Monday, May 30
PS - what's up doc?
Seems I am typing and typing and no one is talking back, asking questions, nothing. Am I typing into the ether? Maybe I should go dark and off the grid for a couple of weeks?
Testi kebap...
So for dinner, we decided to look around for a restaurant and eat at our hotel (out on the street restaurant) as the default should we not see something that catches our eye. On the way up the hill, as we passed Metropolis, alas, sitting at my "my" table were old friends Shannon and Chris. We said hello, and continued on our way.
Around the corner we came across the Seven Hills Hotel and rooftop restaurant. Up we went. The vista was amazing. You could see the blue mosque to the left, the Aya Sofia to the right, the Bosphorous behind us. Amazing view. The menu, mostly seafood. Ah but the Murhpy girls don't like seafood so we had to abandon the beautiful (and windy and nippy) setting.
We walked a bit more and decided we would eat at our hotel. I got my table, our wine, calamari the way I like it. Lots o' ketchup, they remember. Fresh salad and for the main testi lamb kebap cooked in a clay pot. Delish. And a fruit plate for dessert. While sipping my first of three Turkish teas, along come Chris and Shannon. So we had drinks and compared notes from today and for tomorrow.
True story. Chris bought a bottle of wine for the room earlier in the day at a corner store. He didn't want to ask the hotel for a corkscrew, and there was none in the room so he headed back to the store a few minutes away to buy one. They wouldn't sell their "only" corkscrew to him, and sent to the next place... And the next... And the next. Twenty minutes later he ended up at the Metropolis where he borrowed one and told them he would return it and have dinner when doing so. Shannon thought he'd been hit by a car or something, he was gone so long. We roared.
A walk around the block to end the evening, time for sleep. Ali meets us in the lobby at 0900 tomorrow.
Around the corner we came across the Seven Hills Hotel and rooftop restaurant. Up we went. The vista was amazing. You could see the blue mosque to the left, the Aya Sofia to the right, the Bosphorous behind us. Amazing view. The menu, mostly seafood. Ah but the Murhpy girls don't like seafood so we had to abandon the beautiful (and windy and nippy) setting.
We walked a bit more and decided we would eat at our hotel. I got my table, our wine, calamari the way I like it. Lots o' ketchup, they remember. Fresh salad and for the main testi lamb kebap cooked in a clay pot. Delish. And a fruit plate for dessert. While sipping my first of three Turkish teas, along come Chris and Shannon. So we had drinks and compared notes from today and for tomorrow.
True story. Chris bought a bottle of wine for the room earlier in the day at a corner store. He didn't want to ask the hotel for a corkscrew, and there was none in the room so he headed back to the store a few minutes away to buy one. They wouldn't sell their "only" corkscrew to him, and sent to the next place... And the next... And the next. Twenty minutes later he ended up at the Metropolis where he borrowed one and told them he would return it and have dinner when doing so. Shannon thought he'd been hit by a car or something, he was gone so long. We roared.
A walk around the block to end the evening, time for sleep. Ali meets us in the lobby at 0900 tomorrow.
A walking tour of the old city Sultanahmet
Correction. Our walk from Europe to Asia was really a walk from Europe to Europe, we were mistaken. We did not get to Asia yet.
This morning after a quick omelet, Ali met us at our hotel. He is our private guide for 3 days.
Today's was a walking tour which began at Topkapi palace, the sultan's palace. We walked it throughout including the harem. Ali is very knowledgeable and a great guy.
From there we visited the Blue Mosque. Lisa had to cover up, and we had to remove shoes to enter. Inside was amazing. The structure and how it was built, with its large spans supported from the inside on 4 huge, I mean huge, columns known as elephant feet. And the intricate tile work. Tiles everywhere. Photography is allowed in the mosque, I got a few interesting images.
From there we headed towards the Spice Market and stopped along the way for lunch. Local cuisine, very very nice. Doner meat in mine, like the doner meat - lamb.
After a quick walk thru the market (since we saw it yesterday), we visited another mosque called Rustem Pasha. Much smaller but unique in its own way. There we saw a young lad, with his dad, dressed up in like a special baptism uniform/costume. He is looking forward to entering manhood and the party thereafter where he will get toys and money and a big party. Poor lad, he doesn't know what comes before the party. Snip snip.
From there we took a different route back up the hill to our hotel, getting here around 3pm. In all the walking tour today was about 6 hours. We wished Ali a good evening and decided a large beer was in order. It wasn't. We were so bagged, we drank half with one eye open. Luckily we were at our hotel's outside cafe, so up to the room for what turned out to be a 4 hour nap.
Dinner time.
This morning after a quick omelet, Ali met us at our hotel. He is our private guide for 3 days.
Today's was a walking tour which began at Topkapi palace, the sultan's palace. We walked it throughout including the harem. Ali is very knowledgeable and a great guy.
From there we visited the Blue Mosque. Lisa had to cover up, and we had to remove shoes to enter. Inside was amazing. The structure and how it was built, with its large spans supported from the inside on 4 huge, I mean huge, columns known as elephant feet. And the intricate tile work. Tiles everywhere. Photography is allowed in the mosque, I got a few interesting images.
From there we headed towards the Spice Market and stopped along the way for lunch. Local cuisine, very very nice. Doner meat in mine, like the doner meat - lamb.
After a quick walk thru the market (since we saw it yesterday), we visited another mosque called Rustem Pasha. Much smaller but unique in its own way. There we saw a young lad, with his dad, dressed up in like a special baptism uniform/costume. He is looking forward to entering manhood and the party thereafter where he will get toys and money and a big party. Poor lad, he doesn't know what comes before the party. Snip snip.
From there we took a different route back up the hill to our hotel, getting here around 3pm. In all the walking tour today was about 6 hours. We wished Ali a good evening and decided a large beer was in order. It wasn't. We were so bagged, we drank half with one eye open. Luckily we were at our hotel's outside cafe, so up to the room for what turned out to be a 4 hour nap.
Dinner time.
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