Wrinkly Bits
A Blog by Gail Cushman
Originally posted 9/7/25
We are home…after two days of travel…and am just catching up. We had a great trip to Europe and were a hop, skip, and jump from Asia, while in Istanbul. The plane rides were about 23 hours long. We had a wonderful time but are still a bit worn.
This is the coolest thing, though, unknown to either of us, my nephew and his fam were in Paris at the same time, like following us around, an echo of what we were seeing. Aaron and Nikki Decker live in Kansas, so what are the odds? Although we didn’t actually see each other, it was just a cool coincidence. I waved at them from the Eiffel Tower…I’m sure they saw me! and thanks to Aaron for some of these pictures.
We visited Greece, Istanbul, Turkey, Croatia, and ended up in Venice, although we had to view it from the airplane. We then went to Paris for five days…We love Paris and toured, drank tons of Parisian coffee and ate croissants. I shopped at bit, just to make sure that the credit cards worked ok, and they did. In Istanbul we visited the Spice Market. Whew! It is a sight to see. We visited Istanbul on a Sunday, and the Grand Bazaar was closed. The Mosques were open and we heard the call to prayer from two different mosques, simultaneously. In Paris, we made four stops: Louvre, Eiffel Tower, a lunch Cruise down the Seine, and Notre Dame Cathedral. Plus, my little shopping trips!
Each country offered a varied and romantic view of the world. Greece with its white buildings contrasting to the landscapes. It’s the law to have white buildings. The Mediterranean sunsets and sunrises. The clipped sounds of marching while changing of the guard at the Greek Parliament. The flags flapping in the breeze at the Panathenaic (Olympic) Stadium. Croissants at every turn. A pink pelican dining at an outdoor café. The aroma and tastes of the various herbs and spices at the Istanbul Spice Market (it also had amazing shawls, two of which are now in my closet). Roasted corn in the marketplace. Men washing themselves before entering a Mosque. A whirling dervish! Spaghetti in Croatia. The canals of Venice and Cowboy buying perfume in several shops in Paris.
Our trip home did not go without consequences, though. We missed the plane to Billings and had to spend the night in Denver. Somehow, our suitcases managed to catch the plane, but we didn’t. Go figure…how could they get on and we didn’t. I grumbled a lot, but we arrived home the next day, just fine. My laptop took a hit with a cracked screen, so it looks like I’m headed to Best Buy tomorrow.
And Cody, well, he was oh, so glad to see us, but now he’s punishing us, doesn’t eat, won’t go into his kennel (which he has always loved…his safe spot, I think), and he growls when we pet him. He’ll get over it, but he’s letting us know…three weeks is toooooooooooo long!
All in all, we had a grand adventure, and it is the glitches that make an adventure an adventure. All is well. “What a Grand Trip!” I hope you enjoy the photos…but better yet, seeing them in person will stir your soul!
