Lots of pictures - and downhill walking

Thursday, September 28, 2023

We eat a late breakfast - complete with the cheeses and olives I love.

Lunch is fresh bread, 

 menemen, an egg-tomato dish for W, and veal ravioli with yogurt for me.

We share a pistachio "hard" ice cream after packing away most of mine to eat later for supper. The food here is amazing.

W has laid out our walk today. First we take a city train to check out the summer palace of a sultan. Next door is the palace's mosque.

The school kids are going through, trailing their teacher like unruly ducklings. The boys throw arms around each other.

The palace's painted gates show the ornateness of the metalwork.

You can't imagine the life of the family who owned these entries. 

This palace is built in classical style, highlighting ties to European royalty and admiration of their style. Or was it the other way around?

We catch a funicular (climbing) train up to Taksim Square. This enormous painted gear pulls a thick cable that hauls the train up the hill in 90 seconds, saving pedestrians a 20-minute climb.

The memorial in Taksim Square represents the 1928 independence conflict.

Stones are mortared on end around the memorial. Looks like a dream walk for reflexologists.

We wander down the high street past shops and eateries. Centuries of architecture line either side of the street.

Traditional Istanbul buildings can be very narrow, like these housing and shop combinations.

Down the narrow alleys, we find second-hand bookstores, printing shops with mimeographs and old presses, used clothing stores, and more.

Some store windows are artistic masterpieces. Look at these jars of canned food.

Fruit is beautifully displayed. I order a pomegranate juice for $4. The vendor squeezes 8 fruits into a glass. How fresh and delicious.

I keep stopping to admire the vegetable and fruit stands.

Everything is fresh!

The shops are laid out beautifully inside, too. Look at these barrels, heaped with sweets. After I snap a photo, the two girls pose and laugh aloud.

We arrive at the Galata Tower, which rises above the landscape. People pay $10 to go up (we don't). I marvel at the fickleness of history. Would the defending warriors ever imagine today, with tourists walking around the highest ledge (zoom in to see them) ... and souvenir shops at its base? It has gone from life-and-death defense to a curiosity.

My watch only measures the 4 flights climbed, never descents. Before we leave the hotel each morning, I go down 11 flights of marble circular stairs (6 to breakfast and 5 from our room to the lobby). Thank God for healthy knees.

At lunch, I take the elevator to the 4th floor to wash my hands but walk back down steep stairs to our table. Luckily someone has put non-slip tape on the lips, so we don't wipe out while circling on the narrow treads.

Stepping off the funicular, we take 2 escalators to the top of the mountain. We emerge at Taksim Square. The plan is to walk the streets known for food and shopping = back down to the hotel, which is at sea level.

I peek into the open doorway of a narrow apartment. Horrors at having to climb those stairs to your room each day!

There are road repairs partway down. We inch past the supply truck on one side while a motorcycle squeezes past on the opposite sidewalk.

Some paving stones date from the Roman Empire.

When we cross the bridge back to the Old City, the arches midway frame the next crossing of the waterway.

Boats and ships crisscross the rivers and straits.

The vessels are functional with or without decorations. Some boats are quite glamorous.

Most fishermen are men but there are families on the bridge as well.

It's not in vain. Little buckets and pails fill with their catches.

Arriving on the other side of the river, we look up at the fishermen, their lines cast away from the shops and balconies below. We walk under the bridge to our side of the river.

It occurs to me that in societies with a lot of input, a few loud voices can delay or halt needed upgrades. With less discussion in countries like Turkey, transportation, repairs, and infrastructure are planned and well-executed. Their transit system is excellent.

Little coffee stands are easy to find.

Corn and chestnut vendors roast their goods on gas grills.

The old train station has a historical locomotive on short tracks. It's practically across the street from where we're staying.

After +13,000 steps (5 1/2 miles/8 km), we eat in our room, watch Aljazeera news (best for Middle East updates), and retire early.

Read more:

*You will certainly revere me, you will accept discipline. Zephaniah 3:7

*Jesus entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling things there; and he said, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer.’” Luke 19:45-46

*In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:26-28

Moravian Prayer: Sovereign Lord, your justice is powerful and creative, beginning with each of us allowing your will to work its way in us. We sometimes make the mistake of believing that faithful action takes singular courage. What it takes is union with you and your reconciling purpose in the life of Jesus Christ. On this trust, we base our lives. Amen.

The Straits of Bosphorus

Wednesday, September 27, 2023

After breakfast we board a public ferry ($4 round trip) and chug up the Bosphorus Strait. It's the last channel leading from the Mediterranean Sea through the Aegean Seat and the Sea of Marmara to the Black Sea, where Russia and the Ukraine are pounding each other.

 The sky is bluest blue as the mosques loom overhead.

It's Turkey's national Navy Day so 15 ships - including 2 submarines - parade the harbor and the strait. The ships carry anti-aircraft guns, missile launchers, and other weapons. Troops in their uniform whites face the shore on the upper decks.

Istanbul is a city of contrasts: modern construction and existing medieval towers.

The Presidential Palace is beautiful.

The German embassy is next door.

So many armies have defended these shores in the rages of men's restless ambitions. One side of the water is called "Asia" and the other "Europe." This walled fortress was probably considered unconquerable ... until it was scaled and overrun by the next "great" army.

The span of the final bridge before the Black Sea is a wonder of engineering.

We pull in to the furthest stop at Anadolu Kavagi, where the ferry floats for 2 hours. I try fish (bluefish) and confirm that nope, I still don't like fish.

The ancient castle at the top of this port is a hiking destination. W's knee has been acting up so we stay on the shoreline.

There's a constant passage of tankers, cruise boats, private vehicles and ferries.

We reach the dock before 5:00 p.m. In one window, I spot a 6-piece dinner set, shaped into a fortress tower.

The shop windows are full of Turkish delight/s!

We learn about the Turkish economy and how hard it is for locals to make ends meet: the minimum wage is about $400US. While prices are very reasonable for us, the lira has fallen 30% against the USD and Euro in the last 6 months. Over the last 5 years, it lost 80% of its value.

We meet Talman for supper. He's an Indonesian friend from movie night and other gatherings. Our movie night family is spread around the world and many of them know each other from years ago.

We have a delightful catch-up and hand over some Bandrek (ginger drink) and ramen. Overhead, the string lights sparkle across the alleys as we return to the hotel.

Read more:

*Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.

Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

As it is written: “They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever.”

A city of color and beauty

Tuesday, September 26, 2023

We have breakfast at the Old Port Hotel on the busy strip of Old Istanbul.

Besides scrambled eggs and fresh bread, there are dried fruit and nuts.

Under the vegetable shelf, we can choose from 4 kinds of olives and various cheeses.

Today's plan is to see some historic sites in the Old City so we wander through the park Sirketci - where there are castles and fountains (this one's water mimics turning the page).

The levels of history are evident in the variety of stonework and building additions.

One piece of marble 18 meter (51') tall is a memorial dating back to the 400s.

Along the way, we pause and perch at the edge of tour groups. The Muslim tour guides teach us something surprising about mosques.

"People often ask us why mosques have domes. The Muslim warlords got the idea from the churches in areas they conquered. All the churches had domes. To make them a mosque, they just added a minaret (tower). The minaret is how you can tell it's a mosque and not a church." Hm. I did not know that.

"In keeping with modest Muslim values, this sultan built only a small palace after he destroyed his rival's place," says another, pointing to a large solid structure. Is he being sarcastic or honest? Opulent materials and lavish engineering are spread around the city.

A 30-something man says hello and walks with us, introducing himself and his city. His Kurdish family originates in eastern Turkey. He points out Roman ruins 4 meters (12') below the current level of the city. "The Sultans had to demolish everyone's story and build their palaces and mosques on top of others to show their power."

He walks us to the Little Hagia Sophia - Holy Sophia/wisdom mosque. We're directed to take off our shoes and I have to cover my head with a scarf hanging near the entry. "It was a church for 900 years until the Ottomans conquered Istanbul. They turned it into a mosque." The ancient baptismal area is still there.

So is the Bible reader's platform, now used for chanting Islamic prayers and sermons.

Above, the ceilings have been painted with Islamic motivs.

In a side room, several men are counting stacks of lira, donations given by attendees.

The man takes us to his family's rug shop. First we climb to the rooftop so W can take pictures of the city. Then he takes us into the rug repair area. An expert is restoring a 200-year-old carpet fringe. His hands loop and spin.

Where do they get the materials? "We have to match the colors, so we take apart a badly damaged rug from the same time period." He shows us skeins of wool from a rug that is being deconstructed near the weaver's lap.

There's a bright robe hanging on a nearby wall, a flutter of squares lined with small hanks of hair. "What is this?" I ask.

This horse's ceremonial coat, lined with tufts of hair from family members, is used for weddings and special milestones.

We sips water before Turkish coffee is served in a small cup, saucer underneath. I can't believe I actually like coffee - it's strong but not bitter and it doesn't leave rancid oils on the tongue (my objection to every other cup of coffee I've tried.)

The man and his uncle explain what we're looking at as an employee unrolls rug after rug on the wood floor. They show us how the nap affects what we see from one end or the other. This one is a replica of an ancient Kurdish pattern. My heart pounds at the delights unfolding in front of us.

"No pressure," they say all along the way as the sales pitch rolls for 3 hours and an additional cup of apple tea (yum). Rugs in every color line the room.

"The weavers create natural dyes for cottons and wools." Grasses produces greens, eggplant gives a subtle purple, and other vibrant shades are made from materials at hand.

We find one we like and will wait overnight before we decide. The extreme pitch puts us off. (Yet at night, I dream of the rug above, not the one I loved in the shop.) We will do other things for a few days.

Not far away is the Grand Bazaar, where we're the target of enthusiastic sellers. Some, like the rug dealer, tell us Americans pay whatever they ask. Their quotes different wildly (i.e. the same bowl for $3-10? ... or the same rug for $3500-15,000 US?) We keep walking and smiling.

Turkey is famous for its ceramics.

The bazaar is sectioned by type of wares. Spice and tea shops are everywhere.

W examines goods in one booth.

The bazaar is covered with arched ceilings and we walk on marble floors. Marble is durable underfoot and as common (polished and rough) as brick or granite in other parts of the world.

Once outside through an arched exit, we pass a shoe and sport store. I spot funky rollerskates - 4 wheeled with doubles at the back for balance.

Between the shops are eateries where you sit on kilim-covered pillows, lamps glowing overhead.

There are stores of sweets and specialty foods. See this one? It sells only honey from shelves lined with jars of glowing gold.

This olive tree is still small in its planter but full of fruit.

We walk back down the hill toward our hotel, eyes captured by old buildings between modern shops.

This Vespa is in mint condition.

At a grocery store, baskets of halva (sesame-based sweets) remind me of the treats Grandma use to give us. We buy 2 kinds.

As night falls, we pass a food vendor slapping ground meat and condiments into a roll of thin dough. There's a long line of young clients. That's usually a good sign so W adds himself to the line and chooses his supper. 

We take it up to our room, sharing the donor and small pieces of halva. Today we've covered 14000 steps and 18 flights of sheer wonder, color, and smells.

Read more:

*In God’s hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. Psalm 95:4

*Worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water. Revelation 14:7

Moravian Prayer: Extravagant Creator, your generosity knows no bounds. May we each take time today to stand still, look around, and take in some of the beauty you share with us in nature and each other. Thank you. Amen.