Planes, Trains & Automobiles

Our day was very uneventful and consisted primarily of catching trains and planes to get from Venice to Milan and across a couple of seas to Turkey.  After arriving in Istanbul we were welcomed with a sign reading “Jennifer Semingson” and although we were unsure who that might be, took a risk, hopped in the gentleman’s van and arrived at our hostel an hour later.

After unloading our gear we were anxious to get our wound up legs moving and decided to stroll the neighboring historic district. The streets were lively with people lounging on sidewalk cafes filled with oversized pillows, rugs, and tobacco filled water pipes. Sensory overload took control and before we knew it we were spinning circles in the Turkish streets without a clue on how to make it back home. 

Eventually we found our way and grabbed a comfortable cushion at a sidewalk restaurant for a late dinner/drink to cap off our long day of sitting on trains and waiting for planes. We settled on an appetizer of rice stuffed vine leaves and lamb kabobs.  The meal was a needed change from the last two weeks of pastas, paninis, and gelato.

Our night ran into the morning and we didn’t head back to our room until after 3 am.  We are looking forward to a good nights rest and bringing in the sights of Istanbul.