ASCSA Turkey Trip: It Begins

Have a look at Iznik, our first stop on Day One of the Ionia (coastal Turkey) trip. Also known as ancient Nicaea. There's a Creed named after this place. I liked it. The place, not the Creed. Especially my first taste of pide, Turkey's version of pizza.

In Iznik, we visited the Green Mosque, the first I have ever entered. It was pretty and stuff.

I finally learned how to properly use the Flower Button on my camera. I did take pictures of flowers, but made better use of it on coins. I can't believe I actually took this picture of a Byzantine coin in the Bursa archaeological museum. I rule.

We stopped at the River Granicus, near where Alexander of Macedon had a battle with the Persians. There were also the remains of Byzantine bridge along both banks of the river, which reminded me a lot of growing up in Virgina with its ruined bridges from the Civil War era. What I liked most about the river, though, was the trash. Have a click on the picture to see what a river looks like with litter. Oh, and what the sides of every road look like. And basically everywhere else.

Katie poses for a Mom-Shot. One of my favorite things so far was when we hiked the spur of the 13th-14th century city of Priapos. It's never been excavated, but huge bits of the fortifications still stand, looking exactly like rock spires in the American south-west. It was a beautiful day with a beautiful landscape.