Istanbul

Upon learning that we were going to move to England, I had loads of places to visit on my list. Many were in the UK, quite a few were in Europe. Istanbul, however, was not on my list. In fact, given the poor quality of my memory for geography, it would probably have taken me some time to even find it on a map! Istanbul is where our daughter and her husband and our grandson are making their home right now however, so Scott and I took a long weekend and flew to Turkey to spend some time with them and explore a bit of this interesting city.

The Blue Mosque

Life in Istanbul is a bit different from our Western lives to be sure! The city is ancient, beautiful, and bustling with people from all over the world. Whilst there we enjoyed seeing the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, the Cistern, Topkapi Palace, and the Grand Bazaar. Sampling Turkish food was definitely fun, but spending time with Zach, Jennie, and little Josiah was the best part of all!

The Basilica Cistern was built in the 6th century. There are some historical records that indicate that 7000 slaves were used in it's construction. It is a really interesting place to visit, if a bit damp and creepy.

Hagia Sophia was first a Greek Orthodox Basilica. Then it was made into a mosque but is now a museum. There have been some calls to return it to a mosque as well as some requests to return it to a Christian Church. For the moment, however, it is a museum where symbols of both religions can be found inside.  

I cannot begin to tell you what all of this is, but suffice it to say that a yummy lunch was enjoyed by all!

The Grand Bazaar
Filled with all sorts of Turkish products from towels to tea sets,  gold jewelry and leather boots to painted lamps, this is a shopper's paradise, although a bit overwhelming at first!

Christmas In Paradise

Christmas 2013 found Scott and I still enjoying England, but missing our family. We decided to make the long journey from England to Kona, Hawaii to spend the holidays with our family and our friends, the Pittman's. We had near perfect weather and a wonderful time.

No one we know,  just an interesting sunset picture :).

These are some of the most beautiful beaches in the world!

We managed to find time for some snorkeling!

The kids and Scott spent a beautiful morning aboard a charter fishing boat. As you can see, it was quite the successful trip!

We did miss Jennie and Zach and Josiah who were not able to make the trip from Istanbul. Any guesses where we headed next?!!!

Switzerland

When I think of Switzerland I think of mountains, snow, cows, cheese, and chocolate. We definitely saw and experienced all of that and more on our trip through the countryside and whilst in Zurich. Always included on lists of "Best Cities to Live", Zurich is also high on the list for "Wealthiest" cities in Europe. Not surprisingly, then, to find that it is also one of the most expensive cities to visit in Europe. Even so, it is a beautiful city and well worth a short visit!

Through the Alps

We had a wonderful time on our cruise and we had a few days between the end of the cruise and our return to England. We decided to take the Bernina Express from Italy through the Alps to Switzerland. To do this from Venice required getting up quite early in the morning and jostling several suitcases onto and off of 3 different trains. Once on board the Bernina Express and underway though, it became clear that this journey had been a wonderful choice! We were fortunate enough to have a day with bright sunshine and freshly fallen snow. The results are some brilliant photos and treasured memories of the scenery along our journey.

The view at the Top

A glacial lake high up in the Alps.

The Bernina Express actually goes from Turino, Italy to Chur, Switzerland. We passed through some breathtaking scenery on our trip through the Alps. As we drew close to Chur we passed by a small town with a perfectly placed church.