Middle Aged Drama Queen's Eastern Med Review: Serenade, Pics, Surprises & Fun!

[d4nigirl]

I do believe that you are giving Sailor Jack some competition in the humorous reviews department.:D

 

:eek:!

[KansCocoa]

I do believe that you are giving Sailor Jack some competition in the humorous reviews department.:D

 

Competition is good...it keeps us fresh and striving for perfection! :) I'm a huge fan of Sailor Jack, though...he kills me every time I read one of his reviews. When you have to read a review out loud to your spouse (who has no interest in Cruise Critic - :eek:) then you know it's good!

[KansCocoa]

Hi Sherri the review continues entertaining me (to the point I probably spent a lot on international roaming while seating & reading it at an airport):eek::rolleyes:

Anyways, the only thing that comes to my head about the late guy in Athens is being an important crew member? I mean...let's say my dad enjoys the casino a little too much :p and based on chats w all the friends he has made (who work at ships' casinos) it seems to be one of the best jobs onboard...they are usually young and have port days free, obviously they need them onboard to make some more $$$ off the barbarian cruisers at night so there you go :D

 

Your guess is as good as mine! :confused: We figured it HAD to be a crew member of some sort...there's NO WAY they would hold a ship for a half hour for a single, solitary passenger...unless it was Sailor Jack. :D

[mo&fran]

I was wondering how long it would take Sailorjack to get mentioned.

Meanwhile, I suspect they may have been waiting for some crew member to return. Perhaps he was sent on an errand, and they were waiting on his return.

[cruzinlady1947]

Sailorjack is new to me. I heard of Radio and Trainman and follow their reviews and reports, but never heard of Sailorjack. What cruise line does he report from, or is it more than one?

 

Still loving your review tremendously. Hope I can find time to keep up with your reports. Olympics start tonight. I guess I will just have to multi-task.:p

 

Gwen :)

[KansCocoa]

 

We last left our exhausted travelers heading off to dreamland, after their enjoyable, albeit, hot day in Athens…

 

So…if you’re following along…we are now up to Day #8 of our 12-night cruise, which is Friday, June 29th…and the beautiful Serenade of the Seas has docked in Kusadasi, Turkey for the day.

 

The ship is due to arrive at 8:00 am, and so after arising early, I enjoy breakfast at our “secret spot” in the Jammer with Cathy & Ken, watching the beautiful Turkish shoreline come into view. And, who knew? That the Turkish shoreline would be so pretty? Don’t judge, but I had kinda’ figured that Turkey would be this barren, rocky outcrop, and so I was somewhat surprised by how wrong I was. Turkey is pretty.

 

A view from our balcony that morning....

 

 

As is our usual norm, we will NOT be doing a ship excursion. After doing extensive, exhaustive research, I had finally settled on a private tour company, Ekol Travel…and had made reservations back in October for our June sailing. They have numerous vans, and our van could accommodate 12 people – and it didn’t take much time before our Roll Call filled up not only my van, but at least one other. If you visit Ekol’s website, you’ll see that they offer a variety of tours while in Kusadasi; we chose Tour #4, and we opted to include the Terrace Houses. Numerous emails had gone back and forth between myself and Valentina, their representative, and I can’t tell you how professional and attentive Valentina was in all of our correspondence.

 

We were scheduled to meet Ekol Travel at 8:30 this morning, and I’m pleased to report that my family was NOT the last family to meet up in the Centrum at 8:15. Maybe our luck is changing, which will, of course, mean that our reputation of being THAT family will change, as well. I have vowed that today, I will be on my best behavior...and I will not get into any scrapes, set off any alarms, jumpstart the Turkish economy, nor will I be the last on the van. Hmmm...if only my Klingons had made the same vow...specifically, Mickey. But we'll get to that. Anyway, our group of twelve head off the ship and meet up with Tylan, our tour guide for the day.

 

Today is promising to be a scorcher, with a projected high temperature of 96 degrees, with 33% humidity. Our goal is to head straight to the ruins of Ephesus to not only beat the heat, but also beat the projected hordes of barbarians that are sure to be invading Ephesus as the day goes on. Our van is extremely comfortable, and along the 30-minute drive to Ephesus, Ty gives us a brief overview and history of the area. His knowledge is impeccable, but his accent is a bit thick. He’s also speaking a bit rapidly, which makes it difficult, at first, to understand him. Later, he slows down, and he admits to us that he was a bit nervous in the beginning; hence, the rapid speech.

 

Turkey is a rather unique country, as it spans both Europe and Asia. Therefore, it’s deep, rich culture has been influenced over the centuries from everything from China to Vienna, from Russia to North Africa. Ty gives us a bit of information on Turkish exports, including the famous Turkish carpets, their (very strong) coffee and and Turkish Delight. Besides a history lesson, Ty also discusses religious practices in Turkey, as well as any other question we may have had - he was open to anything.

 

We eventually arrive at our first stop, the House of the Virgin Mary, which sits on the outskirts of Ephesus. This small, modest house is a pilgrimage, of sorts, for Catholics who believe that Mary, mother of Jesus, was taken to this house by Saint John and lived there until her Assumption.

 

Charming...but small...you can see why you'd want to visit this before entire armies of barbarians arrive....

 

 

No photos are allowed inside the house…and the atmosphere is very hushed and reverent. You first enter a larger room with altar and a large statue of the Virgin Mary; you then exit through a smaller room on the right which is where it is said the Virgin Mary actually slept. Outside the house, candles can be lit.

 

 

Lighting a candle in memory of Uncle Gene....

 

 

You might observe that Mickey had on a sleeveless dress…again, she had a little tiny sweater/cover-up that was easily stuffable in my purse. There WERE signs inside the House, indicating that modest dress was expected…but the singular guard inside didn’t seem to be enforcing any dress code, as we saw men & women entering with tank tops and shorts. Just an FYI.

 

There is a Wishing Wall located onsite, and visitors are encouraged to write prayers or wishes and leave them on the wall. So...just a tip; take paper and pen if you wish to leave a prayer/wish at the Wall.

 

 

As you can see, the Wall is massive....

 

 

My all-important Binder had some notebook paper, so I distributed some paper and pens to the family, who all left a prayer or a wish behind. We didn’t share our prayers with each other, but I have a pretty good idea of what we were all praying for:

 

Hubby Mike, attaching his prayer to the Wall...

 

 

Close to the Wishing Wall are a series of fountains, which spring from below the house. The water from these is considered holy and curative, and visitors are free to drink. I'm somewhat paranoid of drinking water in places that I'm not familiar with (and I have very good reason to be, but we won't go there...it would be WAY TMI!!!) so we didn't drink the water...but we did put our hands in, to touch it...it seemed very cool and refreshing.

 

 

We had until about 9:30 to explore, and then it was time to meet back up with the group. And we weren't the last ones on the van. So far, so good. (Of course, it's only been the first stop...buy hey...I'll take victories, no matter how small....)

 

 

A very short visit, but beautiful...I'm already being blown away by the beauty of Turkey, and it's only 9:30 in the morning.

 

 

Pretty, huh?

 

We're back on the road in no time, heading to our next destination, Ephesus itself....

 

[Catperson]

This is the best review ever! I think the second best review I've read is Jennat's review of her Alaska cruise and her bear encounter. How I wish I could be in Europe or Alaska right now...

[d4nigirl]

Sailorjack is new to me. I heard of Radio and Trainman and follow their reviews and reports, but never heard of Sailorjack. What cruise line does he report from, or is it more than one?

 

Still loving your review tremendously. Hope I can find time to keep up with your reports. Olympics start tonight. I guess I will just have to multi-task.:p

 

Gwen :)

 

He's reported on more than one. His posts are very comical and well written just like Sherri's. If you wanted to find him, he and I are friends, check out my profile, or honestly, just search his name. In his signature, he has all of his other reviews. Check 'em out

[KansCocoa]

 

We arrive in Ephesus a short time later, and our van driver drops us off right at the entrance. Here’s a tip: You’ll easily spend an hour (or more) at the ruins, and there are NO facilities once “inside”. There ARE facilities, as well as water stands, right outside the entrance – it would behoove you to take advantage of these. We DID take advantage of the .50E bottled water (nice and cold!), but we didn’t take advantage of the restrooms. This would end up becoming a HUGE mistake. But I’m getting ahead of the story…

 

After purchasing our cold bottled water, we, along with hordes of other barbarians, made our way into Ephesus. If you aren’t familiar with it, the ancient city of Ephesus is one of the best-preserved classical cities on the Eastern Mediterranean. You REALLY feel like you’ve stepped back in time, where it doesn’t take much imagination to picture yourself soaking up the atmosphere of life back in ancient Greek and Roman times….

 

Ephesus is HUGE. You don’t necessarily HAVE to have a private guide, but Ty was amazing here…walking us from site to site, thoroughly explaining the history behind what we were seeing. There ARE signs – in several different languages, including English – along the way, so you could possibly explore Ephesus without a guide.

 

Ty uses the signs to highlight certain points....

 

 

Before we had left home, I had purchased a small, fold-up guide to Ephesus that turned out to be very handy…it not only had a map of Ephesus (both now and in ancient times), it had detailed descriptions of approximately 24 different site ruins that can be seen....so how much time you got? I'm KIDDING. I won’t post pictures of all 24 site ruins…but I WILL hit on some of the highlights, as well as some tips along the way.

 

You could also find these fold-out guides in some of the gift shops near the ruins....

 

 

My first tip, besides buying that cold water at the beginning of your tour, is to have some good walking shoes. Again. In fact, whatever good walking shoes you wore while exploring the Acropolis in Athens? Wear them here, as well. Because, again, the streets are very slick…with lots of little steps…they can get a bit treacherous. Even with good shoes, I found myself constantly looking down to make sure I had good footing....

 

We came across a small little theater at the beginning of our tour...and although it was impressive enough, little did we know that THIS theater had NOTHING compared to what we'd see later....

 

The Odeon was used not only as a theater, but also as the Senate House.

 

 

Another tip…shade is scarce here. Try to find shade when you can, even if it’s just a shadow from a ruin…wear a hat, (an old lady hat, even!), or better yet, take an umbrella with you, so you can carry the shade with you. In some of my photos, you’ll see lots of barbarians bearing umbrellas…including myself. And the Klingons may have given me grief about my umbrella, but it was funny to see them all trying to sneak in under it as the day went on and the sun got hotter and hotter.....

 

 

Small & compact, my umbrella folded up nicely in my purse while not in use...

 

 

At one point, Ty and I were chatting while waiting for the rest of the group to catch up. I made a comment about Mickey not even being a teenager yet, and I thought Ty was going to faint.

 

“How old is she?” he asked…adding, “I thought she was 20…as I’m only 25.”

 

I gave him a look only a Mama Bear can give, narrowing my eyes a bit, and said, “She’s 12, Ty.”

 

 

Gulping a bit, Ty quickly moved us on to the next ruin, which was an intact statue of the Goddess of Nike, the winged goddess of victory.

 

If you look closely, you can see the Nike “swoosh”…Taylor happened to be wearing his Nikes, so he thought this was "extra-cool"...

 

 

 

The fountain of Trajan is one of the finest monuments in Ephesus, built around 102 A.D. The Emperor Trajan was pretty darn proud of his fountain, and water continuously bubbled forth in homage to him. Restoration is still continuing on this, and one day, it should be restored to its former glory.

 

 

 

Perhaps it was the talk of bubbling water…or perhaps it was because I had been encouraging the Klingons to keep hydrated in the stifling heat, but whatever the case…it is now…NOW, I tell you…that Mickey decides she needs a restroom. Of course she does.

 

Of course…there are no restrooms to be found…and we aren’t even an hour into our tour, and we still have an hour to go.

 

Do you know what’s worse than a 12-year old (hormonal) girl who is desperate to use a restroom and can’t stop whining about the fact that she’s desperate to use a restroom?

 

Nothing.

 

Except, perhaps, the frustration…and helplessness…that the 12-year old’s mother feels…so…for the rest of our tour, I’ve got half an ear on Ty, as he explains things, and the other half on Mickey, encouraging her that it will “soon be over” and we’ll find a restroom “as soon as we can.”

 

Sigh.

 

Remind me again why I brought the Klingons on this trip???!!!

 

 

[PCWalton1]

Sherri,

Good to hear you had such a great experience with Valentina. We kept changing what we needed as we got bumped from one intinerary to another and she never missed a beat. Even gave me a backup to contact when she went on vacation.

Ty was our guide as well and we loved him too. Great fountain of information.

Thanks for the pictures of the Prayer Wall, still chokes me up some. We essentially loss a family member serveral days before we arrived in Kusadasi (our 16 year old golden retriever) so Marie was grateful for the opportunity to place a prayer on the wall.

 

Bill

[KansCocoa]

Sherri,

Good to hear you had such a great experience with Valentina. We kept changing what we needed as we got bumped from one intinerary to another and she never missed a beat. Even gave me a backup to contact when she went on vacation.

Ty was our guide as well and we loved him too. Great fountain of information.

Thanks for the pictures of the Prayer Wall, still chokes me up some. We essentially loss a family member serveral days before we arrived in Kusadasi (our 16 year old golden retriever) so Marie was grateful for the opportunity to place a prayer on the wall.

 

Bill

 

I didn't know you had used Ekol, as well - and had contact with both Valentina and Ty! What a small world! :)

 

Aw, I'm so sorry to hear about the loss of your furry child...that had to have been hard....that Prayer Wall was a definite highlight for us, as we were able to send up our prayers and well wishes for our beloved Uncle Gene....

[KansCocoa]

 

As we make our way down the main street, known as Curetes Street, it is increasingly evident that Ephesus has basically been invaded….it wouldn’t have been TOO bad, except for when you wanted to get close to one of the 24 featured sites…because, of course, 10,000 OTHER barbarians wanted to get close to that same site, as well…sigh.

 

 

And it's not even considered "crowded" yet...geesh....

 

 

Off in the distance, I saw this little hidden delight:

 

The road less traveled....

 

Doesn’t that look divine? No barbarians in sight…sigh. How I wish we could have gone...by ourselves...down that little beautiful road....

 

 

We eventually made our way down to the famed Celsus Library, which was one of the largest libraries in the ancient world. The library was praised for its efficient design that allowed easy access to its thousands of scrolls.

 

 

 

At this point, Taylor is on a mission…as any somewhat hot and bored 19-year old will be…to cause mischief. His goal is to photo bomb every picture that we now take…and although I succeed in most cases of managing to avoid him, he DID succeed in popping up in this picture. Argh.

 

 

Anyone want a FREE kid? I'll even pay shipping costs....

 

 

After giving him the evil eye, and threatening him with dire punishment, we DO manage to take an un-photo bombed picture of the impressive library:

 

Hey look...it's the Library WITHOUT a giant Klingon head....

 

 

So...between one Klingon who is making my life miserable because she needs a restroom...and another Klingon who has decided it's his life mission to photo bomb both my pictures and his brother's pictures...I realized that although I had taken a Vow of Good Behavior this morning, I forgot to make the Klingons take that same Vow of Good Behavior. Sigh. This will be a mistake that will NOT be repeated, trust me. In the meantime, I put the heat, the crowds, and the Klingons behind me and carried forth....

 

Before moving on, I had to include one more photo…that shows, once again, the beauty of the surrounding countryside of Turkey:

 

Isn't it pretty....???

 

 

I keep praying that a restroom will magically turn up, and little did I know, my prayers would be answered….or would they???

 

[KansCocoa]

 

They always say, “Be careful what you pray for,” because if you’re not clear…or precise…you may be surprised at the answers to your prayers.

 

This was certainly the case the morning spent at Ephesus…once Mickey began begging for a restroom, I was sending up a silent prayer of “Oh, please let us find a restroom....”

 

And lo and behold, we find this:

 

Latrines!!!!!

 

And they’re FREE! Of course, they were constructed in 1 AD…and apparently, they were only for the men of the city…I look over at Mickey with a look of, "Hey - it's a toilet!" Mickey, however, was less than impressed, and just scowls in a way that only a 12-year old (hormonal) girl can do. It didn’t help matters that Ty spent at least 10 minutes here, explaining how they worked, what they were used for (as if we didn’t know), etc, etc. This was pure torture for poor Mickey…getting a lesson about TOILETS when she's dying to use one....I tried to get her to see the humor of the situation, but she wasn’t in a laughing mood. Imagine that.

 

We were now in front of the Terrace Houses, otherwise known as the “houses of the rich.” There is an additional fee to enter the Terrace Houses (approximately $12E per person), which we had paid for in advance, and trust me…it was WELL worth it. What’s nice is, because of the small size of the Terrace Houses, the big, giant busloads of barbarians can’t go in. So – it won’t be super crowded inside. However…it IS hot. The roofs are covered, and the air can get a little warm…and, be warned: there are lots of steps:

 

You go UP steps...you go DOWN steps....LOTS of steps...better than a Stairmaster workout before it's all done....

 

 

So, the houses are a series of small apartments that give you a glimpse of what a private home (for the rich) was like…we saw some pretty impressive frescoes, mosaics, piping, architecture, etc.

 

Can't remember what this is...but it's cool....

 

 

It’s a working archeological sight, and you can frequently peer down and watch the archeologists in action below you:

 

Some of the floors were made of glass...and I have on a dress...that was kinda' weird....

 

 

And what am I looking at below me that's so fascinating???

 

 

Does anyone else dream of what it'd be like to be a world-famous archeologist, working at a site like this....??? No??? Just me???

 

 

It was inside the Terrace Houses that I pulled Mickey aside and gave her a pep talk…I told her the tour was about to end, and we’d find facilities as soon as possible. She seemed to cheer up a bit and I didn’t have to hear TOO much whining while enjoying the Houses.

 

 

Some of the excavations have brought up lots and lots of little pieces…so part of the Terrace House project has turned into the World’s Largest Jigsaw Puzzle:

 

I love puzzles...I wanted to jump over the wall and put it together myself..."Where's the corner piece??! We NEED the corner piece!!!"

 

 

After spending about 30 minutes inside the Terrace Houses, it was time to visit one more ruin...and then....THEN...we could hunt down some proper facilities...

 

Lesson learned: USE THE FACILITIES AT THE BEGINNING. TRUST ME.

 

 

[Cruzin-K]

The Ephesus photos are gorgeous. It sounds like you had the same weather as we did (last August :eek: )

[KansCocoa]

The Ephesus photos are gorgeous. It sounds like you had the same weather as we did (last August :eek: )

 

Thanks! Yes...now I know what Hades must feel like. It was BRUTAL. Even with water and a shady umbrella. And not one itty bitty cloud in the sky, that would have helped a bit....We were pretty much soaked with sweat in the first hour. And I didn't even bother wearing make-up this day; it would have melted off! :)

Edited July 27, 2012 by KansCocoa

[KansCocoa]

The last stop for us was the impressive Theater…with a seating capacity of over 24,000 people.

 

Isn't it grand???!!

 

 

Now we realized why the Odeon Theater was nothing. Pft.

 

 

 

St. Paul spent over three years in Ephesus (Ephesians), preaching the Gospel. He delivered a sermon condemning pagan worship here.

 

Brainy Brad has done some acting, and so he was excited to be onstage:

 

"Hi, Mom!"

 

 

Knowing that the Theater is pretty much the last stop before the exit, Mickey and I sorta’ rushed through it, as I needed to find the facilities for her asap. The road OUT of Ephesus was less traveled, as well…as it seems most barbarians had opted to spend more time in the ancient city….

 

 

 

I’m pleased to report that Mickey survived our foray into Ephesus. There ARE facilities as soon as you exit Ephesus. And they were clean. She learned a valuable lesson this day…as did I. Make your Klingons take the Vow of Good Behavior, and make sure they use facilities when offered.

 

 

I know my brief tour of Ephesus was just that…brief. We probably spent a good two hours exploring this great city, and I’m not sure that even then, we truly did it justice. There is a LOT to see and a lot to take in. Having Ty with us made a world of difference; he was very thorough and was extremely knowledgeable with what we were seeing.

 

 

Ty had told everyone to meet back at the van at 12:40 pm…which allowed for some brief shopping right outside Ephesus. There are numerous little shops and bazarres here…and yes, the vendors can be aggressive. They will come out and try to entice you to come and visit their shop; if you keep walking, smile, and say in a firm voice, “No, thanks” – they will back off. It’s not like they’re going to drag you, kicking and screaming, into their shop. They’re just trying to make a living, as we all are. Mickey and I DID find a beautiful cotton clothing shop, where we purchased a cute little white sundress for her and a white cotton blouse for me. (Turkey is NOT part of the European Union…but they do accept Euros, as well as American dollars).

 

 

After arriving back at the van – and no, we weren’t the last – it was time for lunch. And some rest and relaxation….

 

Edited July 27, 2012 by KansCocoa

[dawngecko]

 

 

This is a beautiful building. What is it?

[KansCocoa]

This is a beautiful building. What is it?

 

Um...I don't know. :p I do know that it's in the Greek Agora...we didn't have time to explore it all (if we wanted to eat!), so some of what I took photos of, are drive-by photo shootings. I thought it was pretty, as well, so I snapped it.

[Darkwolfe]

And the awesome review continues! Enjoying the humor immensely.

 

I'm tempted to look you up on FB myself. Then you can have a laugh at my goofy pages of pictures too.

[KansCocoa]

And the awesome review continues! Enjoying the humor immensely.

 

I'm tempted to look you up on FB myself. Then you can have a laugh at my goofy pages of pictures too.

 

Thanks, fellow KC'ian... :) Wouldn't it be weird if we knew each other in real life? Or had mutual KC friends??!!! :eek:

[Darkwolfe]

Thanks, fellow KC'ian... :) Wouldn't it be weird if we knew each other in real life? Or had mutual KC friends??!!! :eek:

 

It's not impossible, that for a certainty!

I'll look you up when I get home. Profile picture is of a scruffy looking fellow astride a little Mexican scrub horse on a beach. :)

----

 

Scratch that, found you already lol

Edited July 28, 2012 by Darkwolfe

[KansCocoa]

 

Before we go on & discuss the rest of our afternoon in Ephesus, it dawned on me that I'd been neglectful lately....I hadn't been posting pictures of the ports as taken by my Klingons.

 

Well. Let me rephrase that. The two younger Klingons had pretty much abandoned their cameras after the first day (and why did Santa bring them cameras for Christmas???!!!)...so this leaves only Brainy Brad.

 

And we all know what Brainy Brad likes to take pictures of.

 

But wait! In Ephesus, he surprised me...there were NO pigeon pictures to speak of! None. Nada.

 

Yes...there ARE glimmers of hope yet. Perhaps he sees the beauty of the Turkish hills all around him...the stunning architecture in the ancient ruins...let's see what he's got....

 

So...I now present:

 

IMAGES OF EPHESUS, AS TAKEN BY BRAINY BRAD:

 

 

 

 

 

Cat #1....

 

 

Cat #2....

 

 

Cat #3....

 

 

Cat #4....

 

 

 

 

I give up.

 

Edited July 28, 2012 by KansCocoa

[rmurray847]

 

 

 

Can't remember what this is...but it's cool....

 

 

 

 

 

This room was actually used as an early Christian church (probably more of a gathering place for like-minded folks). It was illegal to be a Christian, so if the police came a knockin', the owners would just call it something else. "No, officer, it's not a Christian gathering...we're just doing a Terrace House Cruise...you know, going from Terrace House to Terrace House and eating little snacks on the way.

 

By the way, my wife took cat photos all over Europe last year. It's actually kind of fun if you get them with famous structures in the background. Cat at Colisseum, Cat at Celsus Library, Cat at Parthenon, etc.

[KansCocoa]

This room was actually used as an early Christian church (probably more of a gathering place for like-minded folks). It was illegal to be a Christian, so if the police came a knockin', the owners would just call it something else. "No, officer, it's not a Christian gathering...we're just doing a Terrace House Cruise...you know, going from Terrace House to Terrace House and eating little snacks on the way.

 

By the way, my wife took cat photos all over Europe last year. It's actually kind of fun if you get them with famous structures in the background. Cat at Colisseum, Cat at Celsus Library, Cat at Parthenon, etc.

 

Aw, see, I knew someone would help me out here...so, you're saying it was like an ancient Cabin Crawl??!! :p

 

We'll have to get your wife and Brad together sometime...did she also do the pigeon thing??

[KansCocoa]

 

After leaving Ephesus, we are all pretty hot…and tired…and hungry. Remember…invading barbarians work up good appetites, so at this point, all any of us can think of is FOOD.

 

About 15 minutes down the road, we stop at a little roadside café…it’s a quaint little building…but if you ask me what the name of it was, I couldn’t tell you. French…Spanish…Italian…even Greek (thanks to my college sorority)…I can somewhat make out the words. But Turkish? No way, no how. And not even Brainy Brad is helpful, at this point. He seemed to have skipped learning Turkish in all of his studies. Bah.

 

The café is a family-owned business, with a daughter and her parents. The café that we are at is obviously not a "touristy" place...we're the only "barbarians" there...but this is rather fun, having a true Turkish meal for lunch.

 

 

 

They don’t speak a word of English, but have prepared an extensive buffet luncheon for us…and I mean, it was a BUFFET, in capital letters:

 

Holy smokes...where to start???!!!

 

 

Numerous temptations are offered…but unfortunately…I really don’t know what any of it is. Wait. That’s not quite true. I could identify eggplant…and green beans…and some sort of potato salad…and rice…but most of it is a Turkish mystery. We decide to just call it Turkish Delight (not the REAL Turkish Delight, obviously – which we’ll get to later), grab a plate, and dig in:

 

We ate this...

 

 

...and this...

 

 

The café was not air-conditioned…which made for a rather hot lunch…but they DID offer some nice, tasty “American” soda pops that cooled us down…although some of the travelers opted for the Turkish coffee. Which they deemed good, but very, very strong.

 

 

...and dessert!

 

 

Our meal ended up costing a grand total of $40E for the FIVE of us!!! What a deal!!! That included soft drinks for all of us, and a coffee. For the amount of food we had, it was a bargain.

 

 

The food was pretty tasty…but being that I am on a very restricted diet, I had a hard time deciphering what I could eat and what I couldn’t eat. (Because of gallbladder & other issues, I have to avoid oils, butter, and spices – not to mention, gluten. Just another example of “Sucks to be me”.) Part of me couldn’t help wishing that there were little labels by each dish, explaining what they were…but really…I’m sure this little café, in the “boonies” of Turkey, wasn’t expecting a van full of English-speaking barbarians to drop in for lunch, so what did I expect??!! Sometimes, you just have to suck it up, Buttercup, and be adventurous!

 

By about 2:00 pm, it’s time to say our goodbyes to the proprietors of the café, who have been so gracious and sweet, despite the language barrier. As we leave, they come out and wave, blowing us kisses, and wave some more…I don’t know why, but the scene from “The Princess Bride” with Mad Max kept coming to mind:

 

Obviously not my photo...found HERE....

 

 

 

We’re on our way now to the Basilica of St. John…will it be hot? Duh. Yes, it will be. It’s already feeling like we’re walking on the surface of the sun. Will it be crowded with hordes of barbarians? That’s what remains to be seen….