Pooped out people & barking dogs

Our last day of visiting ancient Greek & Roman ruins and we have to admit, we have reached our Data Overload Point . . . just so much information to take in from our guides we need some time to digest everything we have seen this trip. So much of our modern world resolves back to ideas and people who built and lived in what are now ruins but were once incredible feats of engineering and art.

And we are pretty pooped out from day after day of 30C+ temps and the “dogs are barking” . . . our feet are feeling the strain of waking on hard flat rocks every day. Damn those Romans, why couldn’t they have used softer rocks!

Early departure yesterday, tendered ashore at 0730 in Dikili, a nondescript port that has one redeeming tourist feature . . . It is 30 minutes away from the Pergamum ruins site.

We visited two the parts of the ancient city. The lower valley was home to a health centre-hospital-rejuvenation spa complex but the big attraction was the Acropolis of Pergamum, in its day an extremely rich and powerful city located on a hilltop with stunning views of the valleys for miles around. Must have been quite the sight its day. . . Location, location, location!

We ascended by cable car (Yea Nancy!) and had lots of time to poke around and try and imagine what it would have been like back in the day.

Back on board our ship for our last transit. We will sail past the Gallipoli Peninsula overnight where so much more recent history was made and I will take a moment to pause and reflect and think of our Australian friends and their nation’s Vimy Ridge.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

Istanbul . . . just a few hours ahead.Read more