Europe 2011

I was not sure how to finish up this blog apart from writing about the few things we did in England this past week but it was mainly for me about visiting family, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

I started with seeing Mavis and Keith (my half aunt) and had a very nice evening getting to know them both a little better as it was only a few years ago that we were introduced. I then went to Aylesbury to visit my Dad’s family and I stayed with Dad’s sister, Gwyn. We talked a lot about Dad and Gwyn helped me with my family tree. My Dad and Gwyn were very close and I love hearing about their stories of when they were growing up. We had a lovely luncheon at Nicks house on the Saturday and then a BBQ at Elizabeth’s. It really was good seeing them all.

From there I found my two boys in London who had a great time with Lawrence. They had been doing lots of things including swimming in the English Channel as they had been playing on Seadoo's. Obviously they had a great time. We then went to stay at Maries (Mums oldest sister).

For an outing we went to Canterbury with my cousin Ian. I made them all go for a ride on the Sloe River, hearing about Canterbury’s history. One fact is that Kings School Canterbury believes that Shakespeare didn’t write the plays you either love or hate, it was in fact Christopher Marlowe of Canterbury. Kings School has a trust fund for the person to prove that this is true! I then dragged them to Canterbury Cathedral. The history of this Cathedral dates back to 597ad. In 1170 Archbishop Thomas Beckett was murdered in the cathedral then soon after that miracles were said to take place. This made the Cathedral became one of Europe’s most important pilgrimage centers. When King Henry 8th wanted to marry again for the second time he changed Britons religion from Catholic to Anglican and you can see some evidence inside the cathedral by the removal of Catholic symbols in some areas. For millions of Anglicans worldwide, this Cathedral is their mother church. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the one who married William and Kate earlier this year.

Wonder if the boys took any of this information home with them?

We also went to London for the day. The two boys met up with the girls they knew from Kos, so the four of them went to find Big Ben..Later on in the day we all met up in a pub. We then shopped on Oxford Street. It was so busy. London itself is a very busy place. I cannot imagine it getting much busier next year with the summer Olympics! Due to the new smoking and drinking laws in the UK (very similar to Canada) a lot of pubs will be closing. However Matt and Kris made sure they went inside as many pubs as they possibly could, in the short period of time they were in the UK!! I must admit the old English Pub is hard to beat.

We all had a brilliant holiday. First with the Glessings who are always a lot of fun to be around! The dynamics of having six Benders together, usually we see each other for short spells so this was the first time we were together for such a long period of time. Admittedly there were a few hic cups during the first few days but it all turned out to be amazing and I know Dan and I will always treasure that time we had together. Of course having Warren in the mix only added more depth to our family and look forward to next year when he officially becomes part of the family.

Alas this is now the end of this blog and we have to pay the bills. But as I said to Dan the memories we have made are priceless. We are very lucky to have experienced this adventure with our children and I hope they too will remember this as being a trip of a lifetime.

What can I say about our day at Kos airport?

Okay as we thought the taxis were still on strike, our friend George the owner of Alice Springs Hotel had organized transportation for us once again. He waited with us to make sure the bus did actually come to pick us up as otherwise he would have given us a lift in the back of his truck. Beginning to think that maybe he was trying to get rid of us. LoL

The bus did pick up and after a few stops at other hotels we realized how lucky we were to have stayed at Alice Springs. At the arrival of the airport we saw a line up of people all around the building waiting to enter the airport. Luckily we did not have to wait outside but yes inside we did. It must have taken over an hour to check our bags in. After we went through security and passport control to end up in a room with 500 other people wondering what the hell was going on.

We were stuck in this holding room for goodness know how long. There were no shops or restaurants only a stand where you could buy a premelted chocolate bar, but in general it was a boring wait. Of course our plane was late. That made everyone happier but we waited and made the best of it. We were hurdled from one line up to another and in the end everyone just sat where they were standing and claimed they would not move until boarding. Finally when the plane landed everyone in that room cheered. It was really funny.

The trip itself was uneventful but after landing in London and collecting our bags, Warren asked the driver who was taking us to Heathrow if he could stop at McDonalds. When we arrived at our hotel at Heathrow it was a lot later than originally planned and after dinner instead of traveling around London we all went to bed.

The next morning for Dan, Sarah, Warren and Jodi their holiday was just about over. However the last few hours in England they spent in the First Class lounge at Heathrow Airport and then boarded British Airways flying 1st class all the way to Vancouver.

Kris and Matt went with their cousin Lawrence for some fun in London and Helen is spending quality time with relatives.

JODI

- Food and beverages - Gyros Tzaziki, Ali Pasa, Efe's and Mythos Beer
- Scuba diving and snorkeling in Turkey and Greece
- Ephesus
- All the Beaches and Sun

WARREN

- Mykonos Town/Beaches - maze of streets and how narrow they are
- Castle of Rhodes Town
- Snorkling in Greece

- Driving Dan Nutz!!
- Throwing a volleyball at Dan and looking at his face afterwards.
- Jeeger Bombs.

Warren also forgot to put: Eating and voting on double cheeseburgers at McDonalds in each country he visited. Kos won!!!

* The others still have to give me their lists hint hint!!.

It is hard to believe that tomorrow we are leaving Kos and travel back to London. Dan, Sarah, Jodi and Warren will be back to Canada on Thursday. Helen, Kris and Matt are staying in London for a week before they complete their trek home.

We have had a wonderful week in Greece and really enjoyed the Hotel where we are staying. George and Barbara the owners of Alice Springs Hotel are wonderful hosts and are always with their hotel guests getting to know them. Truly, a first class operation.

Kos like most Greek Islands has its own unique landscape with lots of history. I was going to take a tour around the Island so I could get to know some of this History but unfortunately I booked it too late and was unable to go. However we did spend a day scuba diving, snorkeling or just swimming in the ocean. The Aegean Sea is crystal clear and can see to the bottom. Personally I prefer to just swim and not think about what is swimming below. However everyone else enjoyed the day admiring the fish and have them feed from their hands.

Old Kos Town is an area of many narrow streets all now inhabited with tourist shops. Most of them are open until the wee hours of the morning. There is also a street that the older kids found that comes alive after 12 mid night. It is called “Bar” street. It is amazing to watch. There are a lot of English, Dutch, German and Aussies who visit Kos and all have their flag outside some bars to let them know it is their home away from home. No Canadian Flag though!!

All in all this week has been very relaxing. Had a lot of fun on the ATV's riding around town. Seemed like the only way to get from A to B. Right now we are trying to make arrangements to get to the airport as the taxis are still on strike and we are hearing that some of the airport employees are also on strike. I do hope that Greece comes out of their troubles okay as it really is a beautiful country and the food is excellent. But for the time being, I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be a very long and hot day. I just hope we catch our plane to London. Wouldn't mind some cooler temperatures during the next week!!

20. Chips (fries) in their Gyro Wraps!

19, If you can see Greece from any land point in Turkey, foreigners are not allowed to purchase real estate in that area!

18. A lot of Europeans don't believe us when we say Canada is not part of the EU!

17. Asking for Ice in your drink in Turkey is like asking for gold!

16. Never make fun of a Turkish barber especially when they are using the flame to burn nose and ear hair!

15. Being a Turkish Barber is a male profession.

14. All the Turkish people we spoke to say Ataturk is their Hero. He decided in in the 1930's that the Turkish people should act and look like
Westerners. However it was not going to happen over time but it literally happened overnight. For example; The Turkish dropped the arabic writing. keeping religion out of politicsetc!

13. All the time we have been in Greece or Turkey we have not come across anyone asking for money like they do in Vancouver. They ask you to come and sit in their restaurant, stay at their hotel, ride in their boat or buy their merchandise. But no begging!

14. In most of the toilets in this part of the world you are not suppose to flush toilet tissue down the toilet due to their ancient plumbing. Therefore all toilets are fitted with bidets, something the boys all seem to enjoy a little too much!!

13. Istanbul has 17 million and Turkey has 76 million

12. As an underage person you can go for a drink and no one ID's you

11. Family is more important than anything and getting school work complete is important.

10. No rules for driving in Greece. There are a lot of crazy drivers but there seem to be not that many accidents and no road rage!

9. There is a traditional way of saying "Cheers" In Turkey. Oldest hold their glass higher than the youngest person there.

8. Glessing Family great travel companions. Miss you guys.. Did you get Dan's message?

7. Hippocrates was born in Kos Greece. He built a medical school where he taught and invented medicine. He made an oath which we still use today in modern medicine.

6. George our host at Alice Springs Hotel, likes to play practical jokes!

5. There are a lot of Greek Australians living in Kos

4. There are about 140 inhabited islands in Greece, but if you count every rocky outcrop, the total surges to about 3,000. The largest island is Crete which is in the Mediterranean Sea.

3. Greece is the birthplace of democracy.

2. We need to see more Canadians in Greece

1. Although there were a few hic cups at the begining of our trip, all the siblings get along and each one of them are learning something nw every day!

General Strike

I am not sure how many have seen on the news regarding the situation in Greece and their economy? Well we were very aware of it this morning as we got off our “Fast Track” Ferry today. Luckily we were one of the first boats to pull in but three were after us and all had to go through customs. Imagine a full 747 landing and only one manager working the passport control.. I am sure you get the picture. Ok so after passport control we walked to the main area to be greeted by another General Strike TAXI’S..

We had no idea how to get to our Hotel. No address, no phone, no buses.. So what do we do? Find a café and have a coffee (well some had a coffee) once we were refreshed we were able to put our thoughts together and came up with a solution. Eventually after trying to use a payphone we were able to contact the hotel ALICE SPRINGS. George the owner came and picked up our luggage then came to pick up the rest of them. However the kids decided to rent quads and find their own way to the Hotel. George and I called them all idiots as they had no way of finding hotel but to our surprise two hours later they rolled in. (It was a ten minute journey...)

All arrived at Hotel, it looks awesome. Very friendly and owners are really nice and very helpful.
Kids just came back with the groceries so will unpack and then go to the pool

The Glessings are now on there way back to Vancouver. Although we were teasing them the last few days that they were going back to a cooler climate, work etc., there absence is missed and when we arrived in Bodrum and booked into our Hotel I know they would have loved it here probably more than where we were and wish they were all here to enjoy this town! We are really soaking up the culture here guys. No more all-inclusive for me. Apart from cruise ships of course.

Monday July 18th 2011

After a lot of research on the various different ways we could travel to Bodrum, we decided due to the extreme heat during the day that hiring a car and driver would be our best option and as it was not that more expensive than a bus ticket x7. Well it would seem we made the right choice. It is a 4.5-hour car ride up over a mountain range through a valley and then back down towards the ocean.

Our car arrived for us at the Hotel in Olu Denez at 12:30pm. All I hoped was some form of air conditioning. Well when we put our luggage in the back the kids were all excited as they saw a boom box!! Okay I thought and got in the van. We started off on our journey and the driver put the music on much to the delight of some of the passengers. Suddenly I realized this was no ordinary van but it was a party van/bus. Loud music, flashing lights, cooler full of water (Kris changed that 3 hours into the trip) but most important to me, it had air conditioning.

I am embarrassed to admit that the first stop was ===McDonalds===This was mainly Warren's idea as he kept mentioning a double cheese burger and by the time the driver stopped at the golden archs, we all piled out to get food and milkshakes.

The ride was beautiful. The landscape is very mountainous and now see where there supply of water comes from during the summer. They even have skiing or snowboarding during their winters. You could say it is very similar to driving to Osoyoos but we still have larger trees and their mountains during the summer still looks like a desert. There is a lot of road works also going on which is good as the roads that have not been completed I am sure were made 300+ years ago when man traveled over the mountains by camel!! Yes they were narrow and yes you could look straight down the side of the mountain and yes it was a two-way road and drivers seem to have no fear of passing at a blind spot!!

The Hotel Gulec is really lovely. It is in the heart of Bodrum and not far from the Aegean Sea and Bodrum Castle. We are near a mosque so if we have the windows open you can hear the call to prayer. The people are so nice. It didn;t take Kris long to talk to the owners to find out it is family run and the property has been with there family for centuries and use to be a tangerine farm. There is a little courtyard where they will sell you a cool drink if needed and have a continental breakfast. I would have no hesitation in coming here again. Oh yes around 3pm you get that welcomed breeze and makes it more pleasent to be out and about walking around. Tourist Shops stay open till 3am..

My cousin Hugh is coming at three today to take us to the cottage he has rented for the month of July with his family. We did see him last night for five minutes as they were on there way to pick up Ayla (their 18 year old daughter) from the airport who had been to a concert in Serbia with friends and she was flying into Bodrum last night.

We have booked our ferry to Kos for tomorrow morning so I am now going to go and enjoy my last day in Turkey. I will add it will not be my last time as I love their country but maybe next time I will come around May or September when it is not too hot and humid!!.

BRAD

Reflections ……. From week two

Had a wonderful time with the “Clan” as usual. Very much enjoyed getting to know Jodi and Warren (aka HONEY BADGER)

The hiking and ruins on the boat trip were of particular interest. The Blue Lagoon was beautiful but busy.

Turkish people are delightful and their society very dynamic – I would come back.
Also enjoyed the Turkish bath and Turkish shave (with my buddy Dan)

Have a great time with the rest of your journey Benders

KATHY

Turkey is awesome. The all-inclusive had excellent service, food and was set in a fantastic location. Olu Deniz is a beautiful resort area with lots of bars (too many!) and restaurants. Had a great day on boat tour, exploring some 3000-year-old ruins, fresh water ice cold spring (I think Dan is looking much younger) and various beaches. Very relaxing and enjoyable part of our holiday. Only one negative is that there is something strange going on with my clothes. They appear to be shrinking a little every day!!

DAN

Arrived in Turkey. It is hot, really hot.. Really like the sea ester in the afternoon with air conditioning on. The Turkish are very friendly. As I don’t speak Turkish had a bit of a hard time communicating but all worked out well except Kris ended up in the hospital but survived, Mitchell was sick for a couple of days and the other kids had various symptoms but mainly from the night before!! Watched kids scuba dive, went on a boat tour for 8 hours and went water sliding and had a great time.
Turkey is a great place to travel with family and as always great traveling with the Glessings, and sorry they are going home tomorrow to the rain in Vancouver!!

KRIS

Firstly I would like to apologize to all the Kris Bender followers about last week’s absence. Yes Iron Gut was in the hospital because of the Turkish food. The medical system in Turkey is very efficient. In and out like a drive through.
Secondly please don’t judge me on my new Turkish manicure and pedicure, when in Rome… or should I say “When In Turkey”
Thirdly it is so hot that right now I feel like I am in a sauna and it is 8.80pm.

We all went on a boat cruise and saw some famous sights although I enjoyed snorkeling instead of hiking to see them. I refused to go in the fountain of youth as I look young enough clean-shaven Turkish shave. My dad jumped straight in like a child at the McDonalds playpen!!
The Turkish are very friendly. I am having a blast here in Turkey. The hospitality is amazing. Miss everyone in Canada, Aunts, Uncles, and Grandma - love you!
Alexa, Stoner, Feldman, Mitch, Dupuis, Blake, Brook, Chad, Bruce… if I missed anyone sorry… PEACE

JODI

Turkey is a beautiful country. I went scuba diving for the very first time and it was awesome. The hotel here is great and the beaches are beautiful! It is a little hot – 45 degrees so we have been keeping well hydrated with beverages at the pool. We went to a Turkish bathhouse, Interesting but so fun. Love it here. We are off to our next adventure, Bodrum, Turkey and then Kos Greece.
I have had a great time with the Glessings and am sorry they have to head back home tomorrow. GO HONEY BADGER!!

WARREN

This week has been fantastic. It has been over 40 degrees every day. We have enjoyed poolside drinks, Turkish shaves, baths and the countless days in the sun. The Turkish people who work here at the Belcekiz Hotel have been fantastic and very friendly. Onward tomorrow to Bodrum for 2 days and then a week in Kos, Greece. Who knows what is coming but lovely days in the sun with the Benders and my beautiful fiancé Jodi!!

KRISTA

Turkey is fantastic. Our resort is super nice and right on the beach and has great pools and food. The Turkish people are hilarious and very friendly. Some of the best parts about staying at this resort was going shopping, swimming in the ocean, going scuba diving, going to the water park and playing water basketball (Girls won)

MITCHELL

Turkey was really fun because Matt and I partied quite a bit. Cruiso’s was lots of fun and a good first clubbing experience (thanks to Matt Bender). I bought a lot of gifts for people back home and impressed how cheap it was. A few of us wanted to go paragliding until we realized how dangerous it was. Overall though, Turkey was intensely awesome and better than the cruise ship. Murat is a good guy.

MATT

This has been a fun week in Turkey. Everything is very cheap. I love the soup here at the hotel. I wanted to go paragliding but the day before we were going two people died, as their harness was not attached properly. That was it for me and it stopped me from going. This place is pretty sick and I would come back for sure.

SARAH

Dear ppl who read this:
Turkey is to hot but it is an amazing country. I love chillin in this resort, as everything was all-inclusive. The pool was the place to be as it did get to hot at times. Clubbin with the whole family was interesting but still fun; The Ocean is amazing and crystal clear. Scuba diving was a good time. I also danced on stage with my dad LoL!
Anyway that’s all for now – Bye