Tremendous Turkey

The Spice Market in Istanbul

Please forgive me.  We are 8 days behind in our blog.  I am posting our blog from Turkey as we sit at the airport in Amman, awaiting our flight to Bangkok.  

Let me start by sending our prayers out to the Turkish families who lost their loved ones in the 7.2 Earthquake in the Southwestern area of Turkey.  We were not affected but the devastation is severe. 

The Golden Horn by Istanbul

We have simply loved our travels in Turkey.  From the Cappadocia region in central Turkey, we flew to Izmir and traveled to Selcuk, a lovely small town that reminded me a lot of Kailua, Hawaii.  Selcuk served as an ideal location for day trips to Western Turkey’s plentiful Hittite, Hellenistic, and Roman ruins. 

Cappadocia

We visited Milletus, a town where Socrates was born and raised.  Many other famous philosophers and intellectuals came from Milletus which was known for its superb education.  St. Paul also visited this town on his third missionary journey.  Milletus was an island in Roman times but the land has since been silted in.  Didyma was an important sacred site in the ancient Greek world with the Temple of Apollo and the oracle.  Priene was another holy city in Greek times and home to the Temple of Athena. 

Another place we traveled to while on the Western coast was Pamukkale, the location of the ancient Roman city, Hierapolis.  Aside from some well-preserved ruins including a Roman theatre and burial grounds, Hierapolis is built atop white travertine rocks with thermal hot spring pools. 

Pamukkale

Pamukkale

Ephesus

Pergamon and Ephesus host the largest and best-preserved ancient archeological sites in the area.  Pergamom was founded on the top of a hill 300 meters high.  It was inhabited as early as 2000 BC through the 14^th century AD; it’s location accounts for its highly defensible position and longevity as a city.  In Greek times, Pergamon was favored by the Goddess Athena, while Ephesus was protected by the Goddess Artemis.   Both have temples to their respective protectors.  Ephesus is also world famous for its awe-inspiring library, and meticulously restored terrace houses.  Ephesus is the largest archeological site in Turkey and is amazingly well preserved.  Mark and I truly enjoyed walking through this living museum. 

We also spent some time in Troy.  We had a fabulous guide who explained how the city had been rebuilt again and again in the same spot.  So by the 12^th stage, today’s Troy is close to 100 meters taller than Troy I which is dated to 2000 BC.  Simply amazing!

Our last stop in Western Turkey was Galipoli, scene of the WW1 battle between the Australian, New Zealanders, Brits and Turkey.  Once again our guide made history come alive and we grieved with the soldiers on both sides of the battle who fought so valiantly for so little. 

After our travels around Turkey, we returned to Istanbul and our adopted Turkish family:  Sadik, Sami, Oz, Mi, Zeke, Ossana.  Our room at the Ermine Sultan Hotel was simply divine—Ossana, you and your Mom have done a fabulous job decorating your beautiful boutique hotel.   Thank you Sadik for sharing your family with us. 

Mark, Sadik, Sami

The more I travel the more I realize our similarities as people.  I credit Zeke for an insightful observation.  In trying to explain how people are just people, he offers the following exercise.  Close your eyes.  Take the hand of another individual.  Without looking, can you discern that person’s color, race, nationality, political persuasion or religious beliefs?  No, only that they are another human being.  It does make you stop and wonder why there is so much distrust, and fear among people.  Indeed we are far more alike than we are different. 

At St. John's Bascilica in Selchuk

Cheerio from England

England was a blast.  After all, how can you lose when you are staying with friends who are happy to see you?

We arrived at Luton Airport (North of London) late on Friday evening.  We rented a car and drove about 1½ hours to our friends’ home in Blundston at the tip of the Cotswolds.  Mark did a superb job navigating the roundabouts and the motorways all on the opposite side of the road.

James has known Mark since their early days in the Corps.  His wife, Sarah, is British and James is a Tex-Brit.  Courtney, 16 and Jeremy, 15 have grown up a lot since our last visit two years ago.  Tegan, the newest member of the family is a beautiful four-footed mix-breed girl.   Mark was in his element.  He and James biked both mornings through the beautiful countryside and villages while we were there.  Sarah took me to a fabric sale—what beautiful pieces she purchased. She has taken to making lavender sachets, three of which she gave me for our packs.  She knows my passion for lavender!  Thanks, Sarah!

On Saturday, while the men were biking Sarah and I picked up her daughter in Cirencester, a lovely town in the Cotswolds.   The warm sunshine made this beautiful, quaint Cotswold village absolutely divine.   That evening James treated us to a delicious BBQ after which we went to the local pub. 

 A view of Pound Farm in the distance

Sunday, with Sarah and James in tow, we headed to Pound Farm to visit my friend Louise James and John Jenkinson.  Louise proudly showed us the farm that John’s family has owned since the mid-17^th century.  It is beautiful land not far from Bath and Bristol.  The renovations they have made to the farm along with all the work necessary to keep the farm operational are impressive.  We toured the house, the farm and the church in which many of John’s ancestors are buried.  Most of all, it was great to reconnect with Louise, a dear friend from our days in Hawaii.  We hope our paths cross more frequently in the coming years.

Sarah, James, Louise and John

From the Cotswolds, we headed South and East to Eastbourne to spend a few days with our English/Mercer Island friends, Linda, Andrew and Alice Redfern.  I met Linda at my first event with the Mercer Island Women’s Club.  We became fast friends.   After a three-year stint in the States, they returned to England and settled in Eastbourne, a little over two years ago.  Since then, their daughter Alice has completed university, received her certification to teach English as a Second Language and will head to South America on 1 November for six months.  Linda is now pursuing her English as a Second Language certification while Andrew is adjusting to retirement.  We enjoyed exploring Eastbourne, Pevensey, and Lewes.  We enjoyed Eastbourne’s historic boardwalk.  In Pevensey we saw the place where William the Conqueror landed in 1066, a fort nearby that had been occupied by the Romans and later the English, and the Church of St. Nicholas built in 1216.  Lewes boasts one of the oldest English castles dating from the time of William the Conqueror, and the bar Thomas Paine frequented before he came to America.  There is so much history on this side of the big pond.  However, for me a most memorable event was the ladybug landing on Linda’s arm moments before she received a call from Alice who announced that she had passed her driver’s test.  Lucky ladybugs!

Mark, Linda, Andrew, Alice and Carol enjoying the pub

In order to avoid a hassle getting to the airport, we spent the last evening at a hotel near Heathrow.  The hotel was a disaster but we had a lovely evening catching up with Faith, PJ, Jordan and Jared Johnston.  We even had the pleasure of being there for Jordan’s 17^th birthday.  It is great to see their family reunited.  We wish them all well in their life together. 

Jordan, PJ, Faith and Jared Johnston

It’s on to Istanbul where Europe and Asia meet on the Bosphoros.  

Bountiful Budapest

View of Buda from Pest

When we last wrote we were on the train to Budapest.  We spent five days in this beautiful city that straddles the Danube.  While we were in Cesky Krumlov in September, we met three Hungarians.  One of them, Katalin, invited us to visit Budapest.  Moreover, Amy thorough enjoyed Budapest when she was there this summer. That, along with the promise of good weather, was enough to add it to our itinerary. 

Katalin is an official tour guide as is her friend and colleague Kata.  Together Kata and Katalin shared the history of Hungary with us and made sure that we were able to get the most out of our visit to Budapest.  Hungary traces its history to the decision to unite by 7 tribal leaders in 896 AD.  These tribes had come from the Ural Mountains.  This explains why Hungarian is not a Slavic language but actually shares its linguistic similarities with Finnish and Estonian.  Stephen was the first King and brought Christianity to Hungary around 1000 AD.  He later achieved sainthood.  Hungary has been conquered and occupied many times from the Ottoman to the Austrian empires, by the Germans and most recently by the Soviets.  Buda and Pest merged in the 1860s.  Many of Budapest’s beautiful buildings were constructed in the late 19^th and early 20^th century.  Indeed many of their buildings near Heroes Square were constructed for the 1000th year anniversary of Hungary’s birth in 1896.

Some of the Seven Tribes 

So what did we like: Andrassy Avenue with its beautiful old buildings; the statues of Hungary’s 7 tribal leaders and other national leaders at Heroes Square; the memorial to the 1956 Revolution against the Soviets; lovely City Park with the ice skating pavilion and buildings constructed for Hungary’s millennium celebration; Szechenyi Thermal Bath where we enjoyed the thermal baths, steam rooms and saunas with Logan and Claire, a couple from New Zealand; delicious Hungarian dinners particularly at Paprika and Bali;  the Market; riding the funicular to Buda at night; a visit to the Parliament that is modeled after Westminister Abbey but two meters longer; the Ethnological Museum that offers an excellent historical overview of the Hungarian culture; a hospital built in a cave under Buda; the old buildings and ruins in Buda; Matthias Church; Saint Stephen’s Bascilica; and an evening of jazz at small club in Buda.  Most of all we appreciated the opportunity to get to know our hosts, Katalin and Kata.

 Beautiful Buda street

Pretty Pest house

Did I forget to mention, the weather was perfect!

If you ever have a chance to visit Budapest, I highly recommend it!