... and yes, I will sleep well tonight.
(I had to remove pictures as this thing wouldn't post. See this link for photos.)
Crazy busy days can be the best, even if they are a bit tiring. Topkapi Palace is the kind of place that just just blows your mind, with all the great history that hides in its walls. Standing in the harem, in the valide sultan's room -- the mother of the sultan, probably the most important person in the Empire -- was a dream come true. That was probably the room where the biggest decisions were made and fates sealed for 4+ centuries, before the sultans moved to new palace. See link above for a picture of the courtyard between the valide's apartment and that of the mother of the first born son, another highly placed person. Oh the intrigues those walls must have heard.
We did a stop at Aya (or Hagya) Sofia afterwards (it's big, it's old, what else is there to say?), a quick lunch and then a chilly cruise on the Bosphorus.
We didn't mind the cold, we we're pretty much all dressed for it, and in warmer weather, we probably would have dozed off. We were walking for 4+ hours in the morning, so a nap would have been welcome. That's where you really see how huge Istanbul is. Want to talk about density? Check out the photo of' Istanbul, seen from the water. And it goes on and on like this for miles. 15 or 17 million people, depending on who you talk to, is a lot of people.
You have to be really wealthy to afford a detached house, so the ones we see tend to be really big.
We had a lovely fish dinner outside, and it was surprisingly comfortable even though it's really cold. Strategically placed heaters and good company and we never noticed the cold. Our guide told me they eat outdoors like that year round, even though it gets much colder during the winter months. But they don't get a lot of snow, so that might make the difference. I do think they are crazy, but I'm too polite to say it.
We have a really good guide. He's been doing this for nearly 14 years so he knows his stuff, and he's very funny. This tour company does pick good local guides, we haven't had a bad one yet.
Tomorrow: blue mosque, fancy lunch, and then my first hamam experience.
That's where you sweat for 20 minutes and then they loofah a lifetime of dead skin off you.
Sounds awesome.
(I had to remove pictures as this thing wouldn't post. See this link for photos.)
Crazy busy days can be the best, even if they are a bit tiring. Topkapi Palace is the kind of place that just just blows your mind, with all the great history that hides in its walls. Standing in the harem, in the valide sultan's room -- the mother of the sultan, probably the most important person in the Empire -- was a dream come true. That was probably the room where the biggest decisions were made and fates sealed for 4+ centuries, before the sultans moved to new palace. See link above for a picture of the courtyard between the valide's apartment and that of the mother of the first born son, another highly placed person. Oh the intrigues those walls must have heard.
We didn't mind the cold, we we're pretty much all dressed for it, and in warmer weather, we probably would have dozed off. We were walking for 4+ hours in the morning, so a nap would have been welcome. That's where you really see how huge Istanbul is. Want to talk about density? Check out the photo of' Istanbul, seen from the water. And it goes on and on like this for miles. 15 or 17 million people, depending on who you talk to, is a lot of people.
You have to be really wealthy to afford a detached house, so the ones we see tend to be really big.
We had a lovely fish dinner outside, and it was surprisingly comfortable even though it's really cold. Strategically placed heaters and good company and we never noticed the cold. Our guide told me they eat outdoors like that year round, even though it gets much colder during the winter months. But they don't get a lot of snow, so that might make the difference. I do think they are crazy, but I'm too polite to say it.
We have a really good guide. He's been doing this for nearly 14 years so he knows his stuff, and he's very funny. This tour company does pick good local guides, we haven't had a bad one yet.
Tomorrow: blue mosque, fancy lunch, and then my first hamam experience.
That's where you sweat for 20 minutes and then they loofah a lifetime of dead skin off you.
Sounds awesome.
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