Dearest Kagan.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Truthfully though words cannot adequately express our appreciation to you, Deniz, and Taner for making Roger and me feel so welcomed in Turkey last month.
Our two days in Istanbul with Deniz were nothing short of incredible. Her ability to be flexible, maneuvering us amongst lines at the palace and mosques, dodging weather, and adding to our experience a short trip along the Bosporus was masterful. All the while she seamlessly told us about Istanbul's rich history as well as about living life today in the city on two continents. (To the later point, we also thoroughly enjoyed the deviation from history with our visit to Taksim on a very busy "see and be seen" Friday evening and a stop in a local eatery for a delicious bite to eat.)
Our time in Kusadasi and Ephesus a few days later was no less spectacularly interesting. Taner's love of his country, and more specifically the mind boggling history of this part of the world, showed as he toured us through the countryside, the fascinating ruins of the Ephesians, and finally to the house of Mary and Basilica of St. John. His sense of ownership of the area is enviable. (We sure hope his life with that precious young woman we encountered in the terrace homes, might work-out!)
Kagan, in your business you have surrounded yourself with warm, intellectually stimulating colleagues. You are blessed. and we feel as if we too were blessed to get to know you all...including our brief time with Lale.
Roger and I sincerely hope you all might consider visiting us in Tampa some day. We are very happy here overlooking the bay...a short 20 minutes to the beaches and less than an hour to the wonderful mayhem of Walt Disney World. You made us feel like family as we visited Turkey, we do hope you will let us return the favor!
For our time with you, Deniz and Taner we will always be most grateful! A 1,000,000 thanks. Love to you all.
Elizabeth Kurz...
Ephesus with Taner and Istanbul with Deniz in May 2011