Back in the U.S.S.A

We've made it home after an amazing 10 weeks so this concludes our summer blog. Thanks for reading along and sharing in our travels!

After being away for a few months you begin to see your own home like an outsider might see it and this photo is an example of something so AMERICAN that we took in the Tidewater region of Virginia. It's such a typical scene when you're driving in the States, yet we were both gawking like tourists. We're back, we said!

Our Grand Paris Finale

soon to come...

Southern France with Southern Paces

soon to come...

A Nice time in Nice

soon to come...

St. Petersburg Family Reunion

soon to come

Russians and Air Travel

soon to come...

Last Days in Turkey

Gordon and I did end up going back to the Grand Bazaar and we found Huseyn amid all kinds of ceramics. He took us to a few lantern stores, but we decided to go back to a larger one that was not inside the Bazaar because they had a huge selection. We found a few that we liked and made an offer that was not accepted, left to go look around some more, and came back to ask for an even lower price. I think we did pretty well too because we got our price. It took us at least an hour in total to buy two lanterns, but we liked the man at the shop, whose name I can't remember anymore, but Gordon has his business card. He was alot of fun, kind of cooky - that's the picture that he took of himself with Gordon's camera. Once we had bought them, he wrapped our lanterns in newspaper and tape and then he threw one across the room to a suprised Gordon and kicked the other across the floor like a soccer ball (later, the security officer at Heathrow had a really hard time trying to make sure we didn't have any liquids inside of these packages). He assured us - these will not break.

The next morning Gordon went to an Archeology Museum that he had heard about from one of his professors and I went to spend the rest of our money on turkish delight. We went to Topkapi Palace and saw more beautiful tilework, gardens, and elaborate jewels. My favorite, and one of the busiest spots, was a case that held a footprint of the Prophet Muhammad and also his Qu'ran. We also took a tour of the Harem.

We're Back

Sorry for three weeks of no update. Being with family prevented us from spending too much time at the computer. We'll catch up on the rest of the trip in next week or so. Until then...

Lisa Tries to Go Solo in Turkey

ISTANBUL PHOTOS

Yesterday, (Day 3) we needed a break.

After we spent the morning in an internet cafe we had a relaxed kebab lunch at Doy Doy with rice pudding and rum babas for dessert. In the afternoon Gordon laid down to take a nap and I went shopping. Sunday, unfortunately for me, is the only day that the Grand Bazaar is closed and being a traveller I don't always know what day of the week it is, so I showed up to find a very deserted Bazaar. This is not a problem, however, because there are plenty of other things to catch your eye in Istanbul and I managed to have a pleasing afternoon nonetheless.

The first man that I met approached me in front of the Blue Mosque and asked me to go to his restaurant, this is not a new phenomenon as people are always asking us questions, guessing our nationality and inviting us to sit at their restaurants, but it is important to note that there are no restaurants in front of the Blue Mosque. I said hello and no thank you which has never failed us because everyone we meet in the street is trying to make a buck, yes, but they are pleasant and sometimes really funny. I'm sorry to say that this determined gentleman did not have any of the charm that is so common in his fellow Turks and followed me for two blocks continuously addressing me as "friend."

"Please friend, come to my restaurant tonight with me. Friend, why are you not talking to me?" I did take his business card that he was holding at arms length while he walked beside me dodging oncoming pedestrians and said no thank you again, but it didn't work and I was suddenly not feeling friendly anymore. My friend was starting to follow me again so I said, "Please, I don't want to go to your restaurant, stop following me!" He told me that he only wanted to practice his English, but I was not at all excited about this new friendship and tutoring prospect, so I told him in my best definitive voice to Leave Me Alone. I had to say it one more time before he really believed that I was serious and he finally let me continue walking solo.

I soon stepped in to a shop with a few other people to assure myself that the friend had moved on. The other shoppers soon departed and I was left alone with the male shop attendant who seemed overly attentive, but friendly. He asked me where I was from and then said that he had a sister in California (this is the most typical conversation starter here). He asked me who I was travelling with and I said, my boyfriend, and then he asked me why I was not with my boyfriend now and I explained that he was resting. Ready to leave, I asked him for a trash can to throw away the business card I had just received from my friend in the street. He happily took the card to throw it away for me and gave me his own business card in return so that I could come have a drink on the roof-top terrace of their building with him in the evening. I said, I don't think so, thanked him and left.

I ended up buying some earrings from a street vendor in front of a church who was reading a book and let me shop in peace. I spent some time on the internet and as I was heading back to meet Rip Van Winkle when I met a young Turk my age who started to walk beside me, "Hi?" "Where are you from?" "Oh, I have a sister in Palm Springs in Florida." I said I was going back to meet my boyfriend at the hotel so that we could go to dinner. "Why is your boyfriend at the hotel and you are here?" When I told him, he asked me what a "nap" is and then he jokingly invited himself to come along to dinner. So, I told him that he would have to ask Gordon. He introduced himself as Huseyn and said that we worked at the Grand Bazaar and on Sundays, his day off, he liked to walk around Istanbul and meet people and work on his English. He assured me that he didn't want to sell me anything and I could tell that he was normal and nice and honestly practicing his English. We sat in front of the Blue Mosque amongst crowds of families drinking tea and milling tourists and I asked him about Turkey and Islam and working at the Bazaar. I found out some good prices to ask for because Gordon and I were looking for a lantern. He asked me things about the U.S. and I taught him a new word: Volunteer: When you work but no one pays you. I talked to him about volunteering by the U.S.-Mexico border. He told me that there are alot of Turks in Germany who are working and sending money back to people in rural Turkey so that they can have an easier life. He bought me a cup of tea when a waitor walked by in a vest and a fez perched on top of his head. I wrote down the # of his cermamic stand in the Grand Bazaar because he said he would help Gordon and me with our shopping if we come early enough. I was hoping that he would be willing to teach us Backgammon, but he said he hates the game. When our tea was done I said goodbye and went back to the hostel.

Gordon came in not two minutes after I did and said that there was something going on in front of Hagia Sofia!! We watched a hilarious looking group of young actors in elaborate costumes with huge camels put on a production in the square that we didn't really understand. I was standing on my tip toes the whole time, but saw enough of it to enjoy the energy of the event. (Check out the photos.)

We found a roof-top terrace with a stunning view of Hagia Sofia where we had dinner. Gordon and I passed several and glanced at a few menus, but we were sold by the charm of one particular waitor, Pablo. In a tight pink dress shirt, Pablo greeted us with the normal questions to determine our nationality. Once he realized that Gordon NOT Italian or Spanish, but American, he said, "Come here my friend I have something very important to tell you!" When we moved closer waiting to hear what important news he might have for us, he suavely said, "We have the freshest fish," as he handed us an open menu. We took the bait hook line and sinker.

Overlooking the Hagia Sofia, we enjoyed a leisurely dinner and later we sat in front of the Blue Mosque admist happy families and travellers munching on roasted corn before we turned in for the night.


ISTANBUL PHOTOS

Poultry Paradise

ISTANBUL PHOTOS

Lisa and I are in the middle of our 4th day in Turkey. We came into Ataturk Airport Thursday night and arrived at the Bahaus Hostel at about 8:30. A heavy-set friendly man with chin-length curly locks was there to greet us and showed us to our room which has a charming little balcony overlooking the street below and the Marmara sea to the right. He then took us up to the rooftop terrace which has a bar that serves food and drinks and from where the sea and the tops and minarets of the Blue Mosque and the Hagia (or Aya) Sophia are visible. We dropped our stuff in our room and then headed back up to the balcony where our long day of travelling ended with raki on the roof. Raki is the traditional drink of Turkey. Until a couple of years ago the Turkish government held a monopoly on its production which shows its importance as a national symbol, but recently it has been privatized. It is an anise flavored liquor, which is crystal clear in its unmixed state. However, most people add 2-3 parts water to the drink which turns it cloudy white. I'm not a huge fan of licorice, but this drink was quite pleasant to sip, especially while basking in the culture that oozes from the Sultanamet district--the heart of Old Istanbul where we are staying.

Day 1 in Turkey was a day of relaxed sightseeing. We awoke at 8:00 for a small breakfast of tomatoes, olives, bread, cheese, and a boiled egg. We knew that we wanted to hit the major sites (Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, and Topkapi Palace) at some point in the week, but also knew that all 3 on the same day would be a bit tiring. So we decided to visit the Blue Mosque for the first day and the other two on following days. So we headed over towards the mosque, took a few poor self portraits in front of it and then got a much better photo when a kind couple stopped by and helped us in our distress. We fended off a few locals who offered to take us around the mosque (for a fee to be named later of course) and then washed our hands and faces before going inside. The Muslim faith and the culture that goes with it is one that focuses heavily on cleanliness. Washing the face, hands and feet are expected and appreciated by anyone who is going into a mosque for prayers. Being clean before God is very important. Most tourists skip this step, as they are entering the mosque not to pray, but just to observe the holy place on the inside. Lisa and I decided to wash up just a bit at the outdoor line of water taps that are present at every mosque that we've passed by so far. There must have been 20-25 taps for water, each one fitted with a marble seat in front of it for a more comfortable cleaning. It was already hot by 10:30am and so the water not only provided an opportunity for washing, but also for cooling off. We then headed around to the tourist entrance of the mosque where Lisa got out a scarf to cover her head and a shirt to cover her shoulder and upper arms. I was wearing pants, so my legs were already covered appropriately. We removed our shoes and placed them in a plastic bag which was available for the tourists and we entered barefoot and covered into the cool interior of the mosque.

We are used to churches in America that are filled with things--choir lofts, balconies, seats and pews, pulpits, wall decorations, etc. Walking into the cavernous space of the Blue Mosque, where there are none of these items is quite magical. To see this massive domed building with so few things on the inside really allows one to appreciate the grandeur of the building. The decorations were remarkable beautiful. The walls covered in tiles of varying shades of blue, so many tiles in fact, that there was a fear of running out of them at the time of the construction of the mosque in the 17th century. Besides the blue tiles, the other decorations were arabic writing prominently displayed around the mosque in beautiful gold lettering, soft colorful prayer rugs covering the entire floor space of the mosque and wooden raised platforms around the edges of the walls where some people were reciting their daily prayers. There was a special platform in the back left of the mosque that was reserved only for women. The vastness of the place still remains at the forefront of my thoughts of the Blue Mosque as well as the beautiful shades of blue that are highlighted by the sunlight streaming in through the stained-glass windows. It was a beautiful visit.

From the Blue Mosque, we decided to head over to the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art which housed an eclectic collection of pottery, prayer rugs, writing instruments, documents, and household items dating back a couple of thousand years. Current Muslim culture deems it inappropriate to have animal or human imagery in religious artwork and these items are prohibited in mosques and religious pictures/symbols today. However, back before these beliefs came to be predominant, there were instances where images of humans or animals mixed with Islamic art. It was quite interesting to see this melding of two things which today are opposed. The collection of prayers rugs was quite impressive as well, especially as you could see in most of the prayer rugs where the carpert had been worn bear where the knees, feet, head and hands had been touching them over many years. The museum was fascinating, but tiring and so after leaving it we headed to Doy Doy restaurant for a much needed break for lunch.

After dining on kebabs (which is a very general term, not just meat on skewers) we walked around for awhile, looking in particular for an undergroung cistern that is hundreds of years old. We eventually found it, but decided the entrance fee was a bit too high, so instead we walked down the sunbaked pavement to the Grand Bazaar. Now, I knew Lisa would find this place to be a little slice of heaven, but I didn't expect myself to be so entranced by it. It is supposedly the largest covered bazaar in the world with over 4000 shops along 60 streets and alleys. The structure, while about the size of a normal shopping mall in the U.S., was much more packed with stores, people and goods. Lanterns, ceramics, plates, earrings, shoes, leather, touristy stuff, knock-off shirts and clothing were all displayed in any place possible. The roof and walls were painted beautiful colors and the place glistened with gold paint that highlighted the hundreds of arches and columns that supported the roof. It seems as if the only thing that had changed over the last few hundred years were the people and the merchandise. Shopkeepers were constantly supplied with free tea courtesy of the Grand Bazaar, which is big enough to have its own health clinic and police force, the latter of which is also supposed to help make sure tourists get a fair price on their purchases. One of my apprehensions was that we would be pushed to hard by the shopkeepers trying to sells us their wares, but that wasn't the case and just a firm 'no thank you' was enough to let them know you weren't interested. Everyone was respectful and most people (shopkeepers, shoppers, and tourists) seemed to be enjoying themselves immensely.

We left the Grand Bazaar, tired and very, very hot, and winded our way back towards the hostel, stopping only at a 300 year old Turkish bath where a scene in Indian Jones was filmed. We will certainly be back there later in the week. We rested for a bit at the hostel then found a restaurant called Magnaura which was right around the corner from our hostel. We had a relaxing dinner at a street side table and then turned in for the night, sufficiently tired from our wandering first day.

Day 2 was as touristy as a day can get, besides going to a late afternoon movie to avoid the sweltering heat. Lisa has provided a good description of the days' activities, so you can read below to find out in more detail about our walk down the Champs Elysses of Istanbul (the Istiklal Caddesi), our movie visit, Turkish delights and our rooftop dinner and card game. Instead of doubling up on that information, I'll dwell a little bit right here on the Hagia (Aya)Sophia which I feel needs a bit more attention.

The Hagia Sophia was built under the direction of the Emperor Justinian in the years 532-537. At the time of its construction Constantinople was the capital of the Byzantine empire and the church remains a wonderful example of Byzantine architecture. Its stunning magnificence is only enhanced when one considers that much of the architectural devices used in the creation of the massive dome were unproven at the time of building. Equally impressive is the fact that for over 1000 years the Aya Sophia (whose name means Church of Holy Wisdom) was the largest enclosed structure in the world. The church remained a place for Christian worship until the year 1453 when it was consecrated as a mosque and minarets were added to its exterior. It continued to function this way until 1935 when Ataturk, the founder of modern day Turkey, pushed the government into making it a museum. The museum that stands today is an odd mix of Christianity and Islam. There are still 1400 year old mosaics which shimmer brilliantly in the morning sunlight. These mosaics exhibit images of the Virgin Mary, Jesus, and John the Baptist, as well as former emperors of the Byzantine empire and their families. My favorite mosaic is placed on an arched surface above an exit door. It displays a picture of Jesus, with Constantine (the first Christian emperor and founder of Constantinople) to the right handing a model of Constantinople to Jesus, and Justinian handing a model of the Hagia Sophia to Jesus on the left. Truly, for hundreds of years Christians thought that Justinian had been given plans directly from God in order to build this Byzantine masterpiece, and though this belief has fallen out of fashion, one definitely feels a sense of the holy when visiting the cathedral.

Just as interesting as the history of this glorious place is its present situation. Though it has been a museum for over 70 years, there has been no attempt to return it to its original form. The result is that Islamic and Christian imagery stand side-by-side seemingly making the building twice as holy. Huge circular structures of wood hang from the 4 corners of the church/mosque displaying arabic words in gold writing on green backgrounds. There is also a minbar (the set of stairs leading to a pupit where the imam recites prayers) that was added during the conversion as well as a special raised platform specifically for the Sultan and I guess whoever he wanted to be there with him. A qibla wall has been added (the wall that faces Mecca) as well as a mihrad, the niche in the qibla wall that points directly to Mecca. It is very strange to see the two faiths which are commonly opposed in today's society, in somewhat of a harmony under one roof. It is far from a perfect melding, the Christian mosaics have been mostly torn down and fallen off the walls, Christian murals have been painted over cheaply in a poor attempt to make a concrete wall look like marble, and the Islamic signs have gathered dust and faded. Yet the Hagia Sophia is a marvel in its perseverence over war, greed and time and remains today a marvel where one can spend hours wondering how many wonderful and terrible things have happened in this ancient building during the last 1400 years.

Day 3: Read Lisa's Blog Below

Day 4: This day is quite simple to explain. We ate breakfast, went to Asia for lunch, and are now typing on our blog at the internet cafe, which is the cheapest one yet charging only 2 dollars/hour!

Now for the details. Our breakfast was the same as it's been everyday. Olives, bread, and steaming hot boiled egg, a steaming hot cup of tea or instant coffee, tomatoes, a small slice of cheese. I have always despised olives. With all my taste buds I have lamented seeing any olive on my plate. I have always shuffled them away from me as quickly as possible. Usually my mom or dad would take them away from me, and since Lisa and I have been travelling she has always willingly consumed them for me. But I figured since breakfast isn't such a big meal, I might as well eat what's on my plate. So daily I have been forcing down the salty, squishy, pitted little things and daily they have been becoming more agreeable. I attribute this taste to mere acclimation. Eating olives with bites of other foods help too, especially bread and cheese. What I have found best about olives, is that their flavor is so strong and still so much to my distaste, that they make all other foods taste better. So, thank you olives, you help me enjoy all the other parts of my breakfast even more!!!

After breakfast Lisa and I walked in the suprisingly cool, cloudy air down to the ferry dock to board our ferry for the tourist-famous Bosphoros boat tour. This 1.5 hour each way ferry ride takes you 20km up the Bosphoros toward the Black Sea and ack again for a grand total of 5 US dollars (7.50 New Turkish Lira). It stops at about 5 ports on both the Asian and European side of the Bosphoros channel. Istanbul is the only city in the world to straddle two continents and its fun to think that this morning you can be on one continent and 5 minutes later be on another one. It's like thinking that you can be in Mississippi for breakfast and Alabama for lunch--but on a much grander scale.

The tour leaves from European Istanbul and heads into the northern portion of the 12 million member city. The second second stop is on the Asian side and then it heads back to Europe where it docks at places frequented by the rich and famous folks in Turkey. Million dollar homes and expensive hotels line the coastline as well as ancient fortresses and antique wooden houses. The continental criss-crossing happens a few more times before you end up in a little coastal village called Anadalou Kavagi on the Asian side. Lisa and I took an anti-clamactic off the boat and into Asia and then climed up a steep road and then a pathway to an old dilapidated fortress hanging on the slopes of a big hill. From the fort you could see the immense Black Sea to the north (which borders Turkey, Georgia, Russia, Bulgaria, Romania and Ukraine) and back down the Bosphoros toward Istanbul to the south. We wiped the dripping sweat from our brown and headed down to the shady town, where after dodging innumberable restaurant workers beckoning us to eat at their restaurant, we finally settled at a typical kebap shop, solely because they didn't ask us to come there. We ate our kebaps (chicken for Lisa and beef for Gordon) before getting back on the boat and heading back to Istanbul on the same route by which we came.

It was a wonderful journey, the majority of which was spent with the cool breeze in our faces and clouds giving us a reprieve from the burning sun. Our most memorable part of the trip was probably not the expanse of trees on either shore, or the million dollar homes, or the old homes and forts, but rather is the cute older couple from Madison, WI who we sat right next to on our outward journey. We never got their names, but he is a Greek philosopher teacher with a special emphasis on Plato at the University of Wisconsin and she's an artist. They have at least 3 children and they are a pleasure to talk with. He had given her a new digital camera for Christmas and neither she nor he knew how to work even the basics of it, incuding the flash. So Photography/Art Major Lisa saved the day and we were ever endeared to them afterwards. I'm not sure whether we'll see them again while we're here, but chances are good that if they're within our range of sight, we'll spot them in their long shirt/long pant Ex-Officio gear, with big hats and the American tourist trademark white tennis/running shoes. You can always tell an American for the white shoes, and if that's not enough, then look for white socks--always a dead giveaway (a little packing hint for the Corbins and Paces).

We left Asia behind as we stepped back on European soil and then headed over to our favorite internet place to type all these words you've just read. Now, carpal tunnel has begun to set in and I must take a break. Now that we're caught up with our blog, you can expect one of two things: either a daily short update so we don't fall behind, or procrastination for another 4 days. We'll see soon.

Well, its off to our favorite restaturant, our Paninoteca of Isatanbul--Doy Doy, for some kebab eating on the terrace.

Teshikkur ederim (thank you) for reading our blog and iyi geceler (good night).

ISTANBUL PHOTOS

Turkish Delight

ISTANBUL PHOTOS

Wow, that is tan bull, no?

Here we are in Turkey, where everyday is like Thanksgiving, except that it's a million degrees!

In Slovenia we bought a Turkey guidebook and soon decided that we will have to come back to Turkey in the future so that we can see the rest of the country. It is too full of wonders and too big to be able to experience it in one trip. So, we'll spend our seven days right here in Istanbul.

Immediately, the most striking thing about the city is the horizon line that is scattered with mosques near and far. As we rode in to the city from the airport and I caught a first glimpse of Islamic architecture, I was suprised at my own realization that, even though I majored in Religion in college, I have never travelled in a country where the main religion is not Christianity (or religion is inconsequential altogether). I kind of felt like, as my dad used to say, "Earth to Lisa!" Five times a day we hear the call to prayer, adhan, that rings out from loud speakers that are attached to the minarets. It is enchanting to hear the prayers called out in beautiful arabic.

On our first morning in Istanbul, we went to see the Blue Mosque only a stone's throw away from the Bauhaus Hostel where we're staying. Although it isn't required, I wanted to cover my head to enter the mosque and Gordon and I took off our shoes as we walked through the back entrance where a man was taking large pieces of blue cloth and draping them around tourists who were lacking the appropriate amount of clothing. The mosque is awe-inspiring with it's wide open space, high domed ceiling, elaborate arabic calligraphy, intricate tile work, and never-ending carpet with individual rectangles demarking individual prayer rugs. The absense of furniture makes it more expansive than any church or synagogue I have entered.

Here's a little tutorial on the different parts of the mosque that I learned initially from Professor Sachedina and have revisited lately:
the minbar, a staircase that leads up to a pulpit is to the right of...
the mihrab, a space in the wall kind of like a doorway which indicates...
the direction of prayer, or qibla, (always toward Mecca)

In general, Istanbul is a fairly secular city, so you will see women who are covered with only their eyes showing, or some with just a headscarf, but the majority of ladies here are not covered at all. When I do see women who are covered, I can't help but feel radically underdressed. Gordon and I try not to gawk, but just the other day we were sitting on a shady bench outside of the Grand Bazaar and, as Gordon stopped mid-sentence, I found that our eyes were following a group of 5 women dressed in black from head to toe as they passed with 5 men in tow. Gordon's thought was lost and gone forever and I had been listening, but these women capture my attention in such a way that in return, I feel I have to be very quiet until they pass.

After the Blue Mosque we went to the Museum of Islamic and Turkish Art where we saw 16th century scrolls entailing land agreements, a massive door to a mosque, various pieces of furniture inlaid with mother of pearl, lanterns, etc. My favorite part was a cooridor with several ancient prayer rugs hanging on display from the 13th-16th century. You can see the holes where the carpet was worn through by the owner, a muslim prostrated in prayer, who would touch their hands and their forehead to the floor in reverence to God five times daily.

From here, we lunched on a roof top terrace at Doy Doy restaurant. Mostly our choices here are shish OR kebab. My favorite is chicken skewers (tavuk shish) and Gordon, not suprisingly, is a more adventurous eater as long as it doesn't contain nuts. We hit the streets in the summer swelter for a tedious afternoon of wandering and wondering until we landed back at our hotel where, with the fan on high, we learned our second Italian card game, Briscola! Three hours later at 8:30 p.m., we emerged to find a cooler Istanbul.

The next morning we went to the Hagia Sofia (or Aya Sofya), a monstrous building with an interesting religious history. In the afternoon we walked down a road called Istiklal Caddesi to have lunch and scope out some movie theaters. We ended up watching "Stay" (or "Git me" in Turkish) in a movie theater where we were escorted to an open seat in a long narrow theater with only 4 other viewers. It was wonderful to be inside a dark air conditioned room in the heat of the afternoon and when we emerged from our cave it took us a few blinks to remember where on earth we were.

As we retraced our steps toward home we came across to amazing finds. One was the Tallest Tourist in Turkey, towering above a Turkish rush of busy Saturday shoppers (because Istiklal Caddessi is kind of like Madison Avenue) to take a photo. The other amazing find was a store selling Turkish Delight and you could watch them make it RIGHT THERE in the shop, not sold in pre-packaged boxes like some of the shops closer to our part of town (although they are also good). We bought two boxes, one was pistachio, because I've discovered that it is my favorite, and one was a mixed box for my non-nut-eating boyfriend (which of course had pistachio and hazelnut in addition to all of the fruit, mint, and rosewater varieties).

Our last stop as we strolled home was the Pera Palace Hotel, built in 1892 to host the passengers on the Orient Express. It is a grand place (although not quite like the canyon, Jen) and carries a great amount of history. Ataturk (founder and first president of the Republic of Turkey) always stayed here and so did Agatha Christie, who wrote most of her novel, Murder on the Orient Express, from room #411. I have to admit that I've never read any of Agatha's books myself, but my mom was an avid reader of her mysteries and is still a dedicated watcher of Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple.

For dinner we opted for the cheap option of spaghetti on the roof of our hotel for the equivalent of $1.75/plate. I don't think you could call it a "tomato" sauce per se, but the pasta was tinted red and glistened with oil in the evening sunset. The view of the Bosphorous River is great from the Bauhaus roof and the music that the lively slick-haired Sean Penn look-alike bartender plays on his iPod ranges from Jack Johnson to R.E.M. to J.J. Cale! We ate Turkish Delight and played Briscola for a few hours until it was very dark and we were ready to drift downstairs to go to sleep.

It's been a hot and busy two days and there is still plenty to see!

ISTANBUL PHOTOS

Ljubljana: Land of the Liliputian Pants

LJUBLJANA PHOTOS

Ljubljana (pronounced lyoob-lyonna, but shortened to lube-ya-na most of the time) was a remarkable capital city. Inhabited by around 250,000 people, it is much smaller than the other cities we have visited--Belfast, Barcelona, Rome, Split, etc.--but with this smaller size it is able to ooze so much more charm than many other more famous destinations. It sits right in the heart of Slovenia, a country that is far more western european than eastern. It is a well-developed country, which can always be determined by how prolific the drinking water is. In Croatia, water was undrinkable in Split and Dubrovnik, except in specified locations, but Ljubljana's water could be taken straight from the tap or from any public drinking fountains which were dispersed throughout the lovely city. This not only was a comfort in warm weather, but saved us a lot of money on bottled water--another reason to enjoy the city.

Slovenia, like Croatia, was once a part of the country of Yugoslavia, but seems to have blossomed much more than its southern neighbor since its vote for independence 15 years ago. Rick Steves describes Ljubljana in one of his books by stating that Krakow is the next Prague, and Ljubljana is the next Krakow. Indeed, although situated in Eastern Europe the feel and ambiance of the place is much more Western European. There are few sights to see, and although there are several museums sprinkled through the city and a castle perched upon the only hilltop of the town, sightseeing is not something that will take up too much of your time. Lisa and I did little, except eat and walk and enjoy the simple relaxed pace of life here. It seems it is a place to get away from things, and after going to so many new places so quickly (driving through Italy, a new destination everyday in Croatia), it was a welcome change to be able to stay in one town and enjoy the mostly tourist-free atmosphere.

Most people who we met in Ljubljana (these being restaurant wait-staff and hostel workers) were very amicable. Add to that the fact that the country seems to be almost fully bilingually English and the experience was very relaxing. Indeed the English spoken in Ljubljana was probably better gramatically than most people in Mississippi. It made vacationing here easy and at times even made me feel a bit guilty to think that they were so easily speaking my native language in a country that was not english speaking. Oh, what little effort I've spent in learning someone else's language!!! Time for more Spanish classes!

The architecture of the town was a welcome sight too. Lovely pastel buildings in what appeared to be (to an uneducated eye) Baroque styled architecture proliferate througout the city, bringing life, color and warmth that match the same qualities possessed by so many of its citizens. The castle on the top of the hill was not particularly remarkable, although its interior chapel was quite nice. But this was not a negative thing but rather went quite well with the character of the town. Nothing is particularly noteworthy, but everything is just nice. Nice people, nice buildings, clean, warm and welcoming. A place to relax and experience a quieter side of Europe, one which seems light years apart from the bustling busy capitals of other European countries.

Something else quite enjoyable about Ljubljana were the coffee shops which seemed to equal the population of this town. I woke up every morning excited of the fact that I could sample a new coffee shop next door to the one I tried the day before. The street we stayed on at the first hostel had five or six coffee shops right next to each other and it would take years to try all the shops in town. It was a delicious side of Ljubljana. Delicious as well were the local foods. Lisa and I and a few friends went to a suggested restaurant called Sokol where we tasted typical Slovenian cuising served to us by a waiter in traditional Slovenian clothing. I had the wild game goulache, Lisa had chicken stead with game sauce. I had a beer brewed by the restaurant with a special pop top like a champagne bottle, with which I managed to shower the table with beer. My goulache came in a pot, which was attached to a holder that hung the pot above an open candle flame. From here my food would stay hot, as I loaded my plate with more goulache as I felt it necessary. I strongly though about not getting the goulache but its price was right and other options such as Horse Flank and Stallion Steak seemed a little less appetizing and were twice as expensive. Must have been a winning horse.

All this being said, there is still one (unfortunate) thing that sticks out in my mind more than anything else: Capri Pants. From the American perspective, capri pants are nice things to have--a couple of years ago, and for women. In Ljubljana, its not what you wear, it's what you don't wear. And if you're a man and you don't have at least several pairs of capri pants that you wear daily then you surely will not have many people who would consider you their friend. It sure has to be the official pant style of Slovenia. It wasn't just fasionable young people either. It was common to walk down the street and see a gruff looking group of four or five men, faces covered in stubble, open beer cans in hand, glancing at the beautiful ladies that pass by their premium position near one of Ljubljana's many bridges, wearing a tank top and cut off jean capri pants. A sight I was ill-prepared to deal with and one that I considered taking many picutres of, except these men looked tough and I was afraid of what would happen to me if I started making fun of their style. Anyway, it gave me a good laugh for the week and I can only imagine what they were thinking of my wardrobe anyway.

Well, so much from me for Ljubljana. It was a great town with a great pace of life and friendly people. From here we took a train to Zagreb, Croatia's capital, where we had just enough time to take pictures of the main square and train station, before catching a bus to the airport and heading off to Ataturk Airport in Istanbul, which is where the story will continue soon. So long for now...

LJUBLJANA PHOTOS

Loo, Loo, Skip To My Loo-blee-ah-nah

LJUBLJANA PHOTOS

4 days rolled in to 1!!! (They were all quite similar, afterall.)

We spent the majority of our four days in Ljubljana at Paninoteka, our favorite little sandwich shop on the river. It was inexpensive, on the river, and the food was warm and crunchy. Also, we didn't have too many things to do other than relax and enjoy the setting, so why not sit outside with a cup of tea, eat paninis, and watch the time pass? Long live grilled sandwiches! On our most productive day, we walked for an hour to a movie theater at the biggest mall in Europe just to watch SUPERMAAAN. It was worth it! (I think Gordon kind of looks like the Man of Steel, don't you?)

Another day, after a full day of rain had finally cleared, we walked up the hill to the castle for a panorama of the city and we saw some trash cans that were shaped like frogs with gaping mouths. Earlier that day, I had my hair cut! and even earlier that day, Gordon and I sat in a coffee shop and played Briscola, an Italian card game that we've learned. (We tried to buy a "regular" deck of cards for our overnight bus trip from a street vendor in Croatia, but we ended up with a longer, slimmer deck of Italian cards that is a little different with only 40 cards. As a result, we've since learned two Italian card games: Briscola and Scopa.) In the Slovenian coffee shop that morning, as we were dealing our fifth game, we were very politely informed that it is illegal to play cards in a bar or coffee house in Slovenia. (Oops!) So much for a rainy day activity!

In the evening, we went to a traditional Slovenian restaurant serving up some of Grandma's favorite Slovene recipes called Sokol. (Highly recommended by Astrid and Karen!) We met Isobel, our Croatian sailing amiga and Peter, a new friend who was staying at our hostel and, incidentally, who is also a big fan of Paninoteka. Everything on the Sokol menu had "game" in the title and indeed, you could order any kind of animal that you might (or might not) desire to eat, even, and especially, horse! (They also have a fast food chain called Hot Horse if you prefer your horse burger on-the-go and smothered in nacho cheese, relish, ketchup, and various other unknowns. We only know this because Peter tried it and the man behind the counter, as a courtesy to his customer, paused to ask him, "You do realize this is real horse?") The fancifully translated dinner menu included such oddities as "seakale beets with potatoes" and "bulgar mush". I was feeling curious and ordered the "beets" as a side dish to complement my Chicken Steak in Game Sauce only to discover that it was the same exact garlicky potato and spinach dish that we had eaten everyday for lunch aboard the Vrgada (our Croatian sailing vessel if you've forgotten). Gordon tried an elaborately delivered hanging pot of Goulash. Isobel and I also sampled the Grog, an old fashioned invention of the British Royal Navy, hot rum with a tea bag, cinnamon and sugar, and an orange slice. Walking along the river later that night, we came upon a group playing music by the main square. I'm finding it hard to describe what the music was like... With an accordian, keyboard, upright bass, guitar, and violin, this creative group of five guys had starry-eyed night-strollers entranced like moths around an ambient blue stage. I was one of those mesmerized moths who was so thankful to be a passer-by that night on that street in that city.

Everywhere we went we were meeting people, like the lady who made us a plate of late night falafel, who were young, kind, and talkative. Everythiıng about this place was vibrant! It was a restful place to be with a laid-back atmosphere where even the rain didn't dampen our spirits and Gordon was endlessly amazed at the trend of male capri pants! (Just wait 'til he sees what I got him for Christmas!)

Ljubljana! Aptly named, The Beloved One.

LJUBLJANA PHOTOS

The Croatian Name Game

(Photo: the small unpronouncable island town of Trstenik, but why even try to pronounce something words can't describe anyway)

CROATIA PHOTOS


Much of our time in Croatia was spent not just enjoying the beautiful scenery, but also trying our hardest to pronoune a series of words and placenames with an inconceivable amount of consonants lined up together. Here is just a sampling of the Croatian (actually known as Hrvatska in its own country) cities we came across during our week long trip to the land of pebbly beaches and somewhat friendly people:

Dubrovnik (long o as in, "what up bro")
Korčula (č makes a ch sound)
Mljet (ml ??)
Split (easy enough, but an interesting name anyway)
Trstenek (!)
Hvar

Even if our tongues were a little tired by the end of the trip, at least our bodies weren't. Our week of laziness was a wonderful break from the frantic pace we set through the Tuscan hillside, especially since I no longer had to contend with Italian drivers and instead let our aperitif sipping captain calmly cruise us around the islands of the Adriatic.

The week was memorable for many reasons. First of all, when the night of Aug. 26th rolled by it meant that Lisa and I only have one month left in Europe. We sought to overcome this depressing fact by eating more fresh on-the-bone fish and washing it down with appropriate amounts of local wine. Another landmark was that I have now filled up a one gigabite memory card full of 715 photos. I had to switch to my second card halfway through the cruise in Dubrovnik. Lastly, the fashionable skin tones now sported by Lisa and myself are officially the darkest we have ever had. If you follow the link to the photos, you can see our darkening progression throughout the week.

As you can tell from my poorly constructed blog, my memories of our Croatia are anything but linear. So instead of continuing in a confusing narrative, I'll just list my favorite memories and experiences of the week.

• Fish: there was only one type of fish that came in filet form (tuna) and that was because the tuna were too big to fit on a plate. In the town of Hvar, we saw a 260 kg tuna (over 500 pounds) that had been caught that day. The fisherman had sold the tuna to a restaurant and spent all night carving out fresh tuna filets in on the public sidewalk outside the restaurant for anyone who ordered one from this particular restaurant. They would then take a ten inch diameter slice of tuna throw it on the grill and serve it up. By the end of the night only half was gone. I wish I had a picture. All other fish came with the head and bones attached so half your meal was spent picking bones out of your mouth, which was not a bad thing as the fish was absolutely delicious everywhere we went. The only problem was that after consuming mass quatities of the fish which was roasted in garlic, butter and oil, your breath had reeking odor for the next few hours. Once again, the superb taste of the fish more than made up for this little problem.

• Mornings: Breakfast was served at 8:00 and I was usually up long before that so I could enjoy some of the morning air before the heat began scorching us around 9:30. The few mornings I got up in time to see the sun peek over distant island mountains were the best. The weather was cool, the water smooth as silk, and the light was not blinding. It was a glorious experience of mornings and made me thankful for going to bed earlier than most people on the boat the night before.

• Boats: At night we were in ports for sleeping like all boats on cruises like ours do. These boats didn't have individual slips, but rather tied up to each other so that one boat would be next to the shore and 3 or 4 others would be tied up to it. One of my favorite times of the day was walking through 4 or 5 other boats in order to get to ours. It appeased my curiousity to see the other boats, especially the ones that were more luxurious than ours. Even more exciting than all the different types of boats was the platform that our boat provided. I absolutely loved diving and jumping from the second and third floor of our boat into the warm waters of the Adriatic. The prospect of freefalling 30 feet into the water below forced me to swim in the salty water more than I would have. I hate having salt on me, but jumping from the boat was so freeing that I couldn't resist.

• Kiwis and Kangaroos: Not the bird or the fruit, but rather our friends from New Zealand and Australia. We made 4 good friends during our journey. Two were from New Zealand and two were Australians. We had a great time being lazy on deck, joking around, learning of each others backgrounds and countries, and going out to eat. One of our friends, Isobel from Australia, is meeting us for dinner tonight here in Ljubjlana (a town suggested by our New Zealand friends) and Lisa and I are already looking forward to our 2 day reunion. Another benefit of our new friends: A free place to stay when we someday visit the island nations.

• Sun, Beaches and Old Cities: self explanatory.

• Croatian People: Everyone we met in Croatia was friendly...in their own way. It seems like mumbling is a past time there though. Everytime we handed someone money for dinner, goggles, water, etc. we were always asked for exact change. And if the bill we gave them was too big, there was constant muttering in Croat, a language Lisa and I couldn't even partially understand. The Croatian people are kind. We never felt unsafe in any town or city at any time of the the day. Yet the friendliness is not the outgoing kind you find elsewhere (like Slovenia), but rather the folks helped willingly but always with a bit of a grumble I found amusing. Then again for a country that's been through as much historical hardship as it has as a former part of Yugoslavia and the old Axis power, it is quite understandable (see this article for more info).

Croatia was a great trip. It was repetitive but in a good way. Get up, enjoy the morning, lay in the sun, eat lunch, nap in the shade, swim in a secluded-ish cove, lay in the sun to dry off, come into port, walk into historic town, eat fish or pizza with wine or beer, go to sleep. Repeat.

After a week of this, though, it certainly was time to move on, which is why Lisa and I decided to go to Ljubljana, Slovenia for the next four days rather than staying in Croatia. And what a wise decision this was.

More to come on more unpronouncable names like....Ljubljana.

CROATIA PHOTOS

By the way, my cousin Alison Pace got first alternate in the Mississippi Junior Miss pageant in Meridian, MS 3 nights ago. We are all so very proud!

Last thoughts on Croatia

CROATIA PHOTOS

To fill you in on the remainder of our trip in Croatia...

We had to walk 40 minutes to Dubrovnik from the port, or we could have ridden the bus for 7 minutes. The first night we walked both ways, but in the morning, in order to save some time, we rode the bus from the port back to Dubrovnik to walk along the rim of the city on a high path that is at the top of the fortressed city's surrounding wall. From the wall above Dubrovnik, it's possible to see all of the roofs that have been repaired after the bombings 15 years ago. If you look closely at some of the photos, you'll be able to differentiate the new terra cotta tiled roofs from the faded old ones. Gordon and I both bought new books that morning, for me, Strange Pilgrims by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and for him, Arabian Nights. We have a lot of free time to read these days aboard the Vrgada. Both of us have finished reading Kite Runner, Gordon has finished Snow by the Turkish author, Ohram Pahmuk, and I have begun it. After our purchase, we walked back to the port and on our way, we stopped at a fruit market that was buzzing with bees to buy half of a watermelon and a fresh supply of peaches. I had slipped one of our breakfast spoons in Gordon's pocket that morning, so we were prepared to feast! The two of us sat in a park on a shady bench just across from the boat and devoured our melon (almost the entire half). It was so delicious! And kind of a mess!

From Dubrovnik, we went to Mljet, a national park with two big beautiful lakes that we didn't actually see because we didn't make the effort. Lovers of ancient Greek history will be interested to know that, according to a Croatia guide book, Mljet has been identified as Homer's lost island, Ogygia, where Ulysses met the nymph Calypso. We, however, were not as fortunate as the brave Ulysses, although we did sample the pizza.

After a lazy morning in Mljet we went to Korcula, stopping first, as always, for an afternoon swim. Gordon has been perfecting his swan dive from the upper deck. It's lovely now. Please feel free to assess the photo and post your Olympic score on our comments page. I never made the plunge from ahigh because I get scared, my suit never ends up the way it begins, and I always get an ocean of salt sloshing around in my brain after. I am, however, very good at floating for hours without a raft. Korcula was one of my favorites, well known becuase it is Marco Polo's hometown. As it was our last night together with our upper deck starboard friends, we ate dinner with Astrid, Karen, Isobel, and Julia and then had drinks in one of the city's look-out towers where you have to climb up a ladder to reach the top and the drinks are delivered by a dumb waitor. hah!

A week passed from the time we had set sail, so we returned to Split, tan and happy, spent a last night on the Vrgada and then caught an overnight bus to Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. (Say it with me now: Loo-byana, very easy, or Loo-bliana, we're still not positive which is more correct so say it quickly and no one will know). The bus ride took us north along the Croatian coast at sunset, with our new land-perspective we were finally able to see some backyards!, and deep into the night. As the sun rose, we arrived in Ljubljana and eventually meandered to our hostel after Gordon, seeking directions, explained to someone that it was near the Dragon Bridge. He gestured for a bridge and then growled like a fire breathing dragon. It worked beautifully! The woman, who was sweeping the sidewalk in front of her store at 5:30 a.m. made the connection and excitedly pointed us in the correct direction. Then, she began to giggle uncontrollably and it became really funny to all of us.

Well, we found our hostel and luckily we were able to check in at 7 a.m. after sitting on the doorstep for a short time and making friends with the neighbor's dog. We took a looong nap to make up for a poor night's sleep and then Gordon and I set out to explore and find food. I'm amazed that neither of us had heard of this town before because it's so lovely! The people are the friendliest that we've met so far, the architecture is interesting, the main river is lined with bridges and outdoor cafes, and the colors are vibrant.

We are two happy travellers!

CROATIA PHOTOS

Just a little quick note...

I was going to update a little more from Croatia, but sweat is dripping from my forehead and Lisa and I are pretty tired and we can't upload photos from the USB port here, so we'll use the free internet at our hostel in Ljublana, Slovenia. Slovenia is a tiny, relatively forgotten country at the border between eastern and western Europe. Find out more on Slovenia here and more on its charming capital city Ljubljana here.

Enjoy the wonder of wikipedia and we'll be back with more soon...

Gordon

Land Ho!

Hi all,

We have returned to Split and spent our last night on the Vrgada floating in the harbor here. The last day of sailing from Korcula to Split was our only choppy day and once we had landed I could still feel the gentle sway of the sea as we ate our dinner in an open plaza. Last night, we sat in the main square of Split where a crowd was gathered on th marble steps to hear a piano man who was filling the courtyard of Dioclesian's Palace, built in the 300's. As a last farewell this morning, we shared our traditional breakfast of corn flakes with lukewarm boxed milk, a loaf of white bread with various jams, and instant coffee on the boat. Then, we packed our things and left our home at sea. Gordon and I have said our goodbyes to our wonderful neighbors, the Kiwis: Astrid and Karen and the Aussies: Isobel and Julia, who shared the starboard side of the upper deck on our relaxing week of sailing here and there. Tonight at 6 p.m. we board an overnight bus to Ljubljana, Slovenia because the destination is so highly recommended by our new Kiwi friends. Thanks Astrid and Karen! It is supposed to be similar to Krakow or Prague, two cities that I love!, but smaller and not as well-known to tourists--YET! I'm glad that we decided to leave 5 days of unscheduled time in our trip plans as you always run in to experienced travellers who carry with them loads of great travel stories! So, off we go to Slovenia! Don't worry Mom and Dad, I'm suprised too, but it's very safe!

I have a small cold today, so I will leave you now.

Happy Birthday, Dr. Sam!