Kusadasi 15 July

Day 8

- Kusadasi   (Ephesus)

We arrived into Kusadasi in Turkey on the Agean coast at 0730 & were able to be docked so could walk along the pier into town. There was a much bigger cruise line (Celebrity) berthed next to us carrying 3,000 passengers! Ours had 700. 

Kusadasi was conquered by Alexander the Great of the Ottoman Empire. It's importance as a port was over shadowed by Ephesus which at that time was the capital of Turkey with a population of greater than 250,000 during the Roman Empire, making it the 2nd largest city in the world after Rome. 

Ephesus was founded back in 3,000 BC & was famed for its Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. 

Michael & I left the cruise & the Swans for a tour of Ephesus, 12 km from Kusadasi. What an amazing (yes that word again!) archeological site. 

We could visualise the layout of the town & buildings therein much easier than The Palace of Knossos in Crete. After visiting Ephesus we were taken to a Turkish rug demonstration of making & the display of many beautiful rugs all shapes, sizes & prices. It was quite mind boggling. 

We had a quick lesson on the Turkish carpets seeing all 5 types of rugs made in Turkey. (Silk on silk; silk on cotton;viscose on cotton; wool on cotton & wool on wool). We then turned the corner & there we caught Marg & Coral being very tempted to buy a rug. 

Had a very relaxing afternoon on board reading & swimming. I kept saying I must go & practice my putting (very challenging) or keep up my skills at the bridge table but on the chaise around the pool was more appealing. Started the cruise with daily walks around the upper deck but that fell by the wayside as walked a lot in the towns! The others, being gym junkies, were regulars in the well equipped gym on board. 

Pre dinner drinks on the stern of the ship. 

 Leaving the Swans behind as we go to a tour of Ephesus. 

The marbled sacred street connecting the Great Theatre with the Library of Celsus. 

Rows of open aired public toilets.

The Library of Celsius which held 12,000 scrolls.  Gate of Augustus to the right. 

The Great Theatre seating 44,000 & believed to be the largest outdoor theatre in the ancient world. 

The alley way where the lions would come into the arena. 

Main road down to the port. 

The Great Theatre in the background. 

Carpet weaving. 

Throwing of the carpets is a great art. 

At the port. 

The Regent (our cruise) is the smaller in the background. 

Both chewing the fat!

Back on board for some R&R. 

Pre dinner drinks. 

This was wealthy "yank" pre her purchase of 4 Turkish rugs.