The first time I visited Athens, in 1996, the Parthenon thrilled me, as did the Plaka, the statuary, and the overall vibe. The next time I visited, my enthusiasm had waned. Athens looked dirty, was hotter than hell on a bad day, the sky had a brownish tinge from pollution, and there were too many […]

This morning the ship docked at Antalya, the first port of call in Turkey. I haven’t been in Turkey since 1997, and when I visited, I never made it to Antalya. I’d been hoping to visit some of the historic sites, but the excursion desk staff talked me out of even attempting any of them. […]