Talking Turkey Part One

Well we made it. I have to admit that for most of the cruise I was expecting a cancelation of our Turkey stops, Kusadasi/Ephesus and Istanbul. So imagine my surprise when our captain informed us that we are a go, green light to Turkey.
 
Tourism is a sad state of affairs in Turkey at the moment. Most of the cruise ships have announced they will not be calling on Turkey ports this season. That is sad. Turkey is one of the most hospitable and friendly places I’ve visited. And it is a rich history lesson as are all the European countries we’ve visited over the years. Then you can toss in the lure of Turkish trinkets, carpets and Turkish Delight.
 
We were told not to dress like tourists, not to stand out in the crowd, but there was a couple of Tilly hats and Canada pins in our group that made us look…well…like tourists. So we were not going to be tricking anyone. We looked more like we were on safari than anything.
 
Our first stop was the port of Kusadasi, where we jumped on a bus and headed to Ephesus, an incredible city built in the 10th century BC. Folks, if you get a chance to visit Ephesus you should jump at it. It blew my mind. When you walk through it you can see the outline of an entire city, the main street, the shops, the terrace houses of the wealthy. The frescos, the brothel that was attached to the library by a secret tunnel (Honey, I’m going to the library to...ah…explore some new bodies of work?), all is presented in a way that keeps you spellbound throughout the entire visit.

We also visited Mary’s House, a serene place that they believe was the place Mary lived in her later years. Yes THE Mary. I don’t think they have any proof that it was her house but it was a great place to visit. I lit a candle for my dad there, and left a note on a wall of notes to Mary. I didn’t ask her for a Vespa. I asked her to keep watch over my family. I do want a Vespa just to clarify…
 
Finally we visited the temple of Artemis which is one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. That one really asked us to use our imagination, especially considering it is a swap with almost nothing showing.