2 giant sites, one long day...

It's been a long and crazy and wonderful week. I had a quiz Thursday and yesterday was an excursion day. Once a week the program director takes us all to the European side and we see sites of historical importance and cultural wonders... We do the things tourists do too.
We saw Hagia Sofia (some of us, me included, for the second time, and 2 or 3 for the 3rd!) and the Blue Mosque in one somewhat long day yesterday... It was crowded at both places and totally worth it at both places.
But my, is it ever beautiful.... Hagia Sofia is under restoration and renovation right now, so there is scaffolding up all over the place, but it's still breathtakingly beautiful. The sheer size and scale of the place.... WOW.
And I LOVED hearing out professor tell us what speculation says it would have been like in its original splendor. Getting to see these awesome and ancient places is...amazing.
It's also an interesting experience to see the way some of the elements of the architecture work together... Mary as Mother of God is depicted and on either side of her are roundels with Muslim names- I think the name of God and Muhammad.
I'd show you pictures but Blogger doesn't want for me to.
Kay. Enough for now. After celebrating a bit too hard for my birthday last night, I need a nap.