Spent the last two weeks traveling to Adana and beyond, then home; then to Istanbul and now home again. Be here for at least a week or two.
I had thought a predominantly Muslim country would not celebrate Christmas, but they do. Below are pictures I took of some of the decorations for the season at the high end hotels we stay at.
Note that all of these were taken during the week after Christmas. Long after most Americans remove their decorations and start thinking of Valentine’s Day.
As I stated in so many words in the past, the Turkish food is incredible. And for me, that is not a good thing. Very difficult to only eat half portions, but I am starting to win the battle. We traveled Southeast from Adana to do some work in a city that is well known for its food. Below are a few pics of the cuisine.
The one above was the main dish. I forgot to take a picture before eating it, but know it looked much better at the beginning. I stayed at a hotel that looks like it was renovated from an old fort a century ago. I do like the decor.
Below is a picture taken from the hotel window in Adana, of the sunset across from the canal below.
Luckily, Turkey is civilized enough to have its share of Starbucks restaurants. There is one that sits on the Bosphorus Strait. This is the body of water that divides Istanbul, and is also the division between the Continents of Aisa and Europe.
This restaurant has the best view of those I’ve been to. It has four levels with the lowest sitting on the water’s edge. We stopped there a few times for coffee in the mornings and I got a few pics. 
For those who choose to come visit, if we make it to Istanbul we will stop there. This is an incredible city. I could easy retire there. The only big negative I see is the traffic. The volume is so high, people working at the Consulate know it will be 30-60 minutes of driving in the morning, and 45-90 to get home in the evenings. But if I am truly retired, it wouldn’t make any difference to me.
Until next time, keep kicking butt. D.