Antiquities & Art

A sunny, blue sky day in İzmir — with temps reaching into the high 70F range — begged to be enjoyed outdoors. Mom set up her chaise lounge on the terrace and sat down to read. Mui and I joined Aylin and Murat at Kültür Park [Culture Park], which is also the site of the city’s annual international fair.

First up … morning tea at İzmir Sanat, an outdoor café operated by the municipality. Then, a short stroll through the fairgrounds to visit two small museums … one featuring artifacts uncovered during archaeological digs in the area … and the other featuring paintings and sculptures. Admission to both was covered by the MüzeKart we purchased in İstanbul during our cruise. Thus, I am now ₺27.50 (~ $1.90) ahead of the game, and Mui, as a senior who gets free admission, has saved (~ $5.30) 🤪

By the time we left the museum, it was time for afternoon tea. Collecting mom from her condo, we went to Özsüt Select, a nearby patisserie where we found a table on the sidewalk … grilled cheese and croissant sandwiches … latte and tea.

No … none of us had any thoughts of eating dinner tonight.Read more