We made a quick trip back to the Grand Bazaar before walking some distance back to the Hippodrome and area around the Blue Mosque and Haggia Sophia. We ate lunch at a former prison, now a Four Seasons luxury hotel.
After returning to the condo and resting awhile and freshening up, we went out for our last Istanbul dinner, to a restaurant in the part of town called Bebek, at the Bebek Hotel. The restaurant was literally at sea level on the Bosphorus Strait, which connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara and which divides both the city of Istanbul and the continents of Europe and Asia. It was open-air dining and you could almost touch the water! It was beautiful! We talked of all the things we'll see and do at our return visit!!
Once finished, we went for a walk along the Bosphorus and came across a man with a mama rabbit and two bunnies. We all ooh'ed and aah'ed as we held those tiny things. The mama rabbit was trained to pick fortunes from a rack full of paper slips. The English translation left one wanting, but it was a fun experience.
We were up early to catch an 8 a.m. taksi to the airport. Despite arriving before 9:00, we had no time to spare before boarding our 11:20 flight which will take us to Chicago and then home. I'm writing this entry, which I obviously can't post until Chicago, at some 30,000 ft in the air over the Atlantic between Iceland and Greenland. Our bodies say it's 5:45 p.m., but in Portland it's just 7:45 a.m.! We will arrive at PDX around 7:30 tonight, tired, but basking in the experience while being glad we're home!
I watched this young child being playful two days ago on Buyukada. At the same time a woman in a burka walked near us. All around were women, such as these, who were covered. I thought of how we all start out so innocent, playful and open to all of life and all of God's children. But, somewhere along the way we learn to be afraid of those different than us, all too often believing it's because we're right and they're wrong. And the roots of hatred begin.
We will take with us so many wonderful memories of people and places, sights and sounds and smells, food and drink, hot...hotter...hottest, blue and turquoise waters, calls to prayers, laughter and tears. We are so grateful to have had an easy, delightful and spirited travel companion in Nancy! We will be forever indebted to Oya for her generosity of time, money, knowledge of locale and language, and for including us in her time with family and friends. She added a rich, laughter-filled adventure to our lives.
It will be good to see all of you, except Mike and Mary who we wish continued great adventures in France! Gule Gule!!!
Addendum: Sat on the Tarmac for 25 minutes, had a long line in customs and a VERY Long line for security. We get to spend four hours at O'Hare, but the signs are in English and the colas are served with ice! Nothing like a 28- hour day! Special thanks to Nancy for extra help with the girls and the midnight airport run!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:Istanbul, up in the air
No comments:
Post a Comment