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Türkiye 2023

September - October 2023
A 48-day adventure by Two to Travel & Ahmet Read more
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  • 48days
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  • Türkiye 2023
    Day 1

    That’s A Compact?!?

    September 3, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 70 °F

    Time for another overseas trip!

    This year’s annual trip to Türkiye to visit family starts today with a flight to Toronto (YYZ), where we will stay overnight before the long haul to Türkiye tomorrow night.

    Why are we flying through YYZ? Because this Turkish Airlines (THY) gateway has the best prices. Since we can’t fly nonstop from Denver (DEN) to İstanbul (IST) — at least not yet — we might as well take the most wallet-friendly option. Besides, laying over at YYZ will give us a chance to spend time with a couple of friends. That’s a bonus.

    Believe it our not, this Toyota Tundra is what we got for the drive up to DEN this morning. It’s definitely not the “compact” we booked through Avis, but it will get the job done.

    P.S. By the way, the plan for this trip is to use FindPenguins as the app designers intended. Short snippets as warranted instead of one long story each day. Not sure what will happen after we get to Türkiye since a family visit doesn’t always yield footprint-worthy activities. Until then … well, the stories will just have to unfold.    Read more

  • Türkiye 2023
    Day 1

    On Our Way to YYZ

    September 3, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 90 °F

    As I begin to write this footprint, it’s 12:49p EDT in Toronto … two hours ahead of where we are currently … flying over Nebraska aboard our United Airlines flight UA 1874.

    (In case you are wondering, Nebraska has two time zones. While most people in the state use Central Time, we are still over the area that is officially on MDT.)

    After an uneventful drive up I-25N, we turned our “less-than-compact” Toyota Tundra rental into Avis around 7:30a. The shuttle bus then whisked us to DEN without delay. By 7:41a, our bags were tagged and checked. Less than 10 minutes later, we were on the secure side of the Jeppesen Terminal … thank you TSA Pre✔️.

    The 1.5 hours we had on hand at the airport passed quickly … hot beverages at Caribou Coffee, a couple of scones, people-watching. Before we knew it, we were being alerted by the UA app that boarding for our flight was about to begin. A short walk to Gate B44. Quick boarding thanks to the priority status afforded by our credit card.

    For this short flight, we opted to fly economy … with an upgrade bundle that scored us seats in the exit row. UA 1874 pushed back on time at 9:53a (MDT) … 20 minutes later we were in the air, winging our way East. The good news? The cockpit advised that the flight time will be about 30 minutes shorter than originally scheduled. (Yeah … I know … there’s always a buffer built into the published schedules.)

    Since the distance to YYZ is over the 500-mile threshold for snacks, we received our little packets of goodies and our cold beverages shortly after UA 1874 leveled off. Since I’m all caught up with our day so far, I’m going to sit back and enjoy the rest of the flight.

    See you all after we are settled in our room at the YYZ hotel …

    P.S. By the way … for those who have been following our “it-ended-six-weeks-ago-world-cruise,” I will continue writing and posting catch-up footprints. So, while it may seem at times like we are all over the world, we will in reality be in Türkiye for the next seven weeks … once we get there, of course.    Read more

  • Türkiye 2023
    Day 1

    At the Sheraton Gateway YYZ

    September 3, 2023 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 88 °F

    An uneventful travel day. Every step went like clockwork. No delays. No mishaps. What more could we ask for?

    We deplaned at YYZ around 3:15p and processed through immigration quickly … partly because we were directed to the automated kiosks by a harried woman inundated by passengers descending on immigration all at the same time. Methinks, we made a wrong turn somewhere as we ended up at a counter manned by an immigration agent. No matter. He smiled, scanned our passports, and gave us a slip of paper that got us through without hassle.

    Collecting our bags, we handed in the slip of paper to a customs agent and exited out of the secure area. Before long, we were on the inter-terminal train to the Sheraton Gateway at Terminal 3. A few more minutes to check in and get our room keycards. Thus we put a period at the end of our travel day.

    Since we have access to the Club Lounge, we have settled ourselves there … waiting for the “included appetizers” to make an appearance. A light snack instead of a heavy meal seems like the way to go. Maybe with a glass of wine to accompany the food!

    And that’s a wrap for today. Tomorrow we have some sightseeing with friends to add fun to our day before we begin the long haul across “The Pond.”    Read more

  • Türkiye 2023
    Day 2

    Toronto: Aga Khan Museum

    September 4, 2023 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F

    A good night’s rest. A quick continental breakfast in the Sheraton Gateway Club Lounge. We were zipping up our overnight bag when I received a text from our friend, Kadi. With no traffic en route, they were ahead of schedule. No problem. We had plenty of time to check out from our room and work with the concierge to hold our luggage before meeting up with them.

    We stepped out into the Sheraton driveway to find Kadi and Brad pulling up. Hugs and greetings. A happy reunion. And we were off to the Aga Khan Museum.

    The website describes the museum as a place that “… provides visitors with a window into the artistic, intellectual, and scientific contributions of Muslim civilizations to world heritage.” In addition to the permanent exhibits, there was a special exhibit billed as “a visual journey through the life and legacy of a Sufi mystic” … the mystic in question being Jalal al-Din Muhammad Balkhi … better known as Rumi.

    The exhibit celebrates the life of Rumi — one of history's most famous poets — on the 750th anniversary of his passing. To say that we were all wow’ed by the exhibit would not be an understatement.

    We, of course, also enjoyed the other exhibits … as well as a wander through the grounds … a highlight being an art installation of what looked like random words mirrored on the ripple-free reflecting pool. Very creative.

    Then right on time — Kadi had us on a schedule — we left the museum at 11:30a to continue our sightseeing …    Read more

  • Türkiye 2023
    Day 2

    Toronto: The Brick Works

    September 4, 2023 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 88 °F

    From the Aga Khan Museum, we made our way back towards the city, stopping along the way for a short walk at the old brickyard … re-purposed as a city park.

    The Don Valley Brick Works — commonly referred to as the Evergreen Brick Works — is a former quarry and industrial site. In operation for nearly 100 years, the bricks produced here were used in the construction of many of the Heritage buildings around the city, including the Ontario Legislature.

    Seeking shade where possible — it was a broiling 95F under the sun — we strolled along a few of the short trails, stopping at the ponds to look for frogs and turtles playing hide and seek amongst the lily pads. It was quiet and peaceful … except when the jets participating in the Labor Day Air Show flew over … even glimpsed a lone Blue Angel from the US Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron zooming across the clear blue sky.    Read more

  • Türkiye 2023
    Day 2

    Toronto: Lunch … Distillery District

    September 4, 2023 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 86 °F

    Next up on the plan devised by Kadi and Brad today … lunch.

    But along the way, we stopped at Riverdale Park East, near where they used to live when their son was still a wee little boy … and where they made many special memories. From the park, one gets to enjoy the beautiful skyline of Toronto … a little hazy today, but still great to see.

    Founded in 1832, Gooderham & Worts began as a windmill in the wilderness and grew to become the largest distillery in the world. Today, it is at the heart of the Distillery Historic District … widely regarded as Canada’s premier arts, culture, and entertainment destination. The district was designated as a national historic site because the “complex is an outstanding example of Victorian industrial design in terms of integrity, historical association, and aesthetic qualities.”

    We didn’t dally with our sightseeing here as Kadi had made a 1:15p lunch reservation for us at Cluny Bistro & Boulangerie … billed as not being “your parents' French Bistro!” The food was delicious (and plentiful) … the raspberry mimosa a surprising twist on the usual orange juice and bubbly … the company simply delightful.

    We had a wonderful time with Kadi and Brad today. They were wonderful hosts during our short time in their city.

    Until we meet again …    Read more

  • Türkiye 2023
    Day 2

    Toronto: Maple Leaf Lounge … Delay

    September 4, 2023 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 88 °F

    Into our second travel day it seems some delay must fall!

    After a great day of touring with Kadi and Brad, they dropped us off at Union Station in downtown Toronto. From there, we caught the downtown to YYZ UP Express train — the UP (as in the opposite of down), if you want everyone to think you are a local. Quick and easy … and no Labor Day long-weekend traffic to deal with.

    After killing an hour at the Sheraton Gateway Club Lounge, we collected our held luggage and set off for the “zoo” that is Terminal 1 at YYZ. Having taken this THY flight from here to IST before, we knew where to go … what to do. In no time, we were checked in for what was to have been a 9:45p departure … now scheduled to depart around 11:00p instead. Sigh! The good news? Our planned long layover in IST means that we’re good to make our connection to İzmir (ADB) … for the time being at least …🤞🏻.

    The queue at the security checkpoint was long. Business class tickets in hand, we were able to bypass that line. Then, spotting a QR code promoting “security checkpoint reservations,” I decided to try it to see how it works. All of one minute to provide the requested info. We were given an immediate jump-the-line time to use the express lane. It didn’t make too much of a difference today. But this is something to definitely keep in mind if we come through YYZ with economy tickets in the future.

    We are now ensconced in Air Canada’s Maple Leaf Lounge. It’s crowded as usual. But the comfy chairs and tasty tidbits — not to mention a glass or two of wine — will make the extra wait time before we can embark TK 18 more bearable.    Read more

  • Türkiye 2023
    Day 2

    Boarding Completed

    September 4, 2023 in Canada ⋅ 🌙 77 °F

    The aircraft doors are about to be closed. We are an hour behind schedule … and counting. Still looks good for making our connecting flight!

    See you all on the other side of The Pond!

  • Türkiye 2023
    Day 3

    Two Hours to Go

    September 5, 2023 in Romania ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F

    Uneventful flight thus far. The Atlantic is well behind us … we are over the Balkans at present. Total flight time will be somewhere around 9 hours and 15 minutes when it is all said and done.

    We were wheels up around 11:30p EDT … 45 minutes behind schedule. Wined and dined. And then it was time to sleep. While the lie-flat seats on this B777-300 are not the most comfortable, it beats trying to catch a couple of winks while sitting upright. I think I managed about 4 hours of 😴.

    With two hours to go to IST, the cabin is slowly waking up. Breakfast service is about to begin. I think I’ll go with the pancake option instead of the omelet.

    Our delayed arrival into IST is still showing 3:35p Türkiye Time (GMT +3). That means we did not make up any of the delay leaving YYZ. No matter … still looking good to make our connection to ADB.    Read more

  • Türkiye 2023
    Day 3

    Landed at IST

    September 5, 2023 in Turkey ⋅ 🌬 79 °F

    The title of the footprint and the “artistically blurry” photo of the award-winning control tower at IST — with an airplane taking off to add motion — says everything.

    Next step … to transfer through to the domestic terminal for our flight to ADB at 6:00p.Read more

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