See you later!
Location:Istanbul airport
Monday, April 15, 2013
Going into the BIG SILENCE...
We're here in the airport, waiting for our 1AM flight; I've been doing a little research about the status of the Internet in Iran, and discovered that Gmail, Facebook and Google, among others, have been blocked for TWO YEARS. And just last month, the Iranian government put in place some software that makes using VPN's impossible...so, it very much looks like I won't be posting till May 6th, when we come back. Yikes!
See you later!
See you later!
Sunday, April 14, 2013
An Istanbul Interlude...
We're here for a few days till we leave for Iran early Tuesday morning. I was last here FORTY-FIVE years ago and this is Dave's first visit.
We spent the morning sightseeing, walking at least 6 miles, enjoying perfect walking weather, crisp, cool.
This week is the annual Tulip Festival and there were zillions of tulips, all in full bloom. The other thing there were zillions of, were cats...
No shopping for me, today...although we did see a bride...
The carpet in the Blue Mosque was gorgeous...echoing the tulips blooming outside...
Our handsome guide Zaki was a marvel of service, and was a good photographer, too...
Dave and Zaki...
In "payment" for his wonderful guide services, we allowed Zaki to lead us to his family's carpet shop; we enjoyed the usual ritual/sales pitch, accompanied by apple tea, and though we were tempted by a small silk carpet, we decided against it, as we head Tuesday to the land of Persian carpets. Anyway, I would prefer to bring this mirror from our hotel room home, as it makes me look 6 feet tall and skinny!
After our LONG walk, we had an hour's nap, then out for a coffee accompanied by baklava (yummmm)...
and MORE walking (to reverse the baklava)...then out to dinner at a fabulous restaurant
A wonderful bottle of wine...
a fabulous meze (appetizer) plate
a superb seafood salad (half eaten before we remembered to take a picture)
and a "Harem's Delight", with lamb, rice and a marvelous pomegranate sauce
followed by thick, delicious Turkish coffee and the ever-present Turkish delight.
Lovely food, gracious service and a charming atmosphere...can you tell we're foodies?
N.B. Dave and I almost ALWAYS split our plates, so the calorical damage is not as bad as it looks!
biz tekrar karşılaşıncaya kadar (till we meet again, in Turkish)
Margy
We spent the morning sightseeing, walking at least 6 miles, enjoying perfect walking weather, crisp, cool.
This week is the annual Tulip Festival and there were zillions of tulips, all in full bloom. The other thing there were zillions of, were cats...
No shopping for me, today...although we did see a bride...
The carpet in the Blue Mosque was gorgeous...echoing the tulips blooming outside...
Our handsome guide Zaki was a marvel of service, and was a good photographer, too...
Dave and Zaki...
In "payment" for his wonderful guide services, we allowed Zaki to lead us to his family's carpet shop; we enjoyed the usual ritual/sales pitch, accompanied by apple tea, and though we were tempted by a small silk carpet, we decided against it, as we head Tuesday to the land of Persian carpets. Anyway, I would prefer to bring this mirror from our hotel room home, as it makes me look 6 feet tall and skinny!
After our LONG walk, we had an hour's nap, then out for a coffee accompanied by baklava (yummmm)...
and MORE walking (to reverse the baklava)...then out to dinner at a fabulous restaurant
A wonderful bottle of wine...
a fabulous meze (appetizer) plate
a superb seafood salad (half eaten before we remembered to take a picture)
and a "Harem's Delight", with lamb, rice and a marvelous pomegranate sauce
followed by thick, delicious Turkish coffee and the ever-present Turkish delight.
Lovely food, gracious service and a charming atmosphere...can you tell we're foodies?
N.B. Dave and I almost ALWAYS split our plates, so the calorical damage is not as bad as it looks!
biz tekrar karşılaşıncaya kadar (till we meet again, in Turkish)
Margy
Location:Peykhane Sokak,Binbirdirek,Turkey
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