Canals & Clogs

Ben, Bec & I in our favourite shop in Turkey - so many treats in such a small area :) The tiles are so cool and add to the excellent atmosphere that this shop has. And the owner is the cutest guy I've seen since I started travelling! (see picture in Turkish Delights post...!) Even though this photo does not strictly fit in with the theme of Canals & Clogs, it's one of my favourites so therefore it is allowed entry :) And I'm the boss of this blog, so I can do what I want!!!

Hello everyone,

Here is an update from Holland!

I left Turkey on Friday afternoon at 2:00pm, which was a little sad because I'd had such a great time there. I caught the tram from Istanbul to Ataturk airport which was an experience in itself. For some strange reason, trams in Istanbul sometime bounce back to their starting point - who knows why! That happened to me on Friday morning when I ducked out to do the last few things before I left Turkey, which was odd, but it didn't bother me too much because I knew where I was going. Then on my way to the airport (which is a two tram exercise) it happened again. On the second tram it bounced back.... a bit of a problem because I probably hadn't given myself enough of a time window to account for these types of things. I sorted it out, though, and made it to the airport, only to be greeted by a VERY LONG LINE! Thankfully I had checked in online the previous evening so I could skip the line and head straight to the bag drop. It was very fortunate that I could do that because, as it was, I was one of the last passengers on the plane..... next time I will give myself those few extra minutes I think!

I arrived in Holland on Queen's Day. A day where Dutchies have the day off to party :) Amsterdam was chock-a-block with people, orange clothing and flags and even more chock-a-block with rubbish :) Quite a surprise! Saturday was spent exploring the city. On Sunday I listened to some sermons & played around on the internet and on Monday I caught up with Janita, which was heaps of fun :)

Now I'm spending time with Janita and enjoying all that Holland has to offer.

Enjoy the photos.

Love to you all and a BIG HUG and KISS to Mum, Dad, Phil, Lauren & Stuart xxxxx

Sarah

This was the first thing I saw when I walked off the plane. It made me laugh so much because it's so typically Dutch. What a contrast to Turkey!
Then, when I stepped off the train from Schipol Airport, I walked up the stairs to exit the train station and the first thing I saw was a canal. There was no escaping the fact that I was in Holland - the signs were everywhere :)

Outside the Anne Frank House, which I visited on Saturday

Quite unassuming-you would never guess the history it holds when you stand outside

Anne Frank. It's amazing to think that such a young girl wrote such a detailed, informative and emotional diary that showed a maturity beyond her years. It was such a powerful experience walking through the rooms that were the hiding place for 8 Jews during WW2. In one way, the space is bigger than what I expected but when you consider the fact that it formed the whole world for 8 people, it seems to decrease in size... does that make sense?

Swans sleeping. Did you know that they tuck their heads in like that?

The house in the middle is the skinniest house in Holland - unbelievable hey!

I was pretty excited to see my first clog - it was a really big one so that made it even better

I expected to see bikes everywhere, which I have, but it's still a novelty. It's just so cool to see people riding and to see bikes tied in every possible place - I have made the mistake of walking on the bike path and it's actually quite surprising that I haven't been hit by one :)

Tulips! I walked through the flower market on Saturday and I saw tulips everywhere! They are such stunning flowers - A gentle hint: tulips are my favourite :)

A beautiful Dutch canal - the lights look really pretty, don't you think?

On Monday I caught up with Janita and we spent the day in Amsterdam. It was very rainy and bitterly cold! First stop, the Van Gogh Museum where we waited in the rain for an hour to buy our tickets. It was freezing but I'm thankful to say that the hour was worth it. The Museum holds so many masterpieces; wherever you look you can find a new favourite! It was amazing to see how Van Gogh's style changed throughout his years as an artist - you could really tell that he sought inspiration from his surroundings as well as from other artists that he worked with, in order to develop his skills further.

World famous - Van Gogh's Sunflowers

An attempt at a photo of one of Van Gogh's famous pieces. Flowers were the subject of so many of his works.

Heineken - the oldest family owned brewery in the world. It's been in the family for 4 generations and produces a beer that is loved WORLDWIDE! You should experience the same Heineken flavour wherever you drink it, thanks to the special Heineken yeast :) Apparently the world is happier when there is a little more green - Heineken green, that is!

Two tourists + boards that you can stick your head in = a few cheesy photos!

And again...

Can't argue with that can you?!

The key components to a good beer - water, barley, hops - which absolutely STINK, kinda like really smelly feet - and yeast. Heineken has their own special yeast which gives the beer its distinct flavour :)

CHEERS!

Janita and I enjoying a beer at the Heineken Brewery

To prove that I was there! If only this beer mat could fit into my backpack.... :)

Isn't this clever?!?! The bottles connect together to form 'bricks', so you can create sustainable housing just by having a beer! Seems like a good idea to have more than one, hey!

I was in Holland for 5 days before I spotted any droppies. And there I was thinking that I had the best droppie radar of anyone! Must not be the droppie freak that I thought I was....!

Turkish Delights

Hey everyone,
I thought I would do an entry on Turkish food because it gives you an idea of all the gastronomical delights I encountered on my trip through Turkey. It's a country well worth visiting, and not just for the food :)

Enjoy!
S xx

Can't get more Turkish than kebabs! As you walk around you hear, "Kebab! Kebab! Chicken Kebab!" There are kebab shops everywhere and they are certainly the cheapest option for meals :) Too bad the Turkish people aren't fans of salad.... One funny thing is that they serve chips in the kebab, together with meat, and a tiny piece of tomato or lettuce. Not like the kebabs you get at home :)

This is your typical breakfast - fetta, tomato, cucumber, devon, egg, olives, cornflakes and bread. One of the guys on the tour joked that no matter where you go and where you stay, you will always get the same breakfast. He said they must have a button that says - Insert Turkish breakfast here... !

Spices at the spice market, beautifully displayed!

Tea and spices at the spice market. The smell is sensational!

This cute man makes these chocolate covered treats - chocolate covered nuts and chocolate covered coffee beans - divine! He sits behind his counter from 7:00am to 11:00pm everyday! He loves giving his customers samples of his tasty treats. I get the impression that he is happy when his customers are happy and he especially loves it when his customers come back more than once :)

This is what you see in every third shop window in Turkey - and there are so many lane ways with so many shops. I am not joking, it's every third shop at least!

a HUGE display of mini cakes, nuts and, of course, some turkish delight!

Cakes, jellies and anything with sugar! You see it everywhere :)

Turkish pudding - just another way to add sugar to your diet!

BAKLAVA!!!!!!!!!!!!! So good!!! I tried a couple pieces, just to see what it was like and I can imagine that it would get very addictive! The bakers do, now and then, give you a little sample to taste, which is really kind of them. I like the chocolate flavoured one the best - it also had pistachios in it. Turks love pistachio in their sweets! Baklava goes great with a good cup of coffee!

This is Turkish coffee. I had to have one in my time in Turkey, even though I would have been quite happy to miss the experience - I had been warned by a few others that Turkish coffee is like drinking mud - and they are absolutely right! It has a really bitter taste; the best way that I can describe it is that it tastes like really old paper - the kind that you get in old books from second hand book shops. It tastes exactly like that smells :) It comes in a really small cup (although that's hard to see in this photo) and you don't drink the whole lot because at the bottom there is a really thick layer of ground coffee. It was so thick that it reminded me of the silt in the Tamar River. Can I offer you a cup?!

Turkish tea. Tea is a real 'thing' in Turkey. The men sit around drinking it all day in these little glass cups - I should have taken a photo of one but I didn't think of it... I reckon the Turkish people drink at least 20 cups a day, it's insane!! When you go into a shop you are often offered a cup of tea. Apparently Turkish hospitality is such that you offer all friends tea when they visit you, especially 'friends' who are spending their money so you can earn a living :)

They also do flavoured tea and my favourite is apple. It's a sweet tea with a crisp flavour, mmmmm. Drinking apple tea at the end of the day with a great bunch of people is the best! Even the most Aussie blokes on the tour got into it :)

Close up of the delicious turkish delights! When you walk around the spice markets or into the little treat shops you are given samples to taste. Lots of fun! Hours of amusement for backpackers that have free time :) The cheap stuff is made from sugar, the more expensive stuff is made from honey. You're looking at prices ranging from $44 - $65 a kilogram! Not a cheap sugar fix :)

Huge slabs of turkish delight - with pistachio inside = DELICIOUS

p.s. sorry about all of the sideways photos. Turkish computers just don't understand me.

Gallipoli 2010

Hello everyone,

ANZAC Day 2010 is a day that I will always treasure, being thankful for the gift God has given me in allowing me to attend the ANZAC services in Gallipoli - where it all happened. The 25th April will never be the same for me. To actually be in Gallipoli was amazing. I've reflected a lot over the last week, thinking about how to put the moments into words, but no words can completely do justice to the experience.

To get there we travelled from Cannakale, going across the Dardanelles by ferry, just like our brave soldiers. What an incredible feeling! To actually be travelling across the waters that played such a key part in many battles of WW1 gave me goosebumps. As we walked into the Gallipoli, past ANZAC Cove, towards North Beach where the ANZAC Commemorative Site is, so many thoughts passed through my mind - the many historical facts I have read, the stories of soldiers that I have shared with my students, the artefacts I've seen in the Australian War Memorial. These all had contributed to forming a picture in my mind of what Gallipoli is like but no amount of reading or study can truly prepare you for what see when you are there.

The cliffs are huge! For the soldiers to scale these cliffs with heavy equipment packs was a massive task alone, but to do it amidst gunfire was virtually impossible. For anyone to have survived that first battle is a miracle! The Turks had such a vantage point - the cliffs gave them a perfect view of all that was happening below.

Throughout the afternoon we explored the area a bit - but we weren't allowed on the beach, although we were given permission the next day - this meant we could walk along the beach where the ANZACs landed, which was a breathtaking experience. We walked on the ground where it all happened. Walking along, thinking about the battles and all that our soldiers faced, makes it so real.

During the evening and throughout the night a Reflective Program ran on the screen. This commemorated the landings on the Peninsula and told the story of the Gallipoli campaign. It highlighted the bonds that have been established between nations that fought against eachother during the First World War. A very powerful message.

As dawn appeared, it brought with it the Dawn Service. The service began with a light show that focused on the Sphinx, a towering cliff that many ANZACs saw as they faced gunfire from all sides. The music that played conveyed the tragedy of war and the intensity of the Gallipoli Campaign.

The Dawn Service was a time of intense emotion and remembrance. From we there visited many of the cemeteries before walking up the hill to Lone Pine. The walk itself highlighted the difficulties the ANZACs faced - such steep and impenetrable terrain. We attended the Lone Pine service which brought home even more the losses Australia faced during WW1.

Our Gallipoli experience concluded with a walk to Chunuk Bair, where the NZ service was held.

I could say so much more, which I'll do when I'm home. (There are heaps of photos on facebook if you would like to see more.... )

Gallipoli was such an incredible part of my holiday. Moments I will always treasure and never forget.

To the men who gave their lives for our freedom we can be truly thankful. Lest We Forget!

I will finish with the words of the Ode of Remembrance, that form such a key part of all ANZAC ceremonies.

They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old:

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning

We will remember them.

One of the trenches

Shaney and I on the ferry that took us from Cannakale to Eceabat

Entering the Dardanelles - there were a few battleships to add to the atmosphere

Seeing this sign brought on so many different feelings for me. It was a surreal experience, driving into the Gallipoli National Park

Part of the memorial park at the Kabatepe Museum

The Gallipoli coastline as we walked in from the bus drop off. This is the first part of the Gallipoli Penisula that I saw

A bunch of us - front - Bec, middle - Rob, me, back - Joel and Leanne. Joel and Leanna are from NZ and were interviewed for the NZ news. Cool hey!

ANZAC - 5 letters that say so much

The Gallipoli cliffs

Enjoying the feeling of actually being there

The sun as it was beginning to set over the waters of North Beach - where the ANZAC Dawn Service is held

Bunking down for the night - wasn't as cold as we all expected so that was good! Was incredible being amongst so many other Australians, on the very hills that the ANZACS fought on

Part of the Reflective program - a presentation from New Zealand - was amazing!

As the Dawn Service started, profiles of some of the soldiers who fought appeared on the screen. This made the whole experience so much more intense as the men who fought became more than 'soldiers' but real men, with real stories who lost their lives for our freedom. This soldier was born in Launceston... what else do I need to say?

The Dawn Service light show - you can see the Sphinx in the background, which is one of the first sections of the Gallipoli terrain that the ANZACs glimpsed

A small part of the crowd of people that attended the Dawn Service

A lonely boat; quite a different scene to the one 95 years ago

The peacefulness we see today - everything is calm and you can hear birds singing. Such a contrast to the sights and sounds facing our soldiers

Looking up the beach that some of the ANZACs landed on. You can just spot the cliffs in the background

Looking out over the waters that the ANZACs came in on; gives you the chills

Looking up to the flags of Turkey, New Zealand and Australia. It's such a miracle that all of these nations can gather together in peace, despite the tragedies our nations faced at the hands of the other. Ataturk's speech in 1934 says it all - look it up if you don't know it :)

The wreaths after the Dawn Service

This grave says it all -through war there have been terrible losses, but when you have the knowledge that our Faithful Father guides you, then you can have peace, even in tragedy. This soldier, like many others, had that peace.

Looking down to the Shell Green Cemetery, on the way to Lone Pine

The Lone Pine Cenotaph

The Lone Pine