Donna
The month of May began with the end of the bathroom project. The finishing touches were put on: the last tiles were laid, and the shower curtain was hung. Now we enjoy the new bathroom!:) We then had a few more days at the farm to invest in the trees and garden! All is flourishing and we are expecting a mighty harvest this year! Next, we celebrated Afonso’s birthday with family in Lisbon. It was a grand affair with lots of food, music, chatting, and singing. Little Afonso is a very social young lad and everyone enjoys his company. He was definitely a knight in shining armour as he galloped around with his little horse and “espada”!
From the peace and quiet of the farm we then flew off to Istanbul, a vibrant metropolis of over 15 million people! Upon arrival, we boarded a bus to the Anatolian side of the country, to a district called Kadikoy. It is a cultural and commercial center of the region. This side of town offers a more authentic, less touristy experience than the European side which we visited on our last trip. It is full of all the commercial shops you find in any cosmopolitan city, trendy little coffee shops, authentic Turkish restaurants, the cutest Turkish tea shops, mosques and churches, etc. You see females in Muslim garb alongside friends in western clothes. Everyone fits in here! Coincidentally, Selma and Vehbi live close by, so we could easily visit them during the first few days. Selen and her family’s precious hospitality and eternal patience made all the difference in how we experienced Turkey. Together we ate, laughed, explored and learned. They served us the most delicious cuisine and made us feel right at home!
One highlight was our boat trip down the Bosphorus, the strait whose banks form the European and Asian continents. The water was an amazing turquoise color due to marine life in late spring and summer! Also, the conflicting water currents—the heavier water from the Sea of Marmara is running north under the lighter, southbound water coming from the Black Sea, which keeps the water amazingly clean for such a busy thoroughfare. Absolutely beautiful! We thank Vehbi for his amazing tour guide skills and info on Turkish history!
On Sunday we headed south towards Izmir, previously known as Smyrna. We continued further south to Bergama ( Pergamum). Here were the ruins of the theatre built into the hillside, the acropolis, the second largest library in Asia, the Sacred Way and the Temple of Hadrian. Some say Pergamum is an overlooked treasure, as many pass by it on the way to Ephesus. If you are ever in the area, it is definitely worth a visit. Next stop: Ephesus, or Selcuk, or Efes in Turkish. On Ayusoluk Hill, the same one where we stayed, and right beneath the fortress, you find St. John’s Basilica, originally a massive structure built by Emperor Justinian over what was believed to be St. John’s burial site. It is believed that John wrote his gospel and three letters to the churches in the area as well. Nearby is the ruin of the Temple of Artemis and a short drive away, the House of the Virgin Mary, believed to be the place where Mary spent her last days. A short drive away the ruins of the city of Ephesus were significant. If you really want to get the feel of what life was like 2000 years ago in the glorious days of Greece and Rome, this is the place. Actually, I think it is bigger than any of the ruins you would find in Rome. Even though they have been excavating for about 160 years they say they have only uncovered 15-20% of the city’s ruins. You have the Library of Celsus and the Great Theatre seating 25,000, and temples to the various gods of one’s choice. You walk the Arcadian Way, the Curetes Way and the Marble Way.
There is an area where beautiful villas belonging to the rich citizens are being restored. Interestingly enough, there were many stones with crosses around these restorations and stoas. It is said that most of the wealthiest citizens were Christians. The Apostle Paul spent approximately 3 years in Ephesus, converting many to the Christian faith and starting local churches. However, because of the cult of Artemis, many Ephesians practiced magic. Many books were published about the symbols and incantations used in temple ceremonies. This practice greatly influenced the superstitious worshipers in the temple. Acts 19:19 states: “Many of them also which used curious arts (magic) brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty pieces of silver. 20.So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed. “The story of the Apostle Paul preaching against the cult of Artemis (Diana) was shown in the interactive video production. The silversmiths were rioting against Paul’s claims that there are no gods that are made with hands which hampered their idol-making industry. He then left the city. It is history. This story is told in Acts 19:23-28. I felt it was amazing to be in such a historical place and somehow felt connected to the Christian community that made up the early church and their struggles amidst the pagan worship of the day.
On our last day of exploring we visited the lovely town of Sirince, a picturesque village near Ephesus. At the top of the villageThe Church of Saint John the Baptist is located. Many pilgrims come here to pray. The Church of Saint Domitian is nearby. A quite neglected site, nicely adorned with Christian paintings on the upper walls and ceiling.As you stroll Sirince’s narrow stone streets adorned with Ottoman style houses, shops with local textiles and culinary delights, coffee and tea everywhere—not to mention the ubiquitous wine tasting stalls (they produce wine from all sorts of fruits)—you feel the beautiful Turkish culture, history and hospitality! A lovely end to an amazing journey!
Love and Prayers
Images of the month:
Thank you all.
Love andd prayers