The ship arrived in Canakkale, Turkey, where we had the morning free, and the group selected one of two afternoon tours – Troy or Gallipoli. Those visiting Troy, of course, saw a replica of the Trojan Horse and heard our guide, Jon’s, alternate theory of the battle of Troy. He believes that Troy experienced an earthquake, and the stone wall suffered enough damage to allow the Greeks to enter easily. They then offered Zeus, the god who created the earthquake, a wooden horse in gratitude. So much for the hidden warriors!  Those who went to Gallipoli visited the site where the Allied forces invaded the Ottoman Empire in World War I, now a cemetery and memorial dedicated to the more than 500,000 who were wounded or died there.

Replica of the Trojan horse