Cappadoccia

First thing first:  happy 4th of July!  Started ours with ann early shuttle to the airport on the Asia side of Istanbul.  Crazy driving through the streets of Sultanamet (our hotel neiıghborhood) fetching other early flyers.  Decided that if we were to live here we would not own a car.  Much better to hire a driver, strap on a seat belt and look out the side window so we do not see near misses of pedestrians, cars, dogs...

The domestic airport did not disappoint -- security check for everyone at the entrance, crazy busy and limited options for expensivemorning tea.  No Starbucks (we will try Yasmine's card when we return to Istanbul just to see if it works internationally) but the resiquite McDonalds serving local versions of bad food.  Won't eat it at home; won't eat it here.

After the hour flight and hour shuttle to Kemal's Guesthousing (very small and off beaten path), we set off to explore the open museum.  Amazing structures.  The heat and low humidity have perserved the original paintıngs (red crosses and geometric shapes as the 4th century people did not depict people) and the "professional" paintings of the 11th century.  Loads of history, tourists and cats!

One of the valleys:



Painting in one of the chapels

We hiked a few hills outside the official bounds of the Open Air Museum.  Many of the mounds have fallen down, as natural rockery does, and you can see much of what used to be far interior recesses:

The conquering Ottomans often scratched out the eyes of the people depicted in the Christian paintings.  The paintings above 7 ft and in the domes many times escaped defacement...

And sometimes not...

A farmer tending his apricots

Now we must eat breakfast.  Will be hiking some of the valleys and explore the Underground City.