Who can believe this?
Not me.
I am going overseas again.
You have no idea how unbelievable that is.
Really.
Absolutely, gob-smackingly, amazing.
And I absolutely love it...

Bit different this time.
Travelling with the awe inspiring Emily.

We leave on Saturday 15th August at 5 minutes past midnight.
Stopover in Singapore.
Then arrive in a London at 3.40pm on Saturday 15th August.
After 7 nights in London...
( Doing everything to the Nth degree!)
Then Saturday 22nd August, we fly to Istanbul, Turkey for a 15 day bus tour that includes 3 days at Gallipoli.

Last year, Emily and I spent a week together in Paris.
I really, really loved it.
And I was sure that Emily had fun too.
( If you can ignore the tedium of her having to grab me every time I turned the wrong way out of the lift.
Small price, I say.)

I knew she enjoyed it but, really, she was travelling with her mother.
Turns out, that was half the fun.
Who knew?
The ...
Opinionated ...
Get up early ...
( When the drunks are still wandering the banks of the Seine from the night before)
Walk fast ...
Write down all directions ...
Don't sit down to eat ...!

('Can't we just get the bill when they DELIVER the food?'
WHY NOT?
WHO SAYS?)

Visit churches...
Mother.

( Sacre Coeur.
" It's a church"
" What did you think it was?"
" I don't know .... But it's a church."

Luckily, in Turkey, they are called Mosques.)

So.... " Mum, if you are planning another one, and you want company, I'm in."

Wow!

So, with that encouragement, I planned another one.
Unbelievable.
No.
Really.
Unbelievable ... Gob-smackingly so, remember?

So a title for the Blog?

Hmm...
Going to Gallipoli.
HUGE.
London.
HUGE.
And Turkey.
Which will be huge.

Turkey, I must admit, had never, ever been on my radar.
Doing lots and lots of reading though, trying to catch up.

For example, did you know that the grave of Jesus' Disciple John is supposedly in Turkey?
There is a catch though.
While all the other Saints' bodies or relics have been claimed by at least one or more city/church,
St. John is the only Saint whose body is not claimed by anyone or .... anywhere.
This is because he ascended straight to Heaven.
No body.

See? Didn't know that.

Love this reading bit.

So lots of information on Gallipoli.
Escorted tours.
ANZAC Cove
Troy.
The Library of Celsus.
The Temple of Aphrodite!
Roman ruins everywhere.
We've booked a full day yacht trip, to swim and snorkel, and to throw a message in a bottle into the Aegean Sea.
The white lime cascades of Pamukkale.
The Cave Hotel.
The mud baths.
A dawn balloon ride over the fairy chimneys of Cappadocia.

Hang on.
What?

"Arghh .... Emily.
I don't think I'll do the balloon ride."

" Why not?"

" Bit scary, really. I'll watch from the ground and take LOTS of photos."

" Mum..... Get your affairs in order... And get in the basket."

So.
Here I am.
Getting in the basket.

Oh, and the 'affairs in order' bit.
All important papers can be found in the oven.

Think about it.

Up. Up. And away!!!!!!!!