Going Global 2012: Breakfast with a View!

Happy Sabbath! This morning we anticipated for something different from all the other days since our stay in Istanbul. Today, we had breakfast at the Seven Hills Restaurant where we soaked in the beauty of nature and the grand display of the mosques. I LOVED THE VIEW!

This terrace view was perfect for photography! We could see the vast Sea of Marmara stretching out like a crescent blue moon surrounding the edge of Istanbul and its blue horizon reaching the Asia side of Istanbul. The ancient and grand Aya Sofya, with its orange reddish walls and minarets, rested to the right of the restaurant. Right next it on the right side, we could look down into an archaeological dig of underground homes or rooms that Dr. Mallery told us had been found unexpectedly. It was like looking into a sandbox and seeing treasures inside. Towards our left, we could see the Blue Mosque, more distant, but still grand with its six minarets pointing upwards towards the sky. I can’t imagine how long it took to build these and how skilled the builders must have been to put in tremendous detail into the architecture. Along with our panoramic view, we had a buffet of scrumptious vegetables, fruits, breads, cheese, mini hot dogs, delicious nectar and apple juices, and a taste of strong Turkish coffee. The coffee smell was very inviting. Some despised the drink, after having high hopes, but some just straight out loved its bitterness. After filling our stomachs, Rachel and I walked out to the Mallery’s apartment to have church worship, where we learned more about liturgical passages from the Nicene Creed and past Christian leaders. After that we headed back to the apartment to get ready for a swim in the Sea of Marmara! Again! Hew, Ron, Rachel, and I headed down towards the sea. Before getting there, there’s a metal bridge and underneath we found on the wall a spray painting that looked a lot like Banksy’s artwork. I was ecstatic that I finally saw one in person (hoping it is Banksy’s). At the sea, we found a ladder to go down to the big rocks. There were many people there swimming, fishing, or lying on the grass. Taking that first step onto the wet algae-covered rocks immersed in cool water was quite refreshing on a mid-hot day. We even made one young friend who jumped in the sea with us and kept saying, “Halo.” After our swim, we headed back and tried to finish our readings. After a long rest into the evening, Hew invited us all to try this small restaurant that served cheap yet delicious döner, which was moist shredded beef, with tomatoes and frenchfries, wrapped in long bread. Delicious food for a good price? I’ll want more next time! Our last stop was a small grocery store to buy food for tomorrow’s breakfast. Tomorrow I’m hoping to go swimming again, and maybe take more photos of the views! Allaha ısmarladık!