Mardin, Turkey

We went to Mardin, Turkey over the Christmas holiday to visit some friends. Dan and Alex went to the Citadel together, and now they live just a few hours apart in the Middle East!

Alex and his wife Jamie and their beautiful girls Abigail and Elisa were such fun. Our time with them was relaxing and refreshing - a wonderful vacation. I didn't know them before this trip, but it was like being with old friends.

Side note: Even though it's only a 3 hour distance, it took 10 hours to get there! Border patrol is pretty rigorous. (Also, they were on lunch break when we got there. Lunch is a serious matter.) The bright side: I caught up on my reading.

Right across the street from Alex and Jamie's apartment, there is an actual coffee shop serving actual coffee. Yes, that's a chocolate spoon!

In the market

At the Sultan Isa Madressi. Breathtaking view!

Overlooking the plains of northern Syria

The top of the mountain

The Deyrul Zafaran Monastery - a Syrian Orthodox Church built in the 5th century AD

Great architecture

Beautiful family!

Elisa and me

A pool of water next to a beautiful courtyard.

This one of Alex and Jamie is adorable.

The view was amazing.

Two Citadel boys and their rings of power

Also, here's a Red Bull commercial shot in Mardin. The spot where the guy does a flip at 2:30 is where we took the pictures at the pool of water. Pretty cool!