... on a couch in a hotel lobby in the heart of the Ottoman Empire. My little sister, , is sitting beside me watching "Boa" in Turkish, same as our most gracious hosts. From our room one can see the Blue Mosque, the Hagia Sophia, and the Bosporus strait. Tomorrow I'm going to try to draw the view, so wish me luck.

This trip has already made up for the 10 hours sitting between two quiet Turkish gentlemen, in a seat that was not designed for people with as much in the way of elbows and knees as myself.

So Merry Christmas and everything else, good night.