Istanbul!

After 18 hours and 10 time zones, I am in the amazing city of Istanbul. Lisa and I spent the day walking a touristy district near Taksim Square - Istaklal Street (Revolution Street). We had wonderful food, bookstores, and little shops. The street is filled with people and the occasional trolley, police car, and taxi. Such a caucophony of sights and sounds! The rest of the group arrives tomorrow and then we hit the ground running with tours of the most famous palace - Topkapi - as well as some mosques and points of interest before starting the real curriculum work where we go chronologically (order of historical events) through the sites of Istanbul. Though the Greeks were here before the Romans, Istanbul has more sites from the Byzantium period (600-1200AD) than prior periods. Pictures tomorrow....Time to sleep.