So, this is my dear little friend, Feline. She is the most well-behaved 3 year old I've ever met. I got to hang out with her and her mom and a few other ladies from Denmark while we were there. They were so much fun!
The entertainment at dinner our last night in Turkey was fantastic!
This is where the dinner was at a hotel in Kusadasi.
Another picture just before the traditional Turkish dinner.
Andy and I shopping in downtown Kusadasi, where it is much different than West Town Mall! I love bargaining! And, yes, those are nacho doritos I found at one of the stands. I even got the price down 50% on those.
Ok, so, after our tour of Ephesus and Mary's house, they took us to a carpet-making school, and then tried to sell it to us. It really was fascinting though.
This is a carpet in progress. The ladies make them by hand, and in Tukey, they use the double-knot technique. They say it is a dying art, and I can see why after watching how tedious it is. I asked the salesman how much the women are paid as my first question to his sales pitch.
One of the theaters at the ruins of Ephesus. This is where the apostle John and the Virgin Mary went later in life, they say. It was a part of the Roman empire 2000 years ago.
The infamous Ephesus library. It was the 3rd largest library in the ancient world behind Alexandria (in Egypt) and Pergamum (in Turkey).
This is a common bathroom of Ephesus. Seriously, it's a 2000 year old set of marble toilettes. Back in those days, when it was cold outside, aristocrats would make their servants "warm up the toilet" for them...what you don't see is a small playhouse across from the toilets, which gave the aristocrats something to do while they were...well...
It is incredible how well-preserved this city is.
The common medicine symbol was found on this stone just outside of a small building that they think might have been a clinic there in the town 2000 years ago.
A mini-ampitheater in Ephesus
Outside of Mary's house, similar to the wailing wall in Jerusalem, I left a prayer there for our families.
This is where they think the Virgin Mary lived out her last years, just outside of Ephesus. Blessed by the pope as a sacred site, each year, thousands take a pilgrimage to visit the place they believe Jesus' mother may have lived and died.
Temple of Diana, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. And yes, that little ant is Andy.
At the Temple of Diana
On the terrace of our hotel after a meal of questionable quality... :) But the view...fantastic.
Gorgeous view from our room.
This was our first trip to Turkey, but hopefully not the last. We had an amazing time visiting the ruins of historical Ephesus, enjoyed some bargain shopping, and met some new friends that we hope to keep in touch with for a long time to come.
Over the weekend, we went down to Heidelberg to see the "Schlossbeleuchtung", the lighting of the castle. There are three times every summer when the well-known Schlossbeleuchtung and fireworks display takes place – the first Saturday’s in June and September, and the second Saturday in July.The castle lighting is done in memory of the three times when the castle went up in flames (1689, 1693 and 1764). The first two times were due to wars with the French, and the last time by lighting.After the castle “burning” begins, a 15 minute fireworks display is launched from the Old Bridge.
Another shot during the Schlossbeleuchtung
