A Couple Of Weeks With Best Friends
Regular readers will be aware I’ve had two of my best friends over for a couple of weeks. There were some highlights of the trip, such as Pamukkale and Hierapolis, as well as our trips on Siesta Boat.
We got up to a lot more besides the previous highlights. There are far too many photos not to give a final overview of the amazing time David and Rachel were here. I am amazed we fitted so much in and yet it never felt rushed or as though I had to continually find things for us to do. It was relaxing, inspiring, and perfect.
There were two major places I was desperate to show them. Miletus holds a special place in my heart. It may be the fact it’s unspoiled. There hasn’t been an attempt to reconstruct it as has happened to so many archaeolgical sites. Repairs have been carried out to make it safe, but that is all. I also find the museum incredibly interesting. It explains the history of the ancient city.
It was amazing to see new excavations taking place. I know what they are looking for at one of the excavation sites as it matches a lot of research I’ve done. I can’t wait to see what secrets they uncover. It’s all very exciting.
The second excursion was the one that took Dave and Rachel’s breath away. The Temple Of Apollon in Didim has never been completed. It would, if all 122 columns had been erected, have been the largest temple in the world at the time. Only 77 columns were erected. It must still have been an incredible sight. Some of the columns are still standing. It really is incredible.
I was able to show them the carving of ancient board games where pilgrims would pass the time waiting for the Oracle to deliver predictions. Other carvings show names where people would have sat watching an ancient version of the Olympic Games with various races and sports involved. It’s easy to see who the likely VIPs of the day were from the carvings.
One thing stands out. Stonemasons had to be paid. An extra protusion was added to every stone. When the stonemason was paid, the protusion was chipped off. Many were clearly paid, but there were a significant number who weren’t!
It is amazing I have such history on my doorstep. I do, fairly regularly, go and sit looking at the Temple and then take the short walk to the only part of the Sacred Way that remains. To this day nobody has found the definitive route it took from Miletus, via the harbour of Panormos, to the Temple. Although I am convinced a fuel station currently stands on part of it!
Not everything was about ancient history on the trip. We have some good live music in Didim. We had two nights watching live bands. An evening at Yas Inn watching Throwback was good. A further evening watching Alex Fairley was superb covering music from the 60s onwards. He had us all singing along. An excellent evening.
We also entered a pub quiz. The numbers on our team varied as the evening progressed. We finished a creditable second. I won’t say how many teams were involved! It was great fun.
I had an amazing time with Dave and Rachel. It truly meant the world to me. Somehow I managed to hold it together when I dropped them at the airport. I needed a coffee after saying goodbye so the emotions could calm down. Thankfully the car park wasn’t in the UK so parking was only £1.50 meaning there was no rush.
I have another adventure planned shortly with another friend I haven’t seen for a very long time. I can’t wait. I’ll share those adventures when I’ve recovered.
TTFN
Max and The Stray Army
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