We said our goodbyes to Istanbul and boarded a plane to head further down the Aegean Coast to the area of Ephesus. We flew into Izmir and rented a car to get the hour south to a little village called Åžirince. As we followed the GPS directions to the hotel, we drove around many switchbacks in the hills until we arrived. This ‘little’ village boasts of having 650 people, 35 donkeys, and a dwindling number of goats. Aside from that, it is surrounded by beautiful countryside!
Our hotel was actually situated high on the hill (the highest building in the picture).
The first night we were put into a little cottage in the valley part of the village.
The outside does not do it justice. The inside was wonderful . . . as long as you duck your head on the way in and out of the bathroom.
Our remaining nights in the village were spent in a house just down the hill from the main hotel.
Each morning we opened up the basket they left in the kitchen to find our breakfast.
There was always fresh bread, ‘cake’, cheeses, vegetables, fresh eggs, homemade jellies, and fruits.
Just being in the hotel’s houses just made you feel ‘at home.’ We spent many hours inside just relaxing.
One afternoon we attempted a swim in the hotel’s pool. It was a beautiful layout, as you looked out over the valley, but the water was FREEZING cold! Only the die-hard kids made it in past their feet!
One of our nights there, we ate in the hotel’s restaurant and had the most picturesque dining experience we will probably ever have.
The food was really good as well, but the view was stunning. I was so glad we were still eating for the sunset.
*The Village*
The village is made up of descendants of Turkish immigrants who left their homes in Greek Macedonia, in the 1920’s. Their main sources of income are peaches, grapes and olives, although being so close to Ephesus, tourism has started to help their economy as well.
With the steep slopes of the village, a tractor is one of the only ways to haul anything.
Another way . . . by donkey.
Shops have been set up to display local wares. One of the most unique was a little lean-to with an old man who carved cooking utensils.
Day after day he sits there carving, and sells the utensils. (You can see Caleb holding the spoon Chris bought.)
Village Drinking Fountain
For our last full day in the village we decided to go hiking. We had no idea where we would end up but we stayed to the trails and had a lot of fun.
The only site that wasn’t countryside was this view that we had of workers digging into the rock wall.
We were quite curious to know what they were creating but not close enough to ask.
*Ephesus*
Despite what it sounds like, we did make it out of the village to site-see. Our first stop was the ruins of Ephesus. We were told to arrive early, before the cruise ship tours started. We were glad we listened.
Before (on our way in)
After (on our way out)
We made sure to get in what we wanted to see, like the facade of the Library of Celsus.
Also, the Ephesus Theatre was on our list. This is the theater where Paul’s preaching started an anti-Christian demonstration (from Acts 19:24-41).
We were able to catch a little bit of action during this ‘gladiator’ battle. The kids were entranced.
Just a little bit off from the main path of Ephesus there is a trail leading to St. Mary’s Church. We enjoyed walking through (or playing in) the ruins here as well.
On our way out, we found something of a treasure to us . .
A baptistry font for adult baptisms . . . by immersion.
*Virgin Mary and St. John*
Just up the road from Ephesus were signs for Virgin Mary’s House so we drove up the hill to see what it was all about.
At the top of the hill is a house where supposedly Mary lived after John brought her to Ephesus after Jesus was crucified.
When we realized they were going to charge us for parking and to go see the house, we snapped a couple pictures and went back down the hill. So, we didn’t actually see the house.
We did, however, find the Basilica of St. John in the town next to Ephesus. So, we went in its ruins.
Again, we found a baptismal font for baptisms by . . . immersion!
This is supposedly where John is buried.
*Beach*
Sadly, once you see some ruins, they all start running together. So, we left them behind and found the beach!
The kids had a great time getting their energy out.
The water was, again, FREEZING! So sticking our feet in was as far as we got!
Now we can say we’ve been to the Aegean Sea . . . and stuck our toes in!
*Lesson Learned*
We were warned prior to this trip that Turkish people love children and we needed to relax and let them give our kids candy or whatever they feel the urge to share. Even with the warning, I don’t think we were quite prepared for how much this would affect our traveling.
Poor Cami was truly a target. Every single place we went, her cheeks were squeezed, she was picked up and cuddled, her hair was petted, etc. At first she really had issues with this. I mean, who wouldn’t?! But, by the end of the trip, she just tried to pretend they weren’t touching her.
Cami trying to ignore the guard petting her hair:
Of course, sometimes this worked to our advantage. One night at dinner, when the weather had started to cool off, the waiter brought Cami a tablecloth to wrap around her shoulders. In an after-thought he brought one for Hannah as well.
Not too long afterward, the waiter brought us an additional plate of lamb chops specifying that they were specifically for Cami ‘on the house.’
That was a night that she didn’t mind the extra attention!
Cami has now become everyone’s favorite travel partner. Even having to deal with 4 year old melt-downs, there definitely are perks, especially if you are in Turkey!
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