Istanbul NOT Constantinople

Well I am a week into my Prato study course, it's been pretty full on. "Intensive" the uni calls it. Mind numbing comes to mind as well... Four hours of European Union integration theory is not something I would inflict upon anyone in a great hurry.

But Turkey! What a place!

Istanbul is insane. Such contrasts everywhere you go. You can watch Turks drinking themselves silly whilst someone walks by on their way to pray as the Call to Prayer blasts from the speakers of the Blue Mosque. Crazy. The people can be so polite - like the lovely man I bought some scarves from at the Grand Bazaar, offering apple tea and a seat, or utterly horrid "hey lady, you want a leather jacket? Hey! Lady! You come over here!" the buildings - some centuries old next to brand new buildings. And it's nocturnal!! The building site across from our hotel seemed to START work at 8pm.

We spent three hectic days in Istanbul, getting to see Topkapi Palace, the Grand Bazaar, the Spice Market, Dolmabahce Palace, a cruise on the Bosphorus, and of course the Blue Mosque.. which I wasn’t too keen on going in and even less keen on coming out.

We then made our way (with most of the group with stomach bugs by this stage- yay!) to the Gallipoli Peninsula. Which has been one of the most profound and amazing experiences of my (rather short) life. It is truly unbelievable that such a beautiful, peaceful and tranquil place was once a site of death, destruction and chaos. We hiked all over the ridges and gulleys around Anzac Cove, struck out to Helles Cape and Krithia, and even made it to the little known and rarely visited cemeteries near Suvla Bay. There is so much more to Gallipoli than the Australian history curriculum teaches. It’s a crime really. We focus so heavily on that tiny tiny beach. But thousands of British, Irish, Indian and French troops died along-side the Australians and New Zealanders. Many thousands more Turkish men died defending their home.

The best day was easily snorkelling just off of North Beach, over the wreck of a landing craft. The Aegean waters are crystal clear and warm. We came along the coast on a boat, seeing the landscape from the water gave an entirely different perspective. Being able to look up to Walkers Ridge and see those cliffs and ridges… Another surprise was the Turkish memorials. The whole Peninsula is dotted with Australian, New Zealand, British and of course Turkish memorials. But none feel like they are celebrating the glory of war. Much of the sentiment of the memorials is that or reconciliation, of friendship, especially between Turkey and Australia.

We got to go and meet students from the 18th of March University in Canakkale, they were all very nice and were very obliging to speak to us in English. Our little Monash group was just great. We were pretty much a family by the last night.

Prato has been great for my learning… but if I continue to eat gelati and pasta at this rate I won’t fit on the plane home!

More to come on Prato and probably Cinqe Terre!!