Today was the last day of our thoroughly enjoyable Turkish Odyssey
tour. We spent much of it on the 400 kilometre
drive from Ankara to Istanbul, arriving at our Istanbul hotel late in the afternoon. We took the time to repack our suitcases and
then left for our last drive over the Bosporus to the bustling seafood
restaurant quarter for our farewell dinner.
A delicious whole-fish meal, a couple of speeches, plenty of hugs and
promises to keep in touch, all within an atmosphere provided by several roving musicians, then back to the hotel where we joined Jenny and
Steve for a farewell drink at the Summit Bar, overlooking the city and the
Bosporus, for our own farewell (they are staying on in Istanbul for a few days
as we move on to Singapore). It has been
wonderful travelling with them, and Sue, for the past several weeks.
We are sorry to be leaving Turkey. It is a wonderful country of contrasts. A modern country with ancient traditions, extant
evidence of millennia of human occupation and great civilisations, spectacular
scenery and beautiful people. It has a
special place in human history and, fortunately, its historical heritage is
being protected and promoted through carefully managed tourist access. We have seen much, but there is so much more
to see. We have been so lucky to share this journey with a great bunch of
people with a shared love of history and adventure - and a shared sense of humour.
Our wonderful guide Gőkçe and our extraordinary driver Yűcel have made this
holiday very special. Our exploration of
Turkey may be over but will never be forgotten.
No comments:
Post a Comment