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Istanbul was Constantinople, Now it’s Istanbul, not Constantinople…

Sunday, July 20th, 2008

Brel in Istanbul

Welcome to the crazy and wonderful city of Istanbul. It’s been a long road to get here – nearly 4,000 km in fact.

Istanbul is famous for many things, not the least of which is the great nightlife. Of course, it wouldn’t be Turkey unless there were some great ancient sites: the Blue Mosque, Aya Sofya and of course, the Grand Bazaar.

Unfortunately we had to cut our Istanbul trip short, deciding to get surgery in Athens rather than here, so we didn’t get to experience nearly as much of it as we wanted.

But fear not Istanbul… Brel will be back.

Blue MosqueInside the Blue Mosque

Aya SofyaBackpacking fun in Istanbul…ironically, the last time I would carry/ my own pack for a very, very long time…Cute pic of Mel…no reason to post other than it’s cute

Random Turkish Sites Part 2

Friday, July 18th, 2008

Ephesus toilets…

Troy

The lost city of Troy was discovered in the late 1800’s, along with nine successive civilizations, one on top of the other, dating back 5,000 years. Classics student Brendan enjoyed walking through the site and debating whether Homer’s Iliad was fact or fiction. Mel remembered her first heart-break, healed to Sinead O’Connor’s song, Troy. “There is no other Troy, for you to burn …”

Ephesus

By far the most impressive of the many (many, many) ancient sites we saw in Turkey was Ephesus. Remarkably well-preserved, Ephesus was an important trading port, and was visited by the likes of Alexander the Great, St. John and quite possibly, the Virgin Mary. How cool is that?

Pergamon

Another impressive Turkish site is Pergamon, one of the ancient world’s major powers. You’ll note Mel is absent from the group shot- claiming to be all “ruined out”.

EphesusEphesus

TroyPergamon

Where’s mel?Pergamon

Random Turkish Delights – Part 2

Tuesday, July 15th, 2008
“Please buy my carpets….” As we continue our journey through Turkey, we're becoming more familiar with the culture, people and maybe even a little bit of the history. (Ugur, our tour guide: if you are reading this, ... [Continue reading this entry]

Rumi and the Whirling Dervishes

Friday, July 4th, 2008
Whirling dervishes Come, come, whoever you are. Wanderer, idolator, worshipper of fire Come even though you have broken your vows a thousand times. Come, and come yet again. Ours is not a caravan of despair. -Mevlana Rumi We had the opportunity to ... [Continue reading this entry]

Kas – on the Lycian Coast

Thursday, July 3rd, 2008
Kas While it may not be as well known as Greece for it's coastal towns and islands, the Turquoise Coast is gorgeous. We spent some time in Kas, a beautiful town set amidst cliffs on the Mediterranean. ... [Continue reading this entry]

Random Turkish Sites – Part 1

Wednesday, July 2nd, 2008
Mel and some ruins… We have seen some fabulous sites in Turkey. Some highlights:
  • The underground city of Derinkuyu, an extensive city that housed upwards of 10,000 inhabitants, thousands of years ago.
  • Chimaera, home of the eternal flame. For ... [Continue reading this entry]

Random Turkish Delights – Part 1

Tuesday, July 1st, 2008
Mezes As we continue our 4,000 km, 14 day road trip, we have fallen in love with Turkey. Food: The food here is delicious. Our options (thankfully) are more varied than meat-on-a-stick (though shish is available everywhere). And ... [Continue reading this entry]

Ballooning in Cappadocia

Thursday, June 26th, 2008
Brel in Cappadocia It's almost impossible to describe the landscape in Cappadocia. Formed millions of years ago by 3 volcanoes, years of erosion, water, oxidation and wind have combined to create incredible, magical formations referred to ... [Continue reading this entry]

Bathing in a Hammam – Surprisingly only an RF 4

Wednesday, June 25th, 2008
Hammam Of course we had to partake in one of the oldest rituals in Turkey, the Turkish ... [Continue reading this entry]

Lessons Learned in our First 3 Hours in Turkey

Monday, June 23rd, 2008
  1. Being a blond western woman is an invitation to stare. Like 4 people at the same time,for a minute or longer, without any attempt to hide who and what they are staring at.
  2. Like other Muslim countries, the less skin shown, ... [Continue reading this entry]