We got up when the muezzin sang at 4:15 and I finished packing and re-packing. The van to pick us up was early and then went to the hotel to get two others.
Within Turkey you can’t have nail clippers or any size scissors, so I had to repack. The plane boarded early, so I didn’t have a chance to drink the coffee I had bought so I poured it into an empty water bottle. People on the plane had almost no carryon luggage. The baggage came at Izmir almost immediately. We waited about a half hour for Suze and the driver loaded our luggage and then came back with the minivan for her. She had unknowingly checked in with first class so her bag from Istanbul was marked “priority”.
The trip to Ephesus took about 50 minutes. Our villa is literally across the street from St. John’s church where St. John is reportedly buried. The villa is even lovelier than the pictures.
We had fruit and cheese that Alison (the rental agent) left for us and then Phil and Suze went for a little walk. When they got home, Phil got violently ill. Rob, Suze, Chloe and I headed to the weekly open market for food and to the pharmacy for over the counter Cipro for Phil. We had a super time. Rob and Chloe took the food home, and Suze and I bought some more staples like coke and chips before heading back to check on Phil. Soon, Gwyneth, Suze and I headed back to the market for photos.
I made pizza from fresh veggies, bread rounds and cheese. After dinner we walked behind the mosque across the street to watch a wedding reception.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Friday, July 2, 2010
Turkey Day 9 Cappadocia Balloon and Tour
All of us but Phil got up very early to assemble for a hot air balloon trip at 4:45 am. The organizers took us to a place for coffee and tea and bill paying! The trip was just incredible. I have never done anything like it before. The scenery was phenomenal. One of the most remarkable things was that we landed right on top of the trailer used to transport the balloon back to storage. We were served champagne with cherry juice at the end.
Back to the hotel for breakfast and then we went to Goreme to see the churches at the open air museum.
http://www.goreme.com/goreme-open-air-museum.php
This included St. Barbara’s church. She was an Egyptian whose father had her killed for being a Christian. Then on to a carpet center where most of the group spent far too much for rugs, including me.
http://www.yukselcarpets.com
The on to lunch at Dede Effendi Restaurant where we ate outside. I had a local wine.
Our final stop was at a pottery place where we had a short lesson and then on to the over-priced pottery store. I bought a small tile for 10TL.
The bus ride back seemed interminable. I was really cranky packing. We went to bed and then heard a lot of fireworks.
Back to the hotel for breakfast and then we went to Goreme to see the churches at the open air museum.
http://www.goreme.com/goreme-open-air-museum.php
This included St. Barbara’s church. She was an Egyptian whose father had her killed for being a Christian. Then on to a carpet center where most of the group spent far too much for rugs, including me.
http://www.yukselcarpets.com
The on to lunch at Dede Effendi Restaurant where we ate outside. I had a local wine.
Our final stop was at a pottery place where we had a short lesson and then on to the over-priced pottery store. I bought a small tile for 10TL.
The bus ride back seemed interminable. I was really cranky packing. We went to bed and then heard a lot of fireworks.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Turkey Day 8 Cappadocia Tour
The bus picking us up at the apartment was late – they had to wait for the woman from Spain. We hopped on and then went to the hotel to get the others. Turns out that we had to wait again – this time for a couple from Scandinavia. But we did get on our way, stopping twice for bathroom breaks. I had coffee with John in a lovely garden.
Our first tourist stop was outside Goreme for lunch in a cave house. Drinks were really expensive (3.50TL for a bottle of water). Afterwards, the bus backed up in order for us to get a geocache at Pasabaga.
We visited a town (Uchisar) with a remarkable citadel and a tree with eil eye decorations. Then we went to an underground city, Kaymakali, where the Christians had hidden out. Liz Adams got really sick in the cave. Joyce Little’s watch had stopped and lo and behold there was a man with a watch battery business run from a motorcycle at the entrance to the underground.
Our final stop for the evening was the hotel Burcu in Ortahisar. It had a lovely zero edge pool, but it was too late to swim. Camille stayed with Phil and me. Dinner was a very large buffet.
http://www.cappadociahotelstours.com/burcu-hotel.htm
Gwyneth, Rob and children went to see the Whirling Dervishes, but Phil and I went to bed.
Our first tourist stop was outside Goreme for lunch in a cave house. Drinks were really expensive (3.50TL for a bottle of water). Afterwards, the bus backed up in order for us to get a geocache at Pasabaga.
We visited a town (Uchisar) with a remarkable citadel and a tree with eil eye decorations. Then we went to an underground city, Kaymakali, where the Christians had hidden out. Liz Adams got really sick in the cave. Joyce Little’s watch had stopped and lo and behold there was a man with a watch battery business run from a motorcycle at the entrance to the underground.
Our final stop for the evening was the hotel Burcu in Ortahisar. It had a lovely zero edge pool, but it was too late to swim. Camille stayed with Phil and me. Dinner was a very large buffet.
http://www.cappadociahotelstours.com/burcu-hotel.htm
Gwyneth, Rob and children went to see the Whirling Dervishes, but Phil and I went to bed.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Turkey Day 7 End of Conference
Phil and I walked over to the hotel to hear Jane Prey give her talk on diversity. Afterwards I talked to Banu a bit, and then arranged a meeting with Amber, Tiffany and Susan Rodger. It was quite intense, but fun. I took a cab to the Bilkent Center where I got wine and chips at the Real grocery.
Later I went back to the apartment to explore the Bilkent campus with Phil. We got as far as the main plaza where there is a statue of the founder. Then we headed back by way of the campus market where we bought a 1.5 liter bottle of water for .55TL.
After returning to the apartment for a short while, we walked down toward the shopping center where I took a cab to the conference and Phil headed to go shopping for duct tape.
I went to the wrap up where Reyann and John thanked me and Henry for our service and gave us a small gift of a miniature covered platter similar to the one that the lamb was served in the night before. Henry and I drew for the wine door prize, one of which May Anne Egan won.
Guido gave a great presentation about Darmstadt, the venue for next year’s conference. Annemeike and Catherine had a small party in their room where they modeled the leather jackets they had purchased in Istanbul – they are going to share them, trading off each year!
The Buteras went to dinner at the home of someone they had known at Rice, while I went to the conference banquet.
The food was plentiful and was followed by entertainment. First there were folk dancers who showed off dancing of five regions complete with costume changes. There was also a very good female singer who was also a dentist! There was a lot of Turkish dancing in which almost all of the attendees participated. I got hot and exhausted participating! I tried to leave, but Reyann forced me to stay. Turns out there was a belly dancer who was really entertaining. I took a cab back to the apartment about 11:30.
Later I went back to the apartment to explore the Bilkent campus with Phil. We got as far as the main plaza where there is a statue of the founder. Then we headed back by way of the campus market where we bought a 1.5 liter bottle of water for .55TL.
After returning to the apartment for a short while, we walked down toward the shopping center where I took a cab to the conference and Phil headed to go shopping for duct tape.
I went to the wrap up where Reyann and John thanked me and Henry for our service and gave us a small gift of a miniature covered platter similar to the one that the lamb was served in the night before. Henry and I drew for the wine door prize, one of which May Anne Egan won.
Guido gave a great presentation about Darmstadt, the venue for next year’s conference. Annemeike and Catherine had a small party in their room where they modeled the leather jackets they had purchased in Istanbul – they are going to share them, trading off each year!
The Buteras went to dinner at the home of someone they had known at Rice, while I went to the conference banquet.
The food was plentiful and was followed by entertainment. First there were folk dancers who showed off dancing of five regions complete with costume changes. There was also a very good female singer who was also a dentist! There was a lot of Turkish dancing in which almost all of the attendees participated. I got hot and exhausted participating! I tried to leave, but Reyann forced me to stay. Turns out there was a belly dancer who was really entertaining. I took a cab back to the apartment about 11:30.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Turkey Day 6 Day Tour and Banquet
A special shuttle bus picked me up to go to the conference. The opening session was really good, The son of the founder of Bilkent welcomed us and the keynote was by an incredible woman who heads the Turkish version of the NSF.
I skipped the opening and sort of slept in, getting there about coffee break time. Phil and I grabbed out box lunches and went on the ITiCSE tour with the group. We went first to Ataturk’s Mausoleum, Antikbar. Then we went into Old Ankara and toured the oldest mosque in Ankara. We had to take off our shoes. On the way down from the mosque, Phil spotted the yarn shop where we went in and got yarn for Camille. (Although when we got back, it turns out the yarn said “Made in Turkey for Hobby Lobby!”) We had a short shopping break where Phil got a pocket knife which was made in the US! We went to the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations.
Then it was time to head to the conference committee banquet, though we had to wait for the folks from the other tour. The meal was at the citadel right where we had just returned from! The Washington Restaurant had a gorgeous view.
I skipped the opening and sort of slept in, getting there about coffee break time. Phil and I grabbed out box lunches and went on the ITiCSE tour with the group. We went first to Ataturk’s Mausoleum, Antikbar. Then we went into Old Ankara and toured the oldest mosque in Ankara. We had to take off our shoes. On the way down from the mosque, Phil spotted the yarn shop where we went in and got yarn for Camille. (Although when we got back, it turns out the yarn said “Made in Turkey for Hobby Lobby!”) We had a short shopping break where Phil got a pocket knife which was made in the US! We went to the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations.
Then it was time to head to the conference committee banquet, though we had to wait for the folks from the other tour. The meal was at the citadel right where we had just returned from! The Washington Restaurant had a gorgeous view.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Turkey Day 5 Bilkent ITiCSE Official Opening
A special shuttle bus picked me up to go to the conference. The opening session was really good, The son of the founder of Bilkent welcomed us and the keynote was by an incredible woman who heads the Turkish version of the NSF.
At the coffee break we had Turkish coffee and watched a demo of the Turkish art of marbling.
I talked at length with Mats Daniels about future ITiCSE site selection and then went to lunch (stand-up).
Harriet and Boots had decided to take a cab to grab a geocache and I went along to the ODT Teknokent Museum.
Back at the conference, I went to the gender diversity session and then chaired one on laboratory tools. I was so sleepy I went to Alison and Tony’s room afterwards and took a nap before the reception. Lots of food. Finally returned on shuttle bus that had had 30 people in the morning and only 4 at night!
At the coffee break we had Turkish coffee and watched a demo of the Turkish art of marbling.
I talked at length with Mats Daniels about future ITiCSE site selection and then went to lunch (stand-up).
Harriet and Boots had decided to take a cab to grab a geocache and I went along to the ODT Teknokent Museum.
Back at the conference, I went to the gender diversity session and then chaired one on laboratory tools. I was so sleepy I went to Alison and Tony’s room afterwards and took a nap before the reception. Lots of food. Finally returned on shuttle bus that had had 30 people in the morning and only 4 at night!
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Turkey Day 4 Bilkent, Ankara, Turkey
Phil walked me to the conference venue in a light rain; then he returned to the apartment for a day of adventures with the Buteras. I checked-in on the working groups and tried to meet up with Gwyneth and the others, but they had already left.
Atanas Radenski asked me if there were anyone going into the city so his wife could accompany her, so I said I was going to find a geocache and would be glad to go. We took the bus to Sıhhiye in Ankara and it left us off in a weird place – the exit ramp of the highway. A nice man, a Brit, from the conference showed us the way to find the park where the geocache was.
Ruomi helped me negotiate to buy a scarf from one of the stalls in the Sıhhiye Market we went to next to. Then we walked through Abdı Ipekçi Park and went the wrong way on Tuna Street ending up walking through an enclosed market building that had a big parking garage on top. We found ourselves in Kurtulus Park which is where I had hoped to find a geocache. We saw lots of bridal parties exiting a building labeled Çankaya. Then we stopped for lunch at a café where we ate the traditional pancakes, Gözlemeler. Ruomi’s mother-in-law in Bulgaria makes similar pancakes in the old style, so they had a conversation through the waiter acting as interpreter.
We walked back to the Tunus stop because we were afraid to find it near where we were left off.
Phil and the Buteras explored the old citadel and had the same pancakes at a café where the server gave them each a small geode as they left.
Atanas Radenski asked me if there were anyone going into the city so his wife could accompany her, so I said I was going to find a geocache and would be glad to go. We took the bus to Sıhhiye in Ankara and it left us off in a weird place – the exit ramp of the highway. A nice man, a Brit, from the conference showed us the way to find the park where the geocache was.
Ruomi helped me negotiate to buy a scarf from one of the stalls in the Sıhhiye Market we went to next to. Then we walked through Abdı Ipekçi Park and went the wrong way on Tuna Street ending up walking through an enclosed market building that had a big parking garage on top. We found ourselves in Kurtulus Park which is where I had hoped to find a geocache. We saw lots of bridal parties exiting a building labeled Çankaya. Then we stopped for lunch at a café where we ate the traditional pancakes, Gözlemeler. Ruomi’s mother-in-law in Bulgaria makes similar pancakes in the old style, so they had a conversation through the waiter acting as interpreter.
We walked back to the Tunus stop because we were afraid to find it near where we were left off.
Phil and the Buteras explored the old citadel and had the same pancakes at a café where the server gave them each a small geode as they left.
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