Wednesday, April 11, 2007
We took a four day trip to Canakkale, and stayed with the family of Dr. Sezar Mural, who hosted Silvia briefly in Canakkale 8 years ago (while pregnant with Mara - so it was a bit of a homecoming for Mara too). In the picture, we are in nearby TROY (no, not Troy, New York, THE TROY). This is a model of the Trojan Horse at the site, and the one used in the recent movie was sent to Canakkale too. Troy is actually 9 cities, built one on top of another, and quite small (think of it as a fortress, in some respects). The first was buılt around 3000BC!
Mara among some of the outer defense walls of Troy.
Future actors (this is part of a 6000 spectator ampitheater). No sign of Brad Pitt.
Mara getting her hair braided by the Mural family's househelper, Nurtan teyze.
The castle across the Dardanelles was built in 1492 by Mehmet the Conquorer (along with matching castle on this side). We visited it, and it was basically deserted, so we could explore it as we wished. There were steep open stairs that led right to the top lip - very frightening.
Here is the view from the porch (Sezar bey and Sukran hannim's home), overlooking the Dardanelles Strait (what a fabulous place and view). The large cargo ships passed continuously, coming from the Mediterranean to the Aegean Sea and up the strait (called the Hellespont in ancient times) to the Sea of Marmara, through the Bosphorus at Istanbul, and continuing into the Black Sea. Aahh, a sailor's life for me.
Hanging out with Sezar. You can't tell from the picture, but I've really gone gray here.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Elli Sol and Silas Miguel in a WWI bunker (see the next picture for some details).
Evening looking over the Dardanelles. The Canakkale Martyrs Memorial to the left (at the southern tip of the peninsula) commemorates the Turkish soldiers who fought and died at Gallipoli (look it up if you don't know - a very interesting and important campaign in WWI). Where the peninsula ends, the Aegean sea starts. There is a HUGE mountain-side sign that one can see from passing ships and across the Dardannelles, which translates as "Stop wayfarer! Unknowst to you this ground you come and tread on is where an epoch lies; bend down and lend your ear for this silent mound is the place where the heart of a nation sighs."
Mara and Silas Miguel along the water (though hard to read, the boat is registered in Istanbul). Notice Silas's ever present steering wheel. And the look on their faces - they didn't want to stand next to each other at that moment.
On the ferry ride across the Dardanelles, Elli Sol decided to find out how much less they charge for a horse and cart than for the tractor trailor.
The chidren had time for a swim. Silas Miguel went in the deep end without any floatation devices for the first time!
Here we are having dinner right along the shore of the Dardanelles.
A farewell picture of us with Sukran hanim, daughter Sezen and Sezar bey (not pictured is son Eren).
