I’m upset because I tried to blog earlier but it got deleted somehow and then I didn’t have time to write another entry…so here it goes again. Our last few days in the Greek Islands were wonderful. The most amazing experience was on Santorini, the Irish/Korean wedding Marit, Rachel, and I went to. Random, right? We went out to the Irish pub the other night, and met the Irish family celebrating and carrying on. Eventually, we were invited to the wedding! So the next day we give Cahal and Bernie a call, and that evening we end up at this 20 person wedding on a small balcony overlooking the Mediterranean. It was so picturesque, but quite chilly. We felt bad for the bride because although it was only a ten minute or so ceremony, they stayed for about a half hour taking pictures. The reception was at a winery and everything was delicious! The bride was Korean, and her family didn’t speak any English, so it was quite interesting to see the Irish trying to interact with them. It was the coolest blending of Irish/Korean/Greek culture. There was a Greek band playing, and we broke out some Greek dances, while Allison, sister of the groom, busted out some high-stepping Irish jigs. They were so welcoming and inviting, it was such a unique and interesting experience.
More recently, we’ve just spent our first couple days in Istanbul, and it is absolutely breath taking. The city is well-kept, and there are tulips everywhere. It’s tulip season, so there are purple, red, yellow, pink, and multi-colored tulips everywhere! In between the tulips are pansies and everything is in full bloom. I would say Istanbul is the prettiest city I have ever seen. Sorry Minneapolis. There are minarets throughout the skyline, and 5 times a day there is the call to prayer. It is so cool to be outside and listen to all the different calls coming from everwhere- they have loudspeakers on the minarets. The mosques are absolutely breathtaking, we’ve visited the Blue mosqueand Hagia Sophia. We also went toan underground cistern, the archaeological museum, a palace, and the Grand Bazaar. We also got to visit the Patriarch, his all holiness Bartholomew. It was intensely cool, and everyone got dressed up in their Sunday best. The group doesn’t look half bad 
The food is a bit spicier than Grecian food, but we had the tastiest dessert last night. It looked like a slab of cheese with chocolate sauce on it, but it was an ice-cream-esque dessert. It wasn’t as smooth and creamy as ice-cream, nor was it as cold, but it is definitely in the ice-cream family. Baclava is also more popular here than in Greece. It’s interesting to walk by the baklava shops because almost everything is covered in what looks like green algae. I had a piece and it’s pistachio~it was an interesting taste combination, but definitely delicious. One more thing, we ate at the Orient Express the other night, and then watched a performance/religious ceremony of the Whirling Dervishes. It’s a mystical religion, involving music and everyone spinning around in circles. It seems crazy I know, but everything they do and wear is symbolic, and the overall theme is that life is always moving in circles from planets to atoms. Quite an interesting concept. Well, now we are on a bus, traveling to more remote parts of Turkey. I’ll try downloading as many pics as I can-now that I have a computer again! Yeah! Hope everything is going well at home, it’s not too long before I’m home myself!
