To Ephesus we go...

An early morning departure was in order to explore the ruins of Ephesus. One of the perks was that we managed to get a shady parking spot for the car - which we were very thankful for when midday rolled around. At the entrance of Ephesus we were greeted by their gigantic amphitheatre. From the back row it gave us a clear view of the main street that used to lead to the harbour. From there we wandered to the main thoroughfare of Ephesus. Down the bottom of the main drag was the library which was in exemplary condition. When I walked up the main market street and looked back down at the library, it reminded me of the treasury in Petra, Jordan. By 11am the ruins were riddled with tourists. Rather than invest in the audio guide we instead eavesdropped on the many tour guides in the area. Not always the easiest when you keep bumping into the Russian guides. Frequently, whilst weaving in and out of the ruins we would come across Ephesian local cats which where getting regularly pampered and hydrated by the many tourists - very RSPCA conscious! After a good couple of hours exploring and with the growing number of crowds and sweatiness it was time to move on. To the house of Virgin Mary we go! Mary's house was located about 9km from Ephesus, on the top of a neighbouring hill. Welcoming us were huge pine trees, which provided much needed shade. Immediately there was a sense of peace and calmness on the site. Everyone lined up quietly and silently entered Mary's house. In tradition we all took a candle and whilst lighting them said our quiet prayers . From there everyone headed down the steps to the fresh water springs which is believed to be Holy water. A good gulp or two was in order!! Lastly Lucy and I added our prayers to the prayer wall.

After recharging our spiritual batteries next we headed to the coast to take a dip in the Aegean Sea. This is where we recharged our physical batteries. Lazily we laid on the deck chairs under dried palm leave umbrellas. Before we knew it a good couple of hours had gone by.

The remainder of the evening was spent at a local hangout on the streets on Selcuk. Over the men's semi-finals Wimbleton match we met a Scottish husband and wife. (That's right, Alisha... Andy Murray is Scottish not English!) They were regular visitors of Turkey and were a bundle of knowledge. The evening went late into the night with good food, company, conversation and an always handy deck of cards.