Saturday, September 26, 2009

Yes, I have news


Yesterday Bill and I put down deposits on a trip to Turkey next February.

This tour is 3 nights Istanbul, one in Canakkale, two in Kusadasi, one in Pamukkale, one in Konya, and two in Cappadocia. We are talking two more nights in Istanbul at the end.

To stand in the Great Church of Constantinople - if you know me at all....

To be in the land of the Cappadocian Fathers and Mothers (ain't gonna forget Macrina!)....

To go to Troy....
Arma virumque cano Troiae qui primus ab oris
Italiam, fato profugus, Laviniaque venit
litora multum ille et terris iactatus et alto
vi superum saevae memorem Iunonis ob iram
[That is from memory, learned in 1962; I know more lines but just needed a touch.]

I dropped out of a doctoral program in early and mediaeval Church history; Bill's undergraduate major was Byzantine history. You can imagine. I wouldn't want to take this trip with anyone else. He has been once but it will be different when we do it together.

OK, I will try to settle down now.

--the BB

7 comments:

MadPriest said...

I could never stand in the Hagia Sophia.
The sadness would kill me.

Paul said...

This trip is, to put it mildly, an opportunity to deal with deep emotions. I grew up among Armenians and feel like an honorary one. When I had a flagpole back in California I flew the Armenian flag on martyrs' day. I expect to cry a lot on this trip.

Göran Koch-Swahne said...

Que aprovechen!

Fran said...

Oh my Lord - what great news!!

Blessed be God forever for this journey - and it will be a journey and not a trip, for you and for Bill.

I will be praying you along the way, that it will be all that you wish and more.

I am sitting here crying at the very thought of it all!!!

Erp said...

Turkey is beautiful and the people we met friendly; I've been twice. Cappadocia is amazing. My mother and I walked the length of the Ihlara valley with its ancient churches among other things.

Paul said...

Sounds awesome, Erp! I will have extra memory cards and battery for my camera.

Erp said...

You'll need them. My first trip was during a time when many tourists were avoiding Turkey so we had places like Ephesus and Aphrodisias almost to ourselves. We also had a fair bit of choice on adjusting what we were doing hence the valley walk.