Last night we dined at a lovely restaurant overlooking the water and what better place with a glass of wine in hand to view the sunset.

Today was the day we left Turkey and crossed the border into Bulgaria. Ian and I took Vulcan across to Gallipoli on the ferry early in the morning so that we could get some photos of her at Anzac Cove.

One photo we took of Vulcan showed the rugged land that the soldiers encountered. While Ian was very interested in the terrain, I was more interested in the graves of the fallen.

We then continued to the border which  went very smoothly…both leaving Turkey and entering Bulgaria.

Lunch was a picnic lunch by the roadside and we reached our hotel early evening.

A walk around town, dinner and for those appreciating July 4…there were even fireworks. The waiter however said it had nothing to do with July 4th!

Our last full day in Turkey before crossing into Europe tomorrow. We caught a ferry to cross the Dardanelles this morning to visit Gallipoli. A very moving few hours as we visited the different areas and heard about the history. With so many lives lost, one couldn’t help but say quietly the “Ode to the Fallen” as you walk amongst the graves. So many of the soldiers were only teenagers!

We visited Brighton Beach, Ari Burnu Cemetary Anzac Cove, Lone Pine Cemetery, the 57th Regiment Turkish cemetery, Nec Cemetery and the New Zealand monument as well as the Anzac area where each Anzac Day thousands gather for the dawn service.

So many lives were lost.

                                                      Rest in Peace

We headed off after breakfast to visit the ancient site of Aclepios which is supposed to have been a medical centre in Roman times. Fascinating to see the different tunnels, pools and even a small amphitheatre. The pools were a perfect home for the turtles pictured here. One can’t help but wonder what life would have been like in Roman times…particularly if you had some wealth! If course the other extreme of the life of a slave would have been very hard.

We drove onto the ancient city of Troy were our knowledgeable guide Mustafa walked the city explaining the sites of the different cities.

Arriving in Canakkale we enjoyed a drink watching the sun set. What a lovely end to a day.

This morning we began the morning with a tour of Ephesus…an ancient city with amazing ruins in Selcuk. Probably the biggest difference between this and the ruins already seen was the remains of the terraces which showed how the wealthier Romans lived. The first excavation of terraces became subject to weather erosion so before excavating the second lot of terraces a building was built over rate top to protect it from the weather. Amazing frescoes, marble walls and tiled floors giving a fabulous idea of the way of life.

There were amphitheatre, library and Roman baths. For a moment we thought we were back in China as the tour groups arrived by the busloads! However we were soon to discover that there was a cruise ship in port and this was a major stopping point on their itinerary.

After visiting  Ephesus we went to the site of a temple where only one of the many pillars remains. We weren’t the only ones interested in this as a family of storks had nested in the top! Before driving onto Bergama, 2 of the MG’s  (one being Vulcan) decided to drive to the remains of the Basilica of St John. This was another wonderful site.

Arriving in Bergama after what would be the hottest day we have had we caught a cable car late afternoon to the top of the hill where there was yet another temple ruin…called the Acropolis. Although out time there was limited as I didn’t want to walk back down it was interesting to see what was there and the view from the top was spectacular!

Walking back to the hotel I couldn’t resist a photo of a local cart.