Half Day of Rest

Any where you want to go. 

Right now, outside my hotel window in Çanakkale, Turkey (look it up, it is in Asia across the Dardenelles) there have been horns blowing and lights flashing and lots of noise for a couple of hours.  It is loud and maybe we won't be sleeping so soundly tonight if it doesn't let up.  Apparently, a soccer team has won something important...man, I wish I knew more about Turkish soccer teams.  The people outside are pretty happy, maybe one day I will say that I was there in Çanakkale the day such and such a soccer team won.  Except, I still won't know what to say except...I heard the soccer team won.  If someone finds out what happened, let me know.

Blue Mosque

Anyway, our morning was filled up to the brim with more Istanbul.  We visited the famous Blue Mosque of the Sultan Ahmed (built 1617).  Beautiful.  We had to take off our shoes outside and carry them in a little baggie and as we walked in there were people evaluating if you were dressed appropriately or not.  I was not and had to wear a blue one size fits all wrap around skirt. that didn't fit me.  We also all had to wear scarves over our heads.  Walking barefooted into the mosque you step onto pretty carpets into a large place of worship with nearly no furniture and low hanging chandeliers.  The color turquoise is the color of Turkey (#2 after the red on the flag) and there are lots of blue turquoise mosaics in the mosque.

Inside the Haggia Sophia

We moved just across the street to the Haggia Sophia which was built by Constantine in 560-532 BC making the blue mosque completely modern by comparison.  It served as a mosque for 500 years and surprisingly the Ottoman's didn't destroy all the iconography, but covered lots of it up instead, unusual.  Now, Haggia Sophia is a museum and has a few items on display, but also is mostly about the architecture and beautiful decoration of the place.  The marble on the floor is worn into a deep trough from years of use and it is pretty awe inspiring to walk in a place that is over 2400 years old.  There was a display of Arabic Calligraphy on the outskirts and the artistry was beautiful, totally beautiful.

Haggia Sophia

Both the mosque and Haggia Sophia are humongeous.  That is probably what struck me most.  Huge.

There was a marathon apparently in town so we had to walk more today (hallelujah) and made our way to a rug shop and watched a demonstration on Turkish rug making.  Totally cool.  It was almost like watching a ballet the way the men at the shop unfolded the rugs with such flair and drama.  They showed us hundreds of rugs and had a woman come in with a rug she was working on and we got to watch her tie about 50 knots in about 10 seconds.  We learned about colors and styles and they buttered  us all up with tea, coffee or even ouzo if we wanted it (it was 10 in the morning, no takers) and a turkish pretzel.  It was actually perfect to have tea, eat our pretzel and watch the rug show.  Actually, maybe the best meal I've had in Turkey.

The performers

As for the food, it is totally a non-issue at this point.  I'm so over it.  We are getting tourist food at its mediocre-ist, and we are not even complaining about it any more.  Sometimes, actually mostly, I don't even know what I am eating.  Something vegetable-y.  A little meat, some rice.  Whatever.

We also went to the spice market.  We bought teas (apple tea is one of the more popular ones and is so good, so there is some food for you), and spices, of course.  The sales people at these places have the best lines.  They totally pour it on thick, it is cheesy and sort of adorable at the same time.  I wonder how many times a day they mention to someone how clever and intelligent they can sense they are.  Clearly, it has worked for hundreds of years, the spice market is booming.

Screen shot of mystery food from dinner.  Some were saying this is carrots
others claimed it was wienies.  The nice water called them sausages.   

The boring stuff:  after we left the spice market we ate what some might call lunch but I am choosing not to remember and then we hopped on our second home and drove 4 or 5 hours to Çanakkale.  We are here now and have a long day tomorrow.

Until then...