Istanbul to Assos, Monday, June 21, 2010: After breakfast and after loading our luggage onto our tour bus we departed at about 8:00 a.m. Once we escaped Istanbul, we drove west on the northern coast of the Sea of Marmara through Thrace to the port of Eceabat on the Gallipoli peninsula. The highways were excellent and lightly traveled the farther west we went. We caught occasional glimpses of the sea to the south, but mostly we saw flat and rolling agricultural areas; very peaceful lands upon which many bloody battles have been fought. After about five hours on the road, we ate a quick lunch at a restaurant near the ferry terminal and then walked aboard the boat for the trip across the Dardanelles.
The crossing took about 20 minutes. When we walked ashore at Canakkale, I took my second header. We were walking up the pier from the ferry to avoid being run over by the lorries and buses disembarking. Once again I was so busy looking at the sights around me instead of looking where I was placing my feet, that I tripped over a curb. This time I had a good audience of at least ten of my group. After I assured everyone that I had only suffered scrapes and bruises and no broken bones we moved ahead to where we could board our bus. After that, for the remainder of the tour, there was always someone nearby to keep me on my feet. I am not certain how they decided whose turn it would be each day, and if I did find myself alone it was not for long.
Our first stop in Asia Minor was the ruins of the cities of Troy. It is believed that there have been at least nine cities built upon the site. Early archeologists did severe damage to artifacts on some of the levels of excavation. But general opinion is that the level VII is the Troy of Homer’s epic poem. The most visible ruins are of level IX, the Roman city of Ilium. Everywhere we went, the Roman Empire has built upon and covered the ruins of earlier civilizations.
Our next visit was to Alexandria Troas. This city was built in the 4th century BCE and named after Alexander the Great. It has not been excavated to the extent of many other sites in Asia Minor. The Apostle Paul is known to have visited there in the 1st century CE.
Next we move onto the topic of restrooms, or as they are referred to in Turkey, the W.C. You
will understand that the upkeep of a W.C. is not a high priority in Turkey. I won’t go into graphic description, but let it be said that the facilities in many a W.C . were mere holes in the ground, and those which actually provided a toilet stool were barely any better. However at our first rest stop in Asia Minor we were delighted with restrooms worthy of Disneyland. They were clean, each stall had a door and a stool, the interior finish was tile and marble, and the decor included flowers and Disney characters. We ladies were so excited at this turn of events we felt it necessary to take photos of the W.C.
The crossing took about 20 minutes. When we walked ashore at Canakkale, I took my second header. We were walking up the pier from the ferry to avoid being run over by the lorries and buses disembarking. Once again I was so busy looking at the sights around me instead of looking where I was placing my feet, that I tripped over a curb. This time I had a good audience of at least ten of my group. After I assured everyone that I had only suffered scrapes and bruises and no broken bones we moved ahead to where we could board our bus. After that, for the remainder of the tour, there was always someone nearby to keep me on my feet. I am not certain how they decided whose turn it would be each day, and if I did find myself alone it was not for long.
Our first stop in Asia Minor was the ruins of the cities of Troy. It is believed that there have been at least nine cities built upon the site. Early archeologists did severe damage to artifacts on some of the levels of excavation. But general opinion is that the level VII is the Troy of Homer’s epic poem. The most visible ruins are of level IX, the Roman city of Ilium. Everywhere we went, the Roman Empire has built upon and covered the ruins of earlier civilizations.Our next visit was to Alexandria Troas. This city was built in the 4th century BCE and named after Alexander the Great. It has not been excavated to the extent of many other sites in Asia Minor. The Apostle Paul is known to have visited there in the 1st century CE.
Next we move onto the topic of restrooms, or as they are referred to in Turkey, the W.C. You
will understand that the upkeep of a W.C. is not a high priority in Turkey. I won’t go into graphic description, but let it be said that the facilities in many a W.C . were mere holes in the ground, and those which actually provided a toilet stool were barely any better. However at our first rest stop in Asia Minor we were delighted with restrooms worthy of Disneyland. They were clean, each stall had a door and a stool, the interior finish was tile and marble, and the decor included flowers and Disney characters. We ladies were so excited at this turn of events we felt it necessary to take photos of the W.C. 
Our overnight stop was at Hotel Eden Gardens in Assos. Our rooms were comfortable and each endowed with a balcony type veranda, the doors to which I and my roommate kept open all night. We enjoyed the sea breezes. We were footsteps away from the Aegean Sea. After 4 days of hard travel, it truly was Eden. 
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