Our journey to this rich metropolis begins on Turkish Airlines. Our decadent meal comes complete with silverware and cloth napkins. We have a choice of Turkish-style meatballs, a stuffed eggplant dish called Karniyarik, grilled lamb, or seafood pasta. Business class seats recline all the way down for the 10-hour flight. Please turn off mobile devices and make sure all luggage is properly stowed in the overhead bins. Have you ever been on a flight this long?

We just landed in Istanbul where Europe meets Asia, East meets West, and ancient and modern coexist. Istanbul is considered one city, part of it sits on the continent of Europe, neighboring Greece and Bulgaria. The other part sits on the continent of Asia, neighboring Syria, Iran, and Iraq beyond Turkey's borders. Have you ever visited Istanbul?

Istanbul is absolutely teeming with fascinating history. From stunning architecture to ingenious innovations, Istanbul has been at the forefront of city development and the crossroads of culture for centuries. We will see some of the most impressive mosques and step iside the beautiful blue mosque. Have you visited a mosque before?

Istanbul was founded by the Roman emperor Constantine the Great in 330 AD, and was then known as Constantinople. He was the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity in 312 AD. The fall of Byzantine Constantinople was in 1453 AD, but the name of the city persisted under the Ottoman Empire until the official change to Istanbul in 1930. Were you aware of this piece of history?

On the trip back, we will be joined by our same flight attendants who so graciously added to our enjoyment by providing the following: Movies by Etsaenic; Music by 96foremmus, Photography by Nwadnasus, Research by Enirtic, Meals by Sdribknipevoli. Do you recognize the flight attendants?