Category: Bulgaria Istanbul

To start our final full day in Istanbul, we had our throats and noses swabbed for our return to the USA COVID-19 test.  Fortunately, we tested negative!

Following the bodily fluid sampling in the hotel lobby, with prices set by the Turkish government (only 250 lira each – or about $17!), we walked over to Arasta Bazaar for some shopping and to see the gorgeous Mosaic Museum.  The mosaics, unearthed in excavations in the northeastern section of the cloister in Eastern Roman Grand Palace in 1935, are magnificent in terms of both artistic and the richness of depictions of the scenes. The works exhibited in the Great Palace Mosaics Museum, dated between 450-550 AD do not have religious content. The depictions taken from daily life, nature and mythology probably owe their vitality to the many experts under the leadership of the leading masters of the era. (https://muze.gen.tr/muze-detay/mozaik)  I found the mosaics to be beautiful!

About a month before we left for this journey, my C6 disc started acting up, something it hadn’t done in nearly 14 years.  To prepare for this trip and to hopefully prevent the need for surgery, I’ve been going to physical therapy twice a week and the chiropractor once a week.  Something I’ve been working on is standing straighter and not walking hunched over.  Well, this new walking posture paid off while we were looking for a place for lunch!  Since I wasn’t looking down, I saw people on a rooftop terrace above a nearby restaurant.  We went there for lunch and had not only tasty food but also a phenomenal view!

Of course, there’s no way we could go to Istanbul without seeing the Topkapi Palace! 

Following the conquest of Istanbul in 1453, the construction of the Topkapı Palace was started in 1460 at the request of Fatih Sultan Mehmet and was completed in 1478. Topkapı Palace was enlarged with the supplementary buildings added until the 19th century.

Topkapı Palace is located in one of the oldest historical regions of Istanbul and is one of the iconic structures of Istanbul. Topkapı Palace, established on an area of 700,000 square meters on the Eastern Roman acropolis in Sarayburnu, was the administrative, educational and artistic center of the empire for approximately four hundred years from Fatih Sultan Mehmet to the 31st Sultan Abdülmecid, as well as housing the dynasty. Although Topkapı Palace was gradually abandoned by the mid-19th century when the dynasty slowly moved to Dolmabahçe Palace, it preserved its historical importance and value.

After the founding of the Republic of Turkey, Topkapı Palace was converted into a museum on April 3, 1924, having the distinction of being the first museum of the Republic. Today, Topkapı Palace is one of the largest palace-museums in the world with its buildings, architecture, collections and approximately 300,000 archive documents. (https://www.millisaraylar.gov.tr/en/palaces/topkapi-palace)

At the Palace, we visited the Archeological Museum (a bit overwhelming), the Harem Museum, and the Hagia Irene Museum.  (Slightly annoyingly, several of the museums on our museum pass were closed…)  My favorite was the Harem Museum, which showed the life of the sultan – a bit different than my preconceived notion of anything related to the word “harem.”

Another requirement:  The Whirling Dervish Show!  That evening, we watched the mystical ritual of the Mevlevi Order, whose whirling dance has been declared a UNESCO Heritage of Humanity. The Sema ceremony is a journey through man’s spiritual ascent to “perfection” through mind and love—a truly unmissable and astonishing experience of music and moves (https://www.hodjapasha.com/en/whirling-dervishes-sema-ceremony).

 

Our third day in Istanbul was DELICIOUS!  It was a full day of decadent eating and eating and eating.  With four other travelers and one guide, Benoit, we ate our way through Istanbul’s European side’s Karaköy neighborhood, after crossing the Bosphorus via ferry,  the Asian side’s Kadıköy (https://culinarybackstreets.com/tours-food-tours/tours-istanbul/2016/two-markets-two-continents).  What made the tour so delightful – in addition to the fabulous food! – were our dining companions, especially two friends who met in college, one works in launching startups and the other is a writer for Reuters who is based in Nairobi and pregnant with her second child.  (Okay, the two guys currently attending Harvard Business School were a bit arrogant…and not as fun to hang out with!)  Benoit shared stories, showed videos, and fed us so much food I thought I’d never eat again!

We had to hurry at the end since the tour went on over an hour longer than expected, and we wanted to go to Purim services…

 

 

Happy birthday!

 

Happy birthday, Joel!  For Joel’s birthday, we scheduled a Jewish Walking Tour, a hammam, and a nice dinner.  What a wonderful day to celebrate JOEL!

At 8:30 am, we met our guide, Alp, in our hotel’s lobby. Alp proceeded to show us multiple synagogues, the street scenes in Balat and Galata, the Jewish Museum, and the Spice Market.  He treated us to lots of yummies and Turkish coffee at a local establishment, where he also feted Joel with cake for his birthday.  The sights, scenes, and stories highlighted multifaceted Jewish and Turkish life.

After the tour, we returned to our hotel for naps – and then ventured out for our second hammam.  This one was totally different than the previous one!  At the first hammam, I felt pampered and refreshed; at this second hammam, I felt beaten and depleted.  We picked Suleymaniye hammam since it caters to couples, thinking it’d be a nice birthday treat.  However, the sauna was too hot, we stayed in it for too long, and the massage was too hard.  I had to remind myself that this was my choice.  If I wanted to leave, I could do so.  Nevertheless, I did not leave – and instead have a story to tell!  Haha!

For our final event, we had a lovely dinner at the Kybele Restaurant – authentic atmosphere with good food and some wine.  Excellent!

 

Blue Mosque

Our first full day in Istanbul, after arriving at our hotel around 2am, involved walking to the Sultanahmet neighborhood.  Here, we explored Hagia Sofya and the Blue Mosque.  Hagia Sofya, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985, is now a mosque and was once the largest Eastern Roman Church in Istanbul. Constructed three times in the same location, it is the world’s oldest and fastest-completed cathedral. With its breathtaking domes that look like hanging in the air, monolithic marble columns and unparalleled mosaics, it is one of the wonders of world’s architecture history (https://muze.gen.tr/muze-detay/ayasofya). I found Hagia Sofya amazing, beautiful, and breathtaking.

After Hagia Sofya, we wandered over to the Blue Mosque, which I found underwhelming.  The Blue Mosque (called Sultanahmet Camii in Turkish) is an historical mosque in Istanbul. The mosque is known as the Blue Mosque because of blue tiles surrounding the walls of interior design. The mosque was built between 1609 and 1616 years, during the rule of Ahmed I. (http://www.bluemosque.co/) The mosque is under construction, so we could only see a small portion of it.  I’m sure that once it’s completed, it too will take away one’s breath.

Following naps – I’m napping quite well in Istanbul! – we went to our first Hammam of this trip:  Cagaloglu Hammam.  The experience was FABULOUS!  My attendant, Ibek, took great care of me.  First, I rested on a marble slab in a very hot room, similar to a sauna.  Next, Ibek moved me to a center room with a giant marble slab.  Here, she scrubbed my body to exfoliate all of the dead skin cells.  Then, she covered me with foam bubbles – how she makes them, I’m still not sure.  After washing me, she massaged my sore muscles.  It was a sweet and wonderful experience.

Hagia Sofya

 

Hagia Sofya

 

Hagia Sofya

 

Hagia Sofya

 

Hagia Sofya

 

Hagia Sofya

 

Hagia Sofya

 

Hagia Sofya

 

Hagia Sofya

 

Hagia Sofya

 

Hagia Sofya

 

Hagia Sofya

 

Hagia Sofya

 

German Fountain

 

Waiting to enter Blue Mosque

 

Blue Mosque

 

View from line to get into the Blue Mosque

 

Blue Mosque

 

Blue Mosque

 

Blue Mosque

 

Nuruosmaniye Mosque

 

Blue Mosque

 

 

A winter storm in Istanbul closed the airports for a few days, which canceled our flight from Sofia to Istanbul on Sunday morning, March 13.  We were able – at a price! – to book for Sunday night when the airport reopened.  This left us a “bonus day” in Sofia!

How did we spend our day?  First, we visited the Sofia Synagogue, which wasn’t able on either of our previous Sofia exploration days.  Then we went to the Ladies’ Bazaar.  Our bonus day gave us a great opportunity to see some of the sights we hadn’t been able to enjoy earlier in our journey.

 

 

 

I could not have asked for a better group of people to spend a week with in the cold, snow, and wind while adventuring on snowshoes!!!  Five Brits + three Americans + one Bulgarian = an amazing travel team!

The whole group!

 

Phone credit: Ivo, mountaineering guide extraordinaire!

 

Final impromptu dinner – missing Ivo and Claire

 

Outside of Sofia Synagogue

Following breakfast with our group, after even more team bonding and story sharing during our final night together, we headed back to Sofia.  While planning our trip, Joel and I arranged for a Jewish Walking Tour of Sofia.  At 2pm, we met our guide, Stefan, who proceeded to share stories and insights into the long history of Jews in this eastern European city.  From Romanian Jews to Ashkenazi and Sephardi Jews, from Jewish royalty and Jewish leaders, from Jewish integration to Jewish presence during the Second World War, Stefan showed us where the Jews lived and explained both the history and culture of Jewish life in Bulgaria.  Jews were quite integrated in Bulgarian life, which created a conflict for non-Jewish friends, neighbors, and co-workers during the Holocaust.  When the Nazis wanted Bulgaria to send its 50,000 Jews to concentration camps, religious and political leaders pushed back and delayed the exportation, saving tens of thousands of lives.  However, Bulgaria did deport over 11,000 Greek and Northern Macedonian Jews to their deaths in the concentration camps.

Very old gravestone marking the early times of Jews in Sofia

Three stone tablets (only two shown) which were moved from Yad V’Shem to Bulgaria, marking how over 50,000 Bulgarian Jews were saved and acknowledging the deaths of over 11,000 Greek and Northern Macedonian Jews.

Memorial commemorating Bulgarian Jews and honoring those who died – on March 10, the US and Israeli embassies join Bulgarians in never forgetting.

Our final day of snowshoeing, Friday, March 11, was totally and completely AMAZING!!!  Taking a rest day on Thursday gave me the energy and motivation to truly enjoy our final day exploring Rila Lakes.  Cool too?  Taking the ski lift up the first few kilometers!  The “seniors” (age 55+) took the option of the ski lift while the “youngins” hiked the steep hill to the lodge, where the four of us waited in warmth while sipping cappuccinos.  The best $6 I’ve ever spent!

Once everyone arrived, we headed out in the cold – about -25 degrees Celsius (-25 divided by 5 times 9 plus 32 = -13 degrees Fahrenheit…it was a joke within our group that I would state this formula out loud frequently to convert from C to F).  Ivo had warned us about the weather; however, since I heeded his advice, I wore many many layers and was mostly unaffected by the cold.

The hiking, the views, the snow – truly glorious!!!  For the first time all week, I felt confident and competent on my snowshoes, both going uphill and downhill.  I especially enjoyed trekking through the powder on the downhills – something that scared me earlier in the week.  There was only one point, when we were back to the forest, with a narrow icy downhill that I decided to butt slide!  Other than that, it was smooth shoeing the whole way.  Below are a few of my favorite pics, several taken by my travel buddies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Every time we go out in the snow, we have to wear our transceivers, and our guide checks to make sure he can receive our signal. In our backpacks, we all have shovels and probes to locate and unbury someone in the event of an avalanche.

One day, we did an avalanche training exercise.  Ivo, our guide, buried a transceiver tuned to “send” position in the snow. We took turns individually tuning our transceivers to “search” mode and finding the buried transceiver. Once it was found, that person would bury it for the next person. 

I strongly hope we don’t face an avalanche, and I’m glad we have had a bit of training and preparation. 

 

Big snowshoeing day!  My Fitbit said 8 miles, although I think it was more like 6 miles. Regardless, I kept up!  We hiked up to a frozen snow-covered lake. The views would have been magnificent if it weren’t snowing the whole time. Notice the icicles hanging from my hood?! Great fun and tiring day!😊

While sitting in an alpine hut after nice morning snowshoeing rather than continuing another two hours up the mountain, I want to share some of my insights and reflections on the Russian invasion into Ukraine. First and most important to me is war is HORRIBLE. The images out of Ukraine are abhorrent. 

Before leaving for Bulgaria, a few friends expressed their strong concern, even opposition, to my taking this trip. I love my friends and completely appreciated their input and care. I left it, however, to our Bulgarian guide and the US State Department to determine the safety of our adventure. Both allowed the trip, so here I am. 

One of my first conversations with Ivo, our guide, focused on Ukraine. He said that Bulgarians feel that Russia invading Bulgaria would be like the sun rising in the west. He also said that if that were to happen, then NOWHERE would be safe in the world. Bulgaria is housing 25,000 refugees, so the NYT’s refugee map leaves out the impact on Bulgaria. Also something I hadn’t thought about, which Ivo mentioned, is the treatment of Russians by Ukrainians in the eastern provinces of Ukraine. With the atrocities being committed during this war, this information has been left out. 

My British travel buddies had no concern about visiting Bulgaria.  One of them mentioned the economic impact of COVID and how the return to tourism is so vital to European economies.

Interesting, too, to me is the history of this area. On our first day here before meeting our group, we went to the Ethnographic Museum, which provided a great overview of the history and culture of Bulgaria. It’s so easy to forget that this area has frequently been contested by various countries and cultures. 

 

The first two days in Bulgaria exceeded all expectations.  We first explored the city, walking around the many Greek, Eastern, and Russian Orthodox churches and cathedrals.  After resting in the afternoon for a bit – time to deal with jet lag – we met our group for a short walking tour of Sofia and a traditional Bulgarian dinner – lots of food hanging from the chandeliers, fire water, wine, and beer, accordion music with dancing.

Our tour group consists of eight travelers and one amazing guide.  Three of the travelers are siblings from England, one is their friend and kick-boxing buddy, one is also from England, an ER doc from Phoenix, Joel, and me.  I couldn’t ask for a better group to travel with – everyone is friendly, helpful, well-traveled, fit, etc.

Today was our first snowshoeing day – an adventure different than we expected! The plan was to drive to Vitosha National Park, Bulgaria’s first national park and the oldest park on the Balkan Peninsula. Declared a national park in 1934 and visible from Sofia, the park is home to Mount Vitosha (2290m).  However, with falling heavy snow, the police would not let us drive up the mountain until the road was cleared.  While we were waiting, though, buses and other cars went around the police car and proceeded up the mountain.  We finally also continued up, only to be blocked by a skewed bus.  Ivo, our guide, backed up the big Mercedes Sprinter van, we pulled off and put on our snowshoes, and off we went.  The powdery snow reminded Ivo of the snow in Siberia (hence, our WhatsApp group name is Bulgarian Siberia).  We snowshoed for a couple of hours…much harder than I imagined given the conditions.  Tomorrow, the weather should be better.  For the next three days, we’re staying at a nice hotel in Mount Maliovitsa, a Bulgarian mountain which is so well respected, that its North Face is the symbol of the Bulgarian Alpine Association.

After an uneventful 11 hour flight from San Francisco to Frankfurt, we’re now hanging out in the airport for four hours awaiting the final leg of our journey to Bulgaria.  We traveled from the international terminal to the domestic terminal to find better shops and food, and our passports were stamped as if we entered and exited Germany.