Blog home, that is. The good folks at blogsabout.com did my extreme make-over. I can’t say enough good things about Lisa and Co. Very service oriented and understanding, which is especially important for someone as clueless as myself. Check them out (there is a link in my sidebar). Anyway, I am going to try their patience no doubt as I muddle my way through, but that is the best part about leaving blogger. Real live human beings who will hold your hand when you get lost in the wilderness.

Thanks again, Lisa.

To the troops. Happy Holidays! (click title)

My daughter Renee just emailed to report that she is going to have a girl! Her due date is May 4th. This is our first grandchild and we are so very excited. Congratulations Renee and Mark…..this is going to be so much fun.

After just experiencing the wonderful side of Instanbul, LGF has some disturbing news about the dark side….

Here’s hoping the Turks rise up in defense of their cherished secular society…
(click title to this post to view link)

My son Kevin proposed to his sweet girlfriend Lynn and she accepted. Smart girl! They are both blessed to have found one another. Much happiness and love to you both.

Carol and I spent last week in Istanbul. It was really an incredible city and we had a wonderful time. The history was almost overwhelming. The people were genuinely warm and friendly. Since our Turkish language skills consisted of a few mispronounced words, we were grateful that almost everyone we met spoke English. The food was different, but delicious. We lived like millionaires (the exchange rate was $1.00 for 1.4 Million Turkish Lira). Of course, one night our dinner (including wine and dessert) cost us just over 100 million TL. We did all right though. Great shopping. Took a couple of tours, and walked around on our own a lot (only got lost once, but we found a cab and after Carol corrected my pronunciation we successfully got a ride back to familiar turf.

Not many Americans there, but we met a couple. The shopkeepers say that Americans stopped coming after 9/11 which is really a shame. The city has much to offer and we enthusiastically recommend it to anyone who wants to see some really unique places. Just soaking up the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman cultural influences is worth the trip. It was definitely the most unique place in the world I have had the pleasure to experience.

We encountered lots of Spanish tourists, some Italians. The locals mistook us for German until they heard us speak. One night we were at a club and the MC sang “New York, New York”, which was kinda funny with the Turkish accent and all. Then he asked people in the audience what country they were from. He would then sing a popular national song, and the folks from that country would sing along. We were the only Americans, and the song he sang was “This land is your land”. It was kind of embarrassing because after the first few lines, Carol and I could not remember the lyrics. So we faked it. Carol heartily joined in with the Spanish song, but I’m not sure she had the right lyrics, unless “aye yi yi yi, I am the Frito bandito” is really their song….

Anyway, the photos follow this post…..

Ok, this is my personal favorite photo. We went to a restaurant that featured traditional Turkish folk dancing, and yes, that included belly dancers. And that’s all I think I’m gonna tell…… 

These “apartments” on the upper floor of the harem were reserved for the Sultan’s favorites. Except for being virtually prisoners and sex slaves, I guess the job had some perks…. 

The entrance to the “forbidden city”, aka the harem.  

I found this tree worthy of a photo. From the grounds of the Topkapi Palace. 

The Sultan-eye view of Instanbul from Topkapi Palace….. 

There was so much to see and so little time….but I have to say for a real glimpse of the lifestyle of the Sultan’s of the Ottoman Empire, the Topkapi Palace was the most interesting and impressive…. 

Looking across the Bosphorus to Asia. Instanbul in the only city that spans two continents…… 

A Turkish toilet. Fortunately, this is the only one of this type I encountered. I’m not sure I trust my sense of balance well enough to attempt putting it to use…. 

The Rumeli Fortress, built by Mehmet the Conqueror in only four months on the Bosphorus….. 

A shop in the Egyptian Spice Market….Carol bought saffron, pine nuts, and apple tea…. 

Our hotel, the St. Sophia. Not exactly the Ritz, but as Hemingway might say it was a clean well-lighted place. And the location was perfect. In the heart of the old city, right next door to the Hagia Sophia….. 

And the shopping experience was quite unique. Carol with a shopkeeper named Erol at the Arasta Bazaar, which is much more laid back than the Grand Bazaar. Our experience was that you didn’t just make a purchase, you had tea and a chat as part of the transaction… 

On the “Golden Horn” of the Bosphorus… 

A mural inside the St. Sophia….