Sirince

We spent our last day on the Aegean Coast of Turkey exploring the Greek village of Sirince high up in the mountains. Originally Greek as the residents of Ephesus moved up here when coastal access was silted up and the city began to decline. In more modern times, it was one of 2 places in the world said to survive the Mayan prediction of dooms day, and thus became famous when Tom Cruise came to hide out from the end of the world. Oh and the artisan who designed the jewelry for the set of Troy still resides here...Our guide mentioned that in summer, the lines to come here gets so long that cars are often lined up along the roads with no where to park.

It was lovely to wander the quiet cobblestoned streets and enjoy some authentic village life. Most shops sell goods that they make themselves. Our highlight was having the best ever potato gozleme, unbelievably our first in Turkey! It was so good we got seconds. 

We also loved the way they served coffee. Coffee prepared in the hot sand. The leftover grounds are used for fortune telling. My mother was apparently going to have a baby. Elliot wasn't too impressed with having to address someone twenty years younger as "Uncle". He was, however, happy that we bought some sweet fruit wine to celebrate his 21st birthday with! Sirince is also known for its local production of fruit wine. We tried blueberry, peach, melon, mulberry, and pomegranate. Like the other shop owners, the owner was generous and friendly. It really was a lovey way to shop!

From here on, it would be back to big cities for a while. We flew back to Istanbul uneventfully. Mal and I would fly to Rome the next day and then we'd rendezvous in Barcelona.

Walking through the now quiet streets

Simple but charming houses

Everyone is so warm. She was so happy to let us try her home made goods. Her mulberry was so superb we bought some!

Everything home made with various fruits

Some sort of sap made to use a type of gum?!

This was the end product. The mulberry flavoured one was yum

Our guide did mention "smurf" in her spiel but I was obviously not listening!

3rd century Greek Orthodox church

The inside now used for displays. There was currently a series of photographic art inside

Best of all, there was a cafe with a view overlooking the village nearby

Once again, so generous. They gave us elderflower drinks for free. And it was delicious!

It is coffee time. Coffee and water heated up in the hot sand

The leftover ground coffee used for fortune telling. Tip the cup over, then the pattern could be "read"...

What a charming coffee shop, I would come here for coffee every morning!

There are paths that meander everywhere

The old man (you just see him) who designed the jewelry on the set of Troy

A more fancy version of the coffee cups in the wine store

Tasting fruit wine. A specialty of the area, we bough peach and honeydew!

All the local coffee shops were set up like this. How cool

The nut man! He just sits in the sun and shells his nuts. Almonds were so good. And yes we bought some!

Gozleme, made the traditional way

THE BEST EVER!!

The Turkish Airlines lounge at Izmir airport had direct lounge to plane transfers!

Back at Istanbul. Cheap dinner