So, if truth be told: there is absolutely NO WAY that we would have spent three months in Turkey if we were not forced to by the slow wheels of the Spanish Consulate. As we mentioned (several times) earlier, our visa application was supposed to be approved in three to five months. At four and a half months we moved to Spain. After a total of twelve months we discovered that they had LOST our paperwork.

Meanwhile every 90 days we have to leave the country.

We've taken full advantage of our plight and spent our 90 days in Turkey. It was more expensive than we had hoped, more beautiful than we had imagined, and gave us memories to last the rest of our lives.

We were quite surprised as how warmly two Americans were received in a predominantly Muslim country. Initial perception counts for a lot though. We went to the effort of trying to learn their language and abide by their customs. This is NOT the reputation that Americans have.

We were told that one visitor to a restaurant was loudly displeased that they would not accept US currency there. We witnessed one woman with literally thousands of dollars of jewelry draped around her neck, wrists and fingers refuse her Coca Cola because the restaurant didn't have ice cubes.

This adventure has reminded us that people are people, but that they want to be respected. Part of that respect is to try to learn about them.

If our Spanish visa is ultimately refused, we are considering Turkey as a possible place of residence from which to visit the rest of Europe. Time will tell.

I have NEVER found a hotel or timeshare with decent knives. What I have discovered though, is that if you go to a local hardward store, you can find an inexpensive file and sharpen the knives to your satisfaction. This file cost me the equivalent of fifty cents, and didn't last long, but kept my knives sharp for three months.