Iznik to Efesus

I slept well in the quiet tile hotel in Iznik, but I didn't realize breakfast was included, so I ate sausage, hazelnuts, and turkish delight in my room before packing and coming downstairs to a very nice breakfast area. I couldn't resist, so I sat down and ate again. The bread and jam were delicious, and I had the best turkish coffee yet. I got overfull and then left to catch a bus to Selcuk. The bus dispatcher laughed when I offered Euros and said "Ho, ho, ho....Euuurrrrros!" as if he wasn't sure whether or not to take them. His savvy business partner knew a more stable currency when he saw it and immediately took my money, so I took his little bus in Iznik to a huge new Mercedes bus in the Bursa otogar which got me to Selcuk via Izmir (Smyrna).

In the evening, I walked around Selcuk looking for a hotel and found comfy Hotel Nilya where I dropped my bags and copied an interesting pattern from the minaret of a pre-ottoman mosque nearby [Isabey Mosque]. While walking to dinner, I saw part of another fistfight between a shoeshine boy and another kid roughly the same age. Fortunately, an older guy broke it up. It was right outside a bar.

Istanbul to Iznik

When I left, it was too early for breakfast, so I just had coffee alone looking at the Blue Mosque and watched the sunrise from the terrace dining area at the hotel. I underestimated the distance to the ferry dock and missed the ferry to Bandirma by about 36 minutes. The book mentioned Yalova, and Yalova is close to Iznik where those beautiful tiles in Topkapi were made. I didn't really care about seeing the ruins in Efesus anyway, I guess that's why I didn't have much of a plan.

It was time to leave Istanbul but I didn't want to go. After the long walk to the ferry terminal at Yenikapi, I waited for the departure and watched two guys in ties and jackets work with a crane and a homemade steel cage with a jury-rigged pin-in-joint attachment. As I watched the scene unfold, the extremely heavy metal cage banged him right on the instep of his worn out dress shoes. Three guys came over after he hobbled off and got the cage rig attached. It looked pretty unsafe, and so did the loading of the ferry. Cars and people boarded using the same ramp, and a woman and her baby almost got bumped by a car. The ferry and terminals are really new and clean though. The ferry is a catamaran--very large and supposedly fast too with seats like an airplane.

After a couple of buses, I made it to Iznik where I stayed at the bed and breakfast attached to the Iznik Foundation's tile factory. They gave me a complete tour of the factory and a nice room. I explored the small town and walked along lake Iznik. Later in my room, I watched a small musical band of young people march in front of the hotel. I'm not sure what it was for, but the next day, there was a celebration at one of the museums in town.

Istanbul

In the morning, I saw the Palace Mosaics Museum and its impressive Byzantine mask mosaics which were surprisingly large and naturalistic. The Islamic Arts Museum (near the Hippodrome) was closed except for the Ethnographic exhibit, so I took the light rail to Emminonu. The Bosphorous cruise at 13:30 gave me time for lunch at the old English jail. They had excellent cold appetizers, Russian dumplings, and a creamy cinnamon yogurt drink served hot.

After lunch, I made it back to Emminonu and the Bosphorous cruise. I saw all the palaces and yalis on the Bosphorous--beautiful. I got off at the last stop and had two hours to climb up to the castle and get a view of the Black Sea to the north with the shimmering waters of the Bosphorous to the south. I stopped for a snack at the touristy restaurant on top and had a couple of cups of çay. Before that I helped a Japanese tourist take photos of herself in front of the Black Sea and Bosphorous which made her happy. Afterwards, I walked back down past a military installation and sat on the Asian side of the boat to catch the other buildings. Beylerberi Palace was a nice one.

Back at Emminonu, I went to Spice Bazaar again for more coffee and Turkish Delight. I bought bread rings covered in sesame seeds, sausage, oranges, and hazelnuts for the long train trip tomorrow. I picked up my laundry next to the hotel. I had run out of Turkish lira, and he took Euros (1.8 YTL = 1 E). For dinner, I went to the Sulthanhamet eatery and baklava shop, and afterwards ate the Baklava with grated pistachio on top while looking at the Blue Mosque. After that, it was home to the hotel where I planned but didn't really come up with much other than taking the fast IDO ferry to Bandirma.

Istanbul

I enjoyed my last breakfast as "The Sultan" and afterwards, saw Topkapi Palace which was impressive. The Harem was the most visually interesting. It had more of the Iznik tiles than anywhere else; the designs were more intricate; and the colors were brighter. They also had some celadon and blue and white porcelain from China on display because Istanbul is on the silk road and the Ottomans liked this style of Chinese pottery. They liked it so much that they sometimes had pottery made just for them in China.

During the Ottoman reign, visiting dignitaries from countries and empires brought silver and gold models of buildings as gifts and there was an impressive stash of bejeweled items--thrones, clothing, the Topkapi Dagger, etc.

Still, the bright tiles stood out, particularly the ones toward the end of the Harem tour. Also, the green, yellow, blue, and white tiles in the viewing room where the Sultan took visitors and viewed the gifts were especially beautiful. The green was a spring green. The stained glass and ceiling paintings in the back of Harem were wonderful. There were four stained glass windows with red bouquets of flowers and the ceilings were covered with a geometric bow-tie pattern in red and gold.

After the Topkapi tour, I got the Akbil figured out and used it to take the tram up to Kabatas. Then, I walked near Dolmabahçe Palace but passed on that tour in favor of a walk up the hill to where a sky lift crossed the road near the Hilton. Then I walked up the side of Nisantasi--the area mentioned in the Pamuk book Istanbul: Memories and the City.

At a busy 4-way intersection, in Ninsantasi I saw the beginnings of an ominous disagreement when a traffic cop awkwardly rode his motorcycle on to the sidewalk narrowly missing a young woman and her child. When an older man driving a truck yelled at the cop for being so careless, another young cop standing nearby started to yell at the truck driver and blow his whistle. I was worried that it was going to escalate, and that the truck driver would be pulled from the cab and beaten for mouthing off to the cops. It felt weird, so I kept moving.

I saw the outside of Tesvikiye mosque but did not enter since I was outside the tourist area and I started to feel a little like an intruder. I took a lunch break in the square near Tesvikiye and noticed a Microsoft building nearby which made me feel less out of place.

After a çay, I caught the tube back downhill and then caught the tram back to Emminonu for a ferry ride to Haydarpaşa where I hopped off to view the little ferry terminal there and to check train times to Ankara or Iznik. While I was at the ticket counter asking about times, an old man and young boy got in a fistfight, and I got the hell out of there when the old man started vigorously slapping the boy. Everyone else there stayed out of it too.

Then I proceeded to the next stop--Kadiköy. It was getting dark, so I took the boat back to Emminonu where I had hazel nuts and a bread ring (Simit) soaked with honey.

Istanbul

Today I started early with Aya Sofya after breakfast in the Sultan's Suite (of course I took my breakfast in the suite while looking out over the Sea of Marmara. Why not? The Sultan likes a nice view.)

Aya Sofya is very thought-provoking. The site represents a tug of war between Christianity and Islam because it started off Roman, later became a mosque, and is now a museum. Ruins of the earlier two versions of the building are underneath. Sinan added mosque features but also reinforcements. The needs changed and so did the building, and I think that is the way it should be.

Not everyone agreed though, because I did overhear some unhappy Christians say things like "...because Muslims cannot tolerate representation of people in a mosque" or "When the city becomes Christian again, then..." Maybe I was looking for trouble though because I've had too much Crusade and Mehmet the Conqueror exposure from the guide book, but at the very least you can say that people have fought bloody wars over their ideologies and that this building shows how the winners change things to suit themselves. The comments reminded me of those four guilded horses in Venice at the Basilica di San Marco captured during the 4th Crusade. They came from The Hippodrome here in Istanbul.

The calligraphy in Aya Sofya looked tacked on, because, well, it was. Some of the other Islamic additions looked nice though, like the pulpit and another area where the Sultan would pray. Also, the Islamic library in Aya Sofya had the most beautiful tile work. The Christian mosaics from pre-1453 were impressive and I came away with a feeling that the two sides each had their own strengths. Aya Sofya is almost 1000 years older than the Blue Mosque and has an impressive size which seems to put it "ahead" technologically. However, the Blue Mosque is prettier and better proportioned on both the outside and the inside. The mosaics in Aya Sofya and the capitals of its interior columns were incredibly ornate and beautiful as well, and the Islamic calligraphy and blue tiles in the Blue Mosque were equally beautiful.

I saw more sights on my walk down Divan Yolu and stopped to see the impressive Museum of Calligraphic Art and Suleymaniye Mosque. Then I had dinner at Hamid et Lokantasi overlooking the Golden Horn and Galata Bridge on the fifth floor solarium. I ordered an excellent eggplant and lamb kebab, yogurt drink, fruit plate, and çay, and afterwards got Baklava with grated pistachio on top from the baklava place downstairs from the restaurant.

Then I headed to the Spice Bazaar nearby and got S-- some Turkish Delight from the best place in Istanbul--Hafiz Mustafa Sekerlemeleni after I bought some great Turkish coffee from Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi Mahdumları. After a visit to the Yeni Camii, which may have the prettiest interior of any of the mosques I've seen, I walked across the street to Eminönü and ate my baklava sitting on stairs by the Golden Horn as I looked over the water at Beyoglu. I think the Blue Mosque is prettiest outside, Suleymaniye Mosque has the best viewpoint, and the exterior views while standing between the Blue Mosque and Aya Sofya are unbelievably beautiful. I really saw some special things today. Tomorrow I will no longer be "The Sultan", but I will still love Istanbul.

Thessalonica to Istanbul

I was able to get a single night train compartment all to myself from Thessalonica to Istanbul. It was an old SNCF train from the 1950s or 1960s, and all the notices on the inside of the compartment were in French. At 4:30 AM, the train stopped at a Passport Control stop in Uzunkopru. They hauled me off the train to buy a Visa stamp for 15 Euros. Sure, why not? I'm glad I read about that in the book.

After arriving in Istanbul in the morning, I hiked from Serkeci train station to just behind the Blue Mosque to find a hotel. The Dersaadet Oteli is a restored Ottoman wooden building, but they only had the Sutlan Penthouse Suite available for the first two nights of my stay (220 Euros, ouch.) The next two nights after that, they had a double (at 105 Euros), so I only get two nights as "The Sultan". [Whenever one of my tourist neighbors in the hotel said or did anything annoying, I liked to imagine what an actual sultan might have said. Maybe something like, "The Sultan is not pleased! Off with his head...and bring his wife to me." as he flashed a sinister grin.]
While I was waiting for them to prepare my room, I sat on the terrace and enjoyed spectacular views of the Sea of Marmara and the Blue Mosque. I later found out that The Sultan Suite also has a panoramic Marmara view. It was going to be a nice way to wake up. I checked in around 10:30, showered, and went to the nearby Blue Mosque.

Afterwards, I walked through the gardens next to Topkapi Palace which I will see up close tomorrow. Tulips are everywhere--from the Blue Mosque to Aya Sofya to Topkapi Palace--and a garden runs downhill next to the palace almost to the water. With the exception of the Tulip Festival near Seattle, I've never seen so many tuilps in one place. They're all in bloom right now, and there are four or five varieties. It was a beautiful walk under very large trees.

Once at the bottom, I hopped across a busy road and walked down to the waterfront at Eminönü where I stopped for a fish sandwich. The vendors throw small fish on a griddle and serve them inside bread with lettuce, tomato, onion, and lemon juice. It looked like a small mackerel and had the bones left in but was pretty good.

I walked over the Galata Bridge where everyone fishes with large rods and reels. The lure to have is two little strings about 1 inch or less long attached to the fishing line with with a little hood. Put 8 of these on a line with a lead weight, and toss it over the edge. Then just lift it up and down until you get four or five little fish and pull it up. It was working well, and most fishermen had a small bucket filled with dozens of sardines about 4-6 inches long.

I walked through Beyoglu up to Taksim Square, but I went too far east on the way and accidentally discovered a nice cafe near the square and before that, I found the nargile area. Earlier, in between the Blue Mosque and Aya Sofia, I bought postcards, so I found the post office near Taksim and got stamps. Afterwards, I walked along Istiklal Cadessi and, following a walking tour in the book, tried to find the US Consulate. I found the Pera Palace Hotel instead. I needed a break, so I went to a cafe overlooking the Golden Horn and wrote my postcards.

I get the feeling the Turks are just fine without the USA. I know there are free speech issues and Islamic fundamentalists in some areas, but Istanbul has everything and everything works. [This impression turned out to be naively incorrect. In fact, Turkey has received billions in aid from the U.S. Also, demonstrations in support of secularism that occurred in April showed how turbulent Turkey's political situation can be. I was unaware of this at the time even though the protest in Ankara had occurred only a few days earlier.] It's as though it developed almost independently or in a more controlled way than other countries [It is definitely more controlled.] The people seem busy, industrious, and not at all concerned with me. Touristy areas bring out the somewhat pushy tour guides, but really that's no more than salesmanship--they're just trying to make a buck, and one of the tourists I talked to later had good experiences with a guide they met in front of Aya Sofya.

I continued on the Beyoglu walk up to Galata Tower and then broke off to walk home over Ataturk bridge. I missed a couple of mosques by Sinan though. I went over Ataturk Bridge, down Ataturk Blvd, and then left toward the Grand Bazaar, but I didn't realize that because it was dark when I passed by Istanbul University. Then I went back past the Blue Mosque and home to Dersaadet Oteli and the Sultan Suite. Earlier that evening after writing my postcards, I had a great dinner at Sofyali 9. They brought several small plates of food, and I tried greens with yogurt, garlic and green peas with olive oil, then the Sofyali salad, and several other excellent dishes.

Athens to Thessalonica

I skipped breakfast and left the bad hotel early after a night of no sleep. The situation at the train station was not good--all trains were booked all day long which meant standing room only to Thessalonica. The ticket agent was demoralized, and I took it as a sign that the train was a sucker move, so I got a cab to the bus station and took first bus to Thessalonica.

We stopped for a gyro about noon. I appeared to be the only non-Greek on the bus, but the man sitting next to me spoke English. He said he knew the Seattle Supersonics and used to watch Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton when he was a kid. Also, he told me about a twice daily train from Thessalonica to Istanbul, and this is the way I decided to go.

In the train station, I met a young man from Greece who was a newspaper writer. He was going on a visit to Thessalonica's sister city in Southern Turkey near Syria--Sanliurfa. He had a reproduction of a piece of ancient art and some official looking paperwork for his visit. That reminded me of what I'd heard from the Greek cab driver in Athens. He had said students were going from Greece to Istanbul for an exchange type program. Maybe it's part of the same thing. I don't know, but the exchange is promising. Maybe EU isn't far away for Turkey.