The last two nights we were in Selcuk, a town similar in size to Ayvalik (yes, I still miss Ayvalik and seem to want to compare everything to Ayvalik). Selcuk is the gateway to the Ephesus (Efes) ruins. We stayed at a great place called Atilla’s Getaway, which is run by Atilla, a Turkish-Australian gentleman who…
There was some sort of celebration today that involved military displays with cannon fire. These girls danced wonderfully, for whatever the purpose, and shook their shoulders like nobody’s business!
We arrived in Ayvalik (EYE-vah-lick) on Wednesday and I have fallen in love with this town and the surrounding area. Yesterday Thomas and I took a long walk from Ayvalik to another town, Alibey Adasi (Alibey Island), which is at the end of a very long peninsula across the water from Ayvalik. After getting rather…
Admittedly, I knew very little about Gallipoli (Gelibolu in Turkish). The United States played a negligible role in that particular theater during World War I, so our history doesn’t pay it much mind. Most of what I know about its significance comes from the popular Australian ballad, And the band played Waltzing Matilda. The song is…
The weather during the first week of our trip has been hot and sunny, with yesterday being the most acutely hot. While touring Gallipoli on a large tour bus with Australian and New Zealanders (we were the only North Americans on the tour), the temperature reached 90 degrees. There were moments when getting off the…
Yesterday we traveled from Istanbul to Canakkale, an oceanside town six hours south of Istanbul. The bus route went along the coast of the Aegean Sea, past many small villages and pasture lands. The highlight of the ride for me was seeing a farmer (Shepard?) with a flock of sheep–so lovely! The final leg of…
No dancing at the Hagia Sophia!
A quick note on technology: Internet access, while ubiquitous, is incredibly slow and connections are spotty. This is both good and bad. On the one hand, it keeps us focused on what we’re doing and seeing. On the other, it prevents us from sharing those same experiences. So, we’ll be doing the best we can to update as we are able.
Much love,
Thomas and Erika
On Friday, Erika and I went to a bath house to experience a Turkish bath. There is no bath, per se, at least in the Western understanding. Rather, the term refers to the way one is washed and massaged by an attendant from head to toe. We were a bit nervous. We had looked at…