Wednesday, January 22, 2020 - updated

Exploring Begins

When I finally am awake enough to look out the window, what a sight awaits me!  When the desk manager said he would upgrade us last night, he was true to his work!  We overlook the Hagia Sofia and the Blue Mosque.  And it is just sunrise over the Bosphorus!  Life is good!  

A leisurely morning and breakfast in the terrace restaurant across the street…so many delicious offerings!  At least six types of cheeses and so many fruits and things I can’t name but love eating!  It will take all week to sample everything!  There are even sautéed mushrooms with baked cheese on top.  And Ammar is finally able to get his espresso!

Back to our enormous room to regroup and we’re off to explore!  Since we can see it from our room we start with the Blue Mosque.  I’m glad I thought to bring a scarf, so I don’t have to borrow one;  and I’ve rigged my sneaks to they slip off easily.  It’s as gorgeous as I remember!  And it turns out Ammar has been to Istanbul twice, but it was about twenty-five years ago, so he remembers less than I do!  

Lobby of our hotel

We decide to just wander and see what we can see, and there is so much to see! Eventually we make our way to the Grand Bazaar and we’re almost on target.  We’re staring at the map we got from the hotel when a man asks if we need help.  He says we’re almost there, and, indeed we are!  So much color, so many photo ops.  We’ve promised to only do window shopping.  Right.  Ammar’s sister asked for Turkish delicacies and we find a glorious shop where we are given cups of pomegranate/apple tea and spearmint tea.  The later was so strong that you had to close your eyes to drink it, otherwise they stung!  But the flavor was delicious!  She will be getting lots of goodies!  And I got to sample everything!  She will be a very happy camper!

Those bags are heavy and we decide to go back to the hotel and drop them off.  I have only the vaguest idea of where the hotel actually is;  but I’ve got a card, just in case.  I think we’re just wandering;  but at one point Ammar says, “There it is”.  Darned if I know how he did that.  I didn’t believe it until I could actually see the front of the building and the sign!

Selfie

We don't need this!

We’re relaxing a bit before thinking about lunch;  but I wanted to post this in case I didn’t get a chance later.  And I may even add the pictures!

Part Two

Eventually it’s time to find something to eat.  Ammar has located a restaurant that serves a lamb dish that he wants to introduce me to.  He’s summoned a taxi that should be here at 6:05.  As we’re waiting the time shifts to 6:08, 6:12, 6:28, 6:41.  He gets canceled!!  The next try yields a cab that arrives within five minutes!  Then there’s a whole debate about whether he wants to take us because it won’t be a very big fare!  He finally agrees but does the most amazing things, like doing an eight point turn to go back the way he came, which seems to us to be upstream!  He is a scary driver!  When he drops us off, his directions to the restaurant are useless and we ask several different people before we find it.  I never would have, but somehow Ammar figured it out.

We go up several flights of stairs and, ta da! We’ve arrived!  We start with two kinds of flatbread, cheese and lamb, then the main course arrives.  It is stashed within a puffed up pastry and the presentation makes the whole meal!  Turns out it is lamb neck.  It’s delicious but I’m glad I tried it before I knew what it was!

And the beverage is yogurt!

After dinner we walk home and, again, everything is up hill!  But after all that food, it’s a good idea to try to walk off at least a few of the calories!

It's amazing what you can see when you crawl out your room's window!

It’s the end of another glorious adventure!