Another lovely, hot, crowded, fascinating summer day in Istanbul under a cloudless sky after a refreshing sleep. Breakfast with everyone, then a swim in this pool. We change locations today ––sadly, I will miss this pool! No accidents, no injuries, no mishaps for our gang today. And everyone has now arrived. Our group of friends is assembled. Tonight we go on a touristic boat cruise on the Bosporus to see the city lit up at night. There is an almost full moon rising above the pink sky. It’s a calm and pleasant evening dinner cruise––with fun entertainment, including belly dancing. Earlier in the day, the second day with our tour guide, we see the Topkapi Palace and Haram. It’s still a Muslim holiday and families and crowds are intense everywhere we go, except back to our peaceful, lovely hotel where we can quietly and cheerfully relax by the pool and have naps.

It’s hot here, but even hotter at home, I think, as Massachusetts has a heat wave. And I trust Wave is staying cool at the pool and Farm Pond. There were so many lovely trees at the palace. Lovely sycamore, leafy and lively. It is already tomorrow here, and we must be up for the next leg of our journey at 6:30 a.m.!