We left the hotel at 5:00 am to catch a flight to Izmir at 7:20 am. It was early. Rebecca commented on how she tried to get the tour company to arrange a later flight but had not been successful. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

We arrived in Izmir (formerly Smyrna at the time Christ) and bussed over to the Cathedral of St. John for Mass. This was a change of venue. We were supposed to have Mass at St. Mary’s church, but it was changed due to construction or something. We were in for an unexpected surprise.

The Cathedral had a relic of 2^nd century martyr St. Polycarp on the right side of the altar. I never thought I would ever see such a thing. I had researched the saint for my Church history class and had an affinity for his bravery and love for Christ. Also, I have dear old friends that named one of their son’s Polycarp, and I was excited to share the relic discovery with them.

St. Polycarp was the bishop of Smyrna for 30 years and the last person to die (that we know of) who knew one of the apostles. He was a disciple of St. John. He wrote one letter to the Philippians. St. Irenaeus would sit at Polycarp’s feet and listen to stories about Jesus that Polycarp heard from John.

Irenaeus writes:

“I remember the events of that time more clearly than those of recent occurrence. . .. I can describe the very place in which the blessed Polycarp used to sit as he discoursed . . . with John and the rest who had seen the Lord, and how he would relate their words. And whatsoever things he had heard from them about the Lord, and about his miracles, and about his teaching, Polycarp, as having received them from eyewitnesses of the life of the Word, would relate all in keeping with the Scriptures. . ..”

Polycarp’s martyrdom is a unique story. During the first 300 years of Christianity, historians have identified ten separate periods of persecutions. Polycarp’s martyrdom did not occur during any of them.

Polycarp’s story was odd. His arrest was spurred on by Christians from a different city coming to Smyrna demanding to be tortured and martyred. I guess you could call it voluntary martyrdom—an oxymoron. After about 10 of them were killed by wild beasts in the stadium, the zeal of the bloodthirsty crowd grew stronger, and they demanded that Polycarp be brought for execution.

In the stadium, the Roman proconsul demanded that Polycarp renounce his faith and turn his loyalty to Cesear. He famously responded: “For eighty and six years I have been his servant, and he has done me no wrong. And how can I now blaspheme my king who saved me?”

The crowd then demanded that Polycarp be burned alive. The wood was placed down, Polycarp was stripped naked. Eyewitnesses say that the flames encircled him but did not touch him. The crowd, angry that he was not die and demanded that he be killed with a sword. The executioner quickly stabbed him.

After Mass, we learned that it had started snowing in Istanbul and all flights were canceled for the day. We were glad that we did not take the later flight because it no longer existed. We also found out that our scheduled boat trip to Patmos the next day was canceled due to high winds and rough seas. That was extremely disappointing. So many of us were looking forward to visiting cave site of John’s writing of the Book of Revelation.

We had lunch at a restaurant on the pier in Izmir. Ordered one of the worst tasting pizzas I had ever eaten. Sometimes it’s a crapshoot over here ordering food. Sometimes great, sometimes awful.

It was about a 2-hour bus ride to the hotel, located on the ocean in the port city of Kusadasi. We were here last October on a Holland America cruise. Much different experience. In October there were several cruise ships and zillions of tourists. I really don’t like tourists. Even though technically I am one. I especially don’t like the tourists who are constantly taking pictures of themselves, sometimes even pictures of themselves with nothing in the background. They can do that at home! That’s why we like to travel in during the off season—fewer of them.

It was about a 2-hour bus ride to the hotel, located on the ocean in the port city of Kusadasi. We were here last October on a Holland America cruise. Much different experience. In October there were several cruise ships and zillions of tourists. I really don’t like tourists. Even though technically I am one. I especially don’t like the tourists who are constantly taking pictures of themselves, sometimes even pictures of themselves with nothing in the background. They can do that at home! That’s why we like to travel in during the off season—fewer of them.