Today marks the year anniversary sine an accident in Greece robbed my brother and I or our beloved Mother, students of a fountain of knowledge and friends of her wonderful support and laughter. Many of you probably don't know that Bill is the real writer in the family. I remember my Mom being somewhat shocked when he wrote her his first poem - but where that talent came from was revealed when a poem my Grandfather had written was unearthed years ago. My Grandfather wrote home to his local newspaper during WWII from "Somewhere in Iran".....here is that poem followed by Bill's last poem to my Mom which he wrote in the car on our long drive home to deal with a life without her....
Thursday, July 8th, 1943
Somewhere in Iran, where the sun is like a curse; and each day is followed closely by another slightly worse; where the red brick dust blows thicker than the shifting desert sand, and a Yankee's wishful thinking's for a cleaner, fairer land.
Somewhere in Iran, where a woman is never seen, where the sky is never cloudy and the grass is never green, where the Jackal's nightly howling robs a man of blessed sleep, where there isn't any whiskey and the beer is never cheap.
Somewhere in Iran, where the nights are made for love, where the moon is like a spotlight and the southern cross above, sparkles like a diamond necklace on a the throat of tropic night, tis a shameful waste of beauty for there's not a gal in sight.
Somewhere in Iran, where the postman comes so late, that a Christmas Card in April is considered up to date, where we never have a payday so of course have not a cent, but we do not miss the money, cause we couldn't get it spent.
Somewhere in Iran, where the snakes and lizards play, where a thousand sand flies gather to replace each one you slay, take me back to Arkansas, let me hear the mission bell, for this God forsaken outpost is a substitute for Hell.
That poem is framed and hanging in our hallway. A wonderful reminder of the man my Grandfather was and of his service to our country. And now, my brother's poem...it is not a long leap to see where the way with words came from...
A Children's Goodbye
To go as you did with a passion for life, it makes one scratch their head.
Gone in a flash, no last goodbye, so many things things left unsaid.
We thought about this day. We tried to prepare, an impossible thing to do.
You thought about this day. You did prepare, your "Mom Sense" gleaming through.
The months ahead will be tough to face without you by our side.
At times we've struggled to find our ways. We need you here to guide.
But life just happens, what a futile thought to ponder the question why.
We know you are at peace right now, shining down through heaven's eye.
Across the chasm, through life's secret door, your ultimate trip indeed.
Worldly constraints, released to explore: a traveling soul set free.
So many lives you touched in time, you gave yourself to us all.
You nurtured us and picked us up, after every stumble or fall.
You never placed pressure on Beth or me, to be the things we were not.
Happiness and integrity, you explained, were things that could never be bought.
Another lesson you taught the world, was to live by the Golden Rule.
Failure to follow invoked from your lips the infamous word...Fool!
Mom, you are the ONLY one who knew every detail of our lives.
Please know we will do whatever we can to assure your spirit survives.
Your gift of knowledge will last forever, you gave it every day.
Your ability to inspire, give guidance and love can never be taken away.
We're comforted in knowing you forged your path to show us what is true.
We want to tell you one last time how much we both love you.
So as we mourn this incredible loss, we'll remember that you are.....
The one who gave the world to us to wish upon a star.
Nobody could ever say it better.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Sunday, October 30, 2011
She Can Leave
Venice was weird. No two ways about it. It started off pretty bad but rebounded. Now that many weeks have passed, I have tried to put things in perspective a little bit. However, it is not a place I will re-visit. I have seen it. Why was it "weird" you may ask. Well, it is hard to exactly pinpoint...but it is like a frozen, Italian, tourist Disneyland without the rides. I do not know what locals do, who they are, etc. The only things in Venice are tourist shops with "Murano" glass, T-shirts, Venetian masks and other chotchkes in them as well as Hotels and restaurants catering to tourists - i.e. all menus in English. Yes, you can wander the "back alleys" but you see nothing....windows are shut, no people around, no "sounds". The houses along the Grand Canal are beautiful but most of them are historic buildings, have been converted to hotels or restaurants, etc.
I admit - I had no real idea what to expect of Venice. I have seen it in movies, romanticized it, know a bit about its history and knew it contained several items on my "Seeing Me" list - St. Mark's Square and The Guggenheim being at the top of the list. This is where I am a bit stupid, I suppose. I did not realize that the ONLY way to get around Venice is by water taxi. So, after stepping off the train and avoiding the huge mob of protesters (don't know what they were protesting), I found myself in the Water Taxi line, having NO idea which way to go. I tried to figure it out myself for about 20-30 minutes but finally gave up and asked for help (sigh, me and maps again). Ok, off we go to the "Fish Market" stop. Looked in wonder at the houses on either side of the Grand Canal as I struggled to keep my balance amongst the tuna can packed "Vaporetto" while making sure my stuff was safe from pick-pockets. I also looked around and noticed that the entire boat was filled with tourists....and that the other hundreds of boats were similarly filled. Where were the locals?
Struggled off the Vaporetto and headed in search of my hostel. I had a map - which I soon realized was almost useless in Venice. I asked each market owner every 50 ft. or so and finally found myself in front of an un-marked door. I pushed every button until an irritated voice identified itself as La Pescheria - the Hostel. Yippee!! In I went - dark and cavernous, it was an old building, but charming. No decoration and definitely the smell of something not fresh. Up the stairs I went into the "reception" office where I encountered the rudest individual to date in Europe - worse than Hu-Bear, the French car snob. No welcome. No How do You Do. No question about the trip or if I had any trouble finding the place. And it wasn't a language barrier. He was "Indian" - sorry to assume...he could have been Pakistani, maybe Bangladeshi....but I'm going with "Indian sub-continent" for now. He took my passport and demanded his money. The vibe was so wrong. I asked him if I could go look at the room first before committing to the full 4 nights. He didn't really even answer, but I retrieved my passport and went upstairs. Everything inside of me shrieked "NO!" This is not what I had envisioned upon staying in Venice. The room was on the top floor, had dirty carpets, stained walls, cracked windows that would neither open nor close and a smell that just made me uncomfortable - and at 45 euro a night!! I went back downstairs and told the guy that I found the place unacceptable and I would like to cancel my reservation - that the price of the place was not in conjunction with what I found upstairs. I was told too late for today but he would allow me to cancel the remaining reservation and "Good Luck" finding another place in Venice. "What did I expect? It is Venice. Everything is expensive." I decided not to engage any further with him but asked for the Wi-Fi code. He said there was no internet and I would have to go downstairs to their cafe. Fine - but I pointed out that their Hostelworld profile said they had internet. I asked which cafe it was and he pointed to a place on the map that had to be on the complete other side of Venice!! What??!! At this point, I admit, I was spluttering. "How far away is that place". About a mile and a half he told me. I asked him if there was not an internet cafe closer to which he said, "How should I know?" At that point, I lost it a little - especially when he said it was the "only" night life place in Venice. As if I cared about that, I only wanted internet access. After I asked him (in a sarcastic voice) how it could possibly be ok that they advertise as having internet but that in reality it is almost 2 miles away - he just looked at me and said - "What do you want from me?" Well - he heard what I wanted from him - and in a more forceful voice than was probably necessary. Then, he said, "Why you talk to me this way?" I calmed myself down, apologized for raising my voice and explained exactly why I was upset....1. The lack of customer service 2. The false advertising and 3. The condition of the establishment. When I asked if he could understand why I was upset, he flatly said, "No". Fine.
Unfortunately, I stalked out and was several streets away before I realized I had left my iPad on his desk in all my fury. Nothing is more embarassing than having to re-visit the scene of an episode looking like a fool. But I did - with as much dignity as I could muster. I politely took my iPad which he held out to me upon my entering the room, said "Thank You", and left again. It did not take me long to find a little place tucked down a side street that VOILA had Wi-Fi....not even a 3 minute walk from my shit-hole....and you KNOW the guy knew this!! I sat down, composed myself and just decided to get going on finding a new place to stay. Meanwhile, the very sweet server approached and I asked for a recommendation on a glass of wine. He went in, spoke with the owner- who smiled out at me through the window and mimed that he was choosing me a great glass. It arrived, I tasted it and had to struggle not to spit it out. It wasn't turned....it was just awful. The server asked me what I thought and I politely said that unfortunately, it wasn't my preference. I looked at the owner and mimed this as well - sending the glass back and indicating that the owner should taste it. His face said it all - and he almost spit it out. Another glass was brought out by the owner- better than the first, still not great - but whatever. I then asked for a dinner recommendation - what did he think was the specialty of the house? He asked me if I liked pizza..."Well, of course!" I stated enthusiastically. He got excited and asked if he could make me one himself of his choosing. "Absolutely!!" I crowed! This is what I had been looking for in Italy! While I waited, I combed the hostel and hotel sites in Italy. Rude guy was not joking - Venice is RIDICULOUSLY expensive. I found a tolerable place back by the train station and booked it. My pizza arrived. I was not thrilled by the look of it, but hey - it's only the taste that matters, right? I cut a slice and bit into it....UGHHH!!! GROSS!!!! What is this??!!! Since the guy was watching me - I couldn't spit it out. I smiled at him until he looked away and then I looked down to figure out what was so rank. Who would have thought that in giving someone leave to create a pizza for you, that you needed to specify canned tuna is not your first choice on a pizza??!! Well, now all you readers know!! But, eat it I did - I was starving.
I finally left the cafe and made my way back to the hostel. Upon entering the room, I met my roommates - lovely people. We decided to go out for a beer and ended up having a couple. When we got back to the room, we stayed up talking a while longer and I began to think this wasn't so bad. Besides, traveling is about the people you meet, right? Not just about the accommodations - who spends that much time in the room anyways?? Well, about an hour later, I noticed something crawling on the wall behind one of the guy's heads. I mentioned it to him but he wasn't concerned. I then said, "Hey - kill that bug, what are you doing?" He did - and then I asked to see it. I hadn't really had that much experience with Bed Bugs yet - I thought you couldn't really see them and that they were tiny like chiggers. NOPE - a quick internet search and I confirmed that it was a Bed Bug. At that moment, my eyes scanned the walls and I saw more bugs. I glanced at my stuff - still zipped up and away from the beds and walls - and told the girl to trap one of the bugs, I was going to get the owner right now - and wanted one for evidence. I also asked Steve - a great guy from San Francisco - to please come with me to back me up with the owner who clearly hated me. It is almost 11pm by now.
I found the guy and with a super effort to remain calm and to keep my voice neutral, explained what we had found. His immediate reaction was, "So what, you want to leave now?" I had expected resistance so I - again - calmly stated that he had a problem in the room, that we had discovered Bed Bugs and did he want to accompany me upstairs to see for himself? He said, "No. People bring them in. What do you want me to do?" At that point - I realized this was not going to be nice. I got my "Mom" face on and shot out the word "Unacceptable" a couple times. Steve had remained silent to this point. The owner again started in on my tone of voice to which I responded in kind and reiterated how we had arrived at this point. Then, the owner uttered the magic words, "She Can Leave." That dumbfounded me for a second. Huh?? You have Bed Bugs but I am the problem here??!! He told Steve that there was another room that he and the 2 others could move into but, "She Can Leave." I literally started to laugh at that point. The guy would not look at me. He told Steve again that he could move to another room but, "She Can Leave." I opened my mouth, with a huge grin on my face, too shocked for real words but just wanting to let loose - when Steve grabbed my hand, propelled me away from the encounter and led me up the stairs. Readers, I have NEVER in my life felt like engaging in physical violence more than I did at that moment. I am totally serious - I took leave of my senses for about 5 seconds as I pictured myself striking that man or strangling him. I am not proud of this image, but I had it. I felt pure rage.
We got back to the room - I was glassy-eyed, I think. And my mouth was probably hanging open a little bit. Steve had a bewildered look upon his face as well - he is a a guy that grew up in Napa Valley, golfing and sailing. He and I were both out of our element with this kind of nonsense. I was shaking my head, numbly getting my things together. He asked if I could go to the Hotel I had booked for the other nights....and could he come with me? I said, "I don't know. You have a room here." He then said, "Do you think I want to stay in THIS place with BUGS??!!" That broke the "shock spell" and I started laughing hilariously. We informed the other two what was going on. The other guy had his stuff together already but the idiot girl said she didn't mind staying in the room. I opened my mouth to question her sanity, but thought better of it. Let her stay. Not my concern. My concern was finding a place to stay in Venice at 11:30pm.
I called the new hotel, confirmed that I could head that way and got a ridiculously vague set of directions to get there. In fact, was even told - AGAIN - that "It's Venice, you are supposed to get lost" My response? "Not at 11:30pm at night when it is raining!" Within about 15 minutes of my encounter with "Indian guy", I was out the door with Steve on my way to the Vaporetto. Wouldn't you know it, Venice decided to open up its skies and let the rain pour down. We waited at the Vaporetto for 20 minutes and had to let the first one go by it was so crammed full. We then found out it would be another 30 before the next showed up. It was just getting better and better. Steve made the decision for us to walk and I grudgingly conceded that it was our best option. So we walked.....and walked.....and walked......and walked. In the rain. Down and alley, back up the same alley, up a bridge, over a bridge, down a bridge, around a corner, through a deserted piazza, up and alley, down an alley...... Both laughing about the utter horror of the experience and at random intervals, both saying the 3 magic words, "She Can Leave."
We arrived at the new Hotel at around 12:45am - struggled inside, checked in and received keys.... only to find out that we were actually staying at a hotel a little farther away...HUH? Back out into the rain...WHAT?! I just want to get into my room!! As I started to question this, Steve grabbed my arm again and ushered me outside - he knew what was about to happen. After only knowing me a couple hours, he had me pretty well dialed in. Once outside as I started to huff and puff - he just looked at me - rain streaming off both of us - and shrugged his shoulders. I started laughing. The perfect antidote to anything. This was officially an "adventure". We set off again. Up and over a bridge - into another sketchy looking building - and finally arrived at our room. One double bed for me and a single for him. I don't know how that happened - he thought I had requested it, I hadn't - but it was a good arrangement for two strangers....even though at this point, after a couple beers, a meal, a lot of conversation and a Bed Bug adventure, I felt like this guy was a good friend. Strange how that happens when even stranger circumstances are dictating.
We got acquainted with our room, did a Bug check and laughed about how we both felt like we were itching. The mind is awful. Just then, I noticed something up on the wall near the ceiling. I was bleary-eyed at this point and Steve said, "Uh-Oh". I dragged a little cabinet over to the wall to climb up on - so I could examine this new bug....and upon close examination, realized it was just a mosquito. Just as it was about to fly away, I slammed my hand forward to kill it - and splattered BLOOD all over the wall and myself!!! Steve and I both screamed (even though he is a manly guy) and I fell backwards off the cabinet onto the bed, holding my blood covered hand out in front of me....SHRIEKING!!! We both then danced around the room, squealing "Gross" and "OMG OMG OMG" until I raced for the bathroom to wash my hands and get something to clean the blood off the wall. Yes, literally BLOOD! From who knows what person!! At that point, exhaustion took hold....he went for the shower, I found some tennis to watch and managed to fall asleep before he emerged. That is being tired for you.
The next day dawned and from here on out, the Venice trip was pretty routine. Steve and I split up during the day to do our own thing and met back up at night for dinner and drinks. He was there 2 more nights - having someone to split the hotel bill with was great - and I was there 1 more night past him. One thing we both agreed on (well, maybe 2) -1. I will have to get to San Francisco for a beer so we can reminisce about that experience and 2. The people in St. Mark's who succumb to having the pigeons crawl and crap all over them for pictures are LOONS!!
In Venice - I did all the things one is supposed to do....except ride in a Gondola. For over 100 euro...."I DON'T THINK SO!!" as Mom would say.
1. Went to the Rialto Bridge and had coffee and that famous orange Venice cocktail just beneath it with a stellar view of the Grand Canal.
2. Went in St. Mark's - paid the extra fees to go to the top where the "fake" horses are (the real ones are inside and you are not allowed to take pictures of them) - these were looted from somewhere at some time. I mailed my Europe book home already, so I cannot pinpoint it exactly. They are cool though. I read my iPad at the top and enjoyed the view. Went downstairs and paid my other extra fees to see the gorgeous altar piece. I did not go down to the Treasury....those were a few extra fees too many for me.
3. Took the boat out to Murano Island - went to the glass blowing museum and did some souvenir shopping.
4. Visited Peggy Guggenheim's home and saw her outstanding personal collection....as well as the graves of her many dogs. There was another temporary exhibit housed downstairs that was wonderful.
5. Finally had GOOD pizza in Italy on my way to her "museum" - Artichoke and Cheese....mmmmmmmm. Pizza on the street was the best food I had in all of Italy...the rest of the Venetian food is totally immemorable. Oh yeah, except for the WORST Carbonara I have ever had...pasta with scrambled eggs is what I got. I may never have Carbonara ever again.
6. Went to the Ca'Pesaro Art Museum - absolutely fabulous and one of my favorites that I visited in all of Europe. A high point of Venice.
7. The Doge's Palace
8. A couple of churches other than St. Mark's....sorry, can't remember their names...I'm sure Sant or Santa something or the other ;))
9. Wandered around and "Got Lost" which is "de rigeur" in Venice.
That was Venice. Like I said, it started out horrifically but turned itself around for the most part. I maintain what I stated at the beginning though....Venice is weird. Other than those things that exist for tourists, I'm not sure what else there is. That is not a criticism and the things for tourists are outstanding....but, the prices are outrageous!!!!
I will leave you with one "funny" thing. On the back of the map that the hostel owner begrudgingly bestowed upon me, there 20 pictures with "instructions" below them.....I must share them with you.....word for word!! Misspellings intentional here.
1. If you have a coffee, 1 euro, in a bar with chairs and tabbles you can use the toilet free. If the Bar refuses to let you use it, note down the name and the street number and thell the Local Police: the Bar owner will be fined. (Hmmm...ok, good advice.)
2. Please, don't sit on the bridges, people need pass.
3. Don't write on the walls and monuments: venice is a heritage of mankind: it took centuries to buildig it.
4. Don't come in groups: besides paying much more, it's the worst way of visiting the city. (Kinda sucks if you are already there in a group).
5. Don't buy any goods from street traders without stalls: it's all irregular and the items are made by organized crime that exploits children labor. (Well, ok then!)
6. Help us fight the nuisance of street musicians; they annoy restaurant customers. Don't give team any money; they are unlicensed.
7. Venice is not Disneyland, but can become such. The street musicians (that you listen to for only five minutes in you life) make like unbearable for the inhabitants. Don't give them any money.
8. Big boat harm Venice. They let out gas that damage the monuments. Please don't arrive in Venice in big boat. (Again, sucks if you have already done so).
9. Don't travel by waterbuses; they are very expensive (6.50 euro per person). The pollute and cause wave motionwich is dangerous for the city's foundations. (Ummmm...ok. It is the only way to get from place to place other than walking which will get you LOST each time and take minimally an hour)
10. Venice is a small city (6 km x 4 km) and can be entirely couered an foot. in six places you cross the Grand Canal by gondolas for youst 50 cents. you save money and don't pollute. (I TRIED to find these alleged places to no avail).
11. Be careful not to walk on the green spots along the ganks of the canals and the steps leading to the water. They are slippery and extremely dangerous.
12. If you take your healt seriously, don't eat spaghetti with clams; they mostly come from the polluted and carcinogenic (ooooo, good word) waters of the industrial area near Marghera.
13. Respect the others; don't block the alleys.
14. The Town Council, the Curch and the other associations help poor families, the beggars you see around the city have turned mendicity (oooo, another good word) into an organized, lucrative job. Don't give them any money.
15. Avoid sitting at tables of restaurants undergoing restorations. Perhaps you may not think about it, but it is not an ideal option to eat underneath a work site. (Right, got it.)
16. Do not sit at restaurants with limited seating. No need to play by their rules where they do not treat customers with respect and consider you only an easy way to make money. (I still do not understand this one).
17. (My favorite one...) It is not Venezia's fault, but Veritas' (the company in charge of trash removal) who does not provide the sufficient number of trash bins and do not empty them as needed. Besides this, please do not throw trash on the ground.
18. It is always a good habit to check the change given by cashiers, especially in public ticket offices. (Where the real crooks are apparently)
19. Venezia is not a beach, do not walk around the city without a shirt or in beach wear. (It is really the picture associated with this one that is priceless!).
So, there is your 19 point guide to visiting Venice!!
Next posting - Bologna, the travesty of not seeing the Lakes or Piedmont, flight to Nice and Bordeaux....into Espana!
I admit - I had no real idea what to expect of Venice. I have seen it in movies, romanticized it, know a bit about its history and knew it contained several items on my "Seeing Me" list - St. Mark's Square and The Guggenheim being at the top of the list. This is where I am a bit stupid, I suppose. I did not realize that the ONLY way to get around Venice is by water taxi. So, after stepping off the train and avoiding the huge mob of protesters (don't know what they were protesting), I found myself in the Water Taxi line, having NO idea which way to go. I tried to figure it out myself for about 20-30 minutes but finally gave up and asked for help (sigh, me and maps again). Ok, off we go to the "Fish Market" stop. Looked in wonder at the houses on either side of the Grand Canal as I struggled to keep my balance amongst the tuna can packed "Vaporetto" while making sure my stuff was safe from pick-pockets. I also looked around and noticed that the entire boat was filled with tourists....and that the other hundreds of boats were similarly filled. Where were the locals?
Struggled off the Vaporetto and headed in search of my hostel. I had a map - which I soon realized was almost useless in Venice. I asked each market owner every 50 ft. or so and finally found myself in front of an un-marked door. I pushed every button until an irritated voice identified itself as La Pescheria - the Hostel. Yippee!! In I went - dark and cavernous, it was an old building, but charming. No decoration and definitely the smell of something not fresh. Up the stairs I went into the "reception" office where I encountered the rudest individual to date in Europe - worse than Hu-Bear, the French car snob. No welcome. No How do You Do. No question about the trip or if I had any trouble finding the place. And it wasn't a language barrier. He was "Indian" - sorry to assume...he could have been Pakistani, maybe Bangladeshi....but I'm going with "Indian sub-continent" for now. He took my passport and demanded his money. The vibe was so wrong. I asked him if I could go look at the room first before committing to the full 4 nights. He didn't really even answer, but I retrieved my passport and went upstairs. Everything inside of me shrieked "NO!" This is not what I had envisioned upon staying in Venice. The room was on the top floor, had dirty carpets, stained walls, cracked windows that would neither open nor close and a smell that just made me uncomfortable - and at 45 euro a night!! I went back downstairs and told the guy that I found the place unacceptable and I would like to cancel my reservation - that the price of the place was not in conjunction with what I found upstairs. I was told too late for today but he would allow me to cancel the remaining reservation and "Good Luck" finding another place in Venice. "What did I expect? It is Venice. Everything is expensive." I decided not to engage any further with him but asked for the Wi-Fi code. He said there was no internet and I would have to go downstairs to their cafe. Fine - but I pointed out that their Hostelworld profile said they had internet. I asked which cafe it was and he pointed to a place on the map that had to be on the complete other side of Venice!! What??!! At this point, I admit, I was spluttering. "How far away is that place". About a mile and a half he told me. I asked him if there was not an internet cafe closer to which he said, "How should I know?" At that point, I lost it a little - especially when he said it was the "only" night life place in Venice. As if I cared about that, I only wanted internet access. After I asked him (in a sarcastic voice) how it could possibly be ok that they advertise as having internet but that in reality it is almost 2 miles away - he just looked at me and said - "What do you want from me?" Well - he heard what I wanted from him - and in a more forceful voice than was probably necessary. Then, he said, "Why you talk to me this way?" I calmed myself down, apologized for raising my voice and explained exactly why I was upset....1. The lack of customer service 2. The false advertising and 3. The condition of the establishment. When I asked if he could understand why I was upset, he flatly said, "No". Fine.
Unfortunately, I stalked out and was several streets away before I realized I had left my iPad on his desk in all my fury. Nothing is more embarassing than having to re-visit the scene of an episode looking like a fool. But I did - with as much dignity as I could muster. I politely took my iPad which he held out to me upon my entering the room, said "Thank You", and left again. It did not take me long to find a little place tucked down a side street that VOILA had Wi-Fi....not even a 3 minute walk from my shit-hole....and you KNOW the guy knew this!! I sat down, composed myself and just decided to get going on finding a new place to stay. Meanwhile, the very sweet server approached and I asked for a recommendation on a glass of wine. He went in, spoke with the owner- who smiled out at me through the window and mimed that he was choosing me a great glass. It arrived, I tasted it and had to struggle not to spit it out. It wasn't turned....it was just awful. The server asked me what I thought and I politely said that unfortunately, it wasn't my preference. I looked at the owner and mimed this as well - sending the glass back and indicating that the owner should taste it. His face said it all - and he almost spit it out. Another glass was brought out by the owner- better than the first, still not great - but whatever. I then asked for a dinner recommendation - what did he think was the specialty of the house? He asked me if I liked pizza..."Well, of course!" I stated enthusiastically. He got excited and asked if he could make me one himself of his choosing. "Absolutely!!" I crowed! This is what I had been looking for in Italy! While I waited, I combed the hostel and hotel sites in Italy. Rude guy was not joking - Venice is RIDICULOUSLY expensive. I found a tolerable place back by the train station and booked it. My pizza arrived. I was not thrilled by the look of it, but hey - it's only the taste that matters, right? I cut a slice and bit into it....UGHHH!!! GROSS!!!! What is this??!!! Since the guy was watching me - I couldn't spit it out. I smiled at him until he looked away and then I looked down to figure out what was so rank. Who would have thought that in giving someone leave to create a pizza for you, that you needed to specify canned tuna is not your first choice on a pizza??!! Well, now all you readers know!! But, eat it I did - I was starving.
I finally left the cafe and made my way back to the hostel. Upon entering the room, I met my roommates - lovely people. We decided to go out for a beer and ended up having a couple. When we got back to the room, we stayed up talking a while longer and I began to think this wasn't so bad. Besides, traveling is about the people you meet, right? Not just about the accommodations - who spends that much time in the room anyways?? Well, about an hour later, I noticed something crawling on the wall behind one of the guy's heads. I mentioned it to him but he wasn't concerned. I then said, "Hey - kill that bug, what are you doing?" He did - and then I asked to see it. I hadn't really had that much experience with Bed Bugs yet - I thought you couldn't really see them and that they were tiny like chiggers. NOPE - a quick internet search and I confirmed that it was a Bed Bug. At that moment, my eyes scanned the walls and I saw more bugs. I glanced at my stuff - still zipped up and away from the beds and walls - and told the girl to trap one of the bugs, I was going to get the owner right now - and wanted one for evidence. I also asked Steve - a great guy from San Francisco - to please come with me to back me up with the owner who clearly hated me. It is almost 11pm by now.
I found the guy and with a super effort to remain calm and to keep my voice neutral, explained what we had found. His immediate reaction was, "So what, you want to leave now?" I had expected resistance so I - again - calmly stated that he had a problem in the room, that we had discovered Bed Bugs and did he want to accompany me upstairs to see for himself? He said, "No. People bring them in. What do you want me to do?" At that point - I realized this was not going to be nice. I got my "Mom" face on and shot out the word "Unacceptable" a couple times. Steve had remained silent to this point. The owner again started in on my tone of voice to which I responded in kind and reiterated how we had arrived at this point. Then, the owner uttered the magic words, "She Can Leave." That dumbfounded me for a second. Huh?? You have Bed Bugs but I am the problem here??!! He told Steve that there was another room that he and the 2 others could move into but, "She Can Leave." I literally started to laugh at that point. The guy would not look at me. He told Steve again that he could move to another room but, "She Can Leave." I opened my mouth, with a huge grin on my face, too shocked for real words but just wanting to let loose - when Steve grabbed my hand, propelled me away from the encounter and led me up the stairs. Readers, I have NEVER in my life felt like engaging in physical violence more than I did at that moment. I am totally serious - I took leave of my senses for about 5 seconds as I pictured myself striking that man or strangling him. I am not proud of this image, but I had it. I felt pure rage.
We got back to the room - I was glassy-eyed, I think. And my mouth was probably hanging open a little bit. Steve had a bewildered look upon his face as well - he is a a guy that grew up in Napa Valley, golfing and sailing. He and I were both out of our element with this kind of nonsense. I was shaking my head, numbly getting my things together. He asked if I could go to the Hotel I had booked for the other nights....and could he come with me? I said, "I don't know. You have a room here." He then said, "Do you think I want to stay in THIS place with BUGS??!!" That broke the "shock spell" and I started laughing hilariously. We informed the other two what was going on. The other guy had his stuff together already but the idiot girl said she didn't mind staying in the room. I opened my mouth to question her sanity, but thought better of it. Let her stay. Not my concern. My concern was finding a place to stay in Venice at 11:30pm.
I called the new hotel, confirmed that I could head that way and got a ridiculously vague set of directions to get there. In fact, was even told - AGAIN - that "It's Venice, you are supposed to get lost" My response? "Not at 11:30pm at night when it is raining!" Within about 15 minutes of my encounter with "Indian guy", I was out the door with Steve on my way to the Vaporetto. Wouldn't you know it, Venice decided to open up its skies and let the rain pour down. We waited at the Vaporetto for 20 minutes and had to let the first one go by it was so crammed full. We then found out it would be another 30 before the next showed up. It was just getting better and better. Steve made the decision for us to walk and I grudgingly conceded that it was our best option. So we walked.....and walked.....and walked......and walked. In the rain. Down and alley, back up the same alley, up a bridge, over a bridge, down a bridge, around a corner, through a deserted piazza, up and alley, down an alley...... Both laughing about the utter horror of the experience and at random intervals, both saying the 3 magic words, "She Can Leave."
We arrived at the new Hotel at around 12:45am - struggled inside, checked in and received keys.... only to find out that we were actually staying at a hotel a little farther away...HUH? Back out into the rain...WHAT?! I just want to get into my room!! As I started to question this, Steve grabbed my arm again and ushered me outside - he knew what was about to happen. After only knowing me a couple hours, he had me pretty well dialed in. Once outside as I started to huff and puff - he just looked at me - rain streaming off both of us - and shrugged his shoulders. I started laughing. The perfect antidote to anything. This was officially an "adventure". We set off again. Up and over a bridge - into another sketchy looking building - and finally arrived at our room. One double bed for me and a single for him. I don't know how that happened - he thought I had requested it, I hadn't - but it was a good arrangement for two strangers....even though at this point, after a couple beers, a meal, a lot of conversation and a Bed Bug adventure, I felt like this guy was a good friend. Strange how that happens when even stranger circumstances are dictating.
We got acquainted with our room, did a Bug check and laughed about how we both felt like we were itching. The mind is awful. Just then, I noticed something up on the wall near the ceiling. I was bleary-eyed at this point and Steve said, "Uh-Oh". I dragged a little cabinet over to the wall to climb up on - so I could examine this new bug....and upon close examination, realized it was just a mosquito. Just as it was about to fly away, I slammed my hand forward to kill it - and splattered BLOOD all over the wall and myself!!! Steve and I both screamed (even though he is a manly guy) and I fell backwards off the cabinet onto the bed, holding my blood covered hand out in front of me....SHRIEKING!!! We both then danced around the room, squealing "Gross" and "OMG OMG OMG" until I raced for the bathroom to wash my hands and get something to clean the blood off the wall. Yes, literally BLOOD! From who knows what person!! At that point, exhaustion took hold....he went for the shower, I found some tennis to watch and managed to fall asleep before he emerged. That is being tired for you.
The next day dawned and from here on out, the Venice trip was pretty routine. Steve and I split up during the day to do our own thing and met back up at night for dinner and drinks. He was there 2 more nights - having someone to split the hotel bill with was great - and I was there 1 more night past him. One thing we both agreed on (well, maybe 2) -1. I will have to get to San Francisco for a beer so we can reminisce about that experience and 2. The people in St. Mark's who succumb to having the pigeons crawl and crap all over them for pictures are LOONS!!
In Venice - I did all the things one is supposed to do....except ride in a Gondola. For over 100 euro...."I DON'T THINK SO!!" as Mom would say.
1. Went to the Rialto Bridge and had coffee and that famous orange Venice cocktail just beneath it with a stellar view of the Grand Canal.
2. Went in St. Mark's - paid the extra fees to go to the top where the "fake" horses are (the real ones are inside and you are not allowed to take pictures of them) - these were looted from somewhere at some time. I mailed my Europe book home already, so I cannot pinpoint it exactly. They are cool though. I read my iPad at the top and enjoyed the view. Went downstairs and paid my other extra fees to see the gorgeous altar piece. I did not go down to the Treasury....those were a few extra fees too many for me.
3. Took the boat out to Murano Island - went to the glass blowing museum and did some souvenir shopping.
4. Visited Peggy Guggenheim's home and saw her outstanding personal collection....as well as the graves of her many dogs. There was another temporary exhibit housed downstairs that was wonderful.
5. Finally had GOOD pizza in Italy on my way to her "museum" - Artichoke and Cheese....mmmmmmmm. Pizza on the street was the best food I had in all of Italy...the rest of the Venetian food is totally immemorable. Oh yeah, except for the WORST Carbonara I have ever had...pasta with scrambled eggs is what I got. I may never have Carbonara ever again.
6. Went to the Ca'Pesaro Art Museum - absolutely fabulous and one of my favorites that I visited in all of Europe. A high point of Venice.
7. The Doge's Palace
8. A couple of churches other than St. Mark's....sorry, can't remember their names...I'm sure Sant or Santa something or the other ;))
9. Wandered around and "Got Lost" which is "de rigeur" in Venice.
That was Venice. Like I said, it started out horrifically but turned itself around for the most part. I maintain what I stated at the beginning though....Venice is weird. Other than those things that exist for tourists, I'm not sure what else there is. That is not a criticism and the things for tourists are outstanding....but, the prices are outrageous!!!!
I will leave you with one "funny" thing. On the back of the map that the hostel owner begrudgingly bestowed upon me, there 20 pictures with "instructions" below them.....I must share them with you.....word for word!! Misspellings intentional here.
1. If you have a coffee, 1 euro, in a bar with chairs and tabbles you can use the toilet free. If the Bar refuses to let you use it, note down the name and the street number and thell the Local Police: the Bar owner will be fined. (Hmmm...ok, good advice.)
2. Please, don't sit on the bridges, people need pass.
3. Don't write on the walls and monuments: venice is a heritage of mankind: it took centuries to buildig it.
4. Don't come in groups: besides paying much more, it's the worst way of visiting the city. (Kinda sucks if you are already there in a group).
5. Don't buy any goods from street traders without stalls: it's all irregular and the items are made by organized crime that exploits children labor. (Well, ok then!)
6. Help us fight the nuisance of street musicians; they annoy restaurant customers. Don't give team any money; they are unlicensed.
7. Venice is not Disneyland, but can become such. The street musicians (that you listen to for only five minutes in you life) make like unbearable for the inhabitants. Don't give them any money.
8. Big boat harm Venice. They let out gas that damage the monuments. Please don't arrive in Venice in big boat. (Again, sucks if you have already done so).
9. Don't travel by waterbuses; they are very expensive (6.50 euro per person). The pollute and cause wave motionwich is dangerous for the city's foundations. (Ummmm...ok. It is the only way to get from place to place other than walking which will get you LOST each time and take minimally an hour)
10. Venice is a small city (6 km x 4 km) and can be entirely couered an foot. in six places you cross the Grand Canal by gondolas for youst 50 cents. you save money and don't pollute. (I TRIED to find these alleged places to no avail).
11. Be careful not to walk on the green spots along the ganks of the canals and the steps leading to the water. They are slippery and extremely dangerous.
12. If you take your healt seriously, don't eat spaghetti with clams; they mostly come from the polluted and carcinogenic (ooooo, good word) waters of the industrial area near Marghera.
13. Respect the others; don't block the alleys.
14. The Town Council, the Curch and the other associations help poor families, the beggars you see around the city have turned mendicity (oooo, another good word) into an organized, lucrative job. Don't give them any money.
15. Avoid sitting at tables of restaurants undergoing restorations. Perhaps you may not think about it, but it is not an ideal option to eat underneath a work site. (Right, got it.)
16. Do not sit at restaurants with limited seating. No need to play by their rules where they do not treat customers with respect and consider you only an easy way to make money. (I still do not understand this one).
17. (My favorite one...) It is not Venezia's fault, but Veritas' (the company in charge of trash removal) who does not provide the sufficient number of trash bins and do not empty them as needed. Besides this, please do not throw trash on the ground.
18. It is always a good habit to check the change given by cashiers, especially in public ticket offices. (Where the real crooks are apparently)
19. Venezia is not a beach, do not walk around the city without a shirt or in beach wear. (It is really the picture associated with this one that is priceless!).
So, there is your 19 point guide to visiting Venice!!
Next posting - Bologna, the travesty of not seeing the Lakes or Piedmont, flight to Nice and Bordeaux....into Espana!
Florence - Leather Porn
Alright - I promised to explain why Italy turned out to be the low point of my trip. I got several horrified messages from friends aghast that my opinion of Italy was low. Sorry - just because it is "Italy" doesn't mean that it floats on some magic cloud. I hate that it wasn't what I had wanted it to be and I hate that those couple weeks weren't spent in Croatia or some other magical place, but that is the way the cookie crumbled. As some of you saw from my Facebook postings, I just couldn't seem to get any forward momentum and when I finally did, my efforts were thwarted. But, it wasn't all bad (just most of it) - so, here is a recap of Italy in 2 parts...Florence (not bad at all) and Venice - "She Can Leave".
Arrived in Fiumicino which is a outside Rome. I knew I didn't want to bother going into Rome b/c I have seen it and I knew it would still be crowded. One night in a hotel turned into two because - as mentioned above - I couldn't get the proverbial car into drive. However, things finally clicked into place and I had a tentative itinerary in place....Florence for a couple days, over to Venice (which I was REALLY excited to see), a couple nights in Bologna while I waited to pick up my rental car, 3 nights in the Italian Lakes - perched on Como and then 4 more nights in the Piedmont/Lombardy region at an Eco-Agriculture place I had seen in Budget Travel. Sounds good, right??
Well, Florence was pretty good, I'll admit. Nice hostel close to the train station with lots of amenities - rooftop deck with a gorgeous view of the Duomo lit up at night, a swimming pool, a sauna, a "help" desk that could book you into the Academia and the Uffizi so you could skip the lines and a Top 10 list of things to see in Florence.
I spent my first day just wandering around and immersing myself in Florence. Stopped here and there for a glass of wine, a bit to eat or a gelato. Sorry to say, only so-so. Perhaps my expectations were too high. That evening, I discovered a wonderful little tradition called "Apertivo" where for only 7 or 8 Euro, you get a glass of wine (or a drink) and access to an All You Can Eat Buffet. I indulged in this a couple of nights and whereas the value is good, I found the food not all that wonderful. One dish had cut up hot-dogs in it. No thank you. And no, I was not at a tourist place. I asked for recommendations from locals. However, I enjoyed the experience and the ability to try many different things...even if I didn't like most of them :)
Next day - I pre-purchased my tickets to the Academia and the Uffizi each a day apart. First up, the Academia where the famous "The David" is housed. I still had to wait in line, although it was the "special ticket holder" line...the people made it sound like you just strolled in. Not so. AND, at 20 Euro, you SHOULD just be able to stroll in. The Academia is lovely and I was fortunate to be able to see a Bertolini exhibit as well; otherwise, I would have felt a bit ripped off. I mean, The David is cool and everything - it is considered to be "The Greatest Sculpture in the World"...but it is only ONE sculpture...and for 20 Euro, I want my money's worth of the place. The rest of the Academia is comprised of Religious Art. Not my ball of wax. It all looks the same to me and - clearly - it only has one subject matter. One can only look at so many Virgin Marys and weird looking little Jesuses. I was about to feel irritated when I saw there was a 2nd floor. Even though it said it was more Religious Art, I figured I better go up there. Definitely glad I did. I saw a video that described the process that makes "Panel Painting" possible. I suppose I thought the people just grabbed a piece of wood and went to work. Oh no no no no no. The process is LONG and absolutely fascinating. Never will I look at painted panels the same again. Reprieve for the Academia.
Here is a brief lesson on how to paint a gorgeous panel....
1. Cut the wood - Poplar is preferred
2. Melt down some goat skin until it is a liquid and apply several coats
3. Lay linen over the sticky wood
4. Apply Gesso - a white paint mixture that acts as a binder
5. Make your drawing and then lay it on the panel and re-trace it with charcoal dust
6. For all your halos and what-nots...poke holes
7. Re-trace the charcoal lines with ink
8. Draw all your folds and note where shading will occur
9. Incise the outline for your Gilding
10. Apply your Bole - a dark red clay mixed with egg
11. Apply the leaf - re-moisten your Bole as needed and lay leaf onto it
12. Remove excess leaf and polish
13. Re-Punch your Halos
14. Assemble all your painting materials - i.e. create your paints
15. Paint the clothes first and then the bodies
Now you have a panel painting. This simplified explanation does the actual process no justice whatsoever and I was dumbstruck at the end of the video. I enjoy looking at painted panels now that I can appreciate the labor involved in creating one. Now, I just need to feel that way about the rest of the oeuvre of Religious Art!
I exited the Academia and managed to quell the urge to buy a pair of boxer shorts and an apron with a picture of David's most famous bits on them. The ultimate in tourist "trash" - as Mom would say ;) Ambled around a little more and found myself in the San Marco leather market....Well, hello there, Leather Porn!! This looked promising. I scouted some things out and decided to save purchases for the next day...once I could think about what I really wanted and what was just an impulse "want". Well, sure enough - the email came in from my brother that instead of a brown leather belt (which I had been on the lookout for), he now wanted a briefcase/computer bag. The gauntlet had been laid down. It is difficult to find the perfect gift for someone - especially Bill - but I was up to the challenge. The next day, I must have looked at EVERY leather bag they sold in Florence!! But not before I went to the Uffizi, the Gold Market and the Ponte Vecchio.
As I said above, I pre-purchased my ticket to the Uffizi so I could slip in. This one worked a little better - although it definitely took me while to find the actual entrance. A cappuccino - well, perhaps two - helped me along the way. Oh, alright...a croissant as well. The hostel had a breakfast you could purchase for 6 Euro, but it was some bread, some cereal and an "English" style breakfast - i.e. powdered scrambled eggs, canned sliced mushrooms, limp, barely cooked bacon swimming in grease and beans. I CANNOT figure out the English obsession with beans in the morning. Gross. AND the coffee/cappuccino came out of a machine. No thanks, my 6 Euro can go farther in a cafe...and it did.
The Uffizi is considered to be the seminal collection of Renaissance Art in the world. Just so you know...."Renaissance Art" is mostly another name for "Religious Art". Not all of it - but 60% of it. 25% might be mythological themes....still with religious figures in them and 15% are portraits. The real beauty of the Uffizi, in my opinion, is all the sculpture lining the U-shaped hallways of the building. Marble busts of Caesar, Cicero, Agrippa, Augustus, Alexander, Tiberius, Claudius, Nero, Constantine and tons of other "famous" guys line the walls. Interestingly, the layout is the same as it was in the 16th-century when the Medici's laid it out - A full statue followed by 2 busts (statues of heads, not boobs).
Saw all the famous stuff in the books - Fillipo Lippi (all religious motifs), Portraits of Duke and Duchess of Urbino by Pieroges Della Francesca, Botticelli's "The Birth of Venus" and "Spring", Portrait of Martin Luther by Lucas Cranach (funny thing about this one is that this is the picture that is in ALL of the history books...ALL of them), really liked "An Open Book" by Scuola Tedesca - it was gorgeously detailed, enjoyed the Jan Brueghels and Albrecht Durers, and got lost in my own mind contemplating the 2 different sets of Adam and Eves that I saw. Funny how we will NEVER know what they actually looked like and IF they ACTUALLY existed. There are no representations of them...I guess they did not find themselves attractive enough to draw?? Or maybe God hadn't created pencils or paintbrushes yet (Sorry to offend religious folks).
There are beautiful views from the Uffizi but there are no unobstructed views in Europe...or very few. Cranes and scaffolding are everywhere...being old has its drawbacks.
Saw Vecello's "Venus of Urbino" and continued to find it hard to get excited about "Portrait of a Man/Woman"...no matter who the painter is...even if it is Tintoretto. If I don't know who it is, why should I really care about them? Saw a cool portrait of Henry Moore - of King Henry VIII fame. Unfortunately, the artist painted him with his eyes crossed. Even if they were, couldn't he have cut the guy a break? Saw the El Grecos - glad to say I can spot those a mile away. Continue to like the paintings with "lots going on in them"- i.e.fruits, vegetables, activities, the little details make you feel like you have discovered something unique that not everybody sees.
LOVED this huge portrait of a nude dwarf from the front and from behind (both sides of the canvas were painted)...too funny considering I am reading a story where one of the main characters is a randy dwarf named Tyrion!! Apparently the artist, Bronzino, painted this picture to prove that painting is superior to sculpture as ONLY painting can convey both the present as well as the passage of time concurrently. Therefore, it is "the nobler art". Why he chose a nude dwarf to illustrate this very "deep" point is beyond me. But hundreds of years later, it made me laugh.
Liked the 3 Rembrandts, they showed the artist as young, middle aged and old. And finally, the Italian Masters - Canaletto, Guardi, Tiepolo and Longhi. That concludes the Uffizi. Been There and definitely Done That. I liked it, but it wasn't the "transcendental" experience that I had at the Neue National Galerie in Berlin or what I was about to experience in Venice at the Ca'Pescarro.
Off to the Gold Shops and the Ponte Vecchio.
Silly me, I actually thought I might find something in the Gold area to buy - a nice little reminder of my time in Florence. Well, I saw a couple of things and went in to check them out...wouldn't you know it - I liked the most expensive things in the window. One necklace was over eighteen THOUSAND Euro....Ba-Hahahahahaha. Well, the old saying still rings true....If you have to ask how much something costs, you can't afford it. No gold for Bethy. Snapped my pics of the Ponte Vecchio and went off in search of Bill's bag.
Bill's Bag - with a capital "B", took the rest of the day and several gelatos. I hit up numerous stores and two different markets before finding the one that "felt" right. I debated between 2 of them but at the end of the day, decided on the more expensive, more adult looking one. Bargained appropriately - walked away twice upon not getting the price I wanted - had a glass of wine to think it over - went back and struck a compromise. Bag bought. A beaut if I do say so myself (since he has already received it upon the writing of this....Bill loved it too!)
Did some more walking around - snapped pics of the Duomo and milled around outside it - the line is ridiculous morning, noon and night to go inside so I skipped that (sorry, Mom) - ambled about until dinner time - had some more sub-par food (ok, terrible actually....had to send the "meat" back) - and went to bed since I had a train to Venice in the morning and needed to visit the "Post" to send my loot home.
Next up, Venice...."She Can Leave"
Arrived in Fiumicino which is a outside Rome. I knew I didn't want to bother going into Rome b/c I have seen it and I knew it would still be crowded. One night in a hotel turned into two because - as mentioned above - I couldn't get the proverbial car into drive. However, things finally clicked into place and I had a tentative itinerary in place....Florence for a couple days, over to Venice (which I was REALLY excited to see), a couple nights in Bologna while I waited to pick up my rental car, 3 nights in the Italian Lakes - perched on Como and then 4 more nights in the Piedmont/Lombardy region at an Eco-Agriculture place I had seen in Budget Travel. Sounds good, right??
Well, Florence was pretty good, I'll admit. Nice hostel close to the train station with lots of amenities - rooftop deck with a gorgeous view of the Duomo lit up at night, a swimming pool, a sauna, a "help" desk that could book you into the Academia and the Uffizi so you could skip the lines and a Top 10 list of things to see in Florence.
I spent my first day just wandering around and immersing myself in Florence. Stopped here and there for a glass of wine, a bit to eat or a gelato. Sorry to say, only so-so. Perhaps my expectations were too high. That evening, I discovered a wonderful little tradition called "Apertivo" where for only 7 or 8 Euro, you get a glass of wine (or a drink) and access to an All You Can Eat Buffet. I indulged in this a couple of nights and whereas the value is good, I found the food not all that wonderful. One dish had cut up hot-dogs in it. No thank you. And no, I was not at a tourist place. I asked for recommendations from locals. However, I enjoyed the experience and the ability to try many different things...even if I didn't like most of them :)
Next day - I pre-purchased my tickets to the Academia and the Uffizi each a day apart. First up, the Academia where the famous "The David" is housed. I still had to wait in line, although it was the "special ticket holder" line...the people made it sound like you just strolled in. Not so. AND, at 20 Euro, you SHOULD just be able to stroll in. The Academia is lovely and I was fortunate to be able to see a Bertolini exhibit as well; otherwise, I would have felt a bit ripped off. I mean, The David is cool and everything - it is considered to be "The Greatest Sculpture in the World"...but it is only ONE sculpture...and for 20 Euro, I want my money's worth of the place. The rest of the Academia is comprised of Religious Art. Not my ball of wax. It all looks the same to me and - clearly - it only has one subject matter. One can only look at so many Virgin Marys and weird looking little Jesuses. I was about to feel irritated when I saw there was a 2nd floor. Even though it said it was more Religious Art, I figured I better go up there. Definitely glad I did. I saw a video that described the process that makes "Panel Painting" possible. I suppose I thought the people just grabbed a piece of wood and went to work. Oh no no no no no. The process is LONG and absolutely fascinating. Never will I look at painted panels the same again. Reprieve for the Academia.
Here is a brief lesson on how to paint a gorgeous panel....
1. Cut the wood - Poplar is preferred
2. Melt down some goat skin until it is a liquid and apply several coats
3. Lay linen over the sticky wood
4. Apply Gesso - a white paint mixture that acts as a binder
5. Make your drawing and then lay it on the panel and re-trace it with charcoal dust
6. For all your halos and what-nots...poke holes
7. Re-trace the charcoal lines with ink
8. Draw all your folds and note where shading will occur
9. Incise the outline for your Gilding
10. Apply your Bole - a dark red clay mixed with egg
11. Apply the leaf - re-moisten your Bole as needed and lay leaf onto it
12. Remove excess leaf and polish
13. Re-Punch your Halos
14. Assemble all your painting materials - i.e. create your paints
15. Paint the clothes first and then the bodies
Now you have a panel painting. This simplified explanation does the actual process no justice whatsoever and I was dumbstruck at the end of the video. I enjoy looking at painted panels now that I can appreciate the labor involved in creating one. Now, I just need to feel that way about the rest of the oeuvre of Religious Art!
I exited the Academia and managed to quell the urge to buy a pair of boxer shorts and an apron with a picture of David's most famous bits on them. The ultimate in tourist "trash" - as Mom would say ;) Ambled around a little more and found myself in the San Marco leather market....Well, hello there, Leather Porn!! This looked promising. I scouted some things out and decided to save purchases for the next day...once I could think about what I really wanted and what was just an impulse "want". Well, sure enough - the email came in from my brother that instead of a brown leather belt (which I had been on the lookout for), he now wanted a briefcase/computer bag. The gauntlet had been laid down. It is difficult to find the perfect gift for someone - especially Bill - but I was up to the challenge. The next day, I must have looked at EVERY leather bag they sold in Florence!! But not before I went to the Uffizi, the Gold Market and the Ponte Vecchio.
As I said above, I pre-purchased my ticket to the Uffizi so I could slip in. This one worked a little better - although it definitely took me while to find the actual entrance. A cappuccino - well, perhaps two - helped me along the way. Oh, alright...a croissant as well. The hostel had a breakfast you could purchase for 6 Euro, but it was some bread, some cereal and an "English" style breakfast - i.e. powdered scrambled eggs, canned sliced mushrooms, limp, barely cooked bacon swimming in grease and beans. I CANNOT figure out the English obsession with beans in the morning. Gross. AND the coffee/cappuccino came out of a machine. No thanks, my 6 Euro can go farther in a cafe...and it did.
The Uffizi is considered to be the seminal collection of Renaissance Art in the world. Just so you know...."Renaissance Art" is mostly another name for "Religious Art". Not all of it - but 60% of it. 25% might be mythological themes....still with religious figures in them and 15% are portraits. The real beauty of the Uffizi, in my opinion, is all the sculpture lining the U-shaped hallways of the building. Marble busts of Caesar, Cicero, Agrippa, Augustus, Alexander, Tiberius, Claudius, Nero, Constantine and tons of other "famous" guys line the walls. Interestingly, the layout is the same as it was in the 16th-century when the Medici's laid it out - A full statue followed by 2 busts (statues of heads, not boobs).
Saw all the famous stuff in the books - Fillipo Lippi (all religious motifs), Portraits of Duke and Duchess of Urbino by Pieroges Della Francesca, Botticelli's "The Birth of Venus" and "Spring", Portrait of Martin Luther by Lucas Cranach (funny thing about this one is that this is the picture that is in ALL of the history books...ALL of them), really liked "An Open Book" by Scuola Tedesca - it was gorgeously detailed, enjoyed the Jan Brueghels and Albrecht Durers, and got lost in my own mind contemplating the 2 different sets of Adam and Eves that I saw. Funny how we will NEVER know what they actually looked like and IF they ACTUALLY existed. There are no representations of them...I guess they did not find themselves attractive enough to draw?? Or maybe God hadn't created pencils or paintbrushes yet (Sorry to offend religious folks).
There are beautiful views from the Uffizi but there are no unobstructed views in Europe...or very few. Cranes and scaffolding are everywhere...being old has its drawbacks.
Saw Vecello's "Venus of Urbino" and continued to find it hard to get excited about "Portrait of a Man/Woman"...no matter who the painter is...even if it is Tintoretto. If I don't know who it is, why should I really care about them? Saw a cool portrait of Henry Moore - of King Henry VIII fame. Unfortunately, the artist painted him with his eyes crossed. Even if they were, couldn't he have cut the guy a break? Saw the El Grecos - glad to say I can spot those a mile away. Continue to like the paintings with "lots going on in them"- i.e.fruits, vegetables, activities, the little details make you feel like you have discovered something unique that not everybody sees.
LOVED this huge portrait of a nude dwarf from the front and from behind (both sides of the canvas were painted)...too funny considering I am reading a story where one of the main characters is a randy dwarf named Tyrion!! Apparently the artist, Bronzino, painted this picture to prove that painting is superior to sculpture as ONLY painting can convey both the present as well as the passage of time concurrently. Therefore, it is "the nobler art". Why he chose a nude dwarf to illustrate this very "deep" point is beyond me. But hundreds of years later, it made me laugh.
Liked the 3 Rembrandts, they showed the artist as young, middle aged and old. And finally, the Italian Masters - Canaletto, Guardi, Tiepolo and Longhi. That concludes the Uffizi. Been There and definitely Done That. I liked it, but it wasn't the "transcendental" experience that I had at the Neue National Galerie in Berlin or what I was about to experience in Venice at the Ca'Pescarro.
Off to the Gold Shops and the Ponte Vecchio.
Silly me, I actually thought I might find something in the Gold area to buy - a nice little reminder of my time in Florence. Well, I saw a couple of things and went in to check them out...wouldn't you know it - I liked the most expensive things in the window. One necklace was over eighteen THOUSAND Euro....Ba-Hahahahahaha. Well, the old saying still rings true....If you have to ask how much something costs, you can't afford it. No gold for Bethy. Snapped my pics of the Ponte Vecchio and went off in search of Bill's bag.
Bill's Bag - with a capital "B", took the rest of the day and several gelatos. I hit up numerous stores and two different markets before finding the one that "felt" right. I debated between 2 of them but at the end of the day, decided on the more expensive, more adult looking one. Bargained appropriately - walked away twice upon not getting the price I wanted - had a glass of wine to think it over - went back and struck a compromise. Bag bought. A beaut if I do say so myself (since he has already received it upon the writing of this....Bill loved it too!)
Did some more walking around - snapped pics of the Duomo and milled around outside it - the line is ridiculous morning, noon and night to go inside so I skipped that (sorry, Mom) - ambled about until dinner time - had some more sub-par food (ok, terrible actually....had to send the "meat" back) - and went to bed since I had a train to Venice in the morning and needed to visit the "Post" to send my loot home.
Next up, Venice...."She Can Leave"
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Lay-DEEEEE!!!
So - after a flight from Neveshir, I found myself back in Istanbul. Josh and his girlfriend, Elif, were still off adventuring in Ankara so I had the apartment to myself. However, I returned to an apartment with no water. But please don't jump to the conclusion that Josh had not paid his water bill - this is apparently a common occurrence in Istanbul. I was shocked. Josh took it in stride. He knew it would be back on at some point...that isn't really good enough for me, though. I really wanted a shower after a full day of hiking in dusty Love Valley (remember, this is the same night). It was not to be and I fell into bed. When I awoke a couple hours later, it was to a horrifically upset stomach that plagued me the remainder of the night and following day. I tried to leave the apartment once, but needed a bathroom too quickly and too often to make it very far. Best to stay in a "comfortable" place as opposed to constantly looking for a toilet in Istanbul (welcome to the land of the in-ground holes...i.e. squatter toilets). No thanks. At least I had a good book to keep me company - "Game of Thrones".
The next day dawned and I felt totally better. I was a little disappointed that an entire day had escaped me, but what was done was done. Best to make the best out of the new one. Even though my stomach still felt tender, it was growling at me. So, I indulged in my first kebab (of many) - shaved meat on bread with fix ins'. For less than $1, it was a bargain not to be passed up.
Here is what my National Geographic article says about Istanbul...and yes, I tore the article out like a good Momma's girl and brought it with me...
"Bridging Asia and Europe, Istanbul has been the site of grand dreams for more than 2,000 years: Early Christian emperors sought to establish a New Rome here in Byzantium in the fourth century, Crusaders plundered the city's riches for the Venetian doge in 1204 (I ended up seeing some of this plunder!!), and wily storytellers charmed their way to the top in the sultan's 16th-century harem. In shifting the capital of his new Turkish Republic to Ankara in 1923, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk (this dude is EVERYWHERE) hoped to break Istanbul's spell. Yet the Sultanahmet district, containing the city's main tourist attractions, continues to mesmerize - like the recent discovery of frescoes from Constantine's Great Palace during construction of the Four Seasons Hotels addition. This is also the district to go to for a wave of new shops that channel the city's heritage with goods like playful Ottoman-themed clothing (I didn't really see any), avant - garde felt hats (didn't see these either) and contemporary kilim patchwork rugs (maybe). Named a European Capital of Culture for 2010."
So, there you go according to National Geographic Traveler. Of the 9 things they "recommend", I saw 6 - The Topkapi Palace, The Hagia Sophia, The Blue Mosque, The Grand Bazaar, The Cemberlitas Hamam and the Spice Bazaar. I missed The Basilica Cistern, the Rustem Pasha Mosque (although I did watch men wash their feet out in front of it) and The Archeological Museum. Not bad, I'd say.
First on my list of places to see - The Blue Mosque...
In 1616, Sultan Ahmet I built his answer to the imposing Hagia Sophia and the exquisite Suleymaniye mosque to the west: a structure boasting a presumptuous, Mecca-matching six minarets. Today, the nickname of Turkey's still operational primary mosque is derived from some 20,000 blue tiles "depicting the Gardens of Heaven in an explosion of color and light," says historical ceramicist Sitki Olcar. "They represented the last and best skills of the fading Iznik tilemakers".
I followed the herd of people past what looked like the entrance to the "tourist" entrance...and met my first "helpful" Turkish guy. At first, I thought the guy worked at the Mosque, b/c he appeared out of thin air to direct me to the correct entrance - and nodded when I asked if he worked there. Then, he very nicely continued to escort me to the entrance. Finally, when he kept standing in line with me, I had the feeling that he didn't work for the mosque. I told him I was fine and that I appreciated his help, but he was free to go help others. He told me he would meet me outside after I was finished. HUH??? I mumbled an "Uh, ok" and went inside. I took off my shoes and put them in the plastic bag provided at the entrance and covered my head with the scarf I had brought. The Blue Mosque is beautiful - but it was just a big, beautiful building with hordes of people milling around inside. I had hoped to sit in on a prayer, but that is my naivete at work...I was kicked out 15 minutes later as prayer was about to begin. Non-worshipers not allowed.
I exited the Mosque and slipped my shoes back on...where - conveniently - there was a guy standing behind a podium with a "donation" box asking people for money for the mosque. I could just hear Mom saying, "I don't THINK so!" I got my bearings for a second and was about to head off in the direction of Topkapi Palace when - all of a sudden - ...again...my little helper friend appeared. UGHHHH. I plastered a smile on my face and tried not to appear rude. He asked me where I was from, who I was here with, did I have a husband, a boyfriend, how did I like Istanbul...and finally....would I like to go to his shop. Ah-Hah....there it was. His shop. Now I get it...troll the mosque and surrounding areas for tourists to drag to your family's shop in hopes we have money to burn. I politely told him I was on my way to the Palace and that "No" I did not care to go to his shop, but "Thank You". Do you think he got the picture?? You're right. Nope. He, again, "escorted" me to Topkapi Palace. I constantly told him that he did not need to do this but he explained that he wanted to practice his English. Well, ok...fair enough. We got to the Palace and I decided to sit down for a minute to chug some water. After 20 minutes of conversation, I figured he had received enough practice. I went to go get my ticket - my eyes carefully peeled to see if he was following me. When my ticket was in hand, I glanced over at the bench and checked to make sure he wasn't watching me - I darted through a crowd of people and threw my shawl over my head again to escape. Success!!
Topkapi Palace -
Despite being the home to four centuries of sultans and thousands of servants, and the administrative center for an empire that once spanned the Mediterranean and the Near East, Topkapi is surprisingly low-key (uh...I guess...I am copying this from a magazine article). "It's modest, not like Versailles," says Topkapi Palace Museum Director Ilber Ortayle. True treasures are inside: an emerald-encrusted throne, the evocative harem quarter (which I did not go to because it was ANOTHER $20...on top of the $20 I paid to get in the damn Palace...should have been included in the first fee!). Perched on Seraglio Point, the palatial compound is also the district's best place to view the sunset (don't know...wasn't there at sunset).
I don't know if I agree with this assessment. Anyways, I paid for the audio guide hoping to really unlock the mystique of Topkapi Palace. Total waste of money as Mom would say. Here is an example of the audio guide...
Me: Walking up to the sign that says "Circumcision Room"
The Audio Guide: You are entering The Circumcision Room. This is the room where circumcisions were performed.
Uhhhhh... Thanks. I got that from the sign. More interested in why there was an entire room, the belief behind circumcision, some details around the ceremony (don't worry...I get the main point of it)....etc.
I wandered around. Took some pictures. Ooooohed and Ahhhhhed over the jewels - those were cool - and tried to imagine going to war back during that time when I went in the armory, which was SUPER cool!! Looked out at the Bosphorus and called it a day. Neat thing was that I remembered seeing a lot of the treasures as a kid when Mom took a group of students down to Memphis for one of the "Splendors" exhibits. I distinctly remember the Topkapi Dagger from the Splendors of the Ottoman Turks exhibit.
Side note - another thing I miss tremendously about Mom. Her constant trips. But, I'm thankful of all the cool places she took me as a kid - especially getting to go on all the High School trips to the Biltmore and to Memphis when I was a puny elementary or middle-schooler. I always felt so cool getting to be around the "big kids" as Mom called them back then.
I was tired at this point and after being sick the day before, decided I had done well for the day. I exited the Palace and heard the first...of MANY...calls - "Lay-DEEEEE". I looked over my shoulder...first mistake. A guy caught my eye and I held his for half a second....second mistake. He approached me...I stood there confused trying to decide if I knew him....third mistake. He began talking to me...I answered...fourth mistake. I started walking, he followed me...I allowed it...fifth mistake. Took me another 20 minutes to shake him. Had to go through the same conversation as the Mosque and Palace guy - what was my name, where was I from, where was I going, was I here with my husband/boyfriend....DID I WANT TO GO TO HIS SHOP?? Aaarghhhhh!!! Nooooo!!!!!
Being raised in the South has just NOT prepared me to be rude when being rude is called for. It is not in my genetic code. Josh and Elif later instructed me that I had to pretend like I didn't hear the call, not to make eye contact, tell them to leave me alone and when one touches me (which they did), to shout "Shame on you!!" Ba-hahahahaha...imagine an American guy being told "Shame on you"...and it working??!! Well, the Turks - as good Muslims - KNOW they shouldn't be touching strange women on the street and "Shame on you" reminds them of that. I may be a Western hussy...but they will have to discover that for themselves, they are not allowed to just assume it. Kidding about the hussy part, of course!
Thankfully, the water had come back on in Josh's apartment - but here I will digress for half a second. I really had my eyes peeled around Turkey trying to imagine it as part of the European Union - and frankly, I just can't see it. I don't know if my personal "prejudice" is clouding my judgement but Istanbul does not feel "European" to me. And that is not a statement made simply because of how the people look or the difference in the food, etc. Germany is clearly different from France and Italy in both its cuisine and the general look of its people. No, in Istanbul it is something else. Despite the fact that their economy is thriving in these tough times - I looked around and saw a government unable to cope with the size of its country and its largest city. In Josh's neighborhood, which is very nice - in the "old part of town" near the walls of Constantine, the sidewalk is being ripped up and replaced. No big deal, right? WRONG!! I have never seen such a catastrophic process before - exposed rebar, gaping holes, construction detritus strewn all over the place, random boards stacked up so people can get from the street up into the neighborhood...picture walking a gangplank. People have stacked cinder blocks against the walls to stand on in order to reach the ATM machines all along the street...AND - there are NO warning or safety signs ANYWHERE!! In fact, you just kind of have to dodge traffic at times. Basically, thousands of people walk through a dangerous, open construction site all day every day. I just kept thinking..."Would NEVER happen in America. Someone would get SUED!!" Now, before you think that I sound like a Princess - please don't. I made do just like everybody else and nothing bad happened. It is more a comment on the lack of regulations and the lack of care around how this massive construction site impacts the every day lives of the people in the area...and the fact that there seems to be NO plan as to how this project is conducted and carried out. Nobody in charge. And, of course, I had to guffaw when I saw that hallmark of construction scenes - One guy doing a little work while another 5 or 6 guys stand and watch him. I took a picture of this as well as all the other images from above. I think this is just a symptom of a bigger problem....remember the water being cut off? People would be up in arms if the water was just randomly shut off for hours at a time for no reason and with no forthcoming explanation. Totally bizarre. And finally, the public transportation in Istanbul. Again, I realize that Istanbul is one of the larger cities in "Europe" with over 25million people - but there is simply NOT ENOUGH public transportation for this number of people. I was astonished at how crammed full the trams and buses were. I rode the tram everywhere - and it is a nice, modern, air-conditioned line. But the number of people allowed onto these things is flat out un-safe. At one point, I could feel myself getting light headed as I was unable to even draw breath there were so many people pressed against me. Thankfully, I am slightly taller than the average woman (and many men) so I at least had my head above the fray...but so many others did not and during the hottest of the summer, I can only imagine the conditions. Instead of a car coming every 15 minutes, can't one come by every 10 or 5?? Isn't this what transportation engineers and city planners do? For those of you reading who are in this field or into this kind of thing....get your butts to Istanbul immediately!! They need your help. Granted, at least Istanbul has public transportation unlike so much of America. But that is a reality I have accepted and it does no good to even make a comparison. So, what was my original point? Oh yeah, Turkey joining the EU. I guess this is something I'm going to have to do some more research on. But don't get me wrong!! I loved Turkey and would go back in a heartbeat (my stomach might protest) - it is vibrant, exciting, exotic, friendly, beautiful and historic. It's got some more steps to climb, though.
Ok - back to the sight-seeing....
Josh was kind enough to meet me the following day in order to escort me through the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Bazaar.
The Grand Bazaar - Mehmet the Conqueror's 15th-century covered bazaar was the last stop on the Silk Road. "The best thing about the bazaar is its unconquerability," says novelist Elif Shafak, who relishes calm weekday mornings when store-owners chat together over tea. "No matter how much time you spend there or how many times you go, you always feel like there is more that needs to be seen." The dome-covered labyrinth contains about 4,000 shops of gold, carpets, ceramics, antiques and leather.
For many men, this would have been torture. It is blocks and blocks and blocks - probably a couple miles or so - of shops selling anything and everything you could ask for in Turkey - scarves, silver, tea, tea sets, ceramics, towels, clothes, boots, bags (there is an entire leather section but I saved this indulgence for Florence), seeds, candies, nuts and dried fruits...and, of course, the ever present "Evil Eye"..or Nazar Boncuk. This is the "mascot" of Turkey. The eyes are on EVERYTHING!! Here is what it actually means....
Eyes - the mirror of the soul - are powerful in every culture, but are particularly highly valued in the Middle East and the Nazar Boncuk has become symbolic of the Turkish and Turkish hospitality. The Nazar Boncuk means, "Mas Allah" - God has willed this - and thus deflects the evil that could result in jealousy. For example, it a man buys a new car, the neighbors might well be jealous and look at the car with envious eyes. This could attract the attention of the forces of evil and bring bad luck to the car and its driveer. Hanging a Nazar Boncuk in the rearview mirror kind of says, "God wanted me to have this car so you shouldn't be jealous and envious....or those bad feelings will be reflected back on you by this bigger and more powerful eye." There ya go.
So, you are supposed to hang this "Eye" in a prominent place where every visitor you receive passes by and sees it. One will be hung at 1004 Ridgecrest Dr. in Franklin, TN. We don't need ANY more bad luck!!
Josh dutifully followed me around and eventually turned into my Sherpa, hauling all my purchases around. That's just the kind of guy he is. Even though I was tempted, I did not give in to the temptation to buy any leeches. Yep, leeches. Apparently a hot commodity in Istanbul. Josh could not have been more surprised when I told him about the pet leech Mom had as a kid for a science project - the leech was called "Pierre". For those of you that knew Mom, you can imagine how unlikely this story seems....but it is true!
Josh also advised me on how to be an effective bargainer and I do have to pat myself on the back a little here - I think I did pretty damn well. First, since I don't speak Turkish (obviously) - I KNEW any time I asked what the price of something was, it was horribly inflated. I would look at them and shake my head with a smirk on my face and use my hand for the signal "come on, you can do better than that." - as well as saying, "Uh Un - give me the Turkish price". These men love to bargain with Western women. That's the other thing....NO women shop owners...not a one!! The important thing is not to offend with your counter offer- make it a little more than half what they quote you. It takes on a weird, sexual, flirting tone. But Mom was the ultimate bargain hunter and I learned from the best. The second rule - you gotta be willing to walk away if you don't get the price you want. And I walked away from a couple guys - they just weren't willing to play the game. The third rule - try to buy more than one thing at the same place. You are only going to get someone so low by buying 1 scarf one place and 1 scarf at another. Finally, you can pick up "freebies" by following this forumula...make your bargain with a guy, pretend like he was got the better of you, act like you are about to walk away and then pick up a dish, or a couple evil eyes or some earrings and ask him to "throw these in" and you got a deal. Worked like a charm!! Remember, it isn't whether or not you actually GOT a deal, it's whether or not you FEEL like you got one.
At the Spice Bazaar, I bought some tea, picked up a few scarves and grabbed some seed packets. I would have liked to have purchased a Turkish Tea Set, but something tells me Amazon may be able to satisfy that urge once I get home. I have spent more than I thought shipping things back to the States at this point. My impulse control has slowly weakened as the months have gone by. But, I have always enjoyed shopping for others just as Mom used to love it. Who else has a "present closet" in their house??
Evening arrived and it was time to head down to the water to meet Elif for dinner, drinks and Nargeelah. What is Nargeelah, you may ask?? It is that lovely Middle Eastern tradition known as "The Water Pipe". An indulgence that I greatly enjoy - and thanks to Jenn Gray, can enjoy whenever I want. She and my former marketing assistant bought me a small hookah and some flavored tobacco for my birthday 2 years ago. It is such a relaxing way to spend the after dinner period of an evening...or the pre-dinner part. Whatever floats your boat. Elif and I shared a "Rose and Mint" flavored Nargeelah that never seemed to go out. A bonus of smoking in the traditional areas....the Water Pipes are HUGE...from the ground up to my waist or higher. AND, people come around to stoke your pipe and provide new coals for it. In America, you have to pay about 1/2 the price of the original pipe to keep your coals going.
A light snack and we set off for Taksim. An area of town known as the "hot" area for going out. It was neat - lots of modern shops, restaurants, cafes and bars - yep, bars. Definitely HORDES of people, though. We found a quiet bar with a nice rooftop view and grabbed a beer. There is really only 1 beer in Turkey called Efes. Turkey can keep it. It tastes like Miller Lite or Coors. I'd rather not have beer than drink that.
We headed home in the "Dolmusch" after our Taksim experience. As I mentioned, public transportation is a nightmare in Istanbul. But, owning a car is even more ridiculous. Josh says he would like to own a car not to drive in Istanbul, but to drive OUT of Istanbul. If there are 3 lanes in Istanbul, that means there is room for 5 cars and a bus abreast. Lanes mean nothing and it is a Mad Max battle to get anywhere- people are always honking and jockeying for better position to move an inch. The Dolmusch has sprung up as an alternative to a cab and the bus. It is a weird bus/taxi hybrid and means about the same thing as "Dolmas" - stuffed grape leaves. It is a "stuffed" minivan. It runs a specific route and only leaves the stop once it is full. It costs about $.50 more than the bus, which is ALWAYS full and much slower....so it is a bargain! Josh explained that this is the private sector's way of filling in the gaps left by the public sector. Fair enough. It was cheap...and probably safe. I just tried not to pay attention to the way the driver was violating every road rule in the book. Since I didn't see many accidents on the road, I suppose the people of Istanbul have figured out a way for their chaotic roads to work for them...again, wouldn't fly in America. Maybe Rome and possibly Paris (definitely NOT Germany)...but this was different and more aggressive than even those cities.
Finally, Friday had arrived and I only had one more day left. Elif and I had another appointment with the Hamam for my last hours in Istanbul. So, I headed out to the Hagia Sophia. The Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace are definitely worth seeing, but the Hagia Sophia is NOT to be missed!!
"It was the greatest cathedral in all of Christendom and remained so for a thousand years." Not 50 year, not 100 year, not 500 years.....A THOUSAND years!! That is a LOOOOOOONG time to be the "greatest". It was built by Emperor Justinian in 532 and confirmed Constantinople's position as capital of the eastern Holy Roman Empire. (One of my Aussie friends from Budapest had never heard of the Holy Roman Empire...sigh). When the Ottomans conquered the city in 1453, they immediately converted it to Istanbul's principal mosue. "Vast and mighty from the outside, its cavernous interior, soaring dome, and tenth-century golden mosaics will leave you dazzled." Dazzled, I was. This place reeks of Religious Power. To know you are "the best". The "Best of the Best" is quite someting in a time where every city and every cathedral was striving to outdo the other. It is a huge space that exhibits both Christian and Muslim motifs. I should probably have paid for "the private guide" - but I was suspicious. The "private guides" are dudes that lurk around the ticket office offering their "services". Next. So, I just wandered around to different groups, listened for a moment to make sure they spoke English and then lingered for as long as it seemed appropriate.
After the Hagia Sophia, I finished up some shopping and then rolled back to the apartment to meet Josh, Elif and Sibel (a friend of Josh's from Portland who I have become friends with as well) and we headed out again for a "last night in town" dinner. Dinner was great but I still maintain that I am just NOT a lamb person. I want to like it. Every now and then I have some that I don't hate. But - like liver, beets and Guinness, it is just not for me. I can taste it in everything and can taste anything it has touched. I had to be boring and order the chicken because all the "meatballs" and "other" meats had lamb in them. I hate to conform, but Lamb....not my thing.
Saturday dawned and I headed over to Elif's apartment which is just around the corner for a lovely last brunch with Josh before Elif and I headed off for our Hamam experience. I already treated you to what that includes, so I won't go into it all again. However, 3 differences - this one was a "bottoms only" place - i.e. topless, my hair got washed at this one - which was pure heaven and there was a soaking pool as the step after your first scrub and bubble massage and before the oil massage. We went to the Cemberlitas Hamam - designed by Suleyman's favorite architect, Sinan, this plain yet elegant 1584 bathhouse is gorgeous and relaxing. I loved touching the walls that women like me (well, not JUST like me) have been touching for hundreds of years. There is a real freedom to the atmosphere and I WISH we had places like this in Nashville. I would be a member and heading off to the Hamam at leaset twice a month....maybe even once a week!! I'll keep my eye out......
A quick (packed) tram ride back to Josh's apartment to grab my stuff and it was off to the airport for a flight to Rome. For those of you thinking about going to Istanbul or flying from Istanbul to another destination....a word of advice. DO NOT fly out of Sabia Ghockem airport....even if it is cheaper. It feels like you have to change states to get there!! Sometimes, cheaper is NOT better when you factor in travel time. I was ignorant, though - you readers will not have the same excuse ;))
So, this concludes the Turkey part of my trip. Next up, Italy. Ughhhh. Just not what I had envisioned...but I will attempt not to just complain and bitch. There were a couple nice things, but overall, it just didn't turn out the way it should have.....
Until then :)
The next day dawned and I felt totally better. I was a little disappointed that an entire day had escaped me, but what was done was done. Best to make the best out of the new one. Even though my stomach still felt tender, it was growling at me. So, I indulged in my first kebab (of many) - shaved meat on bread with fix ins'. For less than $1, it was a bargain not to be passed up.
Here is what my National Geographic article says about Istanbul...and yes, I tore the article out like a good Momma's girl and brought it with me...
"Bridging Asia and Europe, Istanbul has been the site of grand dreams for more than 2,000 years: Early Christian emperors sought to establish a New Rome here in Byzantium in the fourth century, Crusaders plundered the city's riches for the Venetian doge in 1204 (I ended up seeing some of this plunder!!), and wily storytellers charmed their way to the top in the sultan's 16th-century harem. In shifting the capital of his new Turkish Republic to Ankara in 1923, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk (this dude is EVERYWHERE) hoped to break Istanbul's spell. Yet the Sultanahmet district, containing the city's main tourist attractions, continues to mesmerize - like the recent discovery of frescoes from Constantine's Great Palace during construction of the Four Seasons Hotels addition. This is also the district to go to for a wave of new shops that channel the city's heritage with goods like playful Ottoman-themed clothing (I didn't really see any), avant - garde felt hats (didn't see these either) and contemporary kilim patchwork rugs (maybe). Named a European Capital of Culture for 2010."
So, there you go according to National Geographic Traveler. Of the 9 things they "recommend", I saw 6 - The Topkapi Palace, The Hagia Sophia, The Blue Mosque, The Grand Bazaar, The Cemberlitas Hamam and the Spice Bazaar. I missed The Basilica Cistern, the Rustem Pasha Mosque (although I did watch men wash their feet out in front of it) and The Archeological Museum. Not bad, I'd say.
First on my list of places to see - The Blue Mosque...
In 1616, Sultan Ahmet I built his answer to the imposing Hagia Sophia and the exquisite Suleymaniye mosque to the west: a structure boasting a presumptuous, Mecca-matching six minarets. Today, the nickname of Turkey's still operational primary mosque is derived from some 20,000 blue tiles "depicting the Gardens of Heaven in an explosion of color and light," says historical ceramicist Sitki Olcar. "They represented the last and best skills of the fading Iznik tilemakers".
I followed the herd of people past what looked like the entrance to the "tourist" entrance...and met my first "helpful" Turkish guy. At first, I thought the guy worked at the Mosque, b/c he appeared out of thin air to direct me to the correct entrance - and nodded when I asked if he worked there. Then, he very nicely continued to escort me to the entrance. Finally, when he kept standing in line with me, I had the feeling that he didn't work for the mosque. I told him I was fine and that I appreciated his help, but he was free to go help others. He told me he would meet me outside after I was finished. HUH??? I mumbled an "Uh, ok" and went inside. I took off my shoes and put them in the plastic bag provided at the entrance and covered my head with the scarf I had brought. The Blue Mosque is beautiful - but it was just a big, beautiful building with hordes of people milling around inside. I had hoped to sit in on a prayer, but that is my naivete at work...I was kicked out 15 minutes later as prayer was about to begin. Non-worshipers not allowed.
I exited the Mosque and slipped my shoes back on...where - conveniently - there was a guy standing behind a podium with a "donation" box asking people for money for the mosque. I could just hear Mom saying, "I don't THINK so!" I got my bearings for a second and was about to head off in the direction of Topkapi Palace when - all of a sudden - ...again...my little helper friend appeared. UGHHHH. I plastered a smile on my face and tried not to appear rude. He asked me where I was from, who I was here with, did I have a husband, a boyfriend, how did I like Istanbul...and finally....would I like to go to his shop. Ah-Hah....there it was. His shop. Now I get it...troll the mosque and surrounding areas for tourists to drag to your family's shop in hopes we have money to burn. I politely told him I was on my way to the Palace and that "No" I did not care to go to his shop, but "Thank You". Do you think he got the picture?? You're right. Nope. He, again, "escorted" me to Topkapi Palace. I constantly told him that he did not need to do this but he explained that he wanted to practice his English. Well, ok...fair enough. We got to the Palace and I decided to sit down for a minute to chug some water. After 20 minutes of conversation, I figured he had received enough practice. I went to go get my ticket - my eyes carefully peeled to see if he was following me. When my ticket was in hand, I glanced over at the bench and checked to make sure he wasn't watching me - I darted through a crowd of people and threw my shawl over my head again to escape. Success!!
Topkapi Palace -
Despite being the home to four centuries of sultans and thousands of servants, and the administrative center for an empire that once spanned the Mediterranean and the Near East, Topkapi is surprisingly low-key (uh...I guess...I am copying this from a magazine article). "It's modest, not like Versailles," says Topkapi Palace Museum Director Ilber Ortayle. True treasures are inside: an emerald-encrusted throne, the evocative harem quarter (which I did not go to because it was ANOTHER $20...on top of the $20 I paid to get in the damn Palace...should have been included in the first fee!). Perched on Seraglio Point, the palatial compound is also the district's best place to view the sunset (don't know...wasn't there at sunset).
I don't know if I agree with this assessment. Anyways, I paid for the audio guide hoping to really unlock the mystique of Topkapi Palace. Total waste of money as Mom would say. Here is an example of the audio guide...
Me: Walking up to the sign that says "Circumcision Room"
The Audio Guide: You are entering The Circumcision Room. This is the room where circumcisions were performed.
Uhhhhh... Thanks. I got that from the sign. More interested in why there was an entire room, the belief behind circumcision, some details around the ceremony (don't worry...I get the main point of it)....etc.
I wandered around. Took some pictures. Ooooohed and Ahhhhhed over the jewels - those were cool - and tried to imagine going to war back during that time when I went in the armory, which was SUPER cool!! Looked out at the Bosphorus and called it a day. Neat thing was that I remembered seeing a lot of the treasures as a kid when Mom took a group of students down to Memphis for one of the "Splendors" exhibits. I distinctly remember the Topkapi Dagger from the Splendors of the Ottoman Turks exhibit.
Side note - another thing I miss tremendously about Mom. Her constant trips. But, I'm thankful of all the cool places she took me as a kid - especially getting to go on all the High School trips to the Biltmore and to Memphis when I was a puny elementary or middle-schooler. I always felt so cool getting to be around the "big kids" as Mom called them back then.
I was tired at this point and after being sick the day before, decided I had done well for the day. I exited the Palace and heard the first...of MANY...calls - "Lay-DEEEEE". I looked over my shoulder...first mistake. A guy caught my eye and I held his for half a second....second mistake. He approached me...I stood there confused trying to decide if I knew him....third mistake. He began talking to me...I answered...fourth mistake. I started walking, he followed me...I allowed it...fifth mistake. Took me another 20 minutes to shake him. Had to go through the same conversation as the Mosque and Palace guy - what was my name, where was I from, where was I going, was I here with my husband/boyfriend....DID I WANT TO GO TO HIS SHOP?? Aaarghhhhh!!! Nooooo!!!!!
Being raised in the South has just NOT prepared me to be rude when being rude is called for. It is not in my genetic code. Josh and Elif later instructed me that I had to pretend like I didn't hear the call, not to make eye contact, tell them to leave me alone and when one touches me (which they did), to shout "Shame on you!!" Ba-hahahahaha...imagine an American guy being told "Shame on you"...and it working??!! Well, the Turks - as good Muslims - KNOW they shouldn't be touching strange women on the street and "Shame on you" reminds them of that. I may be a Western hussy...but they will have to discover that for themselves, they are not allowed to just assume it. Kidding about the hussy part, of course!
Thankfully, the water had come back on in Josh's apartment - but here I will digress for half a second. I really had my eyes peeled around Turkey trying to imagine it as part of the European Union - and frankly, I just can't see it. I don't know if my personal "prejudice" is clouding my judgement but Istanbul does not feel "European" to me. And that is not a statement made simply because of how the people look or the difference in the food, etc. Germany is clearly different from France and Italy in both its cuisine and the general look of its people. No, in Istanbul it is something else. Despite the fact that their economy is thriving in these tough times - I looked around and saw a government unable to cope with the size of its country and its largest city. In Josh's neighborhood, which is very nice - in the "old part of town" near the walls of Constantine, the sidewalk is being ripped up and replaced. No big deal, right? WRONG!! I have never seen such a catastrophic process before - exposed rebar, gaping holes, construction detritus strewn all over the place, random boards stacked up so people can get from the street up into the neighborhood...picture walking a gangplank. People have stacked cinder blocks against the walls to stand on in order to reach the ATM machines all along the street...AND - there are NO warning or safety signs ANYWHERE!! In fact, you just kind of have to dodge traffic at times. Basically, thousands of people walk through a dangerous, open construction site all day every day. I just kept thinking..."Would NEVER happen in America. Someone would get SUED!!" Now, before you think that I sound like a Princess - please don't. I made do just like everybody else and nothing bad happened. It is more a comment on the lack of regulations and the lack of care around how this massive construction site impacts the every day lives of the people in the area...and the fact that there seems to be NO plan as to how this project is conducted and carried out. Nobody in charge. And, of course, I had to guffaw when I saw that hallmark of construction scenes - One guy doing a little work while another 5 or 6 guys stand and watch him. I took a picture of this as well as all the other images from above. I think this is just a symptom of a bigger problem....remember the water being cut off? People would be up in arms if the water was just randomly shut off for hours at a time for no reason and with no forthcoming explanation. Totally bizarre. And finally, the public transportation in Istanbul. Again, I realize that Istanbul is one of the larger cities in "Europe" with over 25million people - but there is simply NOT ENOUGH public transportation for this number of people. I was astonished at how crammed full the trams and buses were. I rode the tram everywhere - and it is a nice, modern, air-conditioned line. But the number of people allowed onto these things is flat out un-safe. At one point, I could feel myself getting light headed as I was unable to even draw breath there were so many people pressed against me. Thankfully, I am slightly taller than the average woman (and many men) so I at least had my head above the fray...but so many others did not and during the hottest of the summer, I can only imagine the conditions. Instead of a car coming every 15 minutes, can't one come by every 10 or 5?? Isn't this what transportation engineers and city planners do? For those of you reading who are in this field or into this kind of thing....get your butts to Istanbul immediately!! They need your help. Granted, at least Istanbul has public transportation unlike so much of America. But that is a reality I have accepted and it does no good to even make a comparison. So, what was my original point? Oh yeah, Turkey joining the EU. I guess this is something I'm going to have to do some more research on. But don't get me wrong!! I loved Turkey and would go back in a heartbeat (my stomach might protest) - it is vibrant, exciting, exotic, friendly, beautiful and historic. It's got some more steps to climb, though.
Ok - back to the sight-seeing....
Josh was kind enough to meet me the following day in order to escort me through the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Bazaar.
The Grand Bazaar - Mehmet the Conqueror's 15th-century covered bazaar was the last stop on the Silk Road. "The best thing about the bazaar is its unconquerability," says novelist Elif Shafak, who relishes calm weekday mornings when store-owners chat together over tea. "No matter how much time you spend there or how many times you go, you always feel like there is more that needs to be seen." The dome-covered labyrinth contains about 4,000 shops of gold, carpets, ceramics, antiques and leather.
For many men, this would have been torture. It is blocks and blocks and blocks - probably a couple miles or so - of shops selling anything and everything you could ask for in Turkey - scarves, silver, tea, tea sets, ceramics, towels, clothes, boots, bags (there is an entire leather section but I saved this indulgence for Florence), seeds, candies, nuts and dried fruits...and, of course, the ever present "Evil Eye"..or Nazar Boncuk. This is the "mascot" of Turkey. The eyes are on EVERYTHING!! Here is what it actually means....
Eyes - the mirror of the soul - are powerful in every culture, but are particularly highly valued in the Middle East and the Nazar Boncuk has become symbolic of the Turkish and Turkish hospitality. The Nazar Boncuk means, "Mas Allah" - God has willed this - and thus deflects the evil that could result in jealousy. For example, it a man buys a new car, the neighbors might well be jealous and look at the car with envious eyes. This could attract the attention of the forces of evil and bring bad luck to the car and its driveer. Hanging a Nazar Boncuk in the rearview mirror kind of says, "God wanted me to have this car so you shouldn't be jealous and envious....or those bad feelings will be reflected back on you by this bigger and more powerful eye." There ya go.
So, you are supposed to hang this "Eye" in a prominent place where every visitor you receive passes by and sees it. One will be hung at 1004 Ridgecrest Dr. in Franklin, TN. We don't need ANY more bad luck!!
Josh dutifully followed me around and eventually turned into my Sherpa, hauling all my purchases around. That's just the kind of guy he is. Even though I was tempted, I did not give in to the temptation to buy any leeches. Yep, leeches. Apparently a hot commodity in Istanbul. Josh could not have been more surprised when I told him about the pet leech Mom had as a kid for a science project - the leech was called "Pierre". For those of you that knew Mom, you can imagine how unlikely this story seems....but it is true!
Josh also advised me on how to be an effective bargainer and I do have to pat myself on the back a little here - I think I did pretty damn well. First, since I don't speak Turkish (obviously) - I KNEW any time I asked what the price of something was, it was horribly inflated. I would look at them and shake my head with a smirk on my face and use my hand for the signal "come on, you can do better than that." - as well as saying, "Uh Un - give me the Turkish price". These men love to bargain with Western women. That's the other thing....NO women shop owners...not a one!! The important thing is not to offend with your counter offer- make it a little more than half what they quote you. It takes on a weird, sexual, flirting tone. But Mom was the ultimate bargain hunter and I learned from the best. The second rule - you gotta be willing to walk away if you don't get the price you want. And I walked away from a couple guys - they just weren't willing to play the game. The third rule - try to buy more than one thing at the same place. You are only going to get someone so low by buying 1 scarf one place and 1 scarf at another. Finally, you can pick up "freebies" by following this forumula...make your bargain with a guy, pretend like he was got the better of you, act like you are about to walk away and then pick up a dish, or a couple evil eyes or some earrings and ask him to "throw these in" and you got a deal. Worked like a charm!! Remember, it isn't whether or not you actually GOT a deal, it's whether or not you FEEL like you got one.
At the Spice Bazaar, I bought some tea, picked up a few scarves and grabbed some seed packets. I would have liked to have purchased a Turkish Tea Set, but something tells me Amazon may be able to satisfy that urge once I get home. I have spent more than I thought shipping things back to the States at this point. My impulse control has slowly weakened as the months have gone by. But, I have always enjoyed shopping for others just as Mom used to love it. Who else has a "present closet" in their house??
Evening arrived and it was time to head down to the water to meet Elif for dinner, drinks and Nargeelah. What is Nargeelah, you may ask?? It is that lovely Middle Eastern tradition known as "The Water Pipe". An indulgence that I greatly enjoy - and thanks to Jenn Gray, can enjoy whenever I want. She and my former marketing assistant bought me a small hookah and some flavored tobacco for my birthday 2 years ago. It is such a relaxing way to spend the after dinner period of an evening...or the pre-dinner part. Whatever floats your boat. Elif and I shared a "Rose and Mint" flavored Nargeelah that never seemed to go out. A bonus of smoking in the traditional areas....the Water Pipes are HUGE...from the ground up to my waist or higher. AND, people come around to stoke your pipe and provide new coals for it. In America, you have to pay about 1/2 the price of the original pipe to keep your coals going.
A light snack and we set off for Taksim. An area of town known as the "hot" area for going out. It was neat - lots of modern shops, restaurants, cafes and bars - yep, bars. Definitely HORDES of people, though. We found a quiet bar with a nice rooftop view and grabbed a beer. There is really only 1 beer in Turkey called Efes. Turkey can keep it. It tastes like Miller Lite or Coors. I'd rather not have beer than drink that.
We headed home in the "Dolmusch" after our Taksim experience. As I mentioned, public transportation is a nightmare in Istanbul. But, owning a car is even more ridiculous. Josh says he would like to own a car not to drive in Istanbul, but to drive OUT of Istanbul. If there are 3 lanes in Istanbul, that means there is room for 5 cars and a bus abreast. Lanes mean nothing and it is a Mad Max battle to get anywhere- people are always honking and jockeying for better position to move an inch. The Dolmusch has sprung up as an alternative to a cab and the bus. It is a weird bus/taxi hybrid and means about the same thing as "Dolmas" - stuffed grape leaves. It is a "stuffed" minivan. It runs a specific route and only leaves the stop once it is full. It costs about $.50 more than the bus, which is ALWAYS full and much slower....so it is a bargain! Josh explained that this is the private sector's way of filling in the gaps left by the public sector. Fair enough. It was cheap...and probably safe. I just tried not to pay attention to the way the driver was violating every road rule in the book. Since I didn't see many accidents on the road, I suppose the people of Istanbul have figured out a way for their chaotic roads to work for them...again, wouldn't fly in America. Maybe Rome and possibly Paris (definitely NOT Germany)...but this was different and more aggressive than even those cities.
Finally, Friday had arrived and I only had one more day left. Elif and I had another appointment with the Hamam for my last hours in Istanbul. So, I headed out to the Hagia Sophia. The Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace are definitely worth seeing, but the Hagia Sophia is NOT to be missed!!
"It was the greatest cathedral in all of Christendom and remained so for a thousand years." Not 50 year, not 100 year, not 500 years.....A THOUSAND years!! That is a LOOOOOOONG time to be the "greatest". It was built by Emperor Justinian in 532 and confirmed Constantinople's position as capital of the eastern Holy Roman Empire. (One of my Aussie friends from Budapest had never heard of the Holy Roman Empire...sigh). When the Ottomans conquered the city in 1453, they immediately converted it to Istanbul's principal mosue. "Vast and mighty from the outside, its cavernous interior, soaring dome, and tenth-century golden mosaics will leave you dazzled." Dazzled, I was. This place reeks of Religious Power. To know you are "the best". The "Best of the Best" is quite someting in a time where every city and every cathedral was striving to outdo the other. It is a huge space that exhibits both Christian and Muslim motifs. I should probably have paid for "the private guide" - but I was suspicious. The "private guides" are dudes that lurk around the ticket office offering their "services". Next. So, I just wandered around to different groups, listened for a moment to make sure they spoke English and then lingered for as long as it seemed appropriate.
After the Hagia Sophia, I finished up some shopping and then rolled back to the apartment to meet Josh, Elif and Sibel (a friend of Josh's from Portland who I have become friends with as well) and we headed out again for a "last night in town" dinner. Dinner was great but I still maintain that I am just NOT a lamb person. I want to like it. Every now and then I have some that I don't hate. But - like liver, beets and Guinness, it is just not for me. I can taste it in everything and can taste anything it has touched. I had to be boring and order the chicken because all the "meatballs" and "other" meats had lamb in them. I hate to conform, but Lamb....not my thing.
Saturday dawned and I headed over to Elif's apartment which is just around the corner for a lovely last brunch with Josh before Elif and I headed off for our Hamam experience. I already treated you to what that includes, so I won't go into it all again. However, 3 differences - this one was a "bottoms only" place - i.e. topless, my hair got washed at this one - which was pure heaven and there was a soaking pool as the step after your first scrub and bubble massage and before the oil massage. We went to the Cemberlitas Hamam - designed by Suleyman's favorite architect, Sinan, this plain yet elegant 1584 bathhouse is gorgeous and relaxing. I loved touching the walls that women like me (well, not JUST like me) have been touching for hundreds of years. There is a real freedom to the atmosphere and I WISH we had places like this in Nashville. I would be a member and heading off to the Hamam at leaset twice a month....maybe even once a week!! I'll keep my eye out......
A quick (packed) tram ride back to Josh's apartment to grab my stuff and it was off to the airport for a flight to Rome. For those of you thinking about going to Istanbul or flying from Istanbul to another destination....a word of advice. DO NOT fly out of Sabia Ghockem airport....even if it is cheaper. It feels like you have to change states to get there!! Sometimes, cheaper is NOT better when you factor in travel time. I was ignorant, though - you readers will not have the same excuse ;))
So, this concludes the Turkey part of my trip. Next up, Italy. Ughhhh. Just not what I had envisioned...but I will attempt not to just complain and bitch. There were a couple nice things, but overall, it just didn't turn out the way it should have.....
Until then :)
Monday, October 3, 2011
10 Commandments of Traveling...
I came across this in a binder of "Things to Do" in Turkey and couldn't resist posting it. Re-reading it has reminded me of a few things.....
10 Commandments of Traveling
1. Thou shalt not expect to find things as thou hast left them at home for thou hast left home to find things different. Remember, that if thou were expected to stay in one place, thou wouldst have been created with roots.
2. Thou shalt not worry nor shalt thou take anything too seriously, for a carefree mind is the beginning of a fine trip and few things are ever fatal.
3. Thou shalt not let the other travellers or tourists get on thy nerves for thou art paying good money to enjoy thyself.
4. Remember to take only one half the amount of clothes thee thinkest thee needeth and twice the amount of money.
5. Remember thy passport so thou knowest where it is at all times - for a traveler without a passport is a traveler without a country.
6. Thou shalt not act too cheap for we are very lucky to be from western countries where we have the opportunity to travel abroad. If in doubt ask how many people thou sawest from third world countries visiting thy country in the west.
7. Thou shalt not show thyself too obviously as having thy nationality. When in Rome, do somewhat as the Romans do and bring a curse on stereotypes.
8. Thou shalt make an effort to speak the local language. It showeth respect to the locals who art thy hosts and they shall treateth thee with much respect in return.
9. Thou shalt not judge the people of a country by one person with whom thou hast trouble.
10. Remember, thou art a guest in every land and he that treateth his host with respect is treated as an honored guest.
10 Commandments of Traveling
1. Thou shalt not expect to find things as thou hast left them at home for thou hast left home to find things different. Remember, that if thou were expected to stay in one place, thou wouldst have been created with roots.
2. Thou shalt not worry nor shalt thou take anything too seriously, for a carefree mind is the beginning of a fine trip and few things are ever fatal.
3. Thou shalt not let the other travellers or tourists get on thy nerves for thou art paying good money to enjoy thyself.
4. Remember to take only one half the amount of clothes thee thinkest thee needeth and twice the amount of money.
5. Remember thy passport so thou knowest where it is at all times - for a traveler without a passport is a traveler without a country.
6. Thou shalt not act too cheap for we are very lucky to be from western countries where we have the opportunity to travel abroad. If in doubt ask how many people thou sawest from third world countries visiting thy country in the west.
7. Thou shalt not show thyself too obviously as having thy nationality. When in Rome, do somewhat as the Romans do and bring a curse on stereotypes.
8. Thou shalt make an effort to speak the local language. It showeth respect to the locals who art thy hosts and they shall treateth thee with much respect in return.
9. Thou shalt not judge the people of a country by one person with whom thou hast trouble.
10. Remember, thou art a guest in every land and he that treateth his host with respect is treated as an honored guest.
There is always time for tea....
Since I have already written about my experiences in Budapest - the only time I have strayed from a chronological recount of my travels - we can skip ahead to.....TURKEY!! Prepare yourself a bit....I was in Turkey 10 days and loved every single minute of it (well, minus one day that I was felled with stomach issues) - but I don't even remember that ;) However, my stomach did not love Turkey as much as I did and it has taken all the way to Spain for it to regulate itself and get happy. I will write about Cappadocia first and save Istanbul for a second post.
Most of you know that Turkey was definitely on the list of places to visit when I set out on this journey b/c one of my best friends, Joshua Shannon-Chastain, has been teaching English there for over a year. My last time to see Josh was in August of last year as I flew to Portland to say goodbye to both him as he moved to Turkey and to the West Coast. I was on my way to Wilmington at the time. He and I had spoken about me getting over to visit at some point - but unlike many people who say those things....I was serious!
When Mom's accident occurred, I wanted to surround myself with my closest friends; especially those who could really understand what that loss meant to me and my everyday life. Josh lost his beloved sister, Zoe, who had just turned 18, to a car accident. If anyone can understand an abrupt loss, he can. Since Josh and I had been roommates for a couple years, and due to his love of history, he had met and spent time with Mom on several occasions - one being a particularly memorable Thanksgiving that had our house on 77th and Fremont in Portland busting at the seams, quite literally. It was me, Josh, Rob and our other roommate at the time, Patrick - Mom, brother Bill, Josh's Mom and Dad...and the dogs - Taggart, Banjo, Skunky and 1 other whose name escapes me...yep, 4 dogs. We made it work though and it was a Thanksgiving to remember. Josh's parents were the first people to send flowers to the house after the accident, and that sticks with me.
I boarded a plane in Budapest bound for Turkey with 10 days to discover that vast and varied country. I landed in Istanbul, "bought" my Visa and made my way to the line to get through Passport Control. As I was headed that way - I was confronted with my first image being in a Muslim country had to offer...and one that had just finished Ramadan. Scores...and I do mean "scores" of caftans, headcaps, burkhas, hijabs, prayer rugs, sandals, STENCH, man-dresses and the like stuffed into the airport...laying on the floor, mock playpens set up for kids, possessions piled into bags (not suitcases) and spread out all over the floor, cooking equipment set up!!, and "shouting". I admit...it was intimidating. Definitely out of my element. And if I didn't mention it...STENCH!! It's my blog, I can say what I want. PC be damned. I'm definitely not saying that all Muslims stink, but these certainly did...and not just stunk...REEKED!! The kind of horrible stink that gets up in your nose and wants to set up camp. You know what I'm talking about. Mucking out goat pens at the Farm was more pleasant than this walk through humanity. But okay, enough. I know I sound cruel, just painting the picture.
Got through Passport Control, retrieved my bag and met Josh outside. We were only in Istanbul that night before heading back to the airport at "Oh dark thirty" the next morning to board our plane for Cappadocia, an area of Turkey I was thrilled to be going. Cappadocia has received a lot of attention in the travel magazines lately. A place that looks "other worldly", is famous for its "Cave Hotels", has ancient roots, is filled with geologic marvels similar to the Hoodoos in Bryce Canyon Nat'l Park in Utah, and provided shelter to the fleeing Christians during Roman times. A treasure trove of history, hiking and sight-seeing....and I had 3 nights there...in a Cave Hotel!!
Before I get into Cappadocia - I will let you know that arriving in Turkey ushered in the second, but hopefully last stressful period around money. American Express had suspended my card while I was in Poland for "suspicious activity" (I had purchased the flight to Turkey online) but that was easily cleared up with a phone call. Upon arriving in Turkey, I was "welcomed" with an email from Bank of America alerting me to "suspicious activity" and to call them immediately. I did, confirmed all the charges (again, purchasing flights online) but was told that my card STILL needed to be confiscated...leaving me with almost NO cash. The nightmare I thought I was going to experience in Budapest was coming true in Turkey. The guy on the phone - forever now known as "The Idiot" - told me I could make one last withdrawal at the ATM before my card would no longer be good and that they were expediting and shipping me a new card to Istanbul. I was skeptical that BoA could actually get me a card to Istanbul, but that was the only option I had. Went down to the ATM, put my card in, asked for money, was told "No" and my card was eaten by the ATM...leaving me in a predominantly "cash only" country with VERY little cash and no means of getting more. Nor could I call "The Idiot" back at BoA to tell him his little "last ditch" ploy didn't work and to come up with something else. So, a call to American Express allowed me to set my credit card up as an ATM card after tracking down my account number and routing information...but it was only good for a one time withdrawal of $500. Again...in a cash country...$500 doesn't go as far as you would think. Also, American Express is RARELY accepted overseas due to the high fees they charge their merchants, so finding an ATM with an AMEX symbol on it was going to be tough. Thankfully, we found the one in Goreme (Cappadocia) that had one, I got my cash and prayed that BoA would have my card in Istanbul when I returned. They did not. "The Idiot" made a mistake with the address and my replacement card was sent to Franklin (real helpful)...even though BoA KNEW I was traveling and had my entire tentative itinerary. Sigh. This was not resolved for another TWO WEEKS. BoA had to send me emergency money via Western Union to Istanbul...my card finally reached me in Florence. But not before it was sent to the WRONG address AGAIN in Italy. Sigh. I am so thankful that ridiculousness is over!! Back to Cappadocia - sorry for the long, seemingly unimportant explanation; BUT, it was important to write about the $$ snafu b/c it defined every decision in Turkey!!!
Checked into our rooms...and I again squealed and jumped up and down because I LOVED my room so much. A snug room with a rounded ceiling, an antique bed and a traditional turkish bathroom - i.e. no "defined" shower, just a shower head with lots of space around it - completed my "Cave Room"....and the view outside my room...SIGH. When I am finally able to post pics upon returning home, you will all understand. I could see for miles...and there was a swimming pool outside my room. Perfection!
First order of business...booking our activities. I booked a Hot Air Balloon Ride, a Horseback Riding Tour (which I later canceled so I could spend THAT money on gifts for other people....you will see who you are when I return...) and the "Green" tour which was a full day excursion around the area. Next order of business...Money, then Food, finally Sight-Seeing.
Remember - I am in a Muslim country - so 5 times a day, the call to prayer goes out from all the Mosques. This takes a little getting used to but is also a good excuse not to wear a watch, b/c these guys are precise (and it is always men doing the call, of course). As a true Westerner, this call only sounds like noise. I could distinguish a word here and there, but not much. However, I found a translation and here is what is said (forgive any typos or iPad auto-corrects...you get the point)...
Alla Akbar
Ashadu an Iailaha illaliah
Ashadu anna Muhammad ar-rasul Allah
Hayya alassalaah
Hayya alaifalah
Allah Akbar
Laa ilaha illallah
God is Great
I profess that there is no God but Allah
I profess that Muhammad
is the messenger of God
Let's come to prayer
Let's come to success
God is Great
There is no God but Allah
I don't know if it is said once or a couple times...I think a couple times, but I never bothered to ask that little bit of information. I'm sure I could Google it - but I'm cool with staying in the dark. I can still hear the call if I shut my eyes and that is good enough for me.
First - to acquaint you with the area, a little lesson on the geology...
The Geologic History of Cappadocia
Sixty million years ago the Taurus Mountains were formed and in their wake, the massive volcanoes later called Erciyes and Hasan. These, and others, erupted over millions of years and covered the surrounding plateau with layers of ash that developed into the soft volcanic rock called "Tuff". In some places, the tuff was overlaid by basalt lava. The wind, ice, rain and snow worked away at the rocks. Where there was no basalt, the soft rock was eroded into beautiful, graceful shapes and valleys...and cliffs appeared. Where there was basalt, it protected the tuff under it from the weather so columns of tuff were left standing under their basalt caps while everything else eroded away. That's how the "Fairy Chimneys" were formed.
When the first people came to Cappadocia, they wisely decided to move into these cones of rock. The rock is soft so it can be excavated, even with primitive tools, at around one cubic meter a day. Cave rooms are warm in the winter and cool in the summer so they provide the perfect living environment for the extreme Cappadocian weather.
Everywhere you look in Cappadocia, you see these "Fairy Chimneys" in all different shades of cream, yellow, pink and red. This is what looks similar to the Hoodoos of Bryce. But instead of in Bryce where they taper up at the top, many of the chimneys in Cappadocia have what looks like a big, flat rock balanced on top of the spire. The landscape is quite dramatic.
Our first sight-seeing stop after lunch took us to Kocabag winery where we sampled some lovely Turkish wines. What I noticed about Turkish wines is that they are very simple - basically a Red or a White table wine. This doesn't mean they are bad; on the contrary, they are quite good. But they are designed to go with many dishes as opposed to a certain category and they are not "Big" wines...not a lot of nose or tasting notes. For those of you that know me well, you will gasp to learn I purchased a bottle of the Rose...i.e. Pink Wine. I took one sip of it and was startled!! It tasted spicy and peppery. Cold, but very refreshing and NOT SWEET like you'd expect. It defied everything I have always thought about Pink Wine.
From the winery, we trudged up the hill to Uchisar Castle - a natural stone fortress. After climbing to the top - can't remember 400 ft. or so - we had a spectacular view of Goreme, Uchisar and all the surrounding areas. What struck me were all the poor Muslim women making the same hike up as me...up and up and up steps carved into stone and definitely not even or smooth...in HIGH HEELS!! I was in running shoes and shorts and was sweating. Trust me, they were struggling as well...but to have to do that in HEELS!! No way, Jose!! After taking many, many pictures at the top, we hiked back down into the valley that leads up to Uchisar, trying to figure out a way back into Goreme. It just happened (yeah, right!!) that there was a street side "market" selling all kinds of junk and trinkets. We browsed this for a hot minute...I bought a bag and a sampled my first array of turkish nuts and dried fruits (YUM - especially the peanuts dipped in honey and rolled in sesame seeds...Whole Foods needs to stock these little treats!)...and we waited for a bus. And we waited...and we waited. One might be so cynical as to think the waiting is to encourage buying. Not willing to give up and walk the several kilometers back to Goreme...I knew that it sounded like a good idea to start with, but after a kilometer or two in that heat, we would be hating life...we waited. The bus finally arrived and we made it back to town. The only item on my agenda that night was diving in that crisp, cold swimming pool and washing the dust off that had turned me a pale shade of yellow...which is exactly what I did as the hotel people cooked us up a delicious dinner of grilled chicken, rice, peppers, soup and salad. Good end to a good day. I went to bed early because the next morning, a bus was picking me up at 5am for my very first Hot Air Balloon Ride!!!!
What can I say about the Hot Air Balloon Ride - it was everything I expected it to be!! Sunrise over the area, the sky dotted with all the other colorful balloons carrying people like me through the sky, Fairy Chimneys for miles and miles, seeing the landscape change as the sun hit it first thing in the morning, and a funny balloon operator that knew it was also a show! - i.e. "Whose first time is this in a Hot Air Balloon??" Hands raise. "Me too!!" he hoots and hollers. Ba-hahahahaha. Thanks for getting me up and down safely, guy!
We landed after an hour and three minutes in the air, were given a glass of champagne to distract us as they took the balloon apart and loaded it onto a truck...and, were given "official" certificates that we had completed our Hot Air Balloon Ride...with our names on it ;)) Glad my Euro was going towards something worthwhile...a certificate!! Also, a guy came around hocking pictures (not included in the fee) that had been taken as we climbed in and prepared for take-off. Mine were kind of cute...but I RUINED this poor couple's next to me in the basket. It is a great picture of them...and then there is me in the background making some inexplicable face that is impossible to miss. I felt horrible!!! But could really only laugh...too bad for them! Back to Goreme and my cave room for a mid-morning nap. I was supposed to go horseback riding later that afternoon and didn't want to fall asleep on my horse.
A nap refreshed me and I went out into the town to do some walking around, grab lunch and hopefully see some "cheap" souvenirs (since $$ is an issue). Unfortunately, there were many, many great things to buy and I knew I would regret not getting some things for friends/family...ok, me as well, I'm not to - tally altruistic...so I went back to the hotel and canceled my horseback ride so that I could go shopping. I've ridden plenty of horses - always enjoy it, but always pay for it the next day. Shopping sounded better. This introduced me to my "Cappadocian Boyfriend", Mustafa. I found some lovely things at his shop and spent over an hour there trying to make my decisions. Mustafa was lovely and ended up getting me a discount at my future Hamam experience the next night, a significant discount on a gorgeous hand-crafted silver "Cleopatra" style necklace at a jewelry store he took me to(they accepted Credit Cards - woo-hoo!) AND took me for a hike on my last day through Love Valley! Great person to have met and be-friended. Not to mention the many cups of tea I shared with him and his friends who owned the cafe next to his shop. As Mustafa said and Turkey exudes..."There is always time for tea."
Next day, The Green Tour and The Hamam...
The Green Tour was a nice comprehensive way to get an idea of the history surrounding the area...the Underground City, a hike through the Ihara Valley, a visit to the Selime monastery carved into a rock and the mystery behind the local love and devotion to Pigeons. Yep, pigeons. Those hated birds in Europe and America (well, they are not hated in Venice...but stay tuned for that story!)
Our first stop on the tour was a lookout over Pigeon Valley. The Cappadocians revere the pigeon unlike most places in the world.
There is a legend that Cappadocia was once inhabited by fairies (Peri) but when the first people came to live here the Peri did not want to share with them so they turned themselves into pigeons and went to live high up in the rocks. Hence, the name "Fairy Chimneys". The soil here is largely made up of rock, rich in minerals but poor in bulk. Pigeon droppings make a fertilizer for the soil. The people organized the collection of pigeon droppings by attacting the birds into hollowed out fairy chimneys where they could roost and drop their waste in a place from which it could be easily collected.
Pigeon eggs were also important. They were used in making the paint that decorates the rock churches as well as the actual Pigeon Houses. The paint attracts the birds. Some are simply white but others are elaboratley painted with intricate and colorful examples of Islamic art. Unlike other cities - these pigeons are not constantly up in your business. They have their own houses and pretty much hang there. Fine by me.
Next, the Underground City (Derinkuyu)- Nobody knows how many underground cities there are in Cappadocia although the number has been estimated around 300. Not rooms....entire cities that stretch for miles underground! Some say there must be one underground city for every above ground settlement. This subterranean way of life was made possible by several different factors..
1. The nature of the rock
2. The extremes of the climate
3. The religion of the inhabitants
The Rock - The dramatic landscape of Cappadocia is formed from volcanic lava, which is easy to work but dries to a hard surface strong enough to allow the excavation of wide rooms with horizontal ceilings. This tuff (remember the tuff from the geology lesson above) goes down as well as up, so Cappadocia is one of the few places in the world where it is actually possible to live safely 20 levels (or more) below ground without the benefit of high technology. I think I went down about 10 levels...and it was FAR, FAR down. I cannot even imagine another 10!!
The Climate - The weather in Cappadocia can be dramatic with temperature variations from 30 below to 40 above (this is in Celsius) over 6 months. The temperature in the underground caves is always between about 7 and 15 degrees no matter what is happening outside so they are the perfect environment for living as well as for storing produce and keeping animals. Yes - they kept animals WAY far underground when under attack!! I saw the rooms where they kept them...I think there was still an odor, but that could have been from the mass of humanity down there with me. Even though I do get claustrophobic in places (Karolina can attest to this in the Uprising Museum in Warsaw) - I didn't get that feeling below ground. Strange.
The Religion - The underground cities could be as much as 4000 years old but the first written mention of them occurs in the works of Xenophon who traveled to the Cappadocia area around 2400 years ago. Maybe they started out as storage areas - but they were certainly extended, developed and brought into use as refuges from Christians fleeing from the Romans. Right until the 14th century, when it was incorporated into the Ottoman Empire, Cappadocia was a hotbed of war and strife. During those centuries, the locals often needed to escape from invaders into the underground cities. They were never intended to be permanent homes but were built to withstand attack and shelter whole communities for months at a time.
It was a neat tour. We had a pretty good guide named, Haroun, who was fresh out of tourism school, so I think as he gets a few more years under his belt - he'll pick up more tidbits to share with us tourists. Also, I was on a joint Turkish/English tour (not sure how this happened) so he had to say everything twice. I noticed (and called him out a couple times) that he missed some details and facts along the way having to switch languages. I didn't mean this critically, only as a way to help him with his guide duties. I can't even imagine conducting tours in 2 different languages. AND - the Turkish language has many more syllables than ours does - so it always sounded like he was saying more stuff to them ;))
From the Underground City, we went on to the Ihara Valley for some light hiking, a cave church viewing and lunch...
The Ihara Valley is a glacier cut canyon about 15 kilometers long and several hundred meters deep. It has some of the best rock churches in Cappadocia with about 20 in various states of repair and preservation. We saw some beautiful frescos in the one we visited. A short little jaunt along the river bed brought us to our lunch destination - perched on the river. I decided to be adventurous and select the fish...since we were on a river....bad idea. It literally tasted like dirty mud (not that mud is ever clean). Oh well, the grilled vegetables were good - especially these long, green peppers that are served at every meal. I bought a couple of seed packets in Istanbul...hope they will flourish next Spring!
A short drive later out of the Ihara Valley took us to the Selime Monastery - another "cave church" of sorts. We got to climb all over this place for about half and hour - I could have stayed for 1/2 a day. Not that many of you reading this have been to Valley of the Fire out in Las Vegas - but this place reminded me a lot of that. Only major difference was the color. Valley of the Fire is a deep red and Selime is a pale gold. Wherever a particularly huge and impressive rock formation coincided with the need to extend the Christian community - a new monastery was founded. It is said that the first Star Wars film was shot in the area :))) And I do mean the ORIGINAL...none of this nonsense with Jar Jar Binks!
We were behind schedule at this point, so our stop at the Onyx factory was hurried. We were rushed downstairs where a guy carved up a raw piece of onyx into the shape of an egg. Then he took it over to his polishing station and did what you expect....polished it. This all took a total of about 3 minutes. My one useful fact was that there are many different colors of onyx. I only knew about black. In fact, most onyx looks like marble, with lots of veins - and the more "veined" it is, the farther down in the earth it is found, the older it is and the more translucent it is. I could have spent more time here...but that is the rub with organized tours...the schedule.
We were dropped back off in Goreme. I checked in with Josh and Elif and then made my way back to Mustafa's shop so he could take me to the Hamam and get me a discount. Oh, the Hamam.....
The Hamam, a brief history....
Hamams were an integral part of the Tukish-Ottoman culture for centuries with their roots lying in Greek and Roman culture. However, the Ottomans can be credited with turning the bathhouse into a place of luxurious feasting, fun and frolic (as well as a place to get clean, of course). In Ottoman times, every district of every town or city worth a name had a public hamam for the residents to use. Better off people had small hamams in their homes for private use. Most of the hamams were spacious enough to have separate areas for the sexes by declaring some days to be "Women Only" days (this is what I enjoyed at the Rudas Bath in Budapest...but nothing like what I experienced in Turkey). In a society where modesty and religious observances were the cornerstones of daily life, the hamams wer perhaps the only place where people, especially women, could literally let their hair down!
The religious importance of the hamam has its roots in the frequent exhortations in the Koran to keep high standards of personal hygiene (I found this odd, considering the ever present stench). However, the contrast between the straight-laced outside world and the laid-back steamy atmosphere of the hamam made them the place to meet your friends, catch up on the gossip, make business deals, find a new daughter-in-law and be entertained by musicians and dancers. Many men worried about their wives "losing their virtue" by visiting the public hamam, but if he didn't have enough money to build her a private one - too bad, so sad. The men couldn't keep their wives from going to the hamam!!
For the Ottomans, and for later Turks, getting ready to go for a day trip to the hamam meant finding, preparing and packing up towels, brushes, henna, kohl, special soap and mother of pearl inlaid pattens. Then, there was lots of food and drink. If there were servants in the household, they would be taken along and some people even took their pets! After their bath and massage, the ladies would tidy their eyebrows, dye their hair, hands and feet with henna and remove unwanted hair with either wax, sugar or a thread of cotton.
So - my Hamam experience....
I had read about what to expect online, but that did not prepare me for what was in store. I was escorted down to the locker rooms and given a red plaid "towel" (I bought one as a souvenir) with some ugly, croc-like slippers. I asked in "mime" if I was to take everything off or leave on my bikini bottom. She said "leave bikini on" and motioned to her southern parts. Okey Dokey. I went back out to the waiting area and was told to "sit" - where a woman appeared with a bowl of sludge. She slathered a mud mask on my face and then directed me through another door saying, "You go steam". Hmmmmm...alright again. I stepped into a room that made my mouth fall open. Huge, circular, and white marble with a soaring ceiling and a big octagon-shaped, raised marble slab in the center of the room. Around the walls are little "seats" carved into the marble next to individual sinks. Nobody was in there at the moment so I passed through into the sauna. Inside were 10 or 12 women of varying ages - all with mud masks on - and all clutching their little red, plaid towels to their chests. They greeted me with "Bonjour" and upon realizing they were French, thought it odd that they seemed so modest with the towels. The French are known for having few inhibitions. I didn't know anyone, so I let my towel drop and steamed away topless. The French eventually left, but I stayed a bit longer...really feeling that sweat from the Green Tour making its way out of my pores. When my mask started dripping all over me, I figured it was time to exit...and see what was next.
I exited the Sauna and stood there a little shocked for a few seconds. The placid, empty, white marble room I had passed through earlier was now filled with stark naked women. The only clothes (scant at best) were on the "cleaners" (and by this, I mean people who clean YOU), one of whom was belly-dancing and shrieking at the top of her lungs on the big marble stone. It was then I realized....I am going to be totally naked in front of more than 20 strangers. Hmmmmmm. Well, when in Turkey, I guess! I exited the room, peeled off my bikini bottoms and tossed them in my locker and headed back for naked time...
Steamy, steamy, steamy the place had become. You are given an exfoliating mit and you sit by your own little sink and wait to be called onto the marble slab. Then, you spread your red plaid towel out and lie down, face-up on top of it and hand your exfoliating mit to your "cleaner". You are lying on this slab with 8 other women and another 10 or so watching all this happen to you. The cleaner takes a little metal bowl and slops you with warm water a couple times. Then, she puts on the mit and begins SCRUBBING you. Not the way we do in the shower...I mean, SCRUBS you. SCRUBS you raw...you see your dead skin coming off in little ribbons (gross, yes). She scrubs your boobs and your southern private parts, then directs you to turn over, slops you with more water and attacks your back, butt and legs. SCRUBBING!!!! You are doused with more water and told to turn back over.
Next up - the Bubble massage. This is the coolest! They have these little bags that look like laundry bags which they dip in a bucket with water and some soap. They swing the bags back and forth for a couple seconds then gather the top together somehow forming a "bag'o'bubbles" which they then squirt and sluice all over you. This takes place a couple times to make sure you are totally covered in bubbles. It feels amazing!! The bubbles ooze and tickle their way over your skin, sliding over your legs and stomach, down your shoulders......Then, the massage. Ahhhhhhhhhhh...you are massaged and massaged and massaged. Front and Back - more bubbles for your back, of course!! At this point...the ultimate in relaxation....and just as you are about to fall asleep. You are doused with water again...and then sent to another room for your oil massage. ANOTHER massage...after the bubble massage!! Ok, if you say so!! At the end of this one, you feel like a limp noodle. You are directed to the "rinse-off" area to get most of the oil off your skin and then you are taken to the "relax" area to enjoy tea, juice or water. I dozed off for a couple minutes here - totally savoring the ultimate feeling of relaxation. You are warned not to really eat before visiting the hamam because the environment can be hot and uncomfortable on a full stomach. However, you leave RAVENOUS!!! I got dressed and stumbled back out into the Cappadocian night ready to tear an animal to pieces. Instead, I made my way back over to my buddy, Mustafa, had some more tea and gratefully accepted the snacks he prepared....I don't even remember what they were I was in such a fog. More tea...and that concluded my day of the Green Tour and my night at the Hamam.
I slept like a baby - who wouldn't - and awoke with the prospect of a hike before me. My buddy Mustafa took me back up to the Onyx factory where I purchased the silver necklace mentioned above. We then headed for Honey Valley - but first, a cup of fresh-squeezed orange juice from a lone kid on the side of a "road" with a massive juicer. Definitely an entrepreneur!! We hiked down into the valley and made our way along the bottom - beautiful sight after beautiful sight was around every corner (don't worry...I took LOTS of pictures)...we stopped every now and then to eat some of the fresh fruit off the trees - apples and peaches - or to grab a tomato off a vine...and continued to Love Valley. Love Valley is aptly named and is a big joke in the area. What can I say....all the "spires" are hugely phallic and look exactly what you think they look like...I won't say the word....but huge male genitalia. There is no getting around it. It is what it is. This is one of the most impressive Valleys in the area with a huge concentration of these formations - and gave me that feeling of "I am one of the few people in this world who will actually see this special place". It is the same feeling I had in Belize last Christmas while hiking through the ATM cave. With an incredible view before us, we stopped at this random truck with a canopy and couches set up and had freshly-squeezed pomegranate juice while kicking back on the couches (yes, random couches set up in this desert valley...and they were clean!) to get out of the heat for an hour. Refreshed - we plowed on and got back to the main road - only a couple kilometers from Goreme. Thankfully, a friend of Mustafa's happened by in his car, picked us up and whipped us back into town - deposited us at Mustafa's shop and delivered us Turkish Pizza a couple minutes later. I was FAMISHED!!
Food and Tea set me to rights, I went and grabbed my bag from the Cave Hotel and settled in to wait the hour for the bus to haul me back to the airport in Neveshir. Cappadocia had come to an end. I am amazed at everything I packed into 4 days and 3 nights. And that was just the beginning of Turkey! I still had a week to go in Istanbul...
But that is the next post...I know this was a long one, but Cappadocia is one of the high points of this trip. Spectacular scenery, unforgettable experience at the hamam and Turkish hospitality that allowed me to really get close to the local culture.
I probably should have been writing about what I have been reading along the way - sometimes when people ask me where I have been or when I was in a certain area, it seems I'm better able to recall the information based on the book I was reading. In Cappadocia, I finished reading "War and Peace" - OMG, one of the best books I have EVER read - and moved on to something I would NEVER have thought I'd get so into..."Game of Thrones"...and so began the addiction to the series, "A Song of Ice and Fire". I have now finished all 5 books in the series and now know how those fans have felt for years, waiting on Mr. Martin to get it together to write the next book. His latest just came out, so I have a while to go...ahhhhhh.
Next up, Istanbul. I promise it won't be as long!!
Most of you know that Turkey was definitely on the list of places to visit when I set out on this journey b/c one of my best friends, Joshua Shannon-Chastain, has been teaching English there for over a year. My last time to see Josh was in August of last year as I flew to Portland to say goodbye to both him as he moved to Turkey and to the West Coast. I was on my way to Wilmington at the time. He and I had spoken about me getting over to visit at some point - but unlike many people who say those things....I was serious!
When Mom's accident occurred, I wanted to surround myself with my closest friends; especially those who could really understand what that loss meant to me and my everyday life. Josh lost his beloved sister, Zoe, who had just turned 18, to a car accident. If anyone can understand an abrupt loss, he can. Since Josh and I had been roommates for a couple years, and due to his love of history, he had met and spent time with Mom on several occasions - one being a particularly memorable Thanksgiving that had our house on 77th and Fremont in Portland busting at the seams, quite literally. It was me, Josh, Rob and our other roommate at the time, Patrick - Mom, brother Bill, Josh's Mom and Dad...and the dogs - Taggart, Banjo, Skunky and 1 other whose name escapes me...yep, 4 dogs. We made it work though and it was a Thanksgiving to remember. Josh's parents were the first people to send flowers to the house after the accident, and that sticks with me.
I boarded a plane in Budapest bound for Turkey with 10 days to discover that vast and varied country. I landed in Istanbul, "bought" my Visa and made my way to the line to get through Passport Control. As I was headed that way - I was confronted with my first image being in a Muslim country had to offer...and one that had just finished Ramadan. Scores...and I do mean "scores" of caftans, headcaps, burkhas, hijabs, prayer rugs, sandals, STENCH, man-dresses and the like stuffed into the airport...laying on the floor, mock playpens set up for kids, possessions piled into bags (not suitcases) and spread out all over the floor, cooking equipment set up!!, and "shouting". I admit...it was intimidating. Definitely out of my element. And if I didn't mention it...STENCH!! It's my blog, I can say what I want. PC be damned. I'm definitely not saying that all Muslims stink, but these certainly did...and not just stunk...REEKED!! The kind of horrible stink that gets up in your nose and wants to set up camp. You know what I'm talking about. Mucking out goat pens at the Farm was more pleasant than this walk through humanity. But okay, enough. I know I sound cruel, just painting the picture.
Got through Passport Control, retrieved my bag and met Josh outside. We were only in Istanbul that night before heading back to the airport at "Oh dark thirty" the next morning to board our plane for Cappadocia, an area of Turkey I was thrilled to be going. Cappadocia has received a lot of attention in the travel magazines lately. A place that looks "other worldly", is famous for its "Cave Hotels", has ancient roots, is filled with geologic marvels similar to the Hoodoos in Bryce Canyon Nat'l Park in Utah, and provided shelter to the fleeing Christians during Roman times. A treasure trove of history, hiking and sight-seeing....and I had 3 nights there...in a Cave Hotel!!
Before I get into Cappadocia - I will let you know that arriving in Turkey ushered in the second, but hopefully last stressful period around money. American Express had suspended my card while I was in Poland for "suspicious activity" (I had purchased the flight to Turkey online) but that was easily cleared up with a phone call. Upon arriving in Turkey, I was "welcomed" with an email from Bank of America alerting me to "suspicious activity" and to call them immediately. I did, confirmed all the charges (again, purchasing flights online) but was told that my card STILL needed to be confiscated...leaving me with almost NO cash. The nightmare I thought I was going to experience in Budapest was coming true in Turkey. The guy on the phone - forever now known as "The Idiot" - told me I could make one last withdrawal at the ATM before my card would no longer be good and that they were expediting and shipping me a new card to Istanbul. I was skeptical that BoA could actually get me a card to Istanbul, but that was the only option I had. Went down to the ATM, put my card in, asked for money, was told "No" and my card was eaten by the ATM...leaving me in a predominantly "cash only" country with VERY little cash and no means of getting more. Nor could I call "The Idiot" back at BoA to tell him his little "last ditch" ploy didn't work and to come up with something else. So, a call to American Express allowed me to set my credit card up as an ATM card after tracking down my account number and routing information...but it was only good for a one time withdrawal of $500. Again...in a cash country...$500 doesn't go as far as you would think. Also, American Express is RARELY accepted overseas due to the high fees they charge their merchants, so finding an ATM with an AMEX symbol on it was going to be tough. Thankfully, we found the one in Goreme (Cappadocia) that had one, I got my cash and prayed that BoA would have my card in Istanbul when I returned. They did not. "The Idiot" made a mistake with the address and my replacement card was sent to Franklin (real helpful)...even though BoA KNEW I was traveling and had my entire tentative itinerary. Sigh. This was not resolved for another TWO WEEKS. BoA had to send me emergency money via Western Union to Istanbul...my card finally reached me in Florence. But not before it was sent to the WRONG address AGAIN in Italy. Sigh. I am so thankful that ridiculousness is over!! Back to Cappadocia - sorry for the long, seemingly unimportant explanation; BUT, it was important to write about the $$ snafu b/c it defined every decision in Turkey!!!
Checked into our rooms...and I again squealed and jumped up and down because I LOVED my room so much. A snug room with a rounded ceiling, an antique bed and a traditional turkish bathroom - i.e. no "defined" shower, just a shower head with lots of space around it - completed my "Cave Room"....and the view outside my room...SIGH. When I am finally able to post pics upon returning home, you will all understand. I could see for miles...and there was a swimming pool outside my room. Perfection!
First order of business...booking our activities. I booked a Hot Air Balloon Ride, a Horseback Riding Tour (which I later canceled so I could spend THAT money on gifts for other people....you will see who you are when I return...) and the "Green" tour which was a full day excursion around the area. Next order of business...Money, then Food, finally Sight-Seeing.
Remember - I am in a Muslim country - so 5 times a day, the call to prayer goes out from all the Mosques. This takes a little getting used to but is also a good excuse not to wear a watch, b/c these guys are precise (and it is always men doing the call, of course). As a true Westerner, this call only sounds like noise. I could distinguish a word here and there, but not much. However, I found a translation and here is what is said (forgive any typos or iPad auto-corrects...you get the point)...
Alla Akbar
Ashadu an Iailaha illaliah
Ashadu anna Muhammad ar-rasul Allah
Hayya alassalaah
Hayya alaifalah
Allah Akbar
Laa ilaha illallah
God is Great
I profess that there is no God but Allah
I profess that Muhammad
is the messenger of God
Let's come to prayer
Let's come to success
God is Great
There is no God but Allah
I don't know if it is said once or a couple times...I think a couple times, but I never bothered to ask that little bit of information. I'm sure I could Google it - but I'm cool with staying in the dark. I can still hear the call if I shut my eyes and that is good enough for me.
First - to acquaint you with the area, a little lesson on the geology...
The Geologic History of Cappadocia
Sixty million years ago the Taurus Mountains were formed and in their wake, the massive volcanoes later called Erciyes and Hasan. These, and others, erupted over millions of years and covered the surrounding plateau with layers of ash that developed into the soft volcanic rock called "Tuff". In some places, the tuff was overlaid by basalt lava. The wind, ice, rain and snow worked away at the rocks. Where there was no basalt, the soft rock was eroded into beautiful, graceful shapes and valleys...and cliffs appeared. Where there was basalt, it protected the tuff under it from the weather so columns of tuff were left standing under their basalt caps while everything else eroded away. That's how the "Fairy Chimneys" were formed.
When the first people came to Cappadocia, they wisely decided to move into these cones of rock. The rock is soft so it can be excavated, even with primitive tools, at around one cubic meter a day. Cave rooms are warm in the winter and cool in the summer so they provide the perfect living environment for the extreme Cappadocian weather.
Everywhere you look in Cappadocia, you see these "Fairy Chimneys" in all different shades of cream, yellow, pink and red. This is what looks similar to the Hoodoos of Bryce. But instead of in Bryce where they taper up at the top, many of the chimneys in Cappadocia have what looks like a big, flat rock balanced on top of the spire. The landscape is quite dramatic.
Our first sight-seeing stop after lunch took us to Kocabag winery where we sampled some lovely Turkish wines. What I noticed about Turkish wines is that they are very simple - basically a Red or a White table wine. This doesn't mean they are bad; on the contrary, they are quite good. But they are designed to go with many dishes as opposed to a certain category and they are not "Big" wines...not a lot of nose or tasting notes. For those of you that know me well, you will gasp to learn I purchased a bottle of the Rose...i.e. Pink Wine. I took one sip of it and was startled!! It tasted spicy and peppery. Cold, but very refreshing and NOT SWEET like you'd expect. It defied everything I have always thought about Pink Wine.
From the winery, we trudged up the hill to Uchisar Castle - a natural stone fortress. After climbing to the top - can't remember 400 ft. or so - we had a spectacular view of Goreme, Uchisar and all the surrounding areas. What struck me were all the poor Muslim women making the same hike up as me...up and up and up steps carved into stone and definitely not even or smooth...in HIGH HEELS!! I was in running shoes and shorts and was sweating. Trust me, they were struggling as well...but to have to do that in HEELS!! No way, Jose!! After taking many, many pictures at the top, we hiked back down into the valley that leads up to Uchisar, trying to figure out a way back into Goreme. It just happened (yeah, right!!) that there was a street side "market" selling all kinds of junk and trinkets. We browsed this for a hot minute...I bought a bag and a sampled my first array of turkish nuts and dried fruits (YUM - especially the peanuts dipped in honey and rolled in sesame seeds...Whole Foods needs to stock these little treats!)...and we waited for a bus. And we waited...and we waited. One might be so cynical as to think the waiting is to encourage buying. Not willing to give up and walk the several kilometers back to Goreme...I knew that it sounded like a good idea to start with, but after a kilometer or two in that heat, we would be hating life...we waited. The bus finally arrived and we made it back to town. The only item on my agenda that night was diving in that crisp, cold swimming pool and washing the dust off that had turned me a pale shade of yellow...which is exactly what I did as the hotel people cooked us up a delicious dinner of grilled chicken, rice, peppers, soup and salad. Good end to a good day. I went to bed early because the next morning, a bus was picking me up at 5am for my very first Hot Air Balloon Ride!!!!
What can I say about the Hot Air Balloon Ride - it was everything I expected it to be!! Sunrise over the area, the sky dotted with all the other colorful balloons carrying people like me through the sky, Fairy Chimneys for miles and miles, seeing the landscape change as the sun hit it first thing in the morning, and a funny balloon operator that knew it was also a show! - i.e. "Whose first time is this in a Hot Air Balloon??" Hands raise. "Me too!!" he hoots and hollers. Ba-hahahahaha. Thanks for getting me up and down safely, guy!
We landed after an hour and three minutes in the air, were given a glass of champagne to distract us as they took the balloon apart and loaded it onto a truck...and, were given "official" certificates that we had completed our Hot Air Balloon Ride...with our names on it ;)) Glad my Euro was going towards something worthwhile...a certificate!! Also, a guy came around hocking pictures (not included in the fee) that had been taken as we climbed in and prepared for take-off. Mine were kind of cute...but I RUINED this poor couple's next to me in the basket. It is a great picture of them...and then there is me in the background making some inexplicable face that is impossible to miss. I felt horrible!!! But could really only laugh...too bad for them! Back to Goreme and my cave room for a mid-morning nap. I was supposed to go horseback riding later that afternoon and didn't want to fall asleep on my horse.
A nap refreshed me and I went out into the town to do some walking around, grab lunch and hopefully see some "cheap" souvenirs (since $$ is an issue). Unfortunately, there were many, many great things to buy and I knew I would regret not getting some things for friends/family...ok, me as well, I'm not to - tally altruistic...so I went back to the hotel and canceled my horseback ride so that I could go shopping. I've ridden plenty of horses - always enjoy it, but always pay for it the next day. Shopping sounded better. This introduced me to my "Cappadocian Boyfriend", Mustafa. I found some lovely things at his shop and spent over an hour there trying to make my decisions. Mustafa was lovely and ended up getting me a discount at my future Hamam experience the next night, a significant discount on a gorgeous hand-crafted silver "Cleopatra" style necklace at a jewelry store he took me to(they accepted Credit Cards - woo-hoo!) AND took me for a hike on my last day through Love Valley! Great person to have met and be-friended. Not to mention the many cups of tea I shared with him and his friends who owned the cafe next to his shop. As Mustafa said and Turkey exudes..."There is always time for tea."
Next day, The Green Tour and The Hamam...
The Green Tour was a nice comprehensive way to get an idea of the history surrounding the area...the Underground City, a hike through the Ihara Valley, a visit to the Selime monastery carved into a rock and the mystery behind the local love and devotion to Pigeons. Yep, pigeons. Those hated birds in Europe and America (well, they are not hated in Venice...but stay tuned for that story!)
Our first stop on the tour was a lookout over Pigeon Valley. The Cappadocians revere the pigeon unlike most places in the world.
There is a legend that Cappadocia was once inhabited by fairies (Peri) but when the first people came to live here the Peri did not want to share with them so they turned themselves into pigeons and went to live high up in the rocks. Hence, the name "Fairy Chimneys". The soil here is largely made up of rock, rich in minerals but poor in bulk. Pigeon droppings make a fertilizer for the soil. The people organized the collection of pigeon droppings by attacting the birds into hollowed out fairy chimneys where they could roost and drop their waste in a place from which it could be easily collected.
Pigeon eggs were also important. They were used in making the paint that decorates the rock churches as well as the actual Pigeon Houses. The paint attracts the birds. Some are simply white but others are elaboratley painted with intricate and colorful examples of Islamic art. Unlike other cities - these pigeons are not constantly up in your business. They have their own houses and pretty much hang there. Fine by me.
Next, the Underground City (Derinkuyu)- Nobody knows how many underground cities there are in Cappadocia although the number has been estimated around 300. Not rooms....entire cities that stretch for miles underground! Some say there must be one underground city for every above ground settlement. This subterranean way of life was made possible by several different factors..
1. The nature of the rock
2. The extremes of the climate
3. The religion of the inhabitants
The Rock - The dramatic landscape of Cappadocia is formed from volcanic lava, which is easy to work but dries to a hard surface strong enough to allow the excavation of wide rooms with horizontal ceilings. This tuff (remember the tuff from the geology lesson above) goes down as well as up, so Cappadocia is one of the few places in the world where it is actually possible to live safely 20 levels (or more) below ground without the benefit of high technology. I think I went down about 10 levels...and it was FAR, FAR down. I cannot even imagine another 10!!
The Climate - The weather in Cappadocia can be dramatic with temperature variations from 30 below to 40 above (this is in Celsius) over 6 months. The temperature in the underground caves is always between about 7 and 15 degrees no matter what is happening outside so they are the perfect environment for living as well as for storing produce and keeping animals. Yes - they kept animals WAY far underground when under attack!! I saw the rooms where they kept them...I think there was still an odor, but that could have been from the mass of humanity down there with me. Even though I do get claustrophobic in places (Karolina can attest to this in the Uprising Museum in Warsaw) - I didn't get that feeling below ground. Strange.
The Religion - The underground cities could be as much as 4000 years old but the first written mention of them occurs in the works of Xenophon who traveled to the Cappadocia area around 2400 years ago. Maybe they started out as storage areas - but they were certainly extended, developed and brought into use as refuges from Christians fleeing from the Romans. Right until the 14th century, when it was incorporated into the Ottoman Empire, Cappadocia was a hotbed of war and strife. During those centuries, the locals often needed to escape from invaders into the underground cities. They were never intended to be permanent homes but were built to withstand attack and shelter whole communities for months at a time.
It was a neat tour. We had a pretty good guide named, Haroun, who was fresh out of tourism school, so I think as he gets a few more years under his belt - he'll pick up more tidbits to share with us tourists. Also, I was on a joint Turkish/English tour (not sure how this happened) so he had to say everything twice. I noticed (and called him out a couple times) that he missed some details and facts along the way having to switch languages. I didn't mean this critically, only as a way to help him with his guide duties. I can't even imagine conducting tours in 2 different languages. AND - the Turkish language has many more syllables than ours does - so it always sounded like he was saying more stuff to them ;))
From the Underground City, we went on to the Ihara Valley for some light hiking, a cave church viewing and lunch...
The Ihara Valley is a glacier cut canyon about 15 kilometers long and several hundred meters deep. It has some of the best rock churches in Cappadocia with about 20 in various states of repair and preservation. We saw some beautiful frescos in the one we visited. A short little jaunt along the river bed brought us to our lunch destination - perched on the river. I decided to be adventurous and select the fish...since we were on a river....bad idea. It literally tasted like dirty mud (not that mud is ever clean). Oh well, the grilled vegetables were good - especially these long, green peppers that are served at every meal. I bought a couple of seed packets in Istanbul...hope they will flourish next Spring!
A short drive later out of the Ihara Valley took us to the Selime Monastery - another "cave church" of sorts. We got to climb all over this place for about half and hour - I could have stayed for 1/2 a day. Not that many of you reading this have been to Valley of the Fire out in Las Vegas - but this place reminded me a lot of that. Only major difference was the color. Valley of the Fire is a deep red and Selime is a pale gold. Wherever a particularly huge and impressive rock formation coincided with the need to extend the Christian community - a new monastery was founded. It is said that the first Star Wars film was shot in the area :))) And I do mean the ORIGINAL...none of this nonsense with Jar Jar Binks!
We were behind schedule at this point, so our stop at the Onyx factory was hurried. We were rushed downstairs where a guy carved up a raw piece of onyx into the shape of an egg. Then he took it over to his polishing station and did what you expect....polished it. This all took a total of about 3 minutes. My one useful fact was that there are many different colors of onyx. I only knew about black. In fact, most onyx looks like marble, with lots of veins - and the more "veined" it is, the farther down in the earth it is found, the older it is and the more translucent it is. I could have spent more time here...but that is the rub with organized tours...the schedule.
We were dropped back off in Goreme. I checked in with Josh and Elif and then made my way back to Mustafa's shop so he could take me to the Hamam and get me a discount. Oh, the Hamam.....
The Hamam, a brief history....
Hamams were an integral part of the Tukish-Ottoman culture for centuries with their roots lying in Greek and Roman culture. However, the Ottomans can be credited with turning the bathhouse into a place of luxurious feasting, fun and frolic (as well as a place to get clean, of course). In Ottoman times, every district of every town or city worth a name had a public hamam for the residents to use. Better off people had small hamams in their homes for private use. Most of the hamams were spacious enough to have separate areas for the sexes by declaring some days to be "Women Only" days (this is what I enjoyed at the Rudas Bath in Budapest...but nothing like what I experienced in Turkey). In a society where modesty and religious observances were the cornerstones of daily life, the hamams wer perhaps the only place where people, especially women, could literally let their hair down!
The religious importance of the hamam has its roots in the frequent exhortations in the Koran to keep high standards of personal hygiene (I found this odd, considering the ever present stench). However, the contrast between the straight-laced outside world and the laid-back steamy atmosphere of the hamam made them the place to meet your friends, catch up on the gossip, make business deals, find a new daughter-in-law and be entertained by musicians and dancers. Many men worried about their wives "losing their virtue" by visiting the public hamam, but if he didn't have enough money to build her a private one - too bad, so sad. The men couldn't keep their wives from going to the hamam!!
For the Ottomans, and for later Turks, getting ready to go for a day trip to the hamam meant finding, preparing and packing up towels, brushes, henna, kohl, special soap and mother of pearl inlaid pattens. Then, there was lots of food and drink. If there were servants in the household, they would be taken along and some people even took their pets! After their bath and massage, the ladies would tidy their eyebrows, dye their hair, hands and feet with henna and remove unwanted hair with either wax, sugar or a thread of cotton.
So - my Hamam experience....
I had read about what to expect online, but that did not prepare me for what was in store. I was escorted down to the locker rooms and given a red plaid "towel" (I bought one as a souvenir) with some ugly, croc-like slippers. I asked in "mime" if I was to take everything off or leave on my bikini bottom. She said "leave bikini on" and motioned to her southern parts. Okey Dokey. I went back out to the waiting area and was told to "sit" - where a woman appeared with a bowl of sludge. She slathered a mud mask on my face and then directed me through another door saying, "You go steam". Hmmmmm...alright again. I stepped into a room that made my mouth fall open. Huge, circular, and white marble with a soaring ceiling and a big octagon-shaped, raised marble slab in the center of the room. Around the walls are little "seats" carved into the marble next to individual sinks. Nobody was in there at the moment so I passed through into the sauna. Inside were 10 or 12 women of varying ages - all with mud masks on - and all clutching their little red, plaid towels to their chests. They greeted me with "Bonjour" and upon realizing they were French, thought it odd that they seemed so modest with the towels. The French are known for having few inhibitions. I didn't know anyone, so I let my towel drop and steamed away topless. The French eventually left, but I stayed a bit longer...really feeling that sweat from the Green Tour making its way out of my pores. When my mask started dripping all over me, I figured it was time to exit...and see what was next.
I exited the Sauna and stood there a little shocked for a few seconds. The placid, empty, white marble room I had passed through earlier was now filled with stark naked women. The only clothes (scant at best) were on the "cleaners" (and by this, I mean people who clean YOU), one of whom was belly-dancing and shrieking at the top of her lungs on the big marble stone. It was then I realized....I am going to be totally naked in front of more than 20 strangers. Hmmmmmm. Well, when in Turkey, I guess! I exited the room, peeled off my bikini bottoms and tossed them in my locker and headed back for naked time...
Steamy, steamy, steamy the place had become. You are given an exfoliating mit and you sit by your own little sink and wait to be called onto the marble slab. Then, you spread your red plaid towel out and lie down, face-up on top of it and hand your exfoliating mit to your "cleaner". You are lying on this slab with 8 other women and another 10 or so watching all this happen to you. The cleaner takes a little metal bowl and slops you with warm water a couple times. Then, she puts on the mit and begins SCRUBBING you. Not the way we do in the shower...I mean, SCRUBS you. SCRUBS you raw...you see your dead skin coming off in little ribbons (gross, yes). She scrubs your boobs and your southern private parts, then directs you to turn over, slops you with more water and attacks your back, butt and legs. SCRUBBING!!!! You are doused with more water and told to turn back over.
Next up - the Bubble massage. This is the coolest! They have these little bags that look like laundry bags which they dip in a bucket with water and some soap. They swing the bags back and forth for a couple seconds then gather the top together somehow forming a "bag'o'bubbles" which they then squirt and sluice all over you. This takes place a couple times to make sure you are totally covered in bubbles. It feels amazing!! The bubbles ooze and tickle their way over your skin, sliding over your legs and stomach, down your shoulders......Then, the massage. Ahhhhhhhhhhh...you are massaged and massaged and massaged. Front and Back - more bubbles for your back, of course!! At this point...the ultimate in relaxation....and just as you are about to fall asleep. You are doused with water again...and then sent to another room for your oil massage. ANOTHER massage...after the bubble massage!! Ok, if you say so!! At the end of this one, you feel like a limp noodle. You are directed to the "rinse-off" area to get most of the oil off your skin and then you are taken to the "relax" area to enjoy tea, juice or water. I dozed off for a couple minutes here - totally savoring the ultimate feeling of relaxation. You are warned not to really eat before visiting the hamam because the environment can be hot and uncomfortable on a full stomach. However, you leave RAVENOUS!!! I got dressed and stumbled back out into the Cappadocian night ready to tear an animal to pieces. Instead, I made my way back over to my buddy, Mustafa, had some more tea and gratefully accepted the snacks he prepared....I don't even remember what they were I was in such a fog. More tea...and that concluded my day of the Green Tour and my night at the Hamam.
I slept like a baby - who wouldn't - and awoke with the prospect of a hike before me. My buddy Mustafa took me back up to the Onyx factory where I purchased the silver necklace mentioned above. We then headed for Honey Valley - but first, a cup of fresh-squeezed orange juice from a lone kid on the side of a "road" with a massive juicer. Definitely an entrepreneur!! We hiked down into the valley and made our way along the bottom - beautiful sight after beautiful sight was around every corner (don't worry...I took LOTS of pictures)...we stopped every now and then to eat some of the fresh fruit off the trees - apples and peaches - or to grab a tomato off a vine...and continued to Love Valley. Love Valley is aptly named and is a big joke in the area. What can I say....all the "spires" are hugely phallic and look exactly what you think they look like...I won't say the word....but huge male genitalia. There is no getting around it. It is what it is. This is one of the most impressive Valleys in the area with a huge concentration of these formations - and gave me that feeling of "I am one of the few people in this world who will actually see this special place". It is the same feeling I had in Belize last Christmas while hiking through the ATM cave. With an incredible view before us, we stopped at this random truck with a canopy and couches set up and had freshly-squeezed pomegranate juice while kicking back on the couches (yes, random couches set up in this desert valley...and they were clean!) to get out of the heat for an hour. Refreshed - we plowed on and got back to the main road - only a couple kilometers from Goreme. Thankfully, a friend of Mustafa's happened by in his car, picked us up and whipped us back into town - deposited us at Mustafa's shop and delivered us Turkish Pizza a couple minutes later. I was FAMISHED!!
Food and Tea set me to rights, I went and grabbed my bag from the Cave Hotel and settled in to wait the hour for the bus to haul me back to the airport in Neveshir. Cappadocia had come to an end. I am amazed at everything I packed into 4 days and 3 nights. And that was just the beginning of Turkey! I still had a week to go in Istanbul...
But that is the next post...I know this was a long one, but Cappadocia is one of the high points of this trip. Spectacular scenery, unforgettable experience at the hamam and Turkish hospitality that allowed me to really get close to the local culture.
I probably should have been writing about what I have been reading along the way - sometimes when people ask me where I have been or when I was in a certain area, it seems I'm better able to recall the information based on the book I was reading. In Cappadocia, I finished reading "War and Peace" - OMG, one of the best books I have EVER read - and moved on to something I would NEVER have thought I'd get so into..."Game of Thrones"...and so began the addiction to the series, "A Song of Ice and Fire". I have now finished all 5 books in the series and now know how those fans have felt for years, waiting on Mr. Martin to get it together to write the next book. His latest just came out, so I have a while to go...ahhhhhh.
Next up, Istanbul. I promise it won't be as long!!
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Arbeit mach Frei
Sigh, I knew this was going to happen. As soon as you get lax with a "diary" - it just haunts you. And, since I am such a procrastinator, I keep telling myself that I'm going to write this on the next train, or at the next cafe, or the next night, or ___, or ____. Consequently, it is now officially October (when did it become October??!!) and I am just now finally writing about Krakow and Auschwitz....which I saw in August...mid-August at least!
Back in 2009, I had contemplated trying to get over to Krakow so I could visit Auschwitz - morbid, perhaps...but one of those things that "should" be done, in my opinion and in Mom's. It didn't happen in 2009 due to the time constraint, but it definitely did here in 2011 - but with the sacrifice of Prague...once again - I just can't seem to get to Prague. Even better, I was accompanied from Warsaw to Krakow by Karolina, Pawel's wife. I told her she didn't have to babysit me but she insisted that she needed a "get-away". Hey, having someone to handle the language is always welcome! I knew I wouldn't have much time in Krakow b/c I was on a bit of a schedule with Turkey looming - I had a flight booked - so could only spend 2 days and 1 night there. I would have liked to visit the famous Salt Mines in the area as well, but with only 1 full day, Auschwitz it was.
But first - Krakow.
Krakow is absolutely lovely. Unlike Warsaw, it was not destroyed during the war, so everything you see is original. Yet another UNESCO World Heritage Sight - I've really been racking them up! Krakow was the capital of Poland and the country's largest city for nearly six centuries. Polish rulers resided at Wawel (Wah-wel - yes, one sounds silly saying the name of this place) Castle until the Court and Parliament moved to Warsaw in 1609. But, Krakow was still considered the un-official capital since rulers were still crowned and buried in the cathedral on Wawel Hill.
Karolina and I arrived late in Krakow, b/c the train was late....of course. Contrary to many American preconceptions about the efficiency of trains, etc. in Europe - from a "boots on the ground" person....they are late about as often as planes are. Depending on your luck with planes - this can be a little or a lot. There is just no telling.
So - we arrived at our hostel - Flower Hostel - and checked into our room. We were surprised to see an "old man" in our room with his shirt off and we both flashed a look at each other that said, "Uh Oh". I went and asked if we could change rooms, but the place was full. The guy must have heard this question b/c he then walked right up to us and introduced himself. His name was Yuri, he lived in Israel, was a doctor and had made Aliyah from Russia to Israel 20 years ago. Karolina and I both felt bad for judging someone so harshly. Yuri, Karolina and I ended up having a wonderful evening together full of stimulating conversation - of course, Israel was high on the topic list b/c I am fascinated with all things Israeli for some reason!!
But - before our evening out - I saw a few sights....
1. Wawel Castle - quite cool, but really just a big castle. Dark colors, leather on the walls, ornately carved and gilded ceilings, enormous marble fireplaces, Italian paintings, Flemish tapestries (these were massive) and painted friezes. The one thing we managed to miss - and I don't know how because I was constantly on the lookout for it - was the "Hall of Heads" - so named because of the many, many, many little carved wooden heads attached to the ceiling. Totally disappointing that I didn't see these - especially after getting a glance at the postcards in the Gift Shop. C'est la vie.
2. St. Mary's Church - Impressive gothic towers set at an angle on the east side of the Market Square. The left-hand tower is topped by a spire added in 1478. It served as the city's watch tower and still today a bugle call is played every hour. The bugle call has a cool story ....
In the 13th century, the city was constantly under attack by the Tartars. There was a lookout posted and one day, he saw a particularly large contingent of the enemy bearing down on the town. He loudly started sounding the alarm, but was shot through the neck by an arrow, abruptly ending his warning. Today, each time the bugle call is sounded, it trails off and ends just as it did when the lookout was shot with the arrow.
Inside, the church's greatest treasure is the huge altarpiece - 39ft. high - by Veit Stoss, who lived in Krakow from 1477 to 1496 (like you really care about that little nugget, right?) The outer panels show scenes from the lives of Christ and the Virgin. The middle shutters are opened each day at noon to reveal the huge carved centerpiece, "The Assumption of the Virgin". There is also a neat crucifix also by Mr. Stoss know as the "Slacker Crucifix" - I think something might have gotten lost in the translation on this one....
3. Market Square - It is said to be the largest town square in Europe (not sure I believe this one....) and is divided in two by the monstrous Cloth Hall. Another statue of the "famous" poet - Adam Mickiewitz (saw one in Warsaw as well...they love this guy).
There was a festival going on in the Square while I was there - saw lots of folk-dancing from the surrounding countries, reveled in the massive quantities of delicious Polish food and beer (had some of the best grilled mushrooms of my life) and closed my eyes to inhale the aroma of burning wood. It was sweet and pungent at the same time.
While at the Square - I had what qualifies as the "strangest" experience of my travels. I sat down with a "Gypsy" (not one of the ubiquitous Roma people pan-handling) - a bona fide, grizzly old women wearing a hat with branches and leaves sticking out of it. If ever a person looked like a witch - this one did!! Karolina saw her and wanted to go talk to her b/c she had received a reading from "Gypsy" (that was the name we gave her...trying to stick with this European mentality of calling things what they actually are...i.e. Cloth Market) - 13 years ago and everything Gypsy told her came true. I have never believed in this hocus-pocus but decided to have a reading done for fun. Karolina had to translate b/c Gypsy did not speak English. I won't go into everything Gypsy told me - but suffice it to say - I left with ice in my veins and tears running down my face. She knew things that are just too creepy for words. On the "bright" side - depending how you look at it (ha ha) - I am supposed to give birth to 2 boys and will meet a widowed man with a son. 3 boys in Bethy's future....Bah-Hahahahaha....The gods are certainly laughing at that one!!
That concluded the Krakow part of the Krakow trip. A lovely 1/2 day of sightseeing, a night of delicious food and as previously mentioned -- great conversation. Next day - Auschwitz.
Rather than try to describe Auschwitz - I am going to type out my "cleaned up" list of notes so that you can learn what I learned about this horrific place. Whereas, the notes may seem out of order, this is how they were presented based on our tour. What I will say is that it was a sobering and sad day. I barely spoke to anyone during the 6 hours (only once or twice to clarify my notes with the guide), nobody laughed and nobody smiled. Everybody looked stricken
1. The site of Auschwitz was selected for 3 reasons...
a. There were already buildings in place - barracks for the military.
b. There was a good train connection between the East and West.
c. It was in the true middle of Europe.
2. There are 2 periods of Auschwitz.
a. From 1940 - 1942, it was "only" a concentration camp - meaning a work camp to hold and isolate political prisoners.
b. 1942 onwards - a place of mass extermination.
3. The original gate that say "Arbeit mach Frei" - ironically, "Work sets you free" or "Works makes Freedom" that one sees in photos is no longer in place - it is a reproduction. The original was stolen in 2009. It was recovered but will go to a museum. 5 guys stole it and cut it into 3 pieces This infuriated me...especially after I had snapped a few pictures. Awful.
4. An orchestra played every night as the people returned from "work". There had to be the exact same number of people returning that had left 12 hours ago or there would be serious reprisals. Consequently, the workers had to carry the dead back to be counted.
5. Sept. 1941 is the first time cyanide gas was experimented with - they used people brought in from the transit camps all over Europe and from the Ghettos in the East.
6.March 1942 - the first mass transits begin from Slovakia. A general total of 1.3 million people are believed to have been transported there. At Birkenau (later established as an extermination center) - only 25% of people were selected to go "work" thereby guaranteeing they were registered. No children under 13, no cripples, nobody over the age of 55, no pregnant women and no one deemed "unfit" to work got registered....only killed.
7. 90+ people were crowded into cars designed to hold only 30 or so, with no food or water to suffer journeys ranging from 5 to 17 days. Ironically, Greek Jews had to pay for this journey.
8. At Birkenau - 800 were gassed at a time, between 340 and 2000 corpses were burned per day.
9. 5 pictures were smuggled out of Birkenau as a cry for help - only 3 are you able to discern anything. Help did not come. It was not believed that these atrocities were actually happening.
10. 5-7 Kilos of pellets would kill 1,500 people.
11. There was a room where no photography was allowed - there are 2000 kilograms of hair piled behind glass - this is believed to have come from 30,000 victims. The hair was used to produce clothes and socks for the German soldiers on the submarines.
12. Prisoners were allowed a weight limit of 25 Kilos to bring with them for their "re-settlement". Warehouses were established to house all the things brought - shaving kits, pots and pans, suitcases, sewing kits, cutlery, glasses, prayer shawls,prostheses, shoes, etc. One case was the size of s swimming pool and held only the pots and pans. People were told to write their names on their suitcases so they could easily find their bags after their "showers". You can see the suitcases today with their names still on them.
13. The warehouses were named "Canada" - b/c it "sounded like a nice place".
14. In the summer, new prisoners were blasted with scalding water and in the winter with freezing water. Then, in winter, they would have to stand outside in -25 degree Celsius for 30 minutes to 4 hours waiting for clothes.
15. Auschwitz is the only place prisoners were tattooed.
16. Instead of saying "Medical" experiment, the guide ALWAYS said "Pseudo-Medical" experiment. I think this is a good distinction to make.
17. Prisoners were called "Muslims" b/c after months of starvation, their heads became too heavy for the atrophied muscles in their necks to hold up, so they always looked like they were bowing. There was a very moving statue in one of the barracks to this.
18. Several hallways have hundreds of individual picture after picture of the prisoners staring out at you. You want to look at each and every one of them but there are too many. It did not seem appropriate to snap of picture of this hallway. Many of them had broken noses, split lips, disfigured faces due to beatings and all were shaved and gaunt.
19. Josef Mengele loved to do his "pseudo-medical" experiments on twins and triplets. At this point, I noticed that our guide was CONSTANTLY saying, "Please come closer" - he was doing this so we didn't get mixed up with other groups, but after a while, you just want to say, "NO! I don't want to come any closer. You are only going to show me or tell me horrible things!" Josef Mengele also experimented with radiation and X-rays...he would direct an X-ray at male and female genitals for 20-30 minutes at a time. If the person was badly burned, they were killed. He injected chemicals into women's genitals - sometimes 400 women at a time.
20. Building 11 is where prisoners were sentenced to torture cells or to the firing squad. The different torture cells were called the "Starvation Cell", the "Standing Cell" and the "Dark Cell". The "Standing Cell" measured 90 square centimeters and 4 people were forced into it. This is smaller than the smallest toilet stall you have ever been in. Most people did not last more than a couple days in this cell. They would have to stand all night, not sleep, go to work for 12 hours, get no food and go back to the Standing Cell for another night.
21. Buildings 19, 20, 21 and 28 were the "hospitals". But, they were not places of healing, just a place where people waited to be killed.
22. On a "bright" note, the commander of this place, Hesse, was executed here on April 16th, 1947. His date of death had to be changed because people were trying to lynch him. He, his wife and their 5 children (one of whom was born there) lived at Auschwitz. His wife said living there was "like Paradise" and they had anything and everything they could possibly want.
23. As you go to the first Gas Chamber, the guide told us that if we had any questions, we better ask them now because there is no talking in the Gas Chamber and there is a very plainly worded sign that begs for "respect in this sacred place where such atrocities were committed."
24. There is something about that place that I will never be able to describe - it is not the physical space, which is unremarkable - it is just stone. But as soon as you step into the space, tears just well up behind your eyes and your insides turn colder than they already are. You feel the weight of thousands of screams and pure agony pressing iun you....it is unreal. Everybody was crying. Everybody. As I mentioned in a FB post, there was an old man sobbing and beating his hands against the wall. If people weren't crying before they saw that, they certainly were afterwards. Horrific is the only word to describe the experience.
25. The Auschwitz tour ends here and you board the bus to go the short distance to Birkenau. However, because it was SO hot that day (in the high 90's), all the tour operators made an announcement that the tour would be cut short. Normally, there is more than 2 miles of walking but due to the extreme heat and the ages of many of the tourists, it was simply unsafe. However, we got to see some of it.
26. Auschwitz was never set up to be an extermination camp...but Birkenau was. It was constructed specifically for that purpose. Of the 300 buildings that used to exist, only 50 currently do b/c as the Soviets invaded, they took the bricks and lumber to build other things.
27. People were only allowed to wash their clothes every 4.5 months - so they worked, slept and defecated in these clothes. Because the water was so poor, most people had raging intestinal problems...and b/c they were not allowed to use the bathrooms, especially during the night, they simply had to go where they were. So, those on the top bunk fouled those below them...night after night after night.
28. Rats killed those who slept on the lowest levels.
29. It was sweltering during this tour, but I felt guilty fanning myself and decided to just suffer since I knew the poor prisoners didn't have the simple luxury of a fan.
30. Auschwitz and Birkenau have been museums since 1947 and were declared UNESCO World Heritage Sights in 1979.
31. The end of the tour was truly uplifting. After leaving the barracks and heading for the entrance/exit...I heard spontaneous yelling. It took me a moment to realize it was actually singing. About 30 ft. away from me, there was a big group of Hasidim waving their arms around as a VERY old man was wheeled across the gravel towards them. When the old man reached them, they picked him up out of the chair - and while continuing to sing - carried him the entire mile down the train tracks to where the gas chambers were. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I went up in the tower at the entrance so I could watch their journey down. I feel lucky to have witnessed this and can only surmise that the gentleman in the wheelchair was a survivor of that place.
So - upon leaving Birkenau and making the journey back to Krakow - I felt drained. Drained, drained, drained. I am so thankful that I got to see that place but came away only more horrified at the capacity for evil in this world. And anybody that thinks this kind of evil only existed with the Nazis and during WWII - is naive. These things are still happening today - in Bosnia, in North Korea and in Rwanda - just to name a couple.
"Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it." - George Santayana
This quote was on a big poster in one of the buildings at Auschwitz
I had a quiet evening in Krakow, rinsed the sweat off myself and headed for the train station to board my overnight train to Budapest. Since I already wrote about Budapest, the next entry will be about my superb experience in Turkey!! More posts to catch up on....hope I haven't lost too many people along the way. Still up - Turkey, Italy and the beginning of Spain...San Sebastian!!
Back in 2009, I had contemplated trying to get over to Krakow so I could visit Auschwitz - morbid, perhaps...but one of those things that "should" be done, in my opinion and in Mom's. It didn't happen in 2009 due to the time constraint, but it definitely did here in 2011 - but with the sacrifice of Prague...once again - I just can't seem to get to Prague. Even better, I was accompanied from Warsaw to Krakow by Karolina, Pawel's wife. I told her she didn't have to babysit me but she insisted that she needed a "get-away". Hey, having someone to handle the language is always welcome! I knew I wouldn't have much time in Krakow b/c I was on a bit of a schedule with Turkey looming - I had a flight booked - so could only spend 2 days and 1 night there. I would have liked to visit the famous Salt Mines in the area as well, but with only 1 full day, Auschwitz it was.
But first - Krakow.
Krakow is absolutely lovely. Unlike Warsaw, it was not destroyed during the war, so everything you see is original. Yet another UNESCO World Heritage Sight - I've really been racking them up! Krakow was the capital of Poland and the country's largest city for nearly six centuries. Polish rulers resided at Wawel (Wah-wel - yes, one sounds silly saying the name of this place) Castle until the Court and Parliament moved to Warsaw in 1609. But, Krakow was still considered the un-official capital since rulers were still crowned and buried in the cathedral on Wawel Hill.
Karolina and I arrived late in Krakow, b/c the train was late....of course. Contrary to many American preconceptions about the efficiency of trains, etc. in Europe - from a "boots on the ground" person....they are late about as often as planes are. Depending on your luck with planes - this can be a little or a lot. There is just no telling.
So - we arrived at our hostel - Flower Hostel - and checked into our room. We were surprised to see an "old man" in our room with his shirt off and we both flashed a look at each other that said, "Uh Oh". I went and asked if we could change rooms, but the place was full. The guy must have heard this question b/c he then walked right up to us and introduced himself. His name was Yuri, he lived in Israel, was a doctor and had made Aliyah from Russia to Israel 20 years ago. Karolina and I both felt bad for judging someone so harshly. Yuri, Karolina and I ended up having a wonderful evening together full of stimulating conversation - of course, Israel was high on the topic list b/c I am fascinated with all things Israeli for some reason!!
But - before our evening out - I saw a few sights....
1. Wawel Castle - quite cool, but really just a big castle. Dark colors, leather on the walls, ornately carved and gilded ceilings, enormous marble fireplaces, Italian paintings, Flemish tapestries (these were massive) and painted friezes. The one thing we managed to miss - and I don't know how because I was constantly on the lookout for it - was the "Hall of Heads" - so named because of the many, many, many little carved wooden heads attached to the ceiling. Totally disappointing that I didn't see these - especially after getting a glance at the postcards in the Gift Shop. C'est la vie.
2. St. Mary's Church - Impressive gothic towers set at an angle on the east side of the Market Square. The left-hand tower is topped by a spire added in 1478. It served as the city's watch tower and still today a bugle call is played every hour. The bugle call has a cool story ....
In the 13th century, the city was constantly under attack by the Tartars. There was a lookout posted and one day, he saw a particularly large contingent of the enemy bearing down on the town. He loudly started sounding the alarm, but was shot through the neck by an arrow, abruptly ending his warning. Today, each time the bugle call is sounded, it trails off and ends just as it did when the lookout was shot with the arrow.
Inside, the church's greatest treasure is the huge altarpiece - 39ft. high - by Veit Stoss, who lived in Krakow from 1477 to 1496 (like you really care about that little nugget, right?) The outer panels show scenes from the lives of Christ and the Virgin. The middle shutters are opened each day at noon to reveal the huge carved centerpiece, "The Assumption of the Virgin". There is also a neat crucifix also by Mr. Stoss know as the "Slacker Crucifix" - I think something might have gotten lost in the translation on this one....
3. Market Square - It is said to be the largest town square in Europe (not sure I believe this one....) and is divided in two by the monstrous Cloth Hall. Another statue of the "famous" poet - Adam Mickiewitz (saw one in Warsaw as well...they love this guy).
There was a festival going on in the Square while I was there - saw lots of folk-dancing from the surrounding countries, reveled in the massive quantities of delicious Polish food and beer (had some of the best grilled mushrooms of my life) and closed my eyes to inhale the aroma of burning wood. It was sweet and pungent at the same time.
While at the Square - I had what qualifies as the "strangest" experience of my travels. I sat down with a "Gypsy" (not one of the ubiquitous Roma people pan-handling) - a bona fide, grizzly old women wearing a hat with branches and leaves sticking out of it. If ever a person looked like a witch - this one did!! Karolina saw her and wanted to go talk to her b/c she had received a reading from "Gypsy" (that was the name we gave her...trying to stick with this European mentality of calling things what they actually are...i.e. Cloth Market) - 13 years ago and everything Gypsy told her came true. I have never believed in this hocus-pocus but decided to have a reading done for fun. Karolina had to translate b/c Gypsy did not speak English. I won't go into everything Gypsy told me - but suffice it to say - I left with ice in my veins and tears running down my face. She knew things that are just too creepy for words. On the "bright" side - depending how you look at it (ha ha) - I am supposed to give birth to 2 boys and will meet a widowed man with a son. 3 boys in Bethy's future....Bah-Hahahahaha....The gods are certainly laughing at that one!!
That concluded the Krakow part of the Krakow trip. A lovely 1/2 day of sightseeing, a night of delicious food and as previously mentioned -- great conversation. Next day - Auschwitz.
Rather than try to describe Auschwitz - I am going to type out my "cleaned up" list of notes so that you can learn what I learned about this horrific place. Whereas, the notes may seem out of order, this is how they were presented based on our tour. What I will say is that it was a sobering and sad day. I barely spoke to anyone during the 6 hours (only once or twice to clarify my notes with the guide), nobody laughed and nobody smiled. Everybody looked stricken
1. The site of Auschwitz was selected for 3 reasons...
a. There were already buildings in place - barracks for the military.
b. There was a good train connection between the East and West.
c. It was in the true middle of Europe.
2. There are 2 periods of Auschwitz.
a. From 1940 - 1942, it was "only" a concentration camp - meaning a work camp to hold and isolate political prisoners.
b. 1942 onwards - a place of mass extermination.
3. The original gate that say "Arbeit mach Frei" - ironically, "Work sets you free" or "Works makes Freedom" that one sees in photos is no longer in place - it is a reproduction. The original was stolen in 2009. It was recovered but will go to a museum. 5 guys stole it and cut it into 3 pieces This infuriated me...especially after I had snapped a few pictures. Awful.
4. An orchestra played every night as the people returned from "work". There had to be the exact same number of people returning that had left 12 hours ago or there would be serious reprisals. Consequently, the workers had to carry the dead back to be counted.
5. Sept. 1941 is the first time cyanide gas was experimented with - they used people brought in from the transit camps all over Europe and from the Ghettos in the East.
6.March 1942 - the first mass transits begin from Slovakia. A general total of 1.3 million people are believed to have been transported there. At Birkenau (later established as an extermination center) - only 25% of people were selected to go "work" thereby guaranteeing they were registered. No children under 13, no cripples, nobody over the age of 55, no pregnant women and no one deemed "unfit" to work got registered....only killed.
7. 90+ people were crowded into cars designed to hold only 30 or so, with no food or water to suffer journeys ranging from 5 to 17 days. Ironically, Greek Jews had to pay for this journey.
8. At Birkenau - 800 were gassed at a time, between 340 and 2000 corpses were burned per day.
9. 5 pictures were smuggled out of Birkenau as a cry for help - only 3 are you able to discern anything. Help did not come. It was not believed that these atrocities were actually happening.
10. 5-7 Kilos of pellets would kill 1,500 people.
11. There was a room where no photography was allowed - there are 2000 kilograms of hair piled behind glass - this is believed to have come from 30,000 victims. The hair was used to produce clothes and socks for the German soldiers on the submarines.
12. Prisoners were allowed a weight limit of 25 Kilos to bring with them for their "re-settlement". Warehouses were established to house all the things brought - shaving kits, pots and pans, suitcases, sewing kits, cutlery, glasses, prayer shawls,prostheses, shoes, etc. One case was the size of s swimming pool and held only the pots and pans. People were told to write their names on their suitcases so they could easily find their bags after their "showers". You can see the suitcases today with their names still on them.
13. The warehouses were named "Canada" - b/c it "sounded like a nice place".
14. In the summer, new prisoners were blasted with scalding water and in the winter with freezing water. Then, in winter, they would have to stand outside in -25 degree Celsius for 30 minutes to 4 hours waiting for clothes.
15. Auschwitz is the only place prisoners were tattooed.
16. Instead of saying "Medical" experiment, the guide ALWAYS said "Pseudo-Medical" experiment. I think this is a good distinction to make.
17. Prisoners were called "Muslims" b/c after months of starvation, their heads became too heavy for the atrophied muscles in their necks to hold up, so they always looked like they were bowing. There was a very moving statue in one of the barracks to this.
18. Several hallways have hundreds of individual picture after picture of the prisoners staring out at you. You want to look at each and every one of them but there are too many. It did not seem appropriate to snap of picture of this hallway. Many of them had broken noses, split lips, disfigured faces due to beatings and all were shaved and gaunt.
19. Josef Mengele loved to do his "pseudo-medical" experiments on twins and triplets. At this point, I noticed that our guide was CONSTANTLY saying, "Please come closer" - he was doing this so we didn't get mixed up with other groups, but after a while, you just want to say, "NO! I don't want to come any closer. You are only going to show me or tell me horrible things!" Josef Mengele also experimented with radiation and X-rays...he would direct an X-ray at male and female genitals for 20-30 minutes at a time. If the person was badly burned, they were killed. He injected chemicals into women's genitals - sometimes 400 women at a time.
20. Building 11 is where prisoners were sentenced to torture cells or to the firing squad. The different torture cells were called the "Starvation Cell", the "Standing Cell" and the "Dark Cell". The "Standing Cell" measured 90 square centimeters and 4 people were forced into it. This is smaller than the smallest toilet stall you have ever been in. Most people did not last more than a couple days in this cell. They would have to stand all night, not sleep, go to work for 12 hours, get no food and go back to the Standing Cell for another night.
21. Buildings 19, 20, 21 and 28 were the "hospitals". But, they were not places of healing, just a place where people waited to be killed.
22. On a "bright" note, the commander of this place, Hesse, was executed here on April 16th, 1947. His date of death had to be changed because people were trying to lynch him. He, his wife and their 5 children (one of whom was born there) lived at Auschwitz. His wife said living there was "like Paradise" and they had anything and everything they could possibly want.
23. As you go to the first Gas Chamber, the guide told us that if we had any questions, we better ask them now because there is no talking in the Gas Chamber and there is a very plainly worded sign that begs for "respect in this sacred place where such atrocities were committed."
24. There is something about that place that I will never be able to describe - it is not the physical space, which is unremarkable - it is just stone. But as soon as you step into the space, tears just well up behind your eyes and your insides turn colder than they already are. You feel the weight of thousands of screams and pure agony pressing iun you....it is unreal. Everybody was crying. Everybody. As I mentioned in a FB post, there was an old man sobbing and beating his hands against the wall. If people weren't crying before they saw that, they certainly were afterwards. Horrific is the only word to describe the experience.
25. The Auschwitz tour ends here and you board the bus to go the short distance to Birkenau. However, because it was SO hot that day (in the high 90's), all the tour operators made an announcement that the tour would be cut short. Normally, there is more than 2 miles of walking but due to the extreme heat and the ages of many of the tourists, it was simply unsafe. However, we got to see some of it.
26. Auschwitz was never set up to be an extermination camp...but Birkenau was. It was constructed specifically for that purpose. Of the 300 buildings that used to exist, only 50 currently do b/c as the Soviets invaded, they took the bricks and lumber to build other things.
27. People were only allowed to wash their clothes every 4.5 months - so they worked, slept and defecated in these clothes. Because the water was so poor, most people had raging intestinal problems...and b/c they were not allowed to use the bathrooms, especially during the night, they simply had to go where they were. So, those on the top bunk fouled those below them...night after night after night.
28. Rats killed those who slept on the lowest levels.
29. It was sweltering during this tour, but I felt guilty fanning myself and decided to just suffer since I knew the poor prisoners didn't have the simple luxury of a fan.
30. Auschwitz and Birkenau have been museums since 1947 and were declared UNESCO World Heritage Sights in 1979.
31. The end of the tour was truly uplifting. After leaving the barracks and heading for the entrance/exit...I heard spontaneous yelling. It took me a moment to realize it was actually singing. About 30 ft. away from me, there was a big group of Hasidim waving their arms around as a VERY old man was wheeled across the gravel towards them. When the old man reached them, they picked him up out of the chair - and while continuing to sing - carried him the entire mile down the train tracks to where the gas chambers were. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I went up in the tower at the entrance so I could watch their journey down. I feel lucky to have witnessed this and can only surmise that the gentleman in the wheelchair was a survivor of that place.
So - upon leaving Birkenau and making the journey back to Krakow - I felt drained. Drained, drained, drained. I am so thankful that I got to see that place but came away only more horrified at the capacity for evil in this world. And anybody that thinks this kind of evil only existed with the Nazis and during WWII - is naive. These things are still happening today - in Bosnia, in North Korea and in Rwanda - just to name a couple.
"Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it." - George Santayana
This quote was on a big poster in one of the buildings at Auschwitz
I had a quiet evening in Krakow, rinsed the sweat off myself and headed for the train station to board my overnight train to Budapest. Since I already wrote about Budapest, the next entry will be about my superb experience in Turkey!! More posts to catch up on....hope I haven't lost too many people along the way. Still up - Turkey, Italy and the beginning of Spain...San Sebastian!!
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