Istanbul

Have I mentioned that Istanbul was amazing? 

I probably have, but I'm going to say it again to make a point of how amazing it was. 

ISTANBUL.WAS.AMAZING.

Okay...I can move on now... 

We were only in Istanbul for a little over a day, but we managed to get in almost ALL of the major sights, plus stay in the most beautiful hotel. 

Our hotel was the Pera Palace, and back in the day it was the last stop on the Orient Express.  This brought in a huge amount of celebrities and other amazing people.  It was also the first building in Istanbul to have electricity, the first building with running hot water in the bathrooms and it also had the first electric elevator (the first in Istanbul, the second in the world to the Eiffel Tower). 

The Pera Palace has stood through World War I, the Occupation of Istanbul, the Turkish War of Independence, the Founding of the Turkish Republic & World War II.  

It was a sight to be seen in and of itself. 

Oh, and the most famous people who slept in the rooms were Ernest Hemingway, Greta Garbo, Agatha Christie, King Edward VIII, Queen Elizabeth II, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Sarah Bernhardt, Alfred Hitchcock and many, many more.  

The sights we saw were also amazing.

We visited the Blue Mosque, which was completed in 1616, and has a colorful 260 windows to bring in the sunlight, and has blue Iznik tiles covering the walls. 

Second was St. Sophia, the Church of the Divine Wisdom and it was built during the reign of Emperor Justinian (AD 537) and remained the greatedst church in Christendom until the conquest of Constantinople in 1453.  Sultan Mehmet II ordered the conversion of Hagia Sophia into a Mosque.   All of the domes were covered in gold mosaics, which many are still there today. 

Topkapi Palace, which was the residence of the sultans for almost three centuries.  They had jewels and cloths belonging to the sultan's on display, which were unbelievable.  This is also the place where they have been reading the Koran for over 500 years without stopping.  As soon as one man's done, another takes over. 

The Underground Cistern is about 210 feet wide and 420 feet long, with a capacity of 80,00 meters of water.  They were able to salvage the beautiful columns that support the cistern, and two of the columns are carved with the head and hair of Medusa.  :)

And finally, we visited the Grand Bazaar!  Plenty of shopping was done here.

Sail Away

Here's a little glimpse of K&I sailing out of Istanbul. 

Please Note: This video contains cheese-tastic music, loud wind & shaky hands.  

Otherwise, feel free to give it a look - Istanbul is AMAZING.

Cappadocia Part 2

So, after the balloon ride and a little relaxation, we made our way to the underground city. 

Can you believe thousands of people could live underground at once, for months if not years? 

It's believed that people built these cities during the Bronze Age, but they were mainly used during the Byzantine period because of the invasions due to religious views. 

Cappadocia has over 40 underground cities, and only 6 of them are open for visitors. 

Can you imagine how eerie it would be to venture into one of the other cities? 

We then made our way to a town called Avanos, which is famous for it's hand painted pottery. 

We were told there was a rule many years ago that if you were a man, you couldn't get married unless you could make a perfect pot. 

Luckily, Kris already had lots of practice because they put him to the test! :)

It was wonderful, and they even me put on the silly pants and give it a go as well. 

Can you see the rabbit head?

We took a walk through some more amazing rock formations before heading back to the hotel relaxed for our last evening in Cappadocia.  Kris and I both agree that if we ever get the chance to, we would love to make it back here. 

We're Back!

We've made it back safe and sound! 

We got in late Friday night, and as I spent Saturday cleaning, washing and stumbling around the house in a tired and jet-lagged state, Kristopher hopped in the van with LB and drove to Reedsport, OR to play a 2 1/2 hour  show for Dune Fest.

I have no idea how he did it, but he's a trouper!  

It's SO nice to be home.  

We gardened this morning (which has exploded since we left), went to the market and we're getting ready to have a Greek dinner this evening while watching the National Geographic Greek Mythology episode.  

We obviously didn't get enough mythology while we were there.  :)  

This is a pic of K & I on the plane heading to Turkey - I convinced him we wouldn't be able to sleep without neck pillows...AND, I'm pretty sure they saved our lives. 

Dreaming of Sunshine

I'm heading to Costa Rica in less than a week, and it couldn't come at a better time.  The Pacific Northwest is killing me right now, and I need a break from the never-ending rain.

The only thing that would make it better is if Kristopher was coming with me but I can't complain too much, because we have an amazing honeymoon coming up in July, but I will miss him none-the-less.

And even though the trip is for work, my wonderful friend Mikaela is coming with me - she'll be my moral support during the first trip in my new position...and I'm sure we'll find a little time to sit back, relax and have a nice cocktail.