and some critical contract win priorites at EPA postponed the retirement plans for another 9 months. So, we lopped all the Greek islands other than Paros off the itinerary to reduce the travel time to just 2 weeks (during which work still needed to be addressed seven time zones away, which was typical of our travels), and cancelled our hotels, ferries, and AirB&Bs for the second half of the trip.

Despite the truncated itinerary, the trip was incredible, especially in Cappadocia and Paros (but for entirely different reasons).

But first, we hit Istanbul, the subject of They Might Be Giants’ most notable song.

Upon our arrival in the Sultanahmet District of Istanbul, the historic core of the city, we made a beeline to Hagia Sophia, the city’s famous church-cum-mosque.

Constructed at the direction of Byzantine emperor Justinian in the first half of the 6th century, Hagia Sophia began as a grand church, replacing a previous model constructed in the 4th century. It was the largest Christian cathedral in the world for a thousand years (until construction of Seville’s cathedral), but not always as an Eastern Orthodox one. The western Christian crusaders converted Hagia Sophia to a Catholic cathedral in 1204 during the Fourth Crusade; the Byzantines converted it back to an Eastern Orthodox cathedral more than a half century later, in 1261.

However, the most significant change to Hagia Sophia role occurred in 1543, when the Ottomans finally overran Constantinople, which by that time was the last remaining (and heavily fortified) kernel of the once-vast Byzantine Empire.

As part of Atatürk’s secularization of the new Republic of Turkey, Hagia Sophia was converted to a museum in the 1930s. This became Turkey’s number one tourist destination all the way through 2019.

Then, in pandering to Turkey’s religious right Recep Tayyip Erdoğan turned Hagia Sophia BACK into a mosque in 2020. We could still visit it when in Istanbul, but would not have access to the entire structure like we would have just a few years before.

A fountain for ritual ablutions on the way to the entrance.

The place is freaking HUGE both inside and out, and the bolt-ons by different sultans over the centuries,

including massive buttresses to prevent a repeat of collapses during earthquakes.

We were able to go inside,

but, since it was now a mosque, we weren’t able to go to the second level to see the Viking runes graffiti left by members of the Varangian Guard sometime between the 10th and 11th centuries. Serious bummer, man.

One of the changes made to the Christian cathedral during its conversion to a mosque in the 16th century was the removal or whitewashing of Christian biblical mosaics on the walls. Another, much later change, was the installation of eight huge medallions between 1847 and 1849 under Sultan Abdülmecid I and display the names of Allah and Muhammad, the first four caliphs Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali, and Muhammad’s grandchildren Hassan and Hussein.

A few pre-mosque mosaics were unintentionally preserved by the whitewashing, which was then removed centuries later. One of these was “Emperor Leo VI Paying Homage to Christ as Pantocrator” over the entrance door.

Just some alcove off to the side – cool vaulting though.

The grounds of Hagia Sophia play host to tombs of five Ottoman sultans and their families. Each looks pretty modest from the outside.

But some – this is the tomb of Sultan Murat III built in 1595 – are pretty grand inside. And hold lots of sarcophagi – 54 in this one.

There’s also the tomb of Princes – four princes and the daughter of Sultan Murat III.

This one was much more low key inside.

Hagia Sophia lit up at night:

Particularly good view from a rooftop bar we patronized:

Also at night – the vendors come out!

Hagia Sophia lies at one end of Byzantium’s / Contantinople’s / Istanbul’s famed hippodrome. We were very familiar with the hippodrome and the role it played during the Byzantine empire due to the History of Byzantium podcast. So, our expectations for seeing the actual, ancient racetrack and stadium were high.

These expectations were not met.

The hippodrome no longer exists. The structure already had fallen into ruin by the Fourth Crusade in the early 13th century, and the Venetians finished the job by looting most of the remaining decorative elements. Then, after the Ottomans conquered the city in 1453, the remaining structure became a convenient pre-cut stone quarry for the sultan.

Luckily, though, the footprint of the hippodrome was never built over, so you can at least appreciate the size of the race track when visiting Istanbul. Plus, there are a few ancient – and one modern – monuments.

The first is the Obelisk of Thutmose III.

Roman / Byzantine (it’s kind of a transition time period) Emperor Theodosius the Great brought the obelisk from Egypt – where it had been part of the Temple of Karnak in Luxor – to Constantinople in 390. The original obelisk was considerably taller, inasmuch as what’s left is just the top third.

But what’s left is pretty cool. The monument was created in 1490 BC, so the granite obelisk is 3500 years old. The marble pedestal is a different story.

The bas-reliefs only date to the monument’s re-erection in Constantinople’s hippodrome by Theodosius, and show the emperor in various scenes, including the emperor and his court, here on the north face. Below is a relief showing the transport of the obelisk.

The bronze Serpent Column is next as we stroll the length of the hippodrome footprint, from one massive mosque to the next. The column is actually the base of a trio of snakes that formed a tripod on top to hold a golden bowl. Like the Obelisk of Theodosius, this was another goody from afar dragged to Constantinople – it originally was cast by Greeks to celebrate their victory over the Persians during the Persian Wars of the 5th century BC.

Beyond the Serpent Column, at the opposite end of the hippodrome from Obelisk of Thutmose III lies another obelisk, this one more modern (kind of). Erected in the 10th century by (now thoroughly) Byzantine Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus, the obelisk originally was clad in gilded bronze, but the freaking Venetians stole all of that, too, when they looted Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade. Now, only the stone core remains.

The most modern monument serves as our last encounter on the hippodrome before hitting the other mosque: The German Fountain.

The German government constructed the fountain in 1900 in neo Byzantine style to celebrate Kaiser Wilhelm II’s visit to Istanbul in 1898.

And now, the Blue Mosque.

Situated at the opposite end of the hippodrome from Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque was constructed during the first half of the 17th century.

It’s official name is the Sultan Ahmed Mosque. The blue moniker comes from the Iznik tiles lining the inside that allegedly are predominantly blue.

We say allegedly, because this was the interior during our visit – another major sight on our travels frustratingly clad in scaffolding.

You could peer through the renovation obstructions to view some of the interior, but not much.

Maybe these are the blue tiles? Who knows?

Pretty cool lit up at night, though.

Another rooftop bar – this time for lunch – and another good view of a giant mosque.

Next up: water storage?

Categories: Istanbul, Cappadocia, and Paros, Turkey | Tags: , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Turkey and Back to Greece: Istanbul Part 2 – Cisterns and Stuff

Posted on September 5, 2022 by WolfeStreetTravel

By far, the absolute coolest component of our time in Istanbul was our visit to the Basilica Cistern beneath the city.

The moniker comes from its location beneath a Roman-era basilica constructed in the 4th century but that no longer exists. (It’s also known by its Turkish name Yerebatan Sarayı (“Sunken Palace”), which is way more descriptive and evocative.)

An hour-or-so-long line snaked around the corner from the entrance to the cistern when we wandered by, so we hired a guide on the spot – not for his guidance, per se (we had plenty of written guidance with us, and typically prefer this approach) – but because we could skip the entire line if we hired a guide. Done and done.

One of hundreds of ancient cisterns build beneath Constantinople, but by far the largest, the great water storage cavern originally was built by Emperor Constantine in the 4th century.

But the colonnaded space we got to experience resulted from an Emperor Justinian infrastructure improvement project after the Nika riots devastated the city in the 6th century. (The no-longer-in-existence hippodrome played a major role in this conflict, which destroyed half the city.)

The great cistern supplied water to major buildings of the city, including the palace, but was forgotten by city administrators after the Ottoman conquest and was lost to memory to all but some locals living above it.

The cistern was rediscovered in 1565 when a Dutch traveler who was researching Byzantium ruins in Istanbul observed locals in the area fetching water by lowering buckets into a dark space below their basement floors.

More recently, James Bond navigated the cistern in From Russia with Love (although the MI6 Istanbul Station Chief mis-attributes its creation to Constantine, rather than Justinian):

Although most of the 336 marble columns are pretty standard supports with Ionic and Corinthian (and a few Doric) capitals – cannibalized from Roman temples across the empire for use here, the bases of two columns are quite strikingly different.

They’re heads of a Gorgon – more specifically, Medusa. The origins are unknown, but the thinking is that they were repurposed from a late Roman temple that was regarded as pagan and simply used as a quarry, and the heads were used along with the columns.

Pagan or not, the Orthodox Christians still took the risk of the Gorgon’s gaze seriously and installed one on its side and the other upside down to neutralize their power. “A similar Gorgon head, now at the Istanbul Archaeological Museums, was found at the Forum of Constantine, which suggests the two Gorgon heads of the Basilica Cistern might also originally decorated the Forum of Constantine.” (From here.)

And one column is carved with raised pictures of a Hen’s Eyes, or Peacock Eyes, tear drops, which apparently was a style similar to the columns on a 4th-century Triumphal Arch of Theodosius (one of the Byzantine emperors referenced with the hippodrome).

Evening boat ride up (down?) the Bosporus:

Categories: Istanbul, Cappadocia, and Paros, Turkey | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Turkey and Back to Greece: Istanbul Part 3 – Topkapi Palace and Surrounds

Posted on September 5, 2022 by WolfeStreetTravel

Our final morning, we made a beeline to Topkapi Palace, hidden first behind an impressive set of exterior walls, through which one passes through the Imperial Gate:

And then another set of more modest interior ones, entered through the Gate of Salutation:

The grounds offered a cool oasis to the stone-clad urban environment outside the walls.

The Library of Sultan Ahmmed III, a prime example of 18th-century Ottoman architecture.

The 15th-century Audience Hall

A fragment of Piri Reis’ intriguing and controversial 1513 map, which includes remarkably accurate depictions of the Caribbean and South American coast, despite the map’s creation just 3 decades after Columbus discovered America.

A view of the Golden Horn from the Iftar Pavilion:

The Yerevan Kiosk – a pavilion fronted by a fountain meant for religious retreat.

The Baghdad Kiosk built circa 1638 to commemorate the Baghdad Campaign of Murad IV.

Its interior is meant to depict an ideal Ottoman room.

Which apparently required a huge couch.

And some attendance, natch.

The palace’s Imperial Council Hall, with the Tower of Justice atop. Originally built in the late 15th century and restored in the 17th after a harem fire, the Imperial Council, led by the Grand Vizier, met here.

The palace kitchens – the largest in the Ottoman Empire, with a capability to feed 4000 people.

The palace museum, home to some pretty cool examples of Islamic arms and armor from the Ottoman period.

And, on the way out, but still on the grounds, the forlorn husk of Hagia Irene, Istanbul’s second largest church after Hagia Sophia. The Romans constructed a temple on this spot in the 4th century, but this wooden structure was superseded by a stone structure before this, too, was replaced by a much larger Byzantine basilica in the mid 500s after its predecessor was destroyed during the Nika riots of Justianian’s reign. (Hagia Sophia suffered a similar fate and Justinian had this rebuilt in grander fashion at the same time.)

Unlike the typical Ottoman habit of turning churches into mosques, Hagia Irene was converted to a gun depot.

The cross mosaic in what may be an apse(?) – It was really hard to tell, and Byzantine churches had different layouts than Latin Christian churches, with their nave, transept, apse structure that wasn’t apparent here – was created during the reign of Leo III the Isaurian in the first half of the 8th century (we add this detail only so was can say “Leo the Isaurian” which has a vaguely Ghostbusters’ Gozer the Gozerian vibe to it).

At the Istanbul Archeological Museum just a hundred yards downhill from Topkapi Palace an impressive (like 12 feet?) statue of the Egyptian god Bes, found on Cyprus where he was popular with the Phoenician colonizers.

Statue of Emperor Hadrian found on Crete, and shown squishing his conquered foe.

Reconstruction of the stratified layers of sequential building and destruction of Troy, located elsewhere in Turkey, but highlighted through a pretty impressive wing in the museum.

Some cool ancient Greek sarcophagi.

Even cooler Greco-Persian Sarcophagus of Sidamara – at 32 tons, the heaviest sarcaphogas ever found – from Anatolia.

After dinner drinks and snacks in ANOTHER cistern, this one converted into a really cool restaurant.

Which featured live music – great end to our stay in Istanbul.

Next up: the cavernous (literally) cornucopia of Cappadocia!

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Turkey and Back to Greece: Cappadocia Part 1 – Göreme

Posted on September 5, 2022 by WolfeStreetTravel

(Just continuing to post on backlogged trips – this one from September 2022.)

From Istanbul, we flew to Kayseri in Cappadocia, rented a car, and drove to Göreme, our base town to explore the area for the next 3 days. Göreme lies at the heart of a network of valleys in a landscape of tuff – volcanic ash that has piled up over millennia. Over time, the elements eroded this soft deposit of rock to create not only valleys, but “fairy chimneys” where denser rock withstood erosion and led to natural obelisks set amidst a sandy and desolate landscape.

Until maybe the 3rd century; maybe earlier – hard to tell. But then, Christianity hit the area in the 4th or 5th centuries and cave churches, monasteries, and houses carved into the tuff flourished.

Leading, inexorably, to the creation of Göreme.

View from our cave hotel:

Time of day simply enhanced the optics of the town:

A view of Göreme from up the road near a little field trip to Uçhisar:

A minaret features prominently in town:

It was hot. There was a pool.

Maybe the coolest pool we’ve experienced?

A little wagon ride down into the valley below Göreme for a farm breakfast.

Another nearby valley on the way. Although some of the holes in the fairy chimneys are homes, most are little caves carved out to allow pigeons to roost. And then collect the shit for fertilizer. Which is pretty effective and brilliant, frankly.

Our ride. And Uçhisar in the distance.

The carved steps to doom.

Or breakfast. Whichever.

A brief tutorial on the arid garden supplying the farm.

And the farm itself, deep within the valley.

Breakfast underway.

We totally did not take pictures of the spread – which we very much should have, because it was pretty awesome. But we were so hungry we forewent all of that and just gorged. Sorry.

But here’s a carved and quite refined cave home within the tuff:

Farm infrastructure, also carved into the soft rock:

Uçhisar in the distance on the way back. (We’ll have full coverage of that outrageous outcrop in a future post – trust us.)

The terrace of our cave hotel, which is the most popular perch to perceive. . .

This! Every morning! Scores (hundreds?) of balloons taking advantage of the dawn thermals over the valley.

We’ll get to experience it ourselves the next day. But that’s a different post.

Final night in Göreme (but definitely not in Cappadocia – freakin’ awesome place with lots to show).

Categories: Istanbul, Cappadocia, and Paros, Turkey | Leave a comment

Turkey and Back to Greece: Cappadocia Part 2 – Balloon Ride

Posted on September 5, 2022 by WolfeStreetTravel

After too long of a respite in posting our backlog, herewith please find our epic balloon ride over the Cappadocian moonscape in Turkey.

Here’s our lone commentary moment in this post: that red thing is an idiot Instagrammer who not only rented a flowing red gown for a social media photo shoot, but that crane next to it, from which a swing dangles. This is what some people do with their time and money. The same thing, but on a smaller scale, occurred each dawn on our hotel terrace due to its view – a bunch of vapid Instagrammer girls in rented gown pouting and preening for pictures against the backdrop of hundreds of balloons at dawn over Cappadocia.

End of the ride:

And a little après-ride bubbly:

Categories: Istanbul, Cappadocia, and Paros, Turkey | Leave a comment

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