Freshly returned form my week end getaway to the island of Samos, another pleasant surprise lay in store for me. Knowing that for the rest of summer we will be working seven days a week and long hours, the captain gave us the opportunity to each take a four day break in the month in port.
I embraced this unexpected boon, deciding that since I would be cooped up on the boat in the months ahead to book into an inexpensive little hotel at a nearby beach.
But first a crew mate and I decided to spend a day exploring Ephesus. A little later than originally planned we left the boat and Kusadassi behind us with the air conditioning blasting in our rented car on this hot summers morning.
Despite our late start, the blazing sun was tempered by a mercifully cooling breeze as we visited the ancient ruins of the city of Ephesus, locally known as Efes. It is amazing how much of it remained intact. Not only are the ruins themselves beautiful, they are set against the backdrop of a spectacular landscape.
We strolled through the column lined streets, overhearing the claims of a guide that this was of the first lit streets, providing safety to travelers. I drank in the beauty and details of the carvings in the marble and the majestic architecture of the amphitheater and library. I also stopped to admire the simple beauty of things such as a wild flower growing between the rocks.
I was grateful for my friends patience as I snapped away hundreds of pictures, stopping for an interesting texture or pattern, an unusual view, a composition that caught my eye . . . After several hours spent traipsing all over the hillside and thoroughly drinking in our surroundings, a cold beverage and meal beckoned us.
A delightful little village nearby provided just that. Here we found a taste of Turkey in a little restaurant. We sat under the shade of the terrace, with pleasant Turkish music playing in the background, still being blessed by a cool breeze. The lovely ambiance was enhanced by a wood fire oven, with a Turkish lady sitting next to it making a steady stream of mouthwatering bread to accompany the lovely fare on offer. A selection of cold "meze" starters was just what the doctor ordered to revive us after hours in the sun.
Altogether a pleasant day, walking where the apostle Paul once walked and experiencing a blend of history long past and the ambiance of present day Turkey.
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