Every Stone

Hotel Cecil, on Athinas in Athens, could be any of a dozen hotels in twenty cities. I’ve stayed in the same little place in New York, California, Italy, and Turkey, now, I think — an pink ancient building on a main street, its elevator a wire cage that rattles and protest at any bag, or […]

Morning finds me at Ataturk International Airport, international departures terminal, at 7 am, sipping bitter, grainy Turkish coffee while waiting for Olympic Airlines to open and start admitting travelers. I have an hour and so take my time watching the people here. The security is intense — screening of person and baggage at the entrance […]