Ephesus

Initially when I was looking through cruise itineraries I knew we had to see Rome for the history, Naples for my mother, and Athens for my father. Any other ports would be icing on the cake. Türkiye turned out to be just such a destination. While I had longed to see Rome, Naples, and Athens for years, Türkiye was an incredible surprise. There was just something so magical about suddenly standing in a part of the world you didn’t even know you wanted to see. It was the farthest east any of us had ever traveled. Dancing on the crossroads between Europe and the Middle East, eager for the adventure to unfold.

The port of Kuşadasi.

After a short bus ride we arrived at the ancient city of Ephesus where we were first greeted by some friendly stray dogs and cats.

Founded in the 10th century BC, Ephesus was a large and important port city that became part of the Roman Empire. The city carries biblical importance as a home of the apostle Paul and was also visited by Cleopatra.

The Odeion.

The caduceus, a symbol of medicine - a staff with a snake wrapped around it. Across from this was the symbol of pharmacy (below).

The Nike of Ephesus.

Dad and mom.

Curetes Street, one of the main streets of Ephesus, leading down to the famous Library of Celsus.

Myself and Jenny.

One of the stray cats perched at the base of a statue.

Dad and mom.

A huge and intricate mosaic floor. Notice the stray dog curled up sleeping on the steps.

Liz.

The Temple of Hadrian.

Dad in front of the Library of Celsus.

Myself, dad, Jenny, Liz, and mom.

The Library of Celsus, one of the few remaining great libraries of the ancient world and the third largest Greco-Roman library. It was commissioned by Tiberius Julius Aquila Polemaeanus to honor his father Celsus. The library was believed to contain several thousand scrolls but the incredible facade is all that remains.

There are four female statues on the facade that symbolize the virtues of wisdom, knowledge, intelligence, and excellence. This is the statue of Arete, the personification of excellence. 

The interior of the library.

The back of the library’s ornate facade.

Due to some earlier rain, there was a large puddle in the library.

Dad (center) looking up at the wall.

Myself, Liz, and Jenny.

Jenny.

Myself and Jenny.

The statue of Artemis of Ephesus tucked away in a protected area.

The Theatre.

The view of the coast on the way back to Kuşadasi.

The Acropolis

When I was a kid I remember my dad reading me stories about Greek Mythology. He gave me a big book full of beautiful illustrations. I still have it. “D’aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths”, so well loved that the binding is ruined and it is now a stack of loose pages. I also remember him reading to me from a more mature mythology book that was way above my reading level at the time. I adored the stories and I fell in love with the culture. 

Greece was a place I had longed to visit as far back as I could remember. The scale, the setting, and the history were inspiring and overwhelming. To experience it with my family, especially my dad, was a lifelong dream come true.

Mom and dad walking up the path to The Acropolis.

The Odeon of Herodes Atticus.

Myself and Liz.

A section of The Propylaea (entrance gate).

The Erechtheion on the left and The Parthenon to the right.

My family (to the left) looking back at The Propylaea.

Myself and dad in front of The Propylaea.

Myself and dad in front of The Parthenon (with Jenny in the background).

The Erechtheion with the famous Porch of the Caryatids. The porch has six columns in the shape of graceful maidens. The ones at The Acropolis today are copies; five of the original Caryatids are kept at the Acropolis Museum and one is at the British Museum.

Myself, Jenny, mom, and Liz.

Jenny, Liz, and myself.

Mom and dad.

The Parthenon.

Dad.

Dad and Jenny.

My family taking a break next to The Parthenon.

Dad and Jenny (towards the center) making their way to the Greek flag with Lycabettus Hill to the left.

Dad, Liz, mom, and Jenny.

The incredible view of Athens from The Acropolis.

Myself and dad.

Myself, Jenny, Liz, dad, and mom.

The Erechtheion.

Dad.

Myself, Jenny, and mom.

On the other side of The Erechtheion lies the famous olive tree. According to legend, the goddess Athena gifted the city with an olive tree and so Athens was named in her honor. Although this particular olive tree is not ancient, it does mark the spot where Athena bestowed her gift. There has been an olive tree in this location for thousands of years.

Dad petting a stray cat on the way to the exit.

Passing back through The Propylaea.

Dad (far left) offering his hand to help mom down the steps.

We stopped at Scholarchio for a late lunch. I got the sweet and sour feta. It was a thick slice of warm feta cheese wrapped in crispy filo dough, covered in honey and sesame seeds. Absolutely phenomenal!

The flavorful Greek salad.

The lovely exterior of the restaurant.

The moon over Piraeus as we get ready to sail to our next destination.