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Lace curtains.
We saw many places where newer construction had been inserted
into old existing structures.
A ceramics store made use of its own wares.
A public water station with 2 faucets.
While it was a chilly day, I shrugged off my windbreaker as
we climbed up through the neighborhoods.
The route to the Atatürk statue was sometimes not that
obvious. We asked for directions several times.
Finally out in the open and Atatürk was just beyond the bushes.
Looking down on Pigeon Fort and looking up to Atatürk...
We were surprised to see the free meal van in the Atatürk
parking lot. But when we thought about how the poorer people live
in the highest neighborhoods, it made sense to offer the meals
where the poor people lived. The women return their empty stainless
steel containers in return for full ones.
 
There was construction around the statue, so we moved on over
the hill.
The houses are of a different class over here. Most of these
houses were empty and are probably summer places for other Europeans.
 
A bath house...
 
a Turkish bath, house that is, which was closed.
A short cut or a woman outstanding in her field?
We were granted permission to walk around a beautiful head of
land that used to be part of a failed beach club.
Wind-swept is the best description of this bluff.
Imitating the Atatürk pose on the next hill.
We thanked the gardener/caretaker for allowing us to hike this
head of land. He was preparing for his spring crop plantings.
A pebbled beach and some pretty flowers decorate the ruins of
a failed beach club.
 
We walked out to Pigeon Fort. It was closed for rehab. We figured
it would be a long time before it reopened.
We propped ourselves up on a steep slope out of the persistent
wind for our lunch.
The fort walls were adorned with plants.
On the other side of the fort, a tile walkway was eroding into
the sea while fishermen used it for their base of operations.
Some nets piled on the walkway.
We studied the plan of Ephesus on a tourist stand so we'd be
better prepared for that evening's festivities...
A peace park near the dock with its dove and olive branch sculpture/fountain.
We boarded the ship and came back out with our computers for a
short Internet fix at the Sir Winston Harbour House.
So we boarded buses as the sun was setting with almost all of
our fellow passengers and a good contingent of crew for the ride
to Ephesus,
an ancient Greek city on the Ionian Sea and named one of the seven
wonders of the Ancient World. Holland America had arranged a huge
private party for us, which would also include a concert performed
in the ancient amphitheater.
We were on one of the first buses and we rushed past the first
food setup in order to take photos of as much of the site as we
could before it became too dark. The amphitheater was huge.
We walked past the food stations and the bar.
The "ancients" greeted us and posed for photos. In the
background the ship's hotel manager surveys the situation with
his new boss.
The long row of columns marks the ancient market.
Parts of the city have been rebuilt, but most have not. The city
was ruined by earthquakes. It also fell out of favor as its harbor
was silted in by the Küçükmenderes River. Ephesus
is now 5 Km from the harbor.
The sky was showing more color.
We walked over to the "library," a section that has
been rebuilt.
And a string trio performed in the center of the library façade.
How elegant!
With the sunset in the background, we couldn't stop taking photos...
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