Izmir - Day 1

My co-workers Aaron, Carly, and I set off from Ankara to Izmir on Sunday afternoon, making Monday our first full day in Izmir. After a free breakfast at the hotel, we set out to see:

The clock tower, designed by a French architect and built in 1901.

We then went for lunch at this chain restaurant, Kahve something. It's basically a cafe that sells various coffee drinks but also has food.

Hello, mantı, we meet again.

Next up was the Aegean Sea. While we were enjoying the view, the sun, and the nice breeze, Aaron purchased a cup of tea from the man who was balancing a tray of tea, glasses, and sugar while he negotiated the rocks on the waterfront (drinking-tea, not smoking-tea). Aaron kindly let me have a sip and I decided I’d like some tea as well. Carly and I tried to call the tea-man back, but that older gentleman was traveling much faster than we could. So I was satisfied to simply drink my bottled water, wondering how long that man’s been hopping across those rocks, selling hot tea on a tray.

the view of the sea, the mountains, and the highway below the pedestrian walkway.

Carly and Aaron

The view of Izmir from the sea.

We looked to our left and saw ferries departing. We decided to catch the ferry to Karşiaka. We boarded the boat and made a beeline for the back.

Once we were on our way, I started singing “A Piece of Sky” from Yentl. I couldn’t help it; it was the effect of the rippling water behind me.

That's all for today. My next blog will talk about the ruins of the ancient city of Ephesus.