Ruins.
There are ruins absolutely everywhere, and I’m absolutely giddy about it. We need to get some of these back in America, because I (and I’m sure many others) have had such an amazing time exploring the history, the culture, and the stories that go along with all of them. Each block of marble has a story to tell it seems, and there’s no end to the marble in this country side.
Today the ruins told us of the Large Jewish community in ancient Sardes, and showed us the remains of the synagogue they built there. They showed us the ruined temple of Artemis just outside of Selçuk, which was converted into one of the seven churches of the revelation mentioned in the bible. They led us to the basilica of St. John the Evangelist, which is purported to house the remains of the beloved apostle John. On a side note, as a Catholic Christian still reeling from the experience of visiting the site where Mary Mother of God is supposed to have breathed her last, to see the resting place of the apostle John as well was almost too much. I’ve discovered that I quite like this whole religious pilgrimage thing; in fact, I believe I’ve found a new long-term hobby.
Getting back no the trip, I believe we all had a lovely end to the day by getting the opportunity to put our feet in the Aegean (the first time several of us had ever seen the Mediterranean Sea). A little cold sure, but all in all it was quite refreshing to be on a beach again, and to feel the sand on our feet and the sun on our backs. All in all, today was another lovely day in what I have found to be the very lovely country of Turkey.
Much Love to all of our families who are following us on this blog,
Kind Regards,
Christopher Donnelly