Travel Day 1

Doris and I began our trip to Turkey from Washington, DC (Dulles Airport). We had a three-hour layover in Amsterdam (after a 7 hour flight) and enjoyed drinking Dutch coffee and having salmon lox sandwiches in Amsterdam's Schiphol airport, which is filled which duty-free shops. The slogan, "fly with what to buy" is seen everywhere.

Continuing our journey to Istanbul, when we encountered long lines at the gate (KLM airlines), where it seemed no semblance of order existed outside the obligatory security check-in and x-ray screening. I don't think I ever saw so many young children and mothers with baby buggies!

After another 4-hour flight, we finally reached our destination, Istanbul. Immediately after debarking our flight, we made our way to the visa line, where, for $20, we purchased a 90-day visa. The line was long, but not as long as the passport control lines. Lines were endless with constant shoving by travel-worn citizens from every corner of the world, who had made their way to Ataturk Airport in Istanbul.

Once, we made it through the long lines, we collected our luggage and proceeded to look for Ellen Jewett, who was meeting us at the airport.

Ellen hailed a taxi for us and we began our journey through the streets of Istanbul, on our way to a ferry, which took us along the Bosporus to the Asian side of Istanbul, where Ellen lives with her Husband Husam Suleymangil.

Husam was waiting for us at the ferry, and drove us to his family's villa located directly on the Bosporus. He and Ellen moved into the villa only a few days ago, where they began cleaning the family apartments and the salt-water swimming pool. They will spend the summer there, and eventually be joined by Husam's other family members.

Needless to say, it is a very great honor for us to receive the utmost Turkish hospitality, after such a long arduous trip. The good news that Doris and I will be guests in our own apartment, during a small vacation preceding the Audubon Quartets concerts, which will commence, upon Akemi's arrival in Turkey in a few days.

This small vacation for Doris and me was very welcome, especially after a long and busy semester of university teaching.

What made our arrival in Turkey so special was that we celebrated Doris' birthday (June 1st). She was born in Istanbul and has never returned, after she immigrated to the US with her parents in 1959. This special day was also complimented with a celebration of Husam's birthday, which occurred a few days earlier. This was made even more special, because Husam was born in the same 2-room birthing house, as was Doris - small world!

Husam and Ellen took us to famous seafood restaurant in Istanbul, near their villa.
http://www.cengelkoyiskelerestaurant.com/en_index.html

There the restaurant, we sat by the water (Bosporus) and drank white wine and sipped raki. Raki is (non-sweet) anise-flavored apéritif, which is mixed with water to create "lion's milk", a popular alcoholic beverage in Turkey.

The meal with an assortment of typical Turkish mezze dishes and fresh breads and olive oil. The main course was "Kalan" (turbot caught in the Black Sea), one of the most flavorful fishes I've ever tasted!

A rich chocolate birthday cake was served with Turkish coffee to conclude this stunning dinner.