tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73115584213763488962012-02-16T06:23:13.220-08:00Danny Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01947792036187058470noreply@blogger.comBlogger61100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7311558421376348896.post-10646156552762301812009-08-22T02:58:00.000-07:002009-08-22T03:04:02.701-07:00Well, that's another h0liday over and I had a truely excellent time, but I'm really looking forward to starting my new job in China now . There will of course be a new blog up at <a href="http://www.suzhoufat.blogspot.com/">http://www.suzhoufat.blogspot.com/</a> before long!<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_lb_s6VTMxZA/So_Bv7KgocI/AAAAAAAAAik/08LKDfcKDMU/s1600-h/100_0440.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372725909556076994" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 307px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_lb_s6VTMxZA/So_Bv7KgocI/AAAAAAAAAik/08LKDfcKDMU/s400/100_0440.JPG" border="0" /></a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7311558421376348896-1064615655276230181?l=istanbulfat.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Danny Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01947792036187058470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7311558421376348896.post-16087496442574846752009-08-21T08:59:00.000-07:002009-08-21T09:16:17.042-07:00<div align="justify">Below are some photos from our last full day in Istanbul, we saw Topaki Palace, which was the heart of the Ottoman empire for centuries, An ancient underground Roman reservoir teeming with carp and Ayasofy Camii, an ancient christian church, turned mosque, turned museum.</div><div align="center"><br /><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_lb_s6VTMxZA/So7F1wGdDiI/AAAAAAAAAiM/tZRIA0VkBUE/s1600-h/100_0413.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372448932735290914" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 341px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_lb_s6VTMxZA/So7F1wGdDiI/AAAAAAAAAiM/tZRIA0VkBUE/s400/100_0413.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="center">The Grounds of Topaki Palace, Overlooking the Halic<br /></div><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372448476752275794" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_lb_s6VTMxZA/So7FbNboaVI/AAAAAAAAAiE/jKsCm2kGgw8/s400/100_0428.JPG" border="0" /> </div><div align="center"></div><div align="center">The Basilica Cistern (AD 532) - An Underground Roman Reservoir<br /><br /></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372449583355246194" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_lb_s6VTMxZA/So7Gbn2VtnI/AAAAAAAAAiU/f46CVtVGs04/s400/100_0651.JPG" border="0" /> <div align="center"><br />The Remaining few Inches of Water are teeming with Carp </div><div align="center"><br /></div><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372450190453599010" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lb_s6VTMxZA/So7G-9d3ayI/AAAAAAAAAic/eJNodlkQKEc/s400/100_0436.JPG" border="0" /> <p align="center"><br />Ayasofya Camii, built in AD 532 and for a Millenium Chirstianity's most sacred Church<br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7311558421376348896-1608749644257484675?l=istanbulfat.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Danny Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01947792036187058470noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7311558421376348896.post-34862803152332723692009-08-20T13:39:00.000-07:002009-08-20T13:58:51.422-07:00<div><div>Ortakoy is a nice little shoreline area of Istanbul filled with resteraunts, bars and shops. It reminded me of San Francisco's North Beach. The far side of the Bosphorous could have been Berkeley :-)</div><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lb_s6VTMxZA/So23twvEI0I/AAAAAAAAAhk/v0hi1PdEkA4/s1600-h/100_0611.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372151927327171394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lb_s6VTMxZA/So23twvEI0I/AAAAAAAAAhk/v0hi1PdEkA4/s400/100_0611.JPG" border="0" /></a> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372151413121000498" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lb_s6VTMxZA/So23P1KwpDI/AAAAAAAAAhU/ZDqTrG-_Pac/s400/100_0609.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372153239631695026" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_lb_s6VTMxZA/So246Jc2DLI/AAAAAAAAAh0/dQDWBlX7suo/s400/100_0608.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372151746027802962" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lb_s6VTMxZA/So23jNV7UVI/AAAAAAAAAhc/WaElFSHx_KA/s400/100_0615.JPG" border="0" /></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7311558421376348896-3486280315233272369?l=istanbulfat.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Danny Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01947792036187058470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7311558421376348896.post-43964633258540897072009-08-20T06:29:00.000-07:002009-08-20T07:03:06.676-07:00<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lb_s6VTMxZA/So1QeClr9eI/AAAAAAAAAgM/CuwvgPBuY78/s1600-h/100_0383.JPG"></a><br />I spent this afternoon wandering around the newer, European-founded part of Istanbul, Beyolglu. We've been to this area of the city plenty of times at night, eating and drinking around Istiklal Caddesi, but I thought it would be nice to check out some of the sights during the day. So here's what I did today:<br /><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372039544517905586" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lb_s6VTMxZA/So1RgOJXTLI/AAAAAAAAAgc/CgEoUqRVErQ/s400/100_0383.JPG" border="0" /><br /></p><p align="center">I took a cab under the Valens Aquaduct, completed in 363AD...</p><br /><br><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372039737026984658" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lb_s6VTMxZA/So1RrbTGutI/AAAAAAAAAgk/YI4foWUTtCs/s400/100_0373.JPG" border="0" /></p><p align="center">...caught a tram down Istiklal Caddesi...</p><br /><br><br /><p></p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372040927077912002" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_lb_s6VTMxZA/So1SwslWzcI/AAAAAAAAAgs/Pjpyu_flD-4/s400/100_0370.JPG" border="0" /></p><p align="center">...past a lovely church...</p><br /><br><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372038941898388370" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lb_s6VTMxZA/So1Q9JNrM5I/AAAAAAAAAgU/3_ygVuLm__M/s400/100_0353.JPG" border="0" /></p><p align="center">...to the 11th century 'Gelata' tower...</p><br /><br><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372041616212620386" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_lb_s6VTMxZA/So1TYzz39GI/AAAAAAAAAg8/T8t5QQmoR60/s400/100_0363.JPG" border="0" /></p><p align="center">..where I got a great view of the confluence of the Bosphorous and Halic...</p><br /><br><br /><p></p><p></p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372041961411550978" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_lb_s6VTMxZA/So1Ts5xtnwI/AAAAAAAAAhE/W1q42KEonY0/s400/100_0368.JPG" border="0" /></p><p align="center">...and Sultanahmet (left-right: Topaki Palace, Ayasofya and the Blue Mosque).</p><p align="center"></p><p align="center"></p><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7311558421376348896-4396463325854089707?l=istanbulfat.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Danny Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01947792036187058470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7311558421376348896.post-36819332169020157092009-08-19T14:12:00.001-07:002009-08-20T00:03:26.681-07:00<br><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_lb_s6VTMxZA/SoxrzNGJJII/AAAAAAAAAgE/r-SB8xRMXDw/s1600-h/100_0339.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371786982979085442" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 302px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_lb_s6VTMxZA/SoxrzNGJJII/AAAAAAAAAgE/r-SB8xRMXDw/s400/100_0339.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />My family and I had a lovely dinner tonight overlooking Ayasofya Camii, a 6th century Roman church built by the emperor Justinian I, below are a few more shots of us eating and drinking in Istanbul.<br /><br><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_lb_s6VTMxZA/SoxrFBvZkmI/AAAAAAAAAfk/kGBZFSmPXYE/s1600-h/100_0224.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371786189656920674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_lb_s6VTMxZA/SoxrFBvZkmI/AAAAAAAAAfk/kGBZFSmPXYE/s400/100_0224.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Lunch at the Holiday Inn<br /><br><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lb_s6VTMxZA/SoxrWdYTd0I/AAAAAAAAAf0/l4DqIA6TXKo/s1600-h/100_0305.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371786489134020418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lb_s6VTMxZA/SoxrWdYTd0I/AAAAAAAAAf0/l4DqIA6TXKo/s400/100_0305.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Lunch Near the Blue Mosque</div><br /><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7311558421376348896-3681933216902015709?l=istanbulfat.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Danny Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01947792036187058470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7311558421376348896.post-6337628951842987022009-08-19T08:10:00.001-07:002009-08-19T08:43:30.944-07:00<br><br />Here are some photos from our trip to Mehmet and the Blue Mosque. Where else can you see Bytantine Churches, a 16th Century Mosque and a 3600 year old Egyptian Obilisk via a gentle morning stroll? <div align="center"><br /><br><br /></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371693309169945954" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 307px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lb_s6VTMxZA/SowWmq9qzWI/AAAAAAAAAes/mLISPiR5zMw/s400/100_0250.JPG" border="0" /></div><div align="center">Gardens in Front of the Blue Mosque (built 1600AD)</div><br /><br><br /><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371694240343010018" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_lb_s6VTMxZA/SowXc32oKuI/AAAAAAAAAe0/oq08ca_cW2w/s400/100_0265.JPG" border="0" />Domed Ceilings in the Courtyard<br /></p><br /><br><br /><p align="center"><br><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371694633298991250" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_lb_s6VTMxZA/SowXzvuomJI/AAAAAAAAAe8/bEgr1o32lGw/s400/100_0274.JPG" border="0" />The Intricate Interior is Difficult to Photograph Well</p><p align="center"></p><br /><br><br /><div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371695180534886402" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 294px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_lb_s6VTMxZA/SowYTmV1sAI/AAAAAAAAAfE/n1fLpeTLedA/s400/100_0566.JPG" border="0" /> Our First Time in a Mosque<br /><p align="center"></p><br /><br><br /><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371696343552141074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 307px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_lb_s6VTMxZA/SowZXS6wpxI/AAAAAAAAAfM/7DlvGBFxR3o/s400/100_0308.JPG" border="0" />Imposing Rear View of the Mosque</p><p align="center"><br /><br><br /></p><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371696664053159234" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_lb_s6VTMxZA/SowZp84KFUI/AAAAAAAAAfU/SX6EUKk27ZM/s400/100_0300.JPG" border="0" />A 3600 year-old Egyptian Obilisk<br /><br><br /></p><p align="center"></p><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371697309572755826" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_lb_s6VTMxZA/SowaPhoBcXI/AAAAAAAAAfc/89laPMtxcDY/s400/100_0303.JPG" border="0" /></p>A 1500 year-old Roman Obilisk</div><br /><br><br /><div align="center"></div><div align="justify">After seeing the sights, we had a lesiurely lunch of Mezzes and wine at a local resteraunt. What a great morning!</div><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7311558421376348896-633762895184298702?l=istanbulfat.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Danny Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01947792036187058470noreply@blogger.com0