Beyond Empires

I'm in a gateway and it feels that way.

Istanbul is enormous in every direction, currently the most notable direction is inwards. Profoundly so.

First stop: breakfast.
Turkish breakfast consists of a vast quantity of peynir (cheese), olives, tomatoes, cucumber, bread, jam, bal (honey) a very boiled egg, chay (guess) and an extra - in my case omelette. All happily consumed looking out at the sea (yes, that's right: the sea and definitely not the river).

This creates a certain sensation of doymak (fullness, possibly, my Turkish pretty dreadful) so a walk along the promenade was welcome afterwards to aid Much-Cheese-Digestion.

A few cat-conversations (Turkish cats seem to understand me better than Turkish humans) and some drizzly weather later, I embarked upon a tour of The Istanbul Boğazı, which gave an inkling into the geographical vastness. The boat took us down the European side and back up the Asian side, taking in the bridges, mosques, places and schools that line the way and the towns that make up the sprawl starting in Haliç, and passing Beşiktaş, Ortaköy and Bebek in Europe and Beykoz, and Üsküdar on the Asian side. This probably means nothing if you've never been here (I'm still a little overwhelmed and I am here..) so here's the route. Seagulls accompany you and catch bread thrown to them in mid air. Really, Casillas, you could learn something here.

Boats in Bebek

Did you know that Istanbul has the second oldest underground railway in the world (after London)? Me neither! Well, I went on it - five minutes of funicular fun* which bought us to Taksim, and Istakal: the shopping district. There are lots of little book and gift shops, cafés, chain stores, backstreets filled with markets and fish stalls.. pretty much everything you could actually want (except, perhaps a peaceful walk).

At the end of Istakal, it was decided that some kind of sustenance was now required (breakfast had finally worn off) and baklava and khave seemed like a perfect option. We went into a place called Hafiz Mustafa" and ordered a mixed plate of Baklava and turkish coffee. The baklava arrived and was phenomenally good. I mean, phenomenally, phenomenally good. You may think you have had good baklava, and I'm sure you have, but I am certain that it was nothing like this.

(I was impressed)

I casually tried out my Turkish on my companion with a joking "kahve nerede?"** to which he called over the waiter and told him that I had something to say. I spluttered a bit, because I'm English and being forced to be rude at short notice is entirely alien, but went ahead and said it. He didn't hear first time due to my not really wanting to be heard, so I repeated. He apologised profusely of the lack of kahve and went to fetch it.
We got extra Turkish Delight. I recovered and was told that in Turkish that wasn't actually rude. I'm still unsure about that, but I'll not lose sleep over it...

Then a trip to Besiktas and a tour of the markets there was quickly rained off so we took up residence in a pub. This then prompted dinner plans involving meze, fish and rakı. Dinner plans were enacted and I returned, very well fed indeed to the hotel.

Next day was history day, after the required kilo of cheese and bread that is breakfast up at the Sultanahmet.
The day included The Topkapı Palace, The Ayasofya and the Blue Mosque, all of which were too impressive for me to be able to do justice here. I suggest you go there.
I am reading My Name Is Red by Orhan Pamuk, which is set at the time of the Sultans and walking around the palace really let me imagine what it was like then.
The Ayasofya was huge and moving, but unfortunately scaffolded, which I think it has been for over ten years. Still, you get a sense of how important the building is and what it represents is fairly important in East-West history.

The Blue Mosque was the first Mosque I have ever actually entered. I can't quite describe how it made me feel, but I spent a while being still inside. Not dissimilar to the feeling of being in a huge cathedral in Spain, a temple in Vietnam or any other reverent place of worship I have visited. Tranquil, safe, peaceful. My companion took me through the prayer rituals of the day and patiently answered my many questions. I understand the world a little better now.

Dinner broke my pescatarian stretch of two years as I gave way and ate kebab - köfte, shish and tavuk (chicken), washed down with ayran. It took me ages to eat, but it was good.

There will be the Grand Bazaar and other delights tomorrow, but for now I need to sleep.

Iyi geceler.

*used purely for poetic purposes

** where's the coffee?