Look and think before opening the shutter. The heart and mind are the true lens of the camera.

Beautifully stated by Yousuf Karsh, fellow Canadian and Turkish Born Photographer and Journalist. Three months ago I spend some time in Istanbul and surrounding Islands with my best friend and it was an amazing journey into the past intersecting with modern Turkey. The historical footprints left by 3 different civilizations (from the Byzantine to the Ottoman empire), the diverse culture, restless nights and the warmth and friendship we encountered have enriched our tour of this beautiful country. Here are the first installment of 4 part series of our visit and the historical and beautiful glimpses I managed to capture on camera:

Hagia Sophia

a former Orthodox patriarchal basilica, converted to a mosque, and now a museum in Istanbul,Turkey.

The poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese

This quote is attributed to poet G. K. Chesterton. I'm neither a poet nor a famous novelist, but my love of all things Cheesy can be considered something of an obsession. Whether its goat, cow and even camel based cheese (yes I said Camel), original or flavored, I can eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. When we were in Amsterdam 2 months ago, I decided to look for a cheese factory and ended up at  Amsterdams Kaashuis and what an awesome discovery it was. I think we managed to spend close to one hour inside the store, going around and snacking on everything on display. Wish we bought something for home, then again Canadian Custom doesn't appreciate anyone bringing in food from overseas regardless of the country. Here are some of the pictures I took around the store, just looking at it makes me wanna buy some more cheese.

 the owner and employees in this little cheese factory were warm and welcoming to everyone