Istanbul

For my birthday, since our car was in repairs in Athens, Les flew us to Istanbul, Turkey.

My student Bengisu from 2005 in San Diego Language School where I taught and I have kept in touch all these years lives here...when I told her we were coming, she offered to host us.

Let me just say that she was the hostess with the mostest. She went way overboard to please us. She will be coming to Mexico and I can only hope that I can take care of her as well as she took care of us! We tried every typical meal, bread and dessert that exists here. She prepared an itinerary that took us to each location. She is a family therapist and even works weekends, she teaches at a public university and has a double PhD! Smart as they come.

Istanbul is amazing. Huge and I mean HUGE but the transportation system is superb - taxis and buses and subways and metrobuses and cable cars and ferries can take you anywhere anytime.

Here are some photos of the fun we had!



First pic is of me on my birthday: this is what 63 looks like is the caption that I put. It was a very windy day on the Bosphorus Strait where we were that day.













Mexico is present in Turkey!! Doesn't that just take the cake?









I walked up to a tower that I wanted to see while Les hung out in a pub at the bottom of the hill, and this shoeshine apparatus was there. It is so beautiful.











I had to take a selfie to prove I went to the top hahaha It was quite the hike!









Here we are!











We didn't take the tour, but did cross on the ferry and this is exactly what it looks like! Could be a picture in a fairy tale, couldn't it?







[Edited on 7-2-2019 by BajaBlanca]