Blog From Turkey
Blog 1 From Turkey
İstanbul
Feb 3, 2009-02-03
Merhaba (Hello) from İstanbul!
We are here in İstanbul visiting very old friends that we met here in 1960 - 1962 when we lived in Ankara. Some of you may know that the day after we were married we moved here where Peter was posted when he was in the Army. So Turkey has a special meanıng for us: this is where we bagan our life together as a couple. Also, when we lived here, we met a young couple from İsrael who became our closest friends and so this trıp to Turkey and İsrael has special connections for us.
For the past few days, the weather has been cold and rainy – similar to what we are used to back in Seattle, but se la vie. İstanbul is, in our opinion, a world class city – very large and cosmopolitan, and a mix of the old and the new. İt is full of beautiful mosques and historical buildings and has the best markets including the spice market where the smells are an unforgettable mix of cheeses, olıves, every conceivable kind of spice, etc. And so crowded it is nearly impossible to navigate the narrow alleys, though from time to time a delivery truck somehow works its way through the crowd without running anyone over.
İstanbul ıs a city of neighborhoods, and we are staying with our friends in their apartment in an interesting part of the city where many Jews, Armenians, and Christians live, as well as Turks of course. Our apartment is on the top floor of a 6 floor building – 105 steps and no elevator, so once we leave in the morning we don't return until the evening after we have walked for hours and kilometers – miles it seems.
İt has turned out to be a very interestıng trip for us at this time, to İsrael and Turkey. İn İsrael of course there is the Gaza war, and here in Turkey, there are very high anti İsrael feelings with large demonstrations and emotional speeches by the Turkısh president . We have decided not to tell anyone that we have been in Israel and that we are Jewish, since the atmosphere feels very volatile here. Each night on TV, the news replays the emotional speech by President Erdogan while sitting next to Shimon Peres of İsrael and there are many many news commentators talking about it throughout the day and evening on all of the Turkish news programs.
Never the less, we do feel comfortable and safe, and we love Turkey as much as we always have. İt continues to have a special place ın our heart. Turks are warm and hospitable people, and we continue to rate it as our favorite place. The food ıs superb, and we eat our way through the day, and then in the evenıng, our friend Taylan has cooked another delicious dinner just as we remember her mother doing more than 48 years ago when we lived ın Ankara. And the desserts – wow! This ıs not a weight loss trip for sure.
Yesterday we went to a hamam – Turkish bath. When you emerge an hour or so later you are clean – clean – clean, and a bit wıped out after having been scrubbed, massaged, and boiled lıke a lobster in the 115 – 120 degree heat of the hot room. The masseur really worked Peter over while Hinda's masseuse seemed a bit gentler. This hamam was built in 1714 and is very beautiful insıde – all marble. After her bath, Hinda received a gift of black panties, while Peter received nothing but feeling beaten up! İt was lots of fun, felt good and after a few hours of recuperation, we might be willıng to try it again.
We continue to do most of the usual tourist things like visiting Aya Sofia. The Blue Mosque, The İstanbul Modern Art Museum, Topkapi, and many other sights. We have been to some of these before but always find something new to discover.
Today it ıs raining and cold so we will stay inside drinking tea until the weather clears. Back to İsrael in a couple of days. We will write again from there.
Love, Hinda and Peter
İstanbul
Feb 3, 2009-02-03
Merhaba (Hello) from İstanbul!
We are here in İstanbul visiting very old friends that we met here in 1960 - 1962 when we lived in Ankara. Some of you may know that the day after we were married we moved here where Peter was posted when he was in the Army. So Turkey has a special meanıng for us: this is where we bagan our life together as a couple. Also, when we lived here, we met a young couple from İsrael who became our closest friends and so this trıp to Turkey and İsrael has special connections for us.
For the past few days, the weather has been cold and rainy – similar to what we are used to back in Seattle, but se la vie. İstanbul is, in our opinion, a world class city – very large and cosmopolitan, and a mix of the old and the new. İt is full of beautiful mosques and historical buildings and has the best markets including the spice market where the smells are an unforgettable mix of cheeses, olıves, every conceivable kind of spice, etc. And so crowded it is nearly impossible to navigate the narrow alleys, though from time to time a delivery truck somehow works its way through the crowd without running anyone over.
İstanbul ıs a city of neighborhoods, and we are staying with our friends in their apartment in an interesting part of the city where many Jews, Armenians, and Christians live, as well as Turks of course. Our apartment is on the top floor of a 6 floor building – 105 steps and no elevator, so once we leave in the morning we don't return until the evening after we have walked for hours and kilometers – miles it seems.
İt has turned out to be a very interestıng trip for us at this time, to İsrael and Turkey. İn İsrael of course there is the Gaza war, and here in Turkey, there are very high anti İsrael feelings with large demonstrations and emotional speeches by the Turkısh president . We have decided not to tell anyone that we have been in Israel and that we are Jewish, since the atmosphere feels very volatile here. Each night on TV, the news replays the emotional speech by President Erdogan while sitting next to Shimon Peres of İsrael and there are many many news commentators talking about it throughout the day and evening on all of the Turkish news programs.
Never the less, we do feel comfortable and safe, and we love Turkey as much as we always have. İt continues to have a special place ın our heart. Turks are warm and hospitable people, and we continue to rate it as our favorite place. The food ıs superb, and we eat our way through the day, and then in the evenıng, our friend Taylan has cooked another delicious dinner just as we remember her mother doing more than 48 years ago when we lived ın Ankara. And the desserts – wow! This ıs not a weight loss trip for sure.
Yesterday we went to a hamam – Turkish bath. When you emerge an hour or so later you are clean – clean – clean, and a bit wıped out after having been scrubbed, massaged, and boiled lıke a lobster in the 115 – 120 degree heat of the hot room. The masseur really worked Peter over while Hinda's masseuse seemed a bit gentler. This hamam was built in 1714 and is very beautiful insıde – all marble. After her bath, Hinda received a gift of black panties, while Peter received nothing but feeling beaten up! İt was lots of fun, felt good and after a few hours of recuperation, we might be willıng to try it again.
We continue to do most of the usual tourist things like visiting Aya Sofia. The Blue Mosque, The İstanbul Modern Art Museum, Topkapi, and many other sights. We have been to some of these before but always find something new to discover.
Today it ıs raining and cold so we will stay inside drinking tea until the weather clears. Back to İsrael in a couple of days. We will write again from there.
Love, Hinda and Peter
posted by Peter and Hinda Schnurman at 12:06 AM
1 Comments:
Turkey is where my father's side of the family is from. I have never been there but it is so nice to experience it through your eyes.
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