Last Day and Final Impressions

We returned to Istanbul for 36 hours before flying home.  We spent the day wandering the streets and getting a final look at the city we had grown to love.  Reconnected with folks we met during the first leg of our journey -- Zeki, Boras, Ibrahim, among others -- and met new folks along to way.  The city was preparing for Ramadan even though everyone we spoke with said they weren't observing it.  Besides, "no one cares about Ramadan" according to scores of people we talked with about what we thought was a really special Muslim holiday.

Women making flat bread in a restaurant window in Sultanamet neighborhood.

Blending old with new

Spent the better part of the evening near Taksim Square and stumbled upon the Turkish Communist Party headquarters.  No decent picture but you get the idea.

In front of the Blue Mosque in our Portland Trailblazer shirts

Spent several hours in the Istanbul Modern art museum.  Unlike other modern museums, there is not iconic piece of art housed here.  Some interesting exhibits; some you just wonder how someone came up with this idea and called it "art."  Very cool sculptures made of nails, one of which I did photograph on the sly.

Seen from the Istanbul Modern cafe terrace

Regina hanging with the local kids

She's got a silver shop in the Grand Bazaar!

Magnificent windows and tilework in Topkapi Palace

European side of Istanbul at night from across the Bosporus

We are so sorry for exporting McDonald's, Burger King, KFC, Krispy Kreme...

Cuneiform murder trial and ruling from the Bronze Age

Ships on the Bosporus awaiting their turn at the ports

Pan flute quartet in Taksim Square...they are everywhere!

Cappadocia

Above:  demonic Hello Kitty jeans in the market...every market we visited.

Below:  traditional wood house in Instanbul

 

One of the many churches devoted to the Virgin Mary.  During the 1st - 4th centuries, it was believed that Mary would protect the city from harm so they built several churches outside the city walls.
  They all depicted the life of Mary, the second book of the bible prior to the King James version.

Cappadocia

Above:  market day in Central Turkey

Below:  Aegean Sea in late afternoon

Original tile sidewalk in Efes

Don't pollute.  Two overheard comments:

"All the trash in the Bosporus comes from Russia"

"Turkey is a slice of heaven with a lot of trash."

A Slice of Holland on the Aegean Sea

The pension we stayed at in Guzelcamli, Kusadasi is the landing spot for the Dutch.  We were the only Americans this year at Emil's Pension, and depending with whom you spoke, perhaps in the past 10 years.  We connected with Monique, Edward and Alexandria (posing with us after lunch in Sirince).  We also met the King of Tulips...actually, Paul Beck is the director of the world's largest flora demonstration in the world -- Floriade.  The event takes place every 10 years and it's quite the honor to be selected as Managing Director.  We did meet an Italian couple, too.  We suspect they were the only Italians to the pension in years.

One day we headed to Sirince, about 12 km from Ephesus.  Here we are posing after lunch.  As you can see, it's a very Greek village.

No one seems to know where we need to go...or what we're going to do!

It was once known as Cirkince ("ugly") so that no one would visit or invade their land.   Later is was named Sirince ("pretty").  The village is located on the top of a mountain, and you drive through peach orchards, olive groves and vineyards.  Today the village is a blend of Turk-Greek culture.  St. John the Baptist Church is a nicely restored Orthodox church.  

 Another attraction is its wine, mostly very sweet made from berries and peaches. None of cared for the sweet wines but the "regular" white and red were tasty.

Women of the village making dinner on the roadside.

Sirince daily market scenes

A church basement converted into a wine cellar.  A small statue of the Virgin Mary oversees and protects the wine.

The next day we all went on a boat trip to Milli Park national park.  Stunning views of the coast, as well as the Greek island of Samos.

The boat stopped 3 times for folks to jump into the Aegean Sea to cool off.  Neither Monique nor Yasmine swim so they lounged on the boat while everyone else swam in the cool sea water.

We noted that there are huge flags flown everywhere in Turkey.  We saw not one Greek flag on "our" side of Samos.

There's a fenced pasture in a fruit orchard directly behind Emil's Pension.  The herder shepherded his flock to and from the pasture every day past the pension and up the hill.

Shop Til We Drop...from the heat

Record high temperatures this week in Gözelçamli. Hit 42C Monday and Tuesday. Yet we go to the local markets. Monday: Gozelçamli Market Close enough to walk from the pension. Big social event for the week. Seems everyone in town and the surrounding towns are there. Gorgeous vegetables.

Tuesday: Tire (tea-ray) Market More traditional market.  We watched a felt maker at work.  The machines look antiquated but they still work.  Purchased scarves.

Saddle maker -- for horses and camels

 Genuine fake Converse!  The seller swears they are real even though not one Converse box to be seen.

Copper man.  Reg gave him a bottle of water which he drank immediately.  In his shop ıs a ´no smoking´sıgn.  With the chemicals he´s inhaling, certainly tobacco won´t be that bad.

 Bridle guy makes dog collars. Making Chester's new leather collar. Only 2 Turkish lira!  He will be the envy of the dog park.

Sights driving to Tire

4th century AD bath.  In use for only 60 -80 years 

 Mausoleum of Belevi

Necropolis of Efes.  Graveyards outside the city walls. This is a small section just before the original harbor gate. The harbor was far more inland than the current coastline.

Efes Museum:  Artifacts from Efes excavations

Khali in a previous life

Many pieces of Eros.  He is often depicted wıthout detailed eyes because love is blind.

Broken frieze.  Christians purposely demolished everything depicting Roman and Greek deities and emperors.

Early Christians not only destroyed priceless artifacts but also carved crosses in foreheads in efforts to Christianıze the souls of the departed like Marcus Aurelius and Livia below.

One of many sarcophagi unearthed.  Amazing carvings standing the test of time and elements since 4th Century BC

Sundial