Cherry Blossoms in D.C.

It's spring in Washington D.C. . The cherry blossoms are a spectacular site. Now is the time to tour America's capital city. But these cherry trees are not native to America, they are a gift from Japan. It is a mark of friendship between the two nations that began in 1912. The first two trees were planted by First lady Helen Herron Taft and Vicountess Chinda (the wife of the Japanese ambassador) on May 1912. Every spring a Cherry blossom festival is held in Washington D.C., continuing the celebrations that began since the first tree planting.

Istanbul, Turkey

This week I'm going to Turkey.... from... home. But hey, at least I can check it out now, so I won't look like a tourist when I get there...... This enormous structure is the Hagia Sophia, located in Istanbul, Turkey. What's so amazing about this is the mosaics of Christ which were originally created with the structure of the building. It is said that one mosaic in particular contains what is considered to be the very image of Christ when he was 33. It is believed to have been painted from an imprint from on a cloth, the burial cloth of Jesus. This was originally a christian temple, built by the roman Emporer Constantine. The temple was transformed into a mosque during the Turkish invasion of Constantinople by Sultan Mehmet in 1453 and the mosaics were plastered over. The temple mosaics have been in the process of restoration since the 1800's. How does this building relate to American history? Look at the structure. The architecture of this building looks somewhat familiar? The Dome design is featured on our U.S. Government buildings. The U.S. Capitol features a dome designed after the Haghia Sophia. But, don't take my word for it.