Date: November 16, 2007 (Friday)
Place: Kusadasi (Ephesus), Turkey (古薩達斯/以弗所, 土耳其)
Day 8
our ship was docked downtown within the walking distance to the shops & restaurants.. however, a taxi to go to Ephesus is ~50 euros.. so we decided to join the excursion to Ancient Ephesus: Enter the Magnesia Gate and explore ancient Ephesus on a guided walking tour..
Ephesus is one of the best preserved ancient cities in the world.. we passed through all the columns, mosaics, monuments & ruins..
The Gate of Heracles
..it's located at the beginning of Curetes Street..
God of Nike in Ephesus
in Greek mythology, Nike is called the Goddess of Victory.. she came before the Olympians & is the emblem of the Olympic games.. she is the daughter of the giant Pallas & the river Goddess Styx.. she was sent to fight on the side of Zeus in his battle against the Titans..
Temple of Hadrian..
Hadrian's Temple earned the second 'Temple-Wardenship' for Ephesus.. it's consist of a monumental pronaos and a small, bare cella..
some well preserved carvings
The Ancient Public Toilets
..it's of Greek design.. there were no private stalls, just several closely adjacent "seats" on long benches.. below the bench was a channel for carrying away wastes..
heard that in the old times, the wealthy Ephesians would send their slaves down early to warm up a seat for them..
The Library of Celsus
it was built ca. AD 125 by Gaius Julius Aquila in memory of his father, and once held nearly 12,000 scrolls.. in 262 AD during the Gothic raids, the library was destroyed by fire, but the facade remained undamaged..
The Theatre
.. has the capacity of 25,000 seats.. it is believed to be the largest outdoor theater in the ancient world..
some nice trees in Ephesus.. a big contrast to the ruins..
a funny toilet sign @ Ephesus.. u need to pay 0.5 Euros to go to toilet..
the excursion included a stop at a shop while we attended a demonstration on the art of Turkish carpet weaving..
the store owner served us with drinks (lots of choices including beer, wine, pops, apple tea, etc.) & their homemade "cheesecake"..
the port @ Kusadasi
Kusadasi Bazaar
(right) The Evil Eye.. traditionally in Turkey, it is believed that a simple glass blue eye can ward off evil and bring luck and success..
the water was soooo clear..
Day 8 Lunch
(left)
Appetizer: Smoked Salmon Mousse with Toast Points & Capers (right)
Entree: Spaghetti alla Carbonara (Tossed with Bacon, Egg Yolks & Cream with Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese) 
Fish & Chips (Catch of the Sea's Finest Filets Right Out of the Fryer with a Dash of Malt Vinegar, Served with Shoestring Potatoes)
it's a half-day tour so we continued to have our "movie marathon" today, watching "
The Hoax" in the Princess Theatre, "
The Black Dahlia" & "
Ocean's 13" in our statement..
Day 8 Dinner - International Dinner
Appetizer
(left)
Canada: Crabmean & Cantaloupe Melon Balls Served with Aurora Sauce Salad
(right)
Spain: Field Green Mesclun Salad with Cabbage Slaw & Cucumber (Champagne Vinaigrette, Thousand Island, Low-Fat House Tomato-Pimiento Dressing)
Soup
(left)
China: Traditional Wor Won Ton Soup Entree
(right)
U.S.A.: Surf & Turf (Filet Mignon From the Grill & Sauteed Gulf Shrimp with Browned Red New Potatoes & Batonette Vegetables)
(left)
Australia: Oven Baked Spring Leg of Lamb, Aussie Style (Slowly Roasted with Aromatic Herbs in a Pungent Apple Cider, Accompanied with Sweet Mint Baby Peas & Sliced Potatoes with Onions)Dessert
(right)
Switzerland: Vacherin Suisse (Layers of Meringue Filled with Fresh Whipped Cream & Decorated with Chocolate Shavings)
(left)
Austria: Sacher Torte (A Historial Chocolate Cake Filled with Apricot Jam) (right)
Cafe latte Ice Cream
