5/22 - 5/26 The Turkish Lira firmed .05% on the week on very strong overseas demand for donner kebabs. Jaime and I arrived safely in Istanbul Tuesday morning, the day before a news worthy fire took hold of the airport. We checked into a moderate hotel (the last luxury for a few weeks) and began to explore Sultanahmet, the historical/tourist district where we were staying. We toured the Blue Mosque with a local carpet salesman, (discovering only after his $20 fee) but enjoyed the fantastic site, 1000+ year old mosque with dramatic domes, incredible tile work and stained glass. Thankfully our hotel has a rooftop bar with a direct view. That evening we took a couple mile walk through town to a pedestrian street (itskaldis?) bustling with bars and restaurants. (Jaime would like to make an
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