Tag Archives: Retirement abroad

Temple of Olympian Zeus

May 30, 2019 chaput@live.com

We explored the Temple of Olympian Zeus located in the centre of Athens. The ancient arch of handrian welcomed us towards the Temple of olympian zeus.

We reached the Handian arch and admired the historic icon before continuing towards the Olympian Zeus. The arch commonly known in Greek as Hadrian’s Gate, is a monumental gateway which was created in 131 A.D.

We walked towards the entrance of the Olympian Zeus and could see some of the pillars in the distance. It was truly a spectacular view to see this historic site.

The Olympian Zeus monument in Athens Greece.

We entered into the colossal temple area and were completely awed by the enormousness of it.

Shelley and Ray at the Olympian Zeus in Athens, Greece.

We walked through the pillars and ruins looking at the site. It was interesting to think of all the history that occurred here. The temple site was started in the 2nd century BC. It took 638 years to complete and included 104 colossal columns. The Temple was renowned as the largest temple in the ancient world.

Ray in front of the pillar in Olympian Zeus temple in Athen Greece.

We walked through the entire site which was quite large. There were pillars laying on the ground and some that were standing alone.

Olympian Zeus Temple ruins in Athens Greece.

Shelley at the base of a 6th century pillar in the Olympian Zeus Temple, Athens Greece.

We came to an area that was being excavated. They continue to dig and discover archaeological remains.

Archaeological excavation in the Olympian Zeus Temple in Athens Greece.

We finished exploring the Olympian Zeus Temple and started to walk back when we saw an amazing view of the Handrian gate with the Acropolis in the background.

Handrian Gate with the Acropolis in the background.

The experience of walking through the Olympian Zeus Temple was amazing. It will be something we will cherish and remember for years.

“αντίο για τώρα και έχετε μια υπέροχη μέρα”

Greece

Mykonos Island

May 28, 2019 chaput@live.com

We went to explore some of the Greek Islands in the Aegean Sea. We went to the Island of Mykonos which is one of the more popular islands and is located in the Cyclades group of islands.

View of the town of Chora on Mykonos Island

We stayed in the town of Chora which is also referred to as the town of Mykonos. Our hotel was well situated and we had a great view of the city and sea. We enjoyed watching the sun set from the pool area.

Pool area at our hotel with views of the sea.

Shelley and Ray with view from the hotel poolside.

We went into the old part of town and explored the narrow white washed streets. The white walls and blue trim on the buildings were very stunning.

Typical street in the old part of town in Mykonos

There were many unique shops, art stores and restaurants. We explored some of the art shops looking at the unique pieces for sale.

We explored the town walking along many interesting streets. There were small churches and even a fish cleaning station near the shoreline.

Fish cleaning station on the shoreline in Mykonos.

Typical street with numerous restaurants in Mykonos.

We explored the town enjoying the spectacular sites and sounds. We found a beautiful little restaurant near the shoreline which provided us with a great view. We stopped and took some time to enjoy the moment.

Ray and Shelley at a restaurant in Mykonos

We enjoyed a glass of wine while looking at the iconic landmarks of the 16th century windmills that sit on the hill in Mykonos.

“φροντίστε και να έχετε μια καλή μέρα”

Greece

What time is Wine O’clock?

May 18, 2019 chaput@live.com

We found a great little bar called “Wine O’clock” It is located in the heart of Athens near the Acropolis.

Entrance toWine O’clock in Athens, Greece

The inside of the bar was decorated with wine as the main focus.

Wine corks made into the outline of Greece.

It was a quaint spot and our server Andreas was very friendly and helpful. We even had a glass of wine and our photo taken with him.

Ray, Shelley, Vicki, Mark, Andreas and Raf in Wine O’clock bar

The owner came out to meet us and took us for a tour of the bar. We went through the main floor looking at the decorations and artwork before heading up the stairs to the second floor.

The second floor had a wooden table set up for larger groups. The table was unique in that it had wine sayings on it.

Second floor of Wine O’clock bar in Athens

Wine sayings on table in Wine O’clock bar

Some of the quotes were quite entertaining and included a quote from the pope.

The Wine O’clock bar was one of the little gems we found while visiting Athens Greece.

“αντίο και να έχουν μια μεγάλη μέρα”

Spain

Telefonica museo

April 22, 2019 chaput@live.com

We went to the Museo Telefonica which is located inside the beautiful national Telefonica building in Madrid.

The entrance which was free is at the side of the main building. We went into a lobby area which had a small model of the Telefonica building on display.

Shelley beside the model of the telefonica building

We took an elevator up to the top floor and explored the exhibit which was a history of the phone company in Spain.

Display of different phones that were used over the years.

Ornate telephone used in early 1900’s in Spain

There were exhibits of different pieces of equipment that was actually used in Spain.

Telegraph decoder of morse code which was used until 1950.

The telegraph decoder was used in Spain beginning in 1875 and was in use until 1950. The importance of the telegraph decoder was its ability to instantly decode into printable and readable text messages from morse code. This particular telegraph decoder was used to send news of the movement of Spanish soldiers during war.

Breaker switches and circuit wall which was in actual use at the telefonica company

This switchboard was used in connecting different customers manually.

After exploring the history of the telephone in Spain we went to the third floor to check out the digital exhibit. This exhibit was truly unique and very enjoyable. It is divided into three different parts. The first section called “Black Waves: Lost, Immersed, and Reborn” which is the largest part of the exhibit. When we entered the exhibit it was truly spectacular. There were large digital waves throughout several different large rooms.

View of the digital waves throughout the exhibit.

We walked through the rooms and were immersed into the 3D digital art.

Shelley and Ray in the 3D digital exhibit

The telefonica museum was an interesting spot and the 3D digital exhibit was very enjoyable.

“Hasta luego y que tengas un buen dia”

Spain

Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia

April 20, 2019 chaput@live.com

It was a rainy day in Madrid so we decided to go to the National Museum of Art to see some of the exhibits which included Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso and H.C. Westermann.

We explored the museum which had many different exhibits. We explored some of the ones which were of interest to us. The first one we went to was the cubism exhibit which featured some famous Spanish artists, including Salvador Dali and Pablo Picasso.