Greece Trip #34: Visiting Historic Delos Island

 Today's blog actually features a historic place in Greece!  We took the trip because we are both fascinated with Greek history and were surprised that there wasn't a lot more. Today's blog takes you to the historic island of Delos, where a civilization once thrived. Today, the ruins of the island city remain and we'll explore them. 

FERRY TO THE ISLAND OF DELOS - Because Delos is an island you have to take a ferry over to it, so Tom and I, Bill C. and Eric were the only ones from the group who wanted to see the island so we got ferry tickets. It was about a 20 minute ferry ride. 

WHAT IS DELOS? Delos is a rocky Greek island and archaeological site in the Aegean Sea's Cyclades archipelago, near Mykonos. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site now and was considered ""the most sacred of all islands" in ancient Greek culture (3 BC). The island's ruins encompass Doric temples, markets, an amphitheater, houses with mosaics and the iconic Terrace of the Lions statues.

(Photo - A headless statue stands guard over rubble from a former building. Credit: RG)

WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF THE ISLAND?  According to UNESCO, the island was first settled in the third millennium BC. The Apollonian sanctuary, established at least since the 9th century BC, reached the peak of its glory during the Archaic and Classical period, when it acquired its Pan-Hellenic character. 

(Photo: A good part of the island consisted of rubble outlining homes or buildings, Credit-RG)

A WEALTHY SETTLEMENT PLACE - After 167 BC, as a result of the declaration of Delos as a free port, all the commercial activity of the eastern Mediterranean was concentrated on the isle. Rich merchants, bankers and ship-owners from all over the world settled there, attracting many builders, artists and craftsmen, who built for them luxurious houses, richly decorated with frescoes and mosaic floors. The small island became the greatest commercial center of the whole world. 

HOW DID DELOS FALL INTO RUIN?  The prosperity of the island and the friendly relations with the Romans were the main cause of its destruction. 

Delos was attacked and looted twice: in 88 BC by Mithridates, the King of Pontus, an enemy of the Romans, and later, in 69 BC, by the pirates of Athenodorus, an ally of Mithridates. Since then, the island fell rapidly into decline and was gradually abandoned. 

Captured after its abandonment successively by the Byzantines, Slavs, Saracens, the Venetians, the Knights of St. John and the Ottomans, Delos was turned into a quarry site with its temple columns burnt for lime, and its houses left in ruins. 

WELLS AND AQUEDUCTS -  Throughout the ruins, we saw wells and aqueducts. The ancient Greeks were brilliant with their water resources. 

MORE PHOTOS - Delos is a HUGE island, and below are more photos of the ruins in the western side of the island. The eastern side of the island had more intact buildings and we'll show you those in an upcoming blog. 

NEXT: WHO WERE THE GODS BORN ON DELOS? 

Greece Trip #33: Paradise Beach Day

The island of Mykonos, Greece, is known for beaches and the nightclub called the Jackie Onassis (which we didn't go to). We did, however, go to one of the famous beaches. Today's blog will give you a look at Paradise Beach and tell you why we're grateful we knew to go there instead of Super Paradise Beach.

SUPER PARADISE BEACH VS. PARADISE BEACH - Mark, my friend and colleague recommended that we go to Paradise Beach instead of Super Paradise Beach on Mykonos. He said Super Paradise was much more crowded and more expensive. Apparently, there's also a live afternoon disco, a lot of drinking and a more loud and rowdy crowd at Super Paradise Beach. We are so grateful to Mark for recommending Paradise Beach instead, which was beautiful, quiet and restful!  

THE TOUR GROUP - Our friends Bill and Bill, and us were the only ones in our tour group to go to Paradise Beach and we were grateful. Everyone else went to the rowdy Super Paradise Beach.  After spending the day at the beaches, the group returned to the hotel and town to get dinner. 

 (Photo: Tom and Bill G. on Paradise beach lounge chairs) 

   At night, the group (except us, Eric and Bill C) went back to Super Paradise Beach to the Jackie O nightclub.  They loved to party and drink - glad we missed it. The group returned to the hotel at 2 or 3am, long after we were asleep in our rooms!

GETTING TO PARADISE BEACH-  From our hotel located high atop the town, we walked down a mountain road (there are NO sidewalks) to the bus station. Once there, we figured out which bus took us to Paradise Beach (luckily they have signs in Greek and English). You can also catch buses to Super Paradise beach, so it's important to be careful when asking for a ticket. The bus ride was cheap and took just 15 minutes.  

BEACH BUS STOP- The bus stop at the beach was located at a small convenience store. From there it was a 5 minute walk to the beach. There was a wall around the entrance to the beach and we had to walk through a gate to get there. 

SETTLING IN -  Bill C. and I sat under a grass awning while Tom and Bill G. rented out beach lounges under a small grass umbrella. 

(Photo: Bill C. and Rob found a shady spot under a grass awning at the beach).

LUNCH- There's a couple of small open restaurants at the beach and an attendant the comes around to take food and beverage orders. So, we ordered sandwiches and got to eat them where we sat in the shade. It couldn't have been easier or more convenient. 

After a couple of hours (I did a lot of reading, post card writing and journaling about the trip), we caught the return bus back to town and found the hotel - this time, without getting lost! I strongly recommend Paradise Beach for a quiet, relaxing time. 

That evening, Tom and I skipped dinner with the group (again) and joined Eric (whom we befriended from the group) for a quiet Mexican dinner near the hotel. 

NEXT:  Visiting Historic Delos Island!  

Imagine Meeting a Reptile 128 Feet Long: Meet the Supersaurus

In today's world it's hard to imagine that some dinosaurs were so huge. In fact, new information reveals that the Supersaurus (which resembles a brontosaurus and brachiosaurus) grew up to 128 feet long! 

(caption: An illustration of Supersaurus shows what a giant it was, reaching at least 128 feet (39 meters) in length. (Image credit: Sean Fox/Fossil Crates))

Supersaurus might be the longest dinosaur that ever lived

By Laura Geggel Live Science Nov 15, 2021

Like other exceedingly long dinosaurs, Supersaurus is a diplodocid — a long-necked sauropod whose whip-like tail went on for days. Supersaurus has always been viewed as one of longest dinosaurs, but research now shows that "this is the longest dinosaur based on a decent skeleton," as other dinosaur remains are fragmentary, and it's challenging to accurately estimate their lengths, Brian Curtice, a paleontologist at the Arizona Museum of Natural History who is spearheading the research, told Live Science

When Supersaurus was alive about 150 million years ago during the Jurassic period, it exceeded 128 feet (39 meters) and possibly even reached 137 feet (42 m) from snout to tail, Curtice's new research found. Even its "shorter" size is record-breaking; at 128 feet, the dinosaur would have been longer than another contender — Diplodocus, which could reach lengths of 108 feet (33 m), according to a 2006 study of a specimen known as Seismosaurus in the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin.

The first Supersaurus specimen was uncovered in 1972 in a chock-full bonebed, in what was basically a "bone salad," Curtice said. So, it wasn't immediately clear which bones belonged to the beast.

Since the original finding, other paleontologists have discovered partial skeletons thought to be Supersaurus — including one nicknamed "Jimbo" and another dubbed "Goliath" — in Wyoming. However, researchers have yet to formally identify Goliath as a Supersaurus in a peer-reviewed journal. 

FULL STORY: https://www.livescience.com/supersaurus-longest-dinosaur-on-record

DISCOVERY: Archaeologists solve mystery of 'bowling alley' under Yorkshire abbey

Weekends are made to break up the week, so I'm taking a weeked break from the Greece Trip blogs to turn to another interesting topic: Archaeology. In today's blog you'll read about the true purpose of a Medieval structure hidden beneath Fountains Abbey.

Archaeologists and students from the University of Bradford have studied the Fountains Abbey site since 2014 with non-invasive archaeological techniques, such as ground-penetrating radar.  Image credit: Visualising Heritage, University of Bradford )

Archaeologists solve mystery of 'bowling alley' under Yorkshire abbey 

LIVE SCIENCE, By Tom Metcalfe 11/10/21

One of the most tranquil spots in England — the spectacular ruins of Fountains Abbey in Yorkshire — was a hubbub of industrial activity in its heyday during the medieval period, according to new research.

Archaeologists have discovered that the mysterious underground "bowling alley" structure just to the east of the ruined abbey is the buried remains of a medieval tannery, where monks and lay brothers processed animal hides into leather — a major profit-making center that would have employed hundreds of people.

"This changes the perception of the site," archaeologist Chris Gaffney of the University of Bradford in England told Live Science. Although the modern view is of beautiful abbey ruins, "actually it was an area that was very much focused on industry, quite noisy and quite smelly."

Gaffney and his colleagues have explored the ruins of Fountains Abbey since 2014, often using them to train archaeological students in non-invasive mapping techniques like magnetic surveys and ground-penetrating radar.

The long bowling alley-shaped structure was first detected a few years ago in a geophysical survey, which detected minute changes in the Earth's magnetic field that revealed where the buried ground had been disturbed in the past, Gaffney said.

Now, recent work with ground-penetrating radar has established that the tannery once covered the entire width of the valley floor around the abbey, according to a statement from the university.

It included two substantial stone buildings, one of them at least 100 feet (30 meters) long and more than a single story tall, with lined pits, tanks and other structures around them. The buildings were also beside the River Skell that still runs through the valley, which would have provided the water needed by the tannery, the statement said.

Fountains Abbey was founded in A.D. 1132 by 13 Benedictine monks who had been expelled from an abbey in the city of York after a riot there.

FULL STORY: https://www.livescience.com/bowling-alley-structure-medieval-abbey-mystery?utm_source=SmartBrief&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=368B3745-DDE0-4A69-A2E8-62503D85375D&utm_content=C4FEF25F-04CA-4C2C-9CC3-D0EEE3BA25EF&utm_term=cb486bd9-5e56-49fc-869b-ea0dd0662c29

Greece Trip #32 - Mykonos' Famous Windmills and Cats

In today's blog, we'll tell you about the famous windmills of the Greek Island of Mykonos.  There is an area where there are several windmills, but we only found one standing alone. We also encountered a lot more feral cats when we were in the town. Here's the story and photos

(Photo above: Rob and a very thrilled Tom at one of the windmills. Credit: RG)

 (Photo below: We didn't take the photo of the 4 windmills. It was on another part of the island).  

ABOUT THE WINDMILLS - Mykonos is often called the Island of the Winds. It is famous for having several historic windmills. The Windmills were by the Venetians in the 16th century. The windmills, though no longer functional, are living testimony of the island’s use of innovation when it came to tapping the enormous power of the wind to grind grain. Their use gradually declined until they ceased production in the middle of the 20th century. The windmills remain open to the public and one known as the Bonis Mill houses the three-floored Agricultural Museum, the first of its kind in Greece. 

MORE FERAL CATS - The town of Chora on Mykonos, known as the central town, was also full of feral cats. Like the island of Milos (see previous blogs), feral cats are maintained here to contain the vermin population. The restaurants also help feed them. Tom decided to meet a couple of them during our walk through the town. 

(Below: A photo of the sunset from the beach of Chora. Credit: R.G) 

NEXT: A Visit to Paradise Beach

Happy Thanksgiving! - A Photo Review of Things We're Thankful For

 Since today is Thanksgiving in the U.S., most people likely don't have time to read a blog, so I'll continue with the blogs about the Greek trip tomorrow. Meanwhile, we hope today finds you giving thanks for what you have, no matter how much or how little it is. If you have no family, your friends are your family. 

    We are thankful for our family and friends- and here are some photos from the year (of course, not everyone and everything is included... just the ones I could quickly find).

(Our friend Jeff - our roomie since May 2020- and a pastry chef!)

(Tyler and Dash's cousin Myrtle joined the pack with Jeff in May 2021)

(Rob's Pets and the Afterlife 3 Book Debuted on Amazon at #1 under "Pet loss/grief and won an international award for one of the Best books on Grief in 2021, named by the Book Authority).

(Rob's nephews Scott and Brian, and Rob's brother Doug visit)

(Visiting Tom's folks in So. Carolina)

Rob as the Kingdom Come Superman meets Supergirl at the Baltimore Comic-Con

Our trip to Greece with Bill and Bill

(lunch out with Greg and Rich) 

Photos from Kenny and Ryan's Wedding!

( Jane and Steve / Tom, Rob and Jeff with Thaddeus on his visit)

(Mom F. in Maine!) 

(A Daily Dog walk- Dash, Tyler, Myrtle and Tom)

Greece Trip #32: Lost in Mykonos

In today's blog, we'll take you into the town of Chora with its crazy maze of streets... and of course, we got lost coming back to the hotel. Here's the story  

(Photo: Tom and Rob lost on the way back to the hotel. Credit: RG)

THE TOWN OF CHORA -  Chora is a  labyrinth of whitewashed houses and shops lining narrow meandering pedestrian shopping streets and sinuous twisting alleyways of the harbor town. Look at the photo here and you'll understand how it's easy to get lost in the maze of the streets!

WHY A MAZE OF STREETS?  GreeceforVisitors.com says, "During the 16th and 17th century, pirating was common in these islands, so alleyways were built to fool the pirates and thwart invaders landing on these shores. It’s very easy to get lost in the confusing maze of labyrinthed corridors." 

  If you look at the map (seen on this blog) you'll notice there's no rhyme or reason to the layout of the streets.  

MAP MESS-  None of the maps in Greece are North-facing. I found this map on-line and it's the ONLY one with a compass on it. The ones we were given apparently had the West direction at the top of the map. Further, none of the maps are to scale. 

GETTING LOST!  After walking around the town for a couple of hours we decided to head back up to the hotel (which was located on a hill high above the town). Unfortunately, there's only one right path to get back to the hotel... and couldn't find it on the map! 

   We asked people in shops, but they directed us too far west (which we didn't know).  

   We walked up a hill toward the highest point as the sun was setting. We wound up walking 2 to 3 miles extra!  We reached a highway that continued in the direction of the hotel, but after 1 hour (it took 20 mins. to get INTO town), we got frustrated and finally found a gas station where we called the hotel. 

 

RESCUED - A huge thanks to the owner of the beautiful Damianos Mykonos Hotel who hopped in his van and drove to pick us up at the Aegean gas station.  As it turned out we were a 5-minute drive west of the hotel (another 30-minute walk), but we were on the correct street. Of course, the heat index near 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32.2 C) at 9pm didn't help our mood either! 

NEXT: Famous Windmills of Mykonos  

Greece Trip #31: Arrival on Mykonos and Hotel Room Challenge

Today's blog brings us to the third of the three Greek Islands on our trip: Mykonos.  It's known as a beach and resort island. The hotel we stayed at was really beautiful. It was located at the top of the highest peak of the island, had a nice view overlooking the town of Chora, and a beautiful pool. Everyone's hotel room was perfect... except for ours. Here's the story:  

(View of the hotel from the 2nd floor restaurant - atop our 1st room).

 

ABOUT MYKONOS - Travel websites say that Mykonos is a favorite summer destination and has a cosmopolitan aura (didn't feel that), award-winning restaurants, and enchanting beaches. It's also known as the "Island of the Winds," and has a few working windmills which you'll read about in the next blog.

HOTEL ROOM CHALLENGE

When the group checked into a beautiful hotel called the Damianos Hotel, we were the last 2 of the 17 to get a room assigned. The hotel consisted of single-floor rooms with the exception of 2 rooms located down a stairway and situated directly under the restaurant. 

Guess where our room was located? Directly Under the Restaurant. Everyone else got a room on ground level with windows. Not us. I had already had enough with all we put up with on the trip with the bad behaviors of the group and I wasn't about to take the cave-like room under the restaurant so I asked to change rooms. The staff was very accommodating and apologized.  They moved us into a room on ground level with two twin beds and a window in the room (it was very nice). 

(This is what everyone's hotel room looked like, and where we got moved to after I asked)

AN OPEN SHOWER -  The room that we were initially put in (under the restaurant) had a large shower with a glass frame around it. We realized that's why they put us there. In this room, the Shower consisted of a 2 1/2 foot by 2 1/2 foot square of tiles on the floor with a drain, and no shower curtain or glass around it. It was open to the bathroom. When Tom took a shower, the whole bathroom was soaked!  I learned from that, so I hugged the corner of the shower (against the walls), so the water wouldn't splash through the bathroom. 

HOUSES IN MYKONOS / TOM SKETCH - Many of the homes were white in color and it seems they were mostly one story with a loft. Tom sketched a house from the island of Mykonos during dinner one evening.  According to Greeka.com, Traditional and cubic houses with flat roofs, wooden colored doors and windows create a unique atmosphere that reflects the main features of the traditional style which is today popular worldwide. Despite its tourist development, Mykonos island is proud of its strong Cycladic identity.

NEXT:  Lost in Mykonos 

CHECK OUT MY NEW WEB PAGE - Built a New Book Website After an On-line Disaster

I am absolutely NOT a webmaster or a computer guy in any sense of the word. On Sunday evening, November 21st, I learned that my 12-year-old blog (ghosts and spirits) hosted by Google's blogspot, was removed and censored (Why I still don't know), I had to act fast.. and 24 hours later, I'm proud to say I built a new web page.

MY WAY TO RECONSTRUCT AND REPLACE IT - Fortunately, back in 2014, my friend Douglas C.gave me the gift of linking from the Go Daddy web service to my blog- using www.robgutro.com and www.petspirits.com as a redirect to the Blogspot page. If you don't know what a redirect means, its that if you put in "Petspirits.com" it brings you to the (now defunct) blogspot blog. I knew that since I've been paying Go Daddy for the redirect over 7 years that they also hosted webpages for a fee. So, I went on-line immediately and saw how to create one.

Again, I am all self-taught, and it's time-consuming and challenging (especially when Sunday night I was going to spend 4 hours doing medium readings). In 2 hours I built the basics of a new website- and you'll find it at www.robgutro.com or www.petspirits.com (the latter just redirects you to www.robgutro.com).

STILL ADDING TO IT - Since ALL of my appearances, Videos, links to podcasts and web interviews have been wiped out, along with over 1 year of advanced blogs I have written, I have to start from scratch and try to piece everything together. It's a lot of work.

HERE'S THE NEW WEBSITE PAGE - How do you like it?

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