Istanbul November 2014: Our pre-retirement try-out

Istanbul in fall of 2014 was the first place I was really travelling with my eye on retirement.  Nancy was there too, a little try-out for this big trip we are having now.  These are some of my reflections from that time which I want to share and save for myself in this blog.

November 25, 2014

Happy Thanksgiving from Istanbul

We had a lovely holiday in the country that gave its name to our traditional food. I always thought it was just a mistake—the name. But no! It seems that the Turks, always entrepreneurs, were selling a delicious turkey-like bird to Europeans and it became known as the Turkey. The pilgrims thought it was the same bird they found in New England. So, it is a mistake after all.

But you can see that we enjoyed the holiday in the time honored-way by sitting around for hours reading the paper and being mellow. Since we had a mid-week holiday in a country that did not have the day off, it was a great treat to be invited to the home of Peter and Shannon Vollemuller who live here and work at ICMC on the refugee processing. They and their children had a day off and managed such treats as pumpkin pie and mac-and-cheese.

For several years, I have been deployed on Thanksgiving so it is always a curiosity how to celebrate. But it is a holiday which seems to shed its peace wherever I find myself. Working closely with refugees in odd corners of the world gives a twist to thoughts of the abundance of kindness and love I have in my world and for which I am indeed thankful.

Among many adventures in public transportation we have had in Istanbul, we have managed to get on the wrong boat two times so we have NOT managed to cruise along the Bosporus. But trips up the Golden Horn and across the Marmara to the Princes’ Islands were better than the original plans as it turned out. We have also used every form of public transit except the share bikes. There are many from busses to trams to subways—we feel so urban. And great coffee everywhere in case we feel lost—often.

A trip to Konya a few weeks ago was a trip to the earliest urban aggregation of humans in the world. Catalhuyck is an active archaeological dig in south central turkey. War and insecurity prevented us from getting to the sites further south that we had targeted but this area was unexpectedly rich in archaeology as well as other delights. Catalhuyck was such a highlight. I just think of those folks living in their mud-brick houses 9,000 years ago, growing their wheat and watching over their animals. No need for defensive walls. I was sure that the animals I saw in the distance from the top of the tell were aurochs since auroch horns were part of some of the shrines in the site. Some might say I have a good archaeological imagination.

It turns out that Konya is the center of the Sufi form of Islam with a university and cultural center. We went to a whirling dervish ceremony with 35 dervishes doing their ceremonial whirl. Stunning.

Konya is a smallish town with a walkable old town and surrounding villages with restored Greek churches. Many wonders after all besides being the oldest human urban settlement.

Today, we will try for the Istanbul city walls on the northwest of the old city. Constantinople defended itself successfully for centuries with these walls. Later, during their rule, the Ottomans took their vast armies out the gate to march to Vienna for attempts to conquer Europe. As usual, adventures in public transportation may find us somewhere else entirely. However, once so far, we headed for something and actually got there so I live in hope that I will see the city gate. I have given up on the Bosporus cruise—shore viewing is good enough.

Happy Thanksgiving to all wherever you are.

December 1, 2014

After all, we did end up on the Bosporous ferry today while aiming for something else. The continued adventures in public transportation. Another glorious day in Istanbul.

December 7, 2014

Turkish Coffee Placed on UNESCO List 
Coffee. It might be the true story of Turkey.
And as it turns out, Turkish Coffee is being nominated to the UNESCO list of intangible cultural items representing Turkish culture. Big spread in the English version of the Daily Hurriyet. A banner above the name of the paper even.
I have an opinion about this.
UNESCO should vote yes on this intangible cultural heritage item.
Good coffee is everywhere. Turkish coffee is delicious and ubiquitous. There are also many places serving espresso and cappuccino. Kahve Dunyasi is my favorite chain—the Turkish equivalent of Starbucks but with excellent chocolate as the appropriate partner to their great coffee. Starbucks is all around too. This is the crossroads of 3 continents after all.
Mehmet Efendi is the coffee roaster near the spice market, downstairs from Rustem Pasha Mosque. I might be influenced in my opinion that Rustem Pasha is the most beautiful mosque by the aroma of Mehmet Efendi coffee floating on the air. Rustem Pasha paid for the mosque but it was designed by the marvelous architect Sinan. Glorious natural light and myriad blue and white tiles—just bits of red and green. But I diverge.
Coffee and beautiful architecture. Heaven.
When I go to buy coffee, I have to go on the weekend. There are long lines outside the sales window but they are so efficient. First you see the roaster as you wind along. Then the workers packaging small packs of coffee and finally you reach the open window where you can buy 500g packages -or smaller ones if you are not me.
They do not sell anything else. Fabulous coffee is what they do. It is enough.
On the way home in the tram, we pass a Kahve Dunyasi. We have to hop off to get some coffee to drink. It always comes with some chocolate. Never too much chocolate; and as we have learned to say in our household, “We like too much.”
I am not sure if we need to start a lobbying effort on behalf of this intangible cultural item.