Izmir Asansor

Using the GPS system (the Garmin system we brought and Patricks ipod touch map) we made our way to the Asansor. The Asansor, French for elevator, is another of Izmir's older structures. This particular elevator was built in 1907 to help the women and children (as well as, obviously, the men) to climb up to the Halil Rifat Pasa Caddesi, the mountain that overlooks the town. Originally, people had to climb 155 steps to get up there. Now at the top is a small viewing area and a restaurant and bar that affords an excellent view over Izmir and the sea. The area surrounding the elevator has also become known as Asansor, and is a lovely area of cobbled streets and old fashioned buildings, including Izmir's largest synagogue.

You can see for miles from here, though it was hard to tell which islands we were seeing in the distance. I believe it might just be a curve of the land, meaning we were still looking at the opposite side of Izmir. The land and city curls around the bay, with ferry service between all points. The final picture is of the small city street leading up to base of the Asensor.