The Turkish Aegean

This is the view from our hotel room in Kusadasi, a tourist town close by Ephesus. Today is a very full one starting off with a Turkish bath. Then we tour Efes, as the Turks call Ephesus, then we have lunch with a Turkish friend of Shirley's who owns a carpet shop. We will learn how the carpets are made and have an opportunity to buy one (of course!)

Love Valley and Underground cities

Can you guess why it is called Love Valley?

Villages built underground refuges to keep safe from marauding Hittites, Seljuks, and miscellaneous invaders over the centuries.

Red Valley Hike

Here we are in the dramatic landscape of sandstone.

Cartoonish shapes. (Not us!)

Cappodocia

How is this for a view out our hotel window? We saw many balloons last night but alas, my balloon ride this morning was cancelled due to high winds.

Our hotel is like a little village built into the hillside.

Here is another view out our window. We are going hiking in these hills today.

Istanbul

Hard to choose a photo for today. This is Roman Cisterns under the city.

Here I am at the Spice Market.

And touring the Bosphorus Straits. Many adventures in just two days.

It's Istanbul, not Constantinople!

On our way! Atlanta, Rome, Istanbul.

My Turkish Adventure

Tomorrow I leave for Istanbul with my friend, Marlene. We will be joining 10 other ladies of a "certain age" including our indefatigable tour leader. Age will not deter us from scrambling up Baba Dag  and exploring the underground reaches of Cappodocia, nor from bargaining in the Grand     Bazaar or swimming in the Turquoise Mediterranean Sea. I intend to write a brief blog with a photo every day that I have a connection and perhaps fill it in with journal entries from my old fashioned written journal when I return home on October 11th. Merhaba!