A Farewell to Turkey

At last we come to the end of the Holy Rover’s travels in Turkey. Thank you for your patience in traveling with me over the past weeks. I did go on at some length, I realize, but there was so much that fascinated and delighted me in Turkey that I wanted to re-live my experiences by writing about them. Many of these posts have now migrated over to the other part of this website, where you can click through the entire set by going to Holy Sites in Turkey.

Before I leave Turkey behind, however, I want to say a few words of thanks to my traveling companion, Marian Wingo, who invited me to travel with her as she returned to the country where she had lived for three years as a young woman. Experienced travelers know that one’s companion on the road can make all the difference on a trip, for good or ill. A kindred spirit can turn difficulties into adventures and greatly deepen one’s enjoyment of pleasures.

That was certainly true of Marian, for I can’t think of a better companion and guide to Turkey.  She charmed cab drivers, hotel staff, and shopkeepers with her Turkish.  She made sure we ordered the most delicious items in restaurants.  She shared stories of her years in Turkey and gave insights into its culture and how it’s changed over the intervening decades.  She was always game for an adventure, never grumpy, and enriched my own enjoyment of Turkish landmarks and people in countless ways.

Marian’s joy in being in Turkey is nicely evoked, I think, in the photo above. I wish all of you the experience of traveling with such a companion one day. There are few joys as sweet as setting out on an overseas adventure with a good friend.

Between Marian Wingo and John L. Stoddard, I was fortunate to have the very best of companions in Turkey. John and Marian, to you both I say thank you, teşekkür ederim.