TURKEY!!!!!!

We just returned from a remarkable 8 day trip to Turkey. I have taken a few days trying to figure out the best way to relay all the information, history, pictures, sites and smells in this post.  Basically I concluded its almost impossible!  Just so you are all aware we were in Istanbul and on that side of the country and very safe EVERYWHERE we went.  The fighting and ISIS issues you see reported in the news was well over several hundred miles away from us.  Turkey is a beautiful country.  Istanbul is a spectacular city of 14 million people with Mosques on every corner to service its 97% Muslim population.  Hopefully I can give you a small glimpse into our fantastic week.

Teachers ready to go...

Students ready to go...

Plane ready!

Our first views from the bus as we traveled to our first site, Hagia Sophia and the Istanbul Archaeological Museum.

After we checked into our hotel we took a lovely walk to simply take in as much as we could.

Day two was filled with Hippodrome, Blue Mosque, Basilica Cistern, Topkapi Palace,shopping in the grand bazaar a cruise on the Bosphorus  ending up the day with a Whirling Dervish ceremony.  The following pictures captured the day with the exception of the Whirling Dervish as no photography was allowed.

Day three:  Long bus day. One bus broke down and so Ron & I and several others missed the visit to Gallipoli Battle Fields but caught up with the other bus for lunch and a ferry ride across the Dardanelles. The first four pictures are what we did while waiting for our new bus to arrive.  The other pictures are of the rest of the day; the ferry ride and Troy.

Day four, one of my favorites, ASSOS and Pergamon Acropolis.

In the middle of all these ruins and history, we never lacked for wonderful food.

Day 5

Ephasus, Basilica of St. John and Meletus

Basilica of St. John

Good nights rest after a long and wonderful day...

Last two days were filled with long bus rides, visiting Sardis, Bursa and the silk market, the Grand Mosque in Bursa and Iznik

This is Yasemine, our Turkish guide.  She was very knowledgeable and a delight to be with. She picked us up at the airport and stayed with us the whole time and then seeing us off at the airport.

After three gate changes, a two hour delay and the scariest take off I have EVER had in my life, we arrived back home to Jerusalem...yes it is my home...at 4:00 a.m.  

THANK YOU TURKEY!