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This is Mykonos, one of the most popular islands in Greece. It's also "the gay island". I don't think I knew what to look for when I was there at 15, but this time, I could see that everything was gay. I'd really like to go back and stay there for a few days.
This is one of the island's giant pelicans. Mykonos, like many Greek islands, has towns built like big mazes designed to confuse pirates. Now it just confuses tourists. For hundreds of years giant pelicans have roamed through the winding alleys of Mykonos and have become a tourist spectical. As you really never see more than one pelican in one place at a time, the legend is that it is just one giant pelican that has been roaming the island for hundreds of years. It also looks like it could really beat the crap out of you if you pissed it off.
Our parents had split off from everyone and had some wine somewhere, but we found them.
In the famous port.
My parents always look like they are on their honeymoon.
Das nice.
The next day we docked in Kusadasi, Turkey and toured the ruins of Ephesus, a Greek and Roman coastal city.
Eight years ago, Jessica took this same photo, we need to find it. She had a goiter at the time, I swear.
Mom.
Good sport.
In front of the ancient library. Across the street was the brothel and an underground tunnel connected the two, it is visible now through cracks in the ground.
This is very significant. In school, I was always taught that advertising began recently, a few hundred years ago. Here we have an ancient advertisement for the brothel, the foot has a message and a carving of a woman, enticing the reader to continue on to the brothel. I'm going to have that framed at my desk one day, I feel that I have to always remember that as the impetus, the terrible essence, of advertising.
Ancient commercial road.
Arena. My dad, always the jokester, said that between the ancient stadium and the brothel, he'd open a Hooters. Oh Tourism . . .
In the afternoon we sailed to Patmos, the island were John wrote the Revelation.
It's a very steep climb up to the cave where John lived, so we stopped at a cliff-side restaurant.
When this was explained to me, it really made an impact. The doors in the monastery are all very short, and the stairs are all very steep, the reason for this is to force the monks to walk hunch-backed much of the time remind them that no one is greater than God. I thought that was great.
Outdoor iconography.
Photos weren't allowed inside the cave or monastery, but it was amazing in there. Tiny, but very ornate with dark dark wood paneling, icons, and a lot of silver.
The views from the top are incredible.
This is the most peaceful image I have ever seen. I stepped outside to be alone for a while while everyone was inside and ended up staring out at this for a long time. The rock in the middle of the sea is so tranquil and serene. This view was the most moving experience I had on the trip on a personal level.