Bodrum and Selimye Two of my favorite aspects of living aboard our boat while traveling the world is: 1. Taking all my favorite things – (pillows, boots, blankets, and outerwear for any weather) with me, and 2. Living wherever I feel like living. I’m not someone who loves the city or loves the country butContinue reading “Bodrum and Selimiye”
Author Archives: cruisingwithgratitude
Kusadasi/ Ephesus
Kušadasi/Ephesus Leaving Istanbul, we had a 40-hour non-stop passage to Kušadasi. A port town, but clearly an inexpensive stop for holidaymakers from the UK as well, Kušadasi is busy town with the usual shops and cafes that cater to cruise chip customers. Our primary reason for coming is that it is the closest marina townContinue reading “Kusadasi/ Ephesus”
ISTANBUL!
ISTANBUL, TÜRKIYE Approaching the city of more than 16 million inhabitants, it looks as one might expect. Container ships abound awaiting their turn to offload or upload or transit the Bosporus canal. These ships were EVERYWHERE. Buildings and the beautiful minarets with the domes of the mosques are the most prominent land feature. But surprisinglyContinue reading “ISTANBUL!”
Bozcaada, Ayvalık, Cunda
Trip North to Istanbul One of the most difficult challenges we face is deciding which towns/islands/countries to visit and which to bypass. The sad unavoidable truth that we continue to reconcile is that no matter for how long we plan to visit, we will not see everything we hoped, planned, or dreamed of seeing. ThatContinue reading “Bozcaada, Ayvalık, Cunda”
ATHENS
Athens (a little late) While I, (Laurie), visited Athens on 3 separate occasions during our time in Greece this summer, I have not felt like writing about it. Sometimes this happens. Sometimes it is the place itself which fails to inspire – not the case here.Sometimes it is that the experience feels too personal toContinue reading “ATHENS”
Didim, Turkey
When we travel from one country to another, despite the level of research we do, I can never really know what we will find when we arrive. It is for this reason we like to take a ““peek”” at a place before committing to an entire winter there. We were glad we took this approachContinue reading “Didim, Turkey”
Poros and Hydra
THE PASSAGE If we were lucky to have an ole’ salt in Kelly aboard for the passage from Schioussa to Paros, we paid our dues with Jennifer and Tracy going to Poros. A 12-hour passage and forecast to be off and on high winds and bigger seas than we like to see with guests aboard,Continue reading “Poros and Hydra”
PAROS
Can I just begin this post by saying that moving Gratitude this summer with the Meltemi winds has been a challenge. That said, we have mostly managed to keep to our original plans – plus or minus a few days. Getting from Ios to Schinoussa to Paros with Kelly on board was nerve wracking givenContinue reading “PAROS”
HAPPY 12TH BIRTHDAY JACK!
Happy 12th Birthday Jack! Bear with me here while I write a few words about being Jacks mom. The reason we keep this blog, while it is nice if we can share our experiences with others, is so that we can look back someday on our adventures and remember where we have been. For thisContinue reading “HAPPY 12TH BIRTHDAY JACK!”
Ios
Greek Islands continued… Ios, Continuing our travel North from Santorini with Kelly aboard, we first stopped in Ios. We enjoyed Kelly for 8 days and in that time, we visited Santorini, Ios (all over the island), Schoinoussa – primarily the water and anchorage, and finally Paros. Likely the question we are most frequently asked is:Continue reading “Ios”
M/VGratitude 