Portugal

For our Thanksgiving weekend we went to Portugal! Jacob was excited to speak Portuguese and did an awesome job, and we're definitely looking forward to getting back to Portugal! We visited the second-largest city in Portugal (Porto), and we were struck by the beautiful and unique buildings, many of them decorated with colorful tiles. We also enjoyed the views of the city overlooking a sea of terra cotta roofs. Muito bonito!

The photo below is of the 18th Century Baroque Clerigos tower and church, the tallest structure in Porto. We climbed the 225 stairs to the top and enjoyed the amazing views of the city. As we ascended, we remarked that the narrow stone stairwell was creepier than most medieval castles we've visited. On our way down, a deafening clap of thunder probably had something to do with the lights blacking out, so we were left to descend the creepy stairs in total darkness!

The church in the next pictures (Igreja do Carmo) is just one of many examples of churches we saw with the combination of gorgeous stone architecture mixed with these beautiful blue tiles. (The tiles on the side of this church depict the founding of the Carmelite order.)

In addition to its location on the Douro River, Porto also sits on the Atlantic Ocean. Here's a scene on the beautiful coast. Had the weather been a little warmer, we would have spent much more time here! Due to its proximity to so much water, Porto's cuisine is dominated by delicious fish dishes. Our favorite was a plate full of about 15 fried whole sardines--fresh ones, not the slimy things from a tin. When the plate was placed in front of us and I saw whole fish--heads and all--I wasn't sure how to proceed. But when we decided to just eat everything between the head and the tail, it wasn't long before the plate full of fish was a plate full of fish heads and tails. They were so delicious! (Who needs turkey?)

Cappadocia

During my last weekend in Turkey I went to Cappadocia, a region of the country filled with natural wonders. When I arrived in Turkey, everyone told me that I had to visit Cappadocia. I wasn't able to find an on-base tour, so I booked with an off-base company downtown. It was a lot of fun, even though everything was in Turkish.

Volcanic activity formed the region and it's unique because of how soft the rocks are. Wind and rain have created beautiful rock formations above ground, and the soft texture has allowed for the construction of shelters underground. The picture above is of me in Kaymalki, an underground city that provided refuge to villagers during attacks from invading armies. It was amazing because the this was no small network of rooms and passageways; it was an underground city!

After visiting the underground city, we went to a castle built into the highest peak in the region. The view from on top of the mountain was great (The very first picture on the post was taken from there.).

After visiting the castle our tour group had an amazing lunch at a local restaurant. I really enjoyed most of the Turkish food I ate during my visit, however I would say that their bakery goods and desserts left something to be desired. After lunch we continued to enjoy the sites around Cappadocia. The photo above is of a common rock formation in the region. Let's play a game; post what you think the formation is called. The winner will receive a treat from the other side of the pond.

In the evening the group enjoyed traditional Turkish entertainment. It was a lot of fun to see everything from whirling dervishes to belly dancers. There were opportunities for audience participation and the group I was with were always eager to volunteer me. I did a lot of dancing that night. The video above is of me with the belly dancer (sorry, no sound--but still worth watching). I competed against four other men. Needless to say, I won and therefore got to do a solo dance.

The next day we went to visit the Goreme Open Air Museum. This particular open air museum is made up of churches that were built into the rocks between the 11th and 13th century. The murals inside were rarely complete because pilgrims used to chip the paint off and drink it for its healing power.


After visiting the outdoor museum, we went to learn about making rugs. It was amazing to see the amount of detail that went into a hand woven Turkish Rug. Some of the larger rugs can take six months for one person to complete. Included in the rug tour was a silk making demonstration, totally fascinating.
Eventually we made our way back to Adana. We returned Sunday evening and I was able to see the Sabanci Mosque lit up at night. It was so beautiful that I returned on Veterans Day to get pictures.

Windsor and Warwick

This week I went to 2 castles: Windsor (where Her Majesty the Queen still lives--it's one of her 3 primary residences, in addition to the many secondary ones) and Warwick (pronounced war-rick). Both trips I took with my friend Robyn and her family.

The day we went to Windsor Castle it rained torrentially, so I didn't take much time to photograph it. But it's absolutely magnificent! The castle was originally built by William the Conqueror back in the 11th Century. But the real highlight was the State Rooms, very poshly furnished and decorated. It must be nice to be the Queen!

The guards at Windsor (and all the royal residences) are super-cute in their big black fuzzy hats!

Warwick Castle was also originally built during the time of William the Conqueror in the 11th Century. Part of it also served as a very lavish residence of the Earls of Warwick. We also got to hear an interesting (and true) little ghost story told in the form of a haunted house--very spooky!

Other than a few little showers, it was a beautiful, sunny day. You can still see a few autumn colors and the glistening of the swelling Avon River in this photo from the top of one of the castle's towers--breathtaking.

(Jacob will be back this weekend to fill you in on the last of his Turkish adventures.)

Following Peter and Paul (...Cont)

Rachel gets another week off while I continue writing about my adventures in Turkey. On Sunday I went to Tarsus, the place where the apostle Paul is from. I wasn't able to find a tour group going, so I convinced a taxi driver to take me and a coworker around for $100. Tarsus is only about 30 minutes from where I am working. As you can see from the picture above, it is very dry.
The first place we visited in Tarsus was Paul's home (supposedly). I am standing next to the well at Paul's house. From what I read, the water level does not go up or down and the water has healing powers. The well was covered, so I couldn't tell you one way or the other. Next to the well are excavated ruins. They are covered with glass and the pictures were not worthy of the blog.

Our next stop was the ruins of an old Roman road. The road dates back to Paul's time, so he would have used it while traveling through Tarsus.
Paul was not the only celebrity to travel through Tarsus. The picture above is of me in front of Cleopatra's Gate. Tarsus was surrounded by a city wall and this is the only gate still standing. From what I read online, the city used to be right on the Mediterranean. Cleopatra would have used this gate when visiting Marc Antony. The plaque at the gate casts doubt that this was the actual gate. It could have been, but I'm pretty sure they renamed it that because it was the only gate still standing.
Our last noteworthy stop was at the Cave of the Seven Sleepers. There is a large Mosque outside the entrance to the cave, and I'm pretty sure I was one of the very few non-Muslims there. There are many versions to the story of the cave, one of the similar themes is that seven men went into the cave and fell asleep for 309 years. The Christian-based story tells of early believers going there to escape persecution. However, the Qur'an also mentions the cave, and therefore it is important to Muslims.

Following Peter and Paul

Rachel gets to take the week off from the blog. Unfortunately, that means you get me. I am working in Turkey for the next couple of weeks. I went on a few adventures this weekend and wanted to share some things with all the blog readers.

On Saturday I went to Antioch (Antakya), Turkey. Along the way I drove by a few interesting places...

• One of the first places the tour group drove through was the battleground of the Battle of Issus, where Alexander the Great defeated the Persian ruler Darius III.



• Genoese castle and Ottoman caravansary. The picture below is me in front of the castle.

• The very spot (according to the tour guide) where Jonah was vomited by the whale. Today there are just remains of a Roman church built to commemorate the event.



• The Belen Pass in Belen, Turkey. A Pass that Apostles would have gone through while traveling through Asia Minor.

When we reached Antioch (the place where believers first became known as Christians), we got to go into St. Peters. It is actually a cave where early Christians went to worship. The front of the cave was built much later, and it is what I am standing in front of below. Peter, Paul and Barnabas are mentioned in the Bible as having been in Antioch. The cave contained a small passage believed to be used by Christians to make a quick escape from persecutors.

Next, our group went to Daphne, Turkey. It is named for a beautiful young lady chased by Apollo, son of Zeus. When Apollo caught Daphne, she turned into a tree which is today known as the Daphne tree (from which soap is made). We visited a waterfall which is apparently the exact site where the chase took place. The story goes that the waterfall was formed by Daphne's tears. An interesting side note is that a lot of Greeks and Romans lived in Daphne. Greco-Roman wrestling was created in Daphne, not in Greece or Italy.

While in Daphne we stopped and had lunch in a local restaurant. I really enjoyed the fresh bread with such toppings as butter with honey and hummus.

Our final stop was at an archaeological museum. The museum was mostly mosaics that they have uncovered around Antioch. A lot of the mosaics were not completely intact. I'm providing a picture of one mosaic that was completely intact. Be careful, it is rated X for extra revealing.