Come up to my place and live it up

Ok we promise we wıll put some more pictures on as soon as we get a chnace. Here is an update for now... pictures will follow soon...

Turkey has been in the news a lot lately due to the problems on the border with Iraq. There have been big protests in the centre of Istanbul and people are hanging Turkish flags off their balconies and from buildings. From our window I can see at least 50 or 60 flags, some of which cover the whole side of buildings. Due to lack of freedom of the press there is no real information in the newspapers but we are keeping up to date. We are also keeping a close eye on the DFAT travel advice website in case anything changes.

We will need to make a trip to the Australian Consulate next week to vote so maybe we will get the inside story! Speaking of voting, the election campaign appears to be in full swing and we are almost sorry we are missing out on all the mud slinging!! I hope the Australian Consulate puts on a sausage sizzle when we go to vote. Have your say and have a BBQ all at the same time . . . brilliant. . . . Australian democracy at its best!

We have also been doing a little tourism here in Istanbul. We actually scored some last minute tickets to the soccer a couple of weeks ago. We saw Besiktas play against a local Istanbul side. Besiktas fans had high expectations because the team had previously just beaten Liverpool in the Champions league.

A short insight to the crowd

A draw was a disappointing result. The crowd didn't seem to mind too much though. Let me tell you the Turkish football fans probably deserve their reputation for being passionate. The stadium literally moves to the beat as the fan fluffers get the entire crowd singing and moving to well rehearsed call and respond chants across the pitch. In fact, for the uninitiated, the spectacle of the crowd is more overwhelming and interesting than the game, especially at a lack lustre Nil All Draw.

Things are not always friendly though, a quick search of the net will show some rather disturbing news articles of tragic events surrounding wins or losses in Turkey. We went to the game with our flat mate Helen, and Josh and Jess (The Canadians) well aware that our personal security may well depend on the outcome of the game.

We have also spent a bit of time recently strolling around the market and old town areas of Istanbul. A favourite is the old Egyptian market, or Spice Markets.

We are slowly getting to know this city and we're really excited about having visitors - Jen and Steve are the first off the racks so we'll try out our limited local knowledge on them.

Fıshıng on the Bosphorous

As we are spending so much time on our room lately (due to our inability to forge long lasting, considerate adult relationships with our flatmates) we have spent some time, and money, making it our home.

The piece de resistance of our efforts has to be the A3 sized photos of our trip we blew up and put on the walls. We are so excited - Meaghan really has taken some great photos and it is so nice to see them in poster size prints.

Speaking of Meaghan, it was her birthday last weekend, and we had a lovely day over on the European side of town walking around Hagia Sophia and the Spice Markets. We had planned on staying over there in a flash hotel but a local legal requirement put an end to that.
(Apparently it is law that you carry photo identity at all times - we do now).

We did had a nice dinner in the Editors Pick (Lonely Planet) restaurant overlooking the mouth of the Bosphoros River and the Galata Bridge. What a view!

Of course the other news is that we have a new addition to the Adam and Meaghan family. His name is Dennis, and although he will only be with us for this month, we have both come to like him quite a lot and will be sorry when he goes. I've put a picture here for you.

We can't wait to come home at Christmas!!!!!!!! We are counting the days and they are flying by.