MAKING MEMORIES: WONDER & AWE IN ANCIENT EPHESUS
Join us for a marvelous tour of the Roman City of Ephesus. While no one can guarantee Mary made her home on the outskirts of Ephesus, there’s no question that what we saw later that morning was the place where many luminaries of the Roman world, Christian and Pagan, walked. Come walk with us down Curetes Street to the famous Library of Ephesus.
Strolling the Main Drag
It’s a short drive from Mary’s house to the Roman Ruins of Ephesus. I purposely created this page for Ephesus with an ascending flavor. The photos on the upper left are of the library. If you were on the porch of the library during Roman times and headed left, you’d walk past a large amphitheater on the Arcadian Road and go to the port. As I mentioned before, the ancient port is now covered over with centuries of silt and Kusadasi serves as the nearest port.
If instead, you headed straight up the road in front of you, Curetes Street, named for the priests of Artemis, then you would have entered Ephesus’s answer to Rodeo Drive. Today’s tourists begin at the top of Curetes Street and wander down to the Library. It’s a wonderful walk. You pass public toilets, bath houses, restaurants and stores which were once amazing marble edifices built to serve the Roman elite.
Echoes of the Parthenon
Though the Ancient Greeks built atop the Acropolis long before the Roman era, the Romans made their mark there and then copied what they saw all over their widespread empire. It’s clear to see in Ephesus and I’ve seen the same architectural hallmarks around Italy and in Egypt. I would see the same hallmarks the next day in Troy and even Istanbul has ties to Athens. In fact, any capital your visit in the Western World is an homage to Athens, be it Paris, London or Washington D.C.
To have had the privilege of seeing all these wonderful things is quite humbling. I certainly don’t deserve to be so lucky. It’s one of the great blessings of my life. My precious mother is the one who inspired me to get out into the world and see what I could of it. I’ve traveled further than she ever had to opportunity to do, but I know she’s delighted that’s how things worked out.
The Cats of Ephesus
Though it was never my intention to have cats as a secondary theme to my Aegean Sea cruise, they certainly made their paw mark on it. While I don’t remember cats in Crete, all our other stops teemed with cats. For Mr. Bill that’s an absolute delight. For me, it’s a photo opportunity. According to our chatty guide, one of the cats of Ephesus has its own Instagram page, but I’m not often on Insta, so I can’t vouch for that.
As in the other places we visited, the Cats of Ephesus keep to themselves for the most part and only a few lucky people are allowed in close enough to pet them. Bill got lucky in Rhodes and it was my turn in Istanbul. If you follow in our footsteps, keep your eyes peeled for our feline friends.
Back to the Boat
We did stand on the stairs of the Library and make a left. The beauty continues all the way to the souvenir and snack shops. We climbed on the bus and tolerated our chatty guide all the way back to Kusadasi where were were subjected to the Rug Merchants there. We tolerated a little of their showmanship and then escaped quickly when they started their salesmanship. The walk back to the boat was a gauntlet of determined salespeople. What have they got to lose? If they don’t grab you today, it’s unlikely they’ll get another chance at you.
Back on board, we grabbed a snack in the World Cafe and returned to our room so Bill could nap. I read for most of his nap, but then I did go to the Port Talk for Troy, next on our itinerary. After the Port Talk it was our turn to go to the Chef’s Table, but some how we were there for Korean Night. Not one of our favorite cuisines, but it was a different sort of evening from the rest of them. Confession, we did hit the World Cafe for some ice cream before going to the theater for the broadcast of a symphony. It was a lovely performance, but I’m old school. I would have preferred something live.
We have a late shore excursion the next day, so another chance to take it easy. Join me next week to see how we enjoyed it.
jane sadek 