Can't sleep again and my roommate's stuff is charged (her adapter isn't working, so we share) and now I can plug my computer in.
We are staying in a fabulous hotel on a hill overlooking the city of Bursa, a city of about 1.5 million. Wish we were here more than one night....
We had a long day, with an early departure (7:30 am). Saturday traffic was nice compared to what we had been experiencing all week. We crossed into Asia (there is even a "Welcome to Asia" sign!) and then drove an hour more to a ferry to cross the sea to make a shortcut. It was about a 30 minute ride on a ferry like up in the Puget Sound/San Juan Islands. We then drove another hour and a half through hilly farmlands (tons of olive groves with second-level crops growing under them - squash, melon, beans) and some towns. Our first stop was in Iznik (Nicea or Nysoss in Bible times) which is famous for its tiles - somewhat reminiscent of Dutch Delft or Ming Blue Willow only with larger patterns. These are the tiles that decorate many of the mosques we have seen. The kilns are gone now I guess but the patterns are still copied. (I bought a couple - we'll see if I can get them home in one piece).
There are little tea shops everywhere in this country and it is very common to see men in pairs or groups sitting out in front of a shop or in the park drinking tea and talking or playing backgammon - apparently a national game! While strolling around after lunch, Stacey, Abby and I were invited to tea in front of a hardware store because we were Americans and the owner/shopkeeper has an uncle in Houston! He spoke pretty good English and how could we say no! (Stacy and Abby are both very blonde, which makes them obviously not locals and I have a bad habit of making eye-contact and saying "merhabah" (hello) while we explore. But it was a fun diversion. So far the Turks are amazingly warm and friendly and it seems genuine. After touring a museum and a mosque, we headed back to the bus, but due to a communication malfunction, only half of the group made it. It took another 45 minutes for our tour guide to find the missing members, during which time our bus driver handed out fresh peaches and plums.....as good as anything we have at home. We finally made it to Bursa, our day's final destination, about 2 hours later than out professor guide has planned and still managed to see the sites we had planned on - a mosque and burial sites of some sultans (one of whom was Alaadin!), an Ottoman costume and craft museum (amazing collection), and have half an hour at the famous Bursa Silk Bazaar. Bursa is famous for its silk and because of its location on the old "Silk Road", was the capital of the Ottoman empire for a while.
By this time we were all pretty wiped out, so we got to the hotel and had dinner there. It was very good - I have to stop eating so well or my clothes won't fit! The dessert was an assortment of honeyed cakes and the guy next to me didn't want his, so the waiter brought him a lovely plate of fruit. Being my usual quiet self I joked "I didn't like my dessert that much either" - thought it was nearly all gone and actually delicious, though almost too sweet....I didn't realize the waiter spoke very good English and he laughed and pointed to my nearly finished plate. But about 5 minutes later he arrived with a plate of fruit for me! It was so funny! The tour guide and bus driver thought it hilarious. The fruit was awesome and I did share :-) By this time pretty much we all went to our rooms, checked e-mails and downloaded pictures, bathed and went to bed. There are a few who go out drinking every night, but it isn't the group I hang with, and besides, we're busy enough, I don't need to be out late.
The first call to prayer just started - must be close to 5.There are 5 calls to prayer a day and each is broadcast loudly from all the mosque minarets in the city or town...state run and mandated religion!
So that was my Independence Day!
Oh, and Mimi did very well at the Pinto show - she won 6 championships, 1 reserve and was 3rd under 1 judge. What a girl!
We are staying in a fabulous hotel on a hill overlooking the city of Bursa, a city of about 1.5 million. Wish we were here more than one night....
We had a long day, with an early departure (7:30 am). Saturday traffic was nice compared to what we had been experiencing all week. We crossed into Asia (there is even a "Welcome to Asia" sign!) and then drove an hour more to a ferry to cross the sea to make a shortcut. It was about a 30 minute ride on a ferry like up in the Puget Sound/San Juan Islands. We then drove another hour and a half through hilly farmlands (tons of olive groves with second-level crops growing under them - squash, melon, beans) and some towns. Our first stop was in Iznik (Nicea or Nysoss in Bible times) which is famous for its tiles - somewhat reminiscent of Dutch Delft or Ming Blue Willow only with larger patterns. These are the tiles that decorate many of the mosques we have seen. The kilns are gone now I guess but the patterns are still copied. (I bought a couple - we'll see if I can get them home in one piece).
There are little tea shops everywhere in this country and it is very common to see men in pairs or groups sitting out in front of a shop or in the park drinking tea and talking or playing backgammon - apparently a national game! While strolling around after lunch, Stacey, Abby and I were invited to tea in front of a hardware store because we were Americans and the owner/shopkeeper has an uncle in Houston! He spoke pretty good English and how could we say no! (Stacy and Abby are both very blonde, which makes them obviously not locals and I have a bad habit of making eye-contact and saying "merhabah" (hello) while we explore. But it was a fun diversion. So far the Turks are amazingly warm and friendly and it seems genuine. After touring a museum and a mosque, we headed back to the bus, but due to a communication malfunction, only half of the group made it. It took another 45 minutes for our tour guide to find the missing members, during which time our bus driver handed out fresh peaches and plums.....as good as anything we have at home. We finally made it to Bursa, our day's final destination, about 2 hours later than out professor guide has planned and still managed to see the sites we had planned on - a mosque and burial sites of some sultans (one of whom was Alaadin!), an Ottoman costume and craft museum (amazing collection), and have half an hour at the famous Bursa Silk Bazaar. Bursa is famous for its silk and because of its location on the old "Silk Road", was the capital of the Ottoman empire for a while.
By this time we were all pretty wiped out, so we got to the hotel and had dinner there. It was very good - I have to stop eating so well or my clothes won't fit! The dessert was an assortment of honeyed cakes and the guy next to me didn't want his, so the waiter brought him a lovely plate of fruit. Being my usual quiet self I joked "I didn't like my dessert that much either" - thought it was nearly all gone and actually delicious, though almost too sweet....I didn't realize the waiter spoke very good English and he laughed and pointed to my nearly finished plate. But about 5 minutes later he arrived with a plate of fruit for me! It was so funny! The tour guide and bus driver thought it hilarious. The fruit was awesome and I did share :-) By this time pretty much we all went to our rooms, checked e-mails and downloaded pictures, bathed and went to bed. There are a few who go out drinking every night, but it isn't the group I hang with, and besides, we're busy enough, I don't need to be out late.
The first call to prayer just started - must be close to 5.There are 5 calls to prayer a day and each is broadcast loudly from all the mosque minarets in the city or town...state run and mandated religion!
So that was my Independence Day!
Oh, and Mimi did very well at the Pinto show - she won 6 championships, 1 reserve and was 3rd under 1 judge. What a girl!
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