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Alma is on her big around-the-world trip with Glady. She is planning to vote by absentee ballot in the 1956 Presidential election. I'm betting she voted for Eisenhower.
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Please send to Eva and Edie.
I am hoping for letters in Damascus. I hope that my absentee ballot will be there, also the copy of my will. Did you find it?
Rain today! It is the first of the season. This is a region of winter rain, like Italy + Greece.
Park Hotel, Istanbul, Oct. 7
[initials of people who read this letter:]
EMS
AGS
Clara
ESE
[end of initials]
Dear AG:
Gladys + I arrived here Friday noon, and having had a good lunch at the Brit. Emp. Airline, we were ready to start off on a Cook’s Tour at 2:30. We have had 4 Tours - the way to see a new city in a short time. This is in-between-seasons, so that the tours are small 6-15 people - pleasant for us, but not so good for the company. We have had two different guides, both very good.
Friday afternoon we went to the old Palace of the Sultans and saw the Museum of China, + of Armor, and a few other things. It is a marvelous collection of Chinese china, thousands of pieces and there are many in warehouses because there is no place to exhibit them. Many of the pieces were presents to the Sultans, but they also bought pieces. There is also Japanese china, German, French + Turkish. Armor doesn’t interest me but I did enjoy the china. We went to the wien [???] market in the Old City - about 5,000 bazaars under one roof, a maze of narrow passages “in toutes directions”. When it was time to leave, the guide had a problem in rounding up the 12 people although he always stopped + raised his arms at each turn. He got them all but he said that he usually lost someone. I kept my eye on him and almost hung on to his coat-tail. I am sure that if I were left behind I’d be there until the Judgement Day. There are bazaars for almost everything: the food bazaars are on the outside.
This morning we observed Sunday by going to two Mosques, that of Suleiman the Magnificent + the Sultan Ahmet Mosque (known to tourists as “ the blue mosque”) and to St. Sophia, which is now a museum and not a mosque. The second is extraordinarily beautiful with a great deal of blue in the decoration, and the largest pillars I have ever seen. It has a little stained glass 17th + 19th Cent, and not very good; it was put in after an earthquake and is not as good as that in the few stained glass windows in Suleiman’s Mosque. Our guide was very good in explaining the structure and use of the mosques. He is a Muslim, as are 85% of the Turkish people. Gladys + I both felt woefully weak on Turkish history and have nothing to read up in - no Michelin guides here! I hope that we can find something at “Cousin Eleanor’s.” You will surely be better informed than we are when you come to Turkey.
Yesterday we did the environs of Istanbul with a different guide. He said that his ancestors came from Georgia and were Circassians. He is not as dark as most Turkish people and has brown hair and blue eyes. He took us along the Bosphorus to the Black Sea where there was a delightful summer resort. We had the Turkish equivalent of Coca Cola with lemon. The water was the loveliest we have seen - blue to purple to pale green; he said it was usually darker in the winter it may have seemed dark + black to the early sailors. We saw heather and bracken on the hillsides, we also saw some fair to middling trees, and some very large government nurseries, as well as dams for irrigation projects.
In the afternoon we went across the Bosphorus on a ferry to the part of Istanbul in Asia. The bus was taken on the ferry. There is no bridge - rather too wide for one. That part is old but what is known as the “Old city” is on the European side and we have visited it on both trips in the city. We had fine views from the sister city, in the city opposite, the Sea of Marmora at the “Golden Horn” (a narrow bay), as well as the Bosphorus.
Yesterday was Independence Day and was celebrated with parades and decorations. It seems odd to see a “Turkey red” flag with crescent and star everywhere and none of the flags that we know. We saw an American flag at the Hilton Hotel, flying beside the Turkish flag. The Divan Hotel is even newer than the Hilton, and Gladys and I went there last night to have Turkish Coffee at the outdoor café. I don’t like Turkish coffee but thought I should have it here once in Turkey! I can’t tell all about Turkey on one sheet, especially as I should tell about the rest of our trips in Greece.
We went to Saloniki Tues. + Wed. to visit the Farm School (my especial interest at Anatolia College (Gladys’s). We had a wonderful time and were treated like honored guests. Anne Kellogg House and her husband Charles House were at the head of it for 35 yrs. She was a student of mine. Mr. Lansdale has been president for 2-3 yrs. It is a very interesting place there they give a 4 yr. Course in practical agriculture and industry, and they send the boys back to their villages to teach by demonstration. At chapel, after the regular hymn and Bible reading, a senior boy (they do it in turns) gave a talk on “Milking”. I could not get the gist, but could get the milking motions of his hands.
We were given bouquets + a souvenir calendar. Then we shook hands with the 185 boys who have vigorous handshakes! This evening we go to Beirut and in 2-3 days to Damascus. With much love, A.G.S.
I met 3 Oberlin people at Anatolia.
It was also “Tag day” and we got the colored flowers for contributions to the T.B. fund (we think).
I am hoping for letters in Damascus. I hope that my absentee ballot will be there, also the copy of my will. Did you find it?
Rain today! It is the first of the season. This is a region of winter rain, like Italy + Greece.
Park Hotel, Istanbul, Oct. 7
[initials of people who read this letter:]
EMS
AGS
Clara
ESE
[end of initials]
Dear AG:
Gladys + I arrived here Friday noon, and having had a good lunch at the Brit. Emp. Airline, we were ready to start off on a Cook’s Tour at 2:30. We have had 4 Tours - the way to see a new city in a short time. This is in-between-seasons, so that the tours are small 6-15 people - pleasant for us, but not so good for the company. We have had two different guides, both very good.
Friday afternoon we went to the old Palace of the Sultans and saw the Museum of China, + of Armor, and a few other things. It is a marvelous collection of Chinese china, thousands of pieces and there are many in warehouses because there is no place to exhibit them. Many of the pieces were presents to the Sultans, but they also bought pieces. There is also Japanese china, German, French + Turkish. Armor doesn’t interest me but I did enjoy the china. We went to the wien [???] market in the Old City - about 5,000 bazaars under one roof, a maze of narrow passages “in toutes directions”. When it was time to leave, the guide had a problem in rounding up the 12 people although he always stopped + raised his arms at each turn. He got them all but he said that he usually lost someone. I kept my eye on him and almost hung on to his coat-tail. I am sure that if I were left behind I’d be there until the Judgement Day. There are bazaars for almost everything: the food bazaars are on the outside.
This morning we observed Sunday by going to two Mosques, that of Suleiman the Magnificent + the Sultan Ahmet Mosque (known to tourists as “ the blue mosque”) and to St. Sophia, which is now a museum and not a mosque. The second is extraordinarily beautiful with a great deal of blue in the decoration, and the largest pillars I have ever seen. It has a little stained glass 17th + 19th Cent, and not very good; it was put in after an earthquake and is not as good as that in the few stained glass windows in Suleiman’s Mosque. Our guide was very good in explaining the structure and use of the mosques. He is a Muslim, as are 85% of the Turkish people. Gladys + I both felt woefully weak on Turkish history and have nothing to read up in - no Michelin guides here! I hope that we can find something at “Cousin Eleanor’s.” You will surely be better informed than we are when you come to Turkey.
Yesterday we did the environs of Istanbul with a different guide. He said that his ancestors came from Georgia and were Circassians. He is not as dark as most Turkish people and has brown hair and blue eyes. He took us along the Bosphorus to the Black Sea where there was a delightful summer resort. We had the Turkish equivalent of Coca Cola with lemon. The water was the loveliest we have seen - blue to purple to pale green; he said it was usually darker in the winter it may have seemed dark + black to the early sailors. We saw heather and bracken on the hillsides, we also saw some fair to middling trees, and some very large government nurseries, as well as dams for irrigation projects.
In the afternoon we went across the Bosphorus on a ferry to the part of Istanbul in Asia. The bus was taken on the ferry. There is no bridge - rather too wide for one. That part is old but what is known as the “Old city” is on the European side and we have visited it on both trips in the city. We had fine views from the sister city, in the city opposite, the Sea of Marmora at the “Golden Horn” (a narrow bay), as well as the Bosphorus.
Yesterday was Independence Day and was celebrated with parades and decorations. It seems odd to see a “Turkey red” flag with crescent and star everywhere and none of the flags that we know. We saw an American flag at the Hilton Hotel, flying beside the Turkish flag. The Divan Hotel is even newer than the Hilton, and Gladys and I went there last night to have Turkish Coffee at the outdoor café. I don’t like Turkish coffee but thought I should have it here once in Turkey! I can’t tell all about Turkey on one sheet, especially as I should tell about the rest of our trips in Greece.
We went to Saloniki Tues. + Wed. to visit the Farm School (my especial interest at Anatolia College (Gladys’s). We had a wonderful time and were treated like honored guests. Anne Kellogg House and her husband Charles House were at the head of it for 35 yrs. She was a student of mine. Mr. Lansdale has been president for 2-3 yrs. It is a very interesting place there they give a 4 yr. Course in practical agriculture and industry, and they send the boys back to their villages to teach by demonstration. At chapel, after the regular hymn and Bible reading, a senior boy (they do it in turns) gave a talk on “Milking”. I could not get the gist, but could get the milking motions of his hands.
We were given bouquets + a souvenir calendar. Then we shook hands with the 185 boys who have vigorous handshakes! This evening we go to Beirut and in 2-3 days to Damascus. With much love, A.G.S.
I met 3 Oberlin people at Anatolia.
It was also “Tag day” and we got the colored flowers for contributions to the T.B. fund (we think).
audio---images---comment---transcript---~NOTES~---links---site navigation
1.
I love how Alma, who always loved stationery as well as saving money, scooped up the stationery in the hotel in Rome and used it in Istanbul.
2.
EMS
AGS
Clara
ESE
EMS is Edie, the wife of Alma's younger nephew Roger. AGS is AG, the daughter of Alma's younger brother Fred, who had died earlier that year. Clara is Alma's old friend Clara Jones, who has a Non-Family page. ESE - at least, I think it must be ESE - is Alma's youngest sister Eva Stokey Evans. I've put this letter in the document lists for Clara and Eva, although it really doesn't have anything to do with them.
3.
I hope that my absentee ballot will be there, also the copy of my will. Did you find it?
I wonder if Fred had been the principal beneficiary of AG's will, so that Alma needed to change it now that Fred was dead - see:
1956-07-16 DEATH NOTICE FOR FRED
4.
Friday afternoon we went to the old Palace of the Sultans and saw the Museum of China, + of Armor, and a few other things.
Is this the Topkapi palace? For some reason I was didn't expect Alma's interest in china, but then I remembered that she collected cream pitchers.
5.
In the afternoon we went across the Bosphorus on a ferry to the part of Istanbul in Asia. The bus was taken on the ferry. There is no bridge - rather too wide for one.
There's a bridge now, completed in 1973.
6.
We went to Saloniki Tues. + Wed. to visit the Farm School (my especial interest at Anatolia College (Gladys’s).
I don't really understand about this, but it must be the American Farm School at Thessaloniki because the names are right - House and Lansdale.
https://www.afs.edu.gr/history/
I love how Alma, who always loved stationery as well as saving money, scooped up the stationery in the hotel in Rome and used it in Istanbul.
2.
EMS
AGS
Clara
ESE
EMS is Edie, the wife of Alma's younger nephew Roger. AGS is AG, the daughter of Alma's younger brother Fred, who had died earlier that year. Clara is Alma's old friend Clara Jones, who has a Non-Family page. ESE - at least, I think it must be ESE - is Alma's youngest sister Eva Stokey Evans. I've put this letter in the document lists for Clara and Eva, although it really doesn't have anything to do with them.
3.
I hope that my absentee ballot will be there, also the copy of my will. Did you find it?
I wonder if Fred had been the principal beneficiary of AG's will, so that Alma needed to change it now that Fred was dead - see:
1956-07-16 DEATH NOTICE FOR FRED
4.
Friday afternoon we went to the old Palace of the Sultans and saw the Museum of China, + of Armor, and a few other things.
Is this the Topkapi palace? For some reason I was didn't expect Alma's interest in china, but then I remembered that she collected cream pitchers.
5.
In the afternoon we went across the Bosphorus on a ferry to the part of Istanbul in Asia. The bus was taken on the ferry. There is no bridge - rather too wide for one.
There's a bridge now, completed in 1973.
6.
We went to Saloniki Tues. + Wed. to visit the Farm School (my especial interest at Anatolia College (Gladys’s).
I don't really understand about this, but it must be the American Farm School at Thessaloniki because the names are right - House and Lansdale.
https://www.afs.edu.gr/history/
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