Tuliptastic

Trip Start Oct 24, 2005
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Trip End Ongoing


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Friday, April 16, 2010

April in Istanbul spells tulips -- everywhere.  Since 2006, the city has planted 3 million tulips a year in parks, boulevards, and medians throughout the city.  The result is spectacular: reds, yellows, purples, and whites as far as the eye can see -- it's stunning.  The city throws an annual tulip festival in March and April, the highlight of which is Emirgan Park, which is covered from entrance to exit in more varieties of tulips than I've ever seen.  

This year, the tulips were at their peak the first half of April.  We were worried that we might have waited too long, but by the time we made it over to Emirgan Park, on Istanbul's northside, we were treated to more tulips than the mind could imagine.  Our friend, Sara, had recently returned from South Africa where she had torn most of the ligaments in her foot.  She was now crutching around Istanbul, which is no easy task, given the multitude of hills and the cobblestone streets.  She decided to go along with us, so we opted to bus it out to Emirgan and hike the short distance up the hill to the park.  

As you can see from the pictures, it was another gorgeous, sunny spring day in Istanbul, and we had a marvelous time going barefoot in the grass (something we never, ever got to do in Vietnam).  Should you have the opportunity to visit Istanbul in the spring, jump at the chance -- it's gorgeous!
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