Troy and Gallipoli

It would have been hard for anything to live up to the fun of the water park, but Troy certainly didn't do it.  We had heard not to expect much from Troy, but since we were passing by, we figured that it was worth a stop.  The highlight may have been David stretching his Achilles in front of a replica of the Trojan horse!  You can't do that everyday!

David stretching his Achilles at Troy

Since 2,500 B.C. nine different cities were built one on top of the other at Troy.  There must be some really interesting artifacts underground, but for now the excavations and renovations are unimpressive in comparison to many of the other ruins in Turkey.

After a night in the nearby town of Çanakkale, we crossed the Dardanelles by ferry and made the short drive to Gallipoli.  During World War I, Gallipoli was the site of long battles between the Turkish and the New Zealand and Australia (ANZAC) forces.  Today the battlefields are a beautiful national park with touching memorials and cemeteries honoring the fallen soldiers.  We were in our own car and we arrived ahead of the tour groups from Istanbul, so we were able to drive throughout the park and had the place mostly to ourselves.  A very worthwhile side trip.

A cemetery for New Zealand and Australian soldiers at ANZAC Cove on the Gallipoli Peninsula in Turkey