True North Blog

Technically, I’ve been here before . . . A long, long time ago. And it was Ankara, not Istanbul. And it was overnight, in the Air Force. The little town I visited near Incirlik Airbase was dusty and dirty. The pistachios and brass were cheap. At that time, I went away considering Turkey to be a third-world dive of a country.

Times have changed Turkey. The Istanbul we have visited is clean and mostly modern, if not a bit touristy. Okay, I’ll upgrade it to “second world.” There is even a Starbucks. Unfortunately, there is also a Burger King and Popeyes (I hide my American face walking by). We’ve had some of the best food and wines anywhere here. I would come back. The city is truly a melting pot of European and Asian cultures, and very travel friendly. Favorites: Staring at the water, good strong coffee, and outstanding baklava.

Oh yes, and there are cats everywhere. They seem to be revered. We’ve figured they must be prized for rodent control. In any case, they don’t go hungry. More often than not you see them taking a nap after being fed by locals at little kibble piles along side streets. Oh, the life!

Next, we sail towards the Med, passing through the Dardanelles and past Gallipoli to even warmer climes. More soon.