October 11, 2015. On Sunday we had a free day to hike the historic neighborhood of Sultanahmet, and had a chance to visit three mosques. Being in a holy place on Sunday felt right, even if Christian churches are scarce. Much like Goldilocks with the three bears, we sampled small, medium and large mosques, and […]
David and I grieve for the victims and their families in the unspeakable tragedy in Ankara. Why those rallying for peace were victims of twin bombings is bewildering and heartbreaking. Here in Istanbul our Turkish guide, Cihan, arrived this morning, full of sorrow, preoccupied and worried. Our day of tourism began on a mournful note. […]
October 10, 2015. After an 11 hour flight from Boston, we arrive at Ataturk Airport in Istanbul. A young man in a suit and tie holds up a sign, “David Standring.” In a foreign country, it’s sure nice to have someone know your name. His name is Wassim, and he navigates us through the crowds, […]
Guess what? It’s time to fly to Turkey, which will take about 11 hours non-stop from Boston to Istanbul on Turkish Airlines. We’ve been planning this trip for so long, or rather, my husband David has done all the heavy lifting of creating the itinerary and I’ve had the luxury of saying, “That sounds good.” […]