Istanbul, Turkey ... August 30, 2015 ... Day 12

Day 12, August 30, 2015 … Istanbul. This was a very, very interesting day! We’re up early, ate breakfast, then met our tour guide. She was a delightful young lady who was extremely knowledgeable about the history of Turkey going back to 632 BC, Muslim customs and traditions and modern life in the country. From the ship we took a tram right into Old Istanbul.

The Old City of Istanbul

Istanbul, called Constantinople until 1930, is home to about 17 million people and is the only city located on two continents …  Europe and Asia. It is a modern city with the definite influence of both Europe and Asia plus its tumultuous past. Its history boasts of Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman occupations; but the current country of Turkey gained its independence only in 1923.  It is a secular government; however, well over 90+ percent of the population are Muslim, four-fifths Sunnis.  As a matter of fact, today is their independence day, and we saw huge Turkish flags flying from many of the buildings throughout our meanderings!

Byzantine Hippodrome … While the hippodrome no longer exists, Josephine presented an excellent visualization of what the arena was like as the heart of Constantinople’s political and sporting life. Three different columns, two that came from Egypt, one created locally, that were situated in the center of the chariot-racing track still remain (Think of the movie Ben Hur and Charlton Heston’s famous chariot ride in Rome … same, same).  The one column is made of granite and looks like it is modern-day, not the original 4th century that it is!

The Blue Mosque … This beloved icon of Istanbul was built in the early 1600s by the Muslims to construct a place of worship that would exceed the grandeur of the Hagia Sophia. It has six minarets/spirals instead of the traditional four, which was not allowed at that time because only the mosque in Mecca could have that

The Blue Mosque

Inside the Blue Mosque

many. To get around that problem, the Sultan paid to have another minaret added to Mecca! The mosque gets its name from the thousands and thousands of blue, green and white Iznik tiles on the walls, in the arches and on the ceilings of the many domes that create a glow throughout the entire very large gathering room. There are more than 50 different tulip designs (yes, tulips actually originated in Turkey, not Holland!) and 216 stained glass windows. Because people still come to pray here, we had to take our shoes off, women had to have head scarves and all shorts or sleeveless tops had to be covered before entering the mosque.  For the Turkish people, this is a very important building, though it should be noted there are hundreds of other mosques around the city. While Turkey is a secular government, the imams who are the prayer leaders of the mosques are paid by the state, thereby allowing the state to exercise some limits on political speech in their sermons.

Outside the Hagia Sophia

Hagia Sofia… This magnificent church was first built in 325 by Constantine the Great; but was subsequently rebuilt two other times because it was destroyed by fire. When constructed, it was by far the largest church in the world (it is now about the 5^th largest). In 1453, when Constantinople fell to the Turks the church was converted into a mosque by Suleman. Because Muslims do not allow icons and pictures in their mosques, all of the beautiful icons and mosaics were covered with plaster rather than destroyed because even the conquerors appreciated their beauty. Then a prayer marker was placed in the alter area which pointed east to Mecca. Huge black circles were placed around the church with a  name of a Muslim prophet written in Arabic .  Those plaques are still there. In 1936, when the Hagai Sofia, meaning the Church of Holy Wisdom, was converted into a museum, many of these beautiful works of art were dramatically revealed.  The famous mosaics of Jesus, Mary and John the Baptist, located on the upper level, and Mary and Child, located above the altar, are absolutely stunning.

Mary and Child
Above the alter at the Hagai Sophia

The church is a model of Byzantine architecture with a huge dome and marble and pillars from Ephesus. I was taken aback by how large it is and was fascinated how Islam used the building. One reason this building is so dear to the Turkish people is because of its proximity to the Sultan’s palace, accommodations were made so both the Sultan and the princess could attend prayers without being with the other worshipers. The domes, the intricate designs on the columns and arches and the Christian mosaic icons being brought to light all related to a rich and varied history … important to Orthodox, Catholics and Islam.

The famous mosaic of Jesus, Mary and John the Baptist
Hagai Sophia, Istanbul, Turkey

Topkapi Palace … After a delicious Turkish lunch in a small local restaurant, we walked to Topkapi Palace, now a museum but once the treasure-filled residence of the Ottoman sultans for almost 400 years.   The entire complex was built on the ruins of Constantine’s Imperial Palace and consists of four sections, each with a building followed by a large garden area. First was the greeting area, after which we walked through a beautiful garden with very large trees … a nice respite to the scorching 90+ degree sun beating down on us. Then was the sultan’s government building, again followed by a garden of trees and paths lined with hundreds of rose bushes. The third building complex was the

sultan’s personal living quarters. His wives and concubines lived elsewhere in the Harem Quarter on one side.  Over 800 young women once lived there, all hoping to catch the eye of the sultan.  It was the sultan’s mother who had the power to choose the particular girls for her son’s pleasure!  Many of the young women only served for a few years, after which they left the palace to live a normal life.

The last area housed young men taken from non-Muslim families as young as 6 or 7 years old from all around the empire to be trained as either soldiers (the elite Janissaries) or today what we might call government administrators, financial advisers, etc. The reason non-Muslims were taken was because these men would have no

political backing to revolt against the sultan, and they were provided a very good and stable life working for the sultan, after being forced to convert to Islam. The last garden overlooks the beautiful blue Bosphorus straits and the golden horn surrounding the city.  Temperatures in the winter hover around 35-40 degrees F, sometimes below freezing and sometimes with snow, so this area with its large calming water fountain surrounded by a few beautiful little buildings used for resting, entertaining, etc., was only used in the summer. Women were not allowed back there except when the sultan was entertaining.

One very long building along the side of the complex was the kitchen, cooking for anywhere from 5,000 to 15,000 people every day, depending on the activities taking place in the palace.  There were over 1,000 servants who worked around the clock to serve the 5,000 residents living in the palace.  As you can imagine, the inside walls and ceilings of every single building were covered in gorgeous mosaic tiles arranged in many, many different geometric designs. Some of the buildings also had beautiful stained glass windows.  Today, the buildings house various museum pieces.  We browsed through the section that holds many holy relics, including the hair of Mohammad, relics of John the Baptist, the staff of Moses and the head covering of Joseph. Another section housed many of the armaments used in battle over the history of this region … exotic swords, rifles and guns and armor for both men and horses.   Things we did not stand in line to see were the famous Spoonmaker’s Diamond, an 86-carat gem or the famous Topkapi Dagger encrusted with precious jewels or the collections of porcelain.

It’s been a long, hot day with lots of walking, but it was also exciting to visit these historic places and learn more of their history from a resident’s point of view. Plus the people watching of both tourists and locals has been absolutely fascinating.  There is more I’d like to see, especially the beautiful area of the Bosphorus connecting the two continents within the City … but that will have to be for another time!  After some souvenir shopping, we took the tram  back to the ship.

On disembarking we passed the golden Horn into the Bosphorus straits and south to the the sea of Marmara, filled with hundreds of vessels awaiting access either  to the Black Sea through the straits or ports around Istanbul. The congestion requires strict navigation rules including a pilot for all ships.  A quick shower, the Captain’s Circle cocktail hour and a dinner filled with laughter from what are becoming good friends concluded our wonderful day in Istanbul. Now it is time to flop into bed, totally exhausted!

A hazy look at the many ships in the Sea of Marmara
Turkey

Venezia, Italy ... August, 2015 ... Days 6 and 7

Day 6, August 24, 2015 … We lingered a little too long having breakfast and saying good bye to dear friends, though it will be good to visit with Jeanette and Philippe again after our cruise and after everything has settled down for them too!  After missing a couple turns to the airport in Toulouse and then rushing through baggage check-in and security at the Toulouse airport, we made it just in time to board the plane to Venezia (Venice, for us Americans!).   At the Venice airport we were met by our transfer guide who took us to our hotel first via van, then via boat taxi, then a short walk through the narrow streets of the City.  We are staying at the Kette Hotel, which is very lovely and is very centrally located.  Our room is small but charming … though I have to once again register my complaint that, as is often the case overseas, they discriminate against us women who need to “do” our hair by not having the necessary plug-ins in the bathroom!!! But this is a different country, different language and different customs and traditions and another great adventure!

 

St. Mark's Square

By now we are very hungry and thirsty, so we venture out into the lovely City with its narrow alleys, bridges to cross the canals, shops-shops-shops galore and crowds of people simply meandering around. We found a less expensive place for a delicious pizza and beer. Afterwards we walked through the magnificent St. Mark’s Plaza with its long columned buildings on three sides of the plaza, all filled with shops for clothes, shoes, glassware, jewelry, handbags, opera masks, touristy things.  The plaza was filled with people … strolling along, taking pictures, enjoying the pigeons, stopping to eat. Because there are no cars in the city, strolling through it is effortless and very enjoyable.

This evening we treated ourselves to a serenaded gondola ride.  There were about half a

dozen gondolas, each with 4 to 6 people plus the gondolier.  We were fortunate enough to have the accordion player and vocalist on our gondola; so for half an hour, we were serenaded through the canals of Venezia to the sound of Italian love songs.  This was really, really delightful!!! Because it was such a beautiful evening, we again strolled down the city’s alleys, across the bridge to Plaza San Marco’s, which was not as crowded as this afternoon but had three different music groups playing very enjoyable music (what’s not to like with pianos, accordions, flutes or clarinets and a little base?!).  It’s been exciting to be back here again.  Alas, we are finally able to get to bed at a decent time … until tomorrow …

Day 7, August 25, 2015 …

The Old City of Venice

We had a walking tour of Venice this morning.  The city is located in the marshy Venetian Lagoon which stretches along the shoreline between the mouths of the Po and the Piave Rivers. Venice is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artwork. The entire city and the lagoon is

The Clock Tower
St. Mark's Plaza

listed as a World Heritage Site. It consists of 148 islands surrounded by many canals, has 409 bridges crossing those canals and has about 60,000 people living in the original city area. Only licensed commercial boats are allowed to travel on the main canal. Even back in the 4^th or 5^th century, building in this marshy area consisted of first placing 30 foot wood pilings into the water with buildings constructed on top of the pilings. Most of these pilings are still intact after centuries of submersion. Submerged by water in oxygen-poor conditions, wood does not decay as rapidly as on the surface. It was fascinating to listen to the history of the City, see the supposed home of Marco Polo, walk the narrow alleyways and hear about the mindset of the Venetians both in the past and in the present.

Typical City walkway!

The Doge’s Palace

The next portion of the tour was going through The Doge’s (pronounced Doe-jae) Palace. It is a palace built in Venetian Gothic style and is one of the main landmarks of the city. It was the residence of the Doge of Venice,

The Golden Stairway
The Doge's Palace

the supreme authority of the former Republic of Venice from the 6^th to the 18^th century. The palace has been a museum since 1923. The Venetians are proud of the system of justice in this time period, as statesmen were rotated anywhere from every week to every three months to prevent graft, persons who had an interest in the case were not allowed to sit in judgment and those imprisoned were expected to be released at some point, never intending there to be life sentences.

 Inside the palace are hundreds of both large wall-sized and small paintings plus ornate framing covering both the walls and ceilings.  The golden stairway that the Doge climbed everyday is laden with gold leaf artwork … amazing! The gathering room, built in the 14^th century is one of the largest ever

The typical ceiling decor
The Doge's Palace

Artwork, The Doge's Palace

constructed in that time period without pillars and housed over 2,000 people at the weekly gatherings of official business.  The palace also contained the prison, and there were many interesting stories about how and why people were interrogated, the dread of walking across the Bridge of Sighs,  the life as prisoners and even escapees, such as the escape of the famous Giovanni Giacomo “Casanova”! 

San Marco’s Cathedral and Basilica

Saint Mark's Basilica is the cathedral church of the Archdiocese of Venice and is one of the most famous of the city’s many churches. The original section, built in the 800s, was inside the complex of the Doge’s Palace to house the relics of St. Mark the Evangelist  His body is in the altar today.  After a fire, the church was rebuilt in the 11^th century and was considered the Doge’s private chapel until 1807 when it was declared a cathedral. It is considered one of the best examples of Byzantine architecture and is known for its extravagant designs and gilded interior mosaics. 

Outside you see various mosaic scenes and many, many statues and ornate carvings. As you walk inside, your eyes are drawn to the many gilded mosaics depicting Biblical events around the wide arches, along many of the walls and in the ceiling … simply awe-inspiring to see the sparkling gold artwork!  The building is laid out in the form of a Greek cross, the marble floors are arranged in a geometric style with animals scattered about reminding the people of some little moral virtue, Between the altar and the sanctuary is a very large iconostasis with Jesus, Mary, the twelve apostles and Saint Mark. Behind the alter is the famous Pala d’Oro, Golden Pall, a large Altar panel made up of about 60 smaller gold panels displaying forms of Jesus, his crucifixion, the apostles, Mary and the evangelists.  The entire panel of gold is embedded with gems … simply amazing!  

St. Mark's Basilica
(restoration being done on the right side!)

The mosaic above the main entrance
St. Mark's Basilica

Glass  Blowing at Morano Island

Venice is also famous for its glass ware.  We took a 20-minute boat ride to the island of Morano to watch the art of glass blowing. This skill is only passed down from father to son, and this particular factory operates 24/7 except during the holiday month of August.  It was interesting watching the short demonstration, but more amazing was some  of the beautiful glass works depicting animals or vases, bowls, stemmed glassware, ornate chandeliers, etc. etc. etc. … most priced considerably more than I can afford … but it was fun to browse!  After coming back, we walked along the canal, browsing through some of the many vendors along the street and stopping to quench our thirst from the hot sun with a “birra”.

View of Old Venice from the Venetian Lagoon

We found a cute little place for dinner and enjoyed some very good Italian sea bass with a dill sauce (me) and veal, also with a delicious sauce (Bob). It’s been a long day of walking, but it has been great fun exploring the city, walking along the stone-paved narrow alleys, dodging the crowds and watching the gondolas on which others were being serenaded this evening! ! I’ve thoroughly enjoyed meandering all around Venice … truly a quaint and romantic place to see.

Foothills of the Pyrenees, Southern France ... August, 2015 ... Days 4 and 5

Day 4, August 22, 2015 … After a leisurely morning, we drove into L’Isle-en-Dodon for lunch as the bride and her party took over the house with their makeup, hair styling and lunch! After driving around a bit, we found a restaurant that didn’t look like much from the outside, but was really very nice once inside.  We walked back to the terrace and from there proceeded to determine what was on the menu … Bob struggling with his French; the waitress not knowing a word of English!  After a few minutes of this, in walks three American friends of Philippe that we met at the manor who also speak French … so between the five of us, we thought we had it all figured out.  Surprisingly, the entrées weren’t exactly what we thought, but very tasty nonetheless … and so, so much food!  What has been an eye-opener for me, however, is how much the French use and prepare all parts of the animal to eat … such as the tongue, head, kidneys, belly, pig skin, etc. … which I remember my grandmothers and mother doing as well but which would be repulsive to most Americans today!

The wedding was very beautiful.  The priest was actually a friend of Chris’s from Marquette, and the Mass combining both American and French customs was unique and enjoyable.  As with most weddings, the stress of the last few days had melted away with everyone now laughing and enjoying the festivities!  The couple was greeted with a shower of rose pedals as they exited the church where they then greeted guests. After that they got into a decorated 1940s era Citroen … the pride of France after WWII and the awe of all of us there!

The reception was at another Chateau … four tables of appetizers, wine and champagne were the openers in the front courtyard.  The rest of the evening’s festivities were inside the old, simple yet very comfortable Chateau.  A baguette greeted us at our place setting, bottles of wine and champagne (real French champagne!) were a constant on the tables all night long, and the four-course meal lasted about 4 ½ hours!!!

The traditional French wedding cake consists of cream puffs all piled up in a tee-pee shape, then drizzled with a caramelized sugar glaze.  It was delicious! They also had what I was told was a more American type cake … but it wasn’t “American” to me … lots of layers of a some type of cake and cream or pudding or … whatever, with a flavored hard frosting. It too was very tasty.  Philippe gave a wonderful speech, sending  Anais and Chris off on their life together … it was very humorous and touching.   By 12:30 a.m. we were very “wilted” and were about the first to leave.  The dancing was just about to begin! I understand French weddings end when they end … often in the wee hours of the morning!   We certainly are glad we made this journey to celebrate this event!

Day 5, August 23, 2015 … Arose to help Jeanette make the rice salad for this afternoon to continue the wedding celebration.  Tents, tables and benches were set up, the Sangria came out, the two lambs

have been roasting since 7 a.m., the fresh tomato salad is made and the bean cassoulet made with sausage, pork and duck has been cooking in a very large iron pot over the fire in that large fireplace in the living room for several hours.  Many hands have been scurrying around to help prepare for the 70+ guests here this

afternoon. Around two o’clock we sat down to lunch, eating each course with delicious nutty or fruity buns and wine labeled especially for this day for Anais and Chris! Another leisurely French culinary delight while visiting with many new and a few old acquaintances!

The rest of the evening and spent saying goodbye to those who are departing for so many different places, and enjoying the sunset while sitting at the pool side drinking French wine, laughing and conversing with the family members … and also helping out with cleanup, dishes, etc.  This is good!!  I was touched that Philippe’s sister gave me her book of paintings … she is a very talented artist of abstract paintings.  I do wish we had planned to stay another day … but it’s time to pack and be ready to leave early tomorrow.

Foothills of the Pyrenees,Southern France ... August 2015 ... Days 1-3

Days 1 & 2, Aug 19 and 20, 2015 ….  We left the house at 8:30 a.m., flew to (DTW) Detroit, Michigan, transferred to a flight to (CDG) Paris, France, then transferred to another flight and arrived in Toulouse, France at 9 a.m., Thursday morning. The flights, though running late,  were uneventful.  Regardless,  I barely slept; but the planes were very comfortable.  We picked up our rental car in Toulouse … and then the fun began!!

Toulouse is in southwestern France in the foothills of the Pyrenees Mountains. Oh my goodness, is it ever beautiful.  These foothills are mountains themselves!  Once we left the freeway, we were on back roads, which are more like 12-foot wide driveways.  At one point we thought we really were in someone’s long driveway ... but no, the road kept meandering up and down and around through the steep patchwork fields of sunflowers, corn, wheat and pastures for sheep or cattle. I can’t imagine the tractors working on these very steep fields, and we’re told that accidents and deaths occurring from tractors flipping over are too common.

Foothills of the Pyrenees

After driving for about an hour, we are surprised to find ourselves at our destination … Domaine de Courbet.  It is a beautiful old manor on top of one of these mountains overlooking the valley, other mountain ridges, the little village of Martisserre with its tall church steeple and the Pyrenees Mountains behind all this!  The view is spectacular.  The manor consists of the 250 year-old main house, which has been updated but still retains the original large cooking fireplace in the living room, thick brick walls, large wooden beams and a stoop-down doorway out to the back!  There are also two other buildings dating back to the 15^th century, that have been converted into living quarters.  In the back is a large modern pool built on a ridge from which we not only enjoy the view, but watch the wonderful sunsets as well. The flower gardens are very pretty and the tomatoes from the garden are sweet and delicious!

Domaine de Courbet

The manor is owned by the sister and brother-in-law of our friend Philippe.  We are here to attend his daughter’s wedding.  I grew up with Jeanette, the bride’s mom (as a matter of fact, our moms grew up together too  … so we go a long way back!).  She married Philippe, and they have lived in or around the Paris area all of their married lives.  Both of their daughters live in the States now, but Anais and Chris have chosen this venue for their wedding … somewhat of a family tradition as many aunts, uncles and cousins have also been married in the same church and/or used the same reception facility.  We are so Blessed to be here … I lost count, but there are at least 20-25 people staying at this manor complex.

Upon our arrival, we had an opportunity to relax and visit with some of the family. Jeanette and I then made dinner, which we ate in the back yard, next to the pool under the moon light … delicious tomatoes with olive oil, Balsamic vinegar, basil and salt; salmon and potatoes; sheep cheese and freshly picked plums and figs for dessert … all with baguette bread and wine, of course!   And now after 36 hours of constant travel, it’s time to get some much-needed sleep.  Good night!

Day 3, August 21, 2015 … I slept in a bit and by mid-morning we were out exploring the area. Our first stop was in the little city of Lombez. We ate lunch on the terrace behind the hotel. Language has not been much of an issue here yet … Bob speaks a little and many locals speak English.  But we didn’t understand the menu … except for the word fries. So we thought … okay ... hamburger and fries.  Well, not exactly. It was actually a thin steak with French fries and a leaf lettuce salad … delicious. I later was told that that is a very typical French lunch.  So we did good!  

Next stop, the very old Cathedral of Sainte Marie, which was actually a Cathedral in the 14^th and 15^th centuries.  With its four side alters on either side of the sanctuary, very beautiful Stations of the Cross, gorgeous stained glass windows, an inspiring replica of the Pieta and many other statues, this is still a local church with its weekly bulletin on the table giving us a feeling of the millennial church in France. A two-hundred year-old-church in the USA is considered ancient; a two-hundred-year-old church in France is considered new!!!

Cathedral of Sainte Marie
Lombez, Franch

We again drove the back roads about 15-20 miles to the town of L’lise-en-Dodon to find the church where the wedding is to be tomorrow.  The Eglise Saint-Adrien is another 13^th century church, built near the end of the Crusades, again with beautiful stained-glass windows and many statues, also with a Pieta.  This is going to be a beautiful setting tomorrow!  Lastly, another hilly, windy journey along the narrow roads, all with the gorgeous vistas, we come to another Chateau to prepare for the reception.  We spend several hours ironing table cloths and creating beautiful tables for tomorrow. 

By time we got back to our manor, other guests had arrived, and several of the women helped me make dinner for the eight of us here this evening while the “bride and groom” and all wedding party members do their rehearsal and dinner things. It was also very nice to catch up with a couple of Jeanette’s cousins whom I hadn’t seen since high school!!  The bartender for tomorrow and one other gentleman were making the Sangria for Sunday's festivities; and, of course, we had to sample it!  Delicious (though I’m not a Sangria fan, this was very good!). Plus the gentleman makes his own plum cognac … tastes like Port. What’s not to like?  Like one person reflected, being here is almost story-book and magical … the serene beauty, the ancient (but very comfortable) buildings, the stunning scenery, the French hospitality. We are certainly honored to be staying here.