Day 2 - The Gallipoli Peninsula

We start our second day of the tour with a five hour drive to the Gallipoli Peninsula. After our epic flight the day before, a long drive wasn't appealing but once we got underway the trip went quickly. Let me list what went down:

•    Super mega ninja destruction at the roadhouse.
•      Who has the hat? YOU have the hat!
•     An epic game of cheat.
•     The Turkish spotter game.
•      Stopping in Gelibolu and learning about the AE2 submarine.
•      Our beautiful Turkish lunch!

Once we got there, our first stop on our tour of Gallipoli was at the legendary ANZAC Cove. We took pictures by the sign and walked along the beach to the Beach cemetery. It was there Rachel had her commemoration of Richard Maynard, her adopted digger. We also saw John Simpson's grave. Walking where the ANZACs walked was surreal, especially since it was the first battlefield we encountered.

Study Tour group at ANZAC Cove

We then went to Shrapnel Gully, with its peaceful cemetery just a short walk from the beach. From there we clambered up to Plugge's Plateau. Interspersed throughout the cemeteries and points, Bruce Scates, the history professor from Monash, explained the ANZACs experience with the land we walked on. After Plugge's, we got back on the bus and headed to Lone Pine so that we could walk down to Shell Green. We were only supposed to have a look through Lone Pine, (which was covered in scaffolding and seating ready for the ANZAC service) but we missed the big sign pointing to Shell Green and walked a while down the wrong road. After realising our mistake, the group headed off to Shell Green on the right track.

Shell Green cemetery

At Shell Green we had Elizabeth's commemoration of Miles Neal Turner. 

Liz Smart pays tribute to her adopted digger, Pte Turner

Hadley played the Last Post as the sun set over the Aegean Sea. It was a deeply moving experience, and I think the tone and solemnity of adopted digger tribute really set the mood of the rest of the commemorations for the trip. We watched the end of a beautiful sunset, then got in the bus to arrive in the Kum Hotel.

At the Kum, we had a lovely dinner of Turkish food. Certainly a memorable moment was when Laura's clear retainer, which she'd put on her side plate, got taken away by the waiting staff. Thankfully, the retainers were returned. We then went into our rooms, discovered the treacherous showers and, in Liz's and my room, discovered the broken toilet, which Bob organised to have repaired immediately. 

We all got a warning about not being too noisy. Then, it was time for bed.

Bridget