Back home

Inside the Hagia Sophia

I just arrived back home a short while ago, and I've enjoyed a wonderful dinner and thought I'd better get my Tuesday post up before I lose consciousness. I've been up for way too long, and I will be putting up a post with the highlights of my trip soon. Not today, though.

In Istanbul, I toured the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, the Cisterns, and both the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Bazaar. It was a lot to fit into two half-day tours, and I went to sleep in Istanbul on Monday night and slept fitfully before awaking to leave at 3:00am for the airport. I've been up ever since, and that was more than 24 hours ago. Forgive me for any typos or mistakes in this post, since I'm not even going to read it over but will crash in a few minutes. After eating, I really do feel like I might be half asleep already!

More later. And if all goes as planned, I'll have a Trailblazer hike to chronicle on Thursday! I'll fit in a couple of extra posts with some of my adventures. Until then...
:-)

Istanbul!

Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque)

I am finally feeling like I am in a foreign country, now that I've arrived in Istanbul. I left Antalya this morning on Turkish Air and arrived at the airport on the Asian side of the city, Sabiha Gökçen, which is named after the first female combat pilot in Turkey. The city is divided by the Bosphorus into the Asian side and the European side, and I have to say I'm glad I got to experience this wonderful airport. We were taken from the terminal by a bus to load onto the plane, which had two entrances, front and back, and other than having to lug my bag up the steps, it was quick to load and we took off on time. The flight is almost exactly an hour, and they served us a wonderful sandwich and coffee, much nicer than anything I would get at home. (That is, if the airlines ever served FOOD any more, which they don't.)

Sitting down to our first food in Istanbul

The others had all arrived much sooner than we did, since they landed at the Atatürk Airport on the European side. When the four of us checked into the hotel, we found that they were already in the meeting room having started to work on the report proceedings. Once we were brought up to speed, we agreed to let everyone have a chance to wander around and see the sights and get back together this evening. While we were out, it was time for lunch and I must say I really enjoyed my wonderful food. You point at what you want and a man ladles it onto the plate.

Spinach, vegetables, rice

I was shocked at how much food it was, and had I known the serving sizes, I wouldn't have gotten the vegetables. The rice and spinach were so delicious I ate all of them but left the others, as I was suddenly way too full. This meal, plus a small bottle of sparkling water, was 30 Turkish lira (about $12). Next time, I will not get so much, but it was sure good.

Marie-Ange and Catalina

We are just a few blocks from the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia Mosque and will be touring both of them either tomorrow or Monday before we return home. Karen has arranged a half-day tour for us, which will make sure to give us a chance to experience the best of the city. Both of these beautiful women are also on the writing team, and most of us will stay until Tuesday to work on the document. Mickey assured us we will also have a chance to see the sights.

Charms to keep away the Evil Eye

I've learned that there are actually two different versions of this eye charm: this one is to ward off the Evil Eye, and the Eye of Fatima is inside a hand. I'm not quite sure of all the differences, but I'll be sure to let you know when I learn more. I'm definitely going to be buying more of these, as they are very inexpensive. I am very glad that during this part of the trip I have recovered from jet lag and will enjoy everything. Time to head down to the bar and quaff my nightly glass of red wine. More later!
:-)

A day in Antalya

Françoise, Evelyn, Karen

Today, my usual Senior Trailblazer hiking day, was spent hiking around the town of Antalya. Since the meeting is being held in a hotel far from the town (a half an hour) and on the Mediterranean away from everything, I had not seen any of the local environs, but today I was joined by three others to have an excursion in town. Evelyn's husband, Claudio, who is with the WMO who sponsored the conference, found a car and driver and gave us a chance to have a wonderful day, getting to know each other as well as the town. Mickey said go ahead and go, so I didn't ask twice. Karen (Mickey's wife) and I have known each other for ages, but the other two are now fast friends as well.

A street in Old Town

We have the most incredible weather today, after two days of rain and wind, reminding me of home! But today dawned clear and cold, and the weather just got warmer and warmer all day long. Just perfect with a light jacket. The streets were pretty clear early on, but as it grew later, we saw more and more people. The shop owners were mostly friendly and not too pushy since it's the off season and we were obviously out to shop. There were a couple annoying ones, but otherwise we made new friends!

One of our new friends

We promised this gentleman with a silver shop that we would stop by before returning to the hotel, and we did, but when this picture was taken it was still early in the day. We wandered in and out of many of the shops in Old Town, visited an ancient mosque that was originally built in the 2nd century. It is now just a pile of old stones that I had to peer at through a fence. As we got hungry, we looked for a place that had been recommended, the Castle Hotel and Restaurant on the water.

Our table, with Karen sending a picture to Mickey

It was everything we had hoped for. We sat in the sun, feeling a nice gentle breeze off the water and enjoyed the view. We also learned that there are many feral cats in Old Town, and they obviously knew their way around. In fact, the owners of the hotel have created some nice little catwalks for them.

Cat snoozing over the water

Being fond of cats, this didn't bother me at all, as they rubbed against my legs as we ate a fantastic lunch. Karen ordered some kind of fish, but Françoise and I ordered grilled vegetables that were wonderful. Thinking of my blogging friends who asked for food pictures, I took a picture, trying to show the amazing view as well.

My grilled vegetables in a fantastic setting

After lunch, we wandered more around town, knowing we only had a couple of hours, and went into a tea shop. They have all these piles of different teas, and as soon as we walked in, the proprietor made us up some samples, knowing that we wouldn't be able to resist.

I ended up getting a Sultan and eucalyptus tea blend

When he held up the fresh tea under my nose, it immediately gave me a rush. I found out that it is because it had a great deal of eucalyptus in it. Oh my! I couldn't help from buying it. I will be drinking it for a long time to come. And then, before I knew it, we had to make our way back to the spot where we would be picked up by our driver. We went back to the silver shop, meeting our new friend Aytekin, while making promises to see each other again. I took this selfie of myself so I could be included in the day's pictures.

In the mirror, my selfie

There was only one thing I didn't buy that I wished I had: an Eye of Fatima charm. I intend to get one tomorrow, and the story of the Eye is that when you wear it, you are protected from harm. I figured it's not a bad thing to have.

The Eye of Fatima earrings

Everywhere you look in the shops, you see these things: key chains, bracelets, necklaces, you name it. I remember seeing them in Macedonia years ago, but I think this time I'm going to indulge in a few of them. They would make great gifts, don't you think?
:-)

Hello from Tomorrowland

The Mediterranean surf

My old boss, Mickey, brought his wife Karen along with him on this trip, and she and I walked along the beach yesterday together. I am writing this to you from Tuesday morning, the day that the conference begins, but where you are right now it's still Monday evening. Talk about a creature of habit: I woke up this morning at 4:00am and struggled to stay asleep until 5:00am, although it's really ten hours earlier at home. I figured why fight it, just get up and start my day. So this post will be a little bit early, but who cares?

Last night's dinner

Yesterday Karen and several other people, including Mickey (my old boss) went into town to explore, and I took the opportunity to stay behind and rest up. I am almost back to my normal habits, but I needed to take a nap and not be walking around town, so I did exactly that. I got into my nightie in the middle of the day and actually fell asleep. Then I went swimming in the indoor pool, which was simply wonderful! I was the only person in the Olympic-sized pool and I swam and swam. Today while I'm working, Karen is going to use the pool.

About last night's dinner: we all sat together after they returned from town and I asked the waiter if he would bring me a plate of the best local food. Lo and behold, here comes the chef, and the dishes above are what he brought me. The right-hand side is an eggplant dish that was wonderful, and on the larger plate is a dill yogurt, some dolmas, hummus and some unidentified tasty red stuff.

A sample of the sweets

Although there are hot dishes in the buffet line, the amazing variety of foods to choose from simply boggled my mind. I had to show you the sweets they offer, and this is just a sampling. Breads, fruits, and olives and various spreads just go on and on. And that's not even the hot food. You can get just about anything you desire. This morning I will have a simple breakfast of vegetables and eggs, with some of these cheeses:

So far I like the Turkish feta the best

There are so many to choose from, and you just can't eat it all at once. There are soft and hard cheeses galore, and with some good dark bread, and some olive tapenade, I will be in heaven. And then the conference will begin, and I'll be working. Hopefully I'll be able to do the job I knew so well, and it will come back just like riding a bike. Fortunately Mickey also has another person who will be taking notes, so I'm not going to be the only recorder as I used to be.

Three and a half days of conference work, then we have a half day on Friday to do whatever we wish. Karen is going to treat me to a Turkish sauna and massage in the hotel's spa. I will probably really need it afterwards!
:-)

The adventure begins

Not sure if it's my plane, but it's at the right gate

Well, I've made my way to SeaTac (the Seattle/Tacoma Airport) south of Seattle, rode the three-hour shuttle from Bellingham, and navigated the security situation. And my plane is now scheduled to leave almost an hour later than scheduled. I get worried when they go from a 1:09pm departure to a 2:00pm one. In my experience, that happens often when they don't really know when it will be available for boarding. Sigh.

My connecting flight in Amsterdam still gives me more than two hours, even with the late departure, to catch it. I'll know more when I actually board and we take off. But what the heck, it's begun! And look what I saw yesterday in Bellingham on my way to the gym:

February 6, 2015

The first crocus of the season! Or the year, or whatever. It makes me look forward to spring, and more of them! Now to enjoy my salad before traipsing over to the gate.
:-)

Rock Trail to Gates Overlook

Seattle Sombreros on me, Carol and Peggy

Only seven Senior Trailblazers showed up for what was likely to be a wet, soggy hike. It rained all night long, but Al had thought that we might actually have a break in the weather if we were lucky. And you know what? We were! I did go out and buy myself a Seattle Sombrero after seeing how well they work in the rain. I know you're not surprised. It is now hanging happily next to my Tilley hat. We started at the Larrabee State Park parking lot and headed up to the Lost Lake trail.

Peggy, Carol and Sharon with wet hats

As you can see, it began to rain not long after we started up the road. Sharon is wearing a Seattle Sombrero hat, too, so you can see I am right in synch with all the ladies. (I thought it was a different brand, but there is the logo right in front.) It rained on us, but just about 10:30, after we'd been out for a couple of hours, the rain stopped. Completely.

Nice waterfall

I take a picture of this waterfall almost every time we pass it. We meandered up the old logging trail that joins the Lost Lake trail and leads us to the Rock Trail. Although it was dry for hours in the middle of the day, it was obvious that it had been raining hard for awhile. The muddy ground made it slippery now and then, but mostly it was just fine.

Al, Sharon, Rich, Steve, Carol, Peggy

From this high point, we hike downhill until we reach the Rock Trail junction. And then it's a climb to the Overlook. The last time we were on this trail in December, we walked on icicles. Today it was in the mid- to high 50s F, so it felt relatively warm as long as we were moving. There was quite a bit of wind, but for most of the day we were protected from it.

Mossy tree on Rock Trail

I am always in awe of the rock face on this trail, with its striations and natural beauty. Steve worked on this trail, which was only finished about a year ago, and he joked that it wasn't easy putting all the ferns in at just the right angle to make them look natural (they were already there). I am so glad we all get to enjoy his hard work on the trail itself, though, because it's a really beautiful place to visit.

There was sun in Bellingham, but we were in fog

Once we got to Gates Overlook, we could see that it had indeed cleared up down in Bellingham, but the fog came and went and we never had a really nice view. We also didn't see the sun today, but considering what we were expecting, no one was at all unhappy.

Foggy descent

We walked on the road to the Overlook for a short ways until we came to the Fragrance Lake trailhead, and made our way back to the cars, covering more than eight miles and 2,400 feet of elevation gain and loss. We were all exclaiming on our good fortune with the weather, when about a half mile from the cars it began to sprinkle. Nobody minded.

Selfie in my Seattle Sombrero

It also gave me a chance to show you how well my new hat works. It really is like wearing an umbrella: I could hear the patter of rain but I was perfectly dry, as were my glasses, for the entire time. The only downside to the hat was when I took it off: hair going every which way! That's okay, I am very happy with my new purchase, and you can bet it will be with me on many more hikes.
:-)

Getting better and better

John showing off his homemade cane

Every time I see John at the coffee shop, he looks a little livelier and moves a little better. He made himself a cane out of an old branch on his property, stained it and put a tip on it. Those new knees make it hard for him to get up and down, but he moves pretty well once he's vertical. He won't be running any marathons any time soon, though. But in his "Ozark tuxedo" as he calls his overalls, he looks much more natural than he did in the nursing home.

He's already gotten onto his tractor and made some progress at home. Driving isn't a problem, either, and he's happy to have a handicapped parking sticker so he can park nearby when he's out and about. I suspect by the time he's ready to plant his garden, he'll be almost back to normal. It amazes me what they can do these days with worn-out body parts.

My friend Steve, an old skydiving friend on a journey to get a new liver, has made great progress, too. I've been able to keep up with him on Facebook. He had a kind of liver cancer that required a transplant if he was going to be able to live more than a few months. We agonized as all his friends waited to see if he would get one in time. On January 8, he received a new liver, and last week they removed the staples.

Steve's amazing scar

Inside him now resides a liver from someone who died, probably in a car accident, as that seems to be where most organs come from these days. I am wishing him all the best in the future, because even though he now has that essential ingredient, he will need anti-rejection drugs for the rest of his life to keep it. He is a strong person in many ways, and he has his wonderful life partner, Maria, who has been taking care of him ever since he got sick. Hopefully the two of them will have many more years together.

I just made a new friend online, Heather, who was given a short time to live more than nine years ago. She had mesothelioma and in order to save her life, she opted to have her lung removed and is now doing well with the remaining one. Her story is very inspiring, and you can read all about it here. To honor the day she said goodbye to her lung, she started a blog called "Lung Leaving' Day" and gives us all a chance to leave behind our fears by writing them down on a plate and shattering it. It's very cool! Yesterday was the nine-year anniversary of that first day.

We are all very fortunate to live in a time when these miracles of scientific progress take place every day. Although none of us will know the date and time when we will leave this earth, I am inspired by those who valiantly take their future into their own hands. I am doing what I can to keep my own knees and lungs and liver, because I don't know if I would be able to go through it. I hope I don't get a chance to find out!
:-)