Blogs from Ortaköy, Istanbul, Marmara, Turkey, Middle East

Packed....re-packed.... Packed some more.... Weighed suitcases .....re-packed etc. Shopped t.oo much to get packed. Either leave clothes here or borrow extra suitcase, Decided to borrow duffel bag re-pcaked.....put.dirty clothes in duffel ..... Souvenirs in suitcase. It is really hard to squeeze 6 boxes of Turkish Delight into one suitcase! Tomorrow we leave for Amsterdam. Goodbye to amazing Turkey. We will have to return....there is still much to see here. Wonderful month with Peter, Shannon, Abby and Luke. We had such a wonderful time. Many happy memmories of our travels with them! Hang with us a few more days....... We Will have a mini-adventure in Amsterdam before heading home.... read more

Today was an easy day. We had breakfast at the Tribeca Restaurant and Lounge. Bagels, cream cheese, jam, omelette, pancakes and coffee. Sounds like home! The restaurant had photos of New York sites on the walls but the menu was in Turkish .... Try acting out the word onion.... We ended up with spinach on the omelette ....yummy anyway. After breakfast Peter dropped us off at the Sunday Market on the square along the Bosphorus. We went back to some of our favorite stalls.... Purchased a few more souvenirs, found a bead shop ( had been looking for one for weeks) and enjoyed the beautiful sunny day. All our usual friends were out.... The local cats, dogs and colorful people. We watched a beautiful bride and her groom being photographed along the waterfront. The Simit man ... read more

Had a good breakfast......shopped for a scooter .......stopped by the bakery .....nap in the sun.....watched the birds .....Lunch???......fed birds......had tea with locals........ afternoon nap......stopped at toy store.......hung out with friends...... Great Day......took it really easy today ! Wish everyone of you could be here too!... read more

Abby and Luke back to school today. :-( Peter had day off so chauffeured us once again through the maize of streets and gnarled traffic to Emirgan Park ..... This beautiful park is the location of the famous Tulip Gardens. It was a wonderful spring day so we were not alone! The park was big enough for all.... We wandered leisurely through the tulips, topiary trees, public picnic areas, laughing school children and fun playgrounds. After sitting awhile watching the ships navigate the Bosphorus we visited the Museum . A drive along the shore of the Bosphorus to see the beautiful old wooden waterside villas , mosques and grander residences along the way led us to Rumeli Feneri, a lovely fishing Village on the point where the Bosphorus meets the Black Sea. We ate lunch at ... read more

Day one in Istanbul started at noonish :-) with brunch at Ulus Cafe and Park. We enjoyed a Turkish mid-day meal of Bourek. A type of noodle casserole with cheeses and cream......stewed tomatoes with peppers and eggplant, fresh sliced cucumber, tomatoes , olives (black and green) :-))))) hard boiled eggs, sliced cheeses and salami type meats, fresh peppers, delicious breads .... Fresh apples, grapes, bananas, and Simit, a bagel type roll with toasted sesame seed and jam. Yummmm! After brunch we went outside to take pictures overlooking the Bosphorus,the waterway that divides the eastern and western sides of Istanbul. The views were amazing of the Asian side of Istanbul and the first bridge. Our staff photographer, Abby Vogelaar, took wonderful photos which will be featured in this and future blogs. After brunch we drove down the ... read more