Category Archives: Turkey

With back-to-back overnight buses (let’s chalk it up to a failed experiment), we started the day in Kusadasi, stopping at the House of the Virgin Mary, which has its own version of the Western Wall note phenomenon,the Basilica of St. John, and the one remaining (reconstructed) column of one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World – the Temple of Artemis. (What happened to the rest of the Temple, you ask?  Oh, stolen and housed at the British Museum in London).  The highlight was the ruins at Ephesus; from the mosaics at the terrace houses to the two-story library, the ruins are incredibly well preserved and expansive. Move over, Pompeii, the ruins at Ephesus take the crown for most impressive.

Istanbul was a wonderful surprise. I was expecting something more Middle Eastern, perhaps – similar to Morocco, but the reality is that Istanbul is a highly European city with well-organized public transportation, a sophisticated tourism industry, a thriving arts scene, and quite a bit to do and see.  Our first night, we met up with a camp friend who knows Istanbul well and introduced us to the best Baklava in town, which quickly became a thrice-daily occurrence.  We toured all the major landmarks – the Blue Mosque, the Aya Sofia, the Topkapi Palace, Grand Bazaar, Egyptian Bazaar, Synagogue, Bosphorus boat from Europe to Asia (one side of the city to the other)– each place magnificent in its own right.  Clearly, after all that touring, we couldn’t help but unwind with steam rooms and massages at a Turkish hammam.