Recently returned from playing baseball in Istanbul and Busra. Istanbul is the  largest city in Turkey and the country’s economic, cultural and historic center. A transcontinental city in Eurasia, it straddles the Bosporus strait separating Europe and Asia. We cruise the Bosporus and visited both Istanbul’s historical center on the European side and its suburbs on the Asian side.  Beyond Istanbul, we crossed the Mermera Sea by ferry to play and go sightseeing in Bursa.  Located south of Istanbul in the foothills of Mount Uludag, Bursa is known for its mosques and historical sites from the early Ottoman Empire.