Burada Vardık: We got here!

It takes many, many steps to arrive at this point... From the 4am wake-up call in Phoenix on June 12 to the immense rental car return at the far reaches of the PHX airport to just arriving at the gate as the final boarding announcement is being made to JFK to the 10 hours across the world to Istanbul to the visa line to the passport control line to the mobile phone kiosk to the shuttle bus to Taksim Square to the topsy turvy taxi ride to Akyol Sokak. Phew. We made it. Our chief roommate, Claudius, has got us set up in our cute little room with a view.



OK, so some of the view is more prosaic... but the apartment also comes equipped with kediler!



This is a mother and daughter team named: Black September and Alice. In a couple of days, though, Alice is moving to live with Claudius' girlfriend. Oh well... we get to spend the summer with Black September. As I am writing, the kitties and Alex are napping soundly. The neighborhood kids are shouting in the alley behind the apartment, and the call to prayer just ended.
There's a lot more to tell about the neighborhood, and I will add more posts soon! Send your questions, too...
Love to you all!