it was a mighty craic.

Now that the cruise is over, it is time for another adventure – a little Irish folk.  After a restful night sleep in our adorable Bed and Breakfast in Dun Loaghaire, Ireland, I met up with my mom, one of my best friends and her mom. Precious, right?  We spent 2 days exploring Dublin and 1 day touring the breathtaking Wicklow Mountains.  The Irish culture is filled with hospitable and friendly people!  Oh, don’t let me forget to share about the Irish Craic – it’s the Irish way of saying ‘good fun’ or a ‘jolly time.’ Anyways, here are the pictures:

Lunch at Dublin’s oldest and largest Café, Bewley’s Café and Restaurant.

We visited Trinity College, so we thought it was appropriate for the college roommates to take a picture together.

Our mom’s hit it off great and talked throughout the entire visit!

Dublin Castle

A tribute to our Irish President - they call him BOB over there (Stand for Barack O Bama)

We took a tour of the Guinness Factory - it is so much more than just a beer, Guinness lies deep within the Irish Culture.

We accidentally stumbled upon this library - so incredible!  It is the first working library in Dublin, Marsh’s Library. They have ancient books, dating back from before Christ. Many books on ancient surgery practices, C-sections, herbal remedies, etc. Some of the first anatomical dissection notations, as well as Hippocrates’ writings and original code of ethics that medical professionals still swear by today!!!

A view from inside St. Patrick’s Cathedral where we attended an evening service and heard beautiful singing.

Powerscourt House and Gardens 

At Glendalough, an early monestary settled by St. Kevin.  (Some may recognize it from the set of ‘Count of Monte Cristo’)

The Wicklow Mountains, made famous by P.S. I Love You and Braveheart

napoli.

Today was a filled day with lots of various sites to see in our short time left. To begin the day, we took a hydrofoil to the glamourous island of Capri, Italy. 

We walked to one of the highest points on the island in the ‘Gardini Augusto.’  Here are some pictures from views in paradise.

Of course, Capri is known for the shopping - although it’s all too expensive to actually buy.

Eating some Nutella Gelato in the Funicolar square before heading to Sorrento for lunch.

Next, we headed to the city of Pompeii, which is a partially buried Roman city that was completely buried from the volcanic eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 AD.  These ruins were lost for hundreds of years before it was rediscovered in 1749.

A paved street - the elevated stones were used to walk across the street without getting their feet wet when it rains.

The forum of the town and political centers.

Before leaving this Italian merchant, Antonio, insisted that I take this picture with him and the lemons that we saw all across Italy.

míkonos.

Mykonos, one of the Greek Islands, was absolutely beautiful. A day spent shopping and enjoying the beautiful weather.

a turkish bath.

After visiting the ruins of Ephesus I was determined to still make the most of my few hours left in Kusadasi, Turkey.  Since time did not permit in Istanbul, I made sure to allow time to experience a Turkish bath.  Aunt Cindy decided to go back to the ship and allowed me to explore. I walked through the Kusadasi Grand Bazaar, finding my way to a mosque, which was located next to a Turkish Bath that dates back to 1704.  I walked in apprehensive to whether I should actually take one, given the different cultural views that the Turkish have about women and Americans, but nonetheless I was willing to take a risk.  Staying covered with a towel the entire time, I walked into a marble-enclave room in which several others were sitting.  Everyone laid on marble slabs, while a Turkish person alternated scraping the dead skin off of bodies, bathing us with soap, and pouring buckets of water in between it all. One by one individuals were instructed to go upstairs to get an oil massage, then get dressed and have Turkish tea as relaxation continued.  When first walking into the low-lit marble room, I thought to myself how stupid the decision was, but upon leaving, it was 40 Turkish lire well spent. If you are ever in Turkey, it is something to experience one time.

ephesus.

The drapes to our stateroom balcony were pulled open just as we were pulling into port in Kusadasi, Turkey.  Laying in bed I looked out at a historic castle located on “Pigeon Island,” and quickly jumped out of bed to get ready for the day. Excitement grew as the plans were to visit the Biblical ruins of Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. In order to maximize the time in this city that I had been most looking forward to of the entire trip, we were ready to get off the ship exactly when the gangway allowed us to do so.  We started off the day visiting the home of the Virgin Mary. On the way to the House of the Virgin Mary was St. John Basilica, which is where John wrote the gospel of John.  The house we visited is considered to be the last home of Mary because in the Gospel of John we are told that before dying on the cross, Jesus entrusted to John the care of His mother whom He said: “Here is your Mother” and from that hour John took her to his own.  It is amazing to think of what it must have been like in the days that she lived there.

Next we took a bus back down to the ruins of Ephesus. Every part of the journey was so amazing to witness.  The journey through the ruins began at the Odeon, which is a small building in the shape of a small theatre. It was first used as a Bouleuterion for the meetings of the Boulea or the Senate and was later used as the Odeum as a concert hall for performances. As we walked forward, we passed several sites, such as the homes and latrines of the time along with the temple of Artemis and Hadrian before reaching the Library of Celsus, which is one of the most beautiful structures in Ephesus.  The capacity of the library was more than 12,000 scrolls. It was the third richest library in ancient times after the Alexandra and Pergamum.

I feel so blessed to be able to see all of these sights but the most magnificent and powerful moments was the arrival and leading up to the arrival of the Great Theatre where the Apostle Paul preached to the Ephesian people.  We stopped at a little platform where we can read in Acts 19:23 – 41 about the Big Riot Against Paul. It is just incredible to imagine what it must have been like and the validity of what we read today, centuries later.  A few steps later, we approached the most impressive structure in Ephesus ancient city, the Great Theatre itself.  I was able to walk on the same stage and sit on the same seats where Paul preached and where the book of Ephesians originated.  Ephesus was the capital of Asia Minor at the time; it was similar to the New York City of the time.  Although I could talk about this particular visit for hours, I will let the pictures share the rest. 

Cisterns that the Virgin Mary probably got water from.

The Virgin Mary’s Home

In front of the Odeon

These were houses at the time, can you believe it?

Look at the latrines they would use below. Can you imagine?

The Library of Celsus

This is a picture of where the Riot took place, wow!

I was utterly amazed by the theatre.