Burgazada

Sonia's nickname, over a shop in Kadıköy not far from my apartment.

We were so hungry when we left the apartment we could not resist buying some dereotu poğaça, that heavenly dill and white cheese filled pastry, and gobbling them down while we waited for a dolmuş. We went to Bostancı, had Adana kebab, and climbed on a boat headed to Burgaz island.

The island has its charms: small houses, flowers everywhere, free wandering horses, a steady breeze, fields of various shrubs and small trees, etc. A couple of stray dogs decided to follow us all around the island.

They even waited for us while we took pictures.

It was about that time that I noticed a bright sundog in the sky. As we climbed higher, we got a better view and were treated to a wondrous and rare atmospheric effect.

Not only was there a sundog on the other side, there was even a well-pronounced rainbow above the Sun! It's not hard to see that it is all part of an entire halo.

From high above, we could see a beach.

So we hiked down to it, through a very narrow path in the woods. The Sun was setting when we got to the beach.

These last few days with Sonia have been unforgettable. The islands have really impressed me and I have loved spending time with Sonia in such a peaceful place. We talked and joked about many things and experienced many other beautiful moments. The sundog, the lone horse running up the street, the Sun setting while we swam, and the dogs following us everywhere were all moments out of a movie. The movie is ours and we've really enjoyed the show so far.

I hope you enjoy these tidbits and photos. Many more to come.