After 3 very hot, noisy and crowded days in Istanbul, we were ready for our 4 day road trip. We took a ferry from Istanbul to Bandirma, where we picked up our rental car ($92 for 4 days, including the GPS. Really.) Once the GPS was set up, we were off to Assos.

The west coast of Turkey is loaded with ancient ruins, some are major tourist attractions, others are just...there. It's a pretty incredible thing, to drive from city to city, town to town and see the remnants of ancient cities along the way. We planned to stop in 3 cities that boast some of the more well-known. Our first stop was Troia (Troy), just outside of Assos.

We had an absolute blast driving down to Assos. The roads are wonderfully built and the directions were very simple. Sometimes having the freedom to drive after a long while without access to a car is so...nice. Anyway, Troy is pretty incredible-the city was built 9 times over the course of history-and there was quite a lot to see. The one thing I thought was a bit much was the gigantic faux Trojan horse at the entry of the site. People were climbing into it and posing and it just felt a bit too...Disney or something.

After Troia we went into Assos to check into our hotel. Assos is situated between a beautiful beach and the foot of a mountain range. Driving in from the top of the mountains to the bottom, just at the water, where the hotel was, was stunning.

This is not the real Trojan horse. Do not be fooled.

It was a hot day, but it was such a remarkable thing to see-a city built 9 times over.

After Troia, we headed into Assos to check into our hotel. Once checked in, we went to check out the small amphitheater and the Palace of Athena, which was my favorite site. We trudged up a huge hill (probably actually a mountain) to wander around it and the views were so beautiful.

Amphitheater in Assos, looking out over the sea. Bet they had some good shows here.

Turkish flag waving over Palace of Athena.