some other stuff we did

I'll try to be brief. 

1)  After much gesturing and finger-crossing, we did get patio furniture.  It is awesome.  Would be nicer to be higher up in the building, but then Dennis would just make us climb more stairs to get home :-)

eucalyptus.  and self-assembled

 2)  Apparently we like old castles.  This one was built in 1452 in132 days by the about-to-conquer Ottomans in preparation for the siege on Constantinople. 

feels very post-cardy to me.  It was also quite windy that day.

3) The last week of August was big holiday time.  Not only was it the Bayram for end of Ramazan, but also one day was Victory Day (when they beat the Greeks I think).  So there were tons of HUGE turkish flags flying everywhere.  Very neat.

this one happens to be on the side of a big mosque in Bursa

4)  Since it was the holiday week, and nothing was open in Istanbul, we took a ferry down to Yalova on the sea of Marmara, then a minibus to Iznik (Nicea).  Saw some old church place & some old walls & Roman stuff.  Then took another minibus to Bursa, which is a bigger city more south on the Sea.  Walked around Bursa (saw mosques & museums & walls), and took a cable car up the mountain where our drinking water comes from.  You know, just to make sure it's legit. 

Hagia Sophia in Iznik.  Remember that Nicene Creed thing?  That's from here.

minibus fun

Bursa from the cable car on Uludag.

Iskender kebab -- delicious.