Reaching Celestial Heights

The third member of our little party arrived today, full of energy & ready to stride out into all Istanbul had to offer.  We retraced our earlier steps with him & enjoyed the realisation of how well we know our way around after only a couple of days!

First stop was the Blue Mosque, which we had first shown him from the rooftop terrace of our hotel.  Our friend has one of those ipad/book thingies & had downloaded some travel info about Istanbul, so was busily reading as he looked around him.  There were a few things we learned from his book; there are meant to be 50 different tulip designs used inthe tiles decorating the blue mosque interior! (Sounds like a challenge of discovery to try with my sketch book in hand!) The chandeliers are also supposed to have Ostrich eggs hanging above them to prevent cobwebs.  It took us a while, but eventually spotted 3 golden egg shapes hanging high up on the chandelier chain, looking like holy testicles!  We couldnt see any cobwebs, so figure it must work!  I wonder if emu eggs will have the same effect!
Out from the Blue Mosque, we went then to the Aya Sophia. This building has a lengthy history & there has been more than one building on the site.  Some of the Byzantine church still remains within the parameters of the current building & it was fun playing "Time Team' & looking for the differing styles of brick work, patching, filling in & repairing denoting different parts of history & functional need!

The interior was designed to be an earthly representation of Heaven itself, therefore...GOLD! Incredible gold mosaic work, & gold plaster work made the huge space radiate, even though so much has deteriorated & mosaics lost or stolen over time. We are talking HUGE space and tried to compare with what we remembered of St Peters in Rome & St Pauls in England...bit hard to do really! A very pleasant hour was spent wandering, constantly gazing heaven ward, admiring the magnificance that is & marvelling that this is but a taste of what it was. 

Leaving Aya Sophia we stopped for a turkish 'cuppa' & taste of local baklava.  It is very different from the greek sweet of the same name & we loved it!
 The Basillica Cistern was just across the road, so it was important to take our friend down to the depths, introduce him to Medusa, the column of tears and the forest of columns beneath the city.

Wandering up the main street, we admired the different sweet shops & their impressive presentation, but didnt stop to buy...we were on our way to the Grand Bazaar!

 I was expecting great things...especially after the atmosphere of the Spice Bazaar the day before, and, quite frankly, I was disappointed! Am I the first person in the history of  shopping to go into Istanbul's Grand Bazaar, and buy....NOTHING? The wares all seemed same old same old! Anywhere in the world sort of stuff.  The more traditional items, looked tacky & the atmosphere was just lacking!  HOWEVER, the building itslef was fantastic, especially up above the stupid curtain awning that we could done without! Decorative plaster & brick work.  Dont get me wrong, there were definitely some shop/stalls that I may wander back to for closer perusal, but generally, it did nothing for me.

We took our friend through the narrow, cobble stoned streets that were all, once, an extension of the bazaar, to the Spice bazaar where the atmosphere was completely different. Perhaps it was because there were more locals in the mix of bodies. We were very amused by the Turkish viagra that was on sale, balls of figs embedded with a variety of nuts & grains.  One has to wonder whether it would be more effective as a laxative....! Sellers of turkish delight offered tastes of their wares, & I really like the pistachio flavoured ones! We didnt buy....but were tempted.

 From there we took our friend to the waters edge and a Balik Sandwich, which we all ate whilst gazing out to sea.

Pleasantly meandering back towards 'home', we tried our first Turkish icecream which is creamier than gelato, but quite different to ice cream! Mine was walnut flavoured! Walnuts are used a lot in turkish cooking we have discovered! It occurred to us that you can have a very enjoyable experience of this city without spending a lot of money! Its character is in its streets!  We passed another well regarded turkish bath complex & picked up their brochure for perusal over turkish coffee in the Arasta Bazaar, surrounded by the sweet apple smelling smoke, of the narghile (hubbly bubbly) smokers.

Our evening meal in a fish restaurant was the perfect location as an end to our day. The rooftop terrace had an outstanding view of both Blue Mosque & Aya Sophia...and the calamari was divine!

CALL TO PRAYER

Not even earplugs can block out the sound of the Muezzin calling the faithful to prayer at 5 am this morning!  And to make sure that the tonal rhythmn of that call didnt sooth the faithful back to sleep...the seagulls followed up with a call of their own; starting as a chicken crow, adjusting to a duck honk, building to an almost kookaburra laugh and reaching crescendo with a cackling-mad-woman.  We wont be sleeping in, in this neighbourhood!

First port of call today was The Blue Mosque, starting with a look at it from the rooftop terrace of our Hotel! On site & with head covered & shoes removed we entered this very special place of prayer.  The name derives from the myriad of predominantly blue, tiles that adorn this exquisite place. Built from 1609-16 it is obviously lovingly maintained because it is as stunning as if new. We took some time craning our necks to take in the decorative features of the cupolas & marvel at the incredible weight the 'elephant leg' columns must be. It must have taken a miracle to get them on site!

Exiting in a different location to where we have entered, we caught a magnificent look at Aya Sophia, before heading to Topkapi Palace. Already the queues were forming,so we joined the throng & made our way into the extensive complex. More a museum than an actual Palace that you can walk through & see how the residents lived, we went from room to room viewing the various treasures on display.  We were interested in the Sultans outfits, paneled coats with excessively long arms & VERY narrow necks.  The pantaloons were HUGE & it would have been useful to see a diagram/example as to HOW they were actually worn. The fabrics were exquisite, but my favourite had to be the Talismanic shirts! They were completely covered in symbols and mathematical equations that would prevent harm to the wearer...namely assassination!

From there to jewel encrusted thrones, to dagger displays and more emeralds than I have ever seen in my life! We saw beautiful Koran covers, decorative jewel 'hat pins' for turbins, and vessels made of crystal.  Outside, we admired walls of decorative tile & lush expanses of garden, with magnificent views of the Bospherous & Golden Horn.

A slight reprieve in the perfectly located Konyali cafe for our first taste of apple tea & a look out on the hectic waterway where the Golden Horn & Bospherous collide, then into the Harem. 

The Harem was VERY beautiful, interesting & sobering!  It is beyond our comprehension why anyone would feel honored to have their daughters imprisoned in this decorative, but never-the-less VERY confined space! We couldnt help but think of our own daughter & shudder! The tiles were stunning...I think I have taken over a hundred photos of tiles today! (Not all from the Harem!)However, it was a prison... of sorts.

We were very pleased to leave, but glad we had taken the time to wrestle alongside other 'visitors' to see this impressive place. We would have liked to follow this up with visiting the Archeological Museum next door, but alas, today they were closed! Therefore we just decided to walk in the general direction of the Galata bridge.  This aimless, mapless (well not quite) wandering took us into a few places where I am sure visitors are not expected to venture!!  Never the less, we saw the lives of the people in action, going about their work, just as 'local' people do wherever they are in the world & regardless of who is walking by!! Eventually we got to the Eminou docks & surrounded by ENORMOUS boats & ferries coming and going we did what plenty of locals were doing, bought a freshly grilled fish sandwich & sat on the seawall to eat it! YUMMM!  Apart from a few bones, it was deliciously served in a bread roll with fresh onion & lettuce & sprinkled with salt & lemon juice!  There are a number of restaurants under the bridge, all offering food delights or beer!  What we were so enamoured with, was looking up to see the the fishing rods of those ON the bridge, suddenly twitch & start pulling up fresh fish! It was almost like a curtain of fish on lines!

We went underground to cross the road & experienced those market stalls that one sees everywhere, with lots of cheap merchandise & trinkets.  When we emerged on the otherside, we realised we were very close to the Spice Bazaar, so in we trekked! FABULOUS arrays of dried fruits; walnuts stuffed into figs, dried eggplant, plump apricots...& turkish delight of all flavours, not to mention spices piled into pyramids from one shop to another! It was overwhelming & not really a place we wanted to stop too long for now, so we pressed on.  Onwards & upwards on the cobble stoned ancient streets, between closely packed buildings, to the Rustem Pasha Mosque.  What a little gem this is.  Inside the tiles are MIND BLOWING! The architect, Sinan, wanted to create the effect that inside, the Mosque was a Garden of Paradise.  I think he achieved it.  It was a rare treat to be present when practising Moslems were saying prayers, including a young boy, there with his Dad, reciting from the Koran. What upset me, was the rudeness of the travel groups who came in.  I think I will have to write a book on 'Package Tour Etiquette', because it REALLY bugs me when people are asked to be quiet & respectful, and they ARENT! And because I WAS being quiet & respectful, I couldnt tell them off, I could only GLARE & that just isnt as effective!!!

We were in a Mosque frame of mind, so we meandered our way up the hill to the Suleymaniye Mosque. This is a huge complex, a large part of which is undergoing extensive renovation.  This too was designed by Sinan & is another masterpiece of beauty. Outside we set off in search of Suleymaniye's tomb, passing enroute, a cemetary.  The beautifully inscribed marble pillars marking each grave site, were interspersed with flowering mauve irises! And guarded by cats...lots of them!  And we have reason to believe...fleas!

It had been a fair quantity of walking & we needed some refreshment so popped into the sunken garden area of the Mosque's old kitchen for a cup of tea..turkish style in little tulip shaped glasses! So much more palatable than the excessively sweet apple tea of earlier!

Again, we started meandering amidst streets clearly off the tourist trail.  Enjoying the sight of fruit sellers planting themselves on the road to sell their wares, oblivious of the cars who madly try to squeeze past! Our goal was the Forum of Theodosious & it took us a little while to find this relic of Roman times! (Sometimes it IS useful to have 2 different maps of the same place!)

The Forum is really a graveyard of broken & crumbling roman columns! Wouldnt we love to smuggle one back on the plane for our garden!!  We particularly wanted to see the columns with the peacock feather motives. We had seen one of these in the Basillica Cistern the day before, which had originally came from the Forum, so it was good to find the source!!

Our feet were complaining & it was time to head down hill to our Hotel to take the weight off! Enroute we happened upon the Spora Festival, which we came to the conclusion was a festival of regional dances & music performed by school children!  With the happy sounds & the sight of brightly coloured costumes in our minds, we continued on. Stopping only to sit at a nearby table, on the road, for a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice, served by a toothless gentleman eager to serve,so we could watch the world pass on by.

What a great day!

                                                              

THE FIRST SAMPLE OF TURKISH DELIGHT

My day started with greeting the dawn with my sketch book, to make a colour note of the striations that shot across the horizon!

 Arrival into Istanbul went without incident, although with some relief when we were finally able to procure some Turkish Lira.  Neither Adelaide nor Singapore trade in it!

The Hotel is small, but beautifully proportioned! Arriving as early as we did we  didnt expect our room to be ready, & it wasnt, but the Hotel staff were very helpful & happy to feed & water us before setting us out on the streets of Sultanahmet to find our way around.

Our first delight was seeing the Egyptian Obelisk in the Hippodrome & immediately spotting the owl, an important character in the Theodora book! We brushed off about 3 touts in the first 25 meters trying to sell us something.

 We identified that the Blue Mosque is NOT, actually blue! But it is magnificent & the golden tips on the domes, radiated off the grey of the stone she is built from. The Arista bazaar was just round the corner & we enjoyed window shopping whilst trying to find the entrance to the Mosaic Museum.  We found the EXIT, but spent about half an hour walking up & down trying to find the entrance...eventually we spotted the little sign & turned off to the right spot.

The mosaics were magnificant examples of the art, using 5mm tessarae & managing to achieve realistic 3 dimensional forms. These had once adorned the palace of Justinian & theodora..mind boggling in itself. I took a lot of photos!

After this we found Jennifer's Hamam, a shop in the bazaar run by a Canadian & specialising in handmade, crafted towels & bathware...that is Turkish Bath-ware. She is an advocate for maintaining the skills of small community craftspeople & quite a warrior.  Well worth googling if you want to know more.  She has a few other artisan shops that she is associated with & took us to each, explaining the value of the work. Our final stop with her was a carpet & kilim shop, where we had our first invitation to have 'tea'.  It was so refreshing when we were really beginning to flag.  We listened to a very interesting explanation about the different carpets sold there, by Hasaan. However, it changed slightly when we realised that we were being primed to buy something. We werent in the right frame of mind for this! HOWEVER, I think we managed it very politely, even when the 2 pieces that I had expressed interest in (only by admiring!) were both over $1000.00 each!

 It was a great experience, but we were glad to leave & finally meet our Hotel room!

After freshening up & eventually working out how to get our turkish sim cards to work, we went exploring again. This time we came upon the Basilica of 1001 columns & were the only ones there, except for the guys running the cafe.  We sat down with another Turkish tea , lapped up the tranquility& listened to classical music bounce off these ancients columns...along with the drips! It was  a treat.

From there we made our way to the other Basillia Cistern & this time we were just 2 of hundreds as we queued for this experience. Aside from the hordes we shared the space with it was impressive. And a very good spot for photography!

Topkapi Palace sits back from some beautiful gardens which we enjoyed sharing in a communal stroll along, before heading down hill in search of a couple of restaurants that had been recommended. It was in this area that we saw more locals & less tourists & gorgoeusly done up hotels alongside old buildings that were literally crumbling to the ground.

The call of the Mezzuin drew us back up the hill to our home for the next 2 weeks.

 I took some GREAT photos, but have discovered that not only did my phone recharge chord not make it into the packing, but also the WRONG attachment to transfer my photos from camera to computer! There have been tears of frustration...I HAD LISTS!!!!! The photos of this post & the last are coutesy of wikipedia!

IMPRISONED IN CHANGI

It is hard to imagine the terrors that were experienced by POW's in the same location as Changi airport, especially when constantly surrounded by so many luxury products for sale in one place.  Never the less, we felt a little trapped with a 8 hour wait before the next leg of our journey!

With that in mind, we decided to ignore the sky train & stride our way from Terminal 3 to Terminal 2, via Terminal 1! Along the way, we visited every garden space the Changi designers had planned for their customers delight & comfort.  The Butterfly garden was our first stop, where it took a moment or two, to actually spot the butterflies!  Some posed beautifully on contrasting flowers for the camera happy, whilst others hung from tree leaves much like bats do! It wasnt a huge space, but it was a pleasant little escape!
 
 The cactus, sunflower, bamboo & orchid gardens were all little oasis' , the only downer being that the smoking areas were frequently placed alongside, so we had to wade through a wall of smoke before finding the gardens. Singaporeans are marvels with orchids! Stunning colours & displays everywhere.

My favourite garden was the Fern & Koi Carp one, which is a little spot of tranquility & fun watching the carp's grumpy little old men faces with their drooping mustaches!

I also enjoyed the woodblock rubbing table. Yes, okay, I know it's for kids, but when I went to have a go there were no kids there, & after I started furiously rubbing away with the crayons...about 3 other adults took the plunge & came & joined me! Great fun.

On board the flight at last, we had decided to take some Valerian to help us sleep through most of the next 10 hours. My husband had never taken it before, whereas, being prone to insomnia, I take it periodically & know that it will take it's own sweet time to actually work, on me.  That wasnt the case for him....out like a light & we hadnt even started rolling down the runway!  So sprawled was he that I had to physically drag his legs out of the way of the cabin crew! Whereas I was conscious all night and very particularly aware of the discordant snores of the fat man in the next row!

I have come to the conclusion...which I know will upset some people...that everyone over a certain height should automaticly be upgraded to business class when on long flights!  I dont know what that certain height should be..as long as I'm over it!  Ohhh the bliss of not having to prise my legs from the seat in front of me with a shoe horn! HEAVEN!!  It is going to be hard going back to economy after this!!

PACKING!

Something has changed winthin our travel psyche.  I dont know if it's pre-menopausal, post-middle age or just the whole approaching 50 thing.  Perhaps it has nothing to do with age, maybe we have just become lazy! But we are definitely packing differently!

For the 21 years we've been together, before each trip we have stuffed our gear into a couple of reliable back packs & lugged them from one place to another, always able to find somewhere to squeeze that little bit more into them as we go.

Now, all of a sudden, we are packing clothes into suitcases...with wheels on them! What's more, they arent OUR suitcases, we are borrowing them... from our CHILDREN!

 And safety seems to have become an issue.  I am sure that every guide book for every place in the world, warns against pickpockets. Like bugs they're everywhere, but for some reason, my brain has sat up & taken, not only notice, but action this time! In respect of my detestation for 'money belts' &  'around- the-neck-under-the-shirt' pouches, I have latched onto the Pacsafe brand of security friendly travel luggage!

They claim to be thief-proof!

Hmmm, I find myself a tad pessimistac about that, but they certainly have many attractive features. So much so, that I have bought both a metro bag & a wallet!  The wallet being attachable to the metro bag with a chain, so that any little fingers who attempt to grab & run, wont get it very far...without dragging me along with them!!! (Could be an adventure in itself...for both parties!)  I have been trying these out for the past few days & aside from getting tangled up in the chain and confused about what zipper undoes which compartment only to find...oh, it's velcro anyway, I am actually quite pleased with my purchase!

  Another pleasant attribute has been how much money I have saved by buying on line! This gets us into a whole new subject about the role of shops in the future. Something keenly on Adelaidean minds at the moment, as the mega bookstore, Borders, closes down. It cant compete with internet book selling! I confess, that I saw these bags online, then went into 4 different bag shops to specifically see what my chosen few were like in real life!  THEN, I bought on line & saved $100! A significant amount of money to me!  Perhaps shops in future will be more like show rooms, where we can touch & feel before buying on line! Well...thats my serious spot of contemplation for the day!

In the meantime, we have our wheelie-suitcases, our thief proof bag & wallet, a lap top, ipod & mobile phones and...oh, my goodness...we've become YUPPIES!

A Little Bedtime Reading

As per usual when approaching a travelling adventure, I have been reading what I can about Istanbul, before heading off.  How much has been absorbed remains to be seen!

Here's my reading list;
DK ISTANBUL GUIDE - my travelling 'must have' because of the pictures, clear maps & all the helpful suggestions.  I also like Lonely Planet guides, but find them more digestible on-line than in book form! Besides, I'm a visual person, I need pictures!

THEODORA by STELLA DUFFY- this has been an easy & enjoyable read about the one-time actress/coutesan who became Empress of Constantinople!  I dont know how accurate it is, but regardless, it gave an interesting insight into that period in this great City's history, when Christianity was still forming it's ideals.  It is a book about survival & power, particularly political power. Well worth diving into if, like me, you prefer your history lessons in novel format!

ISTANBUL, MEMORIES AND THE CITY by Orhan Pamuk- I am a third of the way through it & finding it very hard going! It's interesting, but oh, so DEPRESSING! He describes 'huzun', a kind of communal melancholy born out of respect for what was lost & what has passed. I feel it!! But, I dont WANT to be depressed about what Istanbul has lost, I really want to be inspired by what is STILL THERE! Therefore, I'm leaving this book at home...and may read it when I get back & am feeling the post-holiday blues!! I might be able to get into it more then!

MY NAME IS RED-By Orhan Pamuk.  This book was the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, 2006 & I am taking it with me! Apparently it is a very 'different' book....I'll let you know what I think!

TALES FROM THE EXPAT HAREM- By Foreign Women in modern Turkey.  This is my Airport/Travel reading matter! One of the authors is Trici Venola who is an artist living in Istanbul, literally DRAWING the city!  I have booked a day with her, which I am very excited about!  Another author is Eveline Zoutendijk, who runs a cooking school with whom we have booked a cooking lesson.  My stomach growls in contemplation!

As for the little "Teach yourself Turkish' book, I'm going to leave it behind!  I really havent had the time to learn much from it, so I will just have to learn from the people themselves!!

Why Istanbul?

Why Istanbul you may ask?

The Big-Chief- Conference-Organisers-Of-The-Cosmos had the intelligence & supreme organisational skills to hold TWO conferences in Istanbul, one week after the other.  My husband & his colleague want to attend both! They needed someone to carry their bags, and I offered!

It is a city rich in history & beauty & I have wanted to go for a very long time!  With neither of my children having major exams this year, therefore not needing super-support, it was a golden opportunity to go!

Wont I feel lonely when Hubby is attending conferences?

Not at all!  As well as exploring, I plan to spend some serious time sketching.  A discipline I have become VERY slack in of late!

I would like to add a photo in here, so that this is more visually appealing. However, the first time I did it, I realised I had probably breached copyright by taking of photo from a book & publishing on this site.  It has taken me at least an hour to learn how to REMOVE it.  I have since joined Flickr but cant work out how to get a photo from there to here...so am giving up for now!

I will TRY and include more visuals though in the future!

Counting the sleeps...!

Only 5 sleeps to go & then we are off to Istanbul!

There is, of course, an extensive list of 'to do's' before we fly out, but the important thing is...those list items are slowly being ticked off!
Not on the list, is illness, but as Murphy's Law would have it, I have  come down with a cold, so am pumping myself with echinacea, vitamin C & anything else claiming to have an effect, in an attempt to ensure that the flight wont be too painful!!

I have borrowed yet another 'Learn Turkish' book from the library & am highly amused to find that the emphasis in the pronouncing of several words is completely different to what our DK guide says!!  I wonder if this is a language where any slight variance in pronounciation communicates a whole different meaning than that intended! We will just have to wait...and see!