Datça Pennisula

Our next stop was the Datça peninsula, a 100 kilometer narrow stretch of rugged land pointing out into the Aegean Sea.  Here we hiked, relaxed, worked, visited the Knidos ruins, and ate.  Boy, did we eat.  Compared to Öludeniz, where the British crowds have way too much french fry and menu influence, Datça was a mezze paradise.  We gorged ourselves on all kinds of dips, spreads, veggies, fish, and homemade breads sitting seaside with our feet in the sand.  I actually stuffed some fresh bread into my backpack, but was caught by the waiter, who luckily only chuckled.  We also lived above an ice cream shop that made everything in house.  Somehow, we were able to stuff a couple of ice cream scoops in every night, as well.  A family favorite was the chocolate chip mint with the mint leaves chopped up and thrown straight in.  We already knew it, but this confirms it.  Fresh, local and homemade is the best!

We also cruised through Ephesus. Here we learned most of the ruins used to be under 14 feet of dirt. We have new appreciation for the researchers blowing through loads of little brushes and sieves with the patience to puzzle this thing together.