Eeeeeek.  The secret squirrel page!  This is so exciting.  Not only a wonderful trip to look forward to, but your company as well!  I am so grateful for your faith in me - I'll do my utmost to make this experience live up to your expectations.  But no misbehaviour in t...

This email is mainly about some technical website stuff.  

a.  I just accidentally deleted all your lovely comments under my first diary post (no don’t ask how.  I’m hoping that SUPPORT can help me to get them back.  That post looks very lonely without all your happy c...

I’m a slight control freak as you might have guessed from the level of detail in that packing guide.  Except, once I have things down clearly, then I am quite happy to spontaneously depart from plans, knowing there’s the security of the planned fallback behind me.  Mak...

Have you noticed how time seems to speed up when a trip is approaching?  How the chores seem to grow exponentially?  And a slight feeling of panic starts in the pit of your stomach?  How will I have time to have a pedicure?  All the really important stuff!...

Gosh it’s getting so close!  I’m about to leave home ahead of the trip.  I’ll stay with my mother for a few days and then we leave from Brissie on Sunday.  Hair and nails to be done in between - I can’t look anything but coiffed and soignée if I’m going to be your tou...

My darling travellers

We arrived at 4.30am to Ataturk airport.  It’s now after midnight - you can imagine how much sense I am making 😜.  

I’ve negotiated the maze of electrical cords under the desk in my hotel room - it looks like a nightmare, but the phone is h...

 My darling travellers

Carolyn and I have just had a drink in the bar downstairs - apparently there are some very good Turkish wines, but I had to have a pinot grigio from the Veneto (after your tutoring Carolyna!).  Carolyn loves gin and soda on lots of ice.  But I’l...

Hello darling travellers

It's actually tomorrow as I wrote this last night but was a little too tired to finish it:  (Does that sound Irish???)  

Another largish day today - I'm sure you are as exhausted as I am.  😉

We were back at the hotel by 9 tonight to debr...

Frankly I had an idea that whirling dervishes in this modern age were some sort of cheapened but fun entertainment version of an old practice.  I had no idea that it is still a deeply religious ceremony.   So I was poorly prepared for the performance last night.  Whic...

Today was our first day on our own.  A day of challenges alone in the big city.  

I don’t know about you, but machines which dispense tickets are a mystery to me.  I approach them with fear every time even in Australia.  I stand there and look at instructions and...