Ottawa, August 17, 2026

Hello Everyone. This update is much later than I expected, however we now have travel dates confirmed.

because of the situation in the middle east, it was not safe to book flights before knowing the political situation over there. Departure will be September 16. Will travel to Montreal Dorval by bus, the fly with Turkish Airlines to Istanbul and return 6 October. While it would be nice to make a short trip over to Lebanon, that will await until after arriving in Turkiye. It is one place I have wanted to see, and now that I have friends there, it becomes more inviting.  There is no Visa requirement for visitors from Canada to enter either Turkiye or Lebanon for stays of less that one month. With respect to Lebanon, one must not have a stamp from Israel in their Passport.

I will be making a quick trip to Warsaw on 27 September for 4 days. Since Poland is a member of the 27 Nation Block known as the Schengen Zone, I will need a Visa to go there. It is available online.

A friend will be making the flight to and from Istanbul with me, and undergoing major dental work for most of the time there. That is where their Dentist is located. (My dentist is located in Bangkok Thailand....Bangkok Smile).

On the subject of Dentists. When I go to Thailand, I get a dentist and their assistant, for what ever work I require for a full hour. The cost is 60 dollars Canadian. Several years ago, the Dentists in Canada and the Insurance companies agreed that only emergency dental out of Canada would be covered. When I heard that, I immediately cancelled my Canadian dental insurance.....so have many others.

I expect to do an update before departing on 16 September