EUROPE 2014

At JFK waiting for my Turkish Airlines flight that leaves at 12:50 p.m. to Amsterdam with a plane change in Istanbul. Had a minor crisis when I realized I was supposed to pay from my bank acct. before I left for my Grand Circle trip next February to Australia/New Zealand. Of course, didn't bring my check book (Mary Ann at CC5 solved that by giving me the routing # and Acct. # by phone.) Then GCT said I could do an electronic check by May 5th online so I can do it in the next week or so. YEA!! Betsy at GCT was VERY calming as she could hear the anxiety in my voice!! It will save me $754 on the trip to pay in advance.


Anyhow, drove to Sue Kelly's in Stamford yesterday after stopping off to pick up ice cream in Newtown at Ferris Farm and eating it with Doug and Maryclaire. Sue K. and I had a wonderful ham dinner she fixed and then spent a great night sleeping! Did my usual take the express train to Grand Central and then the Airporter Shuttle to JFK. Her friend Ellie dropped me at the Stamford station and I'll do the reverse on my way home June 3rd and spend the first night home again with Sue. It's less than $60 both ways doing it this way, as opposed to CT Limo for $110. And I don't have much luggage!


OFF I GO!


It's about 7 a.m. in Istanbul. The flight was lovely, food pretty good (they really DID have a chef in the white outfit including chef's hat! serving), watched Gravity and then slept (took a couple of Benadryl - they put me out! Pharmacist recommended this.)

My seatmate was Hande, a young Turkish woman, maybe 27 I'd guess, from Istanbul (on the Asian side, lives with mom who is around 60, parents divorced) She had been visiting her best friend, husband and child who have been living on Long Island for a couple of years but will soon return to Turkey. Hande works for a steel company. Went to Univ. here studying international business and economics. It was her first time in US. She saw Phantom on Broadway, rode the Staten Island ferry, and then did a boat cruise around Manhattan. Her friend is pregnant so they weren't able to do a lot of sight-seeing. She gave me a few basic Turkish works and wants to meet up, maybe with her mom, too, when I come back May 23rd or when I return to Istanbul at the end of my 11 day Turkish Treasures tour with Gate1 travel (check out their website so you can see where I'll be going.)


I'm sitting in the food court with Burger King, Popeyes, Sbarros and others I don't recognize. I had only some Turkish ice cream - chocolate of course.




My flight leaves at 11:05 a.m. for Amsterdam. I was going to store my bag and bike around the tulips as the fields are out near Schipol airport. All depends on the weather and how tired I feel. Staying at the Bicycle Hotel tonight.


LOVE my new trench coat with its 18 zippered or velcroed interior pockets!!!




Was too tired to do any biking by the time I arrived at Schipol so headed on the train into the city. I stopped to have someone take my picture sitting in a yellow Dutch shoe with Schipol's name on it while at the airport! Couldn't resist!

Everything seems new and modern since I was here I'm guessing Feb. of maybe 1998 or even earlier. Barbara and I came here for a week - one of her first trips abroad as Joel had recently died. We biked all over then, but the flowers weren't in bloom. The fields looked amazing as we were landing! But my camera was stored up above so couldn't get a picture from the air. And I'm leaving by overnight bus to |Paris next week so won't get an aerial shot!


I'm only one night here at this hotel. I'm on the second floor but the guy at the desk carried my bag up!! I have forgotten how narrow and steep these houses are!! After changing to fresh clothes, I set out to walk around a bit to keep myself awake and on European time! I had some leftover breakfast/lunch so got a soda and sat in a lovely park watching people playing with their kids, flowers, fountains, lots of dog walking. Lovely and relaxing! Then I hopped the tram back to Central Station and wandered around the old section taking some pictures, through the red light district but it was too early - saw only 2 women in their windows. Passed condom stores, lots of marijuana paraphernalia stores! Now to bed!!

 

Moving to the female only hostel for the next 4 nights!