Blogs from Selçuk, Aegean, Turkey, Middle East - page 6

After the usual excellent breakfast we took the minibus to Sirince. They run every half hour and it is not far - not far as the crows fly (and there are a whole lot of crows here) but it's a steep and winding road up a mountain. Sirince is pretty - and takes advantage of this. It's full of little stalls selling honey, fruit wine and olive oil soap. There are also a load of restaurants and pansiyonlar and we were addressed in nothing but French. It's famous for being pretty, Greek and producing wine. A lot of the houses have been brought up and beautifully restored. Needless to say it is expensive to buy a restored place there are the best prospects have already been snapped up. Some attractive wrecks remain, but the atmosphere is ... read more

We spent more time in Turkey than expected, and with our flight back to London looming it was time to get a move on and see some of the Balkans. We had originally intended to take a ferry to Greece and then see some of Italy before the summer season began, however, with time running out, we decided to pay a fleeting visit to Bulgaria and Serbia. During the last 5 or so days in Turkey, we finally got around to seeing some of the places on the tourist trail - Selcuk and Istanbul. Selcuk, a Roman city, was interesting because archaeologists are in the middle of putting back together a 120,000 piece 3D jigsaw puzzle - namely the marble walls of the Consul's fancy house. All the pieces are laid out on numerous tables and ... read more

The best things to say about the ride today are 1. No mishaps 2. We made it to Selcuk We checked in at the Homeros, a really nice and friendly place on the hill. Had tea, ate gozleme (a sort of pancake). We are going to be here for a few days, some day trips planned, some on the bike and maybe some on the dolmus. We had a little wander around town, looked at some places. This is the area we are thinking of retiring to in a few years. We ended up at the old Artemis temple, it is a really peaceful place. It is partly flooded at present, home to terrapins and geese. It is also a great place to get a view of Selcuk over time, the column of the temple, to ... read more

5/31/09 To the children who receive this blog: Austin and Lily have loved seeing your comments and emails. Keep them coming. They miss their friends a lot. We had a wonderful surprise in the Turkish city, Selcuk, when we met another American family with three similarly aged children who are also travelling and home schooling for four months. The five children became friends, had a study hall together, and an extended recess on the beach. All five children ended up buried in the sand up to their necks by two Turkish teenagers who joined them for recess. --- Additionally, a Turkish family who were tourist watching on the beach stopped to take photos of the Americans. ... read more

Ephesus, the best preserved classical city in the Eastern Mediterranean. 3rd Century BC to to 4th Century AD give or take. Starte in the SE corner with the Basilica and Odeon, then a loop around the fountain of Pollio and Waterhouses. Curetes Way was once lined with shops and inns. The Terraced Houses were amazing to see, a look into the lifestyles of the elite in Roman and Byzantine times. Was an extra charge for admission, but very worth the extra money. The Temple of Hadrian, constructed 118 AD, depicts an interesting frieze of Medusa. And of course, the Library of Celsus. The library which had been built in the name of proconsul Gaius Celsus completed in the year 135 A.D. by his son Tiberius Giulius Aquila, is entered by way of a stairway, 21 meters ... read more