Flat Stanley photographs an Istanbul sunrise

So ... what do you know about Istanbul?

I have learned that Istanbul is in a country called Turkey and that the official population is 12.6 million people but that there are far more people living there really.

Istanbul is an ancient city and it used to be called Constantinople. It is located on the Bosphorus Strait and the Bosphorus is like a huge river between two continents.

Yes, Istanbul is a city on two continents!!
One half of the city is in continental Europe and the other half of the city is in Asia. And even more amazing is the fact that there are two huge bridges that allow people to drive over the Bosphorus, from Europe into Asia and back to Europe again.

This photograph is one that I took of sun rise on Leanders Tower in the Bosphorus Strait. This tower is also known as the Maiden's Tower and was built by an Athenian general called Alcibiades in 408 BC ... 2417 years ago.

I loved Istanbul.

Love
Flat Stanely

Flat Stanley finally writes home about Istanbul

Hey Guys,

I'm back and I am exhausted!

We were working 10 hours days over in Istanbul, taking photographs for the guidebook we hope to publish and then, in the evenings, we would process all of the photographs from our magical days in the city. Di is wayyyyy behind because she takes far too many photographs.

Anyway, here is a photograph of me enjoying a typical Turkish breakfast on a rooftop hotel balcony in the city of Istanbul. On the plate you will see black olives (Di's favourite), green olives, slices of bread, white cheese (goat I think) and then you can't see it so well but there is another kind of stringy cheese that was delicious. The tomatoes were so tasty and we had 3 small Turkish teacups of cay (tea) to wash it all down.

I have a million stories to tell you but I need to sleep tonight. The flight from Istanbul, Turkey to Brussels in Belgium is 3 hours and we have walked a million Istanbul miles with the cameras.

Sorry to be so quiet while I was there but get ready for 'Flat Stanley in Istanbul - the Novel!

Flat Stanley's Smoutebollen

IMAGINE ... 7 round deep-fried burning hot doughnuts without holes and you are close to imagining smoutebollen.

They're delicious with that light sprinkling of icing sugar on top ... but so hot that they burn your teeth when you try to eat them and the sugar goes EVERYWHERE!

Brusselse Wafel

Meet Sahara.

There's me, sitting waiting while she cuts up my Brusselse wafel. She's only 4 but she takes good care of me.

Flat Stanley Goes on an Eating Adventure!

Hi Guys,

It is difficult to write this post ... I'm not sure I want to think about food.

Maybe I'll begin by introducing you to Sahara - Di's granddaughter. Sahara and I had the best time yesterday but last night, before bed, we thought our stomachs might explode.

We ate:
frieten (fries)
bitterballen
brusselse wafel (waffle)
smoutebollen
and a huge cheese sandwich!

AND THEN, Di's husband brought home FRIETEN and BITTERBALLEN for dinner. And really, they are so tasty, that we ate them again!!

We ate too much!

Did you know, French fries were actually invented by the Belgians?
It's true.
The call them frieten and they eat them with mayonnaise.

I might stay here a while ... just until I fit back into the envelope.
I'm getting fat, guys.

How the City of Antwerpen Got Its Name.

Hey Guys!

Yesterday was a big day. I learned all kinds of the things about people with names like Antigoon and Silvius. I met Jessie, the daughter of Di and we hung out together for 5 hours. I like Jessie and might see if I can bring her home with me. Sssh, don't tell Di.

Jessie and I had fun. She would lift me up and put me into the corner of any photographs Di was trying to take. We thought we were very funny. You can see how I am smiling in the first photograph.

The next photograph ... don't be afraid but can you see me?
I'm there, right in the bottom of the photograph, sitting at the feet of Lange Wapper, a giant water ghost from Antwerp's past.

Now the story goes that there was another giant called Antigoon living here in the city of Antwerp a long time ago. The River Scheldt runs past the city and this giant used to stop all the ships passing by. He would make the captains pay him money before he would let them continue on up the river.

Some captains dared to refuse and do you know what he did?

He would chop off one of their hands and throw that hand into the river!

One day, a Roman soldier called Silvius Brabo came to the city. The silly giant tried his old trick and Silvius killed him, then chopped off his hand and threw it into the river.

And this story is actually the story of how the city of Antwerp (Antwerpen in Dutch) got its name. You see, in Dutch, 'werpen' means 'to throw' and the 'Ant' at the start of Antwerpen used to have an 'H' in front of it a long time ago. 'H'Ant meant 'Hand'.

We took some more photographs of Silvius Brabo throwing the hand and of ships on the river ... without a real-life giant there to stop them.

Tot straks!
It means, see you soon!

Flat Stanley Rides with the Giant Antigoon.

This might not look scary and I might be smiling but I was SCARED!!!!!!!!!!!!