Another trip, another muscle ca... no, wait, even I can't pretend that this car is cool.
Ephesus was fantastic, really impressive. Second biggest surviving Roman city, fact fans and centre of early Christianity. It has a book of the New Testament named after it and St Paul lived here for three years before being thrown out by the Silversmith's guild.
It also has a very impressive main theatre, seating 25,000. Until recently, still used for performances, until a particularly loud Sting gig hit all the wrong bass notes and started damaging the architecture.
This is the Fiat Albea, a car so cheap and so basic, that Fiat don't even sell it in western Europe. It's noisy, there were parts hanging off it and it was distinctly unrefined. However, it did do the 100 mile round trip from the Turkish seaside resort of Altinkum to the ruined Greek city of Ephesus with no problems whatsoever. And you realise that the car is less bad than designed with a market in mind. It's cheap, the poor cornering supsension copes with all the harsh roads Turkey can throw at it and it simply doesn't care what gear you put it in. Driving this with garish Turkish pop on the radio over Turkey's haphazard roads, overtaking toothless old farmers who look like they probably fought the Aussies at Gallipoli kind of added to the charm of the holiday. Which was, incidentally, excellent. Laura and I had a great time, with boat trips, lounging, pursuit by loveable strays and exploring Greco-Roman ruins.
Ephesus was fantastic, really impressive. Second biggest surviving Roman city, fact fans and centre of early Christianity. It has a book of the New Testament named after it and St Paul lived here for three years before being thrown out by the Silversmith's guild.
It also has a very impressive main theatre, seating 25,000. Until recently, still used for performances, until a particularly loud Sting gig hit all the wrong bass notes and started damaging the architecture.
The acoustics are still excellent. Sat in the top row, I could hear Laura from the stage. Here she can be seen performing Aeschylus' The Libation Bearers.
I stand below the Augustan Gate as the sun shines overhead. A propitious sign.
Laura in front of the library of Celsus. This has been rebuilt by the Austrian and German institutes of Archaeology, complete with signs in German. It was all rather Indiana Jones. I kept expecting Nazis to turn up and declare that what was once ours is now theirs.
A quick stop off at Priene on the way back. Another theatre, but this time with seats for grandees and bigwigs. I could get used to marble thrones.
Finally, a shot of the Apollo temple at Didim at sunset. Laura is standing at the base, believe it or not - those pillars are over 70' tall.
And just because it's fun, Laura fends of the advances of mutant Turkish pirates.
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