Ruined Romans

Today began with a phenomenal breakfast spread at the Hotel Lydia, followed by a well-interpreted tour of the Roman gymnasium complex in Sardis. Documentation allows a lot of information to be known about the area, including the names of some of the shopkeepers along the avenues as well as what type of business was in each shop. Unlike the Temple of Artemis in Sardis, these ruins have been reconstructed as much as possible without damaging or affecting the parts found intact. The synagogue has amazing mosaics on the marble walls as well as on the floors. After a couple of hours there, we headed towards Birgi, via a mountainous track that brought back memories of Bolivia and the road to Coripata, but then I realized there was a lane and a half on this road and occasionally guard rails, plus it was not raining, so I could relax. Birgi has some fancy 18th century mansions and one that has been preserved as a museum.There is definate French/Italian influence in both the archetecture and the decoration. The town is undergoing a huge restoration project and the local Imam gave us a great a tour of Birgi's Grand Mosque, built in the 1300s. This one had a small dome over the main worship platform and then a wooden pitch roof for the rest of the building, allowing for easy expansion. We then traveled to a Selchuk (pre-Ottoman) town , Tire, where we saw selchuk mosques and the local farmers market. I had what may have been the best peach of my life there! I also saw a riding horse - tacked and grazing by the road. A terribly skinny bay stallion. I felt so bad for the poor thing!
We got to the Aegean coast about 5pm - our hotel is just across the street from the harbor of Kusadaci. 7 of us went immediately for a swim in the Aegean....I've waited my whole life for this!
After a light supper, 5 of us walked along the boardwalk (OK - cement walk} to the old Selchuk castle on Bird Island in the harbor. Now I am ready for bed - Ephesus tomorrow!