“April (Sun) Showers”
Coming from San Diego, Ireland of course seems rainy, very rainy. Come to find out, this was one of the wettest winters in 40 years. You know it’s bad when the locals debate whether this year or the storm season of ’86-87 was worse. I don’t know who to complain to, but it feels like we should get some money back.
It’s fair to say that we were more than ready for some sun! One of the advantages of living in Europe is the opportunity to explore interesting places that are harder to get to from San Diego, so we followed the sun to Turkey and Georgia. With 80-degree weather, I was finally able to emerge from my winter cocoon. (Fashion in Ireland for the last six months has been snow pants and super snow pants.)
Türkiye. East meets west. You gotta love Turkey. It changed its name to Türkiye after being teased in school about being named after an unattractive bird. But this seems like a hasty decision given the love we Americans have for the much-celebrated bird. After all, millions of kids each year trace their hands with crayons in honor of the turkey. Türkiye is technically pronounced “Turkey-yay”. But, shhh…they still call it “Turkey”.
Türkiye is a fascinating place geologically, archeologically, and historically — a tapestry of cultural riches. While Istanbul is a massive, sprawling city, the old city in Istanbul really gives you a sense of history and geopolitics given its strategic location between Europe and Asia. Cappadocia and Pamukkale provide other-worldly landscapes, and Ephesus and Hieropolis have mind-blowing ruins. And then there’s Turkish breakfast, a smorgasbord of Mediterranean delights. (Even Eric, who eats the same cereal every morning, loved the Turkish breakfast!) The Turkish word for breakfast is kahvaltı, which means “before coffee”. Perhaps this is why Turkish breakfast has never caught on in the U.S.!☕️
It was interesting to be in a Muslim country — to hear the daily call to prayer and see how Islam is experienced in everyday life. The mosques are abundant and beautiful. While Christians represent a tiny minority today, 60% of the locations mentioned in the Bible are in Türkiye. It was fascinating as a Christian to see the earliest rock churches in the 1st century, the eight-story underground cave city where Christians hid from Roman persecution, and amazing places like Ephesus, which served as foundations of the early church.
Georgia on My Mind. Our friend Stanislav recommended Georgia as a beautiful country with beautiful people. How could we resist?
While Georgia is a bit off the beaten path, it has been an up-and-coming tourist destination. The Caucasus mountains have soaring peaks like the Alps and awe-inspiring hikes. There are stunning Orthodox Christian cathedrals and monasteries throughout the country. The capital Tbilisi is a charming city. And then there’s wine. As one of the oldest winemakers, Georgians have been making wine the same way in Kvevri clay pots since 6000 B.C. (for reals!), so they’ve gotten pretty good at it! 🍷😚
Also interesting are the vestiges of Georgia’s history as a former Soviet state. We drove the Georgian Military Highway (built by the Soviets) connecting Russia to the Georgian capital Tbilisi with stunning views of the Caucasus. Along the highway is the Russian-Georgian Friendship Monument built by the Russians to say, “Look, we’re besties”.
“We used to be comrades. Now things are more complicated.”
The Georgian Military Highway is a major thoroughfare for oil tankers from Russia and trucks transporting goods to places like Azerbaijan. We hired a driver to take us down the pass. He was…you could say…a tad aggressive. He was like, “Narrow, winding mountain pass? Outdated Soviet-era highway? 18-year old car with cheap tires? Passing 18-wheelers on a curve? Bring it on!”
A Real-Life Education. We went to Georgia for vacation but left with quite the education. Days before we left on our trip, we got wind of protests happening in Tbilisi. We thought the country had a healthy democracy with close ties to the west. (80% of Georgians favor joining the EU.) But the ruling party (showing pro-Russian leanings) is trying to pass a law, which the people call “the Russian law”, aimed at suppressing opposition and dissent. Two regions in Georgia have been occupied by Russia since 2008, and Georgians see the new law as an existential threat. Up to 50,000 people have been protesting every night since April 17.
One of the people we met said if you put Georgians and the country anywhere else, they would thrive. Great people. Great country. “The problem is we’re in the wrong neighborhood.”
We left with an ominous feeling about the country. Georgians fear imminently losing their freedoms, seeing their aspirations of joining the EU evaporate, and having Russia set the agenda for their future. It was much different than just reading the headlines; it was eye-opening to be there and talk to people who are living through it.
Back to the Blarney. When we returned from our trip, we were reminded that we were back in Kansas (or Ireland as the case may be). On our walk to breakfast, Eric and I passed a modern home in our neighborhood. Only we did a double take because there were now four cows in the front yard. By the time we finished breakfast, they were gone. Perhaps they were just on holiday. 🐄🐮
Another surprise was finding a package in our car when we returned. When the postman doesn’t want to leave a package sitting out on your doorstep, he checks for an open car door and throws the package in the front seat. Genius!
All in all, it was an interesting month fo sure!
We hug you tightly!
The Leprechauns☘️
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A Bit O' Blarney 
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