amanda castleman - ancient history

For friends
and family

These pages and albums are purely nostalgic and personal, designed to amuse friends and family. More recent adventures are chronicled here.

John and Amanda's
Big Fat Greek divorce
August 2003

With no warning, John left me in Athens, asking for a year's separation. I tried this for a month and found it unbearable, then filed for divorce. We've remained friends, despite the split. Editing work at the Athens News helped fill the painful days alone in Greece.

Travels: Aegean,
Budapest, Romania
July 2003

Our odyssey began on Lesvos, birthplace of the poetess Sappho, then proceeded to Chios and its curious graffiti-covered village. We crossed the Straight of Marmara to Turkey, visiting Sardis, the superb Roman ruins at Ephesus, Priene, Miletus and Didyma. Next Samos; the rough gem of Ikaria; Mykonos, where the Beautiful People parade and the mountainous isle of Delos. A week in postcard-perfect Santorini – with friends from Cyprus – rounded out the Aegean leg.

We then flew to Budapest and took a nerve-wracking train ride to Kluge in Romania to visit a professor friend. The Belle Epoque university town was elegant, unlike the rugged wilds of Transylvania. A trip to Maria's cabin was cancelled, due to rainstorms and impassable roads.

Turkey
June 2003
We spent a month at the archaeology institute in Ankara, despite Middle Eastern tension and the proximity to the Second Gulf War. The capital was surprisingly modern and leafy, altogether a pleasant experience. I celebrated my 28th birthday at Hattusas, an ancient Hittite ruin, then toured Cappadocia, land of sinuous rock. The bustle of Istanbul wasn't as appealing, despite architectural marvels like the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia. Read more about Turkey.

Athens
Spring 2003
I began stringing for the Athens News, the English language newspaper in Greece. My first travel assignments led us to the Ionian Islands and surrounding area: Lefkada, Kefalonia, Zakynthos, Messolongi, Nafpaktos, Patras and Ancient Olympia. I also learned to play tennis and developed quite a mean line drive.

Cyprus
Jan-Feb 2003

We spent two months in Nicosia at the Cyprus American Archaeological Research Institution. The city is still divided by a wall, though both Greek and Turkish citizens hope to reunite in 2003. Negotiations are underway, as the EU lures Turkey into good behaviour with honeyed promises of joining the Union.

Sunken treasure
January 2003
The wreck of the Narrowboat Harmonia: Our beloved boat sank (again) on 12 January 2003, thanks to a burst water pipe. She was refloated within 18 hours, but remains damp and reeking of diesel. I went north to help dry her out. Catch up with the saga.

Greece
2002-03

I continued to freelance for Italy Daily, Wired News, the Daily Mail and other magazines from Athens, Greece. We holed up in a small flat in Kolonaki, near Lykavitos (the wolf hill, though only owls haunt the urban mountain now). The neighbourhood, Kolonaki, was rather chichi and filled with boutiques, but was safe, central and only moderately crowded with cockroaches. Read more about Greece.

American
Academy
in Rome
2000-02

Two years flew by in a blur of cocktails, art exhibits, lectures and kitchen squabbles at the lavish American Academy in Rome, an independent research institution. I launched my freelance career, pecked away at a novel and devised a prototype web magazine for expatriates, www.expatter.com. John finished his PhD, published several papers and began a documentary on the city's Romanian street musicians. Together we travelled extensively, staged a revival of Aristophanes Clouds at the Palazzo Altemps and helped throw one hell of a casino party. See images from AAR 2000-01.

England
1996-2000

The day after our wedding – September 15th, 1996 – John Curtis Franklin and I moved to London. Soon we abandoned the 'Big Smoke' for Oxford's tranquil charms, where I edited the launch of Gist magazine, a entertainment guide for the Home Counties. After a disastrous stint in a twee country cottage, we lived in a terrace house (next to Mr England, I kid you not), then bought a narrowboat in 1999.

I did graphic and web design for Oxbow Books, then ran off to write features at the Oxford Times and Mail. I continued to rock-climb and learned to love warm, flat beer. John researched his PhD at University College London, tracked historic shipwrecks for an underwater archaeology company, then assisted Eric Segal, writing his scholarly book, Death of Comedy. He also gigged with The Bigger the God, a giant among local bands.

Updated March 2005

Back to the index

For friends and family		These pages and albums are purely nostalgic and personal, designed to amuse friends and family. More recent adventures are chronicled here.
John and Amanda's Big Fat Greek divorce August 2003		With no warning, John left me in Athens, asking for a year's separation. I tried this for a month and found it unbearable, then filed for divorce. We've remained friends, despite the split. Editing work at the Athens News helped fill the painful days alone in Greece.
Travels: Aegean, Budapest, Romania July 2003		Our odyssey began on Lesvos, birthplace of the poetess Sappho, then proceeded to Chios and its curious graffiti-covered village. We crossed the Straight of Marmara to Turkey, visiting Sardis, the superb Roman ruins at Ephesus, Priene, Miletus and Didyma. Next Samos; the rough gem of Ikaria; Mykonos, where the Beautiful People parade and the mountainous isle of Delos. A week in postcard-perfect Santorini – with friends from Cyprus – rounded out the Aegean leg. We then flew to Budapest and took a nerve-wracking train ride to Kluge in Romania to visit a professor friend. The Belle Epoque university town was elegant, unlike the rugged wilds of Transylvania. A trip to Maria's cabin was cancelled, due to rainstorms and impassable roads.
Turkey June 2003		We spent a month at the archaeology institute in Ankara, despite Middle Eastern tension and the proximity to the Second Gulf War. The capital was surprisingly modern and leafy, altogether a pleasant experience. I celebrated my 28th birthday at Hattusas, an ancient Hittite ruin, then toured Cappadocia, land of sinuous rock. The bustle of Istanbul wasn't as appealing, despite architectural marvels like the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia. Read more about Turkey.
Athens Spring 2003		I began stringing for the Athens News, the English language newspaper in Greece. My first travel assignments led us to the Ionian Islands and surrounding area: Lefkada, Kefalonia, Zakynthos, Messolongi, Nafpaktos, Patras and Ancient Olympia. I also learned to play tennis and developed quite a mean line drive.
Cyprus Jan-Feb 2003		We spent two months in Nicosia at the Cyprus American Archaeological Research Institution. The city is still divided by a wall, though both Greek and Turkish citizens hope to reunite in 2003. Negotiations are underway, as the EU lures Turkey into good behaviour with honeyed promises of joining the Union.
Sunken treasure January 2003		The wreck of the Narrowboat Harmonia: Our beloved boat sank (again) on 12 January 2003, thanks to a burst water pipe. She was refloated within 18 hours, but remains damp and reeking of diesel. I went north to help dry her out. Catch up with the saga.
Greece 2002-03		I continued to freelance for Italy Daily, Wired News, the Daily Mail and other magazines from Athens, Greece. We holed up in a small flat in Kolonaki, near Lykavitos (the wolf hill, though only owls haunt the urban mountain now). The neighbourhood, Kolonaki, was rather chichi and filled with boutiques, but was safe, central and only moderately crowded with cockroaches. Read more about Greece.
American Academy in Rome 2000-02		Two years flew by in a blur of cocktails, art exhibits, lectures and kitchen squabbles at the lavish American Academy in Rome, an independent research institution. I launched my freelance career, pecked away at a novel and devised a prototype web magazine for expatriates, www.expatter.com. John finished his PhD, published several papers and began a documentary on the city's Romanian street musicians. Together we travelled extensively, staged a revival of Aristophanes Clouds at the Palazzo Altemps and helped throw one hell of a casino party. See images from AAR 2000-01.
England 1996-2000		The day after our wedding – September 15th, 1996 – John Curtis Franklin and I moved to London. Soon we abandoned the 'Big Smoke' for Oxford's tranquil charms, where I edited the launch of Gist magazine, a entertainment guide for the Home Counties. After a disastrous stint in a twee country cottage, we lived in a terrace house (next to Mr England, I kid you not), then bought a narrowboat in 1999. I did graphic and web design for Oxbow Books, then ran off to write features at the Oxford Times and Mail. I continued to rock-climb and learned to love warm, flat beer. John researched his PhD at University College London, tracked historic shipwrecks for an underwater archaeology company, then assisted Eric Segal, writing his scholarly book, Death of Comedy. He also gigged with The Bigger the God, a giant among local bands.
Updated March 2005		*Back to the index*