Monday, May 17, 2010

A visual taste of Istanbul...

Well, it has been a while since I blogged and I keep hearing it from friends- local and abroad! Here is a little taste of my trip to Turkey during April holiday. Istanbul is full of life, friendship, and magic and Turkey itself is rich in history and lovely carpets!

Photo 1-The Sultan Ahmed Mosque otherwise know to most tourists as the Blue Mosque for it's blue tiles along the inside walls. This is one of the most beautiful buildings- inside and out! It is mesmerizing to stand in the court yard, look up and see the Mosque tower over you...

Photo 2- MMM... Lamb Kepbab- I can still taste this in my dreams sometimes- maybe because we ate generous amounts of this dish or maybe because it was so wonderful! Regardless, the Turkish dishes we enjoyed were a highlight of the journey.

Photo 3 & 4- I traveled to Turkey with 3 friends from school. Lynne, Anne, and Alison. We were quite the foursome! In these photos, we were on the ferry traveling to the Asian side of turkey. Istanbul is divided by the Bosphorus River which also connects the Black sea to the Sea of Marmara.

Photo 5 & 6 - After a four day stay in Istanbul Anne, Lynne and myself rented a car and drove for 4 days around the coast of the Marmara Sea. We started out along the Gallipoli Peninsula (otherwise known to Turks as Gelibolu). We drove to Anzac Cove where many of the British, New Zealand, and Aussie troops landed regarding the Gallipoli Campaign during World War 1. We stopped at a cemetary where many of the fallen troops were buried! There was this one cherry blossom tree that stood out among the white-washed gravestones... the cemetary was well kept with fresh flowers and cut grass. The whole experience was very moving- especially for my two Welsh and Scottish friends! We walked in silence for a bit reading the gravestones and then we drove further to visit the tip of the peninsula where the above photo is taken. It was incredibly beautiful- standing on the cliff looking out at the surrounding water! along the drive, we found a few private coves to park and sit by the water and get some sun... By Saturday we had driven around the Coast of the Marmara and landed back in Istanbul...

The last photos are of the many varieties of tulips. Istanbul itself is a well kept, beautiful city but throw in the cities spring tulip arrangements and you have a stunning atmosphere full of color and life! Upon our arrival back to Istanbul we ended up stranded for another 4 days due to the volcanic eruptions and many flight cancellations. We were only four out of 33 teachers stranded somewhere throughout Europe and the East Coast of the U.S... after the stress of re-booking our flight, finding a hotel for another 3 nights, and emailing sub-plans into work-- we had another mini vacation! All the touristy stuff we couldn't fit into our first round in Istanbul- well, we did that! The weather was pleasantly warm and sunny so of course Lynne and I found ourselves on the roof of our hotel basking for a few hours a day...

Istanbul is marvelous and I fully intend to visit this magical city once a year for the food, to buy more pillows and eventually a carpet! My Lonely Planet Turkey guide will see more days of use for sure...

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