They Came. They Saw. They.....

Statue of Nathan Hale

The FFI Turkish Exchange from Urla, Turkey (near Izmir) arrived here on Monday, June 24 and departed Tuesday, July 2.  While visiting we made sure they saw as much of our small state as time allowed.

One of the favorites was a tour of the Legislative Office Building and Captiol in Hartford.  They were welcomed by our State Senator Ed Meyer in the Senate, a real treat.  A couple of days later my brave guest volunteered to return to the LOB to help hang 'Local Color', the SAQA/CT traveling exhibit.

Carol Ludington's, Carol Vinick's and Kate Themel's

'Colt' grouping: Diane Wright, Gail Kotowski, Barb Adams, Linda Zimmerman, Yvette Howard and Robin Wolek

 We also visited the Pequot Museum, had a personal tour of Yale University, cruised Long Island Sound exploring the Thimble Islands, visited the Mark Twain House, had a walking tour of historic Guilford CT along with the Henry Whitfield House (the oldest stone house in New England and the oldest house in CT) and ate our way through potluck dinners, small group dinners and intimate family dinners.  We had a wonderful time...there were more than a few damp eyes on the train platform as we bid our new friends farewell as they departed for a few days in NYC prior to returning to Turkey.

Next year they will reciprocate with a visit with them in their homes in Urla.  I can hardly wait!

Thimble Island Cruise