Turkey knocked my socks off!  What an incredibly beautiful country. The water is warm, clear and blue, the skies are cloudless and the people are kind.  And there is plenty to see and do.

Our time in Ephesus allowed us a visit to the House of the Virgin Mary, believed to be where She spent her last days. Her house is nestled high up in the mountains, away from everything.  When you arrive, you hear only the sounds of the birds and the trees.  Incredibly peaceful. From there, we visited the ancient city of Ephesus, with ruins as multiple and awe-inspiring as those in Rome.  For a quick history lesson, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ephesus.  Some cool stuff...although it was sweltering out.  Loved it though.

From the ancient city, we headed to one of the best museums I've ever entered: The Archaeological Museum of Ephesus.  This museum holds many relics found within the area: sarcophagi, busts, statues, tools, etc.  You can pretty much walk right up to something and breath on it...very accessible, which makes it all the better. I'm a big fan of lines, curves and angles, so to see these 2,000 + year old statues with smooth lines and minute details, it boggles my mind.  Absolutely awesome! We then paid a visit to the Church of St. John, which is in the city of Selcuk. The Church of St. John is where the tomb of St. John is, and a basilica was erected in his name. Only ruins remain from this basilica, but it's a fantastic place to walk around. 

Lastly, we headed to Kusadasi, where our cruise ship port was.  Spent some time walking the streets, enjoying Turkish coffee and partook in the fine art of haggling.  If you should make your way to Kusadasi, take advantage of the quality AND quantity of gold (yes girls, I'm talking jewelry galore).  And might I recommend 'FACET JEWELLERY' (their spelling, not mine).  They are reputable, gracious, have a beautiful collection and offer up the best damn Turkish coffee I've EVER had. Their craftmanship is said to be among the best in Turkey. They are located right on Main Street, across from the post office and their information is as follows:

Barbaros Hayrettin Pasa Bulv. 37
09400 Kusadasi/Turkey
Telephone: +90 (256) 614-11-59
Email: tual-facet@superonline.com

And another recommendation, should you care to hire a tour guide while in Ephesus/Izmir area....Yusuf Savat. He is FANTASTIC!  Go to www.tur-tour.com and request him...well worth it.

 

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