Paul's Letter to the Ephesians

Living in the United States, and especially in South Florida, there is only so much history. Yes in St. Augustine is a structure originally built in mid 16th Century, but was rebuilt after he British burned the city around 1700. In New Mexico there are two structures from around 1610, but they are adobe and stucco which is constantly replaced, so the question is how much is original? In Dedham, MA is my pick, the Fairbanks House, built in 1636. It is a wood frame structure that has been expanded, but the original central portion is still standing, making it just shy of 400 years old.
On the other hand, there are the ruins at Ephesus. Though the years have taken their toll, many structures are recognizable. The large amphitheater is still VERY impressive. The stage area is where the disciple Paul gave his sermons to the local Christians, which in turn became Paul's Letters to the Ephesians in the Bible. This makes the structure in the 2000+ years.
Also in Ephesus is the famous Library of Celsus, and across the street was The House of Love, a brothel(guess it is an old profession, right up there with librarian). For the tourists, a small production is staged at the library, with the actors dressed in Roman garb. Just up the street is the house where it is believed Mary moved to after the death of Jesus. So it is quite the town to visit for Christian sites.
As with any tourist site, shops are plentiful. Mementos range from religious figurines to pagan statues to fake watches. One interesting item was a rather large alabaster penis nestled on the same shelf religious statues. I wonder who was the model?
At its peak, Ephesus was a major port city. But with the silting of the river, it is now 5 miles from the coast. Since this was a stop on my Eastern Mediterranean cruise, the ship was in Kusadasi about 20 miles away. It is a nice little town filled with shops that cater to the cruise passengers. Local handicrafts, leather goods, rugs, jewelry and watches. Remember there are no copyright laws in Turkey, so genuine FAKE Rolex watches are everywhere!! The shops all seemed to me staffed by GQ models. Extremely handsome men with dark hair, pouty lips and most with sky blue eyes, YUM!! All were polite and not as pushy as their counterparts at the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul.
Since this was a port of call on our itinerary, by 6:00 pm we were back aboard our ship, so no experience of any alternative lifestyles. Kusadasi being on the small side, probably does not have a thriving gay scene, but just window shopping the staff in the small stores makes for wonderful eye-candy. And besides, living in Ft. Lauderdale, I can see gay men in almost every aisle of my grocery store.
So if traveling the tranquil waters of the Mediterranean sounds like a good idea, contact Damron Vacations to help plan your trip. The experienced agents can help with the cruise selection and additional hotels nights before, after or both. I highly recommend at least one night before the cruise departs to allow for any mis-connections or equipment issues. Trans-Atlantic flights are not easy to substitute last minute, and the cruise ship is not going to wait. Bon Voyage!!!