THE PRIDWIN HOTEL

The Library of Celsus in Ephesus, Turkey

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Famous folks still flock here in droves in more recent years Mariah Carey, Leonardo DiCaprio, Sharon Stone, Alessandra Ambrosio, Demi Moore, Gerard Butler, Linda Evangelista, and Ariana Grande have all enjoyed this jewel of the Aegean. Indeed, at Nammos we saw Elon Musk whooping it up at lunch. Of course, Mykonos has plenty AMIDST THE SCROLLS WAS A to do for every taste fabulous

SECRET TUNNEL THAT LED beaches, even for families, DIRECTLY TO A BROTHEL, SO water sports, great shopping THE OLDEST JOKE IN TURKEY from tourist trinkets to Chanel, WAS FOR A HUSBAND TO SAY charming towns to explore,

“HONEY, I’M GOING TO THE and the famous windmills LIBRARY TO STUDY,” that are the island’s mostphotographed site. While on Mykonos, take a boat to the sacred island of Delos, the mythical birthplace of Apollo and Aphrodite, a Unesco World Heritage site, and one of the most important archaeological sites in Greece. This small island features a well-preserved ancient city containing theremains of a sanctuary to the gods Apollo and Artemis, plus an on-site museum with one of the finest collections of ancient Greek sculpture and artefacts. I’ve been coming to this idyllic island since I was a teenager, and although the crowd has changed dramatically, its charms have not been totally extinguished by the cruise ships and the day trippers, at least not yet.

Ephesus, Turkey

We headed toEphesus, a harbor city in Turkey packed with history dating from 6000 B.C., once home to Amazon female warriors who would cut off one breast so they’d excel at archery. Nest ce Pas? Of Turkey’s many ancient cities and classical ruins, Ephesus, a Unesco World Heritage Site, is the grandest and best preserved.

Just outside Ephesus, we went to the home of the Virgin Mary, a chapel built atop the foundations of a ruined house where she is said to have lived for several years. It is believed that the Apostle John brought the Virgin Mary to Ephesus near the end of her life. A French priest found the house in 1881 based on the visions of a bedridden German nun, Anne Catherine Emmerich, who was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 2004.

We then went to the ancient city itself, which is clearly laid out with quite a number of buildings more or less intact, with wonderful examples of Doric andCorinthain

columns. There is a nearly fully restored amphitheater, The Great Theatre, the city’s most spectacular site. Originally built in the first century A.D., and later reconstructed by the Romans between A.D. 41-117, the theatre is still used today for live musical performances, with a seating capacity of 8,000. Ephesus.us

The Library of Celsus

Another must-see in Ephesus is the façade of an architectural marvel commissioned in 110 A.D. as a funerary monument forTiberius Julius Celsus Polemaeanus, who was buried there. One of the world’s largest libraries of its time, it held over 12,000 scrolls. Amidst the scrolls was a secret tunnel that led directly to a brothel, so the oldest joke in Turkey was for a husband to say “Honey, I’m going to the library to study,” but of course, once inside, he slipped into the brothel to study the oldest profession in the world. The interior was destroyed by a fire in 262 A.D., and an earthquake later destroyed the remaining façade. Archeologists rebuilt the façade in the 1970s.

At an authentic local restaurant, we had chicken and lamb kebabs, lamb chops, the famous yogurt dip, tahini, and Turkish pizza made of thin pita bread topped with tomato and herbs. Lunch finished with an enormous bowl of delicious and rare white figs.

Athens

Because we had teenagers with us, we braved the crowds at the Acropolis and the Parthenon, which has been restored quite a bit since I was last there. Restorations to this ancient site have been ongoing since 1975, with the most recent phase completed in 2020 and more in the works.

We rode up and down in the new elevator—yes, if you pay off the right guide, you can not only go to the front of the line, but you can also use the aforementionedelevator that was installed with funding from the Onassis Foundation, founded by Jackie Kennedy’s second and last husband, Aristotle Onassis. This modern innovation greatly improves accessibility to this site.

After our tour we headed to the Plaka, which is opposite the Grand Bretagne Hotel, still the best hotel in town.Marriott.com.We strolled in the shade and picked one of many local and authentic Greek restaurants, where we could order the divine grilled octopus. On your trip, grab a gelato after lunch from one of the spots and then shop and shop and shop. The prices are quite good, and there is a lot to choose from.

ThePanathenaic Stadium

We stopped at thePanathenaic Stadium,built in c. 330 B.C. for the Panathenaic Games (a combination of reli-

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gious, cultural, and athletic events). The marble stadium was the venue for the first modern Olympics held in the 1800s and was an Olympics venue for games in 2004. Nearby, we watched the changing of the guard in front of the Presidential Palace. The guards with black pom poms on their shoes, wearing tights, beige skirts, red hats, and long braids do a truly hilarious march that reminded me of the legendary Lipizzaner Horses in Vienna lifting their legs, prancingand pawing the ground.

Capri, Italy

We moored in Capri, one of my oldest stomping grounds, for lunch at one of the beach clubs and then drinks onthe Hotel Quisisana’s iconic terrace—this is still the island’s chicest hotel. Capri’s Grand Dame hotel has hosted Tom Cruise, Sting, Oscar Wilde, Gianni Agnelli, Gerald Ford, and Sartre. Although Capri’s main square has turned into a luxury mall, the views and the sea are the same as when Emperor Augustus discovered it and used it as a health spa.Quisisana.com

We took out the tender for a private tour around the island, taking in the dramatic coastline, the tiny coves, and grottoes surrounded by turquoise waters. This way, we were able to stop and visit a friend on their yacht, which was moored near the Blue Grotto. It’s the only way, really!

Archeology buffs should head to Villa Jovis, ruins of the largest and most sumptuous of 12 villas on Capri commissioned by Roman Emperor Tiberius in the first century A.D. The vast complex and its gardens were famously designed to cater to Tiberius’s debauched tastes, and its cliffside location required feats of engineering to provide water to the estate. The views are breathtaking from Salto di Tiberio—Tiberius’s Leap—a sheer cliff from which Tiberius had out-of-favor subjects and lovers hurled to their death into the sea. It’s the only way, really. P The Parthenon, Acropolis of Athens