Back Home Again in Indiana - Dave

The last few days the tune of this line has been passing through my mind....especially on the plane rides. It is great to be home, but what a wonderful experience. I look forward to being able to relive the experiences as they are shared with family, friends, Rotary Clubs and other organizations. The memories of wonderful new friends, the beauty of the countryside from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean, the warmth and hospitality of our hosts and all those we met, trying to relax during the travel on the roadways, and reflecting on the history that we were exposed to that was magnificent. It will be strange to not have to negotiate a price for a purchase or to not see a minuet in the near distance.

It's back to work and catching up.....with the opportunity to review the many wonderful memories as we go through pictures and videos. I look forward to getting together with this team and sharing once they are all "Back Home Again in Indiana".

Last Day in Istanbul - Katy

Last day in Istanbul. Last day in Turkey. Yesterday, Matt, Erin & I took a 6 hr. trip on the Bosphorus. It was 90 mins. on the ferry, 3 hrs. in this little town with a castle to explore and fresh seafood to eat, and then the return trip on the ferry. It was spectacular; the Bosphorus Strait, which divides Istanbul into a city that sits on both the European continent and the Asian continent, connects the Black Sea and the Marmara sea (which then is connected to the Mediterranean). The water, outside of the dirty waterways in the busiest ferry sections, is a beautiful aqua blue. Istanbul is very hilly, they call it the city of seven hills, so there is nice elevation on either side of the Bosphorus which gives you a great view of the cityscape. Old beautiful Mosques, old Ottoman buildings, old European-inspired buildings, Ottoman Palaces, and new modern buildings cover the city center of Istanbul. Minarets for all of the mosques pop up in rapid intervals along the skyline. As we travelled farther away from the city center, the landscape relaxed. Ferries were replaced with yachts and skyscrapers were replaced with beautiful summer homes and hotels that occupied the coveted strait-front property.

Today we are going to explore the Topkapi Place, where Ottoman Emperors ruled/lived for hundreds of years. Sarah will have a couple of hours between her return from Ephesus and her departure for Athens, so we are hoping that she can join us for one of my last adventures.

This has been such an amazing experience. The last couple of days we’ve continued to remind ourselves how truly fortunate we are to have been chosen for the Turkey team. Rotary does a lot of wonderful things, and from my personal experience, this is one of the best! The sights and sounds and tastes of Turkey are remarkable, but the true impact has been the relationships we’ve made with the people we have met. Turkish people truly define the word hospitality. Opening their homes and hearts to us wasn’t just an opportunity for them but a cultural obligation that they take on with passion. Time and time again, they all said to us, “If you are happy, then we are happy.” I only hope that I can return the favor in some way in the future.

Home at Last?!

After two days of travel, I have finally arrived in South Bend. I am currently at work. Yes I went in the day after I arrived. Jet lag has not affected me yet. It is surreal to be sitting at work. I work up this morning hoping that breakfast would be ready. Alas I had to get coffee, a scone and an apple at work. A sharp cry from the olives, cucumbers, tomates, jams, bread and tea I had been having for the best 4 weeks in Turkey. I do not know how the others will far when they return. Already people are asking for pictures. I haven't even unpacked yet. I am still digesting what happened over the past 4 weeks.

1st Pics from Istanbul - Katy

View from the rooftop terrace at our hotel.

Sunset on our first night in Istanbul.

Matt & Erin in the Grand Bizarre.

Our friends from Adapazari (Crystal and Levent's mother) and the crew at a fabulous lunch on the Asian side of Istanbul.

The hoppin' streets of Taksim Square, a busy, old & modern section of Istanbul.

We have arrived in Istanbul - Katy

Our departure from Antalya was a little tricky this morning. Rotary had arranged for an airport shuttle for us, but hadn't confirmed with terminal we were departing from. We arrived at the airport, made it through the first check in, then realized we were at the international terminal and needed to be at the domestic terminal (which wasn't connected). We asked around to try to figure out which direction to head.

Next we flagged down taxis and headed off to the next terminal, we arrived at (unfortunately) International Terminal 2. We'd learned from our mistake the first time and Erin ran off to confirm with airport personnel that we were in fact in the right place....we weren't. So, back in the taxi and headed off again. Third time was a charm and we made it to the right location.

After a brief delay, we took off and landed in Istanbul an hour after our scheduled arrival time. Matt, Erin, Dave, and I are all checked into our hotel. We have an amazing view from their rooftop lounge of the blue mosque and the Bosphorus (picture to come later).

We were going to hit the grand bizarre, but it is closed today, so off to go mosque hopping. Once we'd made it through the baggage claim, Erin kept saying that she felt like she was forgetting something...it was because our 4 week team had gone from 5 to 3.

Vivian leaves in less than an hour for London and Sarah leaves around 4pm to head to Izmir. So we said goodbye to them at the airport. More from Istanbul later.