Chuck Norris and Aubreel writing you from Turkey!

Aub searching for the loggerhead turtles as we rented a paddleboat. Didn't see any but had a great time.

Smoke blocking the sun in Olympia.

If you look closely you can see large sprinklers spraying the forest above the ruins in Olympia. While in Athens we saw that this hill had burnt the night we left Olympia. Luckily, it sounds like the ruins were saved with only one piece being burnt.

More smoke in Olympia.

The Parthenon. What a place. Unfortunately it has been covered in scaffolding since 1984 but guess it is a neccessary evil.

The city of Athens sprawling in all directions around the acropolis.

Erecthion cathedral in the Acropolis. Doesn't look like much in the picture but take our word it is very amazing.

First modern day Olympic stadium from 1896. I think you get the idea.

Temple of Zeus. Absolutely massive columns are all that are left.

View of the Acropolis from our private rooftop terrace.

Hazen enjoying a water pipe while taking in a whirling dervish performance and trying Turkish pancakes.

Aformentioned whirling dervish. Only knew a little bit of what was going on and would be interested to find out more.
The blue mosque. The open area is the prayer area. Hard to see the millions of beautiful blue tiles that give the mosque its nickname.

Aubree taking it all in on the floor of the Blue Mosque.
View from outside the Blue Mosque
Next door is the Aya Sofia which preceeds the Blue mosque by 1000 years. (600's ad)
Interior of Aya Sofia. Try to imagine the size using the people in the bottom as reference.

Hope all is well with everyone. I guess we start this post in Greece. We left the island of Zakynthos after three wonderful days of laying on the beach and trying all kinds of Greek goodies. We celebrated St. Dionysios day with lots of crazy Greeks and were a little overwhelmed. On our way off the island many people were crowded around the TV on the ferry. There were very bad fires burning in the area we were headed. We were trying to go to Olympia to see the original Olympic ruins. After a lot of turmoil (Hazen had a bad day) we were able to get to Olympia. The ashes were falling down on us and we were right in the middle of many bad fires. Didn't realize what we were getting ourselves into. Still headed down to the ruins but were turned away by the military as the fires were too close to the area. We walked around for a while, headed back to the hotel and watched the local news. Because there were so many fires going on at one time many people were left to fend for themselves. We watched as people fought massive fires with branches, garden hoses, and five gallon buckets. Consequently, we also watched the death toll rise. We lost our power late in the night and woke up to a lot of smoke in town. Decided it was best to catch the first bus out of Olympia to Pyrgos. On the way we saw many fires very close to the road. There were a lot of people standing in the road watching it approach. The look of shock and worry was on every face as they waited. One house had all the trees in the back yard on fire and the house was soon to go. Everyone was just watching from the street. Very hard and sad to see. Once we got to Pyrgos we had to fight tooth and nail to get a bus to Athens as it seems everyone wanted out of town. Somehow being the only non-greek speaking person in the bunch we were able to get two seats.

When we arrived in Athens we headed straight for the most important sight in the western world! The Acropolis. It was well deserving of its reputation. Perched so high above the city it seems to scream power and fame. The parthenon was obviously the highlight with its towering columns and ornate designs. It was interesting to learn of the very complex architecture that was used to make it appear perfect. We spent the rest of the evening admiring the sight from the roof of our hotel. The next day in Athens we spent wandering around town. We zigged this way and that to see the parliament, hadrians arch, the temple of Zeus, and the first modern day Olympic stadium. Half the day was spent trying to figure out how to get to Istanbul as we received a different answer from all of the "experts" we asked.

Finally settled in on a night train. It was the best night train we have taken as we had a private two bed compartment. However, we had a few interuptions. At 2am we were awoke by the Greeks wanting to take our passports. Then at 4.30am they came back with our passports as we were leaving Greece. Then at 5am we were awoke by the Turks to get off the train and go to the police station to purchase our visa. All this really entails is giving some guy 15 euro each and he replies "passport on train". This was probably good as we were not really in the mood to chat. However, a simple welcome to Turkey my American friends and allies would have been nice. Just kidding. As we boarded the train again we heard the first call to prayer. It was a weird sensation because it was still dark out and we hadn't slept much. We had two more greetings before we could finally get a couple minutes of sleep before Istanbul.

Welcome to Istanbul! oh man. We are in Turkey. Doing some travel now! Made it to our hotel and were greeted by our friend Iyat. He was not a shy person and when he wasn't calling Hazen "Neil Armstrong" he was making karate noises because he thought Hazen looked like Chuck Norris. After four days in Turkey it is apparent that these people know how to have a good time. Great sense of humor and incredibly helpful. Our sense is that the people of Europe always talk about how laid back and relaxed they are but they really aren't. They seem very uptight and quick to show their temper. While the Turks also say they are relaxed and friendly they are exactly right. We have had more people in Turkey help us find our way or chat just to practice English than the rest of our trip combined. Our first stop was the Blue Mosque which was only 1.5 blocks from our hotel. This place was breathtaking. We covered ourselves, took off our shoes and headed in. The first thing we noticed was the elaborate tile mosaics lining the multiple domes. We had a seat on the carpet (the softest ever) and watched the afternoon prayer. Needless to say this was far different from any other religious experience we have ever had. Next we took a look at an older version of Mosque called Aya Sofia. It was built in the 5th century AD and is now a museum. It was completely massive and undescribable. No pictures will ever do it justice. The rest of the time in Istanbul was spent in the Grand Bazaar and wandering the streets. We took a ferry across the Bosphorus to get to a less touristed area for dinner last night. We got more than we bargained for as absolutely no one spoke english and had a hard time ordering. It all worked out though and it was a great experience. Travis (Hazen's brother) got his wish as the restaurant owner gave us each a Turkish coffee to thank us. Lets just say the Turks get right to the point when drinking coffee. It is small but action packed. We each choked it down with smiles on our faces as we are by no means coffee drinkers.

Headed to another part of town to try the Turkish liquour. It is called Raki and it packs a punch. We were approached by a young man to enter his bar and took him up on his offer. The next 3.5 hrs were spent in him and his three brothers bar enjoying great conversation. Not only did we try Raki we also shared a Nargile (water-pipe) and a couple other drinks. The raki has to be mixed with water and when you do it turns white. The water is suppose to help with the hangover but not sure if it really worked. Had a very unusual flavor that Aubree says tastes like grey Necco Wafers. Man, she is weird. Being the only patrons we got tons of attention. The oldest brother is going to start a bar in another town in Turkey and says he plans to call it "Hazen". Basically it was a perfect last night in an amazing town. In Hazen's opinion it is the first big city we have visited that a person could spend weeks in and be amazed every day.

Today we took a torturous 10hr bus ride to Izmir. This should be our last long day of travel for a while. We plan on visiting Ephesus tomorrow with many more coastal towns to follow.

Still trying to figure out how to get to Egypt as this is proving the hardest obstacle of our trip. The land route was blocked as we were not able to get visas from the Syrian embassy in Istanbul. Now we try ferries and if that doesn't work we will be stuck with an expensive plane ride. Well, wish us luck because we really need it. Travel here is a big challenge. Now we understand why most people travel to Turkey in tour groups. However, we despise tour groups and would rather suffer on a mildly air conditioned public bus for ten hours. Hope to hear from you all soon. Only 27 days to go!

Tour de Adriatic

Prague was definitely a beautiful place. Lots of walking and plenty of views.

Ah, the biggest palace on earth (by some measures). This is the cathedral in the center of the Prague Castle. Some much history revolves around this place you can almost smell it!

Cesky Krumlov was a fun little town with some great medieval sights. Wanted to float the river but the weather didn't cooperate. Probably good though as we watched more than one boat flip while navigating the falls.

Hapsburg winter palace in Vienna. This is about 25% of the palace. We were glad they put in a park because it made for a great nap.

Lots of warriors went down in flames fighting for the Hapsburg cause (not just in WWI). FYI - if you see a statue of a guy on a horse, the horse can tell you something about the rider. If the horse has two legs off the ground the dude died in battle. One leg off the ground then he was a military ruler but did not die in battle. All legs on the ground then he wasn't a military leader and didn't die in battle.

All right! Made it to the Danube. This is Budapest. Say hello to 9.9 million people. What a busy place.

The Parliament in Budapest. Makes the White house look like a tent.

The Killers (a band) playing at the Sziget festival. A huge festival that lasted a week on an island in the middle of Budapest. Lots of crazies and glad we only went for one day.

Another magical evening. The Citadel on the hill is right next to where we stayed in Budapest. Doesn't make for a fun walk. Unfortunately our map didn't have topography lines or we wouldn't have booked that place!

With every crappy accomodation you find a great place to balance it out. This is the view of Dubrovnik from our room. Tough digs uh. This place is so beautiful. Hard to imagine a war going on right here only twelve years ago. Really hard to get here but as it usually goes the harder places usually much more rewarding and "untouched".

Check this place out! Wow aren't those some really nice resorts on that nice beach in Croatia. The answer is no! Those are bombed out shells of what were once great hotels serving the elite of the area. Now all they serve are reminders of the recent fighting. Pretty eery hanging out on the beach with such a backdrop. It is still advised to stay on marked paths due to the danger of buried land mines. Don't think it is that big of a problem but overcautious tourist departments. However, we didn't venture off any paths to find out.

Here is another example of crap accomodation. It is the night ferry to Bari, Italy. If this was scratch and sniff you would smell terrible exhaust fumes. Cozy!
Second night ferry in as many days. This one at least had a great sunset.
Finally the beach in Greece. On the island of Zakynthos and the beach name is Kalamaki. If this photo could immit heat it would be about 105 degrees. "HOT! sand is on fire, HOT! Ah, the water is nice." (that is a reinactment of how what our day was like)

Hello from Greece,

Quite the workout to get here but we made it and the rest is just another fun travel story. Hard to have that philosophy sometimes when you are crammed in a "line" getting pushed from all angles and getting yelled at by a passport checker. But hell, guess we needed a lesson in patience.

Our last couple days in croatia were out of a dream. Absolutely perfect days of doing nothing but basking in some amazing settings. The landscapes are breathtaking and the beaches aren't so bad either. Picked up some water goggles and spent a lot of time with our backs to the sun spotting some fun fish (hard on the backs). Our last two nights we spent in the middle of nowhere. It was really nice to get away from the masses in Dubrovnik and have some quiet, clean beaches. From Dubrovnik we took a night ferry to Bari, Italy. 9 hr ferry that couldn't have been worse. Slept on the floor with hundreds of others and it got pretty cold and windy. First thing we did when we finally landed was find a cozy park and take a nap. The next thing we did was board another night ferry. I know what you are thinking, why do that to yourself. Well we did it and that is that. We were literally the first two people on the next ferry and snagged one of the comfy leather couches. We were so relieved to see this ferry had posh (compared to last ferry) accommodations. Spent the next 17.5 hrs motoring toward mainland greece. Arrived in Greece to a scorcher! 104 degrees, so we decided, why not hit an island and jump on yet another ferry. So by 7pm we were on the island of Zakynthos in the Ionian sea. This island is much quieter than the popular group off the southern edge of Greece. But sometimes less popular is better and in our case it is way better. We snagged a really cheap room from some crazy greeks. Just kidding they are really nice but wow, don't think they get out much. Today we jumped a bus first thing and spent the ENTIRE day conducting very important beach activities. Mostly laying, swimming, some drinking (water, and not water...). We got some decent sunburns despite our sunscreen attempts as it definitely cleared triple digits again. Probably will do the same thing again tomorrow. Will try to rent a boat to go out and see some of the loggerhead turtles that hang out just off shore. We spent most of the day laying right next to a nest of unhatched eggs. During the night the turtles are coming on shore and doing what you always see on the Discovery channel. After a couple more nights here we are back to the mainland and will sprint to Olympia and then on to Athens. Just checked the bank account and for the first time on the trip we have more money than budgeted! Looks like we might have to push back those flights. Just kidding we sure can't wait to see some friendly faces. In fact if anyone needs some sun you can meet us in Athens in a couple days and hit Turkey and Egypt with us.

Eastern Europe in a whirlwind!

Seems like we have been traveling like crazy lately. Since our last post we have been to Cesky Krumlov, Vienna, Budapest, Split, and now Dubrovnik. Haven't had much time to post as every minute seems precious. The trip is coming to an end and we still have much to see so we don't feel like we have much time to waste. So here goes....
Cesky Krumlov was a fun little town that unfortunately didn't have very good weather. We had planned on rafting the river but it looked a bit chilly for our likes. Good to get out of the city, though.
Vienna is a very sleepy big city. It doesn't seem like they have woken from the slumber they began just after WWI. The history on the Hapsburg empire was very exciting and they left a ton of excellent architecture for visitors to marvel at. We had planned on seeing an opera or something of the sorts but it was all shut down this time of year. While we were sitting on a bench enjoying a drink as the sun went down, Hazen noticed a travel agency that specializes in the Middle East. He popped in to see if they could give any insight into getting from Turkey to Egypt. He not only gave us tons of travel information but had us in for tea and boclava from Damascus. We chatted for about an hour and a half. It seems if you happen to meet a rude person while traveling you are always sure to meet at least three extremely helpful people to even it out.
Budapest was a riot. A town with nearly 10 million people that was a hive of activity while we were there. For those who live in small towns and can't comprehend 10 million people, like we had trouble doing, it is a lot of people and slightly overwhelming. We did manage to figure out the public transportation and we were off like a rocket. Hit an enormous music festival called Sziget. It was on an island in the middle of town. Most people had been camping for over a week as we only attended the final day. Big splurge for us but Hazen has always had a dream of attending a huge European festival. Tons of crazyness and again; overwhelming. Some of the highlights include Eagles of Death Metal (not Death Metal), Juliet and the Licks, and The Killers. Decided to relax a bit the next morning by taking in a Turkish bath. There are quite a few baths left over from when the Turks occupied the town and they are very popular. We spent about three hours jumping from lots of different baths throughout the ornately decorated complex. Hungary is an amazing place that deserves some more exploring but not enough time on this trip. On to Croatia (to da beach!)
Our anniversary was spent almost entirely on a train. The good news was that we were serenaded by some insanely intoxicated Portuguese travelers. Arrived just in time to catch the sun setting over the Adriatic to create the most beautiful sunset we have seen on the trip. This morning we headed straight down to Dubrovnik. We have been looking forward to this town for years. The place is definitely worth the hype. We have three nights here and it should be seven. While traveling through the country we witnessed the most beautiful countryside we have seen. I think we are in love. The Dalmatian coast makes our second favorite coastal spot, Cinque Terre, look like the beaches of Washington State! We have a private room on the hill above the old town and damn. Not many views like that in the world. No exaggeration. Spent the afternoon swimming and had a great candlelit dinner on the waterfront. The dinner was about 25% of what it would have cost back home in the same setting. Just picked a bottle of the local vine juice and headed to the room to watch the old town light up against the Adriatic. After three nights we are going to jump a big boat to Greece! Keeping the beach theme going. Sure was great to hear from people lately. Hope that continues. Love hearing what is going on back home especially as the trip goes on.

Czech out this post!

The "Wailing Wall" in the Remuh Jewish Cemetery. Made up of the broken tombstones found here after WWII. They were used to build the wall as a memorial to Holocaust victims. Yes, Hazen is wearing a Yamaca. It was required for men to wear when visiting the Synagogue and cemetery.

Aubree enjoying the sunshine in the courtyard of Wawel Castle in Krakow. When the sun is out she can usually be found doing cartwheels down the sidewalk. Definately need to live in a sunny climate when we return. The firing wall at Auschwitz I. Many, many sentences were carried out here.

Main entrance of the camp. "Work will set you free" Same quote as at the entrance to Dachau.

In retreat, Nazi soldiers tried to hide ashes in this pond on the edge of camp. It still bears the grey color.

Main entrance to Auschwitz II-Birkenau

View of Wroclaw from the spire at St. John the Baptist cathedral. Great town!

The old town square in Wroclaw. Tons of great architecture and magical at night.Sunset above Wroclaw. View from the top floor of our hostel

Taking a paddle boat ride on the Vltava River in Downtown Prague. Castle and cathedral are in the background.

Oh yes! This is why people come to Prague. We were blown away by the Castle and adjoing Cathedral as they slowly became illuminated. The Charles bridge is in the foreground.

St. Wenceslaus square. This is where political gatherings have taken place for centuries. Most recently in 1989 300,000 Czechs gathered here to break free from Communism.

As you already may have figured out by our cheesy title, we are now in the Czech Republic. Before we got here, we traveled through a couple other cities in Poland. First we hit Krakow, which is suppose to be the cultural capital of Poland. Of the three cities we visited we would rank them in the following order: Wroclaw, Warsaw, Krakow. All had their charms but we definitely didn't agree with other travelers who said Krakow would be the best. A few things we did in Krakow include visiting the Jewish quarter, the old town, the Wawel Castle, and a day trip to two of the Auschwitz camps. In the Jewish quarter we visited the synagogue and attached cemetery with graves from the plague (1551). The cemetery was closed in 1870 and was saved during WWII by being covered with sand to hide it. The old town square was a lot of fun with tons of people entertaining. They ranged from Polka music to breakdancing. We sat on a bench and watched a group of talented breakdancers do their thing. Really entertaining.
The visit to two of the Auschwitz camps was obviously a long day. Only two are open to the public. There was a network of over 50 camps in the area. We decided to book a tour guide to help us learn about the camps. As many of you have heard there are some moving monuments including stacks of thousands of pairs of shoes, a pile of 2 tons of women's hair (7 tons were found), and endless stacks of other personal belongings. Our guide was quick to point out exactly which Nazi personel were ever charged with a crime (not many). At the end of the camp there was a small gallow which was used only once. Rudolph Hess, the camp commander, was hanged here and that was the last public execution in Polish history. Next we were shuttled to the Auschwitz II-Birkenau camp. This is the camp that everyone thinks about when they hear "Auschwitz". It was the camp that was filmed in Schindler's list. This camp was absolutely massive. It held 90,000 people. Think about that number the next time you are at a Mariner's game where the maximum attendance is 46,000. Spent a lot of time walking around this camp. We walked around the perimeter very hard for about 1hr and covered only half of the camps borders. It was especially moving to see that the camp has not been disturbed since being liberated in 1945. The barracks (the ones left standing) are exactly the same as when prisoners were "living" in them.
Took a long bus ride to Wroclaw which is closer to the German border. Had a great time relaxing in this town as it seemed to lack the tourist luster that the last few towns had displayed. Didn't do much but walk around and explore the town. A few well placed naps on park benches here and there and we were feeling refreshed.
After a few nights we moved on to Prague. When we arrived in Prague it quickly became apparent that we were firmly back into tourist land! Backpacks definitely outnumber locals in this town. It is really hot here and we are loving it. Can't wait to get back to the beach. This place is magical, as advertised. Sure wish we could have been here 15 years ago when the first western travelers started coming here. Oh well, guess we will have to share. Hazen never was any good at sharing. Last night was spent hanging out on the Charles bridge while trying to keep our jaws from dropping. We were in a trance as we stared at the biggest castle in Europe illuminated against a beautiful sunset sky. Did a Rick Steves walk this morning and learned a great deal on the very long periods of occupation the Czech Republic has gone through. Makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up as you think about 300,000 Czechs in the main square trying to tell the Communist government "It is time to go!" They did a good job but the sacrifices were great. Man, we are enjoying the history even if it does sometimes include troubled times. We will continue to enjoy Prague for the next couple days before taking a bus to Cesky Krumlov in the south of the Czech Republic. Small town that is suppose to have a great river float. Looking forward to spending a day floating on a tube past a great medeival town. After that, on to Vienna and Budapest.

Pics and Poland

Dzien dobre from Poland!

Well, we finally arrived in Warsaw. We were excited to leave Lithuania. I know that sounds bad but just wasn't our kind of place. We had an excruciating 15hr train ride from central Lithuania to Warsaw. As previously stated, the trains are not the most efficient in this part of Europe. However, the only bus alternative would have been much worse. Today is absolutely perfect. A traveler's dream. Slept in a little bit and woke up to sunshine (Not snoring, bags zipping, or people talking on cell phones). We visited the Warsaw uprising museum this morning. It was very powerful as the entire museum was set up like you were participating in the resistance. The prices of everything are remarkably low. Had peirogies last night and this afternoon. Might be hooked for life. Plus an order of the little buggers only runs about $1.10. Just our kind of budget. Tomorrow we head for Krakow and will probably visit Auschwitz while there. From there we will spend a couple days in Wroclaw before heading to much anticipated PRAGUE! We are way overdue on some pics so will get right to it. Nostrovya!

Hanging out in the Sauna; because in Finland everyone has a Sauna in their home. Luckily (sarcasm) it was only 87 degrees celcius. For the math wizards that = really frickin hot!

This is as close as we came to aub's relatives near Halsua. This statue is in Kokkola but haven't had time to research who the gentleman is.

Aubree is having a great time in Stockholm. I think the horse might be having a good time too!

Aubree only did this because we made a bet. She lost and now you get to view the photo. Ah, it is so much fun winning bets.

Hazen has played with cannons in nearly every country we have visited. This one is on an island in the harbor of Helsinki. This is by far the biggest one we have seen. Thought about crawling in but probably nothing good could have come from that.

AHHH, Medeival Tallin. Great preserved old town. Bit touristy (Scandinavians & Germans) but had a great time otherwise.

Aubree, Warrior Princess!

Kinda looks like Orlando Bloom, I think!

Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw, Poland. Most Polish people do not like this building at all. As the Soviets were leaving, they gave the people of Poland the option of a building or a metro system. They chose the building and now they are stuck with a Leninesque building in the heart of the city. Not what they had in mind I think.

Why not see a Dolphin show while in Lithuania. Pretty fun and basically the only thing to do in town.

Photo op of the Opera house in Riga, Latvia.

Parnu, Estonia history. This is a statue of Lenin that the town has not figured out what to do with yet. Can't blow it up (which is what they planned) because Russia would be pissed. Don't want it in their town so they just tossed a tarp over it and hung a sign on it stating "banned history". This is some serious history. Stuff you can feel in the air.

This is the place in Parnu that we "scored". Our room is the four windows on the left. Luckily none of our windows were broken. Somehow we managed to get some sleep here. Quite the interesting place. We will just say it had character.

Back to Warsaw where Aub is chilling in front of the Royal Palace. It is situated in the entrance to the "old town". Not very old because it was completely rebuilt after being destroyed during WWII.