Day 8, Friday 16 May
So we got to sleep in today! Til 6am!
Usual meh breakfast, then out the door at 8am.
Yılancı Burnu from the coach near the hotel
Kuşadası Castle from the coach
El Heykeli sculpture
Drove into the countryside for several hours.
Fancy resort hotels on the Aegean Sea coast
Ayasuluk Citadel from the coach
Mountainside and Goat Castle
National Forces Memorial near Manisa
The first stop was Akhisar (Thyateria), one of the seven churches in Revelation. It's in the middle of a city block and there's not much to see there.
Thyateria historical city
Thyateria historical city
Tortoise in Thyateria
Thyateria historical city
Thyateria historical city
Thyateria historical city
Thyateria historical city
Thyateria historical city
Then more driving. We were stopped in the town of Soma because they were worried about protestors coming into the city. They let us pass because we were tourists, but we had to go around the outskirts of town. Every road in was blocked by police. We also killed a swallow that flew in front of the coach, that was pretty sad :(
Turkish countryside
Blocked road on the outskirts of Soma. They were concerned about people coming to protest the government's involvement and response to the mine disaster
Soma Thermal Power Plant. A fire in a nearby coal mine killed 301 people just a few days before we passed through
Condolences to all our people
Had a pretty decent lunch in Bergama.
Then took a cable car to the top of the hill to see the fortress and remains of Pergamon. Another cool ancient city that we didn't have nearly enough time to fully explore.
View up to Pergamon
Kestel Dam from the chairlift
View from the top of the chairlift
Top of the chairlift at Pergamon
Ruins at Pergamon
Ancient wall in Pergamon
Ancient wall in Pergamon
Royal palace at Pergamon
Ruins at Pergamon
Temple at Pergamon
Temple at Pergamon
Temple at Pergamon
Theatre at Pergamon
Ruins at Pergamon
The Sactuary of Athena
Location of the great altar of Pergamon (now in the Pergamon museum in Berlin)
Then down to the bottom of the mountain to see Asklepion.
Via Tecta colonnaded street at the Asclepieion
Sactuary of Asklepios
Sacred fountain
Portico
Bathing pool
Photo by Mum
Theatre
Underground passage
Underground passage
Underground passage
Circular building of treatment
Ruins at Asclepieion
Ruins at Asclepieion
Ruins at Asclepieion
View up to Pergamon
And finally some more driving to our hotel in Assos. Yet another hotel that doesn't provide tissues. Bah. The view is lovely, but the safe is locked shut (same problem as last hotel), and wifi requires a password in the rooms which I couldn't be stuffed trying to find out. It doesn't seem to need it in the lobby, however it doesn't really work there. Yay. The pools are also empty at the moment, don't know what's up with that. There's an indoor pool, but it closes at 5pm. There's also dozens of school kids here on some sort of school or youth tour. So they are pretty noisy and made dinner .. challenging ..
Aegean Sea near Altinoluk
I finished my book I brought today which is a bit of a disaster.
At least my cold is more betterer. Just a bit of a sniffle and a cough, but not as much runny nose as yesterday.
Yet another late dinner. Yet another late finishing night :(