And home again...

Knowing how to tackle weird schedules and be flexible are essential when traveling.  And so it was we nearly finished packing our bags and then, with travel clothes at the ready, climbed into bed around 9 pm, setting our alarms for 11:45.  We were to have our bags outside the door at midnight, and we’d all leave for the new Istanbul airport at 12:30 for our 4:15 am departure.  Who knows if we actually slept those few hours, but at least we rested in preparation for the homeward leg of our adventure.

Given the hour, our van driver was able to navigate the streets and highways to the airport in a mere 35 minutes.  Istanbul sparkled as we drove along—the mosques particularly lovely and peaceful. City workers sprayed the streets with water and tidied up—this is by far the most spotless country I’ve been to.

Then suddenly it appeared—this new airport, soon to be the largest in the world when completed.   Like glittering diamonds set in a black velvet sky, the main terminal burst into view.  We climbed out, grabbed our luggage, and thus began our trek home.

Artist’s rendering of completed Istanbul airport. So far the mosque (in the middle) and the top building are complete

Imagine Terminal 1 at the MSP airport—at this point one long row of airline check-in areas.  And now envision our group entering into an echoing expanse of 14 double rows.  We needed to find the P17-22 area, and set off for a good 5 minute walk.

We were heartened to wait only 10 minutes or so until the check-in team arrived to begin helping us.  As you know, airports are pretty vigilant about security, so when, “Emergency, Emergency: Evacuate the building immediately!” blared over the intercom, we were more than a little unnerved.  Again the urgent message came, asking us to avoid elevators, but to evacuate immediately. 

So...our brains tried to make sense of the situation.  May Day attack?  Another coup? Bring our luggage?  I selfishly thought, well, I’m about 10th in line and want to keep my spot!  I decided to evaluate the reaction of the employees, and though some were looking around curiously, the check-in team continued its business as if nothing were amiss. Hence...stayed in line, ignored the evacuation order, and after 15 minutes, the “all clear” was announced. Got our heart rate up a bit.

Love how this handy backpack sleeve fits over my carry-on handle

From there on, we sat in an area near our enclosed gate that opened about 30 minutes before departure, and eventually climbed aboard for Paris.

Three hours and we landed in dreary weather.  We were surprised to be passport controlled as we deplaned, and the seven of us on this flight parted to various transfer gates to the states after hugs and good-byes. 

Jane, Sally, and I were to find 2E for our flight to Minneapolis.  With that in mind, we took off—only to find that 2E was a terminal, not a gate.  After nearly losing Jane, we found our gate, enjoyed some coffee and an obligatory croissant, and relaxed until boarding around 10 am Paris time.

Coffee and a croissant in Paris

I’d booked a bulkhead seat and was able to set my carry-on in front of me, fully stretch my legs, and enjoy the 8 ½ hour flight.  Drinks?  First just tomato juice, but then couldn’t resist some Chardonnay— had two in fact during the flight!

My little comfy area on our 777 to MSP

Nothing exciting in the movie selection, so I read, relaxed and landed on time in Minneapolis.  Passport control was a breeze for Jane and me with Global Entry, and after finding our bags, we emerged from the international gate to find my sweetheart Kirk waiting for us.  So nice to see a familiar face!

Now I sit on the porch back in southern Minnesota.  Pelicans swim in the bay before the house, joggers and cyclists enjoy the morning spring air, and I am again reminded why spring is my favorite time of year—renewal, another chance.

Why I enjoyed this trip so was the opportunity to explore and learn.  The privilege of such travel does not escape me, and I’m grateful for having found such a cohesive, companionable group.  I knew that whoever traveled with Ann Marie would be interesting, unique, and fun.  I was not disappointed.  Miss the gang and Turkey already.  My heart is full.

Missing Turkey and this group with all my heart

Final day—cooking class

​Our fellow Turkish traveler Tom is eager to discover every aspect of the Turkish culture, and he found a cooking school that was a brief walk from our hotel. So four of us decided to try it out on this, our last day in Turkey.

Following breakfast and after partially packing (we’re leaving at midnight for the airport), we strolled past the Blue Mosque, eventually finding our way to Cooking Alaturka. We’d chosen to cook a noon meal, and from 10:30 to 2:30, enjoyed not only making dishes, but then eating them and drinking wine as well.

We were met by the hosts, chef Rocco and his wife Leyla. A couple from Boston joined the four of us and after tea, Chef Nazli welcomed us into her kitchen. Our menu this day consisted of Yayla corbasi (meadow soup), Zeytinyagh tanze fasulye (green runner beans with onion, garlic and tomato), Karniyarik (eggplant stuffed with meat), Kabak mueveri (zucchini patties with herbs and cheese), and for dessert—Incir tathsi (walnut-stuffed figs in syrup).

Fun owners of Cooking Alaturk, Rocco and Leyla

So...we got busy. Nazli showed us how to remove the flesh around the end of the eggplant to expose a woody stem. We then cut an opening in the eggplant and after slathering it with olive oil, baked it.

The eggplant stem—used for holding it and moving it from pan to pan

Prepping the eggplant dish

We prepared the meat mixture to put in the eggplant, cut up beans, began the soup, learned how to use a crazy looking knife to mince onions and a flat heavy mallet to crush black pepper. The chef explained the technique and we then helped with the preparation. Lots of kidding and merriment, and a congenial pace.

Crushing peppercorns with a mallet

Prep work

Four types of bulgur—we used the one on the lower left

A few of the dishes are Ottoman favorites and the spices are some we had gotten at the spice bazaar—like pul biber, the shaved red pepper.

Check out this knife for mincing onions....!

The green runner bean dish

Jane and clowning Leyla mincing lamb and beef for the eggplant dish

Following our “hard work” in the kitchen, we enjoyed the meal and wine. A lovely way to end our tour of Turkey.

Stuffed eggplant with a side of bulgur

Our cooking class and chefs

Wandering around Istanbul

​It’s amazing how much more fun and vibrant this city is than it was 2 weeks ago. Most of that might have to do with the beautiful warm weather now, and it is closer to the tourist season.

Nuts and figs

Ann Marie took some of us on a relaxing walking tour of the bazaar she knows so well and that she wrote a book about. We saw unique things—like an overview of the bazaar from above, special hans and unique shops. The bazaar goes on for acres and specific merchandise is sold within a certain area. For instance, on one street we found only phone cases, like 50 shops with phone cases. Then one street had paper products, another fabrics, then scarves, etc. Amazing. The streets were narrow—no cars, so guys had to haul the merchandise with 2-wheelers, and I felt so sorry for them going up very steep streets!

These poor guys hauled merchandise up to shops

I was looking for some unique spices. Some of the best salad dressing is pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, olive oil and sumac. I’d found some pomegranate molasses in Sirince, so...had to find sumac. And along with that I got cumin, curry and shaved pepper—pul biber (not too spicey). One hundred grams of each cost me less than $3 total. Fabulous.

The spice wholesaler’s shop

Olives!  The red ones in the middle were fabulous! 

This is our second to the last day. So...last minute sightseeing and shopping for some. Since the weather is so perfect, it’s an absolutely marvelous way to end our stay. We lounged in the hotel’s rooftop garden with bottles of wine and munchies (becoming quite a regular thing for us)!

Love the staggered windows on the right

Roasting chestnuts

Love the tiles around this public fountain

Grilling lamb intestines—about 1/4 inch of “gut” wound around a skewer and roasted over charcoal.  These are just beginning their roasting.  Maybe would have tasted some, had it been ready (or maybe not...) 

They really know how to put a salad together—first course at lunch

This gal showed us how to maneuver the double-knot technique

Day 13–Antalya back to Istanbul

We’ve been trying to figure out the best schedule for a tour—how to balance the sights with lunches and free time and relaxation and...everything that makes a fun trip a great trip.  We’ve all decided we’re not into crowds, so visiting sights as early in the morning as one could would be the best.  Then a late lunch (2-3 pm) and then a light meal at night.  After lunch would be time to roam on one’s own or read a book or get a massage!  Anyway, too much sightseeing makes for scrambling my brain and I need down time to process and enjoy the experience more.

The airport had a spot where we could pose with Ataturk

In the 1980s, Antalya had 100,000 inhabitants.  Today it’s a bustling 1.5 million

Our flight back to Istanbul was pretty uneventful.  My only frustration is that I’d mistakenly slipped my travel corkscrew into my makeup bag and they grabbed it at security.  “Forbidden,” the guy said after tossing through my backpack.  Aw shucks.  I’d really liked that one. 

A significant wait at the Istanbul airport before our driver arrived.  He got us to within about 3 blocks of our hotel when the traffic simply stopped.  We didn’t move at all.  So several of us decided to hop out and walk to the Kybele—the same hotel we’d stayed in at the beginning of the trip.  When the van finally arrived, we quickly unpacked our best “dress up” clothes and set off for one of the best restaurants in the world (ranked 32 out of 50 in 2018), the Mikla.  Our logistics guru Tom had made reservations for us and we enjoyed a fabulous meal while overlooking the Istanbul skyline. 

Overlooking the Golden Horn

But before we zoomed to the rooftop terrace, we hurried across the street to step into another world—that of the Pera Palace Hotel.  This was old-world elegance.  It was here that passengers departing the Orient Express were carried by 4 men in a sedan chair (a litter) to the Pera Palace Hotel. Agatha Christie wrote Murder on the Orient Express here.  Ernest Hemingway, and Ataturk himself stayed here.  Lovely.  Fun to see the birdcage elevator (no longer in operation) and sense another time, another era. Delightful.

Waiter!  A double gin-tonic please! 

The Pera Palace Hotel’s bar/lounge

Sedan chair or “litter” used to carry passengers from the Orient Express to the Pera Palace Hotel

The bird-cage elevator

Our rooftop view at the Mikla was breathtaking.  We chose a three-course meal and had several choices in each of the courses.  Many sighs of satisfaction as we tasted the exquisite flavors and sipped excellent wine.

Hummus on black seeded crackers with radishes and..not sure, but it was crispy and good! 

The sun set as we ate.  Another magical evening with this group in a wonderful, enchanting country.

Sunset over the Golden Horn

Our gang minus our dear Jini.  Overlooking the Marmara Sea

The Pera Palace Hotel

Day 12. Discovering Termessos and Antalya’s Old City

After a better night’s sleep and breakfast, we drove the 30 km or so to Termessos—an ancient city on a mountain top. This area is well known and is located within a national park, but nothing has yet been excavated.  Our guide Yunus is an archeologist and was so excited to share this site with us.  It’s his favorite site in Antalya.

Hard to imagine such a large community on the top of this mountain

Termessos lies about 1000m above sea level. In 334, Alexander the Great surrounded the place but decided not to attempt to conquer these people—good idea, given the height of the town and all.

Steep!  Learned not to step on the “shiny” stones—these were slippery from former hikers

Built to create a terrace on top.  Used for storage

And this was the easy part... 

The trek up the trail was easy at first—then rocky, and then nearly impossible.  We climbed over stones, broken columns, and Yunus pointed out the three baths, the theater, the former main street and shop area, etc.  The city covered a vast expanse and those living here collected taxes from anyone wanting to access the pass from the sea northward. The day turned warm and we lounged a bit at the theater site, enjoying the view.

The theater

Ruins everywhere.  Nothing here has been touched—no excavations

Offerings given to the gods here

Descending was arduous as well—and we soon learned that the shine on some rocks was caused by those who had stepped there before us—and they were slippery.  So...we learned to avoid them.

Once down, Yunus couldn’t help himself—he insisted on showing us the military burial area.  So we walked through more ruins and some sarcophagi did have wonderful carvings to commemorate those who at one time had been buried within.

Sarcophagus—Lion on the left with man on the right pulling (?) it

As we drove back into the city, we noticed the green areas were filled with people—the Turks love being out and on Sunday, the parks were stuffed to the max with cars, families, picnickers, kids, strollers.  And the city itself was packed as well on this gorgeous Sunday. Back in Antalya proper, we lunched overlooking the harbor.  Tour boats slid in and out of the harbor and even a few sailboats were out.

Hadrian’s Gate

Evidence of the Romans under the gate

Charming old city

Yunus took us around the old city and pointed out the various “eras” one could identify within the walls, etc.  The harbor is definitely the highlight of the old city and on the weekends, the old city was very lively (as we found out Friday night!) Yes, the hotel took on an entirely different vibe as the nightlife and entertainment wound down.

Honoring Ataturk  

With the crazy bars quiet and the hotel more peaceful, our gang took over one of the terraces to enjoy the wine we’d bought and didn’t want to carry to Istanbul with us.  We’re leaving tomorrow to go back to Istanbul for a few days.

Our gang is such a fun, eclectic group.  Each brings a delightful addition to the mix and it’s wonderful to share this trip with them.

Antalya harbor

Day 11. Along the coast to Church of St. Nicholas, Myra, and the Mediterranean

Wow, what a day!  Didn’t sleep worth a hoot last night—as this is a hopping area and those of us who wanted to sleep were outnumbered by those in the street and in bars in the area who were partying until dawn (or so it seemed).  Yet I was the only grumpy one at breakfast, so I figured I’d better shape up.

We all drove along the Mediterranean coast 2 hours to the Church of St. Nicholas, the saint of sailors, passengers, children, and those in need.  This church was reconstructed by Tzar Nicholas I and many Russians come here to see St. Nicholas’ grave.  However, his bones have been taken to Italy, though his sarcophagus remains in the church.  Before the bones were taken, people poured olive oil through the sarcophagus, over his bones, and when it came out, sold it as blessed olive oil (!).

St.Nicholas Church—Jesus with John the Baptist on his left, Mary on his right

St. Nicholas—people touch his foot to be blessed

See the anchor?  St Nicholas was the saint of sailors

The church is lovely, and outside it, we saw a man selling simits—pretzel-like bread with sesame seeds.  He carried these on his head to sell.  Very fun.

This guy is carrying similes on his head—pretzel-like, but with sesame seeds, not salt.  Yum! 

Then on to amazing Myra.  We pulled up to a scene that reminded me of Petra.  These were burial rock graves from the 5th-4th century BC.  The façades imitated the houses of those who were buried here.  Sadly grave robbers—ancient ones—used the weakest area of the tomb (the sliding limestone door) to enter and remove items.  Not one cave has yet been found intact.

Myra—Ancient burial site.  The façade is sculpted to resemble the deceased’s house

The area also featured a theater where one can see the Greek theater with Roman arches, etc. on top.  Plays were performed and gladiators battled here as well.

Theater at Myra.  The white in the background is greenhouses that blanket the horizon.  So much is grown here.  The Mediterranean diet! 

Masks and cornice that had adorned the top of the theater

Then off to the coast.  We stepped onto a boat that took us out to a cove where we were invited to swim.  I knew it would be freezing, but since I wasn’t going to be coming to the Mediterranean again any time soon, I had to hop in and experience the salty clear water.  We had a lovely meal with sea bream and salads prepared by the captain.  Fabulous.

A lunch cruise out into the Mediterranean  

Grilling sea bream for lunch

Salad, bulgar, fish...and a beer, of course!

An invigorating swim! 

Swam to the beach—also historical site

We then cruised the blue green water to the remains of a sunken city, and enjoyed the warm sunshine and blue skies.  So relaxing and inspiring.

A sunken city

Part of the sunken city

Notice the steps

Once back at the hotel, Jane and I decided to find a quiet place for a glass of wine and a bite to eat.  We walked around the old city of Antalya and found this Saturday night to be noisy and filled with too many people.  But one bar drew us in, as a singer’s wonderful voice captured us.  We had three (!) 50 cl. beers and bowls of popcorn as we conversed with people from Norway and friends of the singers.  Very fun dinner!

Now to bed.  Hoping this night is quieter—I remembered the noise-canceling earphones I had along that my sweet Sarah had given me.  Fantastic!

Day 10–Traveling to Antalya

​Today was a travel day—we were flying to Antalya on the Mediterranean, but needed to fly from Kayseri back to Istanbul and then change planes to Antalya. So after another great breakfast, we loaded into our van and drove the hour or so to the Kayseri airport. I’d shifted all my heavy stuff (ie. makeup etc.) to my carry-on, hoping not to surpass the 15 kilo limit, and when my bag weighed in, it was 15.45 kilos—no need to pay extra!

A great breakfast (omelette was on its way) in Göreme  

As we drove to the airport, I loved the chatter and realized our little group had grown quite cohesive.  We all get along and enjoy one another. On some trips I’ve taken, we’ve not been so lucky.  I guess friends of Ann Marie simply beget great congenial people!  Way to go!  At one point while driving on a four-lane road, our driver braked rather suddenly.  The reason?  A herd of sheep with two shepherds, a dog and a donkey were crossing to the other side.  This is the part I love about traveling.  New sights and cultures fill me with fresh awareness of the world.

Our flight from Istanbul to Antalya was as quick and easy as the first flight of the day.  Our new guide Yunus, an eager 40-ish dude, helped us into our new van and he and our driver took us for lunch overlooking the Mediterranean.  It was sprinkling a bit, so we ate indoors, but again, fabulous food. 

Just across the road from the restaurant was the Antalya Museum.  It holds`a fabulous collection of work excavated from the area, and I loved how it was laid out—one traveled from 600,000 BC through the periods and could see the change in tools, pottery, art, etc.  Interesting how the ancients buried their dead. Eventually we came to a series of pieces found in Perge, not far from Antalya.  Amazing sculptures of the gods/goddesses; we hadn’t really seen anything but buildings up to this point.

I got a kick out of a few of the sarcophagi—people had to choose the designs for their burial sarcophagi ahead of time, naturally, so the sculptors could complete them.  Often couples and families shared these, and so the sculptor would carve the face of the husband and the wife on the cover and then decorate base with the couple’s chosen motives.  One sarcophagus had the woman’s face sculpted, but the man’s was left undone.  The inscription was the wife’s saying she’d had it with the guy and this was HER sarcophagus.  Consequently her husband’s face was left unfinished.

The wife claimed the sarcophagus as hers and her husband’s face remained unfinished.  You go, girl! 

This couple led a wild and crazy life!

Another held the face of the husband and wife and the motives below showed a rather debaucherous party going on. Life had been good! And still another sarcophagus was done for a dog. His owner had been to sad when his “Stephanos” died that he wanted to bury him as if he were a human. Hence the small sarcophagus.

The sarcophagus of the dog Stephanos

We entered the old city of Antalya and found our hotel. Looks like a place that perhaps isn’t a quiet and peaceful as I’d like. Have to see.

This is the only statue of this ruler, Caracalla.  He was so awful, that all statues and references to him were destroyed after he was assassinated. 

Day9–Balloon ride, underground city, a hike, and a Turkish bath!

 ​So we found out at the last minute someone had canceled and spots were available on the morning balloon ride. How could I not go? Yes, it was a bit pricey for an hour, but hey, the opportunity would probably not arise ever again.

Early morning view of Göreme

So we were up at 4 am preparing for a 4:50 departure. The balloons fly early because the wind is more stable and the sunrise is stunning.

Some balloons being inflated

After being bussed to our balloon company’s central office, we were treated to fruit and coffee. We then were divided into groups of 20, which is the number our basket could hold; eventually we were loaded into another van and whisked to the top of a hill where our balloon awaited us.

A crew of 4-6 guys and the pilot were the balloon team. Our pilot, Murat, spoke wonderful English, and he gave us instructions, He had two rules: Stay in basket until he told us we could get out, and when we were about to land, we were all to face one direction, grab the rope holds, and bend our knees.

Sunrise

He also shared with us that about the area had 25 balloon companies and that each morning about 150 balloons take off and land. The average balloon ride is 60-90 minutes. To become a pilot, one has class for 3 months and then has to complete many hours of practical instruction before being fully licensed.

Murat lifted us off and we ascended up to 4500 feet. Now and then we’d descend to investigate a valley and rise again. As the sun moved over the hill, the balloons’ colors became more vivid. And luckily it wasn’t too cold. I had gloves and headgear with me, but was pleasantly surprised not to need them.

The sun really illuminated the balloons

We landed in an area where our balloon team awaited us—they’d been in contact with Murat via radio, so we had a chase car meet us pulling a trailer. We all assumed our “landing position” and touched down gently. Three of the ground crew held us down and guided us onto the top of the trailer. Then began the toughest part of the entire ride—getting out of the basket.

A bit of champagne with the pilot

Five of ten from our group decided to balloon

Tara!

But we all managed to spill out and as the ground crew deflated and eventually folded the balloon, others set up a nice bit of champagne which I mixed with cherry juice. Very fun and exhilarating.

A brief ride back to town got us back to the hotel before 8. Since we were meeting the rest of our group at 8:45, I had a bit of time for breakfast and cleaning up.

So the group left for the underground city—that’s exactly what it was—a town of 3.000 people who lived in carved out rooms below the earth to hide from persecuting Romans. Imagine one of those ant farms—this is exactly what the place was like. Amazing.

Part of the underground city

This guy is selling potato chips he does on skewers

On to the Ihlara Valley (or canyon). This is close to the snow covered volcano. It’s a lush, deep canyon carved out of basalt with a rushing river running through it. 10,000 people lived in the 9 mile long valley. They built Christian churches here—again to avoid the Romans. We saw several churches and enjoyed the bird calls and sound of the rushing water. We hiked for 90 minutes, had a great lunch along side the river and bussed to a particularly eerie looking conical area where Star Wars (the first movie) was filmed.

The basalt of the Ihlara valley

The rushing water in the Ihlara Valley

The only known picture of Jesus sitting cross legged is in this cave church in the Ihlara Valley

Along the hike we saw interesting areas for refreshments

One can bring refreshments into this lounging area

The area where some of the original Star Wars was filmed

Four other gals and I had booked a “Turkish bath” experience at the local hamam. I really didn’t know what to expect, but for $30, I thought, why not? The sexes were divided and so the women went downstairs where we were given a locker. We disrobed and put on the slippers and wrapped ourselves in towels. Then we waited in a carpeted salon until a lovely older woman applied a clay face mask to each of us. Then into the sauna. The woman set the timer and said that after 15 minutes, we were to proceed to the shower and wash off the mask.

The Hamam—Turkish bath

So we sat and sat and sat in the sauna—and since it was quite dark in there, we didn’t realize the “timer” was actually an hour-glass contraption that simply emptied. We’d all been waiting for a beeper or something, so obviously we over-saunaed.

After washing off the face mask, we were brought into a room with a large heated octagonal marble slab. We each lay on top of our towel and were drenched with warm water. Then the scrubbing began. We’d been warned that the scrub could be quite harsh, but this was simply a exfoliation scrub and it felt good. Then came the massage—front and back. My masseuse found the knots in my back and really worked on them. Felt great.

Then came the bubble/soap rub. Each of us was covered with mountains of foamy lather. Still lying on the marble slab, our masseuses rubbed in the soap from head to toe and ended it all by drenching us with water. Then off to the pool. It happened to be cool, and actually felt cold after the sauna and massage. And then? We covered with towels and relaxed on a lounger with tea. So lovely. The women used to do this often, and I can see it would’ve probably been a great meeting spot for them.

The Turkish bath!

After this super fun. We had a bite to eat before trekking back to the hotel and finishing the evening with wine around the garden table. Love this group. Love this trip.

Day 8–Cappadocia—and the fairy houses

We’d arrived in Goreme at 9:30 last night, so had no opportunity to see all the area had to offer.  Formerly a rather sleepy picturesque place, it’s become a prized tourist destination, especially with Asians.  I mean...they’re everywhere. (And they take the weirdest “selfies” imaginable!).  Anyway, I awoke to the whooshing of hot air balloons and was delighted with the antics of the hundreds we saw across the sky.  We’d wanted to book a balloon ride, but none were available.  Dang!

My morning sight

The breakfast at the hotel is over the top (freshly squeezed orange juice!!!) and we took off to see a “cave” house up close. Know our hotel rooms are inside conical shapes (caves within cones) formed by erosion. The place is magical, and it’s nearly impossible to believe this place really exists.

Fresh honey

Breakfast

Rooms of our hotel run through many caves

A hotel terrace

The cave home we visited is on a UNESCO site.  In 1980 the area became a preserved site and those living in the cave houses had to move. Our host did in fact move, but is renting the house back from the government to allow tourists to visit it.  His family had owned the cave home for over 400 years and we found it charming and so very peaceful. 

 “Fairy” houses in Cappadocia

Our host’s family had lived in this cave house for 400 years

The courtyard.  Many rooms surround this

Jane enjoying the view

The ten of us and new guide Mehmet

Many of the “fairy houses” were used to house pigeons, who were kept primarily for their droppings the farmers used to fertilize the soil.

Where the pigeons lived

Enroute to an open-air museum, we stopped for coffee/tea at a lovely restaurant, We then bussed to an open-air area where we toured several cave churches. When the Roman invaded, they forbade Christianity, so followers moved into the caves and worshipped there. Frescoes and paintings from years ago are still visible.

Volcano in the distance covered in snow

Reminds me of the Badlands

The yellow you see on the bottom right is area rich in sulfur

Lunch was spectacular.  We dined in a restaurant known for “traditional” food and we weren’t disappointed.  Sitting on the top floor of an ancient building, we enjoyed a stew made in crockery, as well as 10 or so traditional dishes.  Oh my.

Our lunch table all set for us

One of the many delicious traditional foods at lunch

Then off to...where else? A winery! Turkish wine has improved in leaps and bounds and we loved some we tasted. Our winery had earlier stored its juice in vats carved out of the caves. In 1990 they were forced to change to stainless for sanitary reasons.

Cave “vats” on either side stored the grapes.  In 1990 they changed to stainless vats

We bussed back to the hotel, gathered in the garden for a few bottles of wine,  Received word there were sudden cancellations on a balloon ride for tomorrow morning—so I’ll be up at 4.  WOOHOO!

Day 7–Sirince to Cappadocia

Our last day in Selçuk and after another great breakfast, we packed and had our bags out the door by 11 am.  We were leaving for the Izmir airport at 3:30, so had a few hours to enjoy the town itself before flying to Kayseri.

On the way to a ceramic studio, we stopped in to see the merchandise of a local shop owner and he invited us to coffee.  This Turkish coffee was sweetened, and I didn’t care for it as much as the unsweetened.  He showed us how to take the sludge left in the bottom of the tiny cup and see “signs” of our future: after setting the saucer on top of the cup, we then flipped it so the upsidedown cup was on top and then removed it, turned it right side up and “read” the pictures the sludge created.  Fortune teller-like!

Shopkeeper making us coffee

Flip the cup over and the grounds will tell your fortune!

Our 20 minute walk to the studio took us under fragrant orange trees and a sign indicating a hotel for teachers.  Ann told us teachers aren’t paid very well, but are highly prized.  The government has special hotels for them at discounted prices.  Not bad!

Hotel for teachers only. (Highly discounted!) 

On to the ceramic studio:  This 7th generation studio is known for the quartz added to the clay, giving it strength and durability.  We had a wonderful demonstration of throwing a pot and then an explanation of how the work is fired, painted, glazed, etc.  Several artists were at work on the intricate designs—monumental work.  In the gallery in the basement, they showed up how the final glazing includes a substance that allows the ceramic piece to glow for some time after the lights are extinguished.

Master painter at work

In honor of Ataturk.  (And in opposition to the current government)

Back to the hotel to meet up for lunch.  It was national children’s day and schools were out.  Several groups of adorned children paraded around the city center—with one having a band and families and balloons following behind.  Fun!  Turks cherish their children.  It’s customary to comment and fuss over a baby.  The children are valued, as was evident when the announcements on the airplane began with “Ladies and gentlemen and dear children…”

Children’s Day parade of kids, parents

Lunch was a Döner kabab—I chose lamb and the meat was cut off a rotating skewered shank of lamb and served with tomatoes, onion, lettuce and red cabbage.  We folded all into a tortilla-like bread and ate it.  Delightful.  I guess it’s the popular grab and dash meal for people.

Cutting the lamb for our kabobs

Döner kabab—lamb and all the fixings.  Delicious! 

Sweet street pup greeted us at lunch.  Many feral cats roam as well

We had 45 minutes until the bus left, so stopped in to a few shops and were delighted with the jolly nature of the store-keeps.  This is a very friendly group and I wonder why my earlier opinion had been rather negative.  Perhaps living in Germany in the 70s and experiencing the “guest workers” from Turkey who smoked so much and congregated in the train stations?  But I’m so happy to experience the generosity and genuine good nature of the Turkish people.

Fun shopping area in Selçuk  

The Izmir airport took us through 2 check points, and after the second, we approached the ticket counter, set out bags on the scale and...were allowed only 15 kilo/person.  This was a complete surprise to us and my bag weighted 18 kilos, so I had to pay 30 lira ($5).  My agent was sort of a jerk and had me trek across the airport to a cashier to pay before I could return to him and receive my boarding pass.  Others could pay for their luggage right at the ticket counter.  Oh well!

Thankfully we eyed a small bar just outside our gate so Jane and I decided on...what else?—a gin/tonic.  The waitress was unaware what “tonic” was, but her colleague filled her in.  The waitress held up one finger and said, “one?”  Jane and I indicated “no, two,” thinking she was asking if we wanted one or two gin/tonics. Well, as it worked out, she meant a single or double shot of gin,so we each ended up with a double gin/tonic and laughed when we got our bill, realizing we’d just spend about $12 each on the drink.

The flight to Kayseri was on Pegasus airlines.  I’d never heard of them.  Nothing to eat/drink except for payment.  Trip was only 90 min, so no big deal, but very budget!  We met our new guide and driver after grabbing our bags and loaded into our new van.  An hour later we were in the Cappadocia region.  Quite that place!  Wait until I can get photos and post them tomorrow!

Jane looking out our room window at Hotel Bella

Day 6–village of Sirince

Another glorious cloud-free sky!  And after cool, rainy Istanbul, we all love it.  Yesterday’s ruins gave way to today’s relaxing (though treacherous) old Greek village, Sirince.  This area is known for growing fruits of all kinds—kiwi to quince, apples to apricots, cherries to...you get the idea. 

Fruit trees everywhere

Sirince—the town is built on a hill with very steep stone walkways

After a relaxing breakfast, we again met our wonderful guide Rabia (think “Robbia) and after a 15 minute ride up the mountain, we seemed to drop back a century or so.  Lovely people, lovely countryside, and the most unusual and charming hotel I’ve ever seen—the Nisanyan Hotel.  They have cottages or rooms in cottages on the hillside one can rent out.  Fabulous.  Just google it and you’ll see how precious and unique it is.  Interesting story about the owner of the place: he built an illegal tower to protest the government (yes, the government still in power) and was thrown in jail.  He then escaped from jail and now lives on a Greek island now far away!  I wonder if we Americans shouldn’t start building towers…

Wisteria in bloom

Kitchen in one of the cottages at Nisanyan Hotel

Imagine staying here...

The hotel’s Turkish bath

A bit of elderberry juice at the Nisanyan

Hiking trails surround the town, but the town, which relies on tourism, would be tough for a mountain goat to navigate. 

This guy was trekking up as we were going down

We very, VERY carefully found our way up and down the mountainside to enjoy the town.  The shops featured local delicacies as well as the usual touristy trinkets.  But we enjoyed seeing Turkish coffee being made by swirling the containers of coffee in heated sand and filling the tiny cups—and enjoyed gozleme (I had mine filled with spinach and cheese—feta). 

The copper containers on the left are filled with coffee. The containers are swirled in the sand and eventually the server fills the tiny cups

The area is known for its fruit wine, but I prefer the dry reds.  I purchased the driest red I could fine (we tasted several), and we’ll see how this $8/bottle wine is! One of the shops was owned by the precision metal worker who did all the armor and jewelry for Brad Pitt and the cast in the movie Troy. 

Display in the shop of the Troy jewelry

The final stop in the village was the old Greek Orthodox Church under renovation.  It’s beautiful painted woodwork was inspiring and the outlook from the place was serene. 

Old painted woodwork in the Greek Orthodox Church in Sirince

Enjoying the Sirince sunshine from the church

The first day our towels were elephants, yesterday we had swans, and today—snakes!

OK, so the evening doesn’t end with our arriving back at the hotel.  We’ve been invited by Nazmi to a hotel he owns (not just manages like the Hotel Bella) for meses.  We bring wine and a few snacks; he provides lovely appetizers and shows us his newly renovated hotel.  Gorgeous. Lovely tiles, hand-carved headboard and nightstands, new bathrooms.  The place (Hotel Na...) is amazing (OK, I’ll get the real name later).   Fun time with stories and histories of our group.  Sooo, so happy to be here and experience this!

Later:  the wine turned out not to be so bad!  The 10 or us downed nearly 8 bottles of wine and two bottles of Raki, the Turkish liquor one mixes with water.  We were able to see Nazmi’s hotel, now open after years of renovation, and love it.  Mezes on the patio with a lovely fountain running.  So fun to laugh, inquire, question, enjoy.  What a group!

Our host Nazmi with his beloved Raki

Nazmi and Jane at his new hotel (he manages Hotel Bella where we’re staying)

The patio of Nazmi’s hotel

Day 5–House of Mary, Ephesus, and the Church of St. John

​Awoke to a brilliant blue skies this Easter morning. How appropriate our itinerary included Virgin Mary’s House, Ephesus, and the Church of St. John. After a great breakfast in our favorite top floor lounge, we bussed to the House of the Virgin Mary. Jesus had asked John (the evangelist) to take care of his mother Mary, and he brought her to Ephesus to spend her last days. The setting was peaceful and it was easy to see why John chose this particular place for Mary to live. She passed away there and August 15, her ascension day, is well remembered.

Rooftop Breakfast

House where Virgin Mary lived after Jesus’ death until she died

Leaving prayers at Mary’s house

Drinking holy water at Mary’s house

Mary’s view of the Aegean and the hills beyond

Our new guide Rabia helped us find fresh wild asparagus. Delicious!

We drove a few kilometers to the ruins of Ephesus and spent several hours wandering around the 4 BC area where John preached to the Ephesians.  Under the Romans, Ephesus became the major port of the Aegean. But as the port dried up, the city continued to be important to Christianity. 

Most iconic of all the ruins is probably the Library of Celsus. The Temple of Hadrian, Gate of Hercules and the theater were also impressive. The private terraced homes, recently excavated, revealed a life rich in “modern” conveniences (indoor plumbing), wonderful mosaic floors and wall decorations.

Ephesus

We navigated the marble streets and were delighted we’d gotten to Ephesus before noon, for tons of visitors descended upon us just as we were leaving. But during the entire tour, I was humbled by those who’d come before, by those who had forged ahead and created such an exquisite city.

Check out this cute mosaic duck

Library of Celsus

Ancient backgammon board

Notice the “recycled” cornice used in the wall. Often columns and other materials are moved and reused

Ancient potties

Ephesus

This floor mosaic is from a private home and was not damaged at all by the disastrous earthquake in 200 AD

The commercial agora where Paul preached

The Goddess Nike. Notice the swoosh below her right hand on the left

These terrace houses had Great Wall art. The roof of one house was the ceiling of the next. Top floor? The penthouse.

After a fun lunch, we drove back to the hotel, which just happens to be across the street from the Church of St. John, where John the evangelist was buried. Followers felt they were blessed (healed) by the “dust” emitted from John’s tomb, but his bones were eventually moved to Rome.

Where John was buried before his bones were taken to the Vatican

Where the dust of the bones of John was said to rise and heal people

After a wonderful presentation by our hotel host Nazmi trying to sell us his oriental rugs, he hosted a great meze/wine bash on the top floor lounge. There we toasted our host, enjoyed our fellow travelers’ tales, laughed and bonded. So fun.

After serving us tea, Nazmi touted his many rugs. And yes, he made a few sales!

Ending our day with Nazmi’s wine and a grand buffet of appetizers

Day 4–Istanbul to Izmir (then Selçuk)

Travel day.  We showered, packed, had breakfast and were on our mini-bus to the airport in plenty of time for our 11 am flight to Izmir.  This new Istanbul airport IS lovely, though it took us a good 45 minutes to drive to it from Istanbul proper.

Passenger planes began landing at this new airport earlier in the month

I wondered why we were flying to Izmir rather than driving—the flight is only 45 minutes long, but those who’d been to Izmir before said getting there by land takes nearly 9 hours—ferry and bus and all.  So a quick 45 minute flight it was, though we taxied half an hour on those big new runways before taking off.

New gates—all so clean and quiet

Izmir is southeast of Istanbul on the Aegean coast and in ancient times was called “Smyrna.” It was founded by the Greeks, taken over by the Romans and rebuilt by Alexander the Great. It then became part of the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century and is now Turkey’s third largest city.

The Aegean

Sunshine! 

We landed, grabbed our bags, and met our new tour guide.  Under her direction, we took off for our hotel in Selçuk, which lies about 30 minutes south of Izmir.  Selçuk is home to several ruins, one of which is Ephesus, which we’ll visit tomorrow. Ruins of the Church of St. John are across the street from the hotel, as are ruins of Ayuasulug Castle.

We enjoyed a sandwich in Selçuk proper, (think Subway—Turkey style) and I was introduced to Ayran, something I noticed many drank on the plane.  It seems to be a yogurt-like drink (watered down of course) with a bit of salt added.  I decided it wasn’t for me,  Then we walked to our hotel, which was uphill and a bit challenging.  Room assignments were given out, and again with no elevator, we trekked up the winding marble steps.  Our room was tiny and Jane and I spent quite some time deciding how to make it “work” for us—moved furniture here and there, etc.

This is how Ayran is made

Our hotel’s top floor lounge

Then we had the rest of the day to ourselves.  Most enjoyed the top floor lounge and we were delighted to see a stork family with a nest just across the street.  Resting, blogging, and reading (well, and a beer or two, too!)

Our resident stork in Selçuk

Turkey, Day 3 in Istanbul

​As I write now listening to the call to prayer, I realize I’ve become quite accustomed to this 5 times a day. Those singing the call to prayer have amazing voices, at least those here in my area of Istanbul.

I dragged myself out of bed after struggling with a dog barking nearly all night long. Ear plugs and my phone’s white noise next to my ear eventually drowned out most of the yapping, but how frustrating to be awakened time and again by this dang dog’s bark!

Our itinerary featured the Topkapi Palace, a cruise up the Bosphorus, and the spice market. So we set out at 9 in drippy cold weather. I was again sooo pleased to have brought my down jacket—a last minute addition to my bag. It was downright cold, and the wet pavement (cobblestone and marble in some places) made our trek a bit daunting. Our 20 minute walk brought us to the palace. We wanted to get there early to avoid school groups and others arriving a bit later.

Topkapı Palace was not only the residence of the Ottoman sultans, but also the administrative and educational center of the state. Initially constructed between 1460 and 1478 by Sultan Mehmed II, the conqueror of Constantinople, it was expanded and altered many times, The palace served as the home of the Ottoman sultans and their court until the middle of the 19th century. The tiles were magnificent and the kitchens that had at one time kept 1000 busy each day featured large marble baking surfaces. We learned that buildings were first constructed in wood, but that they burned down often. Some wooden structures remain, but it looked to me like most were stucco.

The center ball held incense

The sultans would watch the full moon over the Bosphorus here

Ceremonial circumcision room

After a lunch on a bridge spanning the Bosphorus, we all hopped on a ferry for an interesting cruise. It was interesting to me how different the European side was from the Asian side. Somehow the Asian side seemed to feature more vacation homes/cottages than on the European. But many had been sold or were undergoing renovation.

Lunch featured this dish where fish is cooked in salt, then lit

After carefully opening the crusted salt, the fish is removed, plated and served!

Along the Bosphorus

These antique boats are really “cafes” overlooking the water

Once back on shore, we decided to visit the “spice bazaar” which was not far away. Our leader recommended a dealer whom she trusted and his stall at the market was a busy and delightful place.

Teas

Growing weary, we took the tram back to the hotel, drank wine with group members on the terrace, and then finished with a divine meal. Tomorrow—off to Ephesus!

Istanbul—Turkey, Day 2

Our hotel is so perfectly located—a block from Hagia Sophia, 5 blocks from the Blue Mosque, 2 minutes from the Basilica Cistern,and a relaxing 10 minute walk to the Grand Bazaar.  Hotel Kybele is a darling place—but not for those who aren’t into steps and “snug” surrounds.  I happen to love it, and as I mentioned, location is everything.

First things first—the water was nice and hot for morning showers and the breakfast of eggs, bread, olives, tomatoes/cucumbers, juice, fruit and coffee/tea was tasty.  We switched our itinerary a bit to “inside” tours, as the weather was cool and showers were possible.

Lineup at breakfast

Kitties everywhere. This one on the Hippodrome was snuggly sweet

Hippodrome. Women weren’t allowed to attend the races there!

The hippodrome was first on the list (no horses and chariots this time) and then on to the Sultanahmet Mosque, known fondly as the Blue Mosque. It was the first mosque to have 6 minarets and was built at the request of (who else?) Sultan Ahmed. After 7.5 years, the mosque opened in 1616. Removing shoes was required for everyone, and women covered their heads with scarves. I’d never been in such a huge place where the floors were covered with carpet, but Muslim prayers are performed on the floor, so it makes sense to be a bit more comfortable with carpet. The mosque itself is not blue, but rather blue is the dominant color of the interior. Lovely.

Blue Mosque

Blue Mosque interior

Women pray behind the shelving for shoe storage at the Blue Mosque

Putting shoes back on as we leave the Blue Mosque

Naturally a group needs potty stops, and I was delighted to find our first one featured modern “squat” potties. These are really the most hygienic toilets, but you’ve got to squat and be VERY careful to aim at the drain. Then you simply turn on the water connected to a hose and clean the area with spray. Tada!

So much easier for guys to use these “squat” potties

Tulips originated in Turkey

Hagia Sophia was just across the park sprinkled with gardens of tulips.  Tulips actually originated in Turkey and the Dutch transported bulbs back to Holland where the growing season and soil were perfect for them.  At least that’s the story…. The Byzantine Emperor Constantius commissioned the construction of the first Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom) in 360 AD. This wooden structure burned to the ground in 404 AD and a new Hagia Sophia was completed in 415, but it too burned.  Finally a third Hagia Sophia was finished in 537 and is now a museum, but formerly it was a Greek Orthodox church filled with delicate mosaics, a few which remain visible today.  Loved hearing that some pillars like a few in Hagia Sophia were often “recycled” from other buildings.

This is painted decor in Hagia Sophia

Inside Hagia Sophia

Mosaic of the Virgin Mary inside Hagia Sophia

One of the few mosaics left to see in Hagia Sophia

After a lunch filled with appetizers, main dish, dessert and my first Turkish coffee (hold the sugar, please), we ventured down into the Basilica Cistern that had once provided water for the city.  Now under renovation, the water was all but gone, though renovators unearthed Medusa heads at the base of two columns.

My first sip of Turkish coffee

Former underground cistern

Then on to the Grand Bazaar. Ann Marie has written an entire book about this 4000-stall bazaar. The place is huge (61 covered streets), making it a perfect destination, given the forecast of rain. It’s one of the world’s largest and oldest (1455) bazaars. Entering through Gate One, our guide showed us the network of walkways and I decided it would be extremely easy to become disoriented. I was surprised at the number of gem shops, but of course candy, leather, scarf, and gold/silver jewelry shops were everywhere as well.

Door One of the Bazaar’s 37 entrances

A view of the Grand Bazaar

After a happy hour drinks in the hotel’s lobby, we ventured out to another shopping area and were pleasantly surprised to be invited to dinner by one of Ann’s friends who just happens to own a rug shop. Gorgeous carpets and kilims!. We had a light dinner and watched a Whirling Derby performance. Our knees are tired, but we put in over 14,000 steps today. A good workout!

Turkish beer. This one is a bit like Stella

The relaxing lobby at the Kybele. Notice the hanging lamps.

Popular game here!

Whirling Dervish

Hmmm...carpet or Kilim?

Minneapolis to Istanbul

After our obligatory double G/T at MSP, Jane and I found our way to our Delta flight and I basked in the bulkhead-seat legroom.  We connected with “tour director” Ann Marie and enjoyed the smoothest 8 hour transatlantic flight I can remember.  My first choice in movies was The Favorite, but after a disappointing 30 minutes, decided to watch Can You Ever Forgive Me instead.  Better choice.

Gin and tonic time

Morning sunrise

After transferring in Amsterdam, the flight to Istanbul took us over the Alps and the skies cleared, giving us a great view of the majesty of those peaks. Then over the water—Black Sea? Mediterranean?—and suddenly Istanbul appeared. From horizon to horizon all I could see was an expanse of buildings—many of them tall apartments. I was astounded by the size of the metropolis—nearly 18 million live here in this gateway to Asia. Amazing.

The snow-covered Alps

Istanbul from horizon to horizon.  15-18 million live here

Check out he apartment towers

We landed at the “new” airport, which became operational April 5 of this year.  Though we’d heard horror stories about the lack of completion (no moving walkways, etc.), we found and got through passport control with no issues.  Baggage however took nearly an hour to arrive, though somehow my bag popped onto the belt after a mere 15 minutes or so.  Rumor has it this massive new airport will not be completed for a few years. It’s touted to be the largest terminal under one roof when finished.

After hitting the duty free shop for wine, we found our Istanbul tour guide, met a few others who’d flown in from other parts of the globe, and finally our group of 10 piled into a van for a rush-hour trek into Istanbul proper. 

Traffic is crazy worldwide during rush hour. Many smaller vans joined ours on the freeway.  One reason for this may be that all businesses with more than 50 employees are required to provide transportation to/from work for their workers.  The pick-up point must be within walking distance to the employee’s’ home, and businesses must also provide a noon meal for employees as well. Interesting!

An odd visual for me was vendors standing in the middle of a clogged freeway selling everything from flowers to bread. Granted, cars were traveling at a snail’s pace, but still—to set up a table with wares in the middle of 4-5 lanes of traffic seemed pretty bizarre! Drivers simply slowed down, rolled down a window, and did business.  Hmmm!

Bad photo, but the guy on the left wanders through traffic, his goods balanced on his head.  He sells to drivers as they creep by in rush hour traffic

We found our cute hotel and after sipping some of our red wine, decided to stay in the hotel for dinner.  My spinach pita was delicious!  Now it’s time to plop myself into bed, though I’m afraid the iced Americano I had at the airport around 5 pm may keep me up.  Uffdah.

Delicious spinach pita

Glorious spring in MN!

I awoke to pelicans floating and loons calling from the bay in front of the house.  Mere puffs of wind replace the snow/rain/gusts of last week.  Snow?  Even the piles are all but gone.  Were I not taking off for Turkey, I’d be cutting back the grasses, filling in the mulch and chatting with my perennials.  But other adventures await.  Hope you’ll join my friend Jane and me (the Jane “squared” duo) as we navigate Mpls-Amsterdam-Istanbul today.  Off to MSP in less than an hour.  After check-in, we’ll enjoy our usual gin/tonic.  Make that a double!   

We're off to Turkey!

Please hop onboard and join me in Turkey! My friend Ann is leading a group and I’m excited to explore a country with an interesting culture and so much history.