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.