Caitlin's Visit

Cait and Sim outside Sultanahmet 

Inside Kapali Carsi (the Grand Bazaar: I spotted these side by side jewelry shops:Fusün and Sim

Cait admiring Haghia Sophia

After Friday happy hour(s), Cait and Sim did some dancing in the kitchen

Caitlin flew in on Turkish Airlines last Sunday.  All week it was the lousiest stretch of weather we've had since our arrival.  It was the Istanbul winter I was warned about.  Still, she managed to see the main sites,  some with me and Sim, some just her and Sim.  (I was working.)  She visited my classes (several of my students seemed disbelieving that she was my daughter), we ate out several times, Istiklal Caddesi, Kadikoy, Arnavutkoy, and had folks in for her first and last nights.

We took her to the airport by cab yesterday morning, then made our way back by metro, bus and foot.  It was snowing, sort of, for the last part. We arrived home cold and wet and spent the rest of the day curled up reading, cooking, and watching a couple of episodes of Mad Men, Season 2, our new vice, which we managed to infect Cait with while she was here. Today, again cold and gray, was more of the same (except I did make it to yoga class).

Sim leaves Wednesday for Bangkok (by way of an overnight in Doha, Qatar on both ends)  for a two week vacation.  He's meeting up with our friend Cooper. Going into 100 degree weather.  I'm a tad jealous, but what can ya do?  It was a great chance for him to make the trip, since Coop's there and he's free.  I'll get to Thailand sooner or later. He'll make it back in time for the St. Patrick's Day party, spearheaded by Graham. It will be a three-house party:  Graham Fleming, Irishman from Dublin, Maura Kelly, Irish-American from Pennsylvania but now mother of Turkish-Irish-American Sibel, and our third enthusiastic host Metin Ferhatoglu, Turkish-honorary Irish-American.  G's already bragging about how much whiskey he's going to make us drink and we're strategizing how to foil that particular plan.