I have been home five days now and am pleased to report zero jet lag!  All I do is abstain from caffeine, alcohol and meat for three days prior to flying, adjust my watch to the destination time on taking my seat in the plane and drink as much water as I possibly can prior to, during and after the flight.  I also resume normal hours upon arrival, e.g. bedtime, meals, etc.  I am happy that the 10 hour time difference between Turkey and Vancouver has not disrupted my return home as it means I have been able to catch up with some of the big pile of paperwork awaiting me.  It also helps that Turkish Airlines delivers exceptional service each and every time!

The olive tree in the picture above was taken in a beautiful small and relatively unknown town called Alacati (, (a-ler-cha-ter)  in the Aegean region of Turkey.  I was told by the owner of the charming boutique hotel in whose garden it sits that it is 250 years old, but a Turkish friend has suggested that it is probably more like 800 years old!  Regardless, it is beautiful, although not producing too many olives these days.

I will be posting photo’s from our tour as well as some new testimonials shortly.  In the meantime, if you are a Windsurfer, you may want to read about Alacati – a windsurfer’s paradise!

I’ve said before how much I enjoy travelling with Turkish Airlines … now voted one of the top airlines in the world. The seats are comfortable, and sometimes soft leather even in economy, snacks and meals are consistently good and then there is the famous Turkish hospitality demonstrated by the young and personable flight attendants. They also have more planes than their domestic competitors.

If you choose to fly within Turkey, I suggest you check out Turkish Airlines first.

I’m glad that they are now offering direct service to Istanbul from Toronto … I can visit the kids and then be seated for a flight that takes me straight to where I want to be. No stops.