We thought yesterday was hot... today the heat topped it with 42 C! So glad we can return every evening to the sea where the sweltering heat is more bearable.
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Aspendos theatre - the best preserved of antiquity. It feels like being in the Roman theatre at Orange - it is just in so much better shape. It seats 12'000 people and is still used for Opera and Ballet Festivals every year. It is about 40 km east of Antalya.
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The theatre survived so well since it served the Seljuk Turks as Inn - there was also no other strategically important site nearby for which the stones could have been used. Aspendos was a typical agricultural town and well known for its olive oil and its wool.
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The theatre has a perfect acoustic - it is easy to understand what people say on stage below
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After the visit of the theatre we went up to the ruins of Aspendos town - the waste water system is still easily to see on the roads
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A large part of the Roman Aqueduct is still intact. The source of spring is in the hills just behind the town - the countryside produces agricultural goods as 2'000 years ago
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Everybody was happy to return to the boat after such a hot day. Since the harbour in Side was too shallow for the Carpe Diem V we had to skip it and head directly to Alanya - the Cilician Pirates' Nest - the rock of Alanya glows red in the evening sun
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We sailed into Alanya Harbour at sun set
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