Day 3 of our road trip took us through territory that will feature prominently in the climax of my book, so I won't be writing anything about it here, other than to mention the Otel Dülgeroğlu (which isn't in the book, though it deserves to be). If you ever find yourself in Uşak, or traveling along the old Izmir-Ankara highway that bisects Western Turkey, I recommend a stay in this converted han/caravanserai. Rates are reasonable, staff is friendly and courteous, the rooms have gorgeous high ceilings and thick enough walls to inure against the noise of the bustling city, and the restaurant is excellent, if a wee bit overpriced. I'd advise against arriving at rush hour like we did, or trying to navigate any of the one way streets around it, but beyond that you can't go wrong. After our vehicular tribulation in Çavdarhisar, we couldn't have asked for a better place to rest up, lick our wounds, and pretend we were extras in a remake of Casablanca. Only we must have missed the memo about shooting being cancelled that day because the place was almost empty. Solitude seems to follow us like Pig Pen's cloud of dust, but for me it always brings a peace and quiet as comforting as Linus's blanket.
Day 4 brought us first to Alaşehir, the city built over ancient Philadelphia, which also features in the book. We weren't there very long. Earthquakes and fires have robbed much of its material history. But I had really come in the vain hope of finding some hip and enterprising young turk capitalizing on the sister-city thing by selling classic Dr. J t-shirts with a fez on his afro, or döner kebab hoagies, or even some sketchy dude selling simit (the Turkish soft pretzel) from a dirty grocery store cart instead of a pile atop his head--anything to make for a good photo or souvenir for my Philly obsessed family back home. Alas, the best I could do was summon the same sense of abject disappointment we reserve for our sports teams.
There was nothing disappointing about Sardis, our next destination. For some strange reason, this site is seldom accorded the same attention or respect that Turkey's more famous archaeological destinations get, but that's actually a wonderful thing. Because it means you have a decent chance of finding it uninhabited and taking in its charms at your own pace, and in your own headspace. Lizzie did all her graduate school fieldwork there, mentored by the late Crawford Greenwalt, Jr., a legend in the field whose graciousness, gentility, and warmth even today, several years after his untimely death, seem to infuse the place with a numinous serenity and light. The ruins are extensive and awesome, so much so that I won't even bother trying to describe them. We saved the monumental Temple of Artemis for last, ate our lunch and spent hours alone there; I even took a nap. Suffice it to say that there may be other temples its equal in grandeur and beauty of surroundings but surely none surpass it. Earlier, while touring the well-preserved city street, synagogue, and gymnasium we were followed around by a handsome little pup and it took everything I had to resist the urge to bring it home.
We had all been there before, even the girls. I actually spent several weeks babysitting them in the temple when they were four, and as cool as those times were, this visit will stand in my memory at least as the red letter day. For Lizzie that will likely be in two weeks, when she returns alone to see the Bilkent Orchestra perform in "Greenie's" honor, in the temple, a symphony that he commissioned. Heady stuff for a humble gal from Virginia. As we were leaving that day, it was especially touching to watch the recognition and joy wash over the site guard's face when he remembered Lizzie from her time working there, over a decade before. His wife was there as well, selling scarves and handmade purses, fruits, and nuts. She fawned over the girls and despite her obvious poverty, refused any payment for the items she wanted to give them. Turks may have a reputation for haggling, but trying to outbid their generosity is often just as difficult. We drove away waving as if from family we would dearly miss.
I had originally planned to include Day 5 in this post as well, but since it entails a self-contained adventure, with lots of backstory, I think I'll leave that for next time.
Görüşürüz. (See you later.)
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