Turkey and Greece 2012 - Part 4

Note: As I travel to different coffee shops around town it reminds me that later I will do a post about the best and the worst of these little hipster hubs.

But today, it's back to Turkey. Epic! I know. I've beaten a dead horse saying over and over how spectacular this trip was but I cannot overemphasize the nature of these grand places! And, what made them even more special was being there with family!

After a really fun trip to Ephesus (the most fun was our niece - but that's a different story) we made our way to the The National Park Beach. Absolutely stunning clear Aegean waters where you can just picture Jason and the Argonauts and Ulysees running their quests on the rocked shores of this amazing Nationally preserved park.

My sister in law asked what our favorite part of the trip was...though it was difficult to pinpoint any singular thing, the National Park Beach was an exceptional reprieve from the heat, from people, from reality itself.

We had a picnic with cheese and watermelon and pastirma. We tossed rocks. We drank Turkish Coffee and laughed. A lot.

And with scenery like this you can understand why...

It was a perfect afternoon.

As if things could get any better.... Roadside figs!!!!

And then.....

We drove into Bodrum at Sunset.

Turkey and Greece 2012 - Part 3

We woke early the following day to get a jump on Ephesus.  Being a history teacher makes this place extremely appealing. The ancient structures, the clever engineering, the unfathomable arches and a string quartet?! Yes, there were lovely fellows playing for the droves of tourists. I love imagining being present with the Ephesians. When you walk these ancient marble paths you wonder, What did they eat? How did they engineer aquiducts? How did they carve marble columns?  And how did Paul come to be here? Obviously they didn't have the technology we had but the structures facilitate something so sophisticated! They had toilets with plumbing. Houses with chambers that were attached to kitchen as dining rooms and bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms and the mosaics...oh my, the mosaics. Ephesus is even mentioned in the Christian bible several times. It was quite a romantic place and it was sensational to be there with my family and husband. It was hot but the reward was a trip to the seashore before wending our way to Bodrum.

The Temple of Artemis

This is a 3000 year old structure!

Yeah. It's me. I think I'm more focused on the hat than the ancient avenue behind me. Still, it is a pretty nice hat.

After visiting Ephesus we travelled to the Virgin Mary's house. It is said that after the death of Christ, Mary fled to Turkey to avoid persecution. Such a pilgrimage...

The entrance to her modest home.

Prayers written on primarily T.P. and tied to the fence.

Ok. so I'm extended my original 5 day post schedule of Turkey and Greece to now, six. Five posts just aren't enough to really give you the feeling of grandeur that I experience. EPIC...I know I already said that but I can't help but emphasize the awesomeness...

So, next post, The National Park and BODRUM!!!!

Turkey and Greece 2012 - Part 2

I figured I'd start you out with the same map of Turkey I used previously. Other maps simply did not show what I want you to see. Pamukkale is in a region called Denizli. It includes Heiropolis and a host of other ruins. It is extraordinary and beautiful.

The drive from Afyon took a few hours but was painless with the inclusion of the iPad, Sekker Pare and the fam.

The day was hot and we were all exhausted but such is the life of a traveler....

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Pamukkale is a place that tourists save their whole lives to visit. It was great but even better and rarely visited by Americans was a little place called Sirince (Pronounced Shir-in-jay). Sirin means cute - and oh, it's cute. But it was first called "Ugly" by it's Greek inhabitants because they did not want to be disturbed by outsiders.

The locals live a simple life. 

Vendors are out selling wares all over this village. Can you believe cars drive on these roads?

A sweet little church tucked in the Turkish hills.

We found a covered courtyard. So simple. A dirt floor, low tables and mismatched chairs. We ordered our tea and enjoyed the view. The gentleman that owned the tea house sat down and told us the entire history of Sirince. My husband translated for me...In not these exact words the man told us that the Greeks were here as slaves and set free to start their own lives. They found this little hillside and called it ugly to ward of unwanted guests. Then the Greeks left and this quaint hillside was re-found by the Turks. The name changed and folks settled, they struggled to make a living. So they opened up the "cute" place and began selling home cooked meals and local wines. Visiting "cuteville" was a pleasant way to spend the afternoon. After, we ventured to Kusadasi (pronounced "Koo-shaw-de-si") to find a place to stay for the night.

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This is a sweet memory for me. We stayed at a clean, small hotel which happened to be hosting a HUGE engagement party. The sun went down and we went into town to see the sights. I loved being in a place that my husband remembers so fondly. He talks often of summers in Kusadesi. It has been since overrun with tourists but it is still a charming place to visit, regardless.