February 22 - The Afternoon

I left off this morning just after I had finished my tea and reading. I went out to lunch with Sarabeth and Dr. Krentz. We grabbed a quick bite before we had to meet Gulin in the lobby. We got onto the bus and headed out for an afternoon outing. The first place we went has nothing, really, to do with Classics, but it is a site that Gulin thought we should see because of its inherent value. She was not kidding. It is a museum today, but the history and interior are very rich. The ancient name is Chora, but today it is called Kariye Camii. This structure was originally a church. The building that stands today dates to the 11th century, but archaeologists have discovered remains here from both 6th and 9th century churches. In the 14th century, there were major renovations, which I will come back to later. In the 16th century, it was turned into a mosque.
From the outside, there doesn’t seem to be anything spectacular about the structure. It too has the domed roofs that added texture to the rooftop views. Inside, however, are the most unreal mosaics I have ever seen. They have survived the transition of the building’s function incredibly well, and remarkably they weren’t removed by the Muslims, instead they were just whitewashed. Some of the stories depicted by the mosaics don’t even exist anymore, like the life story of Mary. They are very detailed and full of color. They are the decorations to the 2 narthex spaces. The worship space is covered in marble panels. The windows line up with Jerusalem, part of the church’s design, but an apse was added just to the right of the windows in the 16th century and it lines up with Mecca. The whole building was absolutely fascinating. Gulin told me later that she could tell I loved it because my eyes were “sparkly.”
On the way to and from the mosque we drove by the city’s ancient fortification walls. These Theodosian walls date to the 5th century CE and originally encircled the city (the walls were expanded in 450) and ran for just under 7 km. We also passed under an aqueduct that dates to 375 CE. It just blows my mind that these structures still stand as part of the city. That we can drive under a 4th century aqueduct is mind boggling.
Gulin next took us to the modern section of Istanbul. This section is on the side of Turkey that touches Europe. Actually, it is the part of Turkey that is Europe (and part of Turkey’s argument to join the EU). She took us to the shopping district. It was very, very cold, so we mostly just got a quick feel for the area (she figured we would want to come here on the free day tomorrow) and then went in search of coffee and food. Caroline, Allie, and I split a bag of roasted chestnuts from a street vendor and Mary bought an ear of corn. While we were searching for a café (we were scheduled to meet back at the bus in 30 mins) to spend the rest of the time, we passed a bookshop and Starbucks. Well, I just couldn’t pass up that combination. I grabbed a latte and headed to the English section of the bookshop. It was a very small section, just two shelves, but the cool part was the conversation I had with another customer.
His name (when I asked as we parted ways) is Jim, and he too was a little disappointed in the number of English books. We ended up chatting for about 15 mins. He was here to see Gallipoli (one of the first places we went to when we got to Turkey) and I was able to tell about our trip there, why I was here at all (he was blown away by this semester long program), and how I was enjoying Turkey so far. He is from New Zealand (but had a very good American accent – I forgot to ask why) and wanted to see this site which has so much significance to their country. He is currently teaching in Kuwait, though, but he had a few days off and decided to fly to Istanbul. I just thought it was so cool to be in Turkey having a conversation with someone from New Zealand. I think that was my first real conversation with someone outside of the Davidson group. The whole experience just made my day. That and I bought two books to read over Spring Break: Captain Corelli’s Mandolin and Shibumi. They are my treat for after the test.
Speaking of the test. I decided I’d rather make the most of the free day tomorrow, so I did a whole bunch of test prep tonight. I wrote out study guides for 3 of the 4 tests, and I will work on the 4th before we leave the hotel in the morning. The plan for tomorrow is to go to the Bazaar in the morning. This Bazaar is the mother load of all shopping as there are over 4000 booths. Then in the afternoon we are going to a Turkish bath. I say “we,” but this just means a few of the girls. Gulin has picked out a bath for us to go to. The whole package is a full body exfoliation and massage, in addition to the steam rooms. It is something you can’t leave Turkey without having experienced.
I think we will also go back to the modern section. Istanbul is one of the neatest places I have ever been, and I am not all that much of a city person. It is remarkably clean here. For some reason, I just hate seeing dirty cities. It’s part of the reason I like smaller towns. People seem to care more about their surroundings in small towns. Istanbul, however, is very clean and exciting. I’d love to come back again.

February 22 - The Morning

Just try and imagine this: I am sitting in the hotel’s rooftop restaurant (the 8th floor) drinking herbal tea and looking out over the historic section of Istabul. It is lightly snowing and there is a rotund seagull perched on the ledge staring at me. Just beyond him is the Blue Mosque. To the left is the Aghia Sophia Mosque. Farther in the distance are the towers of the Sultan’s palace. The Marmara Sea is full of cargo ships and the line between the sea and the sky is blurred because of the snow clouds. It is a gray blue. It looks cold, but not fierce. It is 8 in the morning on Sunday so the city is fairly quiet. It’s too incredible to believe that I am in Istabul, in the heart of the historic district.
We won’t leave the hotel until 1:30 this afternoon, at which point Gulin will take us around the city. I can’t remember exactly what we are doing today, but I need to layer up. It is very cold here. As always, I let you know what I’ve been up to.

February 21

So I am going nuts – we won’t be leaving at 8:30 for the rest of the time before Spring Break! And that included today! I still like to get up early, but I do love having time in the morning to do reading. I am a bit more energized in the morning. I feel like I am developing a normal person’s sleep schedule. It’s strange.
But, yes, we left at 9:30 this morning and headed to the Antalya Museum. They have on display some wonderful sculptures that were found at the Antalya theater (which we will not visit). Krentz told us to imagine these statues at the Aspendos theater from yesterday. The sculpture there would have been very similar to those displayed. This museum also displayed the sarcophagi found at the acropolis from Perge. These stone caskets are completely covered in relief figures and decorations. Very impressive. Most of these caskets have been recently returned from other museums around the world, after having been aggressively pursued by the Turkish government. They are justified in trying to get back these pieces as most were smuggled out of Turkey from illegal digs. The museum lets the visitor know the truth as well. This plaque was propped up against one of the sarcophagi: “This fragment of sarcophagus was smuggled abroad after illicit excavations in Perge and given back by Paul Getty Museum of U.S.A. in 1983.” I wonder how willingly that museum gave the item back.
After the Antalya Museum, we had about 2 and a half hours free time before we had to catch out flight to Turkey. I went with Gulin, Krentz, and a few other students to check out Hadrian’s gate, which was constructed after his visit to this city in the 2nd century CE (at that time the city was known as Byzantium). We stopped for lunch at a little restaurant in the downtown area that Gulin found for us. They brought us some delicious, freshly baked pita bread. It was still puffy and steamy! At every single restaurant in Turkey, you get bread on the table. The same went for Greece as well. In Turkey, however, the bread is free and they keep refilling your basket. In Greece, there is a 50 cent charge per person. Even if they raise prices of the dishes in Turkey to account for the “free” bread, I’d rather be duped. I don’t like being charged out right for bread. After lunch I went to a coffee shop with Sarabeth and Mary to get some reading done.
Our flight to Istanbul was set to take off at 4:45, so we all reconvened at 2:30 by this huge statute of Ataturk (he is basically God here) in the middle of downtown Antalya. There were no problems getting on the plane or our new bus that will take us around Istanbul. This bus is even smaller! But, we won’t be leaving Istanbul for the rest of the week, and when we do ride the bus, it will only be for a short trip.
This hotel is very nice compared to where we have been staying. I scored a double this week. YEAH! And with Sarabeth too. She gets up later than I do, so I get the bathroom all to myself in the morning without having to get up any earlier.
We went out to dinner at this restaurant that Gulin recommended. She lives in Istanbul, so she won’t be dining with us anymore. This place was called the pudding shop for some reason. It was very tasty, though. I had a delicious stuffed eggplant. Istanbul is much more expensive than the rest of Turkey, however. We are now paying what we would for meals in the States. After dinner it was back to the hotel for a little bit of schoolwork and sleep.

February 20

This morning we left the hotel at, wait for it… 9:30! What joy! It was so nice to have an extra hour in the morning. It gave me a chance to do the reading that I was too sleepy to do last night. For some reason, I just could not keep my eyes open last night. I fell asleep on my bed from about 7:30 till 8:30 last night, then I woke up, got changed for bed, and slept from 9:30 until 7:30 this morning. I guess I am just getting a little pooped with all the travelling we are doing. I am so glad that spring break is just around the corner.
But yes, we left at 9:30 to head to Perge, another ancient city. Though an interesting city in and of itself, it pales in comparison to the finds at Ephesus. We did have a chance to climb up to the acropolis and take some pictures of the city below. Part of the reason it is less impressive is the progress of the excavations, there is still much left to uncover. One of the more interesting fetures of the city is the main entrance. An originally Hellenistic structure composed of two circular towers, the gate was rebuilt with the financial support of a wealthy woman. There are two inscriptions found on the tower, one which identifies her father, but here he is known as Plancia Magna. Her brother is also identified in relation to her. Very cool for this time period. Women usually had no control over their own finances, it was passed from father to husband.
After Perge we grabbed some lunch at a restaurant nearer to the next site, Aspendos. The restaurant offered fresh trout as a main course, and it was actually very good. Krentz sat next to me at this meal and mimicked what he considered to be “excellent technique” for getting the meat off the bones. I didn’t let it slip that in one of my forkfuls, I chomped down on several tiny bones.
We went to the theater at Aspendos, which is the best preserved theater in all of Asia Minor and arguably all of the ancient world. Caroline gave her presentation here about the history of the theater. According to the legend, the acoustics are so good in the theater that when the king was in the upper section of the seating, he heard someone say that the proncess should be given to this person as their wife. The king wanted to find out who said this and discovered that the designer of the theater, Xeno, had whispered his desire while on stage. The king was so impressed that he did give Xeno his daughter. I hope the daughter was equally impressed.
After the theater was stopped for a fewm minutes at one of the best preserved aqueducts in Asia Minor. Though relatively short (1 km), the aqueduct still has its two pressure towers to control the water flow. The aqueduct is 15 meters high and the towers are 30 meters high.
We headed back to the hotel for dinner and homework. I got caught up with some of my schoolwork tonight. Going to bed so early lately has made me a little behind in my journals, but now I am good.

February 19

This morning we left the hotel, with bags all packed, at 8:30. Just a side note about the bus – people (myself included) have been getting on the bus about 15 mins early to get the seat they want. There is definite strategy to ensure that you get a row to yourself. It’s a tricky game, but one I am trying to master. There is very little leg room on the bus, and I tend to stretch out into the aisle.
We drove a little over two hours to the museum Burdur museum, which houses the best finds from the ancient city of Sagalassos, which we were visiting next. This was a well laid out museum, with plenty of information provided, but the lights were motion sensitive, and turned off after about 15 seconds of no movement. This would have been fine if I were just passing through the museum, but we have to (or should) take notes on the exhibited items, so here, every time I started to take notes, the lights would shut off. That got annoying fairly quickly.
We grabbed lunch in town at a decent place just around the corner. There was a Burger King across the street with better restrooms. In Turkey, there are Turkish toilets. These are just holes in the ground. Honestly, they are porcelain basins in the floor of the restroom. I don’t understand why this design would have ever been approved or constructed, and then why anyone would ever use it. Usually, there is also a typical style toilet, but not here. Needless to say, we went to the Burger King to use a more traditional one. We ran into Jensen and Trent who were having trouble ordering. They asked for the receipt and got two chai teas. Jensen then ordered a vanilla milkshake and was puzzled when the tab was 6 lira. The question was answered when he got a tray with 3 milkshakes on it.
The plan was to go up the mountain to the ancient city of Sagalassos. This city is 1400m above sea level, and, before we headed to lunch, the roads were being cleared of the freshly fallen snow. The snow plows had finished by the end of lunch, so we slowly headed up the mountain. It was a beautiful drive. It snowed about 4 or 5 inches, and when we finally got to the city, very little could be seen. It was still a great day, though. We had several snowball fights, one particularly good one occurred in the fountain house. The archaeologists had completely restored it, including the running water. But, as we were leaving, the first half of the group to leave the fountain house (which was a few steps down from ground level) turned on the rest of us and launched snowballs. Krentz commented joined the fight, as did Gulin. She threw the snowballs from the top of the fountain house, right onto our heads. The site was closed, but Gulin worked her magic and convinced the site workers that we were archaeological students. I don’t think we did a very good job of convincing them.
We only got to see three structures. The snow started falling again, and we had to make sure the bus would be able to make it down the mountain. We did get to see the most noteworthy feature of the site: the Nymphaea. This was originally a Greek fountain house, but had been reconstructed into the Roman style, which opened up the water to reflect the architecture. The archaeologists found it with only 15 percent in ruins. It is one of the best preserved buildings found yet.
We got back on the bus, wet and happy. It took another hour and a half to drive to the hotel, which also includes dinner. I am in a triple, but the room is very spacious. I actually scored the room’s double bed. The dinner was buffet style and just as good as last night’s dinner.
Krentz is pushing the schedule an hour back, so we don’t leave the hotel till 9:30 am! What a treat. Depending on the weather in the morning we are either going to a museum or to some sites. I’ll let you know what we do.

February 18

This morning we left the hotel at 8:30. On the mornings when we travel, like today, we have to have our suitcases packed and in the lobby before we go to breakfast, so that they can load the bus as we eat. My suitcase is getting very heavy. With all my books, which I transfer to my suitcase when we travel by bus, and the various items I have purchased so far, my suitcase must weigh well over 50 pounds. Gulin says that the Turkish flights don’t really enforce the weight restrictions, so hopefully I won’t have to carry all my books in my carry-on, otherwise, it’s a very heavy backpack on the flight to Istanbul in 3 days.
But, back to today. We had a two hour bus ride to Aphrodisias. One of the distinguishing features about this city is its stadium, which held about 30,000 people. Constructed in the 1st or 2nd century CE, this stadium held gladiatorial contests, and athletic competitions. So of course, we had to have a competition of our own. Four boys and three girls raced the length of the stadium – Krentz offered the winner a free beer at lunch. It was neck-n-neck for the guys, but Trent won in the end. Sarabeth won for the girls. The weird thing was the when they all walked back to get their stuff, Trent lay down on the stadium seats and wouldn’t get up. He was smiling and all, but when we started to leave that end, he still wouldn’t move, and then when we actually left the stadium, he had only just started walking, and then lay down again. Rob went to go see if he were alright. Apparently, he has really low blood pressure and sometimes intense physical activity makes him woosy (as does giving blood). I think the free beer, though certainly a motivation, may not have been prize enough in the long run. He caught up to us at the Temple of Aphrodite.
This city was favored by the Roman emperors for a few reasons. It was in a great location, being at the intersection of three trade routes. It had also decided to support the Romans instead of a local leader who was pushing for a revolt against Roman rule. The most significant reason, arguably, that it was so important was because Julius Caesar traced his lineage back to Venus and Aphrodite and heavily favored this city. Caesar was very popular among the people and the subsequent emperors tried to align themselves with Caesar, including favoring what Caesar favored.
This city was home to a renowned sculpture school, which contributed much to the beautiful Sebastion, a sanctuary space and urban thoroughfare. This structure had three levels, with Doric, Ionic, and then Corinthian columns. Each level had a different theme, varying from depictions of Roman emperors, mythological images, the great heroes, and personifications of conquered cities. The friezes and sculptures were moved to the museum on site, but a replica is currently underway.
After the site and the museum, we went to lunch at a local restaurant. One of the staff members played a guitar-looking instrument while a parrot perched on the neck of the instrument. It was a little strange, but it made for a cool picture.
After lunch, we stopped at the hot springs in Hierapolis. I had just woken up. Because of time constraints, we cut out Hierapolis from the schedule, so I wasn’t expecting another stop. I guess the bus made good time, however, so we were able to spend about 45 mins there, before the site closed at 4:30. We didn’t have time to visit the ancient city, but we did have a chance to take a great look from the bottom, and then take the bus up to the top. It’s a little difficult to explain what I mean, but I’ll try. The hot springs on the side of the mountain here leave a calcium deposit when they release the water. This calcium has built up over time and has run down the mountain, leaving a snow white façade. It looks like ice covers the mountain. It’s incredibly beautiful. I was still a bit out of it when we first got off the bus – apparently, I fell asleep hard. I was able to appreciate better the beauty of this hot springs when we reached the top. Here, the water is blue-ish when it pools up. We got to take our socks and shoes off and wade in ankle-deep into the water. It was warm! Slippery too. Fortunately, no one wiped out.
The hotel was just 15 mins away from the hot springs. It is a nice place. We’re a little bummed that we will only be spending one night. The beds are comfortable and the shower has good pressure! A delicious dinner was also included. It’s the first buffet that has been satisfying for w while now. There were plenty of options, and a lot of fruit at the dessert table. The boys got three plates of food. It’s crazy how they can pack away food. They are like bears, loading up in case they never eat again, apparently. You’d think they were hibernating for the next 3 months.
Tomorrow we head to Sagalassos, if there isn’t snow in the ground. If there is snow, we will go back to Hierapolis to see the ancient city.

February 17

Today was one of the longest days we have had so far. We left the hotel, as usual, at 8:30, but the ancient city of Ephesus is only 15 minutes away. We spent about 4 hours there this morning. It is a fascinating place. The city here is actually the third Ephesus, dating back to the 6th century BCE, and resides in the valley. It used to be a harbor city, but the Aegean is not 7 km away. The Maeander River has silted up the region in the past 2500 years.
This city gained importance under the Roman Empire, and much of the structures were rebuilt during their rule; little remains of the Hellenistic times. One prime example of this transition to Roman styles is the theater. Greek theaters are typically constructed on the slope of a hill, have a more than semi-circular stage on the ground floor, and no scenery. The Romans typically construct their theaters without a hill, have a perfectly semi-circular ground stage, a raised stage, and a building for background scenery. The theater at Ephesus has the Greek features (hill and more than semi-circle), but also has the raised stage as an addition and the building for scenery. We are getting very good at distinguishing the differences. I think Krentz is pleased.
So far archaeologists have only excavated 15 percent of the city, but they have found very significant features such as: the agora, the theater, the odeon (a small theater for council meetings), several fountains, monuments dedicated to emperors, a latrine, 7 very nice homes, a structure that some believe was a brothel, public baths, colonnaded streets, and marble roads. It’s incredible here. The housed are amazing as well. There was a terrible earthquake in the last quarter of the 3rd century CE, and many of the homes were not restored. They have been preserved very well since then, however, and many of the mosaic floors are largely intact, as are the frescoes. Some of these homes were quite elaborate. Very cold, though. I don’t know how easily they would have stayed warm back then. No rugs, obviously, when you have tiled floors. I was cold all day today.
While taking in the view from the theater we briefly discussed our readings lately. Krentz had assigned us to read the Book of Acts and try to figure out exactly why Christianity spread. It was harder to discuss this in an academic setting, especially when trying to dissect the book for concrete clues. But it was a good discussion, though I feel like the discussion isn’t completely over. It’s hard to talk objectively about the spread of Christianity when the power of the Holy Spirit doesn’t seem to factor very heavily as a cause. Or, this power isn’t realized fully by all participants in the discussion. Perhaps the conversation will come up again.
After Ephesus we went to lunch at a cute little restaurant that was expecting us. Gulin set the meal up for us, and Krentz paid for a third of our meal since it cost a bit more than any of us normally pays for a meal. The food was pretty good, but when we go to buffet style places (this was our second), the food isn’t all that warm. And when the temperature outside is cold, and the interior temperature is cold, all you want is something warm to eat.
After lunch, we headed to the Ephesus Museum, which displayed the finds fairly well, actually. I was a bit surprised. Krentz had picked out 8 different items that he wanted us to focus on, and assigned each piece to a group of 2 students. Trent and I got two very nice wall frescoes that came from one of the houses. Here is what we discussed: We don’t know that these two frescoes originally met at a corner as the exhibit presents them. One fresco is of Socrates reclined on a bench, and the other is of the Muse of history. We think these walls either emphasized the owner’s pursuit of knowledge and his status as an elite member of society, or simply reflect the function of the room as some sort of study. Perhaps both. Trent had taken a Roman art class and noticed that the style of these frescoes (which fall sometime between the 1st and 5th cen CE) matches the early Pompeii fresco style of a few hundred years before. These simpler, cruder frescoes perhaps reflect the slow progression of artistic styles out from the center of Italy.
After the museum we stopped for about 20 minutes at the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus. This temple was one of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World (as was the Colossus of Rhodes), but sadly little remains. On the one column that they have been able to reconstruct, there is a huge stork’s nest. After its destruction in 262 CE by an earthquake, it was never rebuilt. Its stones and marble were used in other constructions, such as the Church of St. John, which we visited next. This temple has a cool history. The archaic temple, built in the 6th century BCE, was destroyed by fire in 356 BCE. Alexander the Great offered to help fund the reconstruction, but they politely refused. I don’t think they wanted very strong ties or to be indebted to him in any way. The second temple became the largest temple in the ancient world.
Next, we went to the Basilica of St. John. In Roman times, basilica was just a general term for a meeting place, and somewhere to hear speeches. Because temples only housed the gods, the worship, processions, and sacrifices all took place out in front of the temple. Because early Christian communities gathered to worship indoors, and to hear someone speak, they adopted the term “basilica.” Tradition maintains that St. John is buried here, but it hasn’t been confirmed.
We finally got back to the hotel at 4:30 and I have just been taking it easy since then. I was walking all day today! Tomorrow we go to Aphrodisias. That should be an interesting trip.

February 16

This morning, after only 2 cups of coffee, we left the hotel at 8:30. We first went to Magnesia, but the site was pretty much completely under water. We looked for a bit at the Temple of Artemis and then hopped back on the bus after about 20 mins. This was an unimpressive first stop, but the next site was very interesting. This ancient city, Priene, was destroyed by a fire in the 2nd century BCE, and was never re-inhabited. Much of the city has been fairly well persevered and there are several places to look at, including houses, a theater, a council meeting area, an agora, the Temple of Athena, a sacred area for Egyptian gods, and a gymnasium. We spent an hour together, looking at the temple and the houses. Again, we pointed out the defining features of the temple, and then tried to understand the layout of the houses. When we inspected the farthest fortification wall, we ran into a herd of goats that was heading down the mountain. There was even a dog keeping them in line and urging them on.
We ate a picnic lunch at the council meeting area, the bouleuterion. After lunch, we could roam the site. I first went up the hill to the Temple of Demeter, which, though largely in ruins, has a great view of the plain below. Next, I trekked down to the gymnasium. I think walking around the sites on my own is my favorite part. It’s nice knowing the history of the site before walking around; we always read from different guide books and sources before going. I get flashbacks to my childhood. When we scramble up hills and try and find the best paths, I start to think of how much I loved climbing trees. I keep getting the urge to jump off and onto various rocks. It’s fun.
The weather was absolutely gorgeous today. No need for Krentz to regret his decision to swap the days.
When we got back to the hotel, I went out again to walk down that path I found yesterday. Then I headed back to do a bit more exercising.
Four of us went to dinner at a cute little restaurant, where the owner was very nice and accommodating. We split an assortment of dips to go with the bread, and I had a delicious salad. Turkey is so cheap. Not only are the meals less expensive, but the conversion to American dollars makes them even more of a deal. I spent 6 Lira for dinner, which ends up being about 4 dollars. Very nice.
After dinner, I read a bit by the fire downstairs. Tonight I am especially sleepy. I am not much longer for this world.

February 15

Today I slept in a bit and woke up at 8:30. A few people were already at breakfast. There is definitely a morning crowd and a late crowd on this trip. I have turned out to be in the morning crowd, surprisingly. I like waking up early, getting the bathroom all to myself while my roommates are still asleep, enjoying a nice breakfast, and either doing some required reading for the next day, or reading whatever I want. Emily, Krentz and I are the early birds, soon followed by Mary, Caroline and Sarabeth. Actually, the gender divide provides the easiest distinction. Almost all the girls arrive at breakfast before the boys do. Some of the boys don’t even eat breakfast anymore.
But anyway, I had breakfast and the over the course of the morning, read my book and finished my required readings. We went to lunch at the same restaurant as last night. The owner was very happy to see us again, and brought us free salads before our meal and free hot apple tea (a popular drink here) after our meal. He was also happy to find out we will be here for two more full days. I’m sure we will be going there again at some point.
After lunch, we stopped by the grocery store. I intended to have my dinner at the hotel, especially since I found the yogurt I wanted and still had plenty of food from the market purchases. I ventured out again in the afternoon for a walk, and found a nice paved lane with lots of other people enjoying a walk and bike ride.
I finished The Devil in the White City and I already passed it along to Allie. She just finished The Bastard of Istanbul. Unfortunately, I only have one book left in my suitcase. I’m getting Mom to send some more books to a hotel where we will be staying in 2 weeks. Maybe I can find a book store in the meantime, because I will probably have finished this last book before the 2 weeks are up.
Oh, and I forgot to mention how absolutely beautiful today was! It was even fairly warm in the sun. Krentz was not too happy about that. I am going to laugh so hard if it rains tomorrow, but I won’t laugh long because, rain or shine, we will be outside looking at the sites.

February 14

As usual, we left the hotel at 8:30 in the morning, after a nice breakfast and a few cups of coffee. (I like it when they leave the thermos at the table.) We spent a little over an hour on the bus travelling to Miletus. Because of the rain, all we got to see was the amphitheatre. It is an impressive structure, having been reconstructed during the Roman rule, but we didn’t get a good sense of the ancient town. Once it began to hail, we ran for the bus. It thundered and rained on and off while we were checking out the theater. I’m pretty sure that unless lightning is physically hitting the ground, we will not be deterred.
Next we drove to Didyma, which in ancient times, was connected to Miletus by an 11 mile road called the Sacred Way. This road has been uncovered, but only a fraction of it remains and this part lies on the Didyma side. So we took the modern roads to Didyma. The thing to see here is the temple. It was possibly dedicated to Apollo (didimos means “twin” in Greek and Apollo is a twin god), or Didyma/didima may just have been a local word. The remains of an archaic temple, dating from the 6th century BCE, lie beneath the new Hellenistic one. This new temple was massive, containing 108 columns, and reaching 20 meters in height. There was also an oracle here, which Alexander reinstated, in addition to rebuilding the temple after it had been destroyed sometime before. This oracle predicted Alexander’s final victory over the Persian king. My guess is he liked this prediction. This temple has been fairly well preserved and archaeologists have been able to garner more information about the original layout and function of this temple than other ones we have visited, so we did less detective work here and more picture-taking and roaming.
This must have been an impressive building to the ancient believer. It is easy to imagine this gleaming building with its winding entrances and mysterious, hidden oracle. You had to walk up 7 very large steps to reach the temple, and then, upon entering, you were blocked by a raised room with the front and back walls open. Archaeologists hypothesize that people presented their questions to the priests here, and then waited for the oracle’s response, which had been interpreted and then turned into metrical verse by the priests. To the sides of this raised room were the two entrances into the interior open courtyard, where the previous archaic temple (and possibly the oracle) stood. All that remains of the previous temple are some foundation stones.
We found a place to eat right next to the site, which advertized an open buffet for 6 Lira (about 4 dollars). This was an all-you-can-eat place. The boys were in heaven. Jensen, who sitting across from me, got three full plates worth of food. Everyone was trying to load up so they could have a lighter (and cheaper) dinner. The food wasn’t all that great. The hot dishes were the best, but mostly because it was chilly and wet outside and I’m pretty sure I would have enjoyed warmed up cardboard at this point. My pants hadn’t completely dried from the morning’s rain and hail yet either.
On the way back to the hotel we stopped at a cave which has some association with 7 men called the “Seven Sleepers.” Apparently, according to the legend, these men fled during the persecution of the Christians and took refuge in this cave. When the awoke in the morning, they went out to buy food. They got strange looks from the vendors when they paid with their coins, and upon further questioning, they find out that it was now a Christian empire and that they had been asleep for 112 years. This was supposed to be that cave. Though there were no graves or any physical evidence found, there is graffiti on the walls of the cave that references the story. It had stopped raining so we all decided that this optional outing was worth doing. I didn’t trust the weather, however, and took my rain jacket just in case. It was a wise decision. As soon as we reached the cave, the rain started to pour. Turkey just seems to have it out for us.
We got back to the hotel in the afternoon. The rain had stopped, so Allie, Emily, Bryce and I decided to find the market that Gullin had suggested we visit. I am so glad we did. The entire market area, which was between the shops downtown, was covered in umbrellas and tents. It was like walking into a circus. There were clothing vendors, fruit stands, vegetable stands, spice tables, and dried fruit and nut bags everywhere. I was neat to see the local people haggling for merchandise and shopping for their groceries. I bought some apples, oranges, walnuts, and dried apricots. When I went to buy my oranges, I handed the woman behind the table my two oranges so she could weigh them, and a 5 lira bill. As she was calculating the cost, a man with an English accent advised me to get the price first and then hand her the money. I had actually considered that very idea, but thought that if she were going to swindle me out of a few cents, then I would let her have it. So I just smiled and thanked the man for his advice. She gave me my change and after counting it, I suspected no dishonesty. The oranges were delicious as well.
After the market trip, I spent the rest of the afternoon typing up my journals to turn in to Krentz. We went to dinner at a great little restaurant that served delicious lentil soup and a nice fresh salad. I was very pleased with my meal. After dinner I came back to the hotel for some reading and homework. Tomorrow is a free day. Apparently, the weather is supposed to be poor again tomorrow, but clear up the following day. Therefore, Krentz swapped the schedule for the next two, moving the free day to tomorrow and the visit to Priene and Magnesia to the following day. We’ll see if that was a wise choice.

February 13

This morning we left the hotel at 8:30 to more dismal weather. The plan today was to drive to Sardis to visit the ancient city (a 3 hour drive), stopping on the way for groceries to have a picnic lunch, and then drive another 2 hours to Ephesus, where we will be staying for the next 5 days.
I decided to change up my homework schedule. Since it is significantly harder to do schoolwork on the bus (there is much less room and the roads are much bumpier), I did all my readings for the next day in the hotel room before bed and read my personal book on the bus. This worked wonderfully. The time passes much quicker with a better read. I also don’t have to continually adjust so as to take notes or highlight the readings. All in all, the bus ride today was quite nice. I am currently reading The Devil in the White City, the one about the Chicago World’s Fair and the serial killer.
We got to Sardis around 11:30 and, of course, it was raining. Only the severest of weather will prevent us from visiting a site, however, so we took the necessary notes on the bus and then ventured out into the rain to take a look around. This site is the home to a very impressive structure that blends the Roman bath and the Greek gymnasium, constructed in 211 CE. Another cool feature of this site is a Jewish synagogue, which was added in the 3rd century CE, possibly a gift from the emperor to the local Jewish community. This synagogue is paved entirely with beautiful mosaics, and one of the walls has been restored to show the typical decoration using thin marble sheets.
We had lunch on the bus. Shopping at grocery stores for lunch in Turkey is much harder to do than in America. There are no prepared foods and few of the items have English descriptions. Today I ended up with a loaf of wheat (it at least looks like whole wheat) bread, which I split with Emily, a carton of skim milk, an apple and a pear. It was a weird, but eventually satisfying lunch.
Next, we drove to the Temple of Artemis, which was a bit higher up the mountain. This temple has actually gone through three separate phases of construction (spanning hundreds of years, from 2 century BCE to 2 century CE), none of which were completed. It was a massive temple, though, even in its ruinous and incomplete state. It is the largest temple we have visited so far, and was designed to compete with other large temples in the region. We also found a Lydian inscription (Lydia is the name of this region) which refers to the god Artemis, and is the basis for the theory that this temple was dedicated to Artemis.
The rain had been coming down in spurts over the past few hours, and during one of the sunnier moments, there was a very pretty rainbow over the hills.
We got back on the bus and drove to the hotel. Unfortunately, I am in a triple for the next five nights and this room happens to be particularly small. So, the first thing Louisa, Sarabeth, and I did was try and figure out how best to arrange our suitcases and where to put up the clothesline. We were all appropriately self-less, yet creative. We ended up putting the chair on top on the armoire, one of the tables between the armoire and Sarabeth’s bed, and then string the clothesline from the folding-wall-coathanger to the bar above the window. It’s going to be a cramped week, but we all gave good attitudes and we never really spend that much time in the hotel rooms. I then spent about 20 mins doing laundry. At most of these hotels, there is some sort of soap or shampoo dispenser and they are great to use as detergent, especially shampoo (it gets much sudsier).
We left for dinner at 7, to a little place that Gulin found for us. I know I have sad this before, but I am going to miss Gulin. She makes meals so easy. The dinner was very good. We were served a salad, lentil soup, a main course, and orange slices for desert. I chose the stuffed vine leaves as my main course and this included stuffed cabbage, grape leaves, and peppers. It was delicious. A fire was going in the lobby of the hotel when we got back, so I decided to do my reading there. Today would have been a perfect day, had I not decided to take a shower. This was the worst shower I have ever had, and I did put some thought into this judgment. The water pressure is a joke. I ended up washing my hair in the sink because I knew there was no way I would get out all the shampoo, let alone get all of my hair wet. But at least I am clean, right? Apparently, the pressure is better in one of the other girls’ rooms, so I will be showering there for the next few days.
Adios amigos.

February 12

The plan for this morning had been to leave the hotel at the usual 8:30, but the rain, wind and lighting this morning posed a bit of a problem. Apparently, the Davidson group always has weather problems at Pergamum, so Krentz wasn’t surprised. SO we adjusted the schedule in hopes that the weather would clear up soon. We had a discussion about one of our readings in the conference room of the hotel and then had a lively debate about the second reading, which dealt with the controversy over finds that were removed from the excavation site and whether they ought to be returned.
At 10:00 rode to the acropolis of Pergamum, hoping that the wind and rain wouldn’t be too bad (the lightning had stopped shortly after breakfast). We had barely gotten off the bus before it was obvious that the weather was just too bad to make the acropolis site worth seeing. So again, we switched things up and went to the lower site first. Here we checked out the ruins of some temples and the Aesclepion, which was a religious hospital of sorts. The god of medicine was worshipped here and people with ailments came to the baths here for healing. Then it started to hail. After that died down we got back on the bus and headed for lunch. Everything here is so much cheaper than Europe. You can find much more reasonanble food. I got a vegetable plate for 7 Lira (which ends up being less than 5 bucks and the Diet Coke came with the meal).
We tried for the Acropolis again, since the rain clouds had passed. This time, the only factor was the wind. Though there were some gale force winds at times (we took some pretty cool pictures of people at almost 45 degree angles into the wind), the weather was much nicer than it had been all day. During the gale force winds, however, Krentz told me to present my information on the archeological history of the Altar of Zeus. I shouted out the basics, and tried to get the gist of the controversy out as quick as possible because everyone was having a hard time standing in one place, let alone hearing me. I later asked if anyone could hear what I said and the only thing people really took in was my last line, which was, “So just think about those issues and see which side you agree with.” (The issues – Germany acquired the altar by completely legal means from the Ottoman government, but according to the museum’s curator, the reason it was moved was to protect it from stone robbers. Since Turkey now has better means to protect the Altar, should it go back to its original location?) It sounds like I may need to recap my little presentation. We spent about 3 hours at the acropolis site, looking at the temple ruins, the theater, the homes with mosaic floors, and Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine structures. This ancient city was very impressive in its prime.
We made it to the museum before it closed and Krentz had us spend about 30 mins trying to find the items on display that came from the Aesclepion.
We finally came back to the hotel around 4:45 and I was pooped. It was a very good day, but very long. We reconvened in the lobby to go to dinner at the same restaurant as last night. The owner sang for us again, but would only sing a second time if we sang a song to him. We decided that Wheat should rap “Ice, Ice, Baby” again, but this time Darrel served as a backup dancer. It was hilarious. I guess everyone was still in the musical spirit because we broke out into a Back Street Boys song on the bus ride home.
So now it is late and I am going to bed. Valete amici. (“Goodbye friends”)

February 11

This morning we left the hotel after breakfast. I was not looking forward to dragging my suitcase up this hill to where the bus is parked, but the wonderful, wonderful people at the hotel loaded up all our luggage into a van and then loaded it onto the bus for us! What a beautiful service! We got on the bus and headed for Troy. The history of this site is very interesting – archaeologists have determined 9 different cities of Troy, each built on the ruins of the previous one. The Troy which may have been the site of the Trojan War (if there ever actually was a war) was most likely Troy VI (around 1180 BCE). The first excavator, Heinrich Schliemann, set out in hopes of finding ancient Troy. He got a bit carried away with some of the treasures he found. For instance, one particular find he named “Priam’s Treasure,” but this find actually dates to Troy II (hundreds of years before King Priam).
Though I have heard that the archaeological site at Troy is often a disappointment, I still had in mind an impressive site. Unfortunately, I too was disappointed. I had envisioned a less-contrived site. I was reminded of the palace at Knossos, where pathways marked out the areas where we could walk. At Troy, I wanted to see more for myself. When there are pathways, I often have to fight the tendency to look down. When I can roam, I often observe my surroundings more. There was little opportunity to do some independent theorizing. The signs were informative, but I still don’t feel like they did enough to emphasize how impressive the ancient city was.
Gulin had some wonderful computer generated reconstructions of the city. These pictures places around the site would have helped the visitor truly grasp the importance of this city. The closest the site came to allowing the visitor to envision the past was the tent. The height of its apex was the height of the hill before the excavation began. This detail appealed to me. I wish they had taken this idea further, and done more to allow the visitor to expand his or her imagination. Even after spending hours at the site, I left unimpressed.
After Troy, we stopped at a restaurant called Schliemann’s Kitchen. The owner of the restaurant came up to us during the meal, trying to sell us the guide book he wrote about Troy. When Krentz pushed him as to his opinion on whether or not the Trojan war was fought here, the owner responded that he could feel the vibrations of the battle. I’m sure that argument convinced Krentz.
On the way to the hotel in Bergama (the ancient city of Pergamum), we stopped at a local rug cooperative. The rugs are made by the local women of Pergamum, many the children of the nomadic tribes around here. One of the salesmen took us to the workshop where they spin the thread from the silkworms (and gave us a demonstration). He also showed us the plants they use to make the dye. The entire process is the way all rugs used to be made – where every element is hand done. The whole process was very interesting. And yes, I did buy a rug. It decided on a local, geometric pattern, with navy blue, red and green colors. I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to buy a handmade Turkish rug in Turkey. I’ll have it forever.
We stopped for dinner at a great little restaurant in town. The owner gave us a discount on the food and then sang for us as we clapped the beat. I asked what the song was about and Gulin translated for me. She laughed as she translated because it is about a boy who is in love with a girl, Fatma. She has had a bit too much to drink (one of the lines explains that see didn’t mix her water with her raki), and is dancing merrily. He still loves her anyway. It is a sweet song.
After dinner we headed to the hotel. I think Krentz talks down the hotels so that we will be surprised by how nice they turn out to be. This one is spacious and has a shower curtain. Or maybe my standards are dramatically lower than they used to be. Whatever the case, I am very satisfied by the accommodations. Hopefully, breakfast will surpass the previous hotel’s.
Tomorrow we go to the site at Pergamum.

February 10

This morning we started off the day, in the same spot as usual, with a presentation from Allie on the Palaikastro Statue (she was sick when we went to the Sitia Museum in Crete, where the figure is on display). This was the first opportunity where she could present her material in a suitable location. Honestly, we rarely ever get the chance to all fit in one location that is quiet and roomy enough for us to www.blowwwin particular we analyzed the differences in how Achilles and Hector react when they know they will die soon – Hector always seems to be a bit more optimistic.
We reconvened for lunch at the hotel and then set off for the sites at Assos. We walked up the same road that I had taken the day before, but we went about 10 minutes further than I did. This small town pales in comparison to the influential city that stood in the same place a couple thousand years ago. It was founded in the 1st millennium BCE by the inhabitants of Lesbos (an island just off the shore from here) and reached its artistic peak in the 4th century BCE - Aristotle even stayed here for 2 years. The ruins that are still standing don’t give a very good impression of the former life of Assos, but we did our best to imagine the former city. We did our usual survey of the temple, trying to figure out how many columns used to stand, what their arrangement was, pointed out irregularities (the temple seems to be unfinished – the handles on the stone foundation hadn’t been sanded off yet), etc.
Next we went to the theater. On the way there, we were walking past 3 bulls. I commented how these were very mild ones, as I had already passed them on previous walks. Of course, though, as I am telling them this, a truck comes barreling around the corner, spooking the bulls, who then try to jump over each other and get out of the way of the truck. We all quickly run away, but Bryce almost got run over as he was very close to the bulls and there was no better direction to pick. All survived, but it was a bit frightening.
There has been a lot of reconstruction to this theater, but a section of it was left in ruins so that we could compare what was found to how it used to look. We tested the acoustics by sitting in the nose bleed section and having Wheat rap “Ice Ice Baby” (he knows all the lyrics). We could hear every word, and he was creating further embarrassment for himself by rapping loudly. If the sun hadn’t been setting (and the wind therefore getting chillier), we would have read the last book of The Iliad aloud. But, Krentz and Gulin thought that since it takes a good hour to read 1 book, we had better read it at the hotel.
We met at 6 to read and then had dinner at 7. I am going to miss this hotel, well, everything except the breakfast; that hasn’t been as good as other places where we have stayed. Fresh fruit always makes breakfast much more enjoyable and satisfying. After dinner a few of us watched about an hour of Troy (the 2004 movie) in my room, but we were all pretty tired and that movie just isn’t very good. It’s plot doesn’t do justice to Homer’s epic.
Tomorrow we go to Troy.

February 9

That was weird – for about 5 seconds the entire hotel lost power. It’s 9:37pm and I have no idea why that happened, but I need the power to stay on because the battery life of my laptop is pathetic. Oh no, it blipped again. I will press on with my writing, in hopes of posting before there are any longer power outages.
Today was a Free Day. They seem to be rare on this trip. We only get about 1 per week. Most people use them as catch-up days, which make them less of a “free” day. I’ve pretty much stayed on top of my work. I have about 3 journals to write tonight, but I know what I am going to write about, and that is the most difficult part. So this morning I spent a couple of hours reading The Yacoubian Building and enjoying a nice long breakfast. They keep the tea brewing while breakfast is served and that lasts from 7:00 to 10:30 in the morning. So basically, I am in heaven here. Breakfast seems to be the meal everyone loads up on, the price (free!) is particularly alluring.
Around 1:00 we went up to the same restaurant for lunch. This time the owner wanted to take our picture for his advertisements. Seeing as how we were the only people in there, both times, he wanted to take advantage of a full restaurant.
I decided to go on the optional outing this afternoon and it was a very good decision. We went to this olive museum, where we saw how olive oil has been made over time and how they make it presently in their little shop. We tasted the oil and it was delicious! This place also makes their own soap from the oil. I bought a bottle to send home and a bar for myself. After the museum we walked up to the particular rock which, Heinrich Schliemann determined to be the Altar of Zeus. Schliemann is the guys who thought he had found the ancient city of Troy, and labeled all the finds accordingly – such as the Mask of Agamemnon. We’ve since discovered that the dates for this Bronze Mask, and the dates for the ancient city of Troy are hundreds of years apart. Schliemann had a bit of an imagination, so ‘those in the know’ (I guess I am now a part of this exclusive group) roll their eyes when they hear that Schliemann determined the function of a particular site. But from this Altar of Zeus, which is just a flat rock up on a hill in the range of Mt. Ida (the legendary place where Paris chose Aphrodite’s gift of love – Helen – and caused the Trojan War), we could see the mountains and the town below. The funny thing was, there were three girls (Sarabeth, Emily, and I) up on this hill and one guy (Krentz). We joked that each of us represented a different goddess, but as typical Davidson students, we all wanted to be Hera, the goddess who offered Paris wisdom.
Next, we stopped by a little café and we each had a cup of Turkish coffee. That stuff is strong, but very good. The tour guide, Gulin, picked all these places. She makes the trip very easy by being pro-active without hovering or being aggressive. Like at the coffee shop, she asked us all what we wanted, and then ordered for us. Oh, she also read our coffee grinds. Apparently, my love life is picking up pretty soon. She knows her audience. ; )
Then it was back to the hotel for dinner and bed. I am very tired. This trip has done wonders for my sleep schedule. I can hardly keep my eyes open by the time dinner is finishing up. I feel like I am eight years old again.

February 8

So yesterday, I left off with the idea of going on a walk in a bit. When I left the hotel I took a right and in about 30 seconds I had left the town. If I had taken a left I would have left the town in 5 minutes. The path I took turned into a goat path. It was a beautiful walk at first. It snaked along the coast of the Aegean. Our hotel is also right on the coast, and looking out from where I am sitting I can see the waves crashing against the rocks. This path then quickly turned left because of a boundary wall, but I continued to follow it because it was distinct and I was curious. I probably walked about 20 minutes in one direction, until the trail became too poopy and I had to turn around for sanitary reasons.
Dinner was also very nice. The hotel provided the meal again, chicken this time, and then I went back to reading The Iliad.
This morning I woke up early so I could get in plenty of reading before our 11:00 discussion, and about 10 minutes before our class, I finished The Iliad! Yes! The hotel has set up an area for us on the glassed-in patio. They have several tables arranged in a square and these have been the most successful “classes” of the trip, just because we can so easily see and hear each other. That has been one of the more difficult things to try and find on this trip: places where all 17 of us can comfortably sit and discuss the readings. Up to this point, we had only been able to discuss three separate times.
After class, we went to the little town farther up the mountain/hill (neither one sufficiently describes the landscape), and had lunch. This restaurant was cute, but they soon changed the music for us, from, what seemed to me, typical Turkish music, to “American”music, which included really old Jennifer Lopez and Backstreet Boys. It’s always weird to hear American music here. I don’t like it. I’d rather gain an appreciation for their music, not listen to what I am familiar with. After lunch we went back to have another discussion, but this one only lasted about 45 minutes. Krentz could tell everyone was a little less exuberant, having just eaten lunch.
Instead of a nap, I decided to go on another walk. It had rained pretty hard and the wind was very strong this morning, but by the afternoon, things had cleared up. This time I took a left out of the hotel and trekked up the mountain/hill. I made it up to the top, and passed 3 bulls, 2 sheep, and 2 lambs on the way. They were all just chillin’ out, munchin’ grass. On my way back down, the bulls had meandered into the street. But one here seemed to care.
After lunch, we met up again to have another class, and then another one at 6. I wasn’t really looking forward to that third class, but by the time we really started digging into the material, I was glad Krentz had us meet up again.
The hotel’s dinner started to look pretty familiar by the third time, but it was still tasty and satisfying. I still feel like I’ve yet to have an authentic Turkish meal. We have three weeks here, so I’m sure the opportunity will present itself at some point.
I don’t know if I’ve put this in my blog yet, but for the past couple of days I’ve been kind of sick. I think it’s just allergies. I bought some generic Claritin back in Greece, and it works well. My body just gets a tired more easily when I am sick, and waking up in the mornings after the medicine has worn off is not a great way to greet the morning. I’m glad I got sick when we hit the slow part of the trip. I’ve been able to get plenty of sleep and to take it easy while we’ve been in Assos. Tomorrow is a free day, so I will sleep in a bit in the morning. Sleep always seems to be the best remedy for me. I’m tempted not to sleep on this trip because there is always so much you can do (and so much to read for homework).
I’ll post again tomorrow.

February 7

So now I am in Assos, Turkey and am diligently trekking through The Iliad. We are holed up in this small town and are basically reading 100+ pages per day, in hopes of finishing it before we head to Troy in a few days.
I’ll recap what has happened since my last post.
I did get to the movie in Greece and thought it was very, very good. I recommend the movie, but also warn you not to expect to leave the theater in high spirits. It definitely makes you think and question. Here are my personal reflections on the movie: My main concern about the relationship between the two characters is that they were looking for fulfillment in each other and in their dreams. Both of which were ultimately disappointing. Neither one expressed any sort of belief system or sought fulfillment beyond what this life can provide. I find that to be the futile aspect of the movie. I think because it ends so soberly, the movie causes you to question what you are seeking from this life, if you are seeking anything at all. I then question, can what you ultimately seek be provided in this life? For me, that is where faith steps in. There can be hope when everything in this life fails to live up to your dreams. There is a promise to us, that no matter what we accomplish or how terribly we fail, we can have hope that we will be taken care of by a God who loves us. I guess that’s why I didn’t get depressed from the movie. I fear falling into the trap that the characters found themselves in – depending on other people (and their choices) to fulfill you – but then again, I am encouraged by this movie because it went full out into a relationship which depends on that foundation, and it wasn’t a pretty picture.
If you haven’t seen the movie, you may not fully be able to follow my train of thought, but do go see the movie, because it is very challenging.
Okay, so after the movie I headed back to pack up my stuff so that at, surprise, surprise, we could leave at 8:30 in the morning. That takes us to yesterday.
So, we hopped on the bus to head to the Turkish border, where we would meet our new bus. This new bus is not nearly as cool or comfortable as Spiros’ bus. It is a single level bus, and the roads in Turkey are horrible so the bus ride is bumpy. We got through the border with our new visas and drove to meet our new guide, Gulin, who will accompany us for the next three weeks. She took us to this WWI museum, which commemorates this battle between the Ottoman troops and the Australian and New Zealand troops. Apparently, all the battle succeeded in doing was killing thousands of soldiers. Though Turkey won the battle, they ultimately lost the war. The Australians still come to this site to honor those who died at this site (Anzac Cove) and to keep in mind the terrible consequences of war. The memorial next to the museum is very moving. There are commemorative stone inscriptions with the names of the men who died there, many of whom were my age. Turkey has much to be proud of for how they handled the matter because the leader at the time, Ataturk, recognized that these soldiers died thousands of miles away from home, and basically assured the families that their efforts and lives would be honored.
This site didn’t have much to do with the curriculum, but it was still worth visiting. We had lunch at a little place near the ferry docks and ferried across the straight to mainland Turkey (about 2 or 3 percent of Turkey is actually connected to Greece).
We go to the hotel around 6:45 and had dinner an hour later. I am so sick of travelling right now and am very grateful for the chance to rest in one place for a while. The hotel provides breakfast and dinner (both of which are pretty good – last night we had fresh mackerel). We stopped at a supermarket on the way into town so that we could have lunch here as well.
So far I am one of the few people who I staying on top of the readings, only because I really want to finish The Yacoubian Building, which I’ll only read once I finish The Iliad. Today we spent 2 hours this morning and 1 hour this afternoon discussing the reading and our opinions about the purpose behind Homer’s characterizations and descriptions. It’s all very interesting. I read sections of the Iliad for one of my classes last year, but I’ve never read the entire book. At some point we’ll be reading a few of the sections aloud (the original means of taking in the story).

February 5

Instead of writing my blog posts at night like I normally do, I decided to wait until the next day (today is a free day) to write this post. And now I am struggling to remember what we did even yesterday. I think I am getting sick, which isn’t helping my memory or any cognitive functions. But I will do my best. I am actually very happy right now, despite my congestion. I am sitting in the hotel’s lunch area eating a large Greek salad and a bottle of water. I get to spend however long I want just lunching here, blogging and reading. Then, later tonight, several of us are going to see Revolutionary Road at the local theater. I am pretty sure the movie be in English and the subtitles in Greek.
Yesterday we left the hotel at 8:30 and took off for Olynthos. This 5th-4th cen BCE settlement looks like a grid. The stone walls look like the several others sites we have seen, but the rigid organization is a new development. The city is arranged into blocks and each block has 10 houses, with 2 parallel rows of 5. The arrangement of the houses stays the same, but the interiors vary (sometimes dramatically) in their interior. To prove this, Krentz showed us and explained the layout of what has been considered a “typical” house. Then he had us go off in groups of four and find a house with a different layout, and try to determine the functions of the various rooms. No group had to go far to find different homes. My group found a home that had a different style of courtyard (the colonnade was L-shaped) and lacked any signs of interior paving, which begs the question: Where did the stones from the courtyard go?
We got on the bus again to do a significant amount of driving, but this time, instead of reading, I decided it would be best to try and get as much sleep as possible. I started feeling sick yesterday and sleep is the best remedy. We stopped at a little town on the way to find some lunch. I took the opportunity to buy some more oranges here and load up on vitamin C.
Orginally, we were going to have to skip the Roman site at Philippi, because we were going to miss the times when the site was open, but I convinced Krentz to at least drive by. And miraculously, it was open! That was so typical, when we expect sites to be open, they are closed, and now the opposite is holding true. We saw the forum, the theater, and the basilica, all of which are now in ruins. The funniest part was when we saw the public bathrooms (which have held up well over time) and Krentz demonstrated how the people would use the facilities. Let’s just say that there is a hole on a bench, and a stick with a sponge. I got pictures of this demonstration (and all my other pictures from the trip) and uploaded them to this site: http://picasaweb.google.com/elizabeth.shevock/2009ClassicsTrip?authkey=ywLbKtabHkA&feat=email#5296840918861546386
One issue that seemed to pop up quite a bit yesterday was privacy. I have always been a fairly introverted and private person and the intimacy of the ancient world seems a bit shocking, and even uncomfortable, to me. These ancient cities, including the 4th cen BCE city of Olynthos today, are so compacted. These people lived on top of one another, and this was the only home and life they knew. For my mental health I need some time to just escape and recharge by myself. Would that have been possible back then? Where would you go? Prof. Krentz said today that the better off citizens were most likely had slaves continually in their presence. Were slaves just another part of the backdrop, like furniture?
Another action that I have always considered very private is going to the bathroom. The bathroom at Philippi is a long room with stone benches and cut out holes. And that is it! Of course we all sat down on the benches to get the full experience, and there is not much room between you and the person beside you. I wonder if people were just less self conscious. And the room has benches all the way around. Would people have made eye contact? I shudder at the whole experience.
After Philippi, headed to our hotel at Xanthi. We are a bit on the outskirts of town, so Spiros drove us in to town for dinner. The walk to town is not all that far, but since it was dark and we didn’t know the surroundings, Krentz though it would be best o drive the first time into town. I had dinner with Krentz, Spiros, Emily, Sarabeth, and Mary. We each ordered a meal and shared a few appetizers. I ordered chicken souvlaki (kabob) and shared the carrot and cabbage salad, a Greek salad, delicious toasted/grilled fresh bread with olive oil, fried calamari, and the fried cheese (I think it was head cheese). It was all delicious. Another thing that is weird: French fries are everywhere. It wasn’t just Egypt. French fries come as a side dish to EVERYHING! They are better than American ones because they are thicker and just tastier, but come one, fries? I don’t get it.
Tomorrow we head to Turkey and get our visas and meet the new bus. We will get back on Spiros’ bus when we go to Greece again, so it won’t be goodbye forever to Spiros. We will be pretty much holed up in Assos, reading The Iliad. Krentz wants us to divvy up the different books and read them aloud, as intended by Homer. We’ll see how that pans out. He has dibs on Book 1.
I don’t know when I’ll have internet next, but I will keep up with the individual days and post them next time I get the chance.

February 3

So yesterday just ended up being a travel day. The site we had planned to see was closed on Mondays, not a huge shock for Greece, so we just headed to the hotel in Thessaloniki and called it a day. The best part about yesterday was the delicious tiramisu gelato we found while walking around downtown. It was so good that I didn’t care that it was freezing cold outside. Something else about yesterday: laundry. Doing laundry in the sink gets a bit tedious after a while, but you have to do it well, otherwise other people will begin to notice. Another feature of laundry I didn’t expect is the importance of doing your laundry first, esp. if you’re in a triple. Being first means you get to hang all your clothes in the best spots: like on the radiator, on chairs and on top of doors. Unfortunately, I was second to do my laundry this time and missed out on the primo radiator spot. I had to take the second-rate sling your socks over the tv spot (they never dry very well here). The best hotels for washing your laundry are those that have balconies, but there is a legitimate fear that your clothes will blow away.
I’ve also turned into a bit of an early bird in this trip. I like to be the first one up, so I can get the shower first and then have sufficient time in the bathroom. Also, getting downstairs for breakfast early means getting the best of the coffee and the freshest breakfast items. After breakfast is when I like to get some of my pleasure reading in. Right now I am reading The Yacoubian Building. It’s set in Cairo and so far is the number one best-selling fiction written in Arabic. I bought a translation.
This morning we left the hotel at 8:30 and first went to the Thessaloniki Archaeological Museum. This was another incredibly beautiful museums, even better than the one at Delphi. The best feature of this museum was how they displayed some of the finds from the various Macedonian tombs. In this room they had very dim lighting and then bright spot lights on the pieces, many of which were gold and shimmered in the intense lighting. The best piece was the item that Sarabeth did her report and presentation on: the Dervini Crater. This Macedonian vessel was originally intended as a container in which to mix the wine and water (Greeks drank their wine mixed), but was discovered in a tomb and was functioning as a sepulcher, holding the cremated remain of a 30 to 50 year old man. This beautiful and amazingly intricate piece probably took 5 to 6 artists 18 months to finish. The average thickness for this tin and bronze alloy crater is 1 millimeter! The crater looks gold because of the mixture of tin and bronze and then it is accented with copper and silver. The crater is GORGEOUS!
We drove to Vergina next and had lunch at a little tavern which only had pork, chicken and salad on the menu. I, of course, got a salad. It wasn’t as good as others I’ve had, but it got the job done.
Next we went to the tomb of Phillip II (well, there is a debate – of course – as to whether is actually is Phillip II, but it is definitely a royal tomb) and the design of the exhibit inside was the same as my favorite room from the earlier museum. This was basically that room, with way more to see. The cook thing was that this exhibit was constructed around the underground tomb. This particular type of tomb is called a “tumulus” and is dug into the ground, constructed with a vaulted roof, and then covered with dirt to create a mound. The tomb of the (possibly) King Phillip has not been plundered and the finds inside were incredible, including a suit or armor, an entire set of tableware, golden crowns, weaponry, and bathing items, and then his wife’s tomb and all her accoutrements well.
The bus ride to and from Vergina is a little over an hour, so on the way to the site I got my reading done for tomorrow and on the way back I took a nice nap.
When we got back to the hotel I was groggy from the nap and decided to join the group of girls who were intending to scope out the shopping district of Thessaloniki. One girl has her heart set on getting a dress for Spring Break, so we set out with high hopes. I had my heart set on a nice cup of coffee and some free internet, so I packed up my laptop in hopes of the latter. And yes, I did find internet!
After having spent several hours in the café and closing the place down, I left full of coffee, salad, and satisfied. Now I am back in the hotel room, where the internet is still busted.
Tomorrow we head to Xanthe, which will serve as a base from which to visit Amphilos and Olynthos. More to come soon!

February 1

This morning we left the hotel at 8:15 so that we could load up the bus before heading to the higher site at Delphi. I’m so glad we decided to visit this site again because the weather this morning was beautiful and walking around in the crisp, but not too cold, air was refreshing – a wonderful way to greet the morning. We had plenty of time to take pictures and meander around the site. My favorite structure was the theater. It has been restored, but is still very impressive. One day I’d love to see an outdoor production like the originals.
Then we got on the bus to head to Thermopylai and Dimini. Thermoplylai is the location of ht efamous battle between the Greeks (including the 300 Spartans) and the Persians, but the only “thing” to see are the monuments that have been erected to commemorate the event – one constructed in the 50s and one in 1997. The landscape has vastly changed, so it was harder to visualize the battle. So, all in all, we only spent about 20 minutes here. Because traffic was so light, we did make it to the Neolithic site, Dimini. We still had to spend 2 hours on the bus to get there (after having spent almost two hours getting to Thermopylai) so everyone was a bit loopy and just ready to get to the hotel. Dimini is interesting in that it dates back to 4800 BCE, but this doesn’t lend itself to being impressive visually. Still, we had a few discussions about the possibility of its being fortified, and whether or not there was architectural evidence for the people’s having lived in separate sections.
The hotel for tonight is the Hotel Diomidi in Makrynitsa. It is a very small town on the side of a hill and all the buildings are on different elevations. The only street is in the lowest level of the town, with the rest of the town accessible by stone walking paths. It is the cutest place we have been. It also seems to be quite the romantic spot, as everyone seems to be holding hands and smiling. We stretched out our legs by checking out the shops and getting some coffee. Apparently, the biggest tourist gifts are marmalades, spices, and this particular liquor. The spices include herbal remedies, the best of which was “Loise,” and it is for headaches, menstrual cramps, and weight loss (I wonder which gender this herb is intended for?).
Krentz suggested we go and try this special liquor (it has some name that begins with an “s,” but, from what I understand, it is like another liquor that begins with an “o” that tastes like licorice). I have no knowledge about liquor, so bear with me. Anyway, about 5 of us went to grab a drink and we ended up spending over an hour just chatting and having a good time. I had a coffee only an hour earlier, so I just joined for the conversation. And I had already finished my homework, so there was no reason not to go.
For dinner we went to one of the two restaurants in town. Their menu was very limited and only one of the servers spoke English and it was pretty poor. We were also a group of 11, and I got the impression that we not entirely welcome. We weren’t mistreated by any means, but with the language barrier and the large number in the party, I don’t think they thought we were worth the trouble. So that kind of bothered me. It seems that American restaurants are much more desirous of customers, and go to greater lengths to make them comfortable. The soup I ordered was delicious, and the glass of wine was a nice accompaniment.
The hotel tonight is the smallest one we have been to, and we fill up every room but one. Therefore, we are the only guests for the night. This hotel is very old. We have actual keys to the rooms and there are fireplaces in each room. We are divided between the second and third floors and each floor has its own common room. The third floor’s common room is larger, so there are several people congregated there now. My favorite part of this hotel is the dog. His name is Poco and he reminds me so much of Bud. He is slightly smaller than Bud, but looks exactly like him, except that Poco is all white (he even has a long tail!). Poco is also skiddish like Bud, but once he warms up to you he is just as friendly. So now Poco is my friend and he gets happy to see me. He actually made me a tiny bit homesick, so I decided to call home on my cell phone and spend some of my minutes talking to Mom. (It will be a while till this place gets wireless).
And now I am about to read some of my fun reading – The Yacoubian Building – and go to bed. We can smell something delicious baking in the kitchen downstairs and we are all hoping it will be served at breakfast. I’ll post this next time I get internet!