Here and There Blog

Dining in Istanbul is a treat, especially when with friends. We had dinner at Poseidon, a seafood restaurant where the fresh catches are on display as you walk in.  This was the most fun looking fish but the one I ate (or it's fish brother) is on the far left.  Not so much a sardine fan but the jumbo shrimp were looking good.  I have no idea what the big fish are along the wall but I'm told this is not the season to eat them.  These are some big fish!

Underground Istanbul takes you to the 6th century where you can walk along the cistern that was the water source for the city up until water systems were installed in the 15th century. With no natural light coming in, electric lights cast a fire hue on the columns and water. The photo below is what the eye sees.   And then with an adjustement of the camera, the columns are revealed complete with their base in the water.  Various engraving decorate some of the columns. Two Medusa heads are in the far side of the cistern and serve as the base for columns. This Medusa was set on side,  as if lying down or in death with her head cut off. The second Medusa holds the column as part of her neck.  The origin of the Medusas is unknown and the reason for their placement lost but well worth the walk to the end of the cistern. Basilica Cistern was 10 TL and our wait was 10 minutes. April seems to be a good time to sightsee Istanbul (if you can handle 1 sunny day a week.) ...

Upon entering the Hagia Sophia Museum the first impression is of the vastness of the size. The structure is large and one would expect it to be the same inside but the words of the tourist were of surprise. The main attraction is the ceiling decor, the mosiacs, and the odd combination of mixed religious icons.  Built in the 6th century as a church, later converted to a mosque, destroyed and rebuilt several times the museum can either be a 20 minute power photo session (like mine) or a good hour if you explore the grounds. With the sun making a rare outing today, plenty of light shown through the stained glass and focal point for the room. Dating from the 9th century, this mosiac of the Virgin and Child is faded and up to the imagination.  The Mimbar for the mosque was crafed in the 16th century If you go, the entry was 20 TL and a 15 minute line wait. For the price, spend more time there or use this as an alternate site to the Blue Mosque for a less crowded experie...

Time off work and a sunny morning - what could be a better start to a day than to go to the Sultanhmet area and wander around? Above the Blue Mosque and below the Hagia Sophia Museum. Okay, a local cafe with a beer also makes for a great day! I'm tired of water when it is falling from the sky but upwards projection is kind of fun.

The subway that I take to work is easy to figure out but credit cards and receipts are not part of the process.  The machines take coins (green) or bills (orange). Have 5's and 10's ready. A yellow token pops out and your change into the change area below. You can buy more than one token at a time.  The token goes into the slot to the left of the green arrow and in you go.  You don't need an exit token. I'd still like to get a card but those seem to only be sold in one place and the line is long.

Oh the Traveler's Check. Long the standard for security and accepted anywhere, how archaic they have become!  For various reasons, not all of my own, I ended up bringing Traveler's Checks with me to Istanbul to cash upon arrival for the team.  What I learned was 1) the hotel will take them and exchange at a terrible rate, and 2) 5 out of 6 bank branches will tell you NO.  The 6th bank said Yes, and then had to look up procedures and call a help desk for support. Took 1 hour and a nice charge of $13 per check. So $200 in US, loses you $26.  The up side? Still a better exchange than you get at the hotel. The other side? The hotel doesn't take as long so you save time. Better than a wallet of cash? Depends on your ability not to lose your wallet by carelessness or theft.