Eating Our Way Through Istanbul, Turkey

On February 16, 2023February 16, 2023 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Turkey5 Comments

We enjoyed several wonderful meals during our time in Istanbul and even took a food tour where we ate food in both the European and Asian sections of Istanbul. In addition to the food, we also had a local drink called Raki as well as several local beers and wines. One of the most popular dinner choices are the dinners cooked in clay pots over an extremely hot, open fire. They bring the fire pit next to your table and put on quite an extravagant show as they cook your meal and then crack the pot open and pour the contents onto a plate for you to enjoy.

Dinner and a Show

Coffee and tea is also quite popular and we even tried an orange tea made with fresh orange rinds. We love taking food tours as they provide you the opportunity to try many different varieties of dishes, but it is also way more food than the two of us could possibly eat. We started our tour with breakfast, which is not something that we normally eat, but it was a really enjoyable way to start our day. We ended our tour in the shopping district of Istanbul and then took the ferry back to the area near our hotel.

Orange Tea

You will find street carts with stuffed mussels near many of the attractions and in shopping areas and it is definitely worth trying as they are very tasty. Overall, we couldn’t say that one meal was better than another as we found each of them to be completely interesting with unique tastes. What we can say is that the staff at every restaurant where we ate were extremely friendly and very proud of the cuisine that they had to offer. At some point we’ll try to replicate some of the meals that we had, but obviously we’re not going to be cooking in a clay pot over an open flame.

House of the Virgin Mary in Ephesus, Turkey

On February 14, 2023February 14, 2023 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Turkey1 Comment

Most tours of Ephesus from Kusadasi also include a visit to the House of the Virgin Mary. Obviously, it is an important site from a religious perspective, but it is also interesting just from a historical prospective as well. It is commonly believed that Mary came to Ephesus with Saint John after the crucifixion of Christ and lived near the city for the remainder of their lives. There is no proof that the house was truly the final home of Mary, but it has been a place of pilgrimage since its discovery in the late 1800’s.

The story of how the house was discovered is just as interesting as the actual site itself. A German nun, Anne Catherine Emmerich, who was an invalid and never traveled outside of Germany had a vision of Mary and the house where she lived. She described the location in great detail in 1812 and it matched the hillsides of Ephesus. In 1881, the house was discovered using the description provided by Anne Catherine Emmerich by a French Priest and it has been visited by people ever since. Although the church has not officially weighed in on the authenticity of the site, several popes have visited the site and have held services at the chapel.

Seeing the house of the Virgin Mary is interesting, but walking through the ruins of Ephesus is more impressive. We only spent about a half hour walking around the house and listening to the history from our guide. In addition to the house, where photography is not permitted, there is a wishing wall with a spring with a fountain and water cistern where it is believed that baptisms took place.

How Time Flies – Lóndrangar and the Malariff Lighthouse on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula in Iceland

On February 9, 2023February 9, 2023 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn IcelandLeave a comment

It is hard to believe that it has been 7 years since our trip to Iceland. One of our favorite memories in Iceland was driving around the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. It was recommended to us by the staff at the hotel and it was certainly one of the highlights of our trip. The Golden Circle is certainly an absolute must, but you will be surrounded by crowds and tour buses while driving around the peninsula, at least in winter, will have you enjoying the natural beauty of the island on your own. Two of our favorite sights while driving around the peninsula was Lóndrangar, which is a pair of volcanic rocks that jut up along the coast and the Malariff Lighthouse located nearby. It is also a perfect place to see the “black beaches” of Iceland, which are beachs covered in black volcanic rocks.

Seeing the twin peaks of Lóndrangar is certainly an amazing sight and pictures don’t truly do it justice. Centuries of erosion have left these volcanic rocks looming over the edge of the coastline. The entire area is volcanic crater that has been enveloped by the ocean and now only lava rocks remain. We were fortunate to see Lóndrangar from two angles, first looking at them with the ocean sitting behind them and then later from the Malariff Lighthouse. Since we were there during the winter, the black lava rocks really stood out against the snowy landscape and glacial mountains off in the distance.

Next we drove to the Malariff Lighthouse, which is truly dramatic and well worth visiting. You are able to walk all around the lighthouse, which stands as a lonely sentry to protect ships from crashing into the rocky coast. As we arrived, the cloudy skies temporarily parted to provide an amazing backdrop to the white lighthouse. It is supposed to be a great location to see different water birds and even seals, but perhaps the weather was too cold for even them during our visit.

After walking around the lighthouse, we continued on to walk down to the shoreline and see the waves crashing against the lava lined coast. It certainly provides a sense of how powerful the ocean can be in this rugged land. It also provides evidence as to the clear need for the lighthouse when you see the waves splashing high above the rocks along the shore. Iceland is such a beautiful country and this little snippet of the coast will give you a true sense of the destructive forces that have created not only Iceland, but the world as a whole.