Travels with Papillon

Slow travel in a Motorhome - a typical day

The day was planned as a simple typical day:  depart camping and take a quick tour of the northern portion of the Gallipoli battlefield enroute to a ferry crossing, shop for supplies, tour a major venue - the ruins of Troy, then proceed south to the coast and seek out a campsite.

Further north at a place that became named Anzac Cove - the assault troops of the Australia-New Zealand Army Corp came ashore.  In the dark they landed a mile north of their intended beach.  Like all good troops they decided to begin the war right there.

 Papillon Crosses the Hellespont

Canakkale, Turkey

Papillon steps into Asia at 11:35 on June 18, 2007

       Shopping at Kipa

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        Troy is one of the most legendary sites in Western Civilization and a most extraordinary archeological site.  It is the first "tell" or multi civilization ruin hill that we visited.  Heretofore, we have seen primarily Roman or Roman built over Greek towns and temples.  

Previous sites were really not very complex for the trained archeologist.  Their biggest problem was access to the complete site because Italian and Greek towns have been constructed over the older remains.
7 different civilizations - Troy VI being the time of the Iliad
Troy is a difficult site because of the multiple layers atop each other- spanning 3000 years, but also because the first digger was interested in the Gold and the Glory and nearly destroyed the site in terms of historical research.

        Above you can see the signage indicating layers of civilizations after each was destroyed

Here again is 4 different levels exposed.  The tourists are standing on a bridge that is over the space in front of the walls of Troy VI - Trojan war, 1200 BC.  Those walls end in the middle of the photo.  To their left and directly behind them are the walls of Troy IV - they are of a much more rough cut stone.  Above their heads and behind the tourists is the dirt covering the walls of Troy VII.  Below and to the right are other levels.

We are standing on the walls of VII which also served as a base for a large temple to Athena.  Before you are the walls and the East Tower of King  Priam's Troy VI.  Below these walls would be the remains of I through V. Each city or layer was a different civilization inhabited by different peoples after the previous level was destroyed.  Within each level the professionals can identify building phases, or major enhancements or additions to the existing town.  However, it is not a different civilization.

Finding a campground or sleep spot

Departing Troy we headed south toward Assos on the Coast, where the map and a guide book indicated that there was a camp ground or two.  Enroute we passed this jewel.

Papillon poses before an Ottoman built Humpback bridge beneath the town of Behramkale, near Assos.

But the evening before was most rewarding.  Obviously the first American motorhome ever to grace their property, the owners went out of their way to make us comfortable.  First we sat by the water and had a couple of beers (Tuborg - they did not sell Turkish brands).  We were seated next to a party of 10 people who were commencing a Raki party (Anise flavored fire water) and were very much enjoying themselves.  At the table on the other side were 2 men and a women.  One fellow read from a paperback the entire time and spoke to no one and the other got up to inspect Papillon more closely.  I followed him after a moment or two and invited him to inspect the interior.  He spoke enough English that we communicated quite well.  He stated that he was 85 and that his daughter spoke perfect English.  We returned to the table where his daughter sat and he introduced us.  She had married and Englishmen and had lived in London for a few years.

We retreated to Papillon and fixed our supper and then returned to the table for a "nightcap" of Turkish tea.  There, 2 women from the Raki party came over and started to talk with us.  One had lived in Vienna, Virginia for 8 years and the other had a niece that had recently graduated from Julliard.  Another pleasant interlude.  We commented on how lovely the Turkish people had been toward us and one responded that Turks are always pleasant to their visitors.

Yep really!  Just a more or less typical day of a motorhome tourist in Europe

Such is the case with the Acropolis of the ancient town of Pergammon high above the modern city of Bergama.  Almost 1000 feet above the town, the site served as platform for a Temple to Athena and an Alter to Zeus in addition to being a defensive fortress in times of invasion.

The last King of the region, who was without an heir, willed the city to the Romans in 133 BC during their eastward expansion.

Bergama city is far below.

Such was the Sanctuary to Emperor/God Trajan.  Here they cleared out all the rubble and restored the floor and just enough of the structure to truly give you the impression of what it really looked like in its day.  Sighted on the edge of the hill overlooking the town it was a most impressive space.  I was transfixed for almost an hour.

In the eastern tradition, kings were revered as Gods.  The Romans adapted that tradition to their own ends throughout the Empire in time.

Below, in Bergama city, at the foot of the Acropolis, sits the ruins of the large & strange

 Red Basilica

A Roman structure from the 2nd Century AD

This structure was mentioned by St. John the Devine in Revelations as one of the 7 churches of the Apocalypse, citing it as the Throne of the Devil.

Numerous statues show the Gods back to back while others clearly have an Egyptian look about them.

After a day of little frustrations, heat and unable to find the campground that was listed as being near Izmir, we camped in the parking lot of this fine property.

Thanks folks.