Turkey and Greece - all too quickly

We had only a short time in Istanbul, all of it precious, as we saw Hope's Turkish "sister" Ova Sünder. The girls met in 1958 and have been in touch ever since; they have enfolded each other's families into their own families and hug and laugh and cry and remember --- so intensely that they never took photos at our reunion dinner. Then we were off to Athens and a magnificent lunch at the Rooftop Restaurant with brilliant views of the Acropolis and Mt. Lycabettus from our window.

And then to Dermafresh Clinic, as Bill had a little growth on his face. We had taken a photo and sent it to Eric Thomas, our wonderful dermatologist in Middletown. Eric opined that it should likely be removed as soon as possible; the ship's doc made an appointment and we walked into a spa. The entry to the operating room was wall-papered, and copies of Vogue magazine graced the waiting area. The surgeon? In jeans and a tee shirt -AND a white coat. But he did a fine job; the ship is supervising aftercare, and we think this modern world is amazing.