Ephesus Excusion options

Holland America Noordam schedule is arrive Kusadasi 11 October 7am and leave 7pm I understand they normally are on time. HAL own tours - one starts at 745am and then two at 8am and then others at later time.
A good site on Kusadasi - Turkey | Kusadasi Hotels, Guide, Real Estate and more!...

Ephesus is a place we've wanted to visit for a long time....
this gives detail of places to be seen

Ephesus ancient city. Artemis temple, Virgin Mary house, Saint John basilica. Ephesus Turkey

Many people will be doing shipping company tours but friends there in mid 2011 heard many complaints from those who did.
Their tours there did not seem to be as good as at other ports......

Some people recommended this company Ephesus Tours, Private Ephesus tours and Ephesus excursions in Kusadasi

Our day in Ephesus organised with Liman Hotel - friends did a tour with the hotel this year and highly recommended Hasan... Plus when having a coffee you can use the free WiFi

Liman Hotel -is just outside the gates of the harbour. I could see it in a photo from deck of the ship.(no not this photo)... We just have to set time with Hasan for driver to be there at exit with my name on a placard - perhaps 8 need to get to Ephesus before the crowds although October should be a bit less....


If you have organised with me for this of course we need to touch base on ship and have cash ready for the day. Note it is Euros but have the cash before we get there as Turkey has its own currency so an ATM will not issue Euros. And a little bit extra as presumably we have a driver and a guide....

Eight of us at moment - perhaps 8am and finish towards 5 - back in Kusadasi there is a market and perhaps a carpet factory to visit...

So as things are I've set seeing what Hasan says are the "importand" sites
and including at 10 euros extra the Terrace Houses for a total of 75 euros each

We can be flexible on the day except I think Hasan wants around 8 hours or so.... But he said he is flexible
so if we find time at end of the Ephesus events we may add The Cave of the Seven Sleepers.
And I would like to go on to Sirince Village which will be for extra 5 euros.

8 people should be Mercedes-Benz Vito (2011)

now if we get to more than 10 people price comes down 10 euros and would be in a Mercedes-Benz - Sprinter

> To quote Hasan 

İf i know what time you will be out of the ship and what time you must be at the ship i would  tell you excatly how much time we need each > places... but as i said before please leave it on me i  would arrange it all end everyone happy.

Ephesus Tour
(1)Virgin Mary's house
(2) Ephesus, (at least 2 hours at this wonderful site)
Terrace houses in the Ephesus another 10 Euro each person entry fee!
I would like to add as pictures I have seen look tremendous)
(3) Temple of Artemis
(4) St John church
(5) place to stop at lunch

Terrace Houses 

Seven sleepers is also nice and we can stop and see it also but as i say it is all depends on time.

Above tour including Terrace Houses will be for Eight 75 Euros each
and if Ten or more it will be 65 Euros.

If we have time and decide we would like to do on the day we will go on to Sirince village for an extra 5 euros each Hasan for Liman Hotel said I belie we discuss this when you are here and tour better! you may like to spend more time in one place or you may don't want to spend much time in one place. Please leave it on me and I would do my best to make it beautiful tour..I am also trying hard to knowing by travellers. and I know best way doing business is do your best guest are happy ward of mouth..

Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik

Well we decided to get to town by taxi or bus - I think means getting local currency.
Once in town - up on the town wall and walk round
Look at the old harbour
It is a lovely town - well it was on my last visit in 1965

Farewell: Googie Withers

Googie Withers dies aged 94 - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Film star Googie Withers star of The Lady Vanishes, dies at 94 | Mail Online


Googie was a major film star - she was part of my growing up - some of the great British films
like One of Our Aircraft Is Missing (1942) - IMDb

and she one of the cast in my great favourite Hitchcock comedies
The Lady Vanishes (1938) - IMDb

She married the Australian actor John McCallum and in 1958 they came here to live. They made many films together.
A great lady.......

Carbon Tax

Sunday was the day when the PM told us what she planned - of course we'd heard it from the Greens already.
Then Monday was Q&A and a good reception for the PM - and several Tweets saying how wonderful she had been. She was All absolute spin proposing that Her Tax will fix the problem. All a Tax does is "encourage" people to do something - providing there is something to do. Has high tobacco tax stopped people smoking?

PM quote - by 2050 we will achieve reductions equivalent to taking 45,000,000 cars off the road. She mentioned we have 12,000,000 cars at moment and she is not taxing them because that would cause harm to families. And of course cost her votes. But the 45 million quote makes me think she sees cars as a major problem. So why nothing about moving to electric cars etc??????

One young person on a web question asked would we have 100% renewable energy sources by end of decade. She had to say well around 40%.

So lets get it clear the tax is to get people off carbon but there isn't anything really in her plan that creates energy in non carbon ways. So what we have is just a TAX not really direct action on alternatives.
 
Yes under the tax I could receive benefit providing the treasury costings are sound.
See here  to work out impact on you Clean Energy Future – Household assistance estimator

A possibly dubious Poll Carbon tax: Heat rises as voters reject Julia Gillard's plan | Herald Sun

Some good recent articles

Considered action on climate change - The Drum Opinion (ABC
Detailed discussion of Coal power station and the tax etc
Comments are also good and note Nuclear power is mentioned - surely the only way out from Coal power

How the carbon tax made me a Liberal - The Drum Opinion - A vote for the Labor Party's carbon tax is a vote for wealth redistribution. (ABC)

Abbott baits PM, Wong over carbon tax : World News Australia on SBS
"The finance minister couldn't explain the cost of the (carbon) tax," he told reporters. The opposition leader was referring to an interview Senator Wong gave on Monday when she said the revenue from the sale of carbon permits was $18 billion, when government papers say it is $25 billion. "And we now know the prime minister couldn't explain where the money was coming from ... to buy out Hazelwood (power station in Victoria)." Ms Gillard on Tuesday said an undisclosed amount of money to buy back 2000 megawatts from the nation's highest-polluting coal-fired power stations would come from the budget's contingency fund. "It's just not good enough," Mr Abbott said.

Farewell: Lionel Rose

Well the other day Henry Cooper and now Lionel
Wow he was en exciting boxer
It was great for Australia when Lionel won


Vale Lionel Rose | Daily Telegraph Miranda Devine Blog

Pessah in Jerusalem: 1882, 1935 and 1948

Pessah in Jerusalem: 1882, 1935 and 1948

Amazing British Princes visited Jerusalem in 1882 - one the future King George V
I never knew that

Farwell: Former heavyweight champ Henry Cooper

Former heavyweight champ Henry Cooper dies at 76 : World News Australia on SBS

Back in days when I followed Boxing - well my father had fought in the Marines and he liked to watch - back then Henry was a hero.
I can remember listening on car radio to an excited moment for commentator Barrington Dalby in the 1963 fight with Cassius Clay when Henry put him down.
I just didn't believe it. And of course Cassius picked himself up and stopped playing around BUT Henry did put him down in spite of all that brilliant foot work and shadow boxing etc Henry got through.
Sadly Henry was easily cut on the face and his career was doomed but he was a nice guy and I remember him well.

Christian Writing from the First Century

24 Mar 2011 Amazing books from early days

Dr. Claude Mariottini - Professor of Old Testament: Christian Writing from the First Century

has link to
BBC News - Jordan battles to regain 'priceless' Christian relics

Dr Claude mentions an image in one book
"There is a cross in the foreground, and behind it is what has to be the tomb [of Jesus], a small building with an opening, and behind that the walls of the city. There are walls depicted on other pages of these books too and they almost certainly refer to Jerusalem."
It is the cross that is the most telling feature, in the shape of a capital T, as the crosses used by Romans for crucifixion were."

5 Apr 2011 Well a lot of people saying 

Dr. Claude Mariottini - Professor of Old Testament: The Ancient Christian Codices: A Modern-Day Forgery

There will be more on this

Farewell: Liz Taylor: She’ll always own that place in the sun - The Globe and Mail

Only 79 and one of the greats has gone.
So good in so many things - National Velvet
and this article remembers A Place in the Sun.

Liz Taylor: She’ll always own that place in the sun - The Globe and Mail

And so many events in her life................

Jesus Said, "I Am the Aleph and the Tav"

Revelation 1:8 New International Version

8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

John 1:1 KJV"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."

Well Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. But those words in Revelation were most likely said in Hebrew or Aramaic "The Aleph and Tav"

Do you wonder about the Bible saying I am the Alpha and Omega - is that what Jesus really said. Most likely it as said in Hebrew or Aramaic

And if he said Aleph and Tav then check how that appears in Genesis 1:1

Please do read these two pages


Jesus Said, "I Am the Aleph and the Tav"

and also 

Yeshua and the Hebrew Alphabet

Moghlai Chicken Curry

Moghlai Chicken Curry
A wonderful curry so creamy and tasty.
The poppy seeds add this lovely surprise.
We make in batches and freeze portions.


2 kg (4 Ib) chicken .pieces

1/2 cup (125 g) butter
1 tablespoon paprika
3 onions, chopped
2 cups (500 ml) coconut milk
3 cloves garlic
3 bay leaves
1 cup (250 g) yoghurt
1 teaspoon powdered cinnamon
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
5 whole cloves
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 1/4 cups (300 ml) cream
2 Tomatoes, quartered
1/4 teaspoon saffron
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
3 tablespoons lemon or lime Juice
2-3 tablespoons curry powder

1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan and saute the onions and garlic until
golden brown.

2. Stir in the bay leaves, cinnamon and cloves and simmer for five minutes.

3. Add the chicken and cook for ten minutes.

4. Stir in the tomatoes, salt, curry powder, paprika, coconut milk, yoghurt,
ginger and poppy seeds. Cover and cook over a low heat until chicken'is
tender.

5. Stir in the cream, saffron and lemon or lime juice and heat thoroughly.

Serves 6.

World News Australia - Australian Coptics protest persecution

Australia's Coptic Christians are demanding the federal government use diplomacy to pressure Egypt to better protect members of their faith.

World News Australia - Australian Coptics protest persecution

More than 500 Coptics and their Muslim friends marched in central Sydney, calling on Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd to address the issue, after a bomb blast killed 21 people during a New Year's Eve Coptic church service in Alexandria, Egypt.

"We understand that Mr Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard have not personally issued statements of condemnation," said the spokeswoman, who asked not to be named for safety reasons.
"We don't understand why they're silent and other leaders aren't."

Farewell: Susannah York

Susannah York - 1939-2011

She of the cropped hair cut. She just meant 1960s British films for me

So many good films - just thinking of early one - Tom Jones - A Man for All Seasons - Battle of Britain.

Merry Christmas

Well its Christmas - I've played the role of Santa and the original man would appear to be have been a good bloke but Santa was not divine and even if the wrong date Christmas is to remember God's gift of Jesus for OUR benefit. Merry Christmas and do "try" to visit a church tonight or tomorrow or Sunday and ask somebody about Jesus.

If you are on Facebook - go here and click LIKE
GodVine - Let's Get Ready for a Christian Revival

Or Twitter and where ever else you can Share

and perhaps visit me at Ron Lankshear's Faith Page

Farewell: Pink Panther director Blake Edwards dies at 88 - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Pink Panther director Blake Edwards dies at 88 - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Strange coincidence Geoffrey Rush film of Peter Sellers "Life and Death" was on TV last night and of course Blake was shown having great fun as well as strain working with Peter.
But what wonderful films they made. Such memorable moments. Peter spinning the big office globe of the world and crashing to the floor. The word games in French. Ah Blake knew how to get Peter performing.

And of course "Breakfast at Tiffany's" what an icon that has become.

And I just found out this
Edwards began his career as a scriptwriter for radio. In fact, one of his early breaks was writing dialogue for Orson Welles’ famous 1938 production of War of the Worlds.
Now that was major - that Radio show was so authentic that is caused panic as people thought the Martians were coming. Orson and Blake's great success.





All our sympathy to Julie Andrews for her loss

Tangy Lemon Cake

Christine's recipe for Lemon Cake
3 large Lemons - now we are talking Tangy
1 cup butter / marg
1 cup sugar + 3 tablespoons of sugar for juice
1 + 1/2 cups white self raising flour and sift it
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
pinch of salt
some cornflour
spray oil for cake tray

Grate rind from both lemons - and put juice aside.
Cream Butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add grated rind to cream mixture.
Add both eggs - one at a time and mix well.
Mix in sifted flour and milk.
Alternately starting and ending with flour.
Spray cake tray with oil and then dust with cornflour.
You could place baking paper in bottom - if you like perhaps not. 
Pre Heat oven and Bake at 200c for around 30 minutes
test with skewer to see if cooked

Take juice from lemons  boil with 3 tablespoons of sugar.
Loosen cake in tin first and then
Pour hot mixture over cake whilst still hot

Lest We Forget

11 November 1918 fighting in the Great War finally finished. Let is remember those who were sacrificed in this awful conflict

Lest We Forget

Recipes: Dhal

Dhal

1 tablespoon oil

6 oz. (3/4 cup) red lentils, soaked for 30 minutes and drained

1 onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 pint (2 1/2 cups) stock

l/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

sea salt

1 teaspoon ground coriander

freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon curry powder

Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onion until soft. Stir in the garlic, turmeric, coriander and curry powder and cook for a further 2 minutes over a low heat.

Add the lentils, stock and seasoning, cover and cook gently for 50-60 minutes until the lentils are quite soft.

Dhal should be the consistency of a very thick pea soup. Adjust the seasoning and serve with a curry.

In India often served thinner and more like a gravy BUT we like this one

Farewell: Tony Curtis

US actor Tony Curtis dies - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Curtis was born Bernard Schwartz in New York City on June 3, 1925.

Was in one of the great comedies "Some Like it Hot" what a scene he had with Marilyn and the Shell for Shell

"Spartacus" so well supporting Kirk Douglas

So many more memorable movies and some that were just Hollywood hokum

Politics: Quo Vadis

Sky News: Power struggle to continue after vote


Independents vow to work together - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
The three sitting independent MPs have promised to work as closely together as possible as a political deadlock continues to hang over the country.


Call another poll if talks fail: Oakeshott
Sounds good to me


'Spin and fakery' as Labor infighting starts - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Mr Iemma, who was forced out of office in 2008 when Mr Bitar was then the secretary of NSW Labor, says Mr Bitar needs to take responsibility for Labor's failure to secure a majority.

Tony Windsor Says Show Us The Money
Independent MP Tony Windsor will ask the two main parties to submit all their election policies to the Treasury for costing so negotiations to form a government can begin with an agreed budgetary starting point.

Greens want debate on Afghanistan | The Daily Telegraph
As Gillard pointed out at conference re death of a brave trooper today - the Defence Minister has made reports and debates took place then. Presumably the Greens want everyone to accept that it is time to pull out - But I suppose I see Gillard's point Lets Train Afghans to fight the Taliban.

Live Results - 2010 Federal Election - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Well latest is Lib 73 Lab 72 and ONE Green and 4 others. Off to see 3 of the Others on Press Club lunchtime