After another unbelievable Kolin Hotel Breakfast we were on our way to the ancient site of Troy by 8.30am. Yes Troy of Helen fame - not part of our original itinerary - but we were so close and the suggestion from fellow traveller Paul was acceptable to the whole bus. It was really worthwhile - to understand the scale of the city and of the recent archeological diggings. We learnt that there are nine historical stages (levels being unearthed) of this place and each of them has their own character.
Next visit was to Alexandria Troas. We were led in to the archaeological site by a special guide on a motorbike and discovered a fantastic archaeological site with, much to everyone's joy, archaeologists hard at work! Further along the road here a bush site under some ancient Roman arches was a good place to have a relevant reading from Acts about St Paul's call to Macedonia.
We had many kms to cover today and on our way to Pergamum we stopped for a traditional Turkish Pizza for lunch - like yesterday a family run restaurant and they were terrific - so hospitable and delighted to see a bus load of Aussies. We were well fed and cared for.
Pergamum was a massive surprise; we needed every bit of the one and a half hours to explore the main site. In order to reach this required a lift, a cable car and then a mountainous walk. There we found the remains of a hilltop city - complete with temples, theatre, commerce/shops and library (at one time the library was second only to the one in Alexandria as the largest in the world). The photos will hardly do this site justice! Words cannot explain the magnificent height and age of the marble columns of the temple standing tall on the top of the hill which can be seen for many kilomteres away and designed for ancient seafarers to know that the city was there.
Just down the road the site of the ancient Red Basilica - another massive building and a treasurer. It was at Pergamum, one of the seven cities that St John the Divine included in his message to the churches in the book of Revelation.
Then it was a matter of pushing on to Ismir - Turkey's second biggest city - only 3.5 million people - most of them seemed to be travelling on the busy roads or crossing them on foot as we arrived - it was busy. Our Hotel is in the middle of the old town. Ismir is also known as Smirna - another of those seven churches. Tomorrow we head for Ephesus and Kusadasi.
Next visit was to Alexandria Troas. We were led in to the archaeological site by a special guide on a motorbike and discovered a fantastic archaeological site with, much to everyone's joy, archaeologists hard at work! Further along the road here a bush site under some ancient Roman arches was a good place to have a relevant reading from Acts about St Paul's call to Macedonia.
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| German archaeologists hard at work |
We had many kms to cover today and on our way to Pergamum we stopped for a traditional Turkish Pizza for lunch - like yesterday a family run restaurant and they were terrific - so hospitable and delighted to see a bus load of Aussies. We were well fed and cared for.
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| Ruth, Tig and Paul explore the lower corridor at Pergamum |
Pergamum was a massive surprise; we needed every bit of the one and a half hours to explore the main site. In order to reach this required a lift, a cable car and then a mountainous walk. There we found the remains of a hilltop city - complete with temples, theatre, commerce/shops and library (at one time the library was second only to the one in Alexandria as the largest in the world). The photos will hardly do this site justice! Words cannot explain the magnificent height and age of the marble columns of the temple standing tall on the top of the hill which can be seen for many kilomteres away and designed for ancient seafarers to know that the city was there.
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| Ruined temple at Pergamum |
Just down the road the site of the ancient Red Basilica - another massive building and a treasurer. It was at Pergamum, one of the seven cities that St John the Divine included in his message to the churches in the book of Revelation.
Then it was a matter of pushing on to Ismir - Turkey's second biggest city - only 3.5 million people - most of them seemed to be travelling on the busy roads or crossing them on foot as we arrived - it was busy. Our Hotel is in the middle of the old town. Ismir is also known as Smirna - another of those seven churches. Tomorrow we head for Ephesus and Kusadasi.
what a fantastic trip your having ,the food sounds delicious the way you describe it .your seeing amazing sights ,makes exciting reading ,.thank you.
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