04 May 2022
My family and I returned home two weeks ago, from an extensive and packed 10 day fully guided tour through Turkey covering places such as Istanbul, Izmir/Kusadasi, Pamukkale, Antalya, Kayseri/Cappadocia. We experienced many highlights such as the historic Sophia Hagia , Blue Mosque and Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, the pure white colored travertines, stepped water terraces and Hammam Turkish bath in Pamukkale. The hot air balloon ride surrounded in the air by 100 other hot air balloons in Cappadocia- a magnificent sight!
But truly the ultimate highlight must have been the full day excursion to Ephesus near Kusadasi. This place is so steeped in history and we could not have asked for a better guide for the day than the delightful and knowledgeable lady called Gufte to take us through the historic sites such as ancient Ephesus, Magnesia Gate, ruins of the Roman Provincial Capital, the beautiful preserved Temple of Hadrian, the Trajan Fountain, Odeon theatre and Celsus Library. A great moment of spiritual experience was had at the House of the Virgin Mary. Gufte was truly amazing &, insightful and we came away from this day fully enriched with the knowledge she shared with us.