Category: Travel

Turkey: Carpet buying at Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar

Inside Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar. Photo / Simon Winter

“My friend, Kia Ora. I have a cousin living in New Zealand. Come in and have some tea. There is no pressure to buy”.

Ha, ha, ha. “No pressure to buy”. Tea and rugs… it sounds so inviting. Welcome to the carpet market at Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar.

Step inside the rug seller’s den however, and there’s a new reality. You’re no longer wandering in the carpet bazaar. You’re now in a rug shop, caged and about to be set upon in a style which, for the uninitiated, can be extremely intimidating. Make no mistake, these guys are pros – at manipulation, persuasion and doing a deal.

In many cases, they’re also son con artists. After hours reading all sorts of horrors stories on internet forums, where clueless victims vent about paying $10,000 for a $300 rug “and how can I get our money back?”, we ventured into the Grand Bazaar.

Of course there is much more there to bargain for than just carpets, so we agreed. On the first day no entering, just looking. When my extremely risk-averse partner said, “Lets go inside” to the second carpet seller that approached us ( I glanced at her in shock), I’m filled with fear, mixed with excitement of the unknown.

We’ve just stepped on the roller coaster.

So in we go… and the small talk begins. Then the designs, sizes, patterns, shapes, the education… and finally, the tea.

“Would you like some apple tea?” the man asked. Ten minutes in, like thousands before us, we’ve been sucked in, surrounded by half-a-dozen assistants and more than a dozen rugs covering the floor. In fact we’re blocked. The charm offensive is in full flow and though technically we can walk out at anytime, in reality few do. It’s impolite… and besides, the best part’s about to start!

No prices have been discussed but because we’re thrifty backpackers we choose a 1 metre by 1.5m adornment from “eastern Turkey”, painstakingly woven over many hours, with a tight thread, authenticated blah, blah, blah. It’s the smallest rug in the room. There are many disapproving looks.

We sit down. Still no price. So I ask: “What’s the price for this one?”

The response: “Here is your tea.”

Our salesman talks about New Zealand. He has a “friend” who works in a Turkish restaurant in Wellington. He used to be a rug seller. Then the details become vague.

I sip my cold apple tea. In sweltering Istanbul it tastes good. There are seven people staring at us. Still no price. So I ask again. And this time it comes. 4500 lira.

In my head, time stops. First thought: “What the ****? That’s over €2000.” To my right, where my partner sits, there is silence.

My body temperature has soared, momentary panic. The guy wants a response. Our rug budget did have a “2” in front of it. Hmmm.

I can hear another voice in my head, the one from the internet forums. “Welcome to the game, Sonny.” I offer my response: “We don’t have any jobs”.

He cuts the price in half – 2250 lira, still over €1000. He can’t go much further, he says.

I feel trapped. Our price is so low – it’s an embarrassment to offer. He wants a price. Then a squeak from my right. Is Lisa making a bid? “We don’t want to disrespect you,” she says.

“No disrespect,” the seller says. “This is business. You make me price.”

She whispers to me, “I think we should leave.”

The seller turns the heat. “You no leave, you make price. What is your price?”

Whatever happened to “no pressure to buy?” A price seems our only way out. His is 2500 lira. I make the offer: 500 lira. It’s my top (and only) price. Air in the room evaporates.

It’s clearly offensive. There’s wounded looks everywhere and we’ve wasted this poor man’s time. He’s muttering. He wanted €2000, we’ve offered barely 200.

We make to leave.

“Wait”, he says. “I go see my boss”.

More tea. Five minutes later the rug is ours – if we want it.

“Inshallah” comes the voice of this new man. “Inshallah.”

“Sometimes you must help those less well off,” he tells us. “I can see you people are good. I hope you will tell New Zealand people all about us.”

In “business”, only one thing means more to carpet sellers than their beloved rugs – cash, preferably in the hand. For every rug sold to paupers like us, half-a-dozen victims are sucked into paying way over the odds. It all evens out – in the sellers’ favour.

The boss pushes again: “We have deal, yes”?

Maybe our rug is a great bargain but it doesn’t feel right. An authentic 2000 euro rug the owner’s willing to sell for 200? Are these guys that cheeky? I just don’t believe him.

I tell the man we’ll be back but know we won’t. Was our carpet really from eastern Turkey? And should I have bargained lower – what would he have taken? The answer is, I don’t know the first thing about carpets.

The ignorance and romanticism of those venturing into the carpet bazaar allows the locals to thrive. No doubt I would have loved my Turkish rug (or Chinese rug or whatever it was), with much regaling of this story down the years.

But, in the end, I’ll probably love a fluffy imported number from Briscoes on the lounge floor just as much.

Simon Winter is a former nzherald.co.nz news editor. He and partner Lisa have been backpacking through Europe since April.

– nzherald.co.nz

By Simon Winter

via Turkey: Carpet buying at Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar – Travel – NZ Herald News.

November 23, 2012
Turkey now a tourism magnet

As the number of Indians picking out Turkey for a vacation climbs, Koray Yalkut, a tourist guide from Turkey announces, “Istanbul is just the appetizer”.

As photographs behind Koray Yalkut, a tourist guide from Turkey take you around Hagia Sofia and sights of the kaleidoscopic spice bazaar, he makes an important interjection: “Istanbul is just the appetizer,” he says, before speaking about the landscape, architecture and history of Turkey, which is rapidly becoming a tourist magnet.

“If you want to see more, you have to come to our country now,” he announces after the teaser of a presentation he made, at the road-show organised by the Turkish Tourism Board along with the Turkish Hoteliers Federation to promote Turkey as a destination for ‘weddings, golf and honeymoons’.

The number of Indians coming to Turkey is only increasing with the number touching 1,00,000 last year according to Osman Ayik, president, Turkish Hoteliers Federation. “We have one million beds and in 2011, we were the sixth biggest destination in the world in terms of foreign tourist arrivals. Our association has close to 1,600 members who cater to all kinds of budgets,” he says.

Family destination

Pearl Veronica Baskar, senior executive (outbound tours), Diana World Travels, one of the travel agent present at the show, observes that families are increasingly choosing to holiday abroad, as the cost of travelling to neighbouring destinations such as Sri Lanka or Bangkok is almost the same. “Turkey has history and entertainment and both families and large groups are opting to travel there. The trend has picked up in the last two years,” she says.

“We are promoting Turkey as a stand-alone destination because there is so much to see,” says Ozgur Ayturk, culture and tourism counsellor, Turkey. According to him, though 80 percent of tourist arrivals fall in the leisure segment and 20 per cent in the MICE segment (meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions), he sees huge potential for the growth of Turkey as a wedding, honeymoon and golf destination.

“Belek has more than 16 golf courses and has also been named the best golf district in Europe,” he says. Having been host to around 15 Indian weddings so far, they are looking at raising the number at least to 50 per year. For this, other than interacting with private tour operators, they are also talking to wedding planners from India. “What sets Turkey apart is that it is still “We also liaison with wedding planners from India.

Wedding locale

While Istanbul and Antalya are favourites for weddings, Cappadocia, famous for its balloon rides and cave hotels is popular with those going on a honeymoon,” adds Mr. Ozgur.

Though Turkish Airlines has daily direct flights from Mumbai and New Delhi, they are seeking permission to double their operations from Delhi and Mumbai and operate from six more destinations including Chennai. Though the months between July-August is the peak season, Turkey with its diverse climate, lends itself to tourism all round the year,” says Mr. Ozgur. And, if tourists have their documents in place, getting a visa should not take more than 24 hours, he says. For those with a valid Schengen visa, the option of getting their visa on arrival also exists, he adds. Looking to promote a long-standing relationship with India, he says that they will be hosting cultural events and film festivals.

The road-show, saw participation from over 12 hotels and several travels agents and associations in the city.

via The Hindu : Cities / Chennai : Turkey now a tourism magnet.

November 23, 2012
36 Hours In…Istanbul
Turkey’s biggest city is a unique mix of Europe and Asia, ancient and modern, piety and hedonism – and it’s still warm enough to lunch outside, says Terry Richardson.
Overview

Istanbul Hotels

36 Hours In…Istanbul

Attractions

Restaurants

Nightlife

Shopping

Itineraries
Why go now?

It is an excellent time to visit this booming metropolis, standing boldly astride the Bosphorus Strait dividing Europe and Asia. On the best days it’s still warm enough to stroll around the old city’s Byzantine and Ottoman Turkish architectural treasures in shirt sleeves, or sip sweet black tea from a tulip-shaped glass in the open courtyard of a 300-year-old medrese.

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On the worst, part with a couple of quid for a brolly from a street vendor and dodge showers between sights as varied as the monumental Blue Mosque and the eerily illuminated depths of the Basilica Cistern.

On the best days it’s still warm enough to stroll around Istanbul in shirt sleeves

Alamy

With a host of places to visit in the old city and, across the Golden Horn in the buzzing entertainment quarter of Beyoglu, myriad shops, galleries, cinemas, clubs and live music venues, there’s always something to do, whatever the weather.

After a couple of days in exotic Istanbul, you’ll see why it has proven a favoured location for Bond film directors, with From Russia with Love, The World is Not Enough and Skyfall all paying homage to one of the world’s great cities.

Getting there

Turkish Airlines (0844 800 666; turkishairlines.com) flies from Birmingham, Heathrow, Manchester and Gatwick; easyJet (0905 821 8905; easyjet.com) from Luton; Turkish carrier Pegasus (0845 0848 980; flypgs.com) flies from Stansted. Flights take three and a half hours.

Where to stay

Special treat: Travellers can explore the sometimes frenetic city from a tranquil Bosphorus-front base at the A’jia Hotel (Halide Edip Adıvar Cd 27, 0216 413 9300), combining 19th-century charm with contemporary chic. With its own water-taxi service. Doubles from £219.

In summer, take a table on the open air terrace and watch the ships go by

Mid-range: There are boutique hotels aplenty but, in a very understated way, the Ibrahim Pasha Hotel (1) (Terzihane Sok 7, 0212 518 0394) – just a short walk from the Blue Mosque – is perhaps the best. Doubles from £118.

On a budget: Büyük Londra Hotel (2) (Mesrutiyet Cd 53, 0212 245 0670), known in its late-Ottoman heyday as the Grand Hotel des Londres, is ideal for those seeking some serious fin de siècle atmosphere in the heart of buzzing Beyoglu. Doubles from £35.

On arrival

7pm

Assuming you are staying, as the vast majority of first-timers do, in the old city, your best bet for an aperitif may well be your hotel. Many have roof bars with superb views of iconic buildings like the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia, and panoramas over the Sea of Marmara and the Bosphorus. If you’re bereft of your own terrace, try the roof bars of the Pierre Loti Hotel (Piyer Loti Cd 1) or Nomade Hotel (Ticarethane Sok 15).

8.30pm

Now to dinner. Tucked away up a cobbled side street just off Sultanahmet’s main drag, Divan Yolu, is Khorasani (3) (Ticarethane Sk 39/41; 0212 519 5959 ; khorasani restaurant.com). The speciality is that most Turkish of foods, the kebab. Here several varieties are grilled to perfection over charcoal and served up with great ovals of the thin, unleavened bread, lavas. Meze, or starters, are delicious, too, with dips like muhamara, a spicy blend of breadcrumbs, walnuts and hot pepper. A mixed-kebab plate for two is £20.

Day one

10am

The only way is up if you begin your day in the subterranean depths of the Basilica Cistern (4) (Yerebatan Sarnıcı; daily, £3.50), a 1,500-year-old building supported by 336 columns. Don’t miss the twin blocks carved into snake-haired Medusas, or the carp idling in the shallow waters.

11am

Right across from the cistern is the greatest single building in a city full of wonders, the Hagia Sophia (5) or Aya Sofya (www.ayasofyamuzesi.gov.tr; £8.70, closed Mondays). It was a church, then a mosque and is now a museum; standing beneath its 55m-high dome is a humbling experience. Look out for superb mosaics of Christ, the Virgin Mary and Byzantine emperors – and the Viking graffiti scratched on the balustrade of the south gallery. Neighbouring the Hagia Sophia is the breath-taking Sultan Ahmed (Blue) Mosque, a working mosque which makes for a great visit (voluntary donation, closed to non-worshippers during five daily prayers).

The Hagia Sophia – the greatest single building in a city full of wonders

1pm

A couple of minutes walk away on Divan Yolu is Tarihi Sultanahmet Köftecisi (6) (0212 520 0566), where the speciality is grilled meatballs dished up with a white-bean salad and spicy tomato sauce. It’s good value (mains around £5.20) and attracts as many locals as tourists.

When travelling to Beyoglu from the old city, take the tram to Karaköy and follow signs in the underpass to Tünel, the 19th-century underground funicular, which will whisk you uphill to the southern end of Istiklal Caddesi, Beyoglu’s main street.

2pm

The four courtyards and plethora of buildings and pavilions that make up the Topkapı Palace complex (7) (www.topkapisarayi.gov.tr; £8.70, closed Tuesdays in winter) are a whole afternoon’s entertainment. This was the nerve centre of the mighty Ottoman Turkish empire. Suitably grandiose, it’s superbly located on the tip of the peninsula on which the old city stands. Several museums, featuring such treasures as the famed Topkapı Dagger and a hair from the Prophet Mohammed, dot the complex, and there’s a café with great views across the Bosphorus.

The Topkapı Palace

Alamy

8pm

Head across the Golden Horn to hedonistic Beyoglu and Gurme Boncuk restaurant (8) (Asmalımescit Sok 29; 0212 245 3170) , a lively, traditional Armenian-Turkish meyhane (tavern) where you can enjoy an all-inclusive feast (including alcoholic drinks) for £30. There’s cold meze, and hot starters including kalamari, followed by grilled fish. It’s a great place to try the aniseed spirit raki, Turkey’s alcoholic drink.

Day two

10am

Take the tram to the Pazartekke stop and walk a section of the fifth-century Land Walls of Theodosius, a fortification that kept Constantinople’s foes at bay for more than a thousand years, to the Kariye Museum (kariye.muze.gov.tr; £5.20). This late-Byzantine gem, once the Church of St Saviour in Chora, is adorned with a collection of mosaics, some of which tell biblical tales in near-graphic novel style.

Noon

Take an early lunch in the lovely garden of the Asitane restaurant (Kariye Camii Sok 6; 0212 635 7997; asitanerestaurant.com; mains from £8.70). Attached to the Kariye Hotel, right next door to the museum, it’s justly renowned for recreating Ottoman Turkish dishes. Walk off lunch with a half-hour stroll to the wall’s end on the Golden Horn. At Ayvansaray Pier catch a ferry (£1) to the Galata Bridge (9).

City checklist

Istanbul’s equivalent of an Oyster card, the Istanbulkart saves the hassle of buying tokens (jeton; £1) every time you travel. You save a shade over 30p per journey after loading the card – it can be used on the tram, metro, buses, ferries, funiculars and suburban trains.

You’d be ill-advised to hire a car as accidents are frequent, signposting is poor and parking difficult.

Plenty of Turks drink alcohol. However, drunken behaviour is frowned upon and may land you in trouble with the police.

Read Terry Richardson’s complete Istanbul city break guide

more : https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/turkey/istanbul/articles/istanbul-travel-guide/
November 22, 2012
Locavore Dining in Istanbul’s Şişhane Nabe

Certain global phenomena, like sushi, the mojito and the sitcom Golden Girls, might have arrived a bit late in Turkey, but as the world scrambles to go local, eat seasonally and connect with traditional culinary roots, Turkey is way ahead of the pack. Gram, chef Didem Şenol’s carefully curated locavore deli in Şişhane, feels perfectly in step with the stripped- down style that chefs from New York to New Zealand are favoring today.

One of Turkey’s best-known female chefs, Şenol is part of an ancient Eastern Mediterranean cooking guild that ferrets out the best of what’s around and lets the materials do the heavy lifting. The food reflects a connection with the land and the seasons that was never lost in Turkey, despite the country’s rapid modernization and urbanization. And while the menu at Gram is also undeniably contemporary, it’s nothing fancy.

That restraint is what we like so much about Şenol’s cooking at Lokanta Maya and what led us to the small, vaulted room that makes up the entire dining and cooking area at Gram. Though the end results are often recognizable in the Turkish culinary canon, the starting point of every dish is a raw material, not a recipe. This process is apparent in the cooking at Maya, and Şenol has made it even more accessible at Gram. Here, diners step up to the buffet and assemble their own combo lunch from the day’s specials, choosing either two or four dishes out of the eight to 10 available (which usually include salads, cold mezes, pastries and fish), for a quick lunch in view of the open kitchen. It almost feels like eating at an esnaf lokantası, or tradesmen’s restaurant – if an esnaf lokantası were headed by one of Istanbul’s top young chefs and the esnaf were composed of ladies who lunch.

On a recent visit, we joined the other diners around the communal table and ate a delicious, chunky take on “tuna fish” with palamut (bonito), coriander seeds and orange peel. The fresh mint in yogurt, so thick it had a peanut butter effect on the roof of the mouth, muffled our cries of delight. In a spinach salad, bright pomegranate seeds harmonized with a crumbled goat’s milk tulum cheese, which was funky from the goatskin it was aged in. One of our favorites, çerkez tavuğu, seemed too precious to be eaten with a fork; we savored it on the fresh sourdough served alongside our food.

In the venue’s front entrance area, homemade sweet and savory pastries are lovingly displayed on a long, white counter, perfect for breakfast on the go or a leisurely dessert after lunch. Gram also has a nice selection of Turkish wines and is open for private dinner events.

Şenol has earned bragging rights in this town: she is the author of an excellent cookbook, was named Best Chef of 2010 by Time Out Istanbul, and runs two bustling restaurants. Yet she is still a humble chef who credits the popularity of her cooking to the quality of the materials she uses. Apparently, there’s one global trend yet to reach Turkey – the chef’s oversized ego.

Address: Meşrutiyet Caddesi 107/D, Beyoğlu

Telephone: +90 212 243 1048

Web:

Hours: 8:30am-5:30pm; closed Sunday

(photos by Ansel Mullins)

via Locavore Dining in Istanbul’s Şişhane Nabe | Culinary Backstreets.

November 20, 2012
Prelude to Istanbul

By Yomna El-Saeed

Freelance Writer- Egypt

Monday, 19 November 2012 00:00

Istanbul is the largest and most populous city in Turkey.

I spent a week in Istanbul. In this week, my shopping mission was accomplished, my childish dream of eating turkey in Turkey was made true, but my plan to discover the city was far away from being even half achieved. I saw a lot, enjoyed a lot, and missed much!

Istanbul is a big city in which every corner, every site has its own long story that is linked to the country’s history. It’s Turkey’s cultural, historical, and economic heart.

Istanbul is the largest and most populous city in Turkey. It’s the second-largest international gateway, after Antalya, receiving about quarter of the country’s foreign tourists.

When it was named a “European Capital of Culture” in 2010, Istanbul welcomed seven million tourists; making the city the world’s tenth most popular tourist destination.The city’s biggest draw is its historic center “Istanbul Old City”; partially listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Istanbul is also the city of cultural hodgepodge. If you’re European, Asian, Middle Eastern, Arab or Muslim, you’ll definitely find more than one reason to relate to it.

The Turkish language is immensely affected by the Arabic language. Mosques are everywhere and Adhan is easily heard in many places. The food that tourists eat in Turkey like Shawerma (originally Levantine not Turkish), Kofte (Middle Eastern not Turkish), Simit, and Baklava, and drinking Turkish coffee, are all famous and available in the Arab countries. But all these “Arabic” manifestations had a European flavor, which made every previously mentioned item feel new to me!

My first impression about Istanbul? It’s ancient, beautiful, and vibrant.

It’s very affluent with history, architecture, mosques, and shopping malls.

Three Empires, Two Continents

Throughout history, this Istanbul was the capital of three empires; Byzantine, Roman, and Ottoman Empires.

It’s also one of very few cities of the whole world that lies in two continents; Asia and Europe.

It straddles the Bosphorus strait, one of the globe’s busiest waterways with many ships, ferries and oil tankers going through it, that separates Asia from Europe and links the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea.

The tourist industry is intense in the European side of the city; that ninety percent of the city’s hotels are located there.

There are two bridges that link European Istanbul and Asian Istanbul, called the first and the second Bosphorus bridges. These bridges are lightened at night to make them look very beautiful and attractive. And Romantic!

There are two bridges that link European Istanbul and Asian Istanbul, called the first and the second Bosphorus bridges.

Bosphorus Strait Cruise

Each and every tourist of Istanbul wants to—and should—take a Bosphorus cruise, trip up the 32 km (20-mile)-long strait.

During this Cruise, one enjoys seeing the architectural and cultural treasures that lie along the shores, the balanced mixture of old and modern (16th century mansions and 20th century suspended bridges) and the Grand Ottoman palaces and historic fortresses. Not to mention the soft breeze and the lungful of unpolluted oxygen one does enjoy.

When I was there I discovered “The Golden Horn”; a small bay which, with Marmara Sea, divides the European side of Istanbul into Old Istanbul and Modern Istanbul.

I found Istanbul to have more and more miles of waterfronts, boats and bridges than I imagined. Very beautiful!

The street is very addictive, I walked in there almost every day of my trip, utilizing the fact that my hotel is quite close to it.

Taksim Square

My hotel was in Taksim Square; the heart of modern Istanbul. This square is a major shopping and tourist attraction that is famous for its restaurants, shops and hotels. At the heart of Taqsim is the Monument of the republic.

The Monument of the Republic is an 11 m (36 ft.) high monument that commemorates the founding of the Turkish Republic in 1923. It portrays the founders of the Turkish Republic, depicting Mostafa Kemal Atatürk and his men.

The monument was also erected to challenge the remnants of taboos that had existed from Ottoman era that restricted the depiction of the human form and the compliance with the Sharia of Islam. It’s an important site, where official ceremonies on national holidays are being held.

“Taksim” is an Arabic word which means: division and/or distribution. The history of Taksim square dates back to the Ottoman Empire, when it was the point where the main water lines from the north of Istanbul were collected to be divided and distributed to other parts of the city. The square took its name from the huge stone reservoir which is located in this area.

One of both sides of Istklal Street starts at Taksim square. Istklal is Arabic word which means independence. It is one of the most famous avenues in Istanbul. It’s an elegant three kilometers long busy pedestrian street that is visited by nearly 3 million people in a single day over the course of weekends.

Throughout this street you can find everything; stores of major global brands, branches of McDonald’s, Burger King, Starbucks, Subway, Turkish restaurants and cafés, , historical patisseries, chocolatiers, boutiques, bookstores, art galleries, cinemas, theaters, money exchange, libraries, tattoo salons, music equipment stores and street musicians. The street is surrounded by Ottoman Empire era buildings. It’s the liveliest and the most cosmopolitan place I’ve seen in Istanbul.

The street is very addictive, I walked in there almost every day of my trip, utilizing the fact that my hotel is quite close to it. I preferred walking in it and do more surfing in its shops than sitting and enjoying in any café or even trying its tram. So beware!

My first impression about Istanbul? It’s ancient, beautiful, and vibrant.

It’s very affluent with history, architecture, mosques, and shopping malls.

Actually, it’s affluent with everything. I also found it to be more European than Middle Eastern, and way more secular than Islamic.

November 20, 2012
Istanbul by sea

Days before our ship, the MSC Divina, docked in Istanbul there had been anti-American demonstrations in the city and elsewhere in the country. A State Department memo cautioned American visitors to beware.

As fate would have it on the very day of our arrival, Oct. 3, five persons were killed by Syrian forces’ gunfire in a Turkish border town, touching off cries for revenge and adding fuel to the Mideast tinderbox.

The reaction wasn’t immediately apparent, though.

We learned of the incident after returning to the Divina (Italian for “divine”) from the legendary Grand Bazaar.

Strolling in and around the 2,600-shop, covered bazaar, my wife and I found only beckoning smiles, a few spirited sales pitches and thousands of other curious tourists like us. No real bargains or apparent anti-American feeling, though.

Near the bazaar we accepted a seemingly pleasant street merchant’s invitation to get a panoramic view of the city and take photos from the roof of his four-story furniture and art objects emporium. There was no buying pressure. Up we went in the elevator, and what you mostly saw was a sea of dark, weathered roofs and a faraway mosque dome.

A smoky, carbon-smelling haze hung over the congested, vehicle-packed city of 13.5 million residents and nearly 3,000 active mosques.

Unfortunately, of all the 20,000 taxis in the city, we got into one with an overly aggressive driver. After handing him the agreed 20 euros ($27 at $1.35 per euro) for the 20-minute drive from the bazaar to the port, he demanded more money and tried to snatch some bills from my wallet. Pushing away his hand, I quickly folded and pocketed the wallet, flung open the cab door and we made a fast exit.

Driving off, he muttered words we couldn’t understand. Didn’t sound like a thank-you, though.

Istanbul was the fourth of five major cities in four countries we visited during the seven-day Mediterranean cruise. Earlier, we had taken in Venice and Bari in Italy; the Greek island of Katakolon, where the first Olympic games are believed to have originated; and Izmir, Turkey’s third largest city which has an active Jewish community of 2,600 and seven synagogues.

via Istanbul by sea | The Asbury Park Press NJ | app.com.

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November 19, 2012