We were up at a reasonable time this morning after a good sleep, and we got to the Coffee Connection cafe around 9:30 am to have breakfast. But we ended up running into a few people and, before we knew it, there was little time left for breakfast before we had to disembark at the port of Kusadasi. So, we just ended up grabbing a bit of fruit to keep us going.

Breakfast.
Breakfast.

After disembarking, we headed to Ephesus, a drive of just over half an hour. Ephesus is an ancient Greek and Roman city, known today for its incredible ruins. Its strategic Aegean location made it a thriving port, cultural hub, and provincial Roman capital. The city was established in the 10th century BC and flourished through Hellenistic and Roman times. The ruins include the Library of Celsus, numerous theatres, and the Temple of Artemis—one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The decline of the city was brought about by a build-up of silt from the waterways that flowed into the port, eventually blocking the port entirely. Today, as a result of the silt build-up, the ruins are around six kilometres from the shore.

It was a scorching hot day in Turkey today, around 41 degrees when we got out of the bus. But the reflected heat of the old city’s stone streets made it feel even hotter. Nonetheless, we really enjoyed exploring the ruins.

Remnants of an altar.
Remnants of an altar.
Remnants of the Hercules Gate.
Remnants of the Hercules Gate.
Andrea, at the Hercules Gate.
Andrea, at the Hercules Gate.
Keith, on the main street of Ephesus.
Keith, on the main street of Ephesus.
Andrea, at the Hercules Gate.
Andrea, at the Hercules Gate.
Andrea, at the Hercules Gate.
Andrea, at the Hercules Gate.
Looking down the main street of Ephesus.
Looking down the main street of Ephesus.
The Library of Celcus.
The Library of Celcus.
Keith and Andrea, at Library of Celcus.
Keith and Andrea, at Library of Celcus.
Peter and Pam (from England), and Andrea and Keith, at the Library of Celcus.
Peter and Pam (from England), and Andrea and Keith, at the Library of Celcus.
Pam and Andrea, at the Library of Celcus,
Pam and Andrea, at the Library of Celcus,
Ruins of the Temple of Artemis.
Ruins of the Temple of Artemis.
The Great Theatre of Ephesus.
The Great Theatre of Ephesus.
Andrea, in Ephesus.
Andrea, in Ephesus.

We left Ephesus mid-afternoon, after a thoroughly enjoyable visit. The bus took us back to the port, where we alighted and headed to a rug store. Having seen plenty of rug-making in our time, our expectations were muted. However, it turned out to be quite fascinating. In particular, we were fascinated by the process of extracting the silk thread from the silkworm cocoons.

Of course, we had no intention of buying a rug. But, somehow, we walked out of the store as the proud owners of, not one, but two new rugs!

Andrea, signing the bottom corner of one of the rugs we purchased.
Andrea, signing the bottom corner of one of the rugs we purchased.

There were a number of other shops at the port, many proudly displaying signs advertising the quality of their goods.

Apparently, the goods in this store are the genuine fakes!
Apparently, the goods in this store are the genuine fakes!

It was about 6:30 pm by the time we got back to the ship. We had a refreshing, hot shower before getting dressed for dinner, which we had booked at Chartreuse, the ship’s French restaurant. We had an excellent meal.

Dinner.
Dinner.
Dinner.
Dinner.
Dinner.
Dinner.
Dinner.
Dinner.
Dinner.
Dinner.
Dinner.
Dinner.
Dinner.
Dinner.
Dinner.
Dinner.

After dinner, we ended up chatting with Peter and Pam, the lovely couple from England that we had met earlier in the cruise. By the time, we got to bed it was nearly 1:00 am. After such a big day, we crashed into bed and went quickly to sleep.

The ship is sailing overnight to the Greek island of Santorini. We are really looking forward to spending the day on Santorini, where we’ll dock tomorrow morning around 8:00 am.