Turkey, Historic & Modern

Gayle and I started our latest adventure. Hugh took us to the airport in Charlotte for our flight to JFK. We arrived on time after an easy flight and were able to check our bag through to Istanbul at Lufthansa. We had time to kill so we got on the Air Train and headed to terminal 7 to the United Club. Unfortunately when we go there the line to clear security was so long that we ditched that idea and headed back to terminal 1 and the restaurants. We had a light late lunch and then went through the security line where much to my amazement they took out my Kindle and made me rescreen my bag with the Ipad still in it. That was very strange but we were soon on our way. Our plane to Frankfurt was a wide body double decker 747 and took forever to load. The flight was eventful and neither of us could sleep. Gayle had a jumping jack gentleman behind her who grabbed the top of her seat to hoist himself up every 5 minutes and I had a small lady who sat as close to the armrest as she possibly could while storing all her worldly possessions on the other part of the seat. She had the boniest elbows that she insisted in poking in my ribs each time she shifted her belongings looking for something. The lady behind us passed out in her seat and we had the whole flight crew gathered around for a long consultation. When we arrived in Frankfurt we tried to sleep in an empty corner on some chairs but the announcements for flights were so loud that they startled you awake every few minutes. We had a great breakfast at a cute bakery and then went to our gate. We sat alone for a few minutes before the board announced our gate had been changed. Frankfurt airport is not small and we had walked most of it to get to this gate and then we had to retrace our steps to get to the new one. Our seats were not together as had been promised but we were able to get that changed at the gate. This was a shorter flight and halfway through they served a brunch that was very good. We arrived in Istanbul and the passport control was very efficient, our bags, which we had gate-checked, were out quickly, and there was no one at customs so we were meeting our Gate 1 rep. very shortly. The drive from the airport to the hotel was in traffic so we had time to enjoy the views of the Bosporus, the early citadel, and some very lovely parks. The hotel is nice and the location is great. From the rooftop we can see all the major sights and the Bosporus. There is a beautiful old mosque across the street that we want to explore tomorrow. We were checked in quickly and in our room. We changed into lightweight clothing and even though we were feeling the weariness of no sleep for many hours we headed out. We got directions at the front desk to the Grand Bazaar, which is an easy walk. We got to see some areas of the city I had not seen before and after stopping for more directions, which were very different from the hotels, we arrived. I had forgotten how overwhelming this place is. We wandered the alleys checking out all the different stalls. The silk and cashmere scarves and the leather goods were very tempting but we decided we were too tired to bargain or make a good decision; we shall return! We made the trip back up the hill to the hotel and found a cute restaurant to have a glass of wine and a light dinner. We settled on a veggie Turkish pizza that was delicious. We sat for a long time just enjoying the view and the fact that we were not in an airport. We then headed up to shower and fall tiredly in bed. We did not talk much but fell sound asleep around 8:30.

Up at 7 after a restful night. We both had awaken but were able to go back to sleep without too much delay. We took it easy having coffee in our room before dressing for the day and heading to breakfast. The buffet breakfast was terrific including everything we like and some things we had not had before. I most enjoyed the yogurt with a thick amber honey. After breakfast we confidently headed out for the Topkapi Palace, armed with the instructions given to us at the hotel. We found the ticket booth for the tram and got our token. We jumped aboard the one heading to Topkapi. When we arrived we were at the city gate, which was a beautiful panorama but nowhere near Topkapi Palace. We asked the guard at the metro and he told us how to get there. While we were waiting on the tram a lovely woman from Iran approached us and she too was looking for Topkapi Palace. We instantly had a new friend and she followed us and was so grateful. The tram was crowded but we made it to Sultanamet station and right there before us was the Blue Mosque. We had to make pictures of course and we continued to get different views as we walked toward the palace. We purchased our tickets for the palace and the harem and made our way inside. There was no wait for the harem and we enjoyed that tour first. The harem is filled with ornately tiled rooms with intricate fireplaces. We finished our tour of the harem feeling very glad we were not living the life of a sultan's concubine. We were disappointed that a large part of the palace was under renovation but we did get to see the clothing hall and the treasury. We said goodbye our Iranian friend and then made our way to a small restaurant where we had ice cream and enjoyed the view over the Bosporus. From there we visited the clock room and the grand reception area. We made our way to the gift shop for a quick peek and then out the gates to the Archeological Museum. This museum was also under renovation but we were able to see the sarcophagus building and the ancient artifacts building. Here we saw Hittite and Babylonian artifacts. We made pictures for Jen, as this is her area of expertise. From the museum we took the tram to the Spice Market. We had just entered when we were introduced to Turkish Delight made from honey and fruit. We loved the apricot and pistachio and the pomegranate and pistachio. We decided to get some when we return in two weeks. We explored the stalls and the more we thought about it the more we wanted some now. We made our purchase as we left. We decided to walk over the Galata Bridge and climb to the Galata tower. The bridge had lovely views and we had our picture made. We made it to the other side and found it was quite the hike up hill to the tower. We made it huffing and puffing to find that the line was 2 blocks long and we were expected at dinner at 7:30 and it was already after 6. We made the difficult decision to hike back down to the tram and do this again tomorrow. This was a good decision, as we got lost when we got off the tram. We had to walk back to an area that we recognized and then follow our instincts to get to the hotel... note to self, carry a card from the hotel in pocket. We still had time to grab a quick shower and we actually put on dresses before we joined our Gate 1 group for our orientation and dinner. A lot of the people had just arrived today and it was not the liveliest of groups. Our guide gave the usual talk on punctuality and being careful with purses and wallets. His name is Fatih and he was from NYC and attended Queens College and has his masters in economics. His English was good but he still had a Turkish accent. Dinner was a buffet and people seemed to sit in little groups that they knew. Gayle and I sat by a guy from Houston whose wife had gone to bed. I am withholding judgment as to how adventurous this group is. We headed to the room around 9 and got organized for tomorrow. A 6:30 wakeup call is early so we got everything ready. There was time to journal before we headed off to bed. It was a fun day filled with terrific sights!

Up at 6:30 this morning and our first day of our tour begins. Nice to have another morning where we do not have to pack and get suitcases out. Breakfast was as good as yesterday and the only thing I am not crazy about is the coffee, too strong for me! We had time to go up and brush teeth and grab our packs before meeting the group at 8. We were early and had time to mingle. When we boarded the bus several people were missing and it was 8:15 before we left, not a good sign for the next 12 days. After a short drive we arrived at the area called Sultanamet where our first stop was the Blue Mosque, the mosque of Sultanamet. Everyone was asking why it is called the Blue Mosque and they were told the mosque would answer the question when we were inside. We were shocked and dismayed at how horribly long the line was. It moved rather well but it was still hot in the sun as we waited. We were able to make some pictures of the courtyard. As we approached the entrance the ladies all put their scarves over their hair and covered their legs with wraps that were provided. We removed our shoes and made the walk inside to be greeted by the gorgeous blue tile work from several centuries ago. This place is so amazing with its central dome and all the half domes around it. The gorgeous marble columns and the colorful prayers rugs are eye catching but the overall effect is a little dark or gloomy. We walked around making pictures until it was time to take off the scarves and wrap and put on our shoes. Our next stop was the Hippodrome where the horse races took place. This area has two beautiful obelisks, one from Egypt and the other from Greece. We had some time to explore before we walked to the Hagia Sophia. This remarkable building began as a church, was converted to a mosque, and is now a museum. We had a bathroom break which took a lot of time before entering the museum. I had forgotten how large this place is and this visit there was a lot of restoration going on. It was crowded but we were able to see the mosaics they have uncovered. When it was a mosque they plastered over all the frescoes and mosaics and they are slowly uncovering the ones that survived. There is a lot of restoration scaffolding up now but it is hard to tell exactly what they are working on. We visited the upper galley and then it was lunchtime. Our scheduled tour was over so we ate a granola and headed to the Basilica Cistern. We had a short wait before we were admitted but soon we found ourselves wandering through this magnificent structure. We walked around the area to the Blue Mosque and contemplated our lunch options; we decided to walk through the town and check out the restaurants. We found a really cute small restaurant where a woman was making pita on a fire-heated grill. We ordered pita and hummus and diet cokes and had a great Turkish lunch. The restaurant was right near the tram station so we rode the tram back close to the hotel. We then made our way back to our room to dump our backpacks and then we headed to Sulyeman's mosque. This was much closer to our hotel than we thought and soon we found ourselves at one of the largest mosque in Turkey and it was remarkably beautiful. We first visited the tomb of the Sultan and walked in the cemetery and then headed inside. We had to cover our heads and they gave us an elastic waist skirt to put on. The mosque was so light and bright that it seemed even larger than it was. It was lovely with its high dome and stained glass windows. We were able to see the women's section and then we went outside in the courtyard for the view of the Bosporus. We saw a lovely roof top cafe next door so we walked down the steps, through a tunnel, through a building up a lot of steps to find the most fabulous view. We ordered cokes and sat for the longest just taking in the beauty. As we were checking out the view we noticed from our perch atop the hill that it was not far to the waterfront. We decided to walk down and we were so glad we did. We walked through neighborhoods and shopping areas that we would not have seen otherwise. We mixed and mingled with the hordes of people and everyone was courteous and friendly. Next thing we knew we were at the Spice Market. We looked in some outside stalls and then literally walked through the enclosed market to get to the waterfront. We had decided to check out the guys selling Bosporus Cruises and see if we could get a deal. It didn't take long and we were approached. We dealt with several and finally decided on one. The boat was not the most fancy and we had to wait before it left but it was a great tour. We sailed slowly around the area and we saw parts of Istanbul that were extremely rich with their big yachts and upscale restaurants, we saw the Four Seasons that used to be a jail, now rooms average $500 a night up to $3000, and we saw some lovely old palaces that are now hotels! Definitely worth the pittance we paid. It was late when our tour was over so we made our way to the tram and rode to Sultanamet and settled on a restaurant that a friend in the states recommended called Mosaik. We ordered wine and chicken kabobs and our meal was fabulous. We also enjoyed the people watching which was easy as there was a constant parade. We took the tram back and walked up the hill to our hotel. We showered and readied ourselves for our bus trip the next day. Oh well, so much for our early evening. Click here to see Susan's Istanbul Pictures
Click here to see Gayles's Istanbul Pictures

Up early this morning and had our bags out on time. We enjoyed the breakfast buffet one last time before rushing upstairs to brush our teeth, identify our luggage, and board the bus. Fatih has a rotation schedule for seating that makes one feel like a 2 year old. This was a source of frustration for the entire trip!!! This trip takes us out of Istanbul and on our journey to the ancient city of Troy. We have slowpokes on this trip and we are late leaving, as keys need to be returned and some folks are just not here. Twenty minutes late we head off and Fatih keeps up a constant dialogue. He is very knowledgeable about the history of his country and before we reach the ferry across the Dardanelles a lot of people are sleeping. We have a 20-minute break for the WC and some shopping. This area has a lot of olive oil soap and it is a hit with all our shoppers. We reach the sea and stop for lunch in a rather pitiful village. The food stands are filled with men smoking and drinking tea and Gayle and I were ignored when we approached. We settled on a sandwich that was uneatable and then found magnum ice cream bars that we enjoyed. We boarded the ferry on time but Fatih had to wait on a few stragglers. The crossing was smooth and the scenery lovely. On the other side was a cute village that I will recommend to Gate 1 as a better lunch stop. We continued on to Troy and spent a nice afternoon. Troy was at first unknown to be factual city, known through Homer, until an Archaeologist, Heinrich Schliemann in 1870 followed the geographical clues in the 'Iliad' and began excavating North West Turkey. He was convinced he had found the legendary city of Troy and excavated a hill called Hisarlick, in Anatolia, on Turkey's coast. He discovered huge city walls and evidence of a city destroyed by fire. The archaeology site was called Troia, where the Turkish Government now calls the city now Truva. In 1988, Manfred Kauffman along with a Team from the University of Tubingen and Cincinnati excavated this site further. Findings included arrowheads that dated to the 12 Century BC. He is also reported to have found a deep ditch around the city, as Kauffman explains this ditch would be means of defense of a much larger city than originally thought. However, it was still unclear which level of the city was Homer's Troy of 1200 BC, which was destroyed by the Greeks, as there are nine consecutive levels of occupation at Hisarlick. There are two levels that fit this period which are named Troy VI and Troy VII, archaeologists are agreeable to VII, which was destroyed by Fire in 1250 BC-1200BC. At this time, as told by Homer's Iliad, the King of Troy, was Priam, who waged war upon the Trojans over Helen, the wife of Agamemnon, who was kidnapped by Paris, the Prince of Troy. As Paris refused to return Helen, the War is thought to have lasted about ten years or more and eventually the Greeks won by using the deception of offering the Trojans a statue of a Horse as a gift that they would take inside the Walls of Troy. Once inside, the statue filled with the Greek warriors were able to open the Gates of Troy allowing the Greeks to overcome, burn and pillage the city. At the end of our visit we made pictures in the replica of the Trojan horse that was on display and had a minute or two to look at the gift shop. We boarded our bus and continued on to our hotel in Cannakkale. It was a lovely hotel and there was a great mall across the street and we visited it to get some bus snacks. There were shoes and clothing stores as well as a grocery. We purchased some apricots and cashews for our journey. As we walked out we saw wedding preparations being made around the pool. We then took a walk along the shore. There was a wedding a little further down and a wonderful exercise park. Back at our hotel the wedding preparations around the pool were complete and we went to the dining room and got a seat with a birds-eye view. We were joined by some of our group and we enjoyed the ceremony. It was a civil ceremony with much dancing and eating. Soon it was off to our room to shower and then journal before hitting the pillow. Click here to see Susan's Canakkale Pictures
Click here to see Gayle's Canakkale Pictures

Up early and bags out. We headed to the buffet that was great. The yoghurt and cherries were the hit on my plate. We had time to brush teeth before identifying our luggage and getting on the bus. Today we are on the road to Izmir with several stops along the way. We had our usual WC and shopping stop before we arrived at the village where we had our home visit. We broke into groups of 6 and were greeted by the gentleman of the house who walked us up the hill to meet his wife. The village is very small and the homes seem to be self-sustaining. Our group consisted of Carol, Marge, Vickie and her friend, Gayle and me. We were seated on the porch and served cold water and a soup to start. We enjoyed the view of the yard and all the lovely flowers, veggies, and fruits that were growing there. Our next course was a sort of antipasti with dolmas, eggplant, and cucumbers. Everything was delicious. We then were served our main course and dessert. Need I say we were stuffed after this incredible meal? Our hostess had the sweetest smile and spoke a little English. They posed for pictures and then we walked around the yard to see the bread oven and grapes before we made our way back to the bus. Hugs were given all around and soon we were on our way to Pergamum. One of the seven churches addressed in Revelation, the city of Pergamum became the center of a large kingdom in the 3rd century BC and retained its status as a political and cultural leader into the Byzantine period. The acropolis rises 1300 feet above the lower city located on the plain of the Caicus River. We enjoyed seeing this before we made our way to the Asclepium. The god of healing, Asclepius received worship in cultic centers around the Greek and Roman world. This large complex at Pergamum was originally constructed in the 4th century B.C. and became an official center in the 3rd century. In the 2nd century AD, Hadrian further developed the center and it was added to the list of "wonders of the world." This would be a hospital today but was for the wealthy with a huge library and a stadium for performances. People stayed here for months for treatments. From the ruins we drove to the huge city of Izmir and checked into our hotel. This hotel was not new and had a strange room arrangement but provided all we needed. Gayle and I took off to the seaside. On our walk we window shopped in about 12 bridal stores and were amazed at the number, variety, and quality of all the dresses. We made it to the sea but were disappointed that there was no shore just a very large park with paths along the water. It was a busy port with lots of ferries coming and going. We walked several miles for exercise and then started our journey back. We made it to within a block of the hotel and then had to ask for directions. Our hotel was not distinct enough to recognize. We went to the buffet dinner but only ate a little, as it too was not stellar. We were hot and tired and took our time showering and getting our clothes out for Ephesus. Good night. Click here to see Susan's Pictures from today
Click here to see Gayle's Pictures from today

Another early morning and Gayle and I are glad we established the habit of showering at night and laying out our clothes. We enjoyed a great buffet breakfast with yoghurt and cherries and delicious breads. We boarded the bus for the hour-long trip into Ephesus. Our first stop was the house of the Virgin Mary. The belief that the Virgin Mary had spent her last days in the vicinity of Ephesus and that she had died there, focused attention on a nun named Anna Katherina Emmerich who had lived in the late 18th century (1774-1820). The efforts to find the house were greatly influenced by her detailed description of the Virgin Mary's coming to Ephesus, her life and her last home there and the characteristics of the city although she had never been to Ephesus. We made the walk up to the house and visited the house and the prayer wall before continuing down to the bus. We were lucky that we arrived before all the cruise ship people and it was much more crowded as we left. From here we made our way to Ephesus and here we did encounter a horde of cruisers. We stayed with Fatih as he gave us all the history and our cameras were at the ready the whole time. This place is so amazing and even the tourists and guides with umbrellas could not detract from our enjoyment. In the ancient world, Ephesus was a center of travel and commerce. Situated on the Aegean Sea at the mouth of the Cayster River, the city was one of the greatest seaports of the ancient world. Three major roads led from the seaport: one road went east towards Babylon via Laodicea, another to the north via Smyrna and a third south to the Meander Valley. There is constant excavation and they are working hard to uncover more of this large city. The Celsius Library is still my photo favorite but the whole of the ruins is spectacular. It was sunny and hot and by the end of three hours we were getting tired but happy to have both eyes intact as the umbrellas were being swung about with abandon. As we headed to the bus 2 nice young men said "How was your day Susan Barrow?" I was wondering who knew my name but then I realized I had on a nametag. They we interested in where we were going and gave us thumbs up on Cappadocia. We headed up the mountain to a great restaurant off the beaten path and the view and food were both excellent. It was a nice reprieve before we headed to St. John's Church. St. John's grave was marked by a memorial and enclosed by a church of modest proportions in the 4th century. In the 6th century, Emperor Justinian (527-65 AD) believed that a tomb dating from the 300s was John's, so he built a magnificent church on the site dedicated it to the saint. The traditional tomb of St. John, located under the main central dome, elevated the site to one of the most sacred sites in the Middle Ages and thousands made pilgrimage here. This was so much more than we expected and the views from the hilltop were incredible. The ottoman fortress was very impressive also. From here we made the journey back to Izmir happy but tired. Back at the hotel we decided to shower, pack, and relax with a glass of wine. We could not find anyone in the bar area who could understand our order. It took 3 calls before a young woman came and took care of us. We only had time for a few sips before we had to head to a set dinner with our group. The meal was fish and not very tasty. We did not go away hungry but not very satisfied. Off to shower and rest!!! Click here to see Susan's Pictures from today
Click here to see Gayle's Pictures from today

Woke up early and had breakfast before boarding the bus for Antalya. We had a sleepy ride with Fatih giving talks along the way. Before lunch we made a stop at Pamukkale. Deriving from springs in a cliff almost 200 m high overlooking the plain, calcite-laden waters have created at Pamukkale (Cotton Palace) an unreal landscape, made up of mineral forests, petrified waterfalls and a series of terraced basins. At the end of the 2nd century B.C. the dynasty of the Attalids, the kings of Pergamum established the thermal spa of Hierapolis. The ruins of the baths, temples and other Greek monuments can be seen at the site. The calcium deposits on the hillside and the hot spring, which have served as hot springs since the 2nd century BC are quite a site to see. Gayle and I walked around and made pictures and enjoyed the constant parade of people who were dipping themselves in the shallow pools. Afterwards we went to dr. Fish for a fish foot massage and pedicure. It tickled and felt funny to start but then was very relaxing. Very clean and well done and cheap, this was a nice rest stop for several in our group. Neither Gayle nor I felt great and we were glad that we could take our time. Something had given us both an upset stomach but we were on the mend. I had a frozen strawberry drink for lunch and then joined our group for a walk through Hierapolis, which was a very large holy City and had an extremely large necropolis. This was where the apostle Phillip is thought to have died. There was a lot to see and was very fascinating but toward the end we had to rush to beat the rain. Back on the bus we continued on to Antalya in pouring rain. Major kudos to our driver Adil!! When we arrived we were at a fantastic hotel. We loved our room and the buffet dinner was marvelous and had a selection that was almost too much to deal with. We ate with the ladies from Arkansas. After dinner we took a walk all around the property and enjoyed the fabulous views. We read late and planned to enjoy a lazy morning with no wake up call. Click here to see Susan's Pictures from today
Click here to see Gayle's Pictures from today

This morning we woke up after seven and had coffee on our balcony over looking the Mediterranean. It was so nice to be on our own schedule! We showered and dressed and went down for breakfast. After eating too much we took a walk around the pools and then down to the sea. Beautiful! We gathered our things and got a cab into Old Town. We enjoyed a lazy day of shopping and checking out the Roman ruins including Hadrian's Gate. A day without ruins is a wasted day!!! I broke my no purchase rule and bought jewelry and trivets. We looked at lots of things and bargained like old pros. We were amazed at how many shops lined the zigzagged streets. We made it out onto the main street and had ice cream for a late lunch as we wandered the bazaars and viewed Ataturk's statue. We got a cab back and joined some new friends for a glass of wine in the bar. We enjoyed the dinner buffet and then took a walk before retiring. Click here to see Susan's Pictures from today
Click here to see Gayle's Pictures from today

Up early this morning in preparation for a long bus ride to Cappadocia. So glad we have maintained our ritual of showers and packing at night. It is so easy to just get up and put on the clothes that are laid out and put the bags out. Our breakfast was delicious and after brushing teeth in the hotel downstairs bath, see pictures, we headed to identify luggage and get on board. Fatih kept up a running lecture and we had the usual WC and shopping stops along the way. We stopped for lunch at a cafeteria type place but we chose to eat our granola bars, apricots, and nuts. We took a walk around the shopping area and Gayle found the cutest slippers for Finley. Our next stop was a school that Gate 1supports. They had redone the bathrooms and upgraded the classrooms and playground. This school had grades 1-4 and the students were all friendly and adorable. We were able to take photos and they smiled and made faces. We left the school supplies we had purchased for them and the teachers will make good use of them I am sure. Our next stop was at the Caravanserai of the Sultanhan. Sultanhan was built in the years 1228 to 1229 by Alaattin keykubat. This Han is an exceptional example of architectural stonework and decoration art from the Seljuk period. It was constructed to provide security for the road from Konya to Aksaray that was an important trade and military route. It is a classic Seljuk Han with summer and winter quarters plus a mescit and stables. We enjoyed seeing the stonework and imagining what life here must have been like. From here we travelled on to our hotel in Cappadocia. It was an older hotel and the area was not near much of anything. We settled in and got everything ready for our early morning balloon ride before showering and getting ready for dinner. Dinner was good and we went to our room for cameras before heading to the Whirling Dervish performance. The place for the performance was another restored caravanserai and was very lovely. The performance area was small and no photos could be taken during the performance. The whirling dance or Sufi whirling is part of a formal ceremony known as Sema. It has its origins in the inspiration of Rumi (1207 - 1273) who was a Dervish himself. The ceremony is performed to try to reach religious ecstasy and it symbolizes the different meanings of a mystic cycle to perfection. This was not a show but was extremely spiritual with haunting music from ancient instruments. Gayle and I enjoyed it very much and we were able to get a few pictures after the performance. We then had a light show on the walls of the open area and we were served a spicy tea. Soon it was back to the hotel and sleep!

Up at 4:45 am for the balloon ride over Cappadocia. We were dressed and down stairs at 5:15 ready to go and very excited. We waited 45 minutes and then went in for a bite of breakfast. Finally after an hour they told us that it was cancelled because of weather. We were very disappointed and went back to bed for 2.5 hours until time to leave for the all day tour. This city was the highlight of the trip for me. I had read a lot about the terrain and I will say even without the balloon ride it was an experience I will not forget. We hit all the high points of Cappadocia including the Pigeon Valley, Hunters Valley, Goreme Valley open air museum and the underground city. This allowed us to see all the different types of natural structures that formed from the erosion of the area. We saw cave houses, fairy chimneys, and the most beautiful natural structures you can imagine. We even saw the rock formation that looks like a camel! This is an otherworld experience. We also visited the carpet shop for a demo and they served us lunch. After lunch we visited and underground city called Ozkonak. The city was probably built by the people of Byzantine Cappadocia, although the age is uncertain and could be older. Ozkonak Underground City was discovered in 1972 by a local farmer named Latif Acar, who was curious about where his excess crop water was disappearing. Latif discovered an underground room which, when later excavated, revealed a whole city which could house 60,000 people for up to three months. Although only four floors are now open, the complex contains a total of ten floors, to a depth of 40m. Unlike the other underground cities in this area, there were holes above the tunnels used for dumping hot oil on the enemy. Just like Kaymakl? and Derinkuyu, Ozkonak has a water well, ventilation system, winery and moving stone doors. At the end of the day we went to the tile and ceramic shop. Very neat! It was a cave and there had been a ceramic manufacturer in the cave for over 800 years. This is the 7th generation of this family. This was beautiful but very expensive as were the rugs. We showered and packed before going down to dinner. After a little retail therapy in the gift shop we headed to bed. Click here to see Susan's pictures from today
Click here to see Gayle's pictures from today

Another day with an early wake-up call. We were packed so we dressed quickly, put the bags out and headed to breakfast. We ate yoghurt and cherries but they were not as good in this area. The breads were exceptional though. The bus was late leaving, as there were some slow moving folks. We had a long drive to Ankara so we stopped along the way for lunch. We again opted out of the food and walked about the property and enjoyed the views. We were on a lake and there was a lovely mosque next door. When we arrived in Ankara our first stop was the Ataturk Mausoleum. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk was a great leader, who turned Turkey into member of modern civilization, with all institutions. This building was built between 1944-1953 and contains a museum as well as the mausoleum. There was a lot to see and also marvelous views of the city from the perch high on a hill. From here we went to the Anatolian Civilizations Museum. The Anatolian Civilizations Museum (Museum of Ancient Anatolian Civilizations) with its original collections is considered to be one of the top Museums in the world today. Anatolian archaeological creations are exhibited in a chronological order starting from the Paleolithic Age up to the present time. This was a fascinating place and Fatih gave us a good walk through with extra time to explore on our own. Gayle and I spent a lot of time photographing things for Jennifer as this included her area of study. We finished with just enough time to explore the grounds before making our way to the bus. Our next stop was our hotel. It was in a lovely area of the city but like most Swissotels did not have a restaurant. We made plans to go to a Kabob House for dinner with 5 other ladies from our group. We walked to the restaurant and enjoyed the best pita and hummus of the whole trip. The kabobs were delicious and the wine was good. Our group was lively and everyone had a great time. We slowly made our way back knowing that our trip was coming to an end!! Gayle and I reorganized our suitcases before bed so we would have more time to shop tomorrow. After showers, it was off to bed! Click here to see Susan's pictures from today
Click here to see Gayle's pictures from today

Again, up early and bags out. Breakfast was not as good as we expected from a hotel of this caliber. We were on the bus on time and soon on our way. We had a morning long trip to Istanbul and we would stop for lunch on the way. Lunch was another time to walk and stretch. The ride across the Bosporus Bridge was beautiful but confirmed that the city would be very busy as there were 4 large cruise ships docked. Gayle and I got off at the harbor with the group going to the cruise. We made our way to the Spice market and made our purchases and then slowly walked up the street until we reached the Grand Bazaar. We did some shopping along the way and did not really need anything at the bazaar but took some time to just look. We made our way to the tram and then to our hotel. When we arrived at the hotel the room they assigned us had a king bed and no luggage. It was quite and ordeal involving a nice porter, 8 rooms, and an unfortunate opening of the door to an occupied room (both women from our group) before we were safely ensconced into our room, twin beds and luggage! By this time we were ready to do final packing and get ready for our good-bye dinner as a group. We stopped for wine on our way and when we arrived at the dining room a large number of our group had opted out. We shared a few stories, made some group pictures, exchanged email addresses, and ate too much. Soon it was bedtime as we had a 2:30 am wake up call. Click here to see Susan's pictures from today

What can you say about a day that started at 2:30 am; it was long and miserable. We arrived at the Ataturk airport and checked in easily. We had hours to kill so we walked every inch of the terminal we were in. All the shops were open even though the sun was not up and you could purchase Hermes to magazines. We saw sights we will never see again, men in terry wraps walking through the airport with luggage. They were coming from the cleansing area of the airport mosque. What a sight!!! Our flight to Munich was uneventful and after we found we could not go to the lounge, we found reclined seats and listened to our iPods until time to eat some lunch and get ready to board. The flight was long and we were tired when we arrived at JFK. We cleared passport control and claimed our luggage. Customs was not a problem and soon we were on a bus to LaGuardia. We checked in at USAir and had plenty of time for dinner. We had to walk to our plane outside and we were surprised at how cool it was. Short flight and Hugh was waiting. With all of our luggage in hand we were soon on our way to the Burg. The trip was a rousing success and we were so glad we had made it.

/Susan