Thursday 11th. September 2014
We arrived at Adelaide Airport early as suggested by the travel agents. Singapore Airlines had everything done by 8:00am for our 10:40am flight. The only problem was that Customs/Immigration didn't open till after 8:30am, So we had to wait.
We sat in the lounge and had breakfast. We boarded our plane at about 10:15am. It was an Airbus A330-300. Only 10 of the 30 business class seats were occupied. It was a very smooth 7½ hour flight. Singapore Airlines excelled themselves with the quality and quantity of food they served. I had time to watch 4 movies:- "The Calling," "Belle," "The Stag,"and "Grace Of Monaco." The Calling got my vote.
We landed at Changi Airport on time at 4:10pm local time. We had hoped to go on one of the two hour free tours of Singapore, but the couple in front of us were the last to get accepted before the tour was declared full. So we missed out.
Our Swiss Air flight to Zurich leaves at 11:10pm, so we have 7 hours to kill here. The next leg is a 13 hour flight.

Friday 12th. September 2014
This leg of the flight was comfortable. We had some of the best seats (D5 & G5) for future reference D4 & G4 probably afford slightly more room. But these are the best four seats out of the nine in business class on Swiss Air's Airbus A343. After a 3 course meal which finished at 1:45am Singapore time I managed to get a good 4-5 hours sleep. During htis leg I watched the following movies:- "Divergence" and "Fading Gigilo." We arrived in Zurich at about 6:15am local time and have a 3 hour wait in the lounge for our final leg to Istanbul. The final leg takes about 3 hours. We arrived in Istanbul at about 1:30pm. Getting through immigration and customs was easy and we were in our pickup car by 2:00pm and at the hotel by about 3:00pm.
We got some money out of one of the local ATMs. Briar's foot was swollen and sore, so she rested while I walked down to the Blue Mosque. The fellow behind the hotel desk said it was a 20 minute walk, but the streets were so crowded with sidewalk markets it took closer to 30 minutes. I got a couple of photos just after sunset. It is difficult to photograph is it is so big and partly hidden behind trees.
I got back to the hotel at about 7:30pm. We ordered pizza from the room service (2 @ 30TRY) and went to bed just after 9:00pm.

Saturday 13th. September 2014
Kemal Nuraydin arrived at the hotel at 9:00am as arranged. We took the tram towards the Blue Mosque but got off way before it and headed off in the direction of grand market. Instead of going into the market we visited an area that was once a caravan resting place and is now used as workshops. He took us into a silver chain making workshop where we saw pure silver being weighed out with the appropriate amount of copper to make Sterling Silver. Then we went to two other workshops where they were casting gold ingots. From there we met some of Kemal's friends who own a carpet shop and promised to come back and talk to them later.
We went into the market and got some tips from Kemal on how to take photos in that area. From here we went down an ally that looked from the outside to be a shop and ended up chatting to an old fellow doing invisible mending. Then to a belly dancing costume studio and finally back to the carpet shop where we sat down, were given a bagel and a glass of tea. We bought a silk rug, which will be shipped to us when we get home.
After lunch Kemal took us to an area of town which is used as workshops, but was once a caravan resting place with over 100 rooms. Because it is heritage listed luxuries such as bathrooms cannot be added and so the place lies almost in ruins. After walking around the labyrinth of passages we arrived at the roof area from where the views were spectacular. After taking a few photos we walked into an area where the Turks do their shopping. It was crowded beyond belief.
I paid Kemal the balance of the money we owed him for showing us around and he guided us to the tram and back to the hotel, by 5:30pm.
We caught up with the Bunniks tour group and were taken out to a welcome dinner at 7:00pm. We finished dinner just after 9:00pm and were taken by bus back to the hotel.

Sunday 14th. September 2014
The day at 8:15am when Hakam issued us all with a radio receiver and earplugs for our use throughout the tour. We climbed onto the bus and were driven to the Hippodrome in front of the Blue Mosque. Hakam told us to expect huge crowds as two cruise ships had arrived over night (one of which was Cunnard line's Queen Elizabeth). After walking the length of the Hippodrome and being told the meaning of the hieroglyphs on the four sides on one of the obilisques. We entered the massive Blue Mosque built in 1609 by Sultan Ahmet. Half of it was cordoned off and I was surprised how low the chandeliers were.
We then entered the Basilica of St. Sophia which was constructed in 326AD by Constantine the Great and looked at the ornate tile work. The place was packed with Japanese tourists most of whom seemed to think that a photo of the Basilica comprised of a "selfie" with the Basilica in the background.
We had meatballs for lunch in a restaurant near the Blue Mosque and afterwards spent a couple of hours in the Topkapi Palace which was built between 1466 and 1478 and was the home of the Sultans between the 15th and 19th centuries. It is now a museum. We explored the kitchens, which is the home of some of the original utensils. We then toured other parts of the palace/museum and saw displays of clothing, portraits etc and the Sultan's huge four poster bed.
At about 4:15pm we got on the bus and headed towards the docks and caught a ferry that took us on a 1½ hour cruise along the Bosphorus River.
We got back to the hotel at about 6:15pm, had dinner (56 Turkish lira) at a pub just around the corner from the hotel.

Monday 15th. September 2014
We were on the bus and away by 7:15am. The early start was to beat the early morning traffic and the return to school for the children. Besides that it was a 5 hour trip to Ankara. The traffic was thick and the driver had to have two compulsory stops along the way. The countryside changed quite dramatically as we traveled; becoming drier. We eventually arrived in Ankara at about 2:30pm. This is a city that appears to be very dry and dependent on irrigation to keep it's gardens green.
The first stop was at the Mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. It was a very impressive building, and surprisingly, his tomb was a simple granite sarcophagus. Ataturk was modern Turkey's first President and visionary. We checked out the avenue of neo-hittite lions, and had a traditional photo of me sitting on one of them.
We left and were driven to the Museum of Anatolian Civilization. This museum contained very early sculptures, weapons, tools etc. from the Hittite civilization which lived in this area about 8 centuries BC.
Finally at about 6:30pm we arrived at the very expensive looking and ornate Meyra Palace Hotel. Our room was very palatial but the internet was not free. We wandered down to the foyer just as one of our party was returning from the Supermarket. He was able to explain where it was better than the hotel employees who kept directing us up to the restaurant on the sixteenth floor.
We found the supermarket and had a light meal at one of the shops in the shopping complex.
We had a bad night as the airconditioner would only circulate the room air around without cooling it. To make matters worse it had a one hour timer and then switched off completely and had to be manually reset. I suspect that it was wired to the front desk and if you paid some money you could get it set to cooling mode. But no one told us if this was the case.
The bread and rolls were stale at breakfast
The WiFi was not free.

Tuesday 16th. September 2014
We were on the road again at 7:00am, this time headed towards Cappadocia. At about 10:30am we stopped at Bogazkale and Hattusa which was the capital of the Hittite empire in the late Bronze Age. There were ruins and archeologists everywhere. The archeological site was enormous. Possibly 2kms x 1 km. We had lunch in Bogazkale and then spent the rest of the afternoon traveling to Cappadocia. The landscape was variable with some areas completely arid with sheets of stone covering the subsoil and other areas were rich and fertile with crops growing. The area around Cappodocia was like a lunar landscape with fairy pipes and strange rock outcrops dominating the area.
We pulled into the Peri Tower Hotel, Nevşehir just before 6:00pm. We paid the man arranging our hot air balloon ride 920 Turkish Lira, and we paid Hakam 150 Turkish Lira for the cultural evening with the Whirling Dervishes. Both of these events take place tomorrow.
Our room is huge, with an anteroom attached. The air conditioner seems ok but not very efficient. WiFi is free and no password is required.
Dinner was included in the tour and we had a huge meal with an exceptional array of food on offer.

Wednesday 17th. September 2014
Our wake up call was at 4:30am so that we could be at reception by 5:00am to go to the hot air balloon site. We arrived at the site by bus and were offered coffee and biscuits/rolls before reboarding the bus and heading off into the darkness where a large number of balloons were being readied for take off. We got into our 20 person basket and the "pilot" fired bursts of flames until we and the balloons around us took off. It was hard to estimate how many balloons there were. I would say about 100, but the pilot insisted there were 2,100! There were balloons alongside us, above us, below us. I think the general photos of the whole scene contain about 25 balloons in each photo. Below us was the moonlike landscape of the Goreme Valley with all it's strange rock formation and "fairy chimneys." It was very peaceful just floating above the ground but the silence was shattered every minute or so with a burst of flame from the burners.
After about an hour our pilot landed the balloon on a flat piece of ground and we were met by the ground crew, who grabbed a dangling rope and pulled us to the ground. A four wheel drive with the balloon's trailer pulled up alongside us and the pilot elegantly landed the basket and us into the trailer. The burners were turned off and while the balloon was deflating we were given a glass of champagne to celebrate and a certificate telling of our successful flight.
At about 8:00am we arrived back at the hotel for breakfast. At 9:00am we headed off to a carpet factory. Three or four members of our touring party of 22 bought carpets. From the carpet factory we headed into the Goreme valley to look at the rock formations and "Fairy Chimneys" from ground level. We visited the "Outdoor museum" which is in the hidden monastic valley of Pasabagi where there are a large number of carved houses and churches and then a few kilometres back  to a valley which was predominantly made up of "Fairy Chimneys
At about 1:00pm we headed  back into Cappadocia for lunch. After lunch we visited and the Zelve valley which became one of the most important settlements and religious centres for the Christian community between the 9th. and 13th. centuries. There were an number of small churches carved into the rocks. They were tiny and we weren't allowed to take photos inside them, but I did manage to "sneak" one photo of an ornate ceiling inside one of the churches. I didn't bother paying the 10TL to go into the "Dark Chapel."
Once that was done we visited Chez Galip, which is a pottery works. We arrived at about 4:00pm and "killed" two and a half hours until the Whirling Dervish performance at 6:30pm in a large underground building right next door.
The bus got back to the hotel at about 7:45pm. and we had dinner and went to bed at about 9:30pm after a long exhausting day.

Thursday 18th. September 2014
We were on the bus again at 9:15am, prepared for wet weather, but there was nothing but blue skies and a warm breeze. We had slept reasonably well with the windows and balcony door all open letting a cool breeze in. Our first stop was a factory that specialised in carving onyx. After the mandatory lecture about the advantages of buying Turkish onyx we were led into the sales rooms but didn't buy anything.. We later found out that this factory overlooked the Pigeon Valley with all it's caves and houses cut into the rock face. From here we were bussed to Kaymakli where there is an underground city. The place was crowded and there were minutes spend in underground rooms with low ceilings while another tour group passed by. I think the photos turned out reasonably well considering I used an exposure of ⅛ of a second. I don't seem to be able to get the built in flash to work when the GPS is mounted in the hotshoe. After about half an hour of climbing through narrow passages and low rooms we once again found ourselves back at ground level. During the sixth century the Christian inhabitants of the region began to tunnel into the soft volcanic rock hills. Some of these tunnels are as deep as 915 metres and are on eight different levels. It is believed thousands of people lived here.
We were then taken back to the area of the onyx factory to a restaurant that caters for large groups and offers a smorgasbord lunch. For 16 TL (A$8:00) we had a huge variety of food to select from and this included desserts.
After lunch we went to Ortahisar and photographed the huge chimney rock of "Castle of Ortahisar" which stands about 86 metres tall. We then went to the village square where we bought dried fruit from the local street vendors.
Next we visited the old Greek and Turkish town of Mustafpasa (Sinassos). The Greeks have been repatriated and so it now entirely Turkish, but it has a Greek feel about it with old men sitting around in the village square playing backgammon, talking, smoking and drinking coffee.
We arrived back at the hotel at about 4:45pm.

Tonight is the Turkish cultural show

Friday 19th. September 2014
We got up at 6:00am for a 7:15am departure. We'll be sad to leave our large room which although good did not have a good airconditioner and there were no lights in the middle of the ceiling making doing anything practical after dark almost impossible. I awoke with a runny nose and fear that I may be getting a cold.
We headed south to Catalhoyuk where there were some ruined houses dating back to about 5,700BC. The site was first excavated by James Mellartt in 1958. He was later thrown out of Turkey for making sketches of artifacts without the Government's permission. It is now a UNESCO World heritage listed site. But I noticed from the sign on the wall that listed all UNESCO sites that the Sydney Opera House also has a World Heritage listing.
From there it was into Konya for lunch at another restaurant that caters for large numbers of tourists at one sitting. After lunch we went to the Mevlana Museum. This museum is dedicated to the Whirling Dervishes
At about 3:30pm we ended up at Ozkaymak Hotel in Konya. A very ordinary hotel, where again the air conditioning didn't work and the window only partly opened, leaving the room quite hot. The toilet didn't flush properly and there was no plug for the hand basin. The only utensils in the room were two wine glasses. Our room overlooked a car park and the local hoons were doing the occasional burnouts up until about midnight. There was a fridge but it didn't seem to be working. Konya is a dreary city of about 1.2 million people. We bought some water at a very modern shopping centre just across the road from the hotel. I find Islam a little confusing in this part of the world. There are calls to prayer 5 times a day all over Turkey, but no one seems to do anything. A young girl in very short shorts, a tight fitting top and long blonde hair was sitting across from us in the shopping centre while we had something to eat, with her mother or mother in law who was wearing a long black dress and her head was covered. The complete difference in attitude between the two generations!

Saturday 20th. September 2014
We had a 6:00am wake up call and were on the bus again at 7:15am. The hotel we had spent the night in could only be described as poor. The toilet hardly flushed, the airconditioner didn't work, the window only partly opened so the room was stifling hot although it was cool outside. But the breakfast offered a good variety. We left Konya and headed south east towards the beachside village of Kas. We climbed across the Taurus Mountains and down onto the plains again. At about 11:30am we arrived at Aspendos and spent about an hour walking around the old Roman theatre. Seating capacity is 7,000 people and a local theatre company put on monthly productions. We were then taken to a mass feeding area and give a substantial meal for 10 TL plus drinks. The at 2:00pm we were on the bus again and continued our journey. At about 5:00pm the traffic police pulled our driver over for a regular vehicle check and we discovered he had exceeded his driving time for the last week. The police said another drive had to be onboard. 30 minutes later another driver appeared from the bus company. Both drivers climbed onto the bus, our regular driver resumed his position behind the wheel and we drove for about a kilometre before dropping the second driver off. Turkish law seems to be easily flouted. We arrived at the Hotel Linda in Kas at about 7:30pm. At 8:00pm we took a 15 minute stroll into the village proper and had dinner at a fish restaurant called Smilies.
We arrived back at the hotel at about 10:30pm and went to bed

Sunday 21st. September 2014
Today was a rest day, with an all day cruise around the islands, with plenty of swimming in the warm Mediterranean Sea. We had a motor powered boat all to ourselves. We were given lunch and afternoon tea on the boat. Our day began at 10:00am and we returned to Kas just after 5:00pm. We did some washing and had an early night.
We are staying at the Hotel Linda in the village of Kas. We are on the top floor and the ceiling of our room follows the roofline. The roof is very solid (made of concrete) and I have to stoop when I stand in the shower because the ceiling is so low in that part of the bathroom. We were told that the Hotel doesn't use top sheets or dunas and so we had to make do with a very strange flannel sheet and a woven cotton blanket. I wish them good luck washing those. There were no lights in the ceiling and we had to make do with wall lights. The ceiling height over the bed was a bit low on one side. There was no plug for the hand basin. There was no safe in the room.

Monday 22nd. September 2014
The bus left the Hotel Linda at 8:00am. We traveled east along the Mediterranean coast for awhile and then headed north and inland. Five hours later we arrived at Denizli and were taken to another mass eating place. Lunch was 15 TL ($7.50). After lunch we were bussed up to Pamukkale Hierapolis Ancient City. This is the site of an ancient Roman city. The amphitheatre is still intact. It was also a health spa for the Romans. The water is rich in Calcium Carbonate and where it has flowed down the hillside it has formed terraces with ponds of water surrounded by glistening white rock walls or Travertine. Some of the photos look more like a snow field covered in people rather than a rocky site. Today was unusually warm for this time of year, 29˚C and the sky was clear so sun burn was a problem.
We spent the afternoon there wandering around the ruins and paddling in the therapeutic ponds of water. We were back at our hotel, The Colossae Thermal Spa Hotel, by about 5:15pm. Our room is large with a balcony overlooking a treed lawn. The air conditioner works, the WiFi is free for our group and the hand basin has a plug. However there is no main light in the centre of the ceiling, in fact all lights are around the walls or standard lamps. On further inspection the key card wouldn't turn the electricity on in the room after dinner. After two visits from the service guy, he hard wired the key card reader and told us not to use the key card .. but at least we had electricity and the airconditioner. Also the drain in the bath runs very slowly so a 5 minute shower half fills the bath which then takes half an hour to drain.
At 9:15pm I went to the belly dancing display which turned out to be exactly the same as the one we had seen the other night in Cappadocia.

Tuesday 23rd. September 2014
We left the hotel at 8:45am and headed to the Aphrodisias Archaelogical Site near the village of Geyre. It was a 2 hour drive. We arrived and after a short tractor drawn trailer ride down through the car park we arrived at the site. It was a spectacular site, in particular the Monumental Gateway (built ca. A.D. 200) and the Temple of Aphrodite. This was a Greek and Roman settlement and found in ruins in about 1904. Many of the buildings have simply been re assembled by picking up the stones from where they lay and putting them back in their original positions on top of each other. We then walked around to the Stadium which was once used for chariot and foot races. We wandered through the ruins of a number of other buildings. We ended up at the Sebasteion which had been re assembled but the statues had been replaced with replicas. The originals were in the nearby museum. The museum contained some priceless statues, most of which were in excellent condition. After 2 hours at the site we had lunch in a local mass food place. We had toasted pita bread with mince meat on it and a beer. At 2:00pm we boarded the bus again for the 4 hour trip to Bodrum. We arrived at the Manastir Hotel around 6:15pm. Our room is not large but has a view over the bay and what looks like a Greek Orthodox Church. The air conditioning works well, as does the free WiFi and the bathroom basin has a plug. There is a ceiling light in the passageway but the lights in the room proper are wall mounted lights over the bed and the small desk. A few members of the group have had upset stomachs and there is a cold beginning to spread. Generally the group is tired from all the early mornings and constant bus travel.

Wednesday 24th. September 2014
We set off at 8:45am for the Castle of St. Peter in Bodrum which was built from 1402 onwards, by the Knights of St. John during the crusades of the middle ages, and it was given the name The Castle of St. Petrus, or Petronium.
Occupying over 30.000 square feet at its base, construction of this castle took years to complete. The castle was built partly from the left remains of the mausoleum of Mausolus which had collapsed as the result of an earthquake. The huge exterior walls were designed in the early 15th century by the German architect Heinrich Schlegelholt and were strengthened by five towers known usually as the English tower, the Italian tower, the German tower, the French tower and the Snake tower. The French tower of the castle is thought to be the earliest one with the others being added during the following century. After the French Tower, the Italian tower was built in 1436 by Italian architect Angelo Mascettola. The final parts of the castle were erected in the time of Pierre d’Abusson between 1476 and 1593, with the English tower being added at around 1480.
The chapel was among the first completed inner structures (probably 1406). It consists of a vaulted nave and an apse. The chapel was reconstructed in the Gothic style by the Spanish Knights of Malta in 1519-1520. Their names can be found on two cornerstones of the façade.
The walls of the Bodrum castle contain the nearly 250 coats of arms and armorial bearings of many of the knights that served there. Captured in 1522 by the Ottomans during the reign of Kanuni Sultan Suleyman, the church on the castle was converted into a mosque. The construction of the three-storied English tower was finished in 1413.
Much of the Castle has become the Museum of Underwater Archeology established here in 1962. Hundreds of artifacts gathered at first by Bodrum's sponge-divers, and later by archeologists, are on display, including tools and goods from shipwrecks spread over 32 centuries—from the 16th century BC to the 16th century AD.
Cargo amphorae, gold jewelry, ships' equipment and even two of the ships themselves are on display, as is the rich burial treasure of a noble lady known as the Carian Princess who was buried in the 300s BC.
In its heyday, the castle was probably manned by fifty knights and perhaps three times that many ordinary soldiers. The knights hailed from seven different European countries and shared in the defense of the castle and its countryside. The castle's defenses were never put to the test, for the Ottomans never attacked it.
After a good look we left the castle and visited the mausoleum of Mausolus. As one might have guessed there was not much to see and much of the stone had been used for the construction of the Castle of St. Peter.
At about 1:00pm we had lunch in Bodrum and walked around the markets and then caught a taxi back to the hotel at about 3:00pm for a well earned rest.

Thursday 25th. September 2014
We checked out of the hotel and were away by 8:30am. We headed north for 2½ hours towards the township of Didyma and it's archaeological site where we explored the Temple of Apollo. The site is dominated by the remaining two stone columns and lintel. The ancient site of Didyma is famous from legendary times. Here was a natural spring where the beautiful Leto is supposed to have spent an hour of love with Zeus, then giving birth to the twins Artemis and Apollo (didymoi in Greek). The most important oracle site in Asia Minor, its pronouncements to Croesus, Alexander the Great and other great kings altered the course of human history. Didyma was the largest and most significant sanctuary on the territory of the great classical city Miletus. To approach it, visitors would follow the Sacred Way to Didyma, about 17 km long. Along the way, were ritual waystations, and statues of members of the Branchidae family, male and female, as well as animal figures. Some of these statues, dating to the 6th century BC are now in the British Museum, taken by Charles Newton in the 19th century. It was destroyed by the Persians in 494 BC.  Didyma remained a ruin until the first steps of restoration were undertaken, in 334 BC. In ca. 331 B.C. the oracle was revived and the planning of the new Hellenistic temple was begun. The design of the Hellenistic temple is attributed by Vitruvius to Paionios of Ephesos and Daphnis of Miletus.
We had lunch in a restaurant alongside the temple and then headed to the Theatre at the Miletus Archaeological site. Just like the Ephesus, Miletus was founded as a port, but  its harbour silted up with alluvium carried by the Meander River, it is away from the sea today. The well-designed grid-plan of the city is famous. The main attraction of Miletus is the theatre with a seating capacity of 15,000, dating from the Roman Period. It is being repaired The Roman baths were built in the 1st century AD, the Delphinion, the North Agora, the Ionic stoa all date from the 2nd century AD, the Capito baths, the Gymnasium, the Bouleuterion built in the 2nd century AD,Ephesus, Miletus had been founded as a port, but since its harbour silted up with alluvium carried by the Meander River, it is away from the sea today. The well-designed grid-plan of the city is famous. The tourist attractions of Miletus include the theatre with a seating capacity of 15,000, dating from the Roman Period, that is being repaired, the Roman baths built in the 1st century AD. Most of the sacred site was built in the 2nd century AD.
We arrived at our new hotel in Kusadasi. It is the Hotel Kismet and boasts hosting President Jimmy Carter amongst others. Our room is large and has a balcony that overlooks the Aegean Sea, which is less than a stone throw away. It is all good. There is a light in the middle of the ceiling, the basin has a plug, there is an air conditioner that works (although we won't need it as there is a breeze coming off the sea. It is very relaxing with the sound of the waves just below our window. We arrived at about 4:30pm and are going out to a fish restaurant at 7:30pm. The downside of this hotel is that the interior and exterior finish is woeful. The outside has been clad in light green PVC imitation weatherboard. joints don't line up and it looks like the worst DYI attempt ever made. Another downside is that there is not toilet brush in the bathroom and there is no safe to store valuables. The other confusing thing about this hotel is the lifts. One has to press the "3" button to get to level 2, Press 4 to get to level 3 etc.  *shakes head*

Friday 26th. September 2014
We were on the bus at 9:30am and headed towards Ephesus. In the ancient world, Ephesus was a center of travel and commerce.  Situated on the Aegean Sea at the mouth of the Cayster River, the city was one of the greatest seaports of the ancient world.  
Three major roads led from the seaport: one road went east towards Babylon via Laodicea, another to the north via Smyrna and a third south to the Meander Valley.
Temple of Artemis: Considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, Ephesus' Temple of Artemis was dedicated to the goddess of the hunt.  Only the foundation and one column remains of this temple which once measured 425 feet long, 220 feet wide and 60 feet high.  Paul's successful ministry in this city was considered a threat to this very temple.
Library of Celsus: Originally built in AD 115-25, this restored facade is a highlight of the ruins today.  This style is believed to be the standard architectural form for Roman libraries.  The interior measures 70 by 80 feet and held approximately 15,000 scrolls.This library was dedicated to Celsus the proconsul of Asia and his sarcophagus was located under the apse.
Terrace Houses: From the time of Augustus, these dwellings of wealthy Ephesians, were decorated with beautiful frescoes and mosaics. The houses had luxurious bedrooms, bathrooms, triclinium, and kitchens. Built against the mountain south of Ephesus, the roof of one house forms the terrace for the house above it.  These houses were inhabited until the 7th century AD.
Commercial Agora: This market area is known as the "Square Agora" because of its dimensions 360 feet square.  It arose in the Hellenistic period and was surrounded on all sides by arched shops about 40 feet deep. It is located next to the harbor and was the city's main commercial center.  It is quite possible that Paul worked here with Priscilla and Aquila in their tent-making business.
Theatre: Originally holding 25,000 people, this theater was built in the Hellenistic period and was renovated by several Roman emperors.  Designed for theatrical performances, later alterations allowed gladiatorial contests to be held here. When Paul was accused of hurting the Artemis and her temple, the mob gathered together in this theater (Acts 19:23-41).
 
After lunch at another mass food serving place we got back on the bus and drove to The House of the Virgin Mary.
Mary may have spent her last days. Indeed, she may have come in the area together with Saint John, who spent several years in the area to spread Christianity. Mary preferred this remote place rather than living in crowded place. the original building was typically Roman and made of stone. Some of the original building has been restored but only the central part and a room on the right of the altar are open to visitors. From there one can understand that this building looks more like a church than a house. Another interesting place is the "Water of Mary", a source to be found at the exit of the church area and where a rather salt water, with curative properties, can be drunk by all.

We got back to the Hotel at about 4:00pm. We bought some goodies from a local store and had dinner in our room. At about 8:00pm a thunderstorm passed just to the west of us. There was almost continuous sheet lightning and some fork lightning for nearly and hour. We had a few spots of rain but nothing more.

Saturday 27th. September 2014
We left the hotel at 7:00am with a 400 kilometre trip ahead of us. We were to travel north firstly to the acropolis at Pergamum. We took a cable car up to the top of the mountain and then looked around the site. I took some reasonable photos of the Temple of Trajan, but the sun was behind the clouds and it was threatening to rain.
The Temple of Trajan (Trajaneum) was one of the most spectacular structures built on the upper acropolis of Pergamon. It is situated at the highest point of the acropolis and is the only building that is truly Roman. Its construction started around 114 AD during the reign of Trajan but was completed after his death during the rule of Hadrian. Both Emperors were worshipped here. The temple was surrounded by Corinthian columns on all sides (peripteros), with six on the short side and nine on the long side. The temple suffered much from several earthquakes and ended up in ruins.
Between 1976 and 1994, restoration works were carried out by the German Archaeological Institute. Statues of Trajan and Hadrian were found which are now in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin. New excavations also revealed previous constructions such as terraced residential and trade buildings from the Hellenistic period.

At about 1:00pm we were taken to another mass eating place that could probably seat at least 500 at one sitting. After lunch we had another long trip to the excavations at Troy. We arrived at about 5:30 and walked around the site in light rain. From what we could see Troy was not a large place, in fact remarkably small considering it's place in history. Maybe it would have been of interest to an archaeologist, but to most of us it was a mass of rectangular stones scattered around the site.
We then got back on the bus and were taken to our hotel, The Hotel Akol in Canakkale. We have a nice room with an air conditioner that works, a basin with plug, a toilet with cleaning brush, no light in the ceiling but a standard lamp that can be pointed up to the ceiling, good free WiFi. There is no fan in the bathroom. Dinner was provided in the restaurant below, but the menu was very similar to that provided at the "mass meal" places (open buffet.)

Sunday 28th. September 2014
We were on the bus with our luggage at 7:30am and headed for the ferry that was to take us across the straight to Gallipoli. We spent about two hours driving between various memory burial sites, ANZAC Cove, Lone Pine etc. It was drizzling with rain and the overall feeling was that the whole Gallipoli effort was a waste of good human life and it showed the incompetence of the British Government and British Army. 'Nuff said.
We then headed out to lunch and then started the 300 km drive back to Istanbul. We arrived in Istanbul at about 5:15pm. Our driver informed us that over the last fortnight we have driven 4,000kms and had 80 "comfort stops" along the way. We are back in the Amythest Hotel, but our room isn't quite as large as the one we had before, but it is still comfortable and has an A/C that works, a hand basin with a plug and a toilet with a cleaning brush.

Monday 29th. September 2014
We were on the bus at 8:30am and headed through the rush hour traffic to a leather shop where we were given an opportunity to see the leather garments modeled and then a chance to buy. Briar bought a blue leather top. From there we spent some time in the spice markets and had lunch there. Then it was back onto the bus and through even thicker traffic to underground cistern. The Basilica Cistern is the city's largest covered reservoir. Built in 532 AD on the site of a great basilica, the Basilica Cistern once supplied water to nearby palaces such as the Great Palace of Constantinople.
Also known as the Sunken Palace, the underground site takes up 9,800m2 and has the capacity to store up to 100, 000 tons of water. The water which fed the Cistern came through a viaduct, which connected the source of supply at Belgrade Forest to the Basilica Cistern, a distance of about 19km. Five meter thick walls surround the Cistern and are specially coated to ensure waterproofing.
Its domed ceilings are held up by intricately designed marble and granite columns which vary in style between Corinthian, Doric and Ionic. There are 336 columns in all, arranged in 12 rows of 28 columns.
There are two columns of particular interest at the Basilica Cistern; those bearing the head of Medusa. Medusa is a female monster from Greek mythology with hair made of snakes, which is said to have turned those who looked at her into stone. She was beheaded by the hero Perseus who then gave her head to Athena to use as a weapon on the top of her shield as a way of averting evil.
Medusa's upside down head is found on the base of one column. There are various theories surrounding why her head was placed upside down, but many believe that it was done to ward off evil spirits.
Next to the upside down head is another head depicting Medusa which has been placed sideways. Why the two heads were placed in different directions has only served to deepen the mystery, but some think that placing the heads in the same direction would give rise to evil forces.
Massive restoration was required to make the Basilica Cistern as visitor-friendly as it is today. In 1985, 50,000 tons of mud was removed from the site and walking platforms were constructed; in 1994, another revamp was carried out.
From the Cistern we walked up the hill and spent some time looking around the Grand Bazaar. This is an enormous covered market which sells just about everything in the way of materials, souvenirs, jewelry, etc. After about an hour we walked back to the hotel and prepared for the tour's final dinner.

Tuesday 30th. September 2014
We were picked up at the Hotel Amethyst at 11:30am and taken to the airport. From Istanbul we flew Swiss Air to  and then again with Swiss Air to Newark Airport in New York. The plane was delayed in Istanbul and there was confusion as the boarding gate number was changed between the time we checked in and went to board the plane 30 minutes later. The flight from Zurich to New York was delayed an hour after two passengers checked in their luggage and then failed to board the plane. Well that is what Swiss Air told us.
We arrived at newark Liberty Airport, NJ at about 8:30pm. We cleared customs and immigration in about 20 minutes and headed off to pick up our hire car, a white Toyota corolla sedan. All was going well, the GPS guiding us effortlessly through the maze of roads, overpasses and underpasses. Then we slowed to a halt on Interstate 95 as roadworks commenced at 11:00pm. After a 75 minute delay we were off again and reached our hotel, Marnick's Restaurant and Motel in Stratford, CT just after 1:00am.
It is a family run business which has been developed since 1925. There are photos on display in the dining room showing its growth over the years. It has creaking floors and everything is a little old, but the beds were comfortable and the water in the shower was hot. It rained overnight and I hope it clears during the day.

Wednesday 1st. October 2014
We had breakfast at the Motel and then traveled north at about 9:15am. The traffic slowed to almost a halt at one stage as the burnt out wreck of a semi trailer was removed from Interstate 95. As we approached Greenfield in Massachusetts the traffic thinned quite dramatically. We headed west along the Mohawk scenic trail and then north along Highway 100 North in Vermont. We passed a number of ski resorts all preparing for the upcoming season. We then headed west to Woodstock VT and our motel. We arrived at the motel at around 5:30pm. Our  room is upstairs at the Super 8 Motel which is a bit of a blow as there is no lift and we had to carry our luggage up the stairs. The room is large and has two double beds, modern TV and an air conditioner that works. It is very comfortable and quiet.  I have a cold and a very husky voice and not feeling particularly well. Filled the car with petrol as it was nearly empty and we had traveled over 300 miles (10.537 gallons @ $3.439 = $36.24).
It rained most of the day and all the photos are a bit dull and misty and lack the vibrant colours that I know are in the foliage

Thursday 2nd. October 2014
We The sky was overcast when we left the motel just after 9:00am. We headed back through Woodstock, VT and then north along Vermont Highway 100. Before long the cloud began to break up and before long we had clear blue sky in some areas. We headed north as far as Waterbury and then went east to Montpelier. We kept going east into New Hampshire and then along Kancamagus scenic road and over the Kancamagus Pass. We took photos along the way and arrived at our motel in North Conroy at about 5:00pm.  Our room at the Yankee Clipper motel is large and on the ground floor. The airconditioner works, although the outside temperature has a mountain chill about it and so is not really required.

Friday 3rd. October 2014
We had clear blue sky all day. The temperature was about 18-20˚C all day. We drove north to Gorham taking photos of Mount Washington (6,288 ft or 1,917 m) on the way. This mountain is the highest mountain in north eastern USA and is in the Presidential range of the White Mountains. After numerous photos at the base of Mount Washington we drove north west to Lancaster. The "welcome centre" advised us that the best of the autumn leaves were to the south, so we headed down to Twin Mountain and Franconia Notch (The Flume). It was here at the advisory centre that we bumped into Graham and Denise Garvey from Ri-Industries. We continued south to Holderness and then east to West Ossipee. The country was hilly and heavily wooded but not spectacular. Finally we headed north again to North Conway and to our motel.
We had dinner at a restaurant just down the road and had crayfish from Maine. The all up cost was about US$50.00

Saturday 4th. October 2014
It was overcast and dull as we left North Conroy and headed back up the Kancamagus Pass road. Soon we were surrounded in fog and mist, making "leaf peeping" virtually impossible. As we reached the pass and descended into Lincoln it started to rain. It rained for the rest of our journey south along the New Hampshire state highway 10. We passed countless people picking and selling huge pumpkins along the road side. We eventually reached the Yagma Inn in xx in the pouring rain. The room is excellent with a quality finish. Not long after we arrived I felt as though I was getting conjunctivitis again. My eyes began to swell and exuded mucous. I used the ointment Briar had brought and also the antihistamine eyedrops I had brought with me.
We went to bed early and hopefully my eyes will recover.
It rained much of the night but by morning the sky was clear.

Sunday 5th. October 2014
We had a nice breakfast at the Inn and then headed south at about 9:00am. Our journey to Lee and Cloudia's was event free with the Interstate and other highways free of roadworks and heavy truck. We drove in bright sunshine and arrived in Athens just after 2:00pm.

We relaxed and settled in for the rest of the afternoon and evening.

Monday 6th. October 2014
We stayed around the house most of the day and relaxed. At about 5:30pm a large black bear appeared on the sloping hill below the balcony.

Tuesday 7th. October 2014
We stayed around the house most of the day and relaxed. Cold making me feel lethargic and off colour

Wednesday 8th. October 2014
We stayed around the house most of the day and relaxed. Cold still making me feel lethargic and off colour

Thursday 9th. October 2014
We drove up to Seneca Lake, which is one of the Finger Lakes. Went on one of Captain Bill's Seneca Lake cruises for just under an hour. It was very pleasant and we passed two salt processing plants that extract salt from under the bedrock. We then had lunch in the Diner we stopped off at last year in Watkins Glen. We came home via the Newtown Battlefield Lookout and got home at about 3:30pm.

Friday 10th. October 2014
Went down to Lowe's and bought Clouds a hand pick to dig up stones. Went to Walmart as well. Rested around the house. Cold and cough still bad.

Saturday 11th. October 2014
We drove north again, this time beyond Watkins Glen along highway 14A to Penn Yan. There was a motor car exhibition there as well as the regular Saturday market. We began by visiting the quilting store run by a Mennonite lady and her family and friends. It was then onto the market which sold a lot of farm produce and again the Mennonites were well represented with their jams, cakes and food stuffs. It was extremely crowed and we headed towards home just after 2:00pm. We arrived home at about 3:30pm. My cold is still causing a lot of congestion.

Sunday 12th. October 2014
It was a cols night last night and we woke this morning to fog and frost on the ground. "Basil the bear" was still grazing as we had breakfast. Went for a drive to Waverley Glen but there was no water in the river and hence the waterfall was dry. We then had a walk around the Caratouan Wildwood Reserve (no animals or birds were around) and then came home for lunch via Walmart.

Monday 13th. October 2014
A quiet day. It was overcast and we drove around the hills roads taking photos of old barns etc. Filled the car with petrol in preparation of our return to New York tomorrow.

Tuesday 14th. October 2014.

Like last year we left just after 8:00am. It was warm but oveercast. Because if the probable delays on Interstate 81 and 95 we chose to go along State Highway 30 East Bound. The was very little traffic and we had a good run. We encountered a little fog and drizzle through the Catskills, but we had clear blue skies by the time we reached New York. After Highway 30 we turned off to Bear Mountain and eventually onto the Palisade Parkway. This led us to the George Washington Bridge ($13:00 toll) then along the road that caused us so much grief on the first night with the roadworks to the Silverstone bridge ($7:50 toll ). The Wan Wyk Freeway into JFK Airport was moving very slowly. We managed to get off it about 5 kms befor the airport and buy some petrol. As happened once before the petrol pump asked for my credit card to be swiped and then asked for my zip code. Previously I had put in my PIN and so this time I put in 5082, but to no avail. Eventually, with the help of the cashier, I managed to fill the car up and pay cash.
We arrived at JFK Airport at about 12:45pm and checked the car in. By 1:45pm we had taken the sky train around to Terminal 7, checked in, passed through security and settled into the United Lounge. Like last year the food was a little sparse, with mainly nibbles on offer.
The flight leaves for San Francisco at 5:00pm.