September 30 From Afyon, a three hour bus ride to Pamukkale, where some went to bathe in the medicinal waters, and others went to view the ruins of Hierapolis. The waters were warm and soothing. One can see why the site was chosen by the Greeks: thermal baths, atop a mountain of brillant white calcium […]
Balloons, Konya and more
September 29 An early rise for the balloon ride. Great experience to see the landscape from that perspective, and to see the extent of settlement in the rocks. Larry, who ordinarily does not like heights, enjoyed himself thoroughly. Larry, intrepid Dore Stein Peppers drying Goreme Valley vineyards “Love Valley” Larry on terra firma Konya: a […]
Off to Cappadocia
Sept 26 Way early morning departure for the airport on the Asian side. A swift ride through the streets normally clogged with traffic, over the Bosphorus bridge, past the acres of new housing and modern buildings. A couple of hours in the airport, a short plane ride over dry and wrinkly terrain, and we arrived […]
Hagia Sophia, Ciya, Gitar Cafe
September 25 Tour of the Hagia Sophia, with a superb guide, Jihan (phonetic spelling used here). We are in a group that likes to ask questions, so a three and half hour tour stretched to around five. The inside of the building is awesome, and both architecturally innovative and inspirational in its time. Byzantine wonder. […]
Bosphorus Cruise
September 24 Bosporus Cruise: we all trooped down to the ferry at Eminonu, embarking for the hour and a half cruise up the Bosporus, almost to the Black Sea. The water is a beautiful deep bluegreen, turquoise when churned by a propeller. Our ferry was loaded up with tourists from all parts, eager to take […]
Istanbul day 2
September 23, 2012 Our second morning in Istanbul heralds another warm day. The sky is clear, with smog and haze on the horizon; a soft breeze stirs, lifting the heat. From the small rooftop of the Spina, the view is unrivaled. To the east, the Bosphorus sparkles, the large boats steaming by, the smaller ones […]
Flying and arriving in Istanbul
Sept 21-Frankfurt airport- Waiting for the flight to Istanbul, and–what time is it? Or, as they say in Turkish, saat kach? We had what they referred to as “a short night” on the plane: a few hours of darkness, during which we slept very little. Luftansa is a cushy ride, with cool bathrooms and a […]
Ants, anyone?
Last week, as I was trying to extract myself from a “donations” call, I noticed a lot of ant activity around the phone. Juice? Cookie? Cheese? Not an errant leftover, it turned out; the ants were busy going in and out of the phone itself! Naturally, as soon as the nest was disturbed, the activity […]