Happy Valentine's Day to our loved ones at home!

Our first stop was the Antalya harbor. What a scenic spot with the docked sailing ships; some were decked out with pirates and mermaids. We were reminded this is the harbor Paul sail from when he had completed his first missionary journey. It was overcast and the view of the mountains across the bay were shrouded with low clouds.

At the Antalya Museum the exhibits went on and on. Pottery finds, metal works, and the sculptures! We were amazed at the artistic detail on each one. Two were of special interest—Zeus and Hermes. These Roman gods were connected with Barnabas and Paul when they had healed a man in Lystra. First these godly men were worshiped as deities and a few minutes later Paul was being stoned.

Aspendos has the best preserved Roman theater in the country. The double tiered seating is intact. The stone carved façade which is the backdrop of the acting area is nearly complete with the niches for sculptures, the entrance openings, and stone decorations. We tested out the acoustics by singing on the ground floor and could be heard by members of the tour who had braved the climb to the upper tier.

Lunch was at a local village restaurant. The owner was proud of the fact that 20 minutes before the fish was served, they had been swimming in the fast flowing river behind his business. For dessert there were fresh oranges and tangerines picked off his trees in the side yard.

Perga was our afternoon site. We walked through the city gate just as Paul had done and admired the standing columns which run the length of the agora to the outer edges of town. This site also boasts of a stadium which was long and skinny. The theater of Perga is closed but is impressive from the outside.

The three hour bus ride to Pamukkale, the natural hot springs area of the country, was through rugged mountains. We saw snow covered mountains off in the distance. We’re in a lovely spa hotel tonight and looking forward to the planned excursions for tomorrow.