After our 11 hour inaugural flight with Turkish Airlines from Atlanta to Istanbul - we have arrived in Turkey! The flight was extra special with flowers, sweets, a gift bag, and a printed menu that I'll definitely frame :)
The locals have been incredibly helpful and kind, so we had no trouble navigating the metro. I'm working on pronunciations and accurate emphasis, but I have no experience with Turkish. Ben was hopeful that we'd hear or see more Arabic - so he can practice again - but so far we've only see a few signs here and there in Arabic. He did translate the nightly prayer that is broadcast from each minaret all over the city.
We rented a great apartment with a beautiful view of the Sea of Marmara and the Asian coast. My whole family (Parents: Tyu Tyu & John, Older Brother & SIL:Will & Chrissi - Me & Ben) is here to celebrate (my youngest brother) Jack's graduation from college.
After dropping our bags, we headed out for a meal and found a beautiful bistro that dates back to 361 AD. Originally "the Arch" was located on the harbor, which is thought to have had a vaulted semicircular colonnade used for building boats.
The mosques and obelisks were illuminated during our walk home.
