Along the cobblestone streets of Assos leading up to the acropolis, local people display their wares and make money off tourists. Fulbrighters purchased some scarves, fresh herbs, souvenir earrings, souvenir Trojan horse statuettes, pretty blouses, and even children's clothing.
Around 10:00 a.m. we were on the acropolis at Assos with the Greek island of Lesbos in the background. Wendy (blue shirt) is asking Ali a question. Ali, our Turkish guide, has never been to America. He says there are too many invasive forms to complete.
Doric columns among the acropolis ruins at Assos date from the 4th-c. Greeks who carved them from andesite that has a reddish tone, rather than marble. The Romans, of course, preferred marble above any other building material. It was plentiful and obviously durable.
Ataturk is everywhere! He is the beloved Turkish equivalent of George Washington. Even on a tiny street behind our boutique hotel, we saw this gold bust in Assos.
Wonders never cease! Yes, that's somebody's pet burro. He evidently thinks he's a dog. The waiters outside our hotel in Assos were trying to shoo him away from our breakfast tables. Too bad David couldn't take this one home!
At Troy there's nothing much to see except Heinrich Schliemann's 19th.-c. trenches where he took everything possible from the site using slapdash methods. Actually, he was more interested in treasure hunting than in recovering anything historical. A businessman rather than an archaeologist, he did great damage to the various levels. Nine levels have been discovered at Troy. The oldest of the levels dates to the period of 85 BC - AD 500. We did see a portion of a megeron (dwelling)that has been unearthed and is being reconstructed. Jim Uhrig said he could easily have spent at least another hour at Troy.
Turkish food is marvelous, and never ceases to amaze us. Always fresh and flavorful, Turkish cuisine is to our liking. Even with all the walking, I don't think I've lost an inch or a pound. Today at lunch we enjoyed more fresh fish around 3 o'clock after the traditional mezzes, the best part of meals.
In Canakkale on the waterfront, just a few km down the road from Troy, we saw the actual Trojan horse--the one Brad Pitt touched--from the movie. The movie, however, has not recieved good reviews.
Hosmerim is a dessert associated with Canakkale and this region. Because Ali and Secil knew it would be something new to us, they asked for it to be served along with fresh fruit for dessert today at lunch. It is a "wet cake" (soaked in syrup) topped with ice cream. Delicious!
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