SIDE BY THE SEA

After a day of rest in Antalya ( not really, because we walked the old town for hours, shopping at the antique stalls and snapping photos), on Thursday we decided to head east to SIDE (pronounced Sedah).  It was an easy and pleasant drive.  From the highway you could see the endless march of mega hotels that had sprouted up along the long coastline, many designed to hold 2-3000 guests.   Elaborate pools, water-parks and amusements poked through the skyline in an attempt to lure motorists into the lobbies of these Las Vegas like monoliths.

About an hour south, we took the SIDE exit. The weather was overcast, the sky and sea both gray.   The sea level road (yeah!) wound through an unremarkable town. We stopped at an equally unremarkable cafe and had a mediocre coffee and cheese pastry.  We geared ourselves up for disappointment.

Another mile or so down the road, we rounded a bend and the ruins of SIDE spread out before us in an incredible  display of stone walls and monuments. Reaching for a mile or more in  all directions, tumbling down to the sea, the remains of this seaside metropolis boggled the imagination.    No disappointment here.  Just amazement.  The ruins were sprawling, with many roads still well articulated. The theater, temples, baths and a hospital were all in remarkably good shape.  A modern corniche encircled the harbor.  The main shopping bazaar sliced through the ancient harbor thoroughfare. At the end of the road stood the remains of the Apollo and Athena  temples.  Throngs of tourists clustered at the base of the pillars while the surf lapped a the marble paving stones.

The Roman baths had been converted into a small museum with some notable relics, but nothing extraordinary.  The better part of the day was spent hiking the side roads and byways of the old city, and hike we did.  As the sun began to dip toward the horizon, we ate at a seaside cafe. the food and the view were both good, but not better than  the opportunity to get off our feet.  Before heading back to Antalya, we snagged some well priced leather goods and a few gifts for our friends back at the hotel.