Istanbul’s location between the European and Asian continents and the Mediterranean and Black Sea positioned it as a spice trade hub. We cruised along the Bosphorus Strait between continents sipping apple tea before a very aromatic and colorful visit to the thyme-less spice bazaar. Can I dill with it? Yes, I cayenne.
Self-reflection from breakfast to city streets to the palace and on to the Spice Bazaar. We are a glass act. Shine on!
While the Muslims were called to prayer, we popped into the Pudding Shop for a Turkish cafeteria lunch. It became famous in the 70s as the launching point for the backpackers’ Hippie Trail from Istanbul to Kathmandu. Travelers used the bulletin board to share logistical information, meet up with friends, or find travel companions — pre-Facebook. It also launched Rick Steves into his career as a travel writer and now tour operator. We shamefully dessert-ed the place without trying the rice pudding!
According to local claw and order, Islam holds cats in high regard for their cleanliness and consider them to be community pets. Fur the record, everyone cares for them by leaving food and water out, offering shelter, and vets provide spaying or neutering. My baggie of American cat treats grants me purr-mission to herd cats. Note: We had a great documentary about the cats of Istanbul at the Mendocino Film Festival about 10 years ago called KEDI, now available on Prime or AppleTV.
After a whirlwind tour of Istanbul's Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, and the Grand Bazaar, our group celebrated the start of our tour at dinner under the Galata Bridge that crosses the Golden Horn. While we ate salted and flaming fish and drank Raki (ouzo-like liquor made of anise and raisins) the fishermen on the bridge above us continued to reel in small mackerel that would float up past us on their nearly invisible lines in the darkness giving us a whole new view of fly fishing.
Before meeting up with our tour group, we dived down into the 1500 year old subterranean Basilica Cistern that provided 20 million gallons of water to the city, then called Constantinople. The 336 columns are a uniform 30 feet tall but a few had to be adjusted with salvaged blocks from ruins. Medusa heads propped up two of the columns, one head sideways and one upside down, perhaps positioned that way simply to provide the appropriate height. A myth-understood explanation may be that the builders were protecting us from Medusa’s deadening gaze that would turn us all into stone.
Julie’s glowing recommendation for Rick Steves tours enticed us to join her on a two-week trip to Turkey. Over the top of the world, the Northern Lights put on a polarizing show. A swim in the hotel’s cistern themed pool and a dinner on the streets of Istanbul marked the beginning of what we hope to be Aurora-ing success.
