Ahh February, how many places can we squeeze into a month? That is the question. February is always such a great month. Birthdays, Mardi Gras, Valentine's Day, I mean, whats not to like about February? February is always a good time; but Feb 2k10 was a February I will surely never forget. Our good friend Lucy arrived on February 6th and before we even gave her time to rest, we were on the slopes. Next on the agenda: south, to the French Riviera and Italian border. Soon after her arrival, we said goodbye to the Alps and hello to the sea. We hopped on an easyjet flight (which is a European budget airline) and flew to Nice. It was such a nice change. The weather was warm and sunny......well, until it snowed. [Of course it would snow the most it has snowed in twenty years while we were there!] But before that happened, we took advantage of the sunshine and rode mopeds all along the coast to the red rocks of St. Raphael. It was so much fun and we looked just like Dumb and Dumber as we zoomed along the coast on our one-seater scooters (mind you, Lucy and I shared a one-seater...). We did lunch in Italy the next day and of course made the obligatory stops in Monaco and Menton to see the Lemon Festival. Of course we weren't about to miss the Chocolate Festival in Antibes either. I would say that eating was the theme of our adventures in Southern France. Of course in a land where olive trees, Provençal herbs, and fresh veggies outnumber its inhabitants, how can one resist talking incessantly about food? C'est impossible! 
After a week in Southern France we decided it was time to meet Blake back in Geneva. So, we scooped him up and off we were to Greece. Ohh Greece....
Where do I begin? Do I talk about the people first? The graffiti? The deserted island and coastland? The food... particularly those infamous Greek salads and the omnipresent lamb dish? I still haven't really figured out the Greeks. I just know that if there is any people group who know how to relax, the Greeks win the prize by a long shot. In fact, we coined the phrase "Greekin' it" which would be to simply relax at a cafe, or perhaps on a park bench, or really anywhere.....for hours. While Americans spend there days slaving away at their jobs (some of us), 90% of the Greek population is drinking some sort of beverage with family and friends at some local cafe. But back to our Greek adventure:
We spent about 3 days in Athens. Athens is one of those cities that you really appreciate after you leave. I mean, we walked where Paul preached, where civilization began, and where greek gods made love to greek goddesses! These are things most people only learn about in their high school Greek mythology classes! We got to experience these sights firsthand...although I must admit, we expected to see more natural beauty. Thus, we took off to the islands in search of this natural beauty we had heard about.
And so we landed on the island of Mykonos. This place is like no other place I've ever been. We were the only tourists to be sure. We rented a car ( yep, I learned how to drive a manual on the cliffs of a Greek Island...normal, right?) and explored the entire island. The landscape was incredible. Sheep, windmills, and little white churches spotted the hills. The coastline was also a dramatic site and the "grimping" or climbing was noteworthy. Mykonos was full of characters which meant the people-watching was definitely first class. When we weren't risking our lives in the rental car, we spent most of our time, well just Greekin' it at a beach side cafe, watching people and time pass us by.
The week went by way too fast and before we knew it, it was time for Lucy and Blake to head home. I still had a week left of vacation so Lauren and I decided that no Greece is complete without some Turkey mixed in with it. So, we hopped a plane to Istanbul where we would spend the majority of our time. Now, if the Greeks win the gold medal for knowing how to relax, the Turks when the prize for being the most friendly and hospitable people I have ever met. We were offered Turksih tea and red wine time after time. It's completely normal for curious bystanders to come up to us and begin to ask us questions and strike up a conversation. Istanbul is a fascinating place. It's definitely a crossroads where East meets West...as it has always been throughout history. It is a muslim country with a progessive attitude. As you talk to most Turks you quickly learn that they are proud people and could care less about joining the European Union. They however, are becoming more and more westernized and no one can deny that.
Istanbul is the 2010 culture capital. And deservingly so. I was blown away by all the history and culture that is there. You could spend 3 months in Istanbul and still not see all there is to see. There's the massive Blue Mosque, the Aya Sophia, The Byzantine (yea, you heard me byzantine...like from the byzantive era....we're talking ancient!!) Cisterns, Topakia Castle, the Spice Bazaar, and our favorite, the Grand Bazaar. And these sights are just part of the Old time. You could spend days exploring the exciting new town too!!! But we knew we only had a week in Turkey so we had to part ways and explore a new and different land.
So we chose to head southeast, to the land of Cappadocia. A little bit about Cappadocia:
The name was traditionally used in Christian sources throughout history and is still widely used concept to define a region of exceptional natural wonders, in particular characterized by fairy chimneys and a unique historical and cultural heritage.
Paul encouraged the first believers who would worship in the underground churches in Cappadocia. We spent 3 days here and explored the incredibly dreamy/bizarre landscape and underground cities. This place was surreal. The land, the history, it still boggles my mind. This is truly a place that everyone must see in this lifetime. You're missing out if you never make it to Cappadocia.
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