Category Archives: General

It’s a Girl!

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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.

Photoblogging Istanbul

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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…..

This Medusa’s head is the base of one of 336 marble columns in the Yerebatan cistern, constructed by Constatine. It was a pretty ingenuous engineering fete and is a pretty amazing thing to see…to dark for decent pictures though…you just have to see it.
The view from our hotel window. Yep, the trams made some noise as they passed. But in the distance you can see two of the six minarets that grace the Blue Mosque. The call to prayer was broadcast from there at 6:00 am was definitely a unique wake-up call…
The Blue Mosque, constructed at the bidding of Sultan Ahmet I between 1609-1617.
The Hagia Sophia (St. Sophia) completed in 537 during Justinian’s reign. The minaret’s were added after Mehmet II conquered the city and in praise to Allah converted it to a mosque. Very impressive to view, and definitely the oldest structure I had ever set foot in. The history in those walls could almost be felt….
An example of one of the surviving mosaics inside St. Sophia. They were covered in plaster when the cathedral was converted to a mosque.
On the “Golden Horn” of the Bosphorus… 
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…
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…
A shop in the Egyptian Spice Market….Carol bought saffron, pine nuts, and apple tea….
The Rumeli Fortress, built by Mehmet the Conqueror in only four months on the Bosphorus…
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…
Looking across the Bosphorus to Asia. Instanbul in the only city that spans two continents…
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…
The Sultan-eye view of Instanbul from Topkapi Palace…
I found this tree worthy of a photo. From the grounds of the Topkapi Palace.
The entrance to the “forbidden city”, aka the harem.
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…
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…

At the Bazaar

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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… Posted by Hello

Hagia Sophia

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The Hagia Sophia (St. Sophia) completed in 537 during Justinian’s reign. The minaret’s were added after Mehmet II conquered the city and in praise to Allah converted it to a mosque. Very impressive to view, and definitely the oldest structure I had ever set foot in. The history in those walls could almost be felt….. Posted by Hello