The Wrap-Up.

 I am ready to be done posting about Turkey--not because I don't love hanging around in the memories of that trip, but because there are other things worth posting about, and so-- I am wrapping it up. In no particular order, here are some final things that I loved about my trip to Istanbul.

I loved seeing Randy so involved in the culture of Turkey. He knows its history, he has learned the language, and is passionate about sharing both.

But Bahar was Randy on steroids so to speak...

She combined her historical knowledge with a great passion for its future-which right now means a huge concern and dislike for the current president of Turkey. Hmmm.

Lots of great conversations with her about politics, people, culture, food, etc.

I loved being away from home on election day.

The number one topic with everyone we met was the American presidential elections.

It was good not to be there for the mayhem that followed the election results.

Enough said.

I loved getting to know Bahar. It could seem that a few days might not be enough time to really get to know somebody, but Bahar was an open book. It was like she just opened up her arms and swooped us right in. She is warm and friendly- funny and smart--kind and caring--and most importantly, super devoted to my brother :) 

We all fell in love with her immediately.

I loved eating Mediterranean breakfasts. I know I am probably alone on this one

but they so reminded me of my days in Jerusalem. 

Cucumbers and tomatoes were our go-to breakfast meal. :)

Picture quality is super poor but it speaks volumes.

We found this magazine at a grocery store a couple of days before the election-

it says: "The Next President: Script of a Tragedy."

Yep.

I LOVED traveling abroad again. Once upon a time I did that many times.

 I thought those days were over because as a mom, I'm a big chicken. But this was life changing. 

I loved being immersed in another culture, another way of life. 

I loved getting out of my bubble for a little while. 

It was good for the soul.

I LOVED the Baklava. Randy took us to his favorite place.
 It was so good it practically melted in your mouth.
This particular piece was Randy's. It was cut into a wedge, and then ice cream was sandwiched in the middle. Wow. Don't let the green fool you- those are pistachios, not vegetables :)

And finally, I loved hanging out with these people 24/7 for a week. We just don't get to do that much anymore. We have lots of new shared memories and you just can't put a price on those. (I sure would like to share some of our sisterly night time adventures, but those will just have to be passed around the dinner table).

So, the Turkish adventures end on the blog today, 

but really, for our family, they are just beginning.

Eurasia.

I thought it would be super cool to end my Turkey posts on Turkey Day.
Not going to happen.
I have got a couple more in me, so....

Probably the most cool thing ever was to hop on a ferry from one continent, and in about 20 minutes, set foot upon another. Really the best and weirdest thing.
Istanbul is partly in Europe, and partly in Asia.
The thriving, metropolis side is in Europe while most people just live on the Asian side and commute to work and back. The traffic across the bridge can take hours.
Therefore, a quick ferry ride is definitely the way to go and we did just that.
Once our feet were on solid ground, it became obvious that dividing into teams needed to happen again. I stuck with Team Randy because they were "walk for a few minutes, then rest for a few minutes" kind of people. Resting meant sometimes in indulging in Randy's favorite Turkish drink, Sahlep. It quickly became my favorite too. So, yes, Team Randy :)
The shops were less touristy and more "real" shopping...
We found a street of just antique shops that was lovely.
In one of those shops I found the ultimate antique: A Donny Osmond Album. Sweet!
After patiently waiting for Team Bahar to finish their marathon-like shopping spree,
Randy and Bahar took us to one of their favorite restaurants specializing in Turkish cuisine. 
It was heavenly and once again no pictures. Winner.
Seriously, the day was fabulous. 
I know I keep saying that about every day but it's true. Every. Single. Day.
Happiness every minute. 
Happy Turkey Day Ya'll.

 My feet on Asian soil (so to speak)

Yep, those puppies are size 11.

Typical street scene- never a dull moment.

Sahlep deliciousness....

 Always a good rule of thumb...

 Yep- proof he's an international phenom :)

Ferry ride with siblings...

 A very artsy street- pretty sure I was not cool enough to walk down it.

 My only picture from the restaurant--Thyme Tea at the end of the meal.

And just because you might need proof- cats still rule on the Asian side.

Best tour guide ever. 

Another great day. 

Here's to hoping I can wrap up it all up tomorrow.

Lights, Camera, Action.

While we were in Istanbul, we happened to venture by two film shoots. One involved a beautifully restored 1965 Mustang which happens to be my most favorite car in the whole world. Sixteen year-old Randy happened to total my (and Kathleen's) 1965 Mustang when we left it at home from college one year so it would be "safer." So much for that idea, but I digress. 

(You can tell I'm over it, right?)  

Anywho- the other film shoot was right across the street from our hotel. Bahar said that she saw two of Turkey's most famous actors in the crowd of cameras and mayhem. 

Ha! All that to say, Istanbul is kind of famous for it location shots, and we got to experience one up close and personal. 

If you have seen this movie

and this movie, 

you will probably revel right along with me-

because we spent a good chunk of time right where those scenes were shot:

The Grand Bazaar.

I have actually seen neither of those movies but still---

We thankfully were not riding motorcycles nor looking for lost children--just shopping. Lots and lots of shopping.

 It was a super fun experience if you can get used to the barrage of hopeful salesmen. It's kind of like shopping at RC Willey....those pesky sales floor guys just keep on you all the time, right?

But WAY more fun. We exhausted ourselves walking the endless maze of shops. We got smart and divided in to teams to lessen our chances of being taken (no pun intended!) by the crafty shop owners in their enthusiasm to sell to Americans.

Team Bahar: 

 Bahar's abilities included sincerity and kindness as she bargained with shop owners who were eager to make a few sales with the beautiful American women. She had compassion because she understood that the lack of tourism lately meant they were a little more desperate. One day I will do a whole post on Bahar...

Team Randy:

 Randy was also kind but very shrewd and always let them know he was on to their schmoozing ways...I love when he shocked them as this tall American man who was fluent in Turkish. That usually brought huge smiles and a flurry of questions.

My mom is super excited because she actually abandoned Team Bahar to be with the winners...

Big, big day of fun, fun, fun.

 Candied mushrooms btw...

 More minarets anyone?

And finally, just for your viewing pleasure...

 

The Secret Life of Pets.

Istanbul loves her cats.
For real.
And dogs.
Here is how it works:
Wild/ownerless cats and dogs roam the streets.
They are everywhere. EVERYWHERE.
This is how it was explained to me.
"The cats and dogs are picked up by the city, 
spayed or neutered and vaccinated, 
and then returned to the streets where they become community property."
Everyone takes care of them. 
They really do.
They are fat. 
They are happy.
And very friendly.
Surprisingly, well picked up after if you know what I mean.
So there you have it. 
It's different, but it works for them. 
Enjoy:

This is a smaaaaaall fraction of what we encountered...

but you get the idea.

You have probably noticed that I included no pictures of dogs. 

I have no explanation for that.

Istanbul: dogs and cats everywhere. :)

Turkish Delight.

During our visit, one of my favorite things Randy would say 

was something like this: "Don't get that here, 

I know the best the place to get( fill in the blank )"

He was never wrong. 

Not wrong about baklava, not wrong about doners, 

 and not wrong about Turkish Delight. 

Monday afternoon, he took us to another great little neighborhood to taste his favorite, authentic, hand-rolled, Turkish Delight. 

To sum it up once again: he was not wrong. 

It was lovely. 

We had a delicious pomegranate and cream variety. 

Ugh- my mouth is watering right now. SO delish!!!

We had to restrain ourselves because we knew that 
authentic Turkish deliciousness awaited us for dinner.

 Cute neighborhood, cute family!

A little Istanbul artwork...

 And so, after a packed day of touring, a little bit of eating, and a lot of foot work, we were so ready for an evening of relaxing with family and food.

But first, a word about Randy and Bahar's apartment.

Really, it's all about their view...

It's stunning to say the least.

The very cool back story about this view is that Randy works with Richard Engel, an NBC news correspondent. So most of the time when you see a live report

 from Turkey with Richard,

 he is standing on Randy's balcony--

'cause really, it's the best view in Istanbul. :) 

I kind of think Ashley has star quality as well, right? 

She certainly makes the view look even better :)

Bahar's mom and sisters spent the whole day cooking and preparing for our visit. We truly felt so honored. Not only had they prepared food, but also gift bags for each of us. Looking back, it is hard to say that there was a language barrier at all. There was such a feeling of love, even as Bahar and her little sister did much of the translating.

Bahar's father summed it up by saying something like this:

"The world tells us that we are not supposed to be even friends. 

But tonight, there are no politics. We are family."

 Can you feel the love? :)

Sadly, as someone who loves to take pictures of food, I took none.

Bleh. Take my word for it: it was wonderful. Love in every bite!

 

 Bahar's mom.

 Bahar's dad.

And holy hallelujah, it was Angie's birthday...

 ...and so we celebrated!

 Bahar's sister made these delicious cookies-- that were more like our cake balls.

She is drizzling extra chocolate on top. OH MY!

 Gifts were exchanged...

...and more gifts.

It's really kind of hard to put into words the feeling we all felt that night. If I had to sum it up in just one word, it would be joy.

It was a joyful celebration of the union of two families.

We may never all be in the same room ever again, but the feeling felt enduring enough to last a life time. 

So grateful for this once in a lifetime opportunity.