Good Sushi Restaurant in DC

One of the healthiest foods you can eat in summertime is sushi. I like to go to Murasaki Japanese Cuisine and Sushi Bar at Tenleytown, I find their sushi delicious and fresh. Also, their presentation is great and they are kid friendly. It's close to Tenleytown/AU metro station and open for dinner at 5.30 PM.

Travelling to Turkey

I like going to Turkey in the summer; prices are reasonable, beaches are great and people are very nice. I usually  fly to Izmir, one of the major cities in Turkey and there are several beaches 30 minutes away by car or bus.

I tried several different airliners to fly to Izmir and I would like to share my experience with you. I flew with Lufthansa, Delta, British Airlines and Turkish Airlines (THY)... 

Let me start with British Airlines. While their service is really nice,  there is a layover in Heathrow Airport. I do not recommend anyone going through Heathrow! It takes 2 hours to go through additional security and it is just very crowded. 

Delta flies direct to Istanbul from NY. If you are living in NY, it's cheap to get a flight with Delta. But if your final destination is not Istanbul, things get complicated. You have to declare your bags and go through the customs and passport control in Istanbul since it's the first port of entry to Turkey. And you have to leave the international terminal and drag your bags to the domestic terminal. It's a long walk from international to domestic terminal. Check your bags for the connected flight with a different airline, since Delta do not have any domestic flights in Turkey. The weight limit is much lower for the domestic flights and number of bags you can check in. 

THY flies direct from Miami, NY and Dulles - Washington, DC to Istanbul. The service is great, they have several food and drink services. If your final destination is Istanbul, this airline is a good choice. If you are going to somewhere else, like Izmir, when you are booking your tickets make sure that all your connecting flights are booked through the same reservation. If you book your tickets separately, you have to go through the same steps like travelling with Delta. When you land in Istanbul, you will have to get your visa, go through the passport control and customs. But, you don't have to check your bags in Istanbul. THY will transfer them to your connecting flight. You need to leave the international terminal to domestic. Go through security again and get to your connecting flight. When you land at your final destination, your bags will come out in the International terminal, even though you are in the domestic terminal (remember, you left the International terminal and go to the Domestic in Istanbul). Find one of the officials there in the airport and let them know that you are coming from overseas and you need to get your bags. They will take you to the international terminal of that location. 

Lufthansa flies through Frankfurt or Munich to Izmir. I flew several times with Lufthansa going to Izmir, and I think this is the most convenient one. During summer, there are several flights to Izmir from Munich, so pick the closest flight for your connection. Also, when traveling back from Izmir to Washington, DC, you can stay over in Munich for a day; chose a flight with an overnight delay. The flight from Izmir lands at 3 PM in Munich. If you stay in a hotel downtown, you can take metro and be at the hotel by 4 PM. You can hang out downtown and go to a beer house, enjoy some German beer and food. There is a free two hour city tour early in the morning starting at the city center, you can learn about Munich and take back the metro to airport and continue your journey to U.S.