Troy and Assos

The worst thing about Troy was the stupid wooden horse with windows when we entered the site. Everything else was really well done. A confusing but beautiful archaeological site was really well presented. Raised wooden walkways took us all over. 

Then we went to the museum which was modern and well laid out. Lyn pointed out the empty space set aside for 'Priam's Treasure'. Good luck getting that back from the Russians!

Next stop was Assos. It was a steep walk up to the temple of Athena on the acropolis past shops selling overpriced clothing, ice cream and ghastly souvenirs. 

The view from the top across the water to Lesbos was stunning.  

It was a longish drive to Bergama, ancient Pergamon, where we will be for two nights.

Gallipoli

A Village and Canakkale

We knew we were in for a fairly unexciting drive from Bursa to Canakkale today. First though, we visited a village which was not much changed since the 15th century, except for the shops selling 21st century tourist junk. 

A seaside lunch stop was followed by a short walk to watch local fishermen trying to catch very small fish. Driving on, the Dardanelles came into view. At Lamsaki (ancient Lampsacus) a spectacular bridge crosses to a point just east of where Lysander destroyed the Athenian fleet.

We finally arrived at Canakkale and went for a walk. We were followed for a while by a woman shouting conspiracy theories in Turkish. It is an attractive seaside town. On the waterfront the makers of the movie Troy (2006) have left the wooden horse behind.

Bursa

This was the first capital of their empire when the Ottomans started making a name for themselves. We visited the tombs of the first sultans and the mosques they built. 

There was some shopping and tea at a caravanserai turned mall for silk shops. (Bursa was a silk manufacturing centre.) At one point our guide explained more about the whirling dervishes.

After lunch our final stop was tea under a huge and ancient plane tree.

On Tour

We found a post office and sent off postcards and then explored a small bazaar near our hotel. Lyn bought herself some pomegranate tea for our travels. The range of other teas on offer included Hakuna Matata tea and this one.

Our meeting point to start the tour was a long drive to the other side of Istanbul. We evemtually found the rest of our party and drove on. We tried the local shaved beef specialty at a roadside cafe overlooking the Sea of Marmara. The route took us across the Osmangazi Bridge which spans the Gulf of Izmir and then we made another stop at Nika (ancient Nicaea). We were able to see a remnant of the walls.

Our attempt to visit the local Haghia Sofia was thwarted by afternoon prayers. The call to prayer was so loud it gave me a headache. 

We drove on into the mountains above the lake to the city of Bursa. We scored a spectacular room with this view over the city from our balcony. 

Archaeology and Shopping

Topkapi, Basilica Cistern and Whirling Dervishes