Saturday, July 2, 2011
Greek Island of Chios
We toured The Greek Island of Chios. We took a 40 minute ferry ride from the coastal Turkish town of Cesme. We rented a car and drove around the southern part of the Island. The small little villages are very quaint. Most are ancient with their stone and brick structures. The city streets are narrow and hard to maneuver, but very lovely. The Island is known for its Mastic trees. Mastic is a sticky ingredient used in gum, candy, jams and jellies. We ate lunch at a beautiful little beach side restaurant. We all chose different cuts of pork. Bill and I aren't huge pork eaters, but being in Turkey the last two months, we kind of miss it. Pork is not sold in Turkey. The scenery was beautiful. The coast line was breathtaking, along with various ruins, ancient forts along the shoreline, Monasteries, and Greek Orthodox Churches. We had a wonderful time.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Ephesus
We spent a wonderful day at Ephesus near Selcuk Turkey. The ruins are amazing and vast. The site is very well preserved, and it is amazing the plumbing, architecture, art and advanced lifestyle the ancient city had. Ephesus was originally a port city, but now is 6 miles from the ocean. It died out when the bay silted in and it was seized after the death of Alexander the Great. The city was in existence for hundreds of years, and with the expansion of Christianity in the 4th century AD the construction of may important religious building where constructed. Ephesus was considered to be one of the 7 wonders of the world. We enjoyed a drive to Selcuk also. So much to see!
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Ancient City of Teos
Yesterday we decided to extend our cruising time to make it to Sigacik and pull into Teos Marina. We looked at a weather forecast and decided that with the winds picking up we didn't want to get caught in a storm. Glad we did, the winds are around 35 - 40 knots and the marina is a very good place to be. We are tied up right by the pool and have spent a lot of time lounging and swimming. The ancient Sigacik Castle was built here in the 1500's. Also Teos has a natural port that has been used since 1000 BC. Today we went to the Sigacik Castle, a Bazaar was held within the walls. The locals brought their produce and handcrafts, it was like going back in time a thousand years. We ate handmade gozleme for breakfast, which is meat, cheese, peppers and onions, wrapped in a thin crust that is folded into squares. Very delicious! And only 3 Turkish Lire, what a deal. We plan to go to Ephesus in a couple of days, can't wait.
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