Our first really, truly, genuine sightseeing stop was the Gallipoli National Historic Park.  Here on these beaches in 1915, more than 500,000 Allied (Australian, British, French, Indian and New Zealand) and Turkish soldiers died fighting in World War I. 

Many of our tour group members were from New Zealand and Australia.  While all of us were affected by the many graves on these hillsides, the site had special meaning for the visitors from Down Under.

This is ANZAC Cove.  (Australia and New Zealand Army Corps).

Turkey treats the enemy soldiers' graves with great respect.

Don and Lavona and Bob and Wendy and our Mercedes Benz bus.

Hey, that's me with Lavona and Bob.

Another memorial.  The "Lone Pine" Cemetery.

View from the Lone Pine.

See why they call it the "Lone Pine?"

That fellow up there on top of the the monument is Mustafa Kemal, "Ataturk."  He was almost killed here.

But he was saved by his pocket watch.

Nice view.

There were WWI trenches even up here.

These are re-creations of the originals.

But they give you an idea of what it must have been like to fight here.

I guess when you're fighting for your life, enjoying a beautiful view doesn't seem so important.

I wonder what that says.  Ataturk's mud puddle?

There he is.  The Father of Turkey.

The Father of Turkey's view.

Pretty impressive, actually.  The park is a very somber and touching memorial to those who fought at Gallipoli on both sides.  Turkey doesn't hold a grudge.