- Sierra enjoyed learning how Turkish ceramics are made from the local artists. We visited a center outside of Selcuk, known for their Iznik pottery. Their claim to fame-President Clinton purchased a piece for the White House.
- Aleah liked swimming in the Aegean Sea and rolling in the warm, fine white sand on Cesme Beach.
- The girls made more new animal friends. They fed chicken scraps to the abandoned puppies in the park and wrestled with BoBo (a small fluff ball of a dog at Vila Dreams). Villa Dreams hotel was also home to two turtles and their 10 newborn babies.
- While Mike was skeptical about renting a car, having the freedom of wheels made all the difference. The scenic twists and turns along the coastline were most memorable for Mike, especially with all the aqua marine inlets.
- Food- lots of highs on this trip, since Christa is always thinking about the next Top Chef meal. In Alacati,we dined near the ocean. As the only patrons in the restaurant, the owner ensured that the meal was tailored to meet our taste buds. including a fish bowl size glass of wine.
- Chios Greece in a day? Yes, it can be...partially done. This was definitely a high for all of us, especially our visit to Emporious Beach (minus the sea urchin tentacle Sierra got stuck in her finger). Driving through quaint villages- Mesta, Armolia, Pirgi, and eating at Maria's Garden gave us a snapshot of the Greek culture. We're ready to return!
- Efkan was our trusty tour guide for the day and our first experience with hiring a guide. It was well worth it! We toured Efesus, St John's Church and Mary's house. The girls learned about ancient civilizations, the influence of different religions, and the sophisticated engineering of the Romans via their plumbing and aquaduct systems.
- Christa loved going to Sirince and dining at the Sirengem restaurant - mainly because of the good food and great service but also because the young waiter told her she had good energy and looked like "Barbie baby."
- At several spots we enjoyed exploring old ruins - such as castles, churches, marketplaces and houses. Amazing to literally walk in the same footsteps where people had been thousands of years ago. The excavated homes at Efesus were a great example of how some people lived with hot and cold water and the equivalent of running toilets.
- The hospitality of the Turkish people - we had a wonderful low pressure visit at a carpet shop where they showed us how to distinguish between a good carpet and a carpet that will last hundreds of years. We learned about pottery and the process involved to make and create true works of art. We had tips from the owners of the guest houses about places to visit and good places to eat. We went back to a restaurant in Izmir where the host was happy to practice his English and kept on squeezing the girls cheeks. The people are so friendly and accommodating-always eager to help us out.
October Bayram- a week long national holiday that revolves around the sacrificial ceremony of a sheep. While we didn't observe the practice, we did notice an abundance of sheep in stalls as we drove through villages on our holiday through the Izmir region.We spent the past week vacation in the southwestern coastal area of Turkey, which also included a day trip to the Greek island, Chios. Our main attractions included Cesme, Alacati, Selcuk, Efesus, Priene with several detours in between. As always, we concluded our trip with a Keppler top 10 list. Here goes it:
5 Comments
nana
10/20/2013 07:29:38 am
Wow that was very incredible I will return to this blog & pretend like I am really there. Amazing photos, thank you so much for including all of us on your journeys. nana
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Lisa Verbeck
10/21/2013 02:41:47 am
Wow...this is a adventure of a life time for all of you!! It's incredible how much you can see and absorb so close to home!! Keep the beautiful photos coming...we love looking at them!!!
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JoAnn Borys
10/23/2013 07:04:35 am
LOVE all the beautiful pictures of all of you, what you're seeing, where you're going - it's just fabulous!! Thanks so much for keeping up the blog so we can "follow" you!
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Bamas
10/24/2013 12:01:04 am
gorgeous pictures what a trip! it is so wonderful that you share with all of us. we can pretend we are with you every minute. love to you
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Uncle G
10/24/2013 06:21:49 am
So Mike goes to Turkey to find cool California t-shirts with cars on them. Fashion Mike Fashion.....hope you are setting trends there cause we know you never set a trend here (wait look at all those ties you have haha). OH and hey talked to Smokeys new owner today (a student in Tims class, Morgane) and she said he is doing great , he has a new kitten friend named Prince "they play together alot"
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July 2015
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