I was fortunate enough to visit Istanbul, Turkey with a dear friend in 2008.  The people of Turkey, particularly Istanbul, are extremely family oriented; they LOVE their parks and visit regularly every Sunday.  If you happen to visit Istanbul, pay particular attention to the park system, especially on the weekend.  You will see hundreds of family member visiting the park, spreading their blankets, carrying their picnic baskets and simply enjoying the day with family members.  They enjoy the many fountains, tulips, AND, especially each other.  Never have I saw such family closeness as I did during my visit to Istanbul.  Following are photos I captured during my visit to beautiful and magnificent Istanbul.  Enjoy!

 Sundays in Istanbul parks are “family” days – AMAZING to see the hundreds and hundreds of families enjoying the day!

If you’re lucky enough, attend the Istanbul Tulip Festival – we did and it was magnificent!

Istanbul, Turkey; a magnificent city! 

This is the area currently under protest.

Another photo I captured while in Istanbul – visualize current protesters in this area.