Sunday, September 30, 2021
Overview of 18 day trip (number of nights in red, beginning and ending in Istanbul)
Random photos from Turkey:
Sofia Mosque in Istanbul Goreme Cave Homes Çanakkale Troy Monument
Hera Cave Hotel in Goreme (Cappadocia)
Cave churches in Goreme
Turkish cotton (first time I've seen cotton growing)
Sunday, September 26, 2021
Hello,
1) We are touring Turkey September 13th thru' the 30th.
2) Roman ruins are everywhere.
3) Cleopatra’s swimming pool is near these hot springs and terraces.
4) We sat in the best preserved Roman theater of the ancient world,
5) which was built in 160-180 A.D.
6) It is still used today for ballet concerts & opera festivals;
7) also, performers such as U2, Sting and Diana Ross.
8) We marveled at the blend of ancient surroundings with modern lighting, backstage equipment and crew support, etc.
9) If you are still reading this...
10) !keew eht fo nosrep etirovaf ruo era uoY
Upcoming:
October 1st - We fly to Vienna, Austria and reside there for a month.
October 2nd & 3rd - Six more days until LDS General Conference.
November 1st - We are counting down the days until we return to the USA, Cafe Rio, a closet full of clothes, and FAMILY (not in that order).
We love you forever,
Sunday, September 19, 2021
Hello to our dearest loved ones,
We are far from home. Turkey, since last Monday. It looks foreign, feels foreign, sounds foreign and tastes foreign.
1) This ballon ride was certainly a HIGHlight! ;o}
2) 4/5 days had been cancelled due to high winds.
3) Yesterday was the lucky day…and we jumped in.
4) 20 persons per basket.
5) We rode with Argentinians, Brazilians, Russians, Italians, Canadians, etc…
6) Even a few Turks!
7) 60 minutes.
8) So amazing!
9) Afterward we sipped sparkling cider spiked with cherry juice.
10) And received authenticated certificates.
We spent 2 days in Istanbul and a day in Tarsus where Saul/Paul was born and Daniel is buried.
Coming soon:
TODAY!!! Randi is now 35!!!
We spend the remainder of the month in tremendous, tantalizing, terrific, TURKEY!
Please tell us how you are enjoying fall, football and family.
We love you forever!
Sunday, September 12, 2021
Hello from Zagreb,
If you were offered an all expense paid trip to Zagreb would you take it? I did. It is the capital of Croatia, and a 5 hour ride from the coast. We have loved our time in this unusual country. Picture Croatia in your mind. You are not even close! It is astounding! Did you picture astounding? Well then, surprised averted.
We also took 3 day trips to neighboring countries.
Top row - Bosnia & Herzegovina (yes, that mouthful is 1 country)
Middle row - Montenegro
Bottom row - Slovenia (took place today)
1) Kravica Falls
2) “Never forget 1993” (the bombing of Mostar Bridge) American’s are heros for aiding Bosnia.
3) Colorful glass mosaic lanterns. (I want 52, so you could each have)
4) The Walls of Kotor (built 15th - 17th century)
5) Kotor Cathedral (great pasta in the old town, but no sugar in the lemonade)
6) "Our Lady of the Rocks" off the coast of Perast, built in 1630 A.D.
7) Bubble fun in Ljubljana, capital of Slovenia
8) Bled Lake & Castle (dates back to 1004 A.D.) (The town of Bled is home of the original cream cake)
9) The dragon is the symbol of Ljubljana
10) Tourist slogan - I FEEL sLOVEnia
Coming soon:
12th ~ Reminder that Carrie needs to get those candles out FAST on her favorite ice cream pie.
12th ~ I gave Lane 1/2 of my Cream Cake for his 1/2 birthday ;o}
13th ~ We fly to Istanbul to begin a 17 day tour of Turkey!
15th ~ Brian is 43. Usually wisdom comes with age…but sometimes it’s an optional feature.
19th ~ Randi is 35. Take heart, THIRTY FIVE is only 22 in Scrabble points.
We love you forever!
Monday, September 6, 2021
Greetings from Croatia 🇭🇷,
We hiked up to the fort in Old City Dubrovnik and immediately marched down to the sea for some kayaking. The guy said we were actually not his most overdressed kayakers of the day but of ALL TIME! Then added, “better to be overdressed than underdressed!” Tip: DO NOT KAYAK WITH YOUR 250 kuna CITY PASS IN YOUR POCKET!
1) Where is Croatia? Traveling east, picture Spain ➡️ Mediterranean Sea ➡️ Italy ➡️ Adriatic Sea ➡️ Croatia!
2) it’s really old. The earliest traces of humans on Croatian soil was eons ago. Too mind boggling to comprehend. Think Ancient Romans and Neanderthals.
3) it’s also really just a baby. Croatia declared independence from Yugoslavian rule in 1991. They fought 1991-1995.
4) no longer under communist rule it is an amazing country to visit and our timing couldn’t be better.
5) it certainly is on every Top 10 tourist destination list in Europe - and due to its relaxed Covid restriction it is enjoying the #1 spot, ahead of UK, France & Italy.
6) it’s size is comparable to West Virginia.
7) the Croatian population is 4.28 million. It’s capital is Zagreb.
8) it is ranked “level 1” by U.S. State Dpt - the safest category.
9) this country is enchanting with its picturesque hillside villages, passion for good food, mild winters, famed Dalmatian Coast (I’d never heard of it) and island life (1,000+ islands). Our guide said we should try Dalmatian meatloaf 🥴.
10) English proficiency is up. The people are generous & kind. It’s delightful.
How are you, really?
Upcoming dates:
Sept 8th ~ Justin is now 2 decades old!
Sept 9th ~ RayDean makes 51 look fabulous!
Sept 12th ~ Carrie is rockin’ double 4’s (or double 22’s) ;o}
Sept 12th ~ Lane celebrates his 1/2 birthday with 1/2 piece of cake 🍰 , 1/2 a movie, and 1/2 a kiss 💋.
We love you forever,
Momma C & Dad Lane (G&G Howell)
P.S. Random photos from Croatia/Slovenia
Croatia: Split (muscles & pizza), Zagreb (burger, shake, salad, and cheese fries)
Slovenia: Ljubljana (chalkboard & wings), Bled (cream cake)
Split, Salt, near the Green Cave off Hvar Island, Ljubljana Dragon Bridge
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