Basic benches

A pair of benches found near the Kouras lake in Crete. The light was fantastic! Photo taken in May 2011.

Early light

The early morning light looked beautiful on the grape leaves. Crete was a wonderful place to visit! Photo taken in May 2011.

Lake Kournas

Kournas is Crete's only freshwater lake. I stopped by for a short visit on my recent Mediterranean cruise. It was beautiful and the early morning light was perfect for shooting. Photo taken in May 2011.

Inside the ship

The ship was very tastefully decorated on the inside. Although they are not Chihuly glass, these blown flowers were quite beautiful. Photo taken in May 2011.

Framed view

A framed view onto the fort in Kusadasi. Photo taken in May 2011. To see more monochromes from around the world, visit the Weekend in Black and White.

Turkish sunset

A beautiful sky graced my last view of the Turkish coast. Photo taken in May 2011. To see more beautiful skies from around the world, visit Skywatch.

Skies over the fort

The fortifications on the island still stand, unfortunately the actual fort is not open to visitors. Photo taken in May 2011.

View out of the fort

The old stone doorway makes a nice frame. The fort was also a popular destination for locals. There were plenty of young lovers enjoying the views. We also saw people tying white ribbons /tissues on a tree. I tried to ask them what the significance of those bands were, but language barriers prevented me from understanding their meaning. Photo taken in March 2011.

Harbour view from the fort

A view on the Kusadasi harbour from the fort. Photo taken in May 2011.

Another view from the fort

The fort offered many wonderful views. I love those stone walls and the tree. Photo taken in May 2011.

Pink beauty

There were so many beautiful flowers at the fort. This one was perfect for a macro shot. Photo taken in March 2011. To see more flowers from around the world, visit Today's Flowers.

Monochrome railing

I love details like old railings. They also make perfect subjects for black and white. To see more monochrome shots from around the world, visit the Weekend in Black and White. Photo taken in May 2011.

View from the fort

If you look closely at the wall, you'll see I'm not the only one who was enjoying this view from the fort. Photo taken in May 2011.

This post is dedicated to the memory of Klaus Peter, one of the founders of Skywatch. Please stop by the site and take a look at other skies from around the world.

To the fort

There was a small island fortress at the port of Kusadasi. It was filled with floral delights! Photo taken in May 2011.

Doorway, windows and bench

Another look at one of the beautiful doorways in Kusadasi. This one comes with a bonus bench and some lovely arched windows. Photo taken in May 2011.

Another mosque

This is the mosque attached to yesterday's ablution station. I believe Muslims are required at a minimum to wash their hands and face before entering the mosque. As you don't wear shoes inside, giving your feet a rinse is probably a good idea too, especially in a place like Turkey where people tend to wear open shoes year-round. Photo taken in May 2011.

Ablution station

This is one of the wash stations outside a mosque in Kusadasi. This one also has beautiful tiles with every hue of blue. I think you need to see the shot in color to appreciate the tiles.

But it also looks great in black and white. Which one do you prefer? Photo taken in May 2011.

Heart of a rose

A close up look at one of the roses in the garden with the benches I showed you a few days ago. Do you see the heart inside the rose? Photo taken in May 2011. 

To see more flowers from around the world, visit Today's Flowers.

Colorful tiles

Devout Muslims are required to perform ablutions before entering the mosque. I found these lovely tiles on one of the wash basins outside the mosque. If you like them, you can buy coasters, trivets or even similar tiles to take home with you. Photo taken in May 2011.

Blue skies over the mosque

A beautiful blue sky shines over one of the many mosques in Kusadasi, Turkey. Photo taken in May 2011. To see more skies from around the world, visit Skywatch.