The education of the next generation

 I have taken my two nieces on trips to Europe before. It was easier because we live on the same coast, in fact, 20 minutes away from each other. These are my brother's kids. The two boys are my sister's kids. She complained to me one day, 'you've never taken my kids on trips.' So this trip I had to take to take them. I told my sister, I'm not going to plan any special trip for them, it'll be what I want to do and where I want to go and they will just tag along. The logistic was a little harder, they live on the wrong coast, rather the east coast. So I had to go to New York, travel with them to Turkey and return to New York to hand them back to my sister and return home to California. I was sick for weeks after returning because the flight home was over 24 hours. These two boys were such troopers, lapping up every adventure, touring old Georgian churches, old Armenian churches, eating Turkish food and loving it, hiking in a strange country, riding on strange buses and speaking a language none of us knew.

It is amazing what travel can do to a person. I know for a fact their lives are forever changed. Mine has since my first trip abroad. I remember my first trips abroad, almost always alone. With each trip I gather more courage and now Sophie, my sister in law comes along and together we're a formidable duo.
These two boys got to see their old aunt in action. I just pick up my bags and I'm going.....

The interiors of OsVank

Usually the domes of these 1000 year old churches are still intact because they are supported by 4 huge stone pillars. As for the rest, some of the roofs would have fallen leaving gaping holes in the ceiling. There are traces of frescoes left on some of the walls. The stone pillars are massive and beautiful. OsVank is very beautiful still even in the sad state it's in today. The village has grown around it and the people are friendly.

OsVank

It was easier to locate this cathedral. It sat on a hillside and sticks out like a sore thumb amid a Turkish village. There was a mosque built right next to it. As with every church I walk the perimeter to survey and take pictures of the exterior first. "Survey".... I feel like the English explorer, Gertrude Bell who spent considerable time surveying old Byzantine churches in Turkey, Syria and Iraq. It was a triumph to have located this church, I felt like Indiana Jones. We met another visitor who was leaving as we arrived. Other than that places like this hardly see any visitors. One needs to rent a car to get to these places or pay an expensive taxi ride which was what we did. I had to find an ATM machine many times during the trip. It was worth it, when would I ever return? This is Georgian, built in the 10th century. While our taxi driver sits and chat with the locals, we went surveying the church. It was a very important church in its hey day. Click here to read more http://www.choruh.com/en/tarih/kiliseler/the-monastery-of-osk-oskvank

Wild roses and poppies

They are everywhere and are so delightful. I can't believe that I traveled half the world only to marvel at these little flowers but I did. One doesn't need to plant a rose garden here or any garden, the whole place is a rose garden and a wild flower garden. North Eastern Turkey in June is so gorgeous. It looked more like England except for the people and the architecture. They are more conservative where Islam is concerned and they are the loveliest people, in spirit and in looks. They were so appreciative of the fact that we look so different and yet we found their country worth visiting. I cannot speak more highly of the people in this part of Turkey.We would see more and more wild flowers in the days ahead.

Haho monastery

It was apparent that this place has not seen any visitors in a while. It was overgrown with trees and shrubs and there were no tracks anywhere. It wasn't easy to find it and we almost missed it. I must be crazy to have gone half the world just to see this ruin. It was converted to a mosque at one time and it seems that there are frescoes still inside but it was locked tight and we had no way of getting in. So we wandered around the perimeter to see the exterior of the church and the little chapels near it. It was built in the 10th century by a Georgian king. The dome is still intact and beautiful with ble tiles glistening in the sun. To find out more, click here http://www.choruh.com/en/tarih/kiliseler/the-monastery-of-haho-hahuliI was now very happy, at least, it wasn't a wasted trip. By now some of the villagers came by to chat and I mentioned to them another name 'OsVank'. They started in Turkish about it and I motioned to my taxi driver, 'now we go look for OsVank.' I motioned to him to get instructions from the villagers on how to get there. It is just further along on the main road and on to another turn off. He nodded his head and I wrote on a piece of paper the amount of Turkish Liras I'm going to add on if he gets us to OsVank! He nodded and off we went looking for the other old Georgian church that I came to see.