We got up to breakfast just at the end of the serving time. There was no coffee, so I had tea instead. We ended up having a long conversation with Sheryn & Barry & Margeux about US policy and capitalization. I suspect the world’s view on us Americans is very different from how many of us actually think, feel, and act; so I hope it was insightful for them…On the flipside, it was fun for us to learn about Australian politics and the way their governments deal with health & policy issues.
We decided to see Topkapi Palace & the Archeological Museums. It cost total 60 Lira to see and do it all. It would have been a bit more if you rent two sets of headsets, we only rented one and shared. By the way, the headsets aren’t entirely needed because they have english signs everywhere in English, and the information on the headsets don’t explain much more than the signs.
We made a bee-line to the Archeological Musuems. Soon, we grew bored of looking at pots, boy do they have a lot of pots! The highlight of the Musuems was seeing the sarcophagus with Alexander the Great’s relief carved on it. It is not the one he was buried in, but the carving on the exterior depicts a major battle he fought in. Originally, the figures were holding weapons made out of precious metals, but those all got ripped off the exterior by grave robbers.
Next, we went to Topkapi Palace. It was raining and soggy outside, so we only took pictures of the Harem. Pictures as follows:
If the pictures are blue, it’s because we couldn’t use a flash and it was rainy outside.
On the way back to the hotel, we passed the Haggia Sophia (?). Here I am standing in front of the Fountains while it’s Raining:
We were quite chilled and soggy after our extensive walking, so we went back to Isa’s for some lunch. We shared a grill plate and had lentil soup. It warmed us right up!
Isa had been fighting an uphill battle with his boss, trying to get him to use traditional Turkish furniture in the restaurant instead of the European stuff. Dennis & I got pulled into the discussion, because as tourists, our opinion supported Isa’s. We thought it would be much more fascinating to sit on the traditional sofa, and to be getting closer to the culture that way. Isa is a great marketing man, and eventually convinced his boss (our enthusiasm for his idea surely helped!).
By the time we came back to Istanbul, one week later-they had rearranged their furniture. God only knows if this increased their revenue, but surely it would appeal to tourists to try something new! We were happy that we were able to make a difference in that little alleyway, and we will never forget Isa and his capitalistic optimism.