On our way back from Ephesus, our bus cliimbed the narrow road up the hills to the reputed House of the Virgin Mary.  This is now an active, if tiny chapel, built over the foundations of the house where it is claimed that St. John brought Mary to live out her last years--safely, if inconveniently outside the city, still rather hostile to this new sect.

We passed the friendliest machine-gun guard I've ever seen...

Wandered up the long walkway, lined with olive trees...

Here is the door of the chapel...

and one of the twisted, elderly trees...

No pictures allowed inside the chapel!  And I didn't cheat.  Outside, Suleyman pointed out the wall where he says we can clearly see the line in the bricks that formed the 1st Century house where Mary would have lived.  Hmm...maybe...

More outside....


And I lit a candle from the chapel for Patti, since she couldn't be there, and even donated a lire.

Whereas I remained the tree-hugger...

There was a wall where people wrote and pinned special prayers...

A pleasant peaceful place. 


Suleyman did add the story that only a few years ago, a forest fire blazed through these hills, destroying everything--but that it stopped just short of this sanctuary.  Here, a view from the hill...


later, bob