This morning, we took a late breakfast at a cafe near the hotel. I have become quite a fan of the Turkish breakfast.
We then took had a tour of the hotel, including Ataturk's hotel room, now a museum . He was first President of the Republic of Turkey, after Turkey gained independence from the Ottoman Empire. He stayed here many times in his favourite room ; room 101. We were neighbours in room 116! The room contains many memorabilia.
We continued our tour of the hotel admiring a book dedicated to Agatha Christie
They are very proud of their distinguished guests; in addition to those already mentioned, they have also received Edward V111, Hitchcock and Greta Garbo.
There is an undercurrent of discontent in Istanbul and police with their riot shields and water cannons are ever present. This morning there was a peaceful 'sit down' demonstration for the numerous people who have disappeared without trace while in police custody
John went to Sirekeci railway station to visit the railway museum and I continued to Sultanahmet Square to revisit the Blue Mosque. En route, I was reminded that enterprise will be part of Turkish culture as long as one young man is alive....
It was 1450hrs and the mosque was closing to visitors for prayers at 1600hrs While queueing, I fell into conversation with a Californian man, Brian, who was on a cruise from Greece, around the Balkans, to Rome. He wondered if the infinite queue would deny us access before 1600. We hoped not and the time slipped by as he related the advantages and disadvantages of a cruise . He is a veteran cruiser and traveller. Subsequent to the completion of the cruise , he is to holiday for a week in Italy followed by two weeks in Paris - his favourite city. I advised him that Rome was mine!
The queue moved quickly and we entered the mosque at 1520. It was as beautiful as I remember it. One could stand forever and gaze with wonder at the stunning craftsmanship of its creators.
I sat in the Square drinking in the wonder of it all. I did not revisit Topkapi Palace, Hagia or the Bazaar.
I then commenced my journey back to the hotel scrutinising the subway map, as I had decided to try a different route home. I had to retrace my steps once but overall the journey was a success including riding the oldest funicular in Istanbul. The last leg of the journey was to take a tram. I knew that I was near the hotel but I was afraid to walk as it was quite likely that I would lose my way!
When after 20 minutes, there was no sign of a tram, I asked the girl seated beside me if a tram was due and as to whether or not my ticket was valid. She thought my ticket was not and insisted on paying for me with her card, refusing to take the fare from me. We chatted for a while and she told me she had anIrish friend who tells her that the Turks are similar to the Irish! Who was I to contradict an Irishman living in Istanbul for 10 years ?
As we continued to wait, she told me that I was near the hotel but that she was afraid to give me directions in case I got lost. I said I'd try as it was getting late, so she gave me directions urging me to check with others as I went. Her directions were perfect and I reached the hotel in minutes.
We had arranged to meet emigrant son and friend at our hotel at 1900. On arrival, we gave them a quick tour, an aperitif in the lounge and set out for Nevizade; the Temple Bar of Istanbul.
Earlier in the day, I had asked the concierge at our hotel if she would book a table for us at a restaurant named after the area? A very concerned young lady said that the hotel didn't advise their patrons to frequent the area!! I said we would be accompanied by two young men and she appeared visibly relieved.
We had a second aperitif in a local bazaar and proceeded to the area - minutes from OUR hotel. The boys were complaining that the area around their hotel, on the European side, was very quiet - trust the oldies to locate near the action!! Next time they come to Istanbul, they are definitely staying on the Asian side (most of the top sights are on the European side!!)
We proceeded to Nevizade - what a lively place - every young Istanbulondon (?) and tourist must have been out and the decibel level was breaking the sound barrier!! The ceaseless patrol of the police helicopters above adding to the din.
We arrived at the restaurant and the Maitre D' was charm itself. It was not as I expected of the top restaurant in the area - very large and noisy but the boys were delighted with the buzz. The food was good with an excellent selection. We left the boys at 2300 to enjoy the delights of the area and we retreated to the peace of our hotel for a digestif.
Reflections:
The trip was a great success and not as arduous as I had expected. We made every connection - every train and connecting bus was on time,
To cross from Western Europe to Eastern Europe was not frought with difficulty as I had expected - Slovenia was highly developed, Croatia less so. Serbia appeared to be least developed but is only to be expected after the war, Bulgaria very poor unlike its Turkish neighbour. As we progressed down through the Balkan states the standard of living appeared to decline until we reached Istanbul, where the standard is high.
While we encountered some amazing sights, it was the people we met along the way , who made the journey most interesting - they told us their stories and were fascinated with our plan to recreate an Orient Express experience, almost 100 years later, this sevice commenced 1919).
While every place we travelled through had its charms and excepting the Western European cities, of which many, dear readers, you are familiar with, the places that most charmed me were Verona (if you haven't been, you must experience an opera or a concert in the Arena), Trieste (underrated in guide books), Sofia (a charming city and well worth a week-end - must check with elder son if Ryanair fly there?) and of course Istanbul - it never fails to please.
There are some errors in this blog, of which I am acutely aware - my only excuse is that under pressure to blog each evening, it was a matter of publish or be damned !! But there is one unforgivable error which I realised just as I published - did you spot it, dear reader?
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