"You Look Like Potential Carpet Buyer"

Our third day in Istanbul was unseasonably warm for January, ideal for a cruise up the Bosphorus Strait. To get to the harbour, we took the tram for the first time. I love travelling on public transportation in cities all over the world. It adds so much to the experience.

TurYol Boats in the Golden Horn waters, looking towards the Galata Tower.

Our hotel guy had suggested TurYol as a reliable company so we made our way to the ticket office and booked ourselves on the 11:00 trip. With 45 minutes to spare before we boarded, we crossed the road to visit the Spice Market. Much smaller than the Grand Bazaar, this place is still full of wonders, most of the food variety. It is a feast for the senses! We could not resist buying apple and cinnamon tea, turkish delights, baclava and, of course, spices.

What to buy??

The cruise was wonderful. As we headed north, Europe was to our left and Asia to our right. From the water, we had a good view of several important buildings, most of which sit on European land. Dolmabahçe Palace, built by a sultan in the mid nineteenth century to replicate many similar stately homes in Europe, was one of the first sights that came into view. It is indeed very grand, and had we had more time, we might have planned a visit there.

Dolmabahçe Palace

Further up the Bosphorus stands the Rumeli Fortress, erected in the 15th Century on the narrowest portion of the strait . This would be another good place to see on a return visit. Between these two massive structures were more modest – but still very lovely – homes of the current wealthy inhabitants of Istanbul. The yachts were a dead giveaway.

Beautiful homes on the Bosphorus

Rumeli Fortress

On the Asian side, which we viewed on the return journey, we were greatly impressed by the stately Turkish Military Academy. It was also a feast for the eyes to see the southern waterfront of Istanbul as we returned to port.

It was a little windy as we traveled south, but Katie loved the whole experience anyway. That's the Military Academy behind her.

The two mosques on the waterfront: the new mosque (left) and the mosque of Suleyman the Magnificent (right).

Back on land, we headed to the Beyoglu neighbourhood of Istanbul, a European sector of the city which was mostly developed in the 19th century. Interestingly, this part of Istanbul was not part of the ancient city of Constantinople which was contained entirely south of the Golden Horn, the waterway that joins the Bosphorus Strait with the Sea of Marmora.

The Monument of the Republic in Taksim Square

Aya Triada Kilisesi Greek Orthodox Church

The main street, Istiklal Caddesi, descends from Taksim Square to the Galata Tower and is lined by Neoclassical and Art Nouveau buildings. This is where the modern shops are, as well as a handful of Christian churches. We visited a Greek Orthodox church, the Aya Triada Kilisesi, and a Roman Catholic Church, Saint Antonio di Padova. After exploring this area a little, Dan headed back to our hotel by tram while Katie and I decided to continue our journey on foot.

This narrow mall reminded me of similar ones in Paris.

Crossing the Galata Bridge to the southern part of the city, we headed towards the Yeni Cami, the new mosque beside the Spice Market. As we were reading our guide book about this place, we were approached by the Istanbul Tourist Police - they really exist - who wanted to help us, and to practice their English. I wish I had taken our photo with these two fellows; they were really sweet (even though we did not need any help.)

The New Mosque.

This day was tiring; the combination of sea air and walking led us to opt for a kebab place for dinner that provided transportation to its customers. We were picked up at our hotel in a van and taken on an "entertaining" ride to an entirely different part of the city. This included dipsy-doodling through a traffic jam, a detour through a rather sketchy part of town, and then, suddenly, our arrival at a massive restaurant with three floors of customers, all eating kebabs. The mesas (appetizers) and the kebabs at Develi Restaurantlari were very good, so we all agreed the adventurous journey was worth the meal we had.

Part of the grounds and buildings at Topkapi Palace

The next morning we headed off to Topkapi Palace, once the home of the sultans of the Ottoman Empire. This is a large compound of buildings, the highlight of which, in my opinion, was the Harem building. It is comforting to know that women chosen for the harem at least had beautiful rooms to look at.

A room in the harem building.

In some of the other buildings we saw such treasures as ceramic gifts from visiting dignitaries and magnificent royal jewels. (Wasn't there a movie made about one of them?)

The throne room at Topkapi Palace

Next to Topkapi was the Museum of Archaeology, an impressive building with artifacts from the area's classical past. This was a very exciting place for Dan to see, since ancient history is one of his passions. Imagine seeing pottery from Troy! As we explored this collection of artifacts, Katie and I were instructed at the same time. Dan is a very knowledgeable travel companion.

Some of the artifacts at the Museum of Archaeology

By mid afternoon, we were keen to return to the Grand Bazaar in search of treasures to take home with us. After much soul searching and a little bartering, Katie chose a beautiful carpet for her new condo. It is a Hereke design – very intricate. (Later in the day, I shocked everyone – including myself – by buying a carpet too. Mine is Kurdish, apparently.) We also bought jewelry, lamps and ceramics, to add to the foods we had purchased at the Spice Market earlier in the day.

Katie's carpet

My carpet is a runner, smaller (and older) than Katie's.

On our final morning, Katie and I made our way to the largest mosque in Istanbul, the mosque of Suleyman the Magnificent. At 9:00 on a Sunday, it was very peaceful here. We saw a Turkish film crew shooting a scene in front of the mosque but otherwise, we pretty well had the place to ourselves.

Film crew outside the mosque

The quiet interior of the mosque.

By late morning, we were at the airport heading back to Switzerland. Istanbul was everything I expected and more. I think I would like to return there some day. It was special, too, that I was able to discover it with Katie. She and Dan got along famously, by the way. They both agreed that for all it has to offer, Istanbul has one failing – its wine!

One last view over the rooftops of the city from the grounds of the mosque.

The requisite selfie at the Mosque of Suleyman the Magnificent.

Where East Meets West

After a few days in the mountains of Switzerland, Katie and I decided to go somewhere completely different – Istanbul. When I mentioned our plans to Dan, he opted to join us. This was a place that opened up new vistas for all three of us. We spent four nights in this historic city and were sorry to leave; we could easily have spent four more.

The view towards the Blue Mosque through the upper window of the Hagia Sofia.

Since we saw so very much over our time there, I have decided not to tell the story of our visit in one blog entry. Here is part one.

One of the many shops on the Ordu Cadesi open in the evening  

From the beginning, we had very good luck on this trip. The hotel I found through Trip Advisor, the Hotel Niles, was ideal in many ways: the staff arranged pick up and drop off at the airport; we were greeted warmly with my new favourite drink, apple tea, and Turkish Delights – of course; a delicious breakfast was included as part of our very reasonable cost; we were a few minutes walk from the tram line; and we were also well within walking distance of major attractions. All of this made us feel quite comfortable in the city from the beginning. In fact, as soon as we settled in, after getting a map and a recommendation for dinner from the man at the desk, we went out to explore the city in the evening.

The Hagia Sofia at night

Ordu Cadesi, the main street near our hotel, was busy even on a Wednesday evening in the off-season. We window shopped as we made our way to the park area where we could see two famous landmarks at night: the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sofia. Dinner was at Amadros where we were given the red carpet treatment. We enjoyed the food and ambiance so much, we returned to this place on our final night.

We ate inside at Amedros, as it was raining lightly and a little too cold to be outdoors.

The view from the Hotel Niles to the sea

The next morning, after breakfast on the upper story of the Hotel Niles where we had a view of the Sea of Marmora, we returned to two of the great churches of Istanbul.

The German fountain in front of the Hagia Sofia

By putting my thumb into this cavity in a copper column in the Hagia Sofia (St. Gregory's Thumb Hole), I have been cured of all my ailments.

The Hagia Sofia, once the greatest basilica of the Byzantine Empire, later an imperial mosque, is now a museum. Although part of it was under scaffolding, it was still breathtaking. I loved the interplay of Orthodox Christian and Islamic symbols in the place. Its long history is apparent in its many special features.

Part of the Hagia Sofia.

This mosaic from 1261 is very impressive.

Nearby, we visited the Basilica Cistern, an underground water supply for the city built in the 6th Century. Among the wonders in this rather eerie place were two columns with the image of Medusa carved into it, one of them upside down.

Red lighting adds to the eerie quality of the Basilica Cistern.

Between the Hagia Sofia and the Blue Mosque is the Hippodrome of Constantinople, a former Roman circus area on which are erected several important monuments. These are reminders of the former empires that have held sway in Istanbul.

The Obelisk of Thutmose III (1490 B.C.) on the Hippodrome

The Blue Mosque is probably Istanbul's most famous sight; it certainly was very crowded on this day. Before entering, all visitors must remove their shoes and place them in a plastic bag (provided). Katie and I had purchased pashminas so that our heads would be covered too, but had we not, scarves would have been given out as well.

Even in the courtyard, women should cover their heads.

Inside, the space is very grand. Most of it is out of bounds to non-believers, however, as only Muslim men can enter beyond the barrier that separates us from them. Unlike the Hagia Sofia, this is a living place of worship; several times over our stay in the city, we heard the haunting call to prayer inviting believers to enter the mosque closest to them. I came to love hearing those voices.

The beautiful ceiling of the Blue Mosque

Inside the Blue Mosque.

Our next stop was the famous Grand Bazaar. What a place!! There are some 4000 shops there, so it is understandable that merchants can become quite aggressive. I must say I heard a lot of good sales pitches during my visits to this market. Our main goal was to look for a carpet for Katie. She was very cautious in her pursuit; Dan and I tried to help where we could. On our first visit to the Grand Bazaar, though, we came away empty-handed, with the full knowledge that we would return before we left.

Lamps everywhere at the Grand Bazaar.

Dan and Katie explore the Grand Bazaar.

Carpet selling can be very physical work.

As a Christmas gift to me, Katie had made a reservation at the Hareki Hurram Sultan Haman, for an authentic turkish bath - an absolutely heavenly experience! We were pampered for 90 minutes, in a place where turkish royalty used to go. I have never felt cleaner, really. The bubbles were my favourite part, by the way.

Our turkish bath was in this building.

The reception area of the Haman. 

For dinner that evening, we headed in the direction of the Marmora Sea, where many fish restaurants vied for our patronage. We chose Fener Restaurant - very good.

Family Time

The halfway point of the NJC school year was marked by a week's holiday. Some students chose to travel home to see their families, but, in most cases, it was the other way around. Parents and siblings made the trip to Switzerland to participate in a week of fun in Zermatt, one of the great ski resorts of the world.

The view over Zermatt from the Hotel Tschugge

As a non-skier, my first instinct was to enjoy my time off somewhere else, but when I mentioned the school trip to my elder daughter, Katie, she became very excited. Skiing Zermatt was on her bucket list, so she made her way here from Calgary to do just that. I was content to see the place and to walk around the village and surrounding area for a few days. Après-ski all day for me!

The Matterhorn looms over Zermatt.

On Saturday morning, Katie and I were on one of the two buses heading southeast to Zermatt. My job was to act as a supervisor to the "orphans", the students whose parents could not get away this week but who wanted to be part of the experience. There would be four of us in this role over the week: Lyn and I in the first half, and Terry and Sandra in the second half.

An electric shuttle bus in Zermatt.

Our bus to Zermatt stopped at Täsch, where we boarded a train to complete the trip to the village. Zermatt, I discovered, is car-free. There are electrical shuttle buses serving the many hotels, but otherwise, the only ways to get around are by foot or by train.

On the way to Hotel Tschugge

Group meeting in the lounge at the Hotel Tschugge

The 15 students staying at the Hotel Tschugge had to climb up a hill to get to our accommodation, while the others, staying with family members, headed in the other direction to the Hotel National. During our time there, we frequently went back and forth between these two hotels. The National was fancier and closer to ski lifts, but also more crowded and noisier; I was content with the Tschugge's quiet location and views over the town.

One group at the National

Clearly, these folks are happy to be on vacation with each other - and their families.

Arriving at about 15:00 on the first day, it was too late to ski, so Katie, Lyn and I merely explored the town to get our bearings. On the second morning, however, the two of them headed upwards to ski while I chose to play indoor tennis with Bill. It had been some time since I had swung a tennis racquet but I competed gamely; I think I got more exercise on the tennis court than the others got on the ski hills!

Jen joins Katie and Lyn on the first day of skiing.

Bill  dominated me on the court. It was like playing John Isner for me.

This was a beautiful day of sunshine, a bluebird day, as they say in skiing parlance. In the afternoon, I wandered around the town window shopping, before stopping for hot chocolate with Kienan and his parents. At 17:00, the week's organizers, George Hardy Tours, scheduled a reception for parents where I enjoyed chatting with many of them in an informal way. Dinner was at Hotel Tschugge where I was reunited with my family member, my Katie, Lyn and our group. Liam's dad, who had just arrived, dined with us as well.

I decided to take a photo into the direct sunlight and see what would happen. I like this one.

On the second day, the light was flatter, creating less than ideal ski conditions, but the day was fine for hiking. I had arranged to meet Becca's mom, Mary, at the Hotel National. The concierge suggested we make our way to Zum See, about an hour's walk away, where we would stop for lunch. There are many hiking trails in the area and this is one of the more popular ones. The restaurant in the hamlet of Zum See is delightful. Mary and I sat in a glassed-in section and warmed ourselves under the blankets provided, while we split a rosti dish. As we were leaving, we met with Andrew's mom, Julie, who joined us on our walk back to Zermatt. (We tried a short-cut first - which became a "long-cut", so we retraced our steps to get down the mountain.)

The restaurant at Zum See is in a 300 year-old building.

Hiking buddies, Julie and Mary

At 17:00 that afternoon, George Hardy had reserved the local skating rink for a friendly hockey game between parents and students. This was an entertaining event, with very relaxed rules. It was hard to tell who was on each team since there were no uniforms; there was no body checking, of course – that might have killed some folks; and the skill level was greatly varied. The Swedish import, Viggo's dad, was an impressive player, as was Sierra's father, wearing the Boston Bruins jersey. To add authenticity to the event, Matt Nunziata and Lauren's dad staged a glove dropping fight in centre ice part way through the second period. In spite of the best efforts of goalies, Jesse and Mr. Boyer, both teams scored a couple of times. The official score was a tie: 3-3, I think.

Lots of players in this game!

After the game, frozen, Katie and I headed out for dinner at an authentic Swiss restaurant, the Weisshorn, where we enjoyed a tomato fondue. That warmed us up!

Zermatt's main street at dusk.

The view as we reached the top of the tree line.

The next day, Tuesday, the sun was shining again – time for me to take the Gornergrat Bahn, a train that stops several times on its way up to its final stop where the Matterhorn can be viewed in all its glory. On the ride up, I shared the car with many, many skiers, but on the way down at 11:00, I had the car to myself. This allowed me to take picture after picture because the views were magnificent.

The Gornergrat Bahn on its way down.

I could not take my eyes off the Matterhorn - what a majestic sight it is! The photos tell the story of my 30 minutes at the top. I have only posted a few of them.

How exhilarating it must be to ski here!

This guy was posing for the tourists.

I was there!!

At 13:30, Katie and I boarded a train to return to Neuchâtel. We missed out on the skating party and the curling matches that took place later that week, but our family time in Zermatt was very enjoyable nevertheless. We were not finished our holidaying either, as you will discover in the next blog post.

One last view of the Matterhorn.