Day Trip to Iznik

Taking the fairy to Iznik.

This church was also called the Hagia Sophia! 

The bricks were from 6th Century!

Cool mosaics in the floor...

Probably not intended to be a dance floor, but don't tell Danni!

The outside of the Hagia Sophia Museum.

On the shores of the Sea of Bosphorous.

Enjoying the sunset on the shore.  I thought it was weird that there wasn't any sand!

She liked throwing rocks!

I did too!

It was too cold to take a swim!

We found a local play ground!

It was nice to get the sillies out on some new equipment!

Monkey girl!

McDonald's on a new continent!  (Iznik is on the Asian side of Turkey!)  Not many kids get to have McDonald's on three continents during their vacations!

She was happy to have a little taste of home!

We missed the early ferry, so we had to take the night ferry back to Istanbul.  The view of the Blue Mosque was worth the delay!

 We took a day trip to Iznik - a town where they produce gorgeous ceramics on the Asian side of Turkey.  While our hunt for ceramics wasn't very successful, we did have fun exploring the town.  We saw ANOTHER Hagia Sophia -- this one was where the Second Council of Nicaea took place in 787.  It was pretty cool that we stood in a place where important people stood to make important decisions hundreds of years ago!!  We walked to the shores of the Bosphorous and enjoyed a beautiful sunset there before making our way back to the ferry terminal.  Our favorite part of this excursion was the McDonald's in the terminal!  Since we missed the earlier ferry, we were stuck there and 'had' to have McD's for dinner.  Danni and I loved having some nuggets and fry-fries on the third continent of the trip!!!

We Love Istanbul!!

We snacked on simit ...  kind of like a Turkish bage.  The ones Danni is pointing to had cinnamon inside. 

They tasted pretty bland, but were an edible snack when we were out and about!

Everything at the Spice Market was SO beautifully displayed!  Danni picked out some tea for her kindergarten teacher!

Halloween costume shopping!!  This is really a circumcision outfit!  Ouch!!  Glad I am American!!!  I made a handsome sultan!!

Most of the streets are cobblestone... and a lot of them are steep.  We got our workouts walking the city!!

One of the obelisks in the Hippodrome!

Yummy kebab meats...  and chips (we call them fry-fries!)

We enjoyed eating at local Turkish spots!

The water cups were single serve and disposable!

I started to drink alma chai (or, apple tea!) I am so grown up!

Toasting to a fun day in Istanbul!

We met lots of nice kitties everywhere we went!

We met some nice waiters too!  We ate dinner at this guy's restaurant almost every night!!

More meat!!  

Watching the lady make traditional Turkish bread.

I was excited to find a place that had a version of  the 'real cheese' sandwich!  They called it cheese toast there!

In the seed market...

She found lots of sparkly stuff in the Grand Bazaar!

Water break while shopping at the Grand Bazaar.

She learned to bargain!

While Daddy did a business deal, we played with one of the shop boys.

Afternoon tea on the roof of our hotel.

Our last few days were spent in Istanbul... shopping, eating, and exploring!  I picked up a chess set at the Grand Bazaar and Danni learned to bargain and made a great deal on some pretty bracelets.  I started to really enjoy my morning and afternoon alma chai.  I love the little glasses that it is served in.  In fact, I bought my own tea set so that I could serve my own at home!!! Everyone was so friendly to us -- the Turks REALLY love kids.  It was strange to have people pinching my cheeks or putting their arm around my shoulders... but I loved the attention!  The waiters and shopkeepers are way more playful than the ones we have in America!!!  Istanbul is a fun place to visit!!  When can we go back?!

Exploring the Little Hagia Sophia

Another beautiful church!  We liked this one because it wasn't spooky and dark inside.

Enjoying the view...

We probably shouldn't have climbed up here... 

Simply amazing!

Smiling from the second floor!

She didn't want to wear a scarf... but then we found a pink one and she was happy... before the camera could catch it!

Brother hugs = big smiles!

The churches in the U.S. just don't compare!

We weren't allowed to wear shoes in the mosque...  we were allowed to lean on relics, though!

Smiler on the second floor!

Although this church looks newer than the 'big' Hagia Sophia, it was actually built first... kind of like a practice run for the real deal.  It is smaller, but the architecture is similar to that of the Hagia Sophia.  The reason that this mosque looks so new is because the entire interior has been redone since it was first built.  Danni and I learned about proper mosque attire when we visited.  We both had to cover our heads and no shoes were allowed inside either...  it was cool to experience different cultural practices!  :)