Ready to leave for Italy

It’s Sunday morning and I leave for the airport to fly to Milan in a few hours. Hard to believe is was 3 full days already. Trip was great, saw all the stuff I wanted to see and had the opportunity to immerse myself in the city, really a pleasure.  A few items I haven’t noted as I am ready to depart.  I had done a lot of research and was very comfortable the city was safe and it is.  I saw no indications of crime or scary areas.  That said, you can tell people are on edge.  Turkey does border Iran, Iraq and Syria (not the best neighborhood).  Some comfort comes from the fact Istanbul is on the opposite side of the country as those borders, but they are still impacted.  My guide told me they have received nearly 3 million refugees from the fighting in Syria.  This, in a country of 80 million people. The Turks are a very warm and accepting culture by nature, it is in their history to welcome those in need.  However, it sounds like the sheer volume is causing social and economic concerns. The biggest concern is that they will see an increase in crime if these immigrants are not able to find jobs.

One indication they are on alert was something I saw while on my walking tour yesterday.  While I have seen very little obvious police or military presence, I did notice a fully prepared counter assault team staged on one of the side streets, just in case.  I am sure with everything going on in Syria and the rise of ISIS, they are prepared just in case.  Not to worry, I am headed to Italy.