CHARTRES AND ISTANBUL

Sept. 14, 2000
Hôtel au Royal Cardinal, Paris, France

Today, we took the Grande Ligne train to Chartres from Gare Montparnasse. It was a scenic ride through varied countryside with lots of pretty, brick and stone houses.

Chartres Cathedral

We were a bit late leaving and stopped for a lunch of pork chops when we first got to Chartres. We got to the cathedral about 15:00. Chartres Cathedral sits on top of a hill. It was built in the thirteenth century and was the first cathedral to have flying buttresses included in the original architecture. Earlier ones were added to support bulging walls. The cathedral is quite large and has a labyrinth inlaid in the stone floor of the nave. There is more stained glass in Chartres than can be imagined, although the overall effect is still quite dark inside. Chartres has two bell towers, each of which is quite different. One of them is Romanesque and was built in the early thirteenth century. The other is flamboyant Gothic and was built in the sixteenth century. We climbed the three hundred stairs of the Gothic tower. The altar is surrounded by a carved, stone screen. The screen is the airiest, most intricately carved stone I had ever seen. Unfortunately, the stone of Chartres must have been rather soft because much of the carving is in poor condition.

Inside the Gothic Tower

After we inspected the cathedral, we walked down to the river. The houses along the river were old and very picturesque. We then walked up to an Irish pub where we had good English beer. All of the drinks in France were lukewarm. Even the English serve colder beer. We had to scurry back to the train, making it aboard with only seconds to spare.

The River at Chartres

We went out for dinner at an Afghan restaurant around the corner from our hotel. The food was very tasty. We then came home to pack.

Sept. 16, 2000
Park Hotel, İstanbul, Türkiye

Yesterday, we took a cab to the Orly Airport. The cab arrived on time and our trip went smoothly. Our flight was an hour late, so we did not get to İstanbul until 18:00. I got to sit in an exit row. Deanna moved because she wanted to be able to put her feet on top of her carry-on. I was ecstatic NOT to have to put my feet on top of my carry-on.

It took until 20:00 to get our luggage and take a cab into İstanbul and then find a room. We had called the Terrace Guest House from Paris and a nice man named Doğan had promised to find us a room somewhere. There was no room at his Terrace Guest House, so we trundled our bags around the corner to the Park Hotel, owned by Doğan‘s father. The Park Hotel is right across the street from the Four Seasons and cost $50/ night. The only downside was the noise of the Four Seasons’ doorman whistling for taxis and loud busses full of inconsiderate tourists arriving in the midddle of the night.

At 3:15, I awoke with an awful case of what we decided was actually “Napoleon’s revenge.” It appeared that the seafood in the pasta salad I ate at Orly may have been a bit off. I was deathly ill for a few hours, but I took some Immodium and it seemed to have done the trick. I sat on the pot, bent double with pain, and tried to study Turkish for a couple of hours. About the time the muezzins started up in the morning, I went back to sleep and slept until just before 10:30, when Deanna got up so as not to miss breakfast. I was in no mood for food, so I stayed behind to shower and oganize my luggage.

The View of Hagia Sophia from Our Terrace

Deanna returned within the hour, having procured us a larger room with a better view and a terrace for the same price. While we were still too close to the Four Seasons (It used to be the prison from Midnight Express.) for my taste, we were two floors further up from the whistling man and somewhat off to the side. We had an unobstructed view of the Hagia Sophia and partial views of the Bosphorus and the Blue Mosque. I slept for a couple of hours while Deanna went off to get water and had a chat with Doğan, the nice man at the Terrace Guest House we had met over the telephone. When she got back, she rummaged in her suitcase for a while and then decided to take a quick nap. It had started to sprinkle, so I stayed put, although I was starting to get a bit hungry.

After we got settled, we went out for a wonderful lamb dinner at the Rumeli Café. It was considered a top end restaurant and we still managed to get dinner for two with two drinks apiece and dessert for under $30. Before dinner, we wandered around a bit and looked at the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, all lit up at night. As we were leaving the Blue Mosque, the muezzins started up and they were quite loud.

Turkish men (you rarely see the women) are very friendly and can be a great source of information once you make it clear that you will NOT buy a carpet. Waiters and hotel staff were wonderful and very helpful. Istanbul seemed to be full of Kurds who had fled the areas near Iran and Iraq. One of the waiters in our hotel showed Deanna his bullet scars. The Kurds seemed eager to talk to Americans and we made contact with families still living in the Lake Van area. If we bought carpets, we would buy them there, where they are made, and cut out the middlemen. We did visit one carpet shop on the way back from dinner on Saturday night. They specialized in kilims, which are something like a cross between a Navajo rug and a tapestry. The silk ones can be very fine. Carpets were cheaper in İstanbul than comparable ones would be in the United States, but the nice ones still cost thousands. We hoped they would be cheaper in the east.

The plumbing in our room was of the Russian variety. We had a shower, but there was no shower stall. The entire bathroom got splattered.

Sunday morning, we ate breakfast on the roof. Our breakfast of bread, cheese, hard-boiled eggs, tomatoes, olives, and cucumber was included in the $50 rate. We had a fabulous view of the Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, and the Bosphorus from the roof.

The  Blue Mosque

We started for the Hagia Sophia but one of the rug sellers (They really ARE everywhere, but they speak good English and can be a great source of information.) advised us to go to the Blue Mosque, first, as there were no services planned for the present time. The Blue Mosque is very beautiful on the outside. Its delicate minarets appear too fantastic to be real. Something about İstanbul made me feel like I was in the Alladin Land setion of a giant Disneyland. The inside is beautiful, also, but not particularly awesome. Mosques are always plainer than churches because Islam forbids depicting anything that might be construed as an idol. There are many blue and white İznik tiles and they are lovely, up close, but are difficult to appreciate as a whole.

After the Blue Mosque, we went down the to the smaller Mehmet Paşa Camii, a lovely mosque built by Sinan, the architect of the Süleymaniye Mosque, in 1571. As this was a smaller mosque, the İznik tiles were quite effective, there. We also went to the Küçük Hagia Sophia Camii (Little Hagia Sophia Mosque), originally built as a church by the emperor Justinian in 527. In İstanbul, if they called something new, it was probably four hundred years old.

Wrecked Freighter

We continued down the hill to the Bosphorus and walked along the shore to a restaurant where we had beer and mezes (appetizers.) There was a freighter wrecked on the shore and Turkish boys were using its cranes for diving platforms.

After lunch, we trudged back up the hill to the Hagia Sophia. Built in 537, architects have been trying to match its huge, seemingly unsupported dome ever since. The emperor Justinian built the Hagia Sophia as a church and it still features some lovely mosaics. Many had disappeared in recent years and no one seemed to know whether they were being restored or just removed, as such work would not be permitted in a mosque. There was a massive scaffold covering a quarter of the dome that was an impressive piece of architecture in itself.

After the Hagia Sophia, we decided to go for a drink of the ouzo-like raki that we coveted. Many of the places near the mosque were not allowed to sell alcohol. We were waylaid by another rug seller and taken to his roof terrace for a glass of raki. Of course, we ended up continuing our education about Turkish carpets. They had two I liked in the $2000 price range for a 5’ x 7’. They were made in the Ararat area, so I would look further when we got there.

The raki that we had consumed was a bit strong, so we went back to the hotel and napped for a couple of hours. Then we got up and went out for meatballs. We went to the Sultanahmet Köftecisi, which had been recommended by my guidebook. They served only köfte (meatballs) and they were pretty horrid. We did manage to get dinner for two for about $6.00, however. We then went to a fancy place around the corner, called Omar, and paid $15.00 for dessert and brandy. As in almost all of the outdoor cafés in İstanbul, we were visited by kittens while we ate. After dinner, we walked home and went to bed.

Sept, 18, 2000
Park Hotel, İstanbul, Türkiye

Mansions in Yenköy

Today, we got up by 8:00 and had breakfast in time to take the tram to Eminünü and catch the the 10:30 Bosphorus ferry. We sat on the European side of the ferry on the way to the Black Sea. On the way, we passed the Galata Bridge (for which the game of bridge was named) and the Dolmabahçe Palace where Ataturk died. Then we passed the Çirağan Palace, which burned down in 1910 and was later reborn as a horrendously expensive, five-star hotel. We passed the Rumeli Castle, which was once a fortress guarding the Bosphorus and is now a concert venue. North of the Fatih (second) bridge over the Bosphorus, we came toi Yenköy. There, we found the multi-million dollar homes of the rich and famous, including the ornate, white mansion of the Prime Minister. If I had endless money, this would be a lovely place to park my yacht in front of my villa.

Anadolu

From Yeniköy, we crossed the Bosphorus to Anadolu, where we got off the ferry to explore. We ate a wonderful lunch of mussels, salad, fries, fish, bread, calamari, and beer for four million Turkish lire or about $6.00 each. We sat on the top floor of the restaurant where we had a clear view of the Bosphorus and the sycamore trees. It looked very much like Tiburon in California. After lunch. We climbed a very steep hill to explore the castle ruins and peek over the ridge at the Black Sea. There were a pair of adolescent Turkish couples, girls in headscarves and chadors, making use of the romantic location. We had one dog escort us to the top of the hill and another dog escort us back to the village.

The Black Sea

Ruined Castle at Anadolu

We came down just in time to catch the ferry back. On the return, we sat on the Asian side of the ferry with some rather rude Slavic women who insisted on sitting on our already full bench. There was not a lot to see on the way back and what we did see was neglected in our guidebooks. We did see the Berlerbeyi Palace with its wonderful seawall of tentlike kiosks. We also got a glimpse of the Maiden’s Tower on the return.

When we got back to Eminünü, it was already 17:30 and most attractions were closed. We took the tram back to the Blue Mosque and ate dinner at the Can Restaurant. It was very reasonable and we were able to pick what we wanted from a delightful display. After dinner, we headed over to the Blue Mosque, hoping that the sound and light show would be in English. On the way, we fell into conversation with Zakir, a young medical student who was studying in English, found it very difficult, and needed to practice. He came from the Lake Van area where he had made friends with (I suspect Mormon) missionaries who had taken him back to Arizona for a visit. He was supposed to be selling carpets, but told us we would get much better prices in Van. He gave us the name of his cousin, there, and promised to email him and have him meet us at the bus station. He also promised to get us a discount at a nice hotel owned by his uncle. He chatted with us until the show began and we exchanged email addresses.

The show was pretty corny, but it was free and it is always pleasant to gaze at the Blue Mosque. We managed to get home without being waylaid by carpet sellers and had a very nice visit with Doğan, a friend of his from Vienna (Turkish) and the Kurdish gent that worked in our hotel. Doğan was a sweet, gentle, and very European man. His friend talked a lot, but he was good company. They shared a watermelon with us and then we left when their dinner arrived.

Sept. 20, 2024
Park Hotel, İstanbul, Türkiye

We had breakfast on the roof, as usual. We spent some time trying to plan our Black Sea tour, so we got a late start. We dropped off some laundry and then went to visit Doğan. We spent an hour talking with him but he had never been where we were going, so we didn’t figure out how to get from Amasra to Sinop without dragging luggage on and off numerous minibuses. I would have gutted it out but Deanna’s luggage was heavier than mine and she refused. The Black Sea ferry, which usually ran until October, had ceased operation early in 2000. It looked like we would take a day trip to Şile so we could see at least one Black Sea beach and then fly to Samsun. We could take a bus to Trabzon from there and see some of the coast.

After our visit with Doğan, we descended into the famous cistern whose support columns were pilfered from Greek temples and include two heads of Medusa. There was about a foot of water in the bottom and numerous pale carp were living there.

Street Near the Süleymaniye Mosque

Having seen the cistern, we took a taxi to the Süleymaniye Mosque (Mosque of Süleyman the Magnificent.) The taxi ride was somewhat horrifying. We bullied our way through narrow streets where the sidewalks were full of trade goods and the numerous pedestrians were sharing the street with the equally numerous cars. The cab could not get close to the mosque, so we walked the last block or so.

Deanna was hungry, so we ate lunch across the street from the mosque before we went in. We were served by an old man in a Turkish hat, who spoke French and hovered about our table, splashing water onto the kittens who approached our table to beg.

The Süleymaniye Mosque

We visited the mosque after lunch. It is the largest mosque in İstanbul and is decorated with beautiful tiles and frescoes. It was completed in 1557. The sixteenth century stained glass windows were the most beautiful I had ever seen, probably because, being Islamic, they did not try to represent a scene and could, therefore, be as graceful and symmetrical as possible. 

Pigeons at the Yeni Cami

 When we left the mosque, we visited the tombs of Süleyman, Roxelana, and the architect, Sinan. Then we caught a cab down to the Yeni Cami (New Mosque, 400 years old.) There was a big sign saying, “No Visits,” but they let us in, anyway. It was very lovely, but infested with pigeons. There must have been a thousand of them on the front steps. One pooped on my head. We wandered through the outdoor market, but somehow managed to miss the Spice Market, which is adjacent to the Yeni Cami. We also did a little shopping in the permanent shops. Deanna bought MiniDV cassettes, although she couldn’t get the ones with an IC chip. I finally found a watchband for my Gucci watch (only Gucci makes 13mm.) It was at least $5 cheaper than the last one I bought in the United States.

Tea Seller in the Market

We took the tram back to Sultanahmet. Our laundry was not yet ready, so we had a beer at a café across the street while we waited for them to iron Deanna’s pants. We then decided to eat dinner. I had chicken kebaps with pistachio nuts and Deanna had a mixture of beef and lamb rolled in sesame seeds. Both were tasty. Our dinners came with rice, salad, and bread. With two beers apiece and a bowl of Çiçik (tsitsiki), the bill came to about $15. We then picked up our laundry, a whopping $3 worth, and went home to read the books we had picked up in the lobby that morning.

Sept. 20, 2024
Antique Internet and Caféteria, İstanbul, Türkiye

We had another lovely breakfast on the roof and I finally managed to satisfy our waiter, Selim, that I was not sad. I guess he misunderstood the fact that I am quiet in the morning.

We came over to the nearest internet café to do our email for the week. Email was a lot slower in these cafés than it was at home. The lack of speed, combined with bizarre keyboards, made the process frustrating and time consuming. It took me two and a half hours to answer six messages and write my weekly travelogue. Fortunately, internet cafés were cheap in Turkey, so it only cost me about $5. It cost me more than $7 for one hour in Paris. I  then sat in the café, waiting for Deanna to finish. There were many things left to see in İstanbul, but I was getting eager to move on. I couldn’t help but feel that our trip would not truly begin until we got out of the tourist area. I had been looking at tourists for two weeks and I was quite sick of them. I had truly enjoyed talking with the Turks I had met, but it would be nice to go somewhere where I did not have to plan my route to avoid rug sellers. The muezzins were wailing away at that moment. I thought I could hear at least four and they seemed to be engaged in a sort of atonal canon. The muezzins were live, not taped, but they performed using microphones and did not climb the towers. This allowed them to blend their calls with those of their competitors and the effect was magical.

Sept. 21, 2024
Park Hotel, İstanbul, Türkiye

The internet café put Deanna in a foul mood, so we decided to eat lunch before attempting anything else. We ate at a restaurant specializing in baked potatoes around the corner from our hotel. We were served by a woman, but she didn’t have much to say.

Topkapi Palace

After lunch, we went to Topkapi Palace. For some reason, maybe because the buildings are arranged around a large, open area with grass and trees, it reminded me more of a school than a palace. There have been many fires at Topkapi and so most of the decoration dates from the early nineteenth century, although the palace, itself, was originally constructed in the mid-fifteenth century by Mehmet the Conqueror. It is situated on a hill overlooking both the Golden Horn and the Bosphorus. There is a courtyard at the back, surrounded by spacious tiled pavilions (a wonderful place to read) and overlooking the water and the Süleymaniye Mosque. All of the tourists were waiting to have their pictures taken against this backdrop.

Deanna at Topkapi Palace

We were too late to get tickets to see the harem, so we walked through the rooms of treasure, instead. There were many jeweled turban decorations, some of which were quite fantastic. We saw the Spoonmaker’s diamond (at 86 karats, the world’s fifth largest) and the emerald handled dagger featured in the movie, Topkapi. There were numerous huge emeralds, including the world’s largest uncut one. Deanna had exclaimed about the amount of treasure, but I was somewhat disappointed.

Sept. 21, 2024
Park Hotel, İstanbul, Türkiye

After Topkapi Palace which, like everything in İstanbul, closed at 16:30, we walked down to Gülhane Park and sat under the sycamore trees while I petted a kitten. Then we bought a bottle of raki and came back to the hotel. We could not get ice anywhere, but the attendant, Refik, promised to make some after I tipped him for the glasses he provided. We sat on the terrace, reading and drinking raki until it got dark. Then we decided to go out for dinner.

When we walked out of the hotel, we ran into our young friend, Idris, who worked next door. He introduced us to a guest at his hotel named Onur. Onur asked if he could join us for dinner. He lived in Connecticut, but was back in İstanbul to buy rugs. We vacillated for a while about where to eat and then set course for a kebap place up the hill from the Hippodrome. Onur seemed to know everyone and they all chided him about going out with two women. As we passed a carpet shop, a very handsome young man who turned out to be Onur’s best friend, Ibrahim, ran out of his shop and insisted on joining us. He was an incredible flatterer and kept telling me that I had beautiful eyes and trying to kiss me. Aside from that, he was an amusing fellow who told good jokes. The four of us had a pleasant dinner of mixed kebaps, mezes, fruit, and wine. Onur promised to cook us dinner the next night. We wondered if he was serious.

Sept. 22, 2024
Park Hotel, İstanbul, Türkiye

Stained Glass in the Harem

We got up early and managed to get onto the first tour through the harem at Topkapi Palace. The harem was very beautiful. I especially liked the blue, red, and gold dome over the sultan’s bed chamber. The stained glass in the crown prince’s quarters was exquisite.

We also went to the Museum of Eastern Antiquities and the İstanbul Archeological Museum. They were both very nice museums, containing an incredible collection of statuary. I was impressed by the “Alexander” sarcophagus with its ranks of carved horses, which does not actually contain Alexander. We did see a bust of Alexander that had the most lifelike face I have ever seen carved in stone.

The Grand Bazaar

We ate lunch in a restaurant called Theodora that had just opened. It was very expensive and the food was bland, but the décor was gorgeous and they played Eric Clapton and B.B. King. After lunch, we walked up to the Grand Bazaar and wandered around for a few hours. I bought a scarf and Deanna bought some earrings. When we came out of the market, we were so disoriented that we had to use the sun to figure out which way to walk. Our feet were very tired, so we went back to the hotel and read for a hour or so before dressing for dinner.

Our friend, Onur, kept his word about having us to dinner. He barbecued lamb chops and served cucumber salad, bread, and red wine. The Turkish wine was okay. I liked it better than the French wine. He also invited all the people working in the hotel and carpet shop next door. It was a very nice party. I had to fight off the owner of the shop who said my eyes were bluer than the Blue Mosque, but he was really a gentle person who just wanted to separate me from Deanna so Onur could be alone with her. Onur promised to drive us to Şile the following day.

Sept. 23, 2000
Park Hotel, İstanbul, Türkiye

Offshore Rocks at Şile

Yesterday, we rented a car and Onur drove us to Şile. There isn’t much there. There are a few rocks offshore with a ruined castle on top and a lighted sign that proclaims that the Turks follow Ataturk. There is also a marina full of fishing boats and a few restaurants. We ate at the Panoramic Restaurant which was expensive and had mediocre food.

The Marina at Şile

After lunch, Onur took us 40km further up the coast to Ağva, his favorite getaway.  It is a long, winding road from Şile to Ağva. We passed through pine covered mountains that reminded me of the Santa Cruz Mountains in California. We came across many cows, sheep, and goats in the road. They were the best part of the drive. On the way back, we passed a new development that was in ruins, presumably from an earthquake. It was odd that only that one development collapsed.

The Surf at Ağva

Ağva was much nicer than Şile. We walked out to the end of the breakwater and watched the surf. Ağva had big surf and looked like a good surfing beach. There is also a placid river that flows through the town and many hotels have docks and small pleasure boats along the banks.

Onur & Deanna in Ağva

We had tea in a tea shop in Ağva before leaving, as our chauffeur had been up late the night before and needed caffeine.

It was a long drive back and, once we reached the İstanbul area, the traffic was horrific, even though it was already 19:00. We came back across the Fatih Bridge. Somehow, we took a wrong turn and went half way to Sarıyer (north) in awful traffic before turning around and passing back under the bridge. We drove along the Bosphurus to Ortaköy and had dinner in a restaurant by the water. We drank a little too much raki and got into a very deep conversation about religion, relationships, and whether or not foreigners can every really fit in.

After dinner, we drove back to Sultanahmet. I wanted to go to sleep and avoid any more deep conversation but Onur wanted to go dancing. We compromised by climbing up to the terrace of the Ali Baba Guest House to dance. I was really just along to chaperone. Idris, from next door, tried the usual Turkish male trip and I had to peel him off with the explanation that I had a daughter older than he was. Deanna and Onur had some kind of a misunderstanding and it took at least a further hour of deep (and draining) conversation to straighten it out enough to say goodnight. Deanna was in tears when we returned to the room and even I felt very sad for Onur because he insisted on believing that if he finds the right person, everything will suddenly be okay and he was bound to be disappointed. He told us a very sad story about a woman from Seattle who had fallen in love with him, brought him to America, and then rejected him and gone back to her boyfriend. He had tried very hard to please her and was crushed. We tried to convince him that he had done nothing wrong.