Monday 31 May 2010
Back in Turkey for the last few days of the trip.
Back in Turkey for the last few days of the trip.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Friday, May 28, 2010
New bees
Saturday 29 May 2010
Here is Boyana's aunt, catching a swarm of wild bees. They were all gathered on the tree branch, so she rubbed the inside of that basket thing with lemon verbena, which they love. You hit the branch with a stick, the bees are dislodged and fall into the basket. They stay in there, I guess, until you put them into the hive.
We spent the day helping them gather honey from Boyana's grandmother's hives, which was both interesting and very informative.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Daisies
Friday 28 May 2010
Our couchsurfing hosts, Boyana and Nicola, took us out to Boyana's family's village for the weekend. Two days of good fresh farm food, hmmm!
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Field of poppies
Wednesday 26 May 2010
We spent the whole day on the beach today, getting a little sun. So, here is a photo I took on the train on the way here. A whole field of poppies - they're everywhere right now.
We spent the whole day on the beach today, getting a little sun. So, here is a photo I took on the train on the way here. A whole field of poppies - they're everywhere right now.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Tall Ships
Monday 24 May 2010
We arrived in Varna today, on the Black Sea, just in time to see an armada of old tall ships take one more lap around the harbor before heading off to sea.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Prayer fruit
Sunday 23 May 2010
Got out of the city today, and went up to a popular working monastery. (We saw a miraculous icon! We don't know what it did, but it was miraculous!) After visiting the church and whatnot, we went for a walk on the nature trail through the neighboring hills and woods. It was gorgeous.
We saw a lot of these red and white bracelets tied to the trees and bushes. I think they must be for prayers, but I'll ask around and keep you updated!
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Chuch tower
Saturday 22 May 2010
A lovely church tower in the old town of Plovdiv, with a wedding party gathering for a photo. I don't think you can see her here, but the bride was wearing a tight white miniskirt dress with only one sleeve. Oh yeah.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Plovdiv houses
Friday 21 May 2010
Back in Bulgaria, in an historical city called Plovdiv. There are lots of very nicely restored Ottoman houses here, but unlike the ones in Turkey, these are all different bright colors, and are often decorated with intricate designs above the doors and windows.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Death Notices
Thursday 20 May 2010
Our Serbian friends told us these little fliers are only seen in Serbia, although we have seen them in Bulgaria as well. A Balkan tradition, perhaps.
When someone dies, their family puts up these notices of their death on their door, near the church, and around town. They aren't taken down until maybe when they're faded and dirty. So poles and doors and bulletin boards here are full of little memorials, like an extension of the graveyard.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Red Cross Camp
Wednesday 19 May 2010
We popped over to the town of Nis (pron. "niche") in Serbia, for a few days.
Visited a WWII Nazi concentration camp while here. These were the solitary confinement cells, where prisoners were forced to sleep on floors covered with barbed wire.
I don't really know what else to say - it was upsetting as you would imagine a trip to a concentration camp would be.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Kiosks in Sofia
Tuesday 18 May 2010
I guess that here in Sofia it's cheaper to renovate a basement apartment than it is to buy a kiosk or storefront, so lots of people just open up little stores like this. All over the city you can see locals bending over to buy cigarettes, beer, phone cards, pastries, who knows what else.
I guess that here in Sofia it's cheaper to renovate a basement apartment than it is to buy a kiosk or storefront, so lots of people just open up little stores like this. All over the city you can see locals bending over to buy cigarettes, beer, phone cards, pastries, who knows what else.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Yellow brick road
Monday 17 May 2010
That's right, Sofia really does have a yellow brick road. (Several, actually!)
Saturday, May 15, 2010
St. Geoge's Mary
Sunday 16 May 2010
Well, we're taking a little break from Turkey, and spending some time in eastern Europe.
This was taken in St. George's, the oldest church in Sofia, Bulgaria.
Well, we're taking a little break from Turkey, and spending some time in eastern Europe.
This was taken in St. George's, the oldest church in Sofia, Bulgaria.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Lokum factory
Friday 14 May 2010
Coolest thing ever. Ryan and I visited a lokum (Turkish delight) factory today! The guys were really friendly, and showed us all around. They demonstrated all of the steps of making Turkish delight, and gave us a ton of samples (too many, if truth be told. I like Turkish delight, but one bite a day will do me.)
Here he's cutting some saffron flavored delight with pistachios.
Coolest thing ever. Ryan and I visited a lokum (Turkish delight) factory today! The guys were really friendly, and showed us all around. They demonstrated all of the steps of making Turkish delight, and gave us a ton of samples (too many, if truth be told. I like Turkish delight, but one bite a day will do me.)
Here he's cutting some saffron flavored delight with pistachios.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Safranboul
Thursday 13 May 2010
Ryan and I are spending a couple of days in Safranbolu, which is an absolutely gorgeous little town a few hours from Istanbul (making us very glad it's not summer just yet . . .). The whole town has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site because it is so well preserved. There are hundreds of original Ottoman houses here, as well as some nice mosques, a caravansarai, and a hamam.
Ryan and I are spending a couple of days in Safranbolu, which is an absolutely gorgeous little town a few hours from Istanbul (making us very glad it's not summer just yet . . .). The whole town has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site because it is so well preserved. There are hundreds of original Ottoman houses here, as well as some nice mosques, a caravansarai, and a hamam.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
At the concert
Wednesday 12 May 2010
We've been doing a lot of couchsurfing, which means staying with local people who have an extra room or space on their couch. We set it up through a website called couchsurfing.com.
Our host here in Ankara took us to a concert tonight, of one of the biggest rock bands in Turkey. It was a surprisingly fun night (I normally hate loud concerts) - here's me having fun not being able to take a picture of the band.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Tile
Tuesday 11 May 2010
Visited a huge mosque with amazing tiling today. I've shown a few big photos of soaring domes, so I thought I'd get a little closer today.
Sunday, May 09, 2010
Cenotaph
Monday 10 May 2010
At Ataturk's mausoleum. He is not inside there, he is in a secret chamber beneath which we could not enter.
At Ataturk's mausoleum. He is not inside there, he is in a secret chamber beneath which we could not enter.
Saturday, May 08, 2010
Stuff in my backpack
Sunday 9 May 2010
This is what I have on my trip. Some clothes, books, a medicine kit, electronics bag, some gifts and souvenirs, a few miscellaneous items. It all goes on my back - the big bag weighs about 15 kilos. (I wish I could pack a bit lighter, but ah well!)
Friday, May 07, 2010
Little Dervish
Saturday 8 May 2010
Ryan and I went to Konya today, which was the birthplace of the whirling dervishes. This is the third show we've seen, and it was different yet again.
Thursday, May 06, 2010
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
Divrigi door
Thursday 6 May 2010
Cool carving, huh? Check off another World Heritage Sight for Ryan and I!
Cool carving, huh? Check off another World Heritage Sight for Ryan and I!
Tuesday, May 04, 2010
Monday, May 03, 2010
Wheel of Time
Tuesday 4 May 2010
Relaxing day in a peaceful little canyon in the tiny town of Darende. A picnic and some reading.
Here's Ryan enjoying book number 10 of the Wheel of Time series, which we are both reading and LOVING while on this trip. It's full of twists and turns, as you can see.
Sunday, May 02, 2010
Saturday, May 01, 2010
Neighborhood mosque
Sunday 2 May 2010
Ryan and I were both terribly sick with food poisoning today, and did not leave our beds. So, here is a photo of a normal (if rather nice) neighborhood mosque.
You can see all the individual spaces on the carpet, one for each man to kneel on. (The women are always in a separate room, or, like in this mosque, in a balcony area.) The niche tells in which direction Mecca can be found. That big staircase there is the minbar, where the imam stands to give his sermon on Friday.
Ryan and I were both terribly sick with food poisoning today, and did not leave our beds. So, here is a photo of a normal (if rather nice) neighborhood mosque.
You can see all the individual spaces on the carpet, one for each man to kneel on. (The women are always in a separate room, or, like in this mosque, in a balcony area.) The niche tells in which direction Mecca can be found. That big staircase there is the minbar, where the imam stands to give his sermon on Friday.
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