EASTER WEEK IN ISTANBUL Spending Easter week in Istanbul with my sister was an experience beyond our expectations. In spite of having visited several middle-eastern cities over the past two years, I was taken by surprise at how different Istanbul is. It is a unque city straddling the Bosphorous Strait. An amazing mixture of east and west where you can find european style cafes lining the streets as well as an exotic spice bazaar and splendid mosques. In spite of the grandest mosques I have ever seen, e.g the Blue Mosque, it does not feel like a typical muslim city. Many people are dressed in a western style and you can feel a sense of openness to the world. The city was founded in the 7th century BC and was an important capital of the Byzantine Empire and later of the Ottoman Empire. One can find ancient restored mosaics, greek columns, and roman aqueducts. Comstantinople was the richest city in Christendom for almost a thousand years and its unique location between the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea contributed to its colorful history. The Hagia Sophia church is one of the greatest architectural wonders of the world and is more than 1400 years old. One is humbled by its enormous size and feeling of grandeur. Although most everyone would say that tulips originated in The Netherlands, this small bulb was cultivated in Turkey and main avenues are lined with brilliantly blooming tulips at this time of the year. The many parks are filled with families on Sundays and the views over the water are everchanging. Early in the morning one could see hundreds of tankers waiting in line in the Sea of Marmara to enter the Bosphorous to proceed to the Black Sea and the oil refineries. Istanbul is a city that has gone through many transformations and now clearly prides itself on its modernity while treasuring the richness of its past. The smells, colors,sounds, challenge your senses and my sister and I thoroughly enjoyed exploring this jewel of the Middle East. Hoping your Easter was one of new beginnings, warmest greetings, yvonne