Tag Archives: ephesus

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Kinda sick?

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Breaking news alert – I’ve got a scratchy and slightly phlegmy throat and it’s the end of the world.  Alright, it’s not really and I hope I’m close to being better soon.  Larry has had a cough for like the last 4 weeks and I think it’s finally going away too.  NOW THAT YOU’RE ALL CAUGHT UP, what should I write about?

Black Mirror?

I’d say I’ve enjoyed the few episodes I’ve seen of this season.  I liked “USS McAllister” a lot, and we just watched “Crocodile” last night and that was some fucked-up shit.  The “Hang the DJ” episode was actually very enjoyable and had a surprising twist, although I read some takes online that indicated that the very end kind of is a bleak way to see things.

Ancient Wonders of the World?

I listened to a 2-part podcast yesterday that was about the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and it was pretty fascinating.  I’ve known about many of these especially because of the Civilization and Rise of Nations games, in which you get to build Wonders.  The Assassins Creed games have been sometimes useful to see these wonders – especially in Origins, which has not only the Great Pyramid of Giza but also the Lighthouse at Alexandria.  I hadn’t remembered this, but Larry & I had actually seen some of the remnants of The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus when we were there for our 2011 cruise:

I still can’t believe how unbearably hot it was in Turkey when we were there.   And look at how ridiculously crowded it was!!!!!  Still worth it to have visited these places.  Hearing about some of the other Wonders does make you think on what some of them actually looked like – as we only have some written accounts for some of them, like the Colossus of Rhodes and the Status of Zeus in Olympia.  Okay, I digress.

I’ve got not much else to say today and am ready to eat some delicious pot roast.

pictures

Ancient Ephesus (2011 Trip) pics!

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September 5, 2011 – Ancient Ephesus (and Kusadasi)

I uploaded pics I took while Larry & I were in the amazing and ancient city of Ephesus during our fantastic Mediterranean cruise.  That was a particularly hot day on the vacation and the excavation site at Ephesus was MOBBED with people.  We weren’t about to not go on an excursion though, and it was fascinating to hear the history of this place as our tour guide walked us through the ancient ruins.  Of course, having just been to Rome and Athens, places that are the kings of ruins, you begin to get jaded.  It’s like when you go to art museum after art museum on a vacation – like what happened when traveling with Jason & Wendy so many years ago – you just get tired of art.  Tired, I say!

The Ancient City of Ephesus, Turkey

The lovely view of Kusadasi
The dock at Kusadasi
Gorgeous view of Kusadasi as we drove the coast route to Ephesus
The entrance to Ephesus
An ancient Greek city with significant remaining ruins
Very little remains, but that’s because Ephesus is from 600 BC
It is situated in what is known as Asia Minor
The ruins of an amphitheater
It was really hot that day, and crowded
Different styles of columns
It also became a Roman city, and at one time along the coast
Since then, the sealine changed and now it’s 7 miles inland
The area looks a lot like Southern California
The Temple of Artemis once was in Ephesus but was destroyed by looters
The Book of Revelation cites Ephesus as one of the 7 churches of Asia
At one point in time, Ephesus was the second largest city in the Roman Empire, after Rome
The main crowded strip leads through the ruins
Very very crowded
Larry loves crowds
So do I – thank goodness for that hat – it was sunny and hot
Remaining marble that made up Ephesus’ streets
You can see at the end of the path the Celsius Library
Remaining mosaic tiles on the ground
Yep, they had bathrooms and public toilets
Pomegranate trees, with their fruit showing the signs of a crown
The Celsius Library – looks like something out of an Indiana Jones movie
It’s actually a reconstructed facade using original pieces
Named after Tiberius Julius Celsius, who paid for its construction
It’s built facing east so that the library would get morning sunlight
This is the other side of the facade, showing its modern heritage
I just have to touch everything
Close to the Theater, which is thought to be the biggest outdoor theater of the ancient world
We got treated to a cheesy Roman battle recreation
Although this guy with the short haircut was damn hot
They battled valiantly
But hottie lost
A better view of the Theater – it’s pretty damn big
The path towards our bus

Lunch in Kusadasi & Evening Departure

Back in Kusadasi, we found a great cafe for lunch and Turkish beer
Some hummus
A delicious doner kebab plate
The port town of Kusadasi, full of vendors
Pigeon Island, a castle fortress on a peninsula
Our mammoth ship, the Equinox
Larry on our deck
Our view of Kusadasi from the room
The sunset begins
Three ships were docked all in a row and we could see right to this pool deck
The sunset continues
Ah, cruising
Nearly done, but still dramatic
The ship lights are all ablaze as we start to edge out
Goodbye Kusadasi!
Kusadasi by moon and shiplight
Our dramatically beautiful ship

2011 Mediterranean Trip Pics Index