Showing posts with label istanbul. Show all posts
Showing posts with label istanbul. Show all posts
Thursday, March 22, 2007
istanbul pictures
My darling wife has put some of her pictures from the Istanbul trip up at her blog. Enjoy!
And Now a Word From Our Sponsor
Cola Turka. The Turkish Cola.
I would like to be the new spokesperson. Our slogan: "Even Greeks like it!"
New Keychain
We were so impressed with the keychains at our hotel in Istanbul that I just had to get one for myself.Sunday, March 18, 2007
Today
Our meetings are over, and Krista and I are headed over to Europe again today. We're without translators or people who have lived here, so today will be purely what we can do with our phrasebook and tour book.
Right now we're thinking about going to the Topkapi Palace and the Galata Tower. We'll let you know how it goes. We haven't been able to get pictures to load correctly, but we'll get some pictures up when we get home.
Right now we're thinking about going to the Topkapi Palace and the Galata Tower. We'll let you know how it goes. We haven't been able to get pictures to load correctly, but we'll get some pictures up when we get home.
Lost in Translation
It's amazing the number of western chain restaurants that are here in Istanbul. There are over 40 Starbucks, and an uncountable multitude of McDonald's, Burger Kings, Pizza Huts and even Arby's.
Last night we went to a local mall and I bought a milkshake at Burger King. Krista noticed that their version of "Kid's Club" here in Turkey was called "Chub City."
Now that's truth in advertising!
Last night we went to a local mall and I bought a milkshake at Burger King. Krista noticed that their version of "Kid's Club" here in Turkey was called "Chub City."
Now that's truth in advertising!
Friday, March 16, 2007
greetings from Istanbul
We arrived safely in Istanbul last night. We met up with our friend Ron at the Frankfurt airport, flew to Istanbul and caught a taxi to go from the airport in Europe to our hotel in Asia.
By the time we crossed the Bosphorus the sun had set and the bridge and a hundred mosques were lit by floodlights. We moved into our hotel and set out to have our first Turkish meal.
We started with a tasty sort of burrito/sandwich called a durum… lamb, pickles, tomatoes and lettuce wrapped in a tortilla. I thought I would try the mysterious white drink called ayran, because you never know when culinary bravery will reward you with a new favorite food or beverage.
Ayran turns out to be a thick white drink made with sour yogurt and salt. It’s not a favorite. But you should still try it when you come, you might like it, who knows?
We rewarded ourselves with some excellent pistachio baklava. Before we figured out how to ask for our check, our friend Dave showed up. Dave used to live here so he took us on a little walking tour of the neighborhood (called Kodikoy). There are 2.5 million people in the neighborhood here.
Dave says that although Istanbul is called the “City of a thousand mosques” that he thinks a more accurate name would be “the city of a thousand churches with mosques built on top of them”. I thought that was interesting.
We also learned about the heavy influence of Turkish culture on C.S. Lewis (“Aslan” means “lion” for instance). By 11.30 we were tired, so we headed for bed.
We woke up this morning to a breakfast of fresh cheeses, various olives, raisins, and pizza. Krista and I went off and took some pictures this morning, and in a little bit we’ll take the ferry across to the European side of the city and go to the Grand Bazaar.
We’ll post again soon and keep you all in the loop!
By the time we crossed the Bosphorus the sun had set and the bridge and a hundred mosques were lit by floodlights. We moved into our hotel and set out to have our first Turkish meal.
We started with a tasty sort of burrito/sandwich called a durum… lamb, pickles, tomatoes and lettuce wrapped in a tortilla. I thought I would try the mysterious white drink called ayran, because you never know when culinary bravery will reward you with a new favorite food or beverage.
Ayran turns out to be a thick white drink made with sour yogurt and salt. It’s not a favorite. But you should still try it when you come, you might like it, who knows?
We rewarded ourselves with some excellent pistachio baklava. Before we figured out how to ask for our check, our friend Dave showed up. Dave used to live here so he took us on a little walking tour of the neighborhood (called Kodikoy). There are 2.5 million people in the neighborhood here.
Dave says that although Istanbul is called the “City of a thousand mosques” that he thinks a more accurate name would be “the city of a thousand churches with mosques built on top of them”. I thought that was interesting.
We also learned about the heavy influence of Turkish culture on C.S. Lewis (“Aslan” means “lion” for instance). By 11.30 we were tired, so we headed for bed.
We woke up this morning to a breakfast of fresh cheeses, various olives, raisins, and pizza. Krista and I went off and took some pictures this morning, and in a little bit we’ll take the ferry across to the European side of the city and go to the Grand Bazaar.
We’ll post again soon and keep you all in the loop!
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Istanbuuuuuuuul
Krista and I leave today for Istanbul. We'll be gone a week. It's a modern city with lots of internet hookups. I think. So don't worry, you'll get updates.
In the meantime, you should check out the Istanbul live traffic cams. Don't let the turkish instructions fool you, just click on the links on the right side of the page. And I promise that if I see any traffic cameras while I am in Istanbul, I will stop and wave. So you just might see us if you click the right camera at the right moment.
And, for your reading pleasure, here's wikipedia's Istanbul article.
See ya soon!
In the meantime, you should check out the Istanbul live traffic cams. Don't let the turkish instructions fool you, just click on the links on the right side of the page. And I promise that if I see any traffic cameras while I am in Istanbul, I will stop and wave. So you just might see us if you click the right camera at the right moment.
And, for your reading pleasure, here's wikipedia's Istanbul article.
See ya soon!
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