Kusadasi, Turkey

 Today, we woke up to this. Just beautiful---as all of the ports have been.

The weather was just perfect too---sunny and 72 degrees. Butch took the tour without me today. The Broussards did a different tour. I had decided to stay on the ship. Since Butch took the 3 hour tour, we arranged to have lunch and then go in to town together. When he got home---he told me I had missed the best tour yet. Figures. I was too afraid to miss anything, so I went every day---a couple I could have done without. But now I missed the best.

 The ruins at Ephasus were even better than the Acropolis. I really missed it.

 Butch said that the ruins were as far as the eye could see.

There's still so much detail to be seen.

 This is the remains of a library which held over 75,000 scrolls.

 The detail on the ceiling can still be seen.

This is the amphitheater. He said the rubble was just everywhere. Unlike the U.S. where everything would have been behind glass or barriers, he said that everyone was just walking on anything and standing on thousands of year old marble to take photos. Nobody seemed to care. There's just so much. He said the tour guide said that they don't know what to do with it all. They do not have the money to do the excavating, so they let other countries come in to do it. In fact, his tour guide found a centuries old menorah and was given the credit for having found it. He said he was just sitting on a piece of marble, looked down and saw it. I can't imagine a place where you could pretty much dig anywhere and find stuff. That's the tour I want to take!!

 Butch and I went to a silk rug demonstration. This is where they spin the silk. They have to kill the worm in the cocoon to be able to spin the silk. If the butterfly comes out, the cocoon is ruined and they can't get the silk. It was pretty interesting. Those little while things are the cocoons floating in water to loosen the fiber.

All of the carpets are made completely by hand. The silk ones take up to 8 months and cost a lot. Afterwards, we were looking at them. The one I fell in love with was $15,000---a little over the budget.  There were a couple of silk and wool blends that I really liked, but still more than I wanted to pay.

We shopped a little longer, but it was too annoying---with ALL the shopkeepers hounding you. I ended up making a few purchases---5 gifts out of the way---4 for Christmas and a birthday gift.

I got my private tour of the galley. It was awesome. Just a few interesting facts---86 people work in the kitchen. 24 of those are dishwashers. This is the executive chef (he's French) and is in charge of everything food related. There are 700 passengers and 450 crew that he feeds every day---1200 breakfasts, 1200 lunches and 1200 dinners. Here's the thing that blew me away---there is only ONE man to handle ALL the potatoes: mashed, baked, fried, lyonnaise, French fries and twice baked. He even does all the peeling---but surely he must have a peeling machine---otherwise, there is no way. Everything is made from scratch. Still, I'm amazed at what one man can do. It takes me all day to make a dinner for 8!!

Speaking of dinner---we ate at the Italian restaurant---Sette Mari---each restaurant has the neatest dinnerware and glassware. I wish they sold pieces. That would make a good souvenir.

Tomorrow is our very last day. We'll be in Istanbul. Karolyn and I are having tea. I'm anxious to see what that will be like. Then we're going to the bazaar. Maybe I'll get that rug after all....