Friday, January 24, 2020

Off to visit Taksim

Sunrise is so filled with promise!

Beautiful tile in our shower/tub

Yay us!  We’re up in time for breakfast, even after I do my morning yoga!  The dining area off our lobby is quit crowded, so we go across the street again, where it is quiet and civilized!  The darling little chef who was so tickled with my hair the first day, asks if we would like cheese omelets!  Didn’t know those where available!  Yes, please!  And I have a chance to sample more of the unknown goodies.  Everything is either delicious or even more so!  Lots of olives and, for dessert, little chunks of halvah!  My weather app says it’s thirty-six degrees;  but I don’t believe it.  I’m just in jeans and a t-shirt and I’m happy!  Of course we just have to cross the street!  And Ammar says I’m not allowed to go outside (or climb out our window like I’ve been doing for photos) without a jacket!  It’s so nice to have someone worry about me like that!

After breakfast we have some time for me to blog before we set off to Taksim.  He’s heard that there is good shopping there for kids’ clothes and he’s on a mission for his friend from the mosaic school. He has given Ammar money to buy clothes for his children.  Apparently Turkish clothes are of a better quality that what they can buy in Jordan.

We’ve learned that you can take the tram and the metro to Taksim, so we recharge our fare card and set out.  It’s really easy!  We go three stops on the tram and when we get off, the metro is about a block away.  We go another three stops and we’re at Taksim’s major shopping street, with all the name brands and a Starbucks and a MacDonalds.  So sad!  We cruise to the end and come back.  On the way down we only go into one store and Ammar doesn’t like the quality of the children’s clothing.  (He used to deal in clothing, so he knows what he’s looking at!)

We’re nearly back to our starting point when we finally see a lingerie shop.  His sister has requested a bra, so we go in.  There’s a 3 for the price of 2 sale and in addition to his sister’s bra we also get some for his daughters, with matching panties.

Back the way we came and have to decide when to eat.  Logic dictates that we drop our packages first, so that’s what we do.  After some rest, we go in search of a fish restaurant he found on line.  We’re waiting for the tram and Ammar chats with another man who is waiting.  He says that the restaurants under the Galata Bridge and all good;  but the best one is right near where we are!

He vaguely points to the right, after giving us the name.  We go straight for a while, as he indicted, and see nothing, so I put the name into Google and voila, there’s a map.  We follow it around corners and down little streets and are amazed when we actually see the sign!  I think we went in the back door;  but we got there!

We didn’t order appetizers, but one comes free and they also bring out s huge tray filled with other possibilities!  We choose another one of those, and while we’re eating the spinach, tomato, greens and cheese salad appears.  The bowl is lines with thin slices of an unknown vegetable, which tastes like a radish.  There is also a very large basket of freshly toasted bread and large glasses of cherry juice to drink.

Little calico won't pose.  She does purr incessantly and climbs up on my chest.

Presently the entrees arrive - tiger prawn for Ammar and grilled sea bass for me.  About that time a tiny cat also appears and before I know it she is curled in my lap.  Okay, I admit it, after she settled in I did give her a few little pieces of sea bass.  

The bill is paid and we set off for home.  So glad I’m not in charge of directions!  We pass a chestnut vendor and go home with another bag of the tasty treats.

When we get back to the room, I still can’t get on line and I finally give in and take my recalcitrant machine down to the front desk. On the way down a nice man gives me a handful of his pistachios! A young woman tells me that we can only have two devices on one email address.  That seems pretty straight forward but I still can’t make it go.  I gather my courage and go back downstairs to admit defeat.  She hands me off to a kid who plays with my machine while she and I chat about doing what makes us happy.  She says she sees her future when she looks at me.  She loves my gecko earrings and, of course, the hair.  She thinks it looks sweet on my and that it’s obvious I do my own thing!  About this time the young man has worked his magic and I’m back in business.  My new friend wants a picture of us and “the kid” pops into it as well.  The photographer, another Sura employee, leans in close to whisper that he believes, as he thinks I do (?) that “no woman means no tears”!!  I think he thinks I’m here alone!  Whatever!  He takes another picture and she takes my phone number to send them to me on Whats App. 

Back upstairs I desperately try to catch up the blog and plow through the accumulated emails, while Ammar checks his Facebook and sends his sister photos of today’s finds.  She wants first choice and that’s only fair, I guess.  I have to admit that it only took a little coaxing for me to choose one, too, because I’ve never seen anything as cool!  Hers will be hidden under an abaya, so I think it’s okay.