On to Ephesus

After seeing a perfect sunset over Patmos, our ship headed to the coast of Turkey where we stepped onto Asian soil for the first time. Our destination was Ephesus, once a bustling seaport but now a few miles inland, the home of the Ephesians. The sculpture marks the area as the city of birds.

SUNDAY POSTER

Dome Decor and Dancing

On Patmos we entered a Church that had an imposing and beautiful dome depicting a vigilant Jesus looking down at his congregation. We were to find out in the coming week that many such domes are dotted all over the Holy Land and its environs.

Following the sightseeing, we sat down to a fine lunch, highlighted by some high-stepping dancers. The star of the show on the left had some admirable hops!

Faces of Patmos

Several interesting mosaics and works of art populate Patmos, and this Orthodox priest added a powerful aspect to the visit.

St. John's Grotto

Our stop at Patmos was the first of four stops on a Holy Land tour. This Greek Isle features St. John's Grotto, the location where the evangelist dictated the book of Revelation. John wrote a Gospel and several other parts of the Bible, and this is a specific place where he was known to work and live. John is not buried on Patmos, as we shall see in a later post.

Positano

We left Pompeii for a wonderful luncheon in Positano, on the Amalfi Coast, overseen by this wonderful statue. It was our last stop in Italy; in the next post we see out first Greek Isle and begin the trek to Jerusalem.

Forun in the Shadow

Our visit to Pompeii winds up in the massive Forum, seeing a statue of Athena in her temple and then looking out toward the north to see the shape of Vesuvius looming in the morning light.