Number Sixteen: Getting There Is A Challenge

Without any sort of announcement or warning to mark the moment, the massive airplane gradually pulled away from the jetway at John F Kennedy International Airport and we were somehow on our way. Just beyond my window, jumbo jets were backlit by a lurid orange sky where the last tenuous rays of daylight lingered over […]

In Which We Weep

I sometimes finish the blog late. Often I write the last post long after the fact, and date it to the actual date. I do this because I want to be able to follow the timeline. And I try post photos only from the day of my post. But not today. Notre Dame burned today, […]

I Wonder If They Were Really Mormon

In Which I Decide To Clean Up

I didn’t even consider taking photos in the bath, so any of the following images of the interior come from TripAdvisor. I don’t actually have permission to use them, so if they disappear you’ll know why. The clean white dome of the ceiling arched overhead, broken only by concentric circles of cutout royal blue stars, […]

Its OK That I’ve Been Here Before

The Hagia Sophia is simply enormous. Entering, we step across the large, rutted marble threshold, which bears the attrition of millions of footsteps over tens of centuries, and the vast space opens up like a monumental breath. The sudden gush of air forces its way into our lungs like an atmosphere under too much pressure. […]

Dan Is Better At Not Negotiating Than I Am

This trip has been exhausting, and sometimes we need a down day. If you aren’t convinced that I should be tired, I can explain. I left Detroit at 8 PM after a full day of work, and slept little over the course of a 17 hour trip to Kusadasi, and then was up early the […]