* Pictures noted are from bottom to top - Our 4 hour drive from Gocek to Seluck-Sirince was an easy trip over good highways, several mountain ranges, then farming and grazing lands. Most of the scenery was reminiscent of California and the backdrop from Old West movies with burnt grasses and large rock formations (picture 1).
As we were coming through these empty lands we came upon a town lined with a series of Turkish kabob quick stop restaurants and car washes. Since it was late afternoon we thought it would be a good time for a bite to eat. We parked the car in front of one of these establishments, then sat at an outside table and ordered our food as best we could from the pictures on the wall. As we ate we noticed our rental car being washed. As a matter of fact all the cars were getting washed and before we could stop him (since who cares about a clean rental car?) it was done.
So after lunch, with our clean car we continued our drive to Sulick-Sirince. After entering the dusty, but busy town of Seluck we followed the signs to Sirince then started another 'what have we gotten ourselves into' adventure up a one lane, winding dirt road to our hotel, the Nisanyan House.
We parked and negotiated our way down a steep, uneven, rough-cut, stone driveway to the reception and dining room area where there was a wonderful flower-topped fountain (picture 2) and amazing panoramic view of the village of Sirince below (picture 3). As we checked in, ordered dinner, and received instructions we were provided a refreshing glass of delicious sparking water, lemon slices, and mint.
We were lead about 100 yards from the parking area along a beautiful floral garden path to our cottage (picture 4), Havuzbasi Shortcastle 6, which had an inviting porch (picture 5) overlooking a scenic view of the mountains above and the marble eternity pool below that was shaded from the strong afternoon sun. In addition to the porch, the cottage's interior space included a sitting area, large bed, very large marble bathroom, and a fireplace. The decor was 'Turkish chic' - colorful and comfortable. Once moved in we drank a few cold, delicous glasses of Raki and watched the sun slowly set behind the mountains.
For dinner we found our way in the dark along the low-lit path to the beautifully decorated dining room where our meal included salmon wrapped in grape leaves with lemon sauce and chicken stew in a pastry purse. After dinner we went up to the sitting area, did some computer work (we didn't have internet access at our cottage) and enjoyed a conversation with a couple who used to live in Jordan. They provided lots of invaluable information, suggestions and advise we planned to use on our upcoming trip to Amman.
The next morning we were up earlier than usual after a wonderful night's sleep. Since we were planning a visit to Ephesus as close to 8 am as possible (when the site opens), we had pre-arranged an early breakfast which was served in the community kitchen about 50 yards along a path from our cottage. Once there Arzu (hotel manager) and her staff had already set the table for our delicious Turkish breakfast (fresh coffee, fresh-squeezed orange juice, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, cheeses, breads, chili paste, etc.).
After breakfast we rushed out and drove the 20 minutes to the parking lot at the top of the hill at the Ephesus site. Unfortunately a number of tour buses were already there and the tourists were lined up at the entrance. Luckily they had tickets so the line moved quickly and we just made sure to pace ourselves around the crowds (picture 6). Visiting Ephesus, founded in 11th century BC, is like visiting any modern city with main streets, gates, monuments, residences (terrace residences), entertainment (Great Theater - picture 7), spas (baths), educational (Library - picture 8), religious (temples) service-oriented (fountains, plazas, State Agora) buildings throughout. Amazing and so interesting.
Once we walked the site to the lower parking area we turned around and started our return ascent to our car at the top of the hill. On the way back we decided to visit the Terrace Residence II exhibition (for an extra admission) which was an incredible experience since it was a walk through an active excavation site. Not only did we see newly uncovered frescoes, mosaics (picture 9), and rooms in this large, opulent residence, we were also able to see the piecing together of the marble decorative wall plates (picture 10) and other elements in process with the help of glass floors, displays, and informational signage.
As we approached the village of Sirince and our hotel, we surprisingly found ourselves in a heavy traffic jam. The policeman directing cars to three large parking lots further along the dirt road informed us the traffic was due to the Sirince Wine Festival which was popular since it was held only every 4 years. Needless to say, it didn't take too long for us to decide to park the car, check out the festivities, and of course sample some local wines. The narrow, stone streets were crowded with tourists and locals who ate at restaurants and street vendors, listened to music, and walked from one retail shop to another. We stopped at a few of the wine shops for tastes and information about each wine then enjoyed a grilled sausage sandwich from one of the street vendors (picture 11). While the wines weren't the best we have tasted and the festival wasn't exactly Napa style, it was a fun afternoon all the same.
After walking to our car we drove back to the hotel where we enjoyed our recent wine purchase (a barely drinkable 2009 Turkish version of a 'Beajoulas Nouveau') and celebrated our 300th day of the trip. We met Dan and Tina, an American couple from Minnesota who we enjoyed talking to so much, we invited to join us at dinner.
We rested for a while, showered and met up with Dan and Tina for another delicious dinner in the main dining room. After a few hours of good food and great conversation we all called it a night.
The next day we took it a little easier by spending the morning in the town of Seluck for a few hours as we visited the impressive Ephesus Museum, home to many of the major statues (picture 12) and artifacts removed from the Ephesus excavated sites. After the museum we returned to the hotel, drank some wine, ate some tasty fresh fruit purchased while downtown, and totally enjoyed the cottage, the fabulous views, and some quiet time to read.
After dinner, we showered, packed and made it an early night since we had to leave by 7 am to drop the car off and catch our flight from the Izmir Airport to Istanbul, then on to our next stop Amman, Jordan.
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