Good Times - Old and New

Some of my favorite vacation memories from childhood were trips to Callaway Gardens with Mom and Dad.  With the arrival of spring, memories drifted through my mind recently, so I started doing a little online research.  I gave Mom and Dad a phone call on a Monday night to see if they would be interested in a spur of the moment trip to Georgia!  Daddy told me he and mom had just been to talking about Callaway, so I made arrangements to be off work and took Zoe to stay with neighbors and less than 24 hours later, I was headed to Birmingham.  The next morning we had a breakfast of homemade biscuits, eggs, and bacon, and we were off.  What a great way to start the day.  I took us off the beaten path thanks to Google maps "fastest route" option.  I'm not sure it was faster, but we saw the most amazing wisteria dripping from the trees. It was well worth the detour. 
We arrived at Callaway Gardens in the early afternoon and after getting our bearings, we headed to the Callaway Brothers Azalea Bowl.  We were treated to beautiful azalea blooms and wild flowers and were taken by the beautiful spring green of new leaves. 

There were many types of azaleas and several groupings of wild flowers.  These are Virginia Blue Bells.

     

We came across a nice water feature and watched as a photographer took pictures of a bride and her father. I'm sure the results were stunning. 

We walked to the chapel and came across mountain laurel just starting to bloom.

                                    

The chapel is nestled into the woods, but even more beautiful from the inside.  There are stained glass windows on all four sides with pictorial descriptions of the natural beauty of Callaway. We were the only ones there so we sang a refrain of Amazing Grace.  The acoustics were amazing.  

                                    

I stopped to take a picture of a flower as we headed back along the trail and caught Mom and Dad holding hands.  A beautiful sight even after 54 years of marriage.  

We were treated to water-colored azaleas, rhododendrons, and even a snake as we walked back to the car.  

                                          

As we ended our day, we drove the trail around the lake and found a beautiful overlook with Japanese maples, Lady Banks roses, and more azaleas.  

                                          

We had a delightful southern dinner at the Country Store atop the mountain.  I remember having wonderful French toast there as a child. We retired early to the Mountain Inn to rest up for the next day's adventure. 

We arrived at the Gardens just as they opened and were treated with cool morning temperatures and ponds that were as still and reflective as a mirror. 

We stopped by the butterfly house and enjoyed walking around the gardens where the flowers were adorned with dew sparkling in the sunlight.  

Our final stop was the "Discovery Center" where we saw a red tailed hawk and its handler, turtles, and a lovely exhibit of nature photos.  On the way out I snapped a few more shots of the wild azaleas.  They smelled like honeysuckle-bringing back more childhood memories. 

A lot of time has passed since we first discovered Callaway Gardens. We have all aged a little, but the azaleas are still lovely and as always, we enjoyed our trip and especially our time together creating new memories.  

May 18 - Beautiful Endings - Lessons from History

It is a beautiful day in Instanbul.  The temperature is just cool enough and the sky is a turquoise blue. It will be a great day for pictures...with my iPhone.  I've been having problems with my primary lens for almost a week now, and I finally just gave up.  For those of you that know how much I love taking pictures, you can imagine what a disappointment this is. One of my fellow travelers was kind enough to loan me their spare point and shoot, and between that and the phone, I'm getting by.  

On the agenda today is worship service in a reserved room in the hotel and touring the classic tourist sites of Istanbul.  Most of the group started out at the Blue Mosque. I just took a picture of the side before all the tourists arrived.  

The Blue Mosque

It is an amazing building, but several of us have been there before, so we are off to a less known historic spot, the Basilica Cistern.  It is an underground Roman cistern built in the 6th century AD.  However, it is named for the Baslica that was built on the site in the 3rd and 4th centuries. We were there a little before it opened, and that turned out to be in our favor.  They opened the doors and we were some of the first to enter.  It was a mesmerizing site. We descended about 50 stairs to find a forest of 336 columns that are 30 ft tall with mostly Ionic and Corinthian capitals. It was cool, dark and quiet, and washed in a golden glow coming from lights at the base of the columns. The water level is about 18" deep, so the columns reflect onto the surface like a mirror.  We saw a number of coy fish swimming in the water that we suspect are not original to the cistern! Historians believe the Emperor Constantine built the original cistern and it was later enlarged by Emperor Justinian about 547.  The Romans, it appears, thought recycling was cool too. The columns that support the ceiling are believed to have been taken from ruined structures across the kingdom. The cistern provided a water filtration system for the Great Palace of Constantinople and other buildings, and continued to provide water to the Topkapi Palace after the Ottoman conquest in 1453 and even into modern times.

Basilica Cistern

We joined the rest of the group at the Topkapi Palace, the home to Turkish Sultans that controlled the region for centuries. It is a royal complex of elaborate buildings and gardens that spawl over the highest point of Istanbul. There are buildings that house the "royal jewels," a facinating bakery with enormous intricately decorated jars and serving dishes, and relics of war. The lines are long so I spent most of my time wandering in the gardens and enjoying the beautiful view.  

View from Topkopi Palace

Our next stop is the Istanbul Archaeological Museum.  There are many priceless antiquities housed here. Some of the most intriguing are colorful, sculpted brick panels that comprised the walls of Babylon.  They have raised designs fired into the brick in the shapes of lions, dragons, and unicorns.  

They have a very nice collection of Hittite pieces (below) that date back to the 13th century BC. 

Of particular note is a clay table that records the first known peace treaty between nations.  The Kadesh Treaty documents the agreement between the Hittite King Hattusilis III and Egyptian pharaoh Ramses II in 1269 BC. A similar version is carved on the walls of the Amon temple at Karnak in Egypt.  Unfortunately, 2014 seems to be the year of museum rennovation in Turkey. This is the fourth time on this trip we have not been able to see the complete collections in museums we have visited.  There are other important Bible related artifacts we will have to see another time.

We had a little extra free time, so the driver dropped several of us off at the Dolmabahce Place.  We had seen the palace from afar on our boat ride on the Bosiphorous, but we had no idea what opulence was contained within the walls. It was a residence built for Sultans in the mid 1800s to compete with modern day European castles, and was only used by six Sultans for 68 years until the Ottoman Empire ended.  The opulence is beyond description. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take photos so you will have to take my word for it. The walls were covered in rich wallpaper; everywhere we looked there were carved mouldings overlaid with 24k gold; enormous silk Hereke Turkish rugs-we learned earlier in our trip are of the highest quality and cost; and massive chandeliers from England, dripping with crystals-one in the Ceremonial Hall held 750 light bulbs and weighed 4.5 tonnes.  

Side entrance of the Dolmabahce Place

Palace gate leading to the Bosphorous. 

A neat experience, but we are all ready to come home, so back to the hotel we go for our last night.  Orhan told us it was a 15 minute walk up the hill to our hotel.  We've learned that we have to double Orhan's time estimates, but were happy to get back to the hotel, even if it was 30 minutes uphill! 

Our day ended with a worship service. Dr. Dan, as we call him, preached a wonderful sermon that brought together many of the things we've experienced on this trip.  It always makes me especially thoughtful to worship with Christians on these trips.  We are so fortunate to live in a country that, at least for now, allows religious freedom.  Turkey, a land with such a storied Christian heritage is now 99% Muslim.  We must be diligent to protect the freedoms we enjoy today.  Paul and his companions endured such persecution for their beliefs.  In 2 Cor 11:25-28, Paul notes a few of these: "Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches." Having traveled in a luxurious bus, not walked in sandals along these ancient crossroads, I can only begin to imagine Paul's dedication to spreading the gospel.  What an incredible lesson for all of us. These courageous and dedicated men truly sacrificed all to spread God's word and save souls. How much more could we be doing with the capabilities and freedoms that we enjoy today? We have seen the most beautiful materials things you can image today, but riches are fleeting and powerful world empires inevitably fall if it's God's will. Let's live everyday seeking those riches that await us with our Heavenly Father. 

I arrived home safely and hope the rest of the group did too.  Come back in a few days.  I'll have an update on our departure and add a few more pictures. 

May 17 - Boarding, Browsing, Bargaining, and Boating on the Bosphorus

We had  a very early flight this morning from Antakya to Istanbul. Istanbul was known as Constantinople in ancient times. Airport security here was interesting, and a little different than ours.  I'm not sure what set off the xray, but a few of us got a VERY thorough pat down.  Overall, things went very soothly, and we arrived in Istanbul with enough time to squeeze in a trip to Hagia Sophia. It is Saturday in Istanbul and there many student groups and tourist in general. For you kids at home, they take field trips on the weekend.  It does not mean a day off from school. 

  

The Hagia Sophia started out as a massive church built in the fourth century A.D. About 900 years later, the Turks captured Constantinople and converted it to a mosque.  Thankfully, they didn't destroy or deface the Christian mosaics like they did in many places.  They simply covered them with plaster.  In 1935, the first president of Turkey converted it from a mosque into a museum.  It is a contradiction today, like many things we have learned about in Turkey.  They have uncovered many of the beautiful Christian mosaics and they stand in close proximity to giant round medallions that are inscribed with the names of Muslim prophets.  The ceiling, columns and walls are ornately carved and painted. The floors are smooth marble, sculpted over time with the footsteps of millions.  Some of the walls are covered in a patchwork of  multi-colored and patterned marble.  The pictures cannot begin to capture the size and workmanship, and artistry.  

We spent a little time shopping in the world famous Grand Bazzar.  It is an experience.  I would imagine it was a nightmare for most of the men.

Next was a private boat ride down the Bosphorus.  This is the straight where the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara meets. It is part of the border that divides the Asia and Europe. The water is partly salt and partly fresh water and eventually dumps into the Mediterranean. Along the water are ancient palaces, famous "wooden homes" that are worth many millions, and even a hunting lodge.  We even passed a group of women on a boat celebrating an upcoming wedding.  It seems to be something akin to a bachelorette party.  

We had a wonderful dinner followed by an interesting walk through the nearby streets. I'll tell you that story another time.  I'm a day behind and will post more picture after dinner 

May 16 Antalya, Perga, Museum

It has been another amazing day, but we have a very early wake up call, so this will be short.  We visited the historic ruins of ancient Pamphylia: Antalya (biblical Attalia, Acts 14:25) and Perge. Attalia served as the port of entry to the interior of Asia. It is likely that Paul landed here and then traveled to Perga (Perge today) From here, Paul sailed back to Antioch (Acts 14:25). As our bus approached the site of Perge, we passed the ruins of an amphitheater and stadium, but this was just to tease us.  Before long we were wandering through impressive Hellenistic and Roman ruins.  There are incredible colonnaded streets, elaborate Roman baths, fountains flowing into channels of water that served to cool the streets as well as adding to the beauty.  We later visited the Archaeological Museum that had many fully intact statues and sarcophagi found during excavations.  We visited the harbor area and can only dream of what it was like in those days. I have so much more to tell, but I need some sleep.  I will leave you with these pictures for now.  

Ruins at Perga

1st Century Roman baths at Perga

Roman street at Perga

Fountain below acropolis with waterfall

Statue found at Perga

Harbor at Attalia

May 15 Pisidian Antioch and Antalya (Attalia) - Amazing Journey

We arrived late last night in Konya, the site of ancient Iconium.  It is one of the oldest cities of Anatolia. Paul and Barnabas encountered much opposition in this city (Acts 14:1-6), but today, it is best known today as the home of the Whirling Dervishes. More on that another time, because we have a lot of ground to cover.  The city is affluent, modern, with a lot of new construction.  Our  hotel was wonderful and we hated to leave after only one night.  On our way out of town we made a quick stop at the Konya Archaeology  Museum.  There are three stones that mention the places we saw yesterday: Derbe, Lystra, and Iconium. Two are especially important. The one mentioning Lystra Is a Latin inscription. The one that mentions Derbe is in Greek, but is in poor condition from exposure to the elements. Inscriptions such as these help confirm the authenticity of events and people we read about in the bible.  

We have traveled through the Pamphylian plain surrounded by beautiful mountains, some snow covered again, on our way to Yalvaç. We have taken countless pictures of the beautiful green waters of the lakes in the area. 

 

There are several lake-side towns with new construction since Ferrell was here seven years ago.  

The scenery is breathtaking but we can only imagine what is must have been like on Paul's journeys.  In 2 Corinthians 11:26, Paul talks about facing "dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers." It is beautiful and pastoral today, with lush, green, irrigated fields of barley shimmering in the wind, rolling hills, and herds of sheep. As serene as  it is now, it is easy to see how vulnerable and unprotected travelers would have been in Paul's day.  Most think because of the direction of the wind, he would have walked west and sailed east. 

Our next stop is excavated ruins near Yalvaç. This is the ancient city of Pisidian Antioch. We know that there would have been a number of Jews had settled in Phrygia because Paul visited the synagogue there. 

The site has been somewhat excavated in the area of the roads and temple, but the residential areas are still untouched. The ruins are Roman, Greek, adm Byzantine.  We walked along the ancient Main Street and cross road, saw the amphitheater, Roman baths, the Augustus temple, a Byzantine era church foundation and off in the distance, remains of an aqueduct. There is a beautiful view from the temple region of the mountains and valleys. I know I've said it before, but the concept of how far Paul and his companions walked and the nature of the terrain will make me read the books of Acts and Galations with a completely new perspective.  We could learn a lot from their fervor for spreading the gospel.  

A view of Lake Egridir from the bus.  The third largest lake in Turkey. 

After a long drive through some of the most beautiful mountains and valleys I've ever seen, and a beautiful sunset, we arrived at Antalya (Antalia of old) at 8:30 pm.  I'll post pictures when I can.  The internet here is very slow.  

May 14 - Derbe, Karaman, Lystra, Iconium-Collapse!

We've had a fantastic day, traveling again through the Taurus mountains, some of which are capped with snow.  We climbed to the top of the tel at Derbe, rummaging through pottery shards and enjoying the fantastic views.  We met some of the nicest, native people in the villiage nearby and took pictures of everything from storks' nest, young residents, older residents, and even manure and straw brick structures.  We've driven (ok, so we rode and Mustafa drove) almost 300 miles.  We visited the tel at Lystra that had the most beautiful wild flowers growing along the roadside.  I have so much more to tell you but it will have to wait until tomorrow. I will leave with with a few pictures from today. The picture of the tel at Derbe will be up tomorrow (our tomorrow anyway).

 

Pottery at Derbe

The tel at Lystra 

Flowers at Lystra