Three days in Byzantium. Or was that Constantinople? .. Stamboul? ...or ..

Where am I?   
This question has more to do with my post-nap, post-Turkish-Airlines state of mind than the actual name of the city.  

I'm back in the country with the BIG RED FLAG.

NO, NO, NOT that one
THIS one:

I could tell right away because Wikipedia and major internet porn sites are blocked here. That combination always shouts Turkey ! 

11:00

Why YES, they DO sell little glasses with Turkish tea in this city.....

View across Halic (The Golden Horn)

Most people would wear their camera in front of their eyes when approaching the Galata Tower.

One of about 10 small streets full of EXCLUSIVELY lamp stores ....

Not anymore. That's what happens if you come to a place too often.  I have only eyes for the MJet market because I know that they sell wine & cheese, LOL.

I'm supposed to move at noon, but I am forced to accept Taskin Time (TM ;-).  I booked a room since yesterday even though I only arrived early this morning.  Rooms are cheap enough in THIS hotel to do this without thinking.  

The colourful Serbian expat with the Doctor son studying in Toronto & Houston lets me move at 13:00 and there is still no sign of Taskin at 13:50.   Oh come on, I want to have a shower and a nap.  And with Taskin I just KNOW that he will knock at my door at the most inconvenient time.  I guess I'm a control freak after all; I'm get angry when I am not in perfect control of my time.  Blame work !

Afternoon golden light over the Golden Horn

4:00
I went to bed at 18:00 so I probably slept enough ;-)

Oh, there is an e-mail from my clients!  Now, they're contradicting the instructions they only sent me yesterday.  Get a grip, people !

The Muezzin starts his first chant before 5.

5:50
Turkish croissant time.  

Just like his pre-pre-predecessor, Mr Bun Man sees me approaching for the second time and waves.   


Onion-croissants with pistachio baloney and white wine.  Breakfast of Champions !  While munching I get envious e-mails from Eda.  Oh YES, being in Istanbul with Eda would be a TREAT, LOL.


Burn-out:  I'm NOT in the mood to translate yet; I finish watching the third season of Broadchurch on Netflix.  Good stuff.

11:00
What happened to the morning? What happened to that bottle of wine? LOL

I need to see a bank machine.  I was sure Taskin would prefer US$ or Euros for payment but he actually chose Turkish Lira this time and now I don't have enough for the remainder of the stay. 

13:00
I MUST NOT waste my time here with translating.  The weather is nice and warm and NOW would be a GREAT time to go exploring ;-)

I head out into terra incognita; a part of Istanbul where I have never walked before.

I cross Atatu"rk Bridge, the only one of the three bridges at this end of the Golden Horn that I have not walked over yet.

Talk about architecture:  Halic Metro Bridge and the  Suleymanyie Mosque in the background

 I'm only wearing a summer shirt and no socks in the sandals because it's nice & balmy. Perfect for a walk, so I decide to walk up that long incline up to the old 4th century aqueduct on top of the hill.  Along the way, a thought pops into my head: the call of the Muezzin would go well with a walk through this neighbourhood.  3 minutes later I hear various voices starting their call to prayer from mosques in different directions.  Magical.

I decide to head West to see the Suleymaniye Mosque from close-up

It's election time in Turkey soon

 Only when I get home will I realize that this is NOT the Suleymanyie Mosque but the much smaller Prince Mosque. 

By now I got enough exercise and I feel that I should get back to work.   Didn't I just see a sign that stated "Metro 200m ->" ?  I almost am lured in to a Gyros/Doner shop by the oh-so-tempting smell of that rotating meat-on-a-metal-skewer.  NO NO, I have food in the fridge and I don't want to gain 5 pounds again while I'm here.  

Which city has the best views from its Metro ?

OF COURSE, Taskin chooses THIS time to knock on my door and wake me.

7pm.  
Taskin leads me into a dead-end alley and we enter a nondescript door of a slightly derelict building on the left.  There is an ancient elevator on the left and heavily worn steps on the right.  We take the stairs.   As soon as we reach the first floor, I smell cat piss and notice that all the rooms on this floor are filled with trashed furniture.  On the second floor:  the feline source of the odour and more trashed rooms.  The fifth floor shows a different face.  A fancy-looking restaurant bustling with customers and waiters.  Ali Ocakbasi!  I can't believe the view from the windows, LOL.

View later, drink & appetizer first:





The drink:
Raki, what else?


 Note how the clear liquid at the bottom of the glass on the left goes milky when water is added.

The tomato salad with onions, pepper, and pomegranate juice is simply to DIE for ...

especially when consumed with pillow bread ;-)

Taskin decides that he is a fashion photographer and goes a bit WILD taking pictures.  I feel like a model, LOL.

I end up eating way too much and barely manage to call Grandma before collapsing into bed.

I spend the morning translating, watching Deep Water on Netflix (GREAT watch), and sipping wine.  The pressure of the translation is finally OFF; the light at the end of the tunnel is brightening !

11:00
OK, pressure to do something.   Time to shave and go buy some clothes.  I only just received notice that I'm going to be sitting at the Bride's Table at a Wedding on Saturday.  I have NO idea what that actually entails (or just how big that table is), but it sounds important and I should buy some clothes to look decent.  Wouldn't want to be be the odd one out at the bride's table.  OK, so I am that anyway, but I'll try not to make it too obvious ;-)

Atatu"rk has one 'of those faces'.  One could recognize him anywhere !

There must be 100s of mosques in this city already.  Why not build another one ?

I'm back by 14:00 with new shoes and pants.  I will have something to wear in Austria ;-)

But then I crash.  Istanbul is a beautiful city but like many big cities it poisons its air with atrocious car traffic.  The fact that my balcony hangs right over the busiest car bridge over the Golden Horn probably doesn't help. I'm coughing and I'm dead tired.

I feel WORSE.  Back to bed!

19:30
I actually feel a bit better ;-)

What day is it today?  Thursday.   Time to send lots of work & play e-mails.  Get more wine. Have another nap. Watch Last days of Vietnam on Netflix, cry at the stupidity of man, and have another nap.   Pack !

3 days in Istanbul just is NOT enough.  I want to stay 2 weeks here, but I never find the time .....

13:10 
Time to leave the hotel, say good-bye to Taskin, and to take a last selfie on Halic Metro Bridge.