The room with a view (Gotta LOVE Booking.com)

I booked one.  A room with a view that is.

No, not that one. That belongs in the movie "A room with a view"

My room is in a different country.  And my room has a terrace with a view !  

No, I don't get a view over the Arno in Florence, but I get a view over the Golden Horn in Istanbul (Yes, my American friends, there is actually a country called Turkey, just like the bird !)

What is it with the hair?  Geert Wilders, the Dutch Trump

I'm actually quite happy that I'll be able to make a contribution against the hate-mongering against Turkey in general and Erdogan in particularly that is going on in Germany and Holland right now.  White nationalism has found an easy target.  IMHO, it's nothing but trying to profit from the underlying racism in those countries with large numbers of Turkish residents.  The whining in Germany and Holland would be MUCH greater if Erdogan would change whatever he is doing right.  The fact that in a Muslim country with direct borders to Syria, Irak, and Iran there are NO black ISIS flags flying still makes me wonder how he manages that.  But imagine the white whining if those flags ever fly ;-)

A post-script to the above:  I'm really wondering what mental age politicians have these days. No, I don't mean Trump, LOL. The Dutch refused landing clearance in Holland for the plane of the Turkish foreign minister.  Agreed, not a very civilized thing to do.  In return, Istanbul cancelled its sister-city relationship with Rotterdam and the Turkish Meat Association send Dutch cows back to Holland.  Is a mental age of 5 absolutely required to be a politician these days? 

But back to my room with a view:

OK, so this autostrade is a bit close to the balcony ;-)

You might say I'm showing my Big Spender side in booking this room.  

Far from the truth, LOL.  81 Euros (CAD 116, US$ 86) is the TOTAL bill for THREE nights.  Yup, that is less than US$ 30 per night.

Breakfast is NOT included but is available for CAD 6.  But most likely I won't even go for breakfast. Because I know that at the foot of the very nearby bridge, there is a man who shows up at 6 am with his cart.

Mr Bun-vendor in June 2016

And those buns are DELICIOUS !  And in contrast to my last visit, I will even know how to say Good Morning this time ;-)

Günaydın Istanbul!