Sunday 4 October

Ephesus is fantastic. Most other places with ruins were largely destroyed but Ephesus is large and the structural layout with streets and buildings is evident even to this day… even toilets, a brothel and the massive facade of the Library of Celsus. The amphitheatre is apparently still used here for concerts, including one of my favourites Elton John.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tonight at Kusadasi we walked along the promenade and ended back at a restaurant near the hotel for more delicious Turkish food and entertainment by a group of three musicians playing mandolin, violin and percussion drums.

Saturday 3 October

We drove to Selcuk to visit more religious sites: the home of the Virgin Mary, St Johns Basilica and the Isa Bey Mosque. The home of the Virgin Mary was a tiny two-room building but no photos were allowed. Outside there was a wall where people tied rags and lit candles as a memorial.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After visiting these important sites, we wandered through a little village which was very much for the tourists with lots of laneways filled with shops to buy memorabilia, craft items and fruit wines. There was also the opportunity for wine tasting  if you wanted. Another stop at a leather coat factory meant that many of the group were able to spend up big on a leather coat which were beautifully made and came in many designs including reversible.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The night was spent in a hotel in the coastal town of Kusadasi. It was opposite the esplanade and the sea which was occupied with large cruise ships. Up on the hill at night a large statue of Ataturk with opening arms could be seen lit up. It was a busy place with lots of people wandering up and down the Esplanade in the evening. We had dinner by ourselves in a Turkish restaurant (there were many other restaurants with international food styles such as Mexican, steak houses and so on but we were still keen on Turkish food.

Friday 2 October

We didn’t have far to go today to the ancient spa city of Hierapolis from our hotel in Pamukkale. The amazing Travertines are terraces of carbonates and are World Heritage listed. The hot springs are fed from under the ground and the water in the Cleopatra pool is very warm. We tried out the Cleopatra pool along with many other people. There is spouting warm water and a deeper section which has ropes to hang on to and in the shallower areas are large boulders. The ruins have a hole which has gas coming from it and a sign saying Plutonium which apparently means place of the god Pluto and the gas is carbon dioxide. We checked out the amphitheatre and then also the museum and the ruins in the necropolis. We had lunch with tunica clad young men assisting before we were taken to the obligatory carpet display. The carpets are very beautiful and it would be great to buy a few to decorate home. A couple of the group bought carpets, but we realised that going with a group to such a place takes a certain amount of pressure off to buy. Then another hotel smorgasbord meal back at our hotel.