Friday, September 21, 2012

Tiles, Lamb kebab, and a Turkish bath


Day 5, 12:19am

Wow, what a day....
We had a nice breakfast chat with some hotel mates from Norway. Two women who are journalists told us about their travels. One of them even went to China & North Korea in the 1980's!
I mentioned to one of them that the Jehovah's Witnesses yearbook featured Norway and its lovely fjords. Trying not to be preachy but don't want to be too cautious either.

It was raining and cold when we first left our hotel, but we were indoors while viewing the spectacular Topkapi Palace.
Best features of Topkapi palace? Tiles....rows and rows of lovely blue, white, coral red, green tiles....
all dating back to 15th c. and earlier.




and lovely ceilings....


Oh yes, continuing with the diet regimen....
#6 Lamb kebab at Konyali Restaurant museum....wow very flavorful and tender meat.


 #7 Turkish coffee....scalding hot, has a subtle sweet touch
#8 Pistachio Baklava....wow, heavenly. Perfectly delicate texture and not too sweet, with a touch of honey
#9 Most lovely dessert I've ever tasted...coconut cream and pistachio jello on top, sprinkled with sweet petals on top....


Okay,  I hate to criticize my lovely top 10 guide from DK Eyewitness publishers, but two things are just overrated...
1. Grand Bazaar....described as a traditional style market place and shopping heaven....I'm sorry, but to me it was just an overcrowded, stuffy, indoors Once (Once is the ghetto Buenos Aires neighborhood for wholesale good)

2. Cemberlitas Baths
Here's my guidebook's attractive intro: "No stay in Istanbul would be complete without a bout of scrubbing, soaping, and massaging in a Turkish bath..."
Yes it was lovely to have someone scrub me down, but because the bath was so crowded I got all self-conscious and couldn't really relax. Plus the jacuzzi water was not very hot.

1 comment:

  1. hey but i would want o visit once if i had never been to BA. haha but you know me drop and roll just makes it funner,
    dude that fooood i'm sooo hatin on you right now!!!
    your mom looks great tell her to give me a bigger smile!! ^_^

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