The Ancient Ruins of Ephesus on the West Coast of Turkey is Truly a Magical Location

On August 15, 2024August 15, 2024 By Living The Q Life Travel AdventuresIn TurkeyLeave a comment

The first ancient site that we visited during our trip to Turkey and Bulgaria was to historic site of Ephesus. We traveled up the coast from Kusadasi to Ephesus where we walked the trail amongst the various archeological remains. Originally built by the Greeks in the 10th century BC, it is a site that has been a destination of historical significance throughout the ages. After being built by the Greeks, it was later occupied by many different empires over time, including the Roman Empire during the 129 BC through 395 AD.

There are many different items of interest as you walk the path that takes you through the heart of Ephesus. Some of the most interesting are the Library of Celsus, the Temple of Hadrian, the stone carving of Nike, as well as the amphitheater. Ephesus is one of the most fully excavated and restored sites that we visited during our time in Turkey. It is also one of the most popular places for tourists to visit as it is a short distance from the port city of Kusadasi where the cruise ships stop, so expect large crowds at the site. We were somewhat lucky as the day of our visit there was only a single cruise ship in the harbor on the day that we went to Ephesus.

We have been to many different historic sites throughout our travels, such as Luxor in Egypt, Athens in Greece, as well as Rome in Italy and Ephesus was certainly of equal interest as any of those places. We would definitely recommend visiting Ephesus during any trip to the western coast of Turkey or even as part of a day trip out of Istanbul, but there are several other wonderful sites to visit as well. Most tours of Ephesus will also include visiting the House of Virgin Mary, which is also very interesting and of historic and religous significance as well.

The Medieval Torture Museum in Chicago, Illinois – A Unique Experience

On June 28, 2024June 28, 2024 By Living The Q Life Travel AdventuresIn Chicago1 Comment

We recently traveled to Chicago and since we have been there several times, we were looking for unique experiences for our trip. One of the things that we discovered was that Medieval Torture Museum and to say that it was not your typical museum would be a huge understatement. It is an interactive museum, but don’t worry, there aren’t people in costumes that are going to jump out at you. The various displays within the museum are extremely realistic and also extremely horrific.

Interactive Woman Accused of Witchcraft Being Dunked in Water

Walking through the museum takes you on a journey of how the torture techniques used by humans have evolved throughout our history. It is disturbing to see all of the ways that we have come up with to impose pain and suffering on our fellow human beings. It would be wonderful to think that as a modern society, we’ve eliminated all forms of torture, but some of the forms of torture still exist today. Obviously, this is not an experience for young people and we have chosen to put photographs here that are suitable for everyone, but be aware that there are some that are more difficult to see.

The cost to visit the museum is about $40 per person and it will only take you about an hour or two to get through all of the exhibits. There is an online audio tour that you can get on you mobile device and there is also signage on many of the exhibits explaining what is being depicted. In addition to Chicago, the Medieval Torture Museum is also located in Los Angeles and St Augustine. Certainly, this is not an experience for everyone, but if you aren’t squeamish and want to discover some unique aspects of our global human culture, it is fascinating.

The Praça do Comércio (Commerce Plaza) and Pink Street in Lisbon, Portugal

On May 31, 2024May 31, 2024 By Living The Q Life Travel AdventuresIn Portugal1 Comment

Located on one of the busiest streets in Lisbon, The Praça do Comércio or Commerce Plaza is certainly worth strolling around or stopping for a meal in one of the restaurants in the plaza. There are several features within the plaza that can’t be missed including the Rua Augusta Arch and the Statue of King Jose I. Located on the shore of the Tagus River, it was the location of the palace until the great earthquake of 1755 destroyed the palace and the plaza was rebuilt. The actual plaza is 175 meters by 175 meters or 30,600 square meters (574 feet by 574 feet or 329,000 square feet) making it one of the largest plazas in Portugal.

The Rua Augusta Arch is certainly quite impressive and is dedicated the valor and history of Portugal and was built after the earthquake of 1755 to commemorate the rebuilding of the city. There are several statues on the arch including one of the famous explorer Vasco da Gama. There is certainly no missing the statue of King Jose I riding his horse that is located at the center of the plaza. There is also a beer museum located in the plaza, but we didn’t visit it during our trip to Lisbon. We did, however, stop at one of the local restaurants to enjoy a charcuterie board with a variety of artisanal meats and cheeses.

Located near the plaza is a unique attraction in Lisbon that is known as “Pink Street” for obvious reasons. There are many restaurants and stores located on Pink Street, but you are likely to find lots of tourists posing dramatically as they take selfies of themselves. The rainbow-colored umbrellas that are suspended above the street add to the ambiance. We happened to be there just as the light of day was disappearing, which gave it an interesting glow. We decided to grab dinner at one of the local restaurants and sit outside by the street so that we could people watch while we enjoyed our meal.

If you are going to do any walking in the old town area of Lisbon, you will likely end up at Commerce Square at some point. The weather was overcast during the day that we visited, but that didn’t detract from the beauty of the arch and statues or of the architecture of the buildings. Pink Street certainly isn’t a must when visiting Lisbon, but it is a fun destination, especially in the evening, for those looking for a different experience.