Wednesday, 5/4. (May the Fourth be with you.) Arrived in Kusadasi for a short visit to the ruins at Ephesus. Full of history. There were several tour options but we choose the Included one. My foot is hurting a lot, so it’s just as well.

The guide was excellent. Lots of humor and anxious to answer questions. I particularly liked how he’d stop talking for a few heartbeats once in a while to allow me to process what he was saying. The reconstructed library facade was the high point. Many pieces of Ephesus are in Europe’s finer museums, some legally, some not. The theater was also very impressive. However, I think what struck me most was that Roman engineers dug a canal from the ocean to the city to improve commercial activity. The canal is no longer visible, but that they both thought of it and then did it is remarkable.

On returning to Kusadasi we expected to be shown the various shops near the ship. But the guide took us to his favorite local carpet store, where we got a briefing on how silk is produced and how carpets are made. Then, after being offered drinks and a snack, they rolled out many demonstration carpets. Then the sales pitch began. Interestingly, the Turkish government reimburses carpet showrooms 100% of shipping fees, so there are no added costs to the buyer. We had no interest in carpets, so we left.

On the return walk to the ship we were treated to the traditional hard sales efforts. A glance at anything resulted in an immediate salesman talking into your ear. For once there’s an advantage to being deaf in one ear. But I wonder if they’d ever been advised that their enthusiasm discouraged visitors. We very likely would have spent more time in town if we weren’t barraged by their noise.

Went to Manfredi’s again. Excellent food.