In Which I Decide To Clean Up

I didn’t even consider taking photos in the bath, so any of the following images of the interior come from TripAdvisor. I don’t actually have permission to use them, so if they disappear you’ll know why. The clean white dome of the ceiling arched overhead, broken only by concentric circles of cutout royal blue stars, […]

Its OK That I’ve Been Here Before

The Hagia Sophia is simply enormous. Entering, we step across the large, rutted marble threshold, which bears the attrition of millions of footsteps over tens of centuries, and the vast space opens up like a monumental breath. The sudden gush of air forces its way into our lungs like an atmosphere under too much pressure. […]

Dan Is Better At Not Negotiating Than I Am

This trip has been exhausting, and sometimes we need a down day. If you aren’t convinced that I should be tired, I can explain. I left Detroit at 8 PM after a full day of work, and slept little over the course of a 17 hour trip to Kusadasi, and then was up early the […]

In Which The Rain Drives Us Indoors

Dan’s driving is terrifying our guides, I think. While that seems funny enough on its own, in reality it’s even funnier than it sounds, because he’s generally a really good driver. He is somebody who has raced cars as a hobby, and therefore has a good sense of the road and drives cars to their […]

The Post In Which I Abandon Initials And Embrace Names

Aphrodite was the Greek goddess of love, and to hear Yavuz speak of the ancient city of Aphrodisias, he is obviously enamored. He clearly loves archaeology, history, and his job, but when describing Aphrodisias, his language changes. He speaks a little more softly and delicately, adopting the language of the poets and the romantics, and […]

That’s Three of Seven, If You’re Counting

Three years ago I came to Turkey and spent four days on the Aegean coast, walking on antique pavers, breathing ageless air, and stirring sleepy particles of ancient Greek and Roman dust. During that time my travel agent arranged for me to spend two days with Y, one of the private guides here. I found […]