where did the summer go?
I broke my personal record - three months without posting! I actually have a reminder on my calendar to post weekly so I will try to be more consistent about my updates.
We went to the Philippines for two weeks last month, to see my mom. It was like a dream that passed so quickly. The province where my mom lives is now an official UNESCO Global Geopark. It's not really clear to me what that meant, except that there were more and fancier signs at places we already visited. One of the new-to-us destinations that I highly recommend is the Cambuhat Oyster Farm. It was a delightful way to spend a morning - a river cruise on a small outrigger boat to visit the oyster beds, then a huge seafood lunch right on the river.
Another big highlight of our trip was the very quick visit to Istanbul. I had visited 20 or so years ago and had really enjoyed it. I realized it was the first time that Z had visited a country that was not the Philippines or Morocco. Turkish Airlines provided a free hotel and free tours of the city for long layovers so we took advantage of the hotel. The tours were at set times so we opted for a private company for more flexibility. Our tour guide was awesome. The only downside was that on a Sunday the Grand Bazaar was closed. Otherwise we had a lovely time walking around the historic area. I hope we return and go on a cruise around the city. That is my favorite memory of my first visit.
We are back to our regular programming of school (middle school!) and work.
We went to the Philippines for two weeks last month, to see my mom. It was like a dream that passed so quickly. The province where my mom lives is now an official UNESCO Global Geopark. It's not really clear to me what that meant, except that there were more and fancier signs at places we already visited. One of the new-to-us destinations that I highly recommend is the Cambuhat Oyster Farm. It was a delightful way to spend a morning - a river cruise on a small outrigger boat to visit the oyster beds, then a huge seafood lunch right on the river.
Another big highlight of our trip was the very quick visit to Istanbul. I had visited 20 or so years ago and had really enjoyed it. I realized it was the first time that Z had visited a country that was not the Philippines or Morocco. Turkish Airlines provided a free hotel and free tours of the city for long layovers so we took advantage of the hotel. The tours were at set times so we opted for a private company for more flexibility. Our tour guide was awesome. The only downside was that on a Sunday the Grand Bazaar was closed. Otherwise we had a lovely time walking around the historic area. I hope we return and go on a cruise around the city. That is my favorite memory of my first visit.
We are back to our regular programming of school (middle school!) and work.