leaving Istanbul

---

Leaving Istanbul

The Sultan had a harem of 200 women. There would be 12 favorites and 4 wives. His mother would pick out the women. Topkapi Place is where the sultan lived during almost the entire rule of the Ottoman period. Each room was decorated with titles, and glass works. My camera went crazy; I am sure the men’s imagine went wild knowing so many women were there just for you.

One of the more interesting rooms was the circusision room. Okay, perhaps not interesting but it was decorate with the most beautiful tiles. I pictured the little boy I had meet the day before so happy and proud his circumsion day had come.

After the palace, we went to the new part of Istanbul for shopping and lunch, and people watching. Back to the spice market to buy spices. I hadn’t bought any the first day in town, I had to research what it was I wanted. What I found that I should buy should be saffron. It’s so very expensive in the US and the must potent saffron comes from Iran and its not OK to bring into the states. Naturally, that’s what I had to buy. I comparison shopped and bought an one ounce of saffron from Iran for about 12 dollars. I’ll be sure to pack it in Dan’s bag.

After all that, we then took a cruise up the Bosphorus strait. The main shipping route to the Black sea; a critical mode of getting goods in and out of Russia.

And my last little story of the day. As you may recall, I bought a scarf after the vendor followed me for two blocks. This day, I was sitting on a bench with about 12 other American women. We were all chatting when an elderly gentleman comes up to me with a black scarf in hand and hands it to me. I must of gave him a puzzled expression for as I didn’t say “Oh wow, a gift, thank you!” So he says to me “hold this” and slowly walks off.

A few minutes he comes back with a black garbage bag of pashmina silk scarf’s. He tells me in broken language now that I touched one I must buy, only 20. I tell him in perfect English I don’t need a new scarf. He hands me another and tells me he understands and I must actually need two scarf’s. After some conversation I bought a scarf. He was right, I touched it. I paid about 7 dollars for it.

I wonder how many scarf’s I will be buying this trip.

I know what I’ll be giving as a gift.

---

Photos

reception room
of the harem

harem
sitting area for the sultan

children
giving a performance

dessert
I wish I had eaten it all

bread
We've had several, called simits. They are good

leaches
for sale. reallyl

our dinner
Yum