Turkey trot finish line

After a swim in the Aegean Sea we met for a last supper at the hotel rooftop bar as the sun set and a cruise ship sailed away. Our overpacked itinerary covering 1300 miles, guided tours, a skilled driver, and top-notch hotels have come to an end. We’ve feasted on Turkish Delight, Turkish tea, Turkish coffee, baklava, and fresh pomegranate juice but, most of all, the trip was a feast for the eyes. Thanks to Julie for inspiring and instigating the trip and to her and Arlo for being my wander-ful companions. It was tour-ific!

Pillars of the community

Our rock-solid itinerary ended with another blast from the past at the Ancient Greco-Roman city of Ephesus. The library is the towering star of the enormous site and we can thank Austrian archaeologists for restoring it (and for squirreling away some of the sculptures to Vienna). A carved relief of Nike, the winged goddess of Victory, shows her carrying a wreath and a feather. We theorized that the shape of the feather looked a bit like the Nike shoe swoosh. We explored marble-paved streets and terraced houses filled with mosaic floors and frescoed walls. Cindy challenged me to a game of ancient backgammon on a time-tested marble board.

Ancient amphitheaters take the stage

Our marble-ous itinerary took us to three Roman amphitheaters in Pamukkale, Aspendos, and Aphrodesias, one more colossal than the other. Aspendos is the star of the show and still hosts concerts and opera festivals. That’s a 2,000-year run. Pamukkale wins for Instagram moments with whitewashed travertine pools. Aphrodisias, dedicated to Aphrodite, the goddess of love, is, well, stimulating and has the original FaceBlock.

Keep an eye out

An ancient belief that an envious glance can bring bad luck explains the evil eye amulet tradition in Turkey and Greece still popular today. The blue glass eyes are hung outside homes and shops, in cars, and in our tour bus for protection and to ward off any evil eyes directed at us. The charm stares back at envy to say “I see you.”

Sent from Ann's iPhone

Whirling dervish

Devotees of the poet Rumi founded the Mevlevi Order and the whirling dervish ceremony after his death. We visited Rumi’s shrine in Konya and a few days later came full circle and watched the meditation and prayer (a shortened version for tourists who are whirling dervishes themselves). In the ceremony, the right hand points up to receive blessings from heaven, and the left points down to pass them to earth. The tall hats symbolize tombstones, the white skirts a burial shroud, and the black cloaks the grave. They shed the cloak to symbolize rebirth. The spinning represents the planets orbiting the sun and the soul revolving toward God. It’s all a bit dizzying. They plant one foot and the other orbits at a dizzying speed. Their skirts form peaks and their tilted heads (how do the hats stay on?) have a calm focus. The ceremony ends with a call for peace and a cooling sip of “rose sherbet” made with rose petals and lemon juice. They learn using a tilting board with a pin that goes between the big toe and second toe.

Hanging out with locals

One special aspect of a Rick Steves tour is the opportunity to meet locals in their homes or work places. We had lunch with Fahria who made us tomato salad, stewed white beans, and rice. She’s lived in the village her whole life and wove the rug we sat on. Another local served us tea in his fairy chimney house. Later we had a long conversation with the imam from a mosque in a small town. He handles the call to prayer five times a day, the Friday service, caring for those in need, and washing the bodies of the dead before they are buried. While we still stroll around as a fanny pack of American tourists, we’ve fostered a few cultural connections. At a small village farmer’s market we bought figs, dates, and salwar baggy pants. The drop-crotch pants, voluminous through the thighs and butt, are traditional garments perfect for agricultural work. We saw farmers wearing them in the market and women gardening in them. Fun fact: Apparently around 1850 Amelia Bloomer adopted the Turkish style as a political statement against corsets. Bloomers bloomed. We can all thank the Turks!

Aye to aye

What a Turkish delight to arrive at the Mediterranean coastal town of Antalya. We walked from our hotel through Hadrian’s Gate (circa 130 AD), dedicated to the Roman Emperor Hadrian, where horse carriage ruts are worn into the marble. The gate was later incorporated into the walls of the city and is still used as the gate to the historic old town. The lively harbor was a natural safe haven for Greek and Romans, as well as pirates, and the modern pirates (cruise operators) try to outdo each other with pirate-themed designs. We were treated to a private boat that took us for a cruise along the limestone cliffs and walked the plank for a swim in the turquoise Mediterranean Sea (78 degree water). Fun fact: the word turquoise comes from an old French word meaning “Turkish stone.” Though not mined in Turkey, the stone came to Europe via Turkish trade routes so was associated with Turkey.