May 4-5, 2022
May 4-5, 2022
Our last trip to Egypt was inspired by Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile. When we got home we rented the earlier film, Murder on the Orient Express. In it Hercule Poroit solves a crime while riding the luxury train that once carried passengers from London and Paris to Istanbul. This movie wasn’t nearly as good. Yet it reminded me of a destination long on my bucket list. Additionally this is the 100th anniversary of the 1922 end of the Ottoman Empire. It is time to explore Istanbul and Asia Minor.
We left Tucson in the morning flying to Dallas where we caught our connection to London. That is where our problems began. It started with a defective business class seat with a broken TV and no overhead lighting. With nothing to do, Aimee noticed our flight segment to Istanbul was totally different than scheduled, getting us in well after midnight. American Airlines never bothered to notify us of the cancellation and rebooking. Furious, it was hard to relax and get any sleep on the long overnight flight. American Airlines made my ‘never fly again’ list.
This would have been the perfect opportunity to hop on the Orient Express train. Unfortunately WWI and the end of the Ottoman Empire led to the demise of this transportation option. Instead we spent the entire day at London Heathrow in a mediocre British Airways Lounge. In the late evening we boarded a completely full flight to Turkey. We met a British couple going to Istanbul to catch a Mediterranean Cruise. They said they retired to Spain where they endured long Covid lockdowns and this is their first opportunity to get away. Aimee and I are both thankful we live in Arizona which took a more practical approach to the pandemic. The data has shown with the highly transmissible virus, the lockdowns were ineffective and provided almost no benefit. China is resisting learning that lesson to the world's detriment.
The Istanbul airport is brand new and huge. Even with visa already in hand and no checked bags, it is a long walk to the exit. We meet our driver who ferries us the hour to our hotel in the historic district of Istanbul. We take the Galata Bridge over the famed Golden Horn. Our route next to the Bosphorus follows the ruins of the great wall that once surrounded Constantinople. This greatest medieval walled city wasn't breached until 1453. It is after 2am before we make it to bed. Finally!
Our last trip to Egypt was inspired by Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile. When we got home we rented the earlier film, Murder on the Orient Express. In it Hercule Poroit solves a crime while riding the luxury train that once carried passengers from London and Paris to Istanbul. This movie wasn’t nearly as good. Yet it reminded me of a destination long on my bucket list. Additionally this is the 100th anniversary of the 1922 end of the Ottoman Empire. It is time to explore Istanbul and Asia Minor.
This would have been the perfect opportunity to hop on the Orient Express train. Unfortunately WWI and the end of the Ottoman Empire led to the demise of this transportation option. Instead we spent the entire day at London Heathrow in a mediocre British Airways Lounge. In the late evening we boarded a completely full flight to Turkey. We met a British couple going to Istanbul to catch a Mediterranean Cruise. They said they retired to Spain where they endured long Covid lockdowns and this is their first opportunity to get away. Aimee and I are both thankful we live in Arizona which took a more practical approach to the pandemic. The data has shown with the highly transmissible virus, the lockdowns were ineffective and provided almost no benefit. China is resisting learning that lesson to the world's detriment.
The Istanbul airport is brand new and huge. Even with visa already in hand and no checked bags, it is a long walk to the exit. We meet our driver who ferries us the hour to our hotel in the historic district of Istanbul. We take the Galata Bridge over the famed Golden Horn. Our route next to the Bosphorus follows the ruins of the great wall that once surrounded Constantinople. This greatest medieval walled city wasn't breached until 1453. It is after 2am before we make it to bed. Finally!
posted by Mike and Aimee at 11:05 PM
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