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Published: July 12th 2010
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Slide
Andrew and Lauren pass the time waiting for tickets to be purchased by playing "Slide" After the previous nights outing, we were not going to be getting an early start. We got out of the hotel in time for lunch and hopped the tram back to Sultanahmet. Using the guidebook, we made a researched selection of Rumeli Café for lunch and enjoyed more interesting and tasty local food. Once again we ended up having an extended chat with the restauranteur about who we are, where we are from and what we should see in Istanbul. He then summoned over his relative to join in the conversation. He is married to a Yale archeology professor who lives half the year in Connecticut and the other half in Istanbul. (Are Turks friendly? Yes!)
Topkapi palace was the main event for the afternoon. Like the rest of our whirlwind trip to Istanbul, we did not have the time or stamina to do this enormous palace justice. We walked through the Gate-of-Salutation (where the prisoners were held in the towers until they were executed), viewed the caftans worn by sultans and their relatives, viewed the treasury (with the 86-carat Spoonmaker diamond and the Topkapi dagger), looked at several rooms with their Iznik tiles or stained-glass windows and mother-of-pearl inlays
Fine location for a palace
John, Andrew, Lauren pose by one of the many spectacular view spots on the grounds of Topkapi palace and soon felt ourselves starting to flag. We decided the Harem was a must-see and pushed the kids through this somewhat lengthy but very interesting excursion. The harem was home to about a thousand female servants and concubines and controlled by eunichs of African descent and the Valide Sultan (the Sultan’s mother).
Leaving Topkapi palace we photographed some cats and stopped for treats: ice cream for the kids, Turkish coffee for the adults) at a lovely shaded outdoor café. The weather has been idyllic - warm in the sun, lovely and breezy in the shade, and warm enough to go without a jacket well into the evening. Now experts at navigating the tram, we took a short ride back to the hotel for a swim break and then headed to dinner by taxi. The taxi drivers don’t speak much English, but he nodded in agreement when shown the restaurant name and address on a business card. One thing that is odd about Istanbul traffic is that it seems to be regularly possible to sit in near gridlock on city streets for a while and then suddenly escape into a fastmoving freeway. We initially thought that we would be terribly
Exceptional Tile work
Kids pose next to some spectacular tiles and an intricately decorated doorway late for dinner but than we hit the freeway and zoomed across the Ataturk bridge to the new city. We were dropped by a small sign on the side of the road that said the name of our restaurant but quickly realized that the restaurant itself was not apparent. After consulting our maps we concluded we must be on the wrong street, and crossed through an alley near where we were dropped. We emerged onto Istaklal Caddesi, a bustling pedestrian thoroughfare full of shops and shoppers. Our restaurant was still not obvious, but we did find it after a bit of searching and made our way to the rooftop. The restaurant was all metal and glass, lit with lots of LED lighting. We arrived just after sunset and enjoyed the panoramic views (the restaurant is actually named 360). Sonia was not going to leave Turkey without trying the local drink, so we ordered Raki. Served over ice, it has a licorice flavor much like Ouzo. One of the waiters noted Sonia drinking Raki, pointed to the glass and gave an enthusiastic gesture which seemed intended to acknowledge her bravery and/or good taste. The food was more international than Turkish, but
Hangin' in the palace
Andrew nonchalantly leans against a column in Topkapi palace we did enjoy a bottle of Turkish wine from Izmir (birthplace of Sonia’s grandfather). Thinking about leaving the next afternoon, we lamented that there was so much that we would not be able to see and do, but Andrew warmed our hearts by repeatedly starting sentences with “The next time we are in Turkey…” After dinner we went down into the pedestrian fray. There were many Spaniards in the streets reveling in their world cup semifinal victory. The street was lit with a vast canopy of LED lights giving it a very festive atmosphere, although the “Santa” decorations did seem a bit out of place. It was late, so we didn’t wander far, and soon took a quick cab ride back to the hotel and were (again) rapidly asleep.
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