Joe Benning Photography

Travel & Photo Blog

  •   Reston, VA

Croatia

We spent Friday (the 25th) and Saturday (the 26th) in Croatia. On Friday it was Dubrovnik; on  Thursday, Trogir.  We went on a walking tour of Dubrovnik. It is just a stunningly beautiful city. And a walking tour is just the right way to see the city. Except that when we went, it rained. Actually […]

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Port Katakolon, Greece

Today we stopped at Katakolon in Greece.  We had the opportunity to visit a vineyard and an olive grove (and the processing plants for their products) near Olympia, Greece.   It was a beautiful day to be outdoors and meet the owners of these family businesses – and to taste some very good olive oils […]

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Visiting Nafplion, Greece

We did a short (2 ½ hour) walking tour in the small but relentlessly cute town of Nafplion. Greece. It is a coastal city located in the Peloponnese in Greece. Additionally, it is the capital of the regional unit of Argolis and an important tourist destination.  First stop: we visited Kapodistrias Square.  On the top […]

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Mykonos, Greece

Mykonos is a small windy island that is part of the Cyclades Islands, in the Aegean Sea.  It is difficult to grow things on the rocky, steep hills of Mykonos.  However, in the past the wind made it a great place for farmers from other islands to come and use the Mykonos windmills (for grinding […]

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Thessaloniki and Volos, Greece

We are back in Greece now, where we had a nice walking tour of Thessaloniki, Greece’s second largest city (after Athens).   Again, tons of history in this city, some reflected in its archeology museum, and much in the monuments all over the city (including Alexander the Great ).   We spent a good deal […]

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Two Days in Istanbul

Our next stop was 2 full days in Istanbul.   Approximately 30% of Istanbul (formerly Constantinople) is in Europe (measured by land mass) and 70% is in Asia. The two sides are  separated by the Bosphorus Strait.  About 16 million people live in the city, and many commute between the two continents for work.  The […]

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Rhode Warriors

Our next stop was the island of Rhodes. With a population of 56,000 in the city proper and 90,000 counting the outskirts, Rhodes is the principal city of the island of Rhodes. Built by the Hospitalliers, it is one of the best-preserved medieval cities of Europe, and is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  […]

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On to the Greek Islands

After leaving Malta we headed to the Greek islands. The first place we docked was the port city of Chania on the island of Crete. There we visited an ancient monastery and then went on a walking tour of Chania.  One key factor has to be kept in mind when the Greek islands are being […]

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Malta: A Land of Churches and Palaces

We spent two days in Malta. Officially known as the Republic of Malta, it is a small island country located in the Mediterranean between North Africa and Sicily. It is a member country of NATO.  While it may be small (population 525,000) it is a very wealthy state and densely populated. It is overwhelmingly Catholic. […]

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