Izmir, Turkey

After experiencing the weird 🤪 and not so wonderful 🙄honeymoon suite, we switched hotels and wandered about Izmir. The market bazaar was teeming with people and vendors selling everything from toenail clippers to fish, fruit, fabric, oars, guns 🤯, and wedding dresses! So many wedding/formal shops! The fish and meat mongers had it all laid out, in the heat, with no ice or refrigeration, occasionally watering the fish with a watering can! I wonder how they can sell it all and what do they do with it at the end of the day? Sell it the next? 🤢
We went to the ancient agora founded by Alexander the Great, more rocks, columns, arches and an interesting cemetery.
The next morning we went to pick up train tickets for Istanbul to Plovdiv, Bulgaria which couldn't be done online. It took 1.5 hrs. of patience, frustration, translations, price changes, even drawings of stick people and circles to represent sleeping compartments for 2 pairs, 4 people 🤯. We think we have the right tickets...well find out next week!
It was May Day, their Labour Day holiday, so there was music, marches, dancing and crowds! The police presence was somewhat alarming as there were traffic, riot, Izmir police plus helicopter and boats! It all seemed quite civil and celebratory so I don't know why there were so many police. Back at the hotel we sat in the lobby where we were treated to tea and strawberries. We have found both Greek and Turks are generous with food offerings 🥰. The drivers are fast, and motorcyclists drive anywhere so you have to be on guard, even on sidewalks! A fellow at the hotel had been knocked over and was off to the hospital! I am surprised at the lack of English, particularly with people in the tourist industry - hotel reception, tourist info, train ticket personnel! Thank goodness for Google translate app!
Izmir is like any big city, busy, dirty, with a few highlights,- museums and parks. Lots of mosques and loud calls to prayer 5 times a day starting before 5 a.m.!Läs mer