Day 4–Istanbul to Izmir (then Selçuk)

Travel day. We showered, packed, had breakfast and were on our mini-bus to the airport in plenty of time for our 11 am flight to Izmir. This new Istanbul airport IS lovely, though it took us a good 45 minutes to drive to it from Istanbul proper.

Passenger planes began landing at this new airport earlier in the month

I wondered why we were flying to Izmir rather than driving—the flight is only 45 minutes long, but those who’d been to Izmir before said getting there by land takes nearly 9 hours—ferry and bus and all. So a quick 45 minute flight it was, though we taxied half an hour on those big new runways before taking off.

Izmir is southeast of Istanbul on the Aegean coast and in ancient times was called “Smyrna.” It was founded by the Greeks, taken over by the Romans and rebuilt by Alexander the Great. It then became part of the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century and is now Turkey’s third largest city.

We landed, grabbed our bags, and met our new tour guide. Under her direction, we took off for our hotel in Selçuk, which lies about 30 minutes south of Izmir. Selçuk is home to several ruins, one of which is Ephesus, which we’ll visit tomorrow. Ruins of the Church of St. John are across the street from the hotel, as are ruins of Ayuasulug Castle.

We enjoyed a sandwich in Selçuk proper, (think Subway—Turkey style) and I was introduced to Ayran, something I noticed many drank on the plane. It seems to be a yogurt-like drink (watered down of course) with a bit of salt added. I decided it wasn’t for me, Then we walked to our hotel, which was uphill and a bit challenging. Room assignments were given out, and again with no elevator, we trekked up the winding marble steps. Our room was tiny and Jane and I spent quite some time deciding how to make it “work” for us—moved furniture here and there, etc.

Then we had the rest of the day to ourselves. Most enjoyed the top floor lounge and we were delighted to see a stork family with a nest just across the street. Resting, blogging, and reading (well, and a beer or two, too!)