A photographic journey capturing the treasures along the Aegean Sea
Ed Conklin, 4-time traveler, Tallahassee, Florida
"Mechele and I pause on our way to the Monastery of St. John on the island of Patmos."
I was fortunate to have lived abroad as a young man, and have always enjoyed traveling to new or rediscovered locations that add a touch of adventure and richness to my life. When I retired three years ago, my wife Mechele and I set out on our first OAT trip to Eastern Europe, an area from which both of our families originally resided. Since then, we have visited Tuscany and the Umbria Hill towns, traveled across Canada by rail, and took the Treasures of the Aegean: Greek Island Cruise, Athens & Istanbul Small Ship Adventure with OAT. We particularly like OAT because of the small group size, outstanding Trip Leaders, and interaction with the local communities.
Each trip we have taken was striking in different ways. Since I lived both in Turkey and on a Greek island many years ago, our Treasures of the Aegean adventure was an opportunity to return to some places I knew well, as well as to visit other locations neither Mechele nor I had seen before. I found that Turkey had changed a great deal since my stay in the 1960s, modernizing and becoming much easier for travelers to visit and enjoy, but without losing the feel of an ancient land.
We boarded our small ship, the M/V Arethusa, for a week-long cruise through the Greek Islands—and it was delightful from beginning to end. Each island has its own distinct character, and mainland Greece was great fun as well. We were fortunate to have perfect weather to enjoy the spectacular scenery.
I recently made a hardbound photo album of our trip, and since the final version ran to 85 pages, choosing a few of my favorite photos is tough. This is especially true because Turkey and the Greek Islands are so diverse, and we covered a lot of territory. I hope the following images convey some of the spirit of our adventure:
“The smells, sights, and sounds of the Grand Bazaar and Istanbul are almost overwhelming.”
“There is never any question why they call it the Blue Mosque … so many blue tiles and so much artistry!”
“Mechele was a respectful visitor—wearing a head wrap—within the Blue Mosque.”
“When we left Turkey, we brought not only a beautiful carpet home with us to Florida, but also the memory of meeting the artist who created it for us.”
“Traveling on one of OAT’s small ships allowed us to moor right in the small harbors, like this one at Amorgos, located at the southeastern edge of the Cyclades. Amorgos is a scenic island, with not only a picture-perfect view from our cabin, but also windmills, whitewashed homes, tidy villages, and many monasteries.”
“Santorini, which is famous for the volcanic eruption that created the caldera in the island's center, is a stunning place. The winds were howling when we approached the harbor town, and during the night aboard ship, it grew to gale-force at our mooring. The morning dawned clear and the winds were light for our climb to the upper town.”
“Delphi was our favorite site on the mainland, with extensive ruins surrounded by spectacular natural scenery. There was an energy at this place that we could all feel. Perhaps it was a closeness to the earth, or to the divine, but it was all around us.”
“Our Trip Leader Costas added so much to our experience throughout the trip. We really appreciated him and his wealth of knowledge—and he could read this Greek inscription!”
Explore these picturesque landscapes—and many others—on our Treasures of the Aegean: Greek Island Cruise, Athens & Istanbul Small Ship Adventure.