Great news! I do hope it works out favorably for her hotel costs. But the best is that she's there safe and sound. And as Queenie said, not here in the frigid Northeast!

Thank you again everyone, for sharing those difficult hours and now the mushy homecoming. All of us, and especially the three girls blow kisses your way. (they get jealous if i start sending kisses off into the ether.)

All's well that ends well! Good to hear.

Happy news, otherchelebi!

Istanbul is on my short list, will look for your posts.

Great news, otherchelebi! And best wishes to your sister, I hope she quickly recovers without any complications. Wishing all of you a relaxing weekend.

otherchelebi, just wanted to chime in to also say that I'm glad she is home! And I don't blame you for worrying. As a new mom I think I will spend the rest of my life over-worrying about my precious girls!

From one fellow Turkey lover to another,
Tracy

Thanks once more.
AnnMarie_C, please also check tracy's trip report to Turkey.

Her trip was before i joined Fodor's (sort of in the murky past - ), but it is excellent and full of useful info.

Tracy, you can use my e-mail to ask for tips about little girls who always stay as little girls. If you find a VHS copy of Buddy hackett's appearance at Atlantic City, there is a song he sang for his daughter. Makes you very emotional after all the laughter of his great comedy.

here's another present to those who wish to come to Istanbul in the future, or who have visited and especially stayed at the Cihangir area.

The excellent author, Thomas Disch wrote a stort called "The Asian Shore" published in a collection of his stories, "Getting Into Death", published in 1977 by Pocket books. You can find it in used book stores (also Amazon) It still gives you a better feeling of Istanbul than the Nobel winner Orhan Pamuk's ten times longer reminiscences. And it is extremely well-written, interesting, exciting and haunting.

(I am just hoping that some day someone will also recommend one of my essays, poems or short stories)

otherchelebi - I have friends visiting Istanbul in April and they would love to be in touch with you. Could you please email me your email at

rad50th at yahoo dot com?

thanks!

Ahmet...good news, indeed...as a father and grandfather, I know what you were going through. When are you coming back to USA? This time make sure California is on your itin. Forget NYC...adu will take you on a rumble thru the Bronx...but I'll take you to Beverly Hills so your missus can shop and break your bank in 48 hours!
Love
Stu

Stu

A. I am from Brooklyn and no self-respecting Brooklynite sets foot in the Bronx; and

B. I did not say how much I would charge Ahmet's daughter for staying at our house, breakfast, Internet usage, mini-fridge, luandry, concierge services, phone charging, and long distance calls.

Tower, Adu, i have checked your websites for facilities, comfort and price and decided to go and stay at the Waldorf in New York and a similar hotel in LA, which offers better value for money. I am sorry and hope that you can get some other customers, possibly during the heat of the summer tourist season or during conventions when they have no alternatives.

Adu, I thought that Brooklyn was a forest or a park where only "Trees Grew"

Ahmet: OK to stay in a hotel in L.A. or right in Beverly Hills (4 Seasons,or the BH hotel, for example), but I will fetch you and give you a tour of the city, particularly Hollywood historic sites. That's a promise.
stu

Adu, I thought that Brooklyn was a forest or a park where only "Trees Grew"

The title is "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" and that one tree was probably knocked over by someone who could not park their car correctly.

Actually the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens has beautiful Cherry Blossom tress and there trees all over the place strategically placed for the dogs.

Thank you, otherchelebi, will do.