Wandering between two continents

My dear, the last few days have been wonderful, wandering the streets of Istanbul and enjoying  being here together as we explore this city, full of history, sites and  beauty. It is nice to imagine its great past as we walk along together - the sultans in their palaces, the adventurers and explorer's crossing the Bosphorus in their wooden skiffs, the mixing and mingling of world religions and cultures that took place here at this crossroads of east and west over many centuries.

There is also happiness in the small pleasures  which have become our everyday rituals: in the bags of hot chestnuts eaten while walking down İstiklal Street, in passing the fishermen on Galata Bridge and climbing up  Begoylu's hills past the tower on our way home after a day of taking in the sights and laughing together over silly things along the way.  I will remember for some time our long stroll along the Bosphorus one misty, cold afternoon, and an evening spent eating stuffed mussels with glasses of Turkish wine at a cozy Lokatansi restaurant in Karakoy, not to mention the happy hours spent snapping photos of the elegant domes and arches of Aya Sofia.

I like the unhurried pace of our days and our conversations which are always interesting for me, no matter what the subject.  What a nice beginning darling, this shared time in this special place. You are becoming mine and I am becoming yours as we grow closer day by day. I love you.