Istanbul

Highlights from a long weekend in Istanbul....

The Basilica Cistern....super cool, super big, and a little creepy. Kids loved it. 

The Blue Mosque - beautiful inside and out. Spending a weekend in a Muslim country, hearing the calls to prayer, and observing the rituals involved in entering the mosque all provided good opportunities to talk to the kids about why our faith is different. I did have a revelation that if I heard the call to prayer 5 times a day, my prayer life would probably be richer. 

Hagia Sophia - a church then a mosque now a museum.

Cats...everywhere. Cat-spotting kept the kids quite occupied and entertained. One day they counted 65 cats! They were seriously everywhere. We ate in several outdoor cafes, and the cats would scamper around our feet as we ate waiting for crumbs. 

Markets - we loved walking around the markets. What a visual feast!

This was the only one I didn't love. So crowded at one point that we couldn't move an inch. People coming from every direction. No way out. I don't deal well with no way out. :) Add to that trying keep up with kids and pushing a stroller....not fun.

Trips to markets result in souvenirs - a highlight for these 2. 

Logan wasn't left out, and got a hat on this trip.  

Topkapi Palace - another beautiful site, with some cool artifacts and jewels. Also the site of 2 rude American old ladies who thought I couldn't hear them when they said that children shouldn't be allowed into museums. My kids were acting great, so I mustered up my courage a few minutes later and walked up to them with a smile and told them I was really sorry if we disturbed them, and I hoped they enjoyed the rest of their day. The look on their face was priceless. 

Beautiful views of the Bosphorus Bridge connecting Europe and Asia. 

Food - the Turkish food we tried was great. The Turkish people were all so friendly and kind to the kids.

It is amazing that just a 2 hour flight away lies such a different culture and different world. Thankful for the opportunity to experience it!

Ephesus, Turkey

 We loved our day in Ephesus! Once again, we took a private tour for a fraction of the cost of the cruise ship excursion. We had a lovely Turkish guide and we enjoyed learning more about her culture and Muslim faith. In turn, we were able to share a bit about our faith. Upon entering the ruins of Ephesus, one of the first stops was this inscription.
                                    
Our guide explained that the wheel shape was actually an early Christian secret symbol composed of Greek letters. In Greek, it says, "Jesus Christ, God's Son, Savior. "  The symbol is found throughout the ruins in Ephesus.  All day long, Muslim guides proclaim the essence of our faith to tourists, yet do not choose to believe it for themselves.

Our tour was very thorough, and our kids were very hot and tired of history....so we asked for the short version. We still learned a lot and saw everything we wanted to see.

The Great Theater was amazing. It is where Paul once preached, and it seats 25,000 people.  The acoustics are such that no microphone is needed. Simply amazing.

Upon leaving Ephesus, we had a yummy Turkish lunch and visited a rug factory.  It was so interesting to see how the silk is spun and the tedious labor that goes into making rugs.  The owner was so nice to the kids and let them run wild over the rugs. Great fun!

They also made rug angels...that may have been a first for the rug store!

After declining a rug purchase, we headed back to the ship. We got on board and realized we didn't have enough diapers to make it to the next port, and ship store did not sell diapers. We had seen a little store right outside the port. We had about 2 hours until the ship was going to leave, so Larry and Chelsea headed off the boat and to the store. It was about a 15 minute walk to get there, so in my head I created a timetable of when they should be back and what I would do if they didn't return by the time the boat left. Would Cade and I get off? Who would I plead with to stop the boat? Thankfully, they came back well before my made up deadline. I decided we would not separate like that again!