Somewhat surprising is the family of swallows nesting inside the building. Yes, that's one just going into its nest to the top right. Mental note to self: check food carefully before eating. There can be 20 or so flying around inside at any one time.
The next morning we're on the move again.
The ferry takes over the busy Dardenelles (fortunately no mines now) to Canukkale, then on to Bergama (aka Pergamum) where we settle in to our Odyssey Guesthouse and as usual head for the rooftop bar.
That's the Red Basilica in the background - originally an Egyptian temple which St John described as the one of the seven churches of the Apocalypse and the throne of the Devil. Unfortunately it's in a state of disrepair and you can't wander around inside. Nor do I particularly want to fall into the hole that provides a one way trip to Hades. We admire the crumbling ruin from the outside.
As we retire to the bar in the late afternoon, Accuweather.com is threatening wet weather for tomorrow.
The dark looming clouds give some credence to the forecast, but our host Ersin suggests that sometimes the clouds skirt around the hills and miss the town. We hope he's right and the rain gods will smile favourably on us.
It's now Wednesday 13 April and it's time to see the other sights of Bergama. First stop is the Acropolis on the hill. It's a steep 3km walk to the top, and dark clouds are surrounding us as we approach the summit. We're just entering the Acropolis and the rain gods can contain their bladders no longer.
We take a quick photo in the driving rain while lightning crackles and thunder booms overhead. It's very atmospheric, but not quite the atmosphere we're looking for. Feeling somewhat vulnerable as a pair of conductors on top of a hill we scuttle back down to the entrance gates without seeing the main feature - the amphitheatre. We huddle like drowned rats in the shelter before we hop a taxi with tourists being ferried down the hill to their bus. No charge fortunately - the meter started at 60 TL and rose rapidly.
Cold, wet, miserable and philosophical we make it back to our guesthouse for a change of clothes. It's spring so we can't expect perfect weather all the time, and a saving grace is that we had inadvertently slipped in without paying the 20 TL each entrance fee. Running behind time and not wanting to risk another drenching we skip the Asklepion (ancient medical college) and find the bus to Selcuk. Perhaps we'll have better luck in Ephesus.
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