Walking in the steps of Paul and John the Evangelist

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Today was our first excursion and it was everything we hoped it would be. The ship docked in Kusadasi, Turkey, early this morning and we left immediately for three historical sites located about 45 minutes away. Driving through the countryside, both Bowen and I were pleasantly surprised (not sure what we expected) by the beautiful landscape. The hillsides were covered in green and the valleys were filled with crops and orchards. We saw artichokes growing for the first time. In the uncultivated areas, there were fields of wild bright red poppies, looking like someone had painted them in big bold patches.

Our first stop was the House of the Virgin Mary, designated by the Catholic Church as the place Mary spent the last days of her life. On the cross, Jesus told Mary that the Disciple John would be her son and told John that Mary would be his mother. To keep her safe, John brought her to a beautiful and peaceful hillside near Ephesus to live. The foundation and about 3 feet of wall were preserved and later the upper part of the home was rebuilt. It is quiet lovely!

Next, we visited the ruins of the Basilica of St. John, which is the place where the John, the Disciple and Evangelist was buried. It was built by the Emperor Justinian sometime in the 2nd century and must have been quite large. Interestingly, many of the materials, including lots of marble, were taken from the Temple of Diana nearby. That temple has only a singly column remaining, but Hon's Basilica has an extensive footprint and many standing walls and columns.

The last stop (but certainly not the least) was our visit to the archeological site of the ancient city of Ephesus. Originally a port city, the ruins of Ephesus today are at least 15 miles from water. The changing landscape and a major outbreak malaria forced the 200,000 residents to move away. The ruins were totally buried until 1845 and archeologists have only uncovered about 10% of the city, with digging continuing each day. The two most significant sites within Ephesus are the Library and the Amphitheater. The Library was excavated in pieces and then reassembled. It is simply magnificient! Both Paul and John the Evangelist walked the same streets we walked today, and we stood in the amphitheater where Paul preached to over 20,000 people. Reading Acts and Paul's Letter to the Ephesians will never be the same!

The weather today was sunny and cool and the excursion could not have been more interesting. All in all, this was a wonderful Mother's Day!

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