Turkey

After a few days in Germany, my family jet-set for Turkey-- the meeting place of the east and west.

I eagerly anticipated our touchdown in Istanbul; before going to Turkey, I had never visited a primarily Islamic nation before.

A view of Istanbul from above:

From the plane, overlooking the city, I was shocked by the prevalence of mosques-- and instantly I knew I was going to experience a culture very unlike my own.

Our family had rented an apartment for our five day trip--- tucked away in a small alley, it was comfortably located close to the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sofia.

Street vendors swarmed the streets-- all of them singing praises and eagerly urging you to enter their shops. The strong smell of spices and smoke filled the streets as well; and apple tee was offered to us on a regular basis.

I was shocked to see so many men on the streets-- working in the shops. Women traveled with their husbands, most wearing the hijab, covering their hair. Although traditional, the Turkish did not discriminate against those who chose not to cover their hair or face-- in fact, Turkey has banned the hijab in school and university settings.

One evening our family went to see a bellydancing performance, which was quite entertaining!! The best part? My mother and I got up and participated in a demonstration. I can only imagine how funny that would have been for my brother and father who were watching!!

We spent a lot of our time in Turkey wandering through the streets, visiting mosques, the underground cistern, and even taking a boat ride on the Bosphorous. There was just so much to absorb!

A view of the Roman underground cistern in Istanbul:

Germany

My mother had a marketing conference in Cologne, Germany, and so the entire family decided to tag along.

Germany was a wonderful place to visit. Although my family loves to travel, we had yet to make our way to Germany, and I was eager to see how Germany was compared to some of the other European countries (England, France, Greece, etc.).

Whenever I visit a place, I try to imagine living there-- and try to consider what lifestyle the average citizen there has.

We first stayed in Berlin-- where we got to experience the culture to the fullest. We visited the underground bunkers, made sure to taste some of the German cuisine, and spent a lot of time walking around the city. Of course-- we also saw the Berlin wall and Check-point Charlie while we were there.

While in Berlin, we grabbed a train to see the concentration camp in Sachsenshausen. Lonely and prison-like, the thought of the many atrocities that had occurred within the walls of the camp sent shivers down my spine.

After a few days, my family took a train to Cologne, Germany, where my mother's conference was located. Cologne is famous for having one of the world's largest cathedrals. It stands, imposing, in the middle of the city... and constant reminder of the marvelous engineering of past generations.

An added bonus? Our family was lucky enough to hear the wonderful organ playing of Professor Bönig, from the University of Cologne. To imagine! Hundreds of years of history-- to be able to sit and listen to some of the same music that would have filled the cathedral years ago was quite breathtaking!

To be able to walk around the streets of both Berlin and Cologne was lovely in itself. One can learn so much from simply observing!

Beautiful, no?:

A segment of the Berlin Wall:

My brother and I in front of the Brandenburg Tor in Berlin:

My Summer

Sorry for the long break!

I recently got back from my Europe trip--and it was a great experience!

I'm going to post a few pictures from my trip-- and along with the photos, a few stories!