Friday, September 29, 2023
It's almost evening. The seagulls are laughing outside our window, swirling in circles before dipping into the sea. We're ready to relax after 15,000 steps, at least 25 flights down, steep hikes up a few hills (which don't count on our tracker), and the daily Duolingo Indonesian lesson.
Well, I'm willing to rest. W keeps talking about going out to do this or that. He doesn't know how to relax though the sun is slanting to shine into our hotel window. It's been a good day.
Istanbul is in Europe on the west side of the strait where our hotel is. The east side of Istanbul is considered Asia. The plan this morning is to visit the Jewish quarter in Asia, which turns out to be elsewhere in the city. We take a ferry to the south end but it's the wrong ferry. We're miles from our destination.
A man comes around with black tea on the ferry, served in the traditional glasses. We pay 40c for 5 ounces. We put the dishes on the bench beside us when we're done.
As we step off, you can see the Asian side of culture. Many women wear black, both Orthodox Christian and Muslim. The guys are in jeans and windbreakers.
The tankers and tugboats work together in constant traffic. A few times, a little boat or a commercial vessel has sped across the bow as we were coming over.
"I think you have to keep your distance from ferries in Washington," notes W. Here, all the captain has to do is make sure he doesn't get run over or crash into anyone else.
The "water vacuum" ship is in full service, scooping up leaves and garbage from the edges of the harbor.
Along the waterfront are luxury apartments, houses for the wealthy, and mosques for past sultans. The brickwork and stonemasonry is excellent.
Since we land on the north end of "Asia" (wrong ferry, oops!), we walk 2.5 miles along the coast to Kadikoy, our destination.
There are breakwaters, lighthouses, little harbors ...
and boat rentals. You'll have to watch your step as you climb into this one.
Partway down the coast is a military installation. I take a picture of the flag and statue before a soldier (leaning on his sentry post to smoke) turns and sees us. He waves his machine gun and makes motions that we're not allowed to take photos. I wave an apology and he waves back. No more pictures.
The sea is edged by concrete or enormous rocks to avoid erosion from the waves and currents. The birds perch on old pilings near ships resting inside the breakwater.
These berries climb the wall of the boat maintenance sheds.
There are manmade inlets that allow boats to come out of the current to park or be repaired.
People and animals relax beside the paved walk along the coast. The wild dogs are big and docile, mostly resting during the day. They sport tan or green ear tags (for male and female? For being spayed or neutered? Not sure.)
We wander up from the shoreline onto the high street where shops and restaurant abound. After about a block, we find a buffet of choices.A fava beans stew and some grapeleaf-wrapped stuffing with yogurt catch my eye. We order rice to share.
W chooses a tender beef stew. We end up sharing it all: the flavors are just right. I need a recipe for the beans - I could eat them every day! and W likes them too.
W wants to catch the next ferry so we hustle back to the harbor and step aboard with a crowd going back to the west side. The view out the window cannot be captured. The peninsula with its forests, mosques, cityscape, and castles is striking.
The lighthouse at the end of the breakwater is not lit yet. The calls to prayer undulate from the minarets several times a day. We hardly notice them unless we're walking right under the speakers. Indonesia has similar criers with less fancy melodies.
It's pouring when we land in Europe. We pull our raincoats on, wait 15 minutes under cover with everyone else, and then head out and up the hill to the Spice Bazaar. Water courses down the cobblestones. The male shopkeepers haul out mops, brooms, and soap and scrub their shop floors and the stones outside their door. SO many suds float down the paving.
There's a lot to see but we don't stop much. We're soaked. It doesn't mean that I can't take a few seconds to appreciate the beautiful food. Look at these olives!
Sellers offer pails of peanut butter, hummus, and other goodies.
We buy a sausage and 3 kinds of Turkish Delight from one shop. We ask for "ends" since we don't want the entire roll. There are rows and rows of cheese and yogurt and pickled vegetables.
From other stalls, we acquire a pack of poppy seeds (German baking coming up!),
halva (sesame seed candy), chocolates, Turkish coffee, and a few 1c. coffee pots. The sellers says it's a 5-cup size. Their coffee cups are tiny and the liquid is strong. If you want to tone it down, you add boiling water in the cup. W will give our kids a demo and leave them some coffee and a copper pot to do their own experiments.
We wander back down the hill on the wet stones in late afternoon, careful not to wipe out after 7 miles (11 km) of wandering. I may walk 5-6 flight down from our room a few times a day.
But I'm no idiot. I'm tickled by the 2-person elevator that whizzes us up to our 5th-storey room. I designed our house in Seattle with an elevator room for when we'd be too old to do stairs. We never put in the lift but used the room as a pantry. I'm tickled to find an elevator I'd have installed there, had we stayed put.
A hot shower and a scrub of shoes and clothing and we're ready to call it a day. We might fill the rest of our wishlist tomorrow, our final day in Istanbul. I don't want to risk getting the spices wet today.
The lunch leftovers suffice for supper. Some square of chocolate sweeten the palate. And a bit of halva finishes the meal. Good thing we're walking so much! Or we would roll rather than stroll onto the airplane when we leave this weekend.
Read more:*Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people both now and forevermore. Psalm 125: 1-2
*Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Ephesians 4:29-5:2
Moravian Prayer: Gracious God, we see you at work in the whole world. Answer the desire of those who seek you and show your love and kindness to us. May we accept you as you have made yourself known and not turn our hearts to foreign gods and worship of created things. May you alone be praised, Creator of all. Amen.
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