Journeys with Johnny

Day 8 – On May 18th, we left Crete and sailed for Santorini – home of the blue-domed churches. Blue-domed are Greek Orthodox and all other colors are Catholic. There are 600 churches on Santorini Island – most are “Private” churches. Day 9- After visiting Santorini, we sailed for Athens overnight. When we got to Athens, we disembarked after our 3-day cruise. We then hopped on a bus and crossed the famous Corinthian Canal to get to Corinth. Located in the Peloponnese of Greece, this was the once glorious city near the Isthmus where Paul met Aquila and Priscilla and spent a year and a half preaching the Word of…

After a beautiful evening visiting the island of Mykonos, we sailed during the night to Kusadasi,Turkey, arriving the morning of May 17th. A short drive took us to Ephesus, where Paul spent three years during his ministry. The impressive remains of Ephesus include the Agora, the Theater, the Stadium, the Library of Celsus, the ruins of the Temple of Diana (one of the “Seven Wonders of the Ancient World”) and many more. Ephesus was one of the sites I most wanted to visit due to its location in Asia, its importance in Greek and Roman history, and its significance in Paul’s ministry. During Paul’s time there, Ephesus may have been…

Sail to Mykonos Island We sailed this morning on Celestyal Cruise Line on the ship Discovery from  Athens to the quaint isle of Mykonos, called the island of windmills. We disembarked and strolled the beautiful waterfront lined with cafes and made our way to an area known as “little Venice”. We also made our way through a maze of white-washed buildings lined with beautiful shops. As I told Steve, one of our leaders, cannot imagine that Santorini, which we will be visiting later, can be any more beautiful. Elizabeth and I had not been on a cruise since our 20th anniversary to Bermuda. And when we returned to the ship to enjoy…

The photo above is of Hadrian’s Arch. Hadrian, as Roman Emperor decided to finish the Temple of Zeus, which was started 500 years earlier! The first thing I did this morning was to take a 6 a.m. run through a part of Athens. And like running through Sorrento at that time of day, the city is all rolled up. A very different look than during the middle of the day. See photo.  After breakfast, we toured the city. First, we enjoyed a bus tour of the Constitution Square with the House of Parliament and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Temple of Zeus with Hadrian’s Arch, the Old Olympic Stadium (built…

Today we transition from all things Italy and Roman to Greece and the apostle Paul. We took a morning flight on Aegean airlines from Naples and arrived in Athens in the afternoon to meet our group.  After we arrived and got settled, I took a walk to Pandrossou Street and Market. It was amazing. I shopped and also bought food from several street vendors. Awesome afternoon. Let me share some history as we transition from Pompeii and the Roman Empire to Greece and the apostle Paul. History can be fascinating in linking seemingly unrelated events.  You would think that Pompeii, which we visited yesterday, and the Apostle Paul, who will be the…

Today Elizabeth and I join the Vermont couple we met at the Rome Train station on Day 1 for a 2.5 hour private tour of Pompeii. But first, I went on an early morning run in Sorrento. Other than a few tourists pulling their luggage to the train station, the city was quiet and all folded up. I always love running early in the morning to experience a city before it unfolds for the tourists. In fact, you would hardly recognize some of the streets when no shops are open and no chairs are on the streets creating street-side cafes. After my run, we relaxed the rest of the morning…

The previous evening (Mother’s Day), we had a wonderful dinner in Sorrento of fresh pasta with seafood and fish in lemon sauce washed down with a nice red from Sicily. After a decent night of sleep, we awoke the next morning to meet our driver to tour the Amalfi Coast with stops in Positano, Amalfi and Ravello.  I had always heard how beautiful and dramatic the Amalfi Coast is, and it did not disappoint.  Highlights of the day included walking from the top of the town of Positano to the beach and back, stopping for breathtaking photos along the coast, enjoying maybe the best pizza we have ever had for…

Wow! A big curve ball on our very first day! On this trip,  Elizabeth and I will join 20 others to follow the footsteps of the apostle Paul. We start in Athens, cruise to Turkey and the Greek Isles, and finish in Rome in time for Pope Leo’s first public reception.   But before meeting the others in Athens on Wednesday, May 14th, Elizabeth and I planned to fly first to Rome, then take a train south to Naples, and then head down to Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast. On the way to Sorrento, we were to visit Pompeii, which sits in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius, which erupted in 79…

Another Trip – Italy, Greece and Turkey – May 10th Elizabeth and I are about to embark on another adventure – this time to Southern Italy, Athens, the Greek Isles and Ephesus in Turkey. But first, we were in Chapel Hill to attend Carter’s graduation. He graduated yesterday with a Master’s Degree from UNC’s School of Information and Library Science. So, another Franklin joins the Tar Heel Community! I want to take a moment to comment on how important it is to stay flexible and “roll with the punches” when traveling. When we headed down to Chapel Hill on Thursday, I got hit by a 36-hour intestinal virus. I felt…