Istanbul

Of all the cities I have visited recently, Istanbul captivates me the most. It is a contrast of time and cultures where the 'Clash of Civilizations' is epitomized. As you cross the straight between Europe and Asia or cross the street from Jewish to Muslim to Christian places of worship, you can not help but to feel the history.

Hagia Sophia is not to be missed. Go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hagia_Sophia to read all about it. (Isn't wikipedia great!) The thing that makes you pause is the plaster falling off the walls. When the Ottomon Turks converted it to a mosque, they plastered over all of the Christian mosaics. That plaster is now falling away and can not be repaired because it is a protected site. The mosaics are typical Byzantine. The message...

As we walked the social district at night, there were literally thousands of people in the streets. Small, make shift tea cafes along the alleyways, restaurants, street musicians, book stores, and even nightclubs. Taking it all in. What a treat!

With friends Natalie and Andrew, we had to experience one of the cafes and enjoyed an apple huka with apple tea. I really wanted to jump in on the chess game going on next to us, but maybe next time. Wonderful way to watch the night go by.