Technical difficulties solved on Day 4!

If you really want to be "in the know" for this wonderful trip, consult Jane's blog at

http://journeyswithjane.blogspot.com/. If you want to hear from the technically challenged quarter---stay tuned. I have had no power to my computer at the other hotel for some reason. It seems to work well from this great hotel, though. I've even been able to change my blog back to English from the Turkish I found when I logged on!

Enough! We're having a wonderful time with a fantastic group of travellers. Margaret is my roommate. Ferrell has a truly fantastic itinerary for us and makes sure we see the important things.

The Turkish food has been a delight. Fresh fruits and vegetables are plentiful and tasty. Watermelon, strawberries, apricots and sour plums are everywhere. The Turks eat the sour plums with salt, I am told. Eggplant (aubergine) dishes are popular along with cheeses, wonderful breads, olives, figs, raisins, and yogurt and yogurt based sauces and soups. Soup is eaten at any time of the day, even breakfast. I'll tell you about the desserts another day, but suffice it to say that they're eaten all during the day, not just with meals. Hot tea is served in a small glass that we would use for juices.

Flowers and trees have many similarities to Florida. Fig trees are abundant, healthy and prolific. Vineyards are in many yards, along with mulberry trees. Roses are everywhere and dark green with no sign of black spot. Tulips have just finished blooming. Geraniums and many familiar bedding plants are growing. Acacia trees are in white bloom. Many trees are very old and have huges trunks for their kind.

Cats are everywhere you look. I'm presuming that many are feral cats. Margaret and I watched several cats on a neighboring roof to our hotel in Istanbul. They were lounging in one spot and close by a big bird sat in an unconcerned manner. Dogs seem to be second class citizens, many looking lethargic and sad. Maybe it's all those cats!

It's getting late and our 6:00 wake up call will come before you know it. Hope all is well with everyone there. We're walked about 25 miles today, so we're tired! Good night to all.

Lucy