Nancy and Doug Trips
“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.”
Our lifelong travel bug has given us our most prized ‘possessions’ - the many memories from business and especially family trips.
 “Take only memories, leave only footprints.”
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🇨🇦British Columbia
  • Coffee break

    5 октября 2022 г., Турция ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    On the way from the Hagia Sophia to the Archaeological Museum was a shop called Han Baclava. Didn't have a lunch break built in to the day plan, so stopped. This was the fanciest Turkish coffee service yet, and a tiny piece of Turkish baclava. Not the cheapest coffee at 28 TL for coffee and 45TL for the treat.
    The other bite I had today was a bagel-thing they sell from carts all over town for 5 TL, or 10TL with either cream cheese or Nutella.
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  • Hagia Sophia

    5 октября 2022 г., Турция ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    The Hagia Sophia is one of those 'bucket list' sights. I joined up with a booked tour guide and after a long line, we had a short tour of what was the largest church in the world for many years.

    The Church of the Holy Wisdom (Hagia Sophia) began as a Byzantine church, then it became a mosque during the Ottoman Era and today is a museum and is an architectural wonder. The structure today dates back to 532-537 when its construction was over seen by Justinian I. Although the church suffered from earthquakes and an attack by the Crusaders in 1204 it has retained its historic structure and decoration. From 1453 for 500 years the church became the main mosque of Istanbul during the Ottoman Era.

    The church features rich mosaics and a grand central dome with a diameter of 31 meters. The circular dome rests on a rectangular base all richly decorated with murals, Arabic calligraphy and mosaics. All the interior surfaces are polychrome marble in green, purple and white with gold mosaics. The marble mihrab has survived from the Ottoman Era.

    There are many magnificent mosaics., and like lots of church art, the rulers of the time incorporated themselves into the religious scenes.
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  • Blue Mosque

    4 октября 2022 г., Турция ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Right across the park from the Arts Museum is the "Blue Mosque" The Sultan Ahmed Mosque or Sultanahmet Camii is nicknamed the Blue Mosque because of the beautiful blue tiles which adorn the interior walls. Unfortunately, a renovation project has most of the ceiling obscured by scaffolding, but it is easy to see why this is one of the most popular tourist sites. There was a short line to get in, and the construction meant there was not a lot of room to wander about. The mosque is in active use, so there are closed off areas for prayer as well.

    The mosque was constructed between 1609 and 1616 during the reign of Ahmed I who is also buried here. The mosque complex includes the Sultan’s mausoleum, a hospice and a madrasa. The mosque was the first of two in Turkey to have six minarets; the number of minarets on the Ka’aba in Mecca. For this reason he added a seventh minaret so as not to rival Mecca.

    The interior of the mosque is lined with over 20,000 handmade ceramic tiles. On the upper levels of the mosque there are 200 intricate stained glass windows; chandeliers hang above the prayer hall; lamps are adorned with gems and gold and Arabic calligraphy decorate key positions. The floors are covered with carpets which are regularly replaced. The mihrab features carved and sculptured marble with intricate decoration. The beautiful mosque is topped by a large central dome and smaller semi-domes.

    In the plaza are food carts you see all over town with roasted chestnuts and roasted corn and they really sell this stuff. One guy is husking the corn non-stop while another roasts.

    Started walking home but after 20 minutes I realized it was going to kill me to do the full hour walk especially the last bit up the hill. So I flagged down a cab, which took a few tries and got a driver who must have seen the desperation in my eyes as he proposed a fixed price of 200TL (the next morning the return trip was 70TL). The way I felt it was well worth it. Traffic was typically horrible, so it took a half hour.
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  • Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art

    4 октября 2022 г., Турция ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    This museum is housed in the former 16th century palace of Suleiman the Magnificent’s Grand Vizier, Ibrahim Pasha. The museum holds approximately 40,000 pieces spanning from the 7th to 19th century. The items are displayed in sections including texts and manuscripts; carpets and rugs; mining; glass and ceramics; wood work; ethnography; coins and stamps and stone work.

    Among the highlights of the museum is a magnificent collection of 1,700 carpets which were amazing. Other outstanding pieces include illustrated Qurans from all the ruling Islamic states from the 7th century to the 20th century. Some of these are really gorgeous. There is also an illustration of how Turkish architecture changed from tents to 19th century palaces.

    Calligraphy is a serious form of Islamic art and there was an interesting display on how it developed.
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  • Rustem Pasa Mosque

    4 октября 2022 г., Турция ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    I had some trouble locating this mosque at first as it is just built right into the surrounding markets, but it was worth the extra few minutes as it is just filled with stunning tile work.

    The mosque was originally constructed in 1560 and was the first project of Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan. The interior is decorated with intricate Iznik faience tiles. These tiles are some of the best produced and feature bright red which was one of the rarest and most complex colors to produce in Iznik tiles. The tiles cover the walls, mihrab and mimbar. The mosque has a single minaret and central dome. The mosque doors are carved and feature inlaid wood and gilding.

    The mosque is named after Rustem Pasha (1500-1561) who was the son-in-law of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent and has gone down in history as the man who plotted with Suleyman’s wife Roxelana to denounce Prince Mustafa and put Roxelana’s son, Prince Selim on the throne. Prince Selim the Sot’s reign signified the beginning of the end of the Ottoman Empire. When Rustem had his mosque built he had to be careful not to rival the beauty and size of the Sultan’s mosques. So, he chose to build it in the marketplace and focus on the mosque’s interior decoration with the tiles rather than exterior grandeur. I'll say it worked!
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  • Spice Bazaar

    4 октября 2022 г., Турция ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    So, leaving the mosque, it was thankfully downhill through more narrow streets. One thing you see a lot is deliveries are made by men pulling carts. Istanbul is also afflicted with the scooter problem, and it is even more perplexing here with the crowds and the cobblestones and the hordes of motor scooters.

    The next stop is the Spice or Egyptian Market. It was really a neat place.

    Misir Carsisi or the Egyptian Market is one of Istanbul’s largest bazaars. It is believed that the market got its name because it was built using funds from the Ottoman division in Egypt in 1660 and completed in 1664. The profits from the market would be used for the upkeep of the mosque but today the market is a separate entity. Although the name suggests that all the stores in the market sell spices more and more bazaar businesses are selling a variety of goods like cheese, nuts, fruit, sweets, souvenirs and other items. Today there are approximately 85 stores selling spices and other goods. The covered market building is surrounded by small lanes which also have many stores selling interesting goods. On the western side of the market are outdoor stalls selling fresh produce including coffee.
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  • Suleymaniye Mosque

    4 октября 2022 г., Турция ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Suleiman Mosque is the city’s largest mosque; it took 7 years to build and was completed in 1557. The mosque was part of a complex which includes a hospital, soup kitchen, hospice, Turkish bath, stores, madrasa religious schools, caravanserai and the tombs of Suleyman and his wife Roxelana as well as other royals. Suleiman’s tomb was designed to resemble the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem. The mosque is crowned by four minarets, two of them reaching 74 meters and the other two 56 meters. The four minarets symbolize that Suleyman was the fourth Sultan after the conquest of Constantinople (the 10th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire). The mosque has an inner and outer courtyard; the inner courtyard can be used by worshipers and has domes to protect them from the sun or rain and an ablution fountain.

    Inside the mosque floors are covered by thick carpets and huge chandeliers provide the light together with natural light from the 183 windows. The central dome has a diameter of 27 meters and is 53 meters above the floor. The mosque suffered fire damage in 1660 and was restored giving it a more Baroque appearance. The mosque is known for its brilliant acoustics.
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  • Galata Bridge

    4 октября 2022 г., Турция ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Arriving down the hill across some very busy streets is the Galata Bridge across the Golden Horn, a natural inlet in the Bosphorus River where it meets the Sea of Marmara. The Golden Horn divides “Old Istanbul” (former Byzantium) and the new city to the north. In 1502 Sultan Bayezid II commissioned Leonardo da Vinci to design a bridge to be built at the location of today’s Galata Bridge. However, the Sultan did not approve of da Vinci’s single span design and the bridge was never built. Michelangelo was also invited to design a bridge for the Golden Horn but he declined the project. In 1845 Valide Sultan had the first Galata Bridge built at the mouth of the Golden Horn and called it New Bridge (Cisr-i Atik). This wooden bridge was replaced in 1863 by another wooden bridge. A third bridge on this spot was completed in 1875 and used until 1912 when it was moved upstream to replace the New Bridge. A floating bridge was constructed in 1912 by a German firm but it was damaged by fire in 1992 and taken upstream to make way for the current bridge which was completed in 1994.

    There is a level below the traffic level with some touristy restaurants and stores. From the bridge you can look west to Europe and east across the Bosphorus to Asia and there is a good view of the mosque.

    After you cross the bridge and a large plaza you immediately enter a series of street markets, which are actually the back of the exterior of the Spice Market, on your way up a long hill to the mosque.
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  • Galata Tower

    4 октября 2022 г., Турция ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Leaving the hotel is a nice neighbourhood before arriving at the Galata Tower just a few blocks from my hotel on my way to the bridge below. This tower was built to replace the Great Tower (Megalos Pyrgos) a Byzantine tower which was destroyed in 1204 and no longer stands. The Galata Tower or Tower of Christ was constructed in 1348 by the Genoese during the Middle Ages. The tower was built to guard the entrance to the Golden Horn. Over the years the tower underwent renovations several times and during the Ottoman Era the tower was used to look out for fires. At the time of its construction the tower was the tallest structure in the city; together with its height it is located on an elevated piece of land which gives the illusion that it is even taller than it actually is. It is built out of 3.8m thick stone walls and is 67m tall and 16m in diameter.

    It was too early, so I did not go up although a ticket came with my pass, just never was near it at the right times. From the observation deck circling the turret you can get brilliant views across the city. On the same level there is a restaurant and on the upper floor there is a night club where you can see a show featuring traditional Turkish music and dance.

    The Bereketzade fountain just beside the tower was rebuilt in 1732 on the site of an older fountain that was beside the oldest mosque in Galata., Then leaving the tower it is an incredibly steep old lane down to the waterfront.
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  • Bosphorus Dinner Cruise

    3 октября 2022 г., Турция ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    So this activity came with the Istanbul e-Pass I bought for all the museum admissions and guided tours, so decided it would be a good thing to do the first night in town. A van was booked to pick me up at the hotel at 7:30 -- they were within 5 minutes, and we made a couple of other stops before driving through the very heavy traffic down to the waterfront. Large 3 decker boat, but the dining was just on the first. Took a while to get everyone loaded so we left about 9. There was also a show of a variety of Turkish dancing. I was on a window seat with a great view of the coast, but not so good of the show. The dancers seemed very energetic though! Dinner was as to be expected. The 'meze' appetizers are quite tasty. Had grilled meat balls for the main.

    After dinner, I went to the upper deck and did the second half of the cruise outside. Not many others on deck due to the cool evening -- good time to have Canadian genetics. Very pretty views of the city from the water. Many grand buildings such as palaces and mosques as well as areas of fancy waterfront villas.

    It was a couple minutes to midnight when I got to the hotel, so this will get me on Turkish time zone all at once!
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  • Arrival in Istanbul

    3 октября 2022 г., Турция ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Nancy dropped me at Kelowna airport, flight to Vancouver then from Vancouver to Frankfurt were on time. Dozed off on the red-eye, probably got 3 hours in. Connection to the Turkish flight to Istanbul was a bit late, but arrived close to on time about 14:30 local time. On the approach to IST, I noticed just how many huge apartment complexes there were so far from town. City is 18 million. The airport is huge. The longest taxi from runway to the gate I have ever had. Then after getting off the plane, I measured the distance from my gate to passport control at 1.5 km.

    Took a while to get out of the airport. Did not like the service fee proposed at the ATM, so located and lined up for a Change office and paid 86CAD for 1000TL. Wanted to buy a SIM card, but the service was slow and the crowd large. So went to the bus and there was an overflow, so this was going to be too much for me to wait for the next bus that still required a 20 minute walk at the other end. So I bailed and took a cab on the meter. Cost 300TL instead of the 70 for the bus and got dropped off at the hotel door.

    Hotel Gritti Pera located in a very lively side street off the Istiklal main drag. Basically got in at 6 and went to look for a Turkcell phone store where I heard you could get a SIM card for 13CAD but without a cell phone to navigate with, couldn't find the one I wanted . So went back to the hotel where I had noted they sold them at the front desk for $20USD. Twice the data of the other one though. Then a short wait for the pick up for the cruise.

    How exciting, my trip has officially begun!
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  • Our trip in review

    18 мая 2019 г., Италия ⋅ 🌧 18 °C

    For our 40th anniversary we decided to go to Rome, and while Doug had had a couple of quick visits, it was a city that we had always wanted to see. You can't see all of a country in one trip, nor even all of a city with all that Rome has to offer. We did see enough of Rome to hopefully strike a balance between depth and breadth and our own individual interests (Doug history and churches, Nancy food, people and fauna).

    It is amazing — such history all around and walking up the alley to our apartment and hearing an old man playing an accordion in the lane, it really feels like we have been in Rome. We have had gained good insight into the depth of history here, the tolerance of the people for change and tourists, and the enchantment of the surroundings where old is always new without destruction and this becomes a unique charm.
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  • Day 12 Travels - Our Last Day

    17 мая 2019 г., Италия ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Our last day in Italy was certainly busy, departing the peace of the countryside above Sorrento on the 08:50 shuttle to catch 10:19 Campania Express train to Naples. This "tourist" train was less crowded, but priority seating was given to those who booked their tickets in advance on the web. Naples in 50 minutes.

    3.5 km walk in Naples and lunch. Live map:
    https://drive.google.com/open?id=1fwG82B2gkWOXV…

    Italo at 14:55 in to Roma at 14:05

    7 km walk starting and ending at our hotel. Live map:
    https://drive.google.com/open?id=1c2KQjqRkuO6fL…

    Total distance: 21,651 steps
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  • Trevi Fountain

    17 мая 2019 г., Италия ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Busy scene at both the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain. A lot of people just sitting about, vendors trying to sell roses and some sort of laser light toy. Tried a selfie; decided it was a bit too crowded for us and moved on. Lovely carving, Nancy would like to see it during the day too. Is another trip to Roma in our future? Who knows but we made sure we each threw a coin in the fountain to be sure !Читать далее

  • Anniversary Dinner at Sofia

    17 мая 2019 г., Италия ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Doug had booked this cute restaurant for our last night in Rome. Food and atmosphere was good - very intimate as compared with La Favorita in Sorrento - we shared a primi of cacio de pepe with zucchini blossoms and then had a great filet with asparagus and potatoes as we had been eating very little meat during our vacation - lots of pasta and cheese and tomatoes. Our table was very close to a couple from Oregon. They had organized a family trip for 17 in Tuscany, renting a villa along with a dinner hour cook - nine grandchildren - and now were on a couples trip before going home. Sounded like it all went quite well for them, that takes a lot of planning and coordination. Nancy still hoping to spend time with our kids in Tuscany, the last of her bucket list family trips that she had written down over 10 years ago (yes, we made it to all the other places on the list!) Maybe in 2021?Читать далее

  • Al Viminale Hill Inn and Hotel

    17 мая 2019 г., Италия ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Very smooth trip for an hour at 250 km/h on the Italo train from Naples to Roma Termini. Nancy now feeling she knows her way around Rome and would like to hop the H bus back to Trastevere, home base. But tonight we are staying close by as will be taking the train to the airport tomorrow. Tonight we will spend in the central area of Rome. An old wrought iron lift brought us up the centre of a long series of marble staircases to reach Floor 1 (actually level 2 by N American definition) and into our small but cozy and modern suite. Served the purpose. There was a small insect on the pillow under the covers on Nancy's pillow but it appeared to have flown in and the bedding was fine (always worried in travel about the upswing in bed bugs, even in good establishments).Читать далее

  • Napoli lunch

    17 мая 2019 г., Италия ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    On arrival in Naples Doug was feeling a bit unsettled and we did not feel like either taking the subway and doing the Rick Steves 1 hour walking tour or getting on the hop-on hop-off bus. Unfortunately we had misplaced the backup paper Napoli map just when we needed it, as one of the map apps was not functioning. So we just wandered and were quite happy with what we saw and where we came to try a Neapolitan pizza. This place has made wood fired pizzas since 1954. Friendly server. Unlike the Rome pizzas, one pizza is definitely enough for two and has a thick crust. Nancy wasn't too keen on hers - too much cheese even though it was of the "Buffalo variety". Waiter tried to convince us to also get fried pizza as an appy! We had tried at Villa Carolina and were not fans.Читать далее

  • Napoli

    17 мая 2019 г., Италия ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Wandered through crazy honk honk crowded Napoli where people live in the same crowded conditions that you see in the old immigrant area of NYC. Everyone hangs their laundry out. Clothes and shopping seems a very good deal - perhaps if we come back will arrive without clothes and buy things (maybe not; sounds exhausting!). But if one is in the mood and has space and has a need, this is a good place as long as you don't mind crowds!Читать далее

  • Dinner at Villa Carolina (again!)

    16 мая 2019 г., Италия ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    We decided we'd try for the shuttle after the ship docked and made it - 13 minutes to get from Porto all the way up the stairs to the train station with time to spare. Emanuela put together a "board" - olives, some beans in dressing, focaccia (which was a bit hard on the teeth) and Nancy used the rest of the young pecorino cheese she had bought at the Mercato in Rome along with some fruit from the other day. Doug rounded things out with two beers and two glasses of red wne and took a snap of the sun going down on our last day. It was a bit chilly that night so we tucked into our warm room quickly after that. Nancy is still longing to do another walk through the countryside tomorrow which will be warmer but Doug and Emanuela both advise that the train can be unpredictable so we better move on first thing in the AM (boo hoo!).

    Distance:10,758 steps
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  • Giardini Poseidon Terme

    16 мая 2019 г., Италия ⋅ 🌬 18 °C

    The Citera Beach south of Forio (end of Line 2) is very nice, resorts along it and then Poseidon at the end. It is quite large and a bit of a process getting organized - €10 deposit for bracelets, then need to rent towel (€4) and robe (€7) with a deposit for those (cash only for deposits). Quick salad and water in the self serve restaurant (€10,50, not a rip off) and then we went through the suggested route taking 2 hours to go from coolish pool, to a sauna in the rock grotto, plunge, and then increasing temperatures in the pools. Liked Arethrusa 36 C the best as it has a great view. The sauna was a feature — a cleft/cave in the mountainside that is a volcanic vent and the hot water runs under the benches and out beneath your feet.

    Gardens were lovely. Pathways quite safe, good handrails. Bring your own bottles of water with you if you go as there are no fountains around.

    Had to be certain to leave time for catching the bus but it was right on time for departure from just outside Poseidon. Pleasant ride back in time to look around Porto a bit and get on the ferry.

    A somewhat rushed but enjoyable day overall and now we know what Mediterranean islands look like. The Greek colour scheme is entering the environment as we saw more houses of white and bright blue trim on Ischia than anywhere else.
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  • Ischia Day Trip

    16 мая 2019 г., Италия ⋅ 🌬 16 °C

    The morning dawned cool and breezy with promising blue skies. Quite a chop on the water but as Ischia is served by the large hydrofoil, we went ahead with a day trip to Ischia. Nancy really wanted to visit Poseidon Thermal Spas (one of 22 on this island). A bit of a rush getting down to Sorrento Port, buying the ticket, finding out where to load and in an hour we disembarked. Not sure whether to spend $ on taxi vs bus but reports were the bus Line 2 with EVA would get us right there. Two buses loaded with people from the ferry left and then we waited 45 minutes for another to come. Met a pleasant English couple on the bus who said since they amalgamated bus lines with the mainland, service had declined and taxis were v expensive. The island is quite large, drier, with a lot of succulents compared to the mainland, towns were larger than I had thought and looked prosperous.Читать далее

  • Dinner at Villa Carolina

    15 мая 2019 г., Италия ⋅ 🌧 14 °C

    Emanuela taught us how to make Ravioli alla Caprese (from nearby Island of Capri) and we had it for dinner. Met a pleasant couple Joanne and Arthur from New Jersey who had rented a car and there was a mix up in their booking and other adventures. Very pleasant. They will be leaving from Naples the same day we leave from Rome.Читать далее

  • I Giardini di Cataldo

    15 мая 2019 г., Италия ⋅ 🌧 16 °C

    I Giardini di Cataldo was founded in 1999 by Salvatore Esposito in honor of his father Cataldo who firmly believed in the preserving and handing down of traditions to future generations. Apart from producing citrus fruits, the Esposito family of I Giardini di Cataldo is devoted to the production of liqueurs, marmalade, and gelato ice cream using artisanal techniques.
    There is a lemon grove in the heart of Sorrento with a store / café in front selling their products including gelato and limoncello.
    We each had a gelato enjoyed at a table under the lemon trees.
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