Who needs Istanbul?

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Greetings from Selcuk (Sel-CHOOK)!

John and I have been staying here for the past few days as a base to explore the area. We fell in love with the place almost immediately. For starters, the hotel a) had understandable directions and b) was only a 5 minute walk from the train station. Apart from that, it is also nothing like Istanbul, which was crowded, dirty and aggressive. This place feels more like a mediterranian village. There is open space and parks, and prices are more reasonable! 😊

The first thing we did was set out for Ephesus. This is a 3k walk along a shady path with views of the mountains and other ruins along the way. The ruins at Ephesus are incredible and extensive. I cannot recommed this experience highly enough. It was just amazing. While we were here we also saw the ruins of the Temple of Artemis, St. John's Basilica (also very impressive), explored the weekly market that sets up literally just outside our hotel (Saturdays), and today we made a short excursion to Sirince.

Sirince is a short (15 min) bus trip up a very windy (but worth it, Mom!) road. It was originally Greek and looks like it was just picked up and gently set back down in the Turkish mountains. Gorgeous scenery, and they make wine and olive oil. There is also a very pretty church a steep walk up from the bus stop. We went up to the church and afterwards had a glass of fresh made orange juice while sitting on the patio looking out over the mountains and olive trees. Beautiful.

Well I can see that I've rambled on long enough, and I'll leave the picture attaching to John. Our camera is awesome! John tells me about all of the technological features, and I just smile, nod, and press the button. 😊

Love to all from Turkey!

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