Tuesday June 19
After a good nights rest we had breakfast (buffet) outside with view to the ocean.
Stephanie and Lyn like cats. And cats seem to like them, ha-ha.
But soon we were in the bus. Off to ...
... Ephesus !
For information
click here!
Our guide is so excited about what he explains to us. I just wished I could recall all of it. I am just mainly walking around in awe and try to envision how this ancient city might have looked buzzing with people.
Oh, yes, Cui (William's friend, see
here) came along.
There seem to be a lot of 'temple cats'. This one was just sitting on this rock and I put Cui carefully next to her. She immediately started to make friends.
Aykut takes a photo of our group.
The rows of seats were decorated on the aisles with lion paws.
The streets must have been impressive. At this spot 4 metal rings were fastened to the floor in a square with a hole in the middle. What for? In the middle was a torch tied up to the four rings. Strangers had to stop here and were not allowed to enter after a certain hour.
A sign for the pharmacist.
A sign for the doctor (or surgeon).
Few statues are left. Most of them are in a museum ... somewhere in the world.
Cui is keeping good company.
Left and right of the street was a covered walk way, the floor laid with mosaics. Some can be seen here. Pillars holding the roof. Statues and shops. It must have been glorious.
James and I, Helen and Sarah were here before (in Mai 2002) and remember it well.
Helen wanted a picture of a 'tinker' but it was now roped off and only Cui could take a seat.
Christian signs can be found too. A close-up of the next photo.
Front right.
Pomegranate. Flower and fruit (not ready yet).
Another of the many cats.
The library must have been incredible.
Looking from the library to the road in front.
Walking on the Marble Road.
Dust where there used to be marble.
But I see cute little flowers too.
Some say that St Paul preached in this amphitheater. Our guide says that he caused a riot and never got to. But to think that we walked were he had walked.
The road from the theater to the harbor. Ephesus used to be a harbor town. But then the area silted and the harbor was not usable any longer. Now it is all dry land and a long way to the sea.
The bus took us then to this little town,
Şirince, a beautiful hilltop Ottoman town near Selçuk and Ephesus . We walked a while up the hill because Aykut knew a special place for lunch.
It's a touristy place for Turkish tourists mainly.
The entrance to our restaurant.
Afterwards we have some free time to explore on our own. Here is a bride walking by.
First we all go down to the city square.
But then James and I don't feel like shopping and go up to the old orthodox church.
The establishment of this village goes back to the 5th century A.D. and there are three stories how it came about.
St John the Baptist Church in
Şirince.
(I should have taken the pictures in the other order)
Back to the meeting point ... in front of the guy who crafted jewellery and trinkets for the movie 'Troy' and has met Brad Pitt, ha-ha.
On our way to the bus we pass this tree.
I had never seen mulberries before so Aykut with the help of the next shop owner and his umbrella gets some.
There are red ones and white ones and in-between. They are all delicious.
Yup!
Now we are in the Ephesus Museum of
Selçuk, which displays incredible finds from the ancient city.
The people in this display are cut-outs.
Marcus Aurelius 2nd century A.D.
Folding things 2nd century A.D.
Eros on the Dolphin
also 2nd century A.D.
5th century B.C.
I love the slick lines.
There were also things to see outside.
Evil-eye beads:
numerous of these glass beads are found in the prehistoric excavations in Anatolia. Now they are being made in Gorece and Kamelpasa in the Aegean basin. Especially tourists love them.
The museum also has a resident stork.
... with babies in the nest.
Ephesian Artemis 125-175 A.D.
The entrance to our hotel 'Charisma'
Dinner with sun-set again.
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From
Aykut's CD:
Day
5
Tuesday
06.19.2012 (Kusadası)
Overnight
at Charisma
Hotel, Kuşadası
Ephesian Artemis 125-175 A.D.
You didn't have to go so far away to see a Mulberry tree...I have one on the edge of my back yard! :)
ReplyDeleteJoyce, you lucky lady. When are they ripe? Need help? I had never seen or had any before.
DeleteThe birds generally get them before anyone else can. We also had one at the edge of our yard when I was growing up, and I occasionally managed to eat one or two then. They are very good! They are generally ripe in early summer. Our were/are more the color of blackberries.
DeleteYou surely had a nice trip.
ReplyDeleteOh, my goodness – Ephesus! It took me forever to study all the pictures. I enlarged them and examined each one. I loved the picture of Cui and the kitty.
ReplyDelete