Istanbul

View from our Hotel Empress Zoe rooftop, note the loudspeakers on the minarrett(?), let's say you cannot miss the call to prayer

The Blue Mosque, the only one with 6 minurets (?), one upmanship to be better than the  Hyaf(?) Sofia across the way

Inside the Blue Mosque
One must be covered, male & female but sans shoes

Some of the detail in the mosaic tile work

The Grand Bazzar, where you can get anything you want, just like Alice's Restaurant 

It is so big that it has its own street map with specific districts, gold, leather, rugs and so on

Our Turkish rug purchase, Pave' has stories about this adventure

Where we didn't buy our rug because of the upsale to a Silk and trying to combine two rugs in the overall price, served nice tea though

Blue mosque again

Contemplation in the moment, one of those places you  need to see for yourself

Mosaic in the Hyaf Sofia, church turned mosque turned museum

Inside HS

Empress Zoe mosaic

 
Single piece of stone for this urn

Inside HS

Oour resting spot after a co-ed turkish bath
Ok let em explain this is my birthday and we were supposed to go to a special restaurant, after at least an hour and a half in hot stinking traffic we arrived at this place on the Bosphorus Straights.  Open up the wine menu and the first price I see is, wait now, 1,590 Euro and the prices get even better after that.  this is after we got moved due to ridiculous  cigar smokers right next to us.  needless to say we were unimpressed because we have better views back home in the Granville Island area and elsewhere. this is across the street from our hotel and my third Raki, Turkish ouzo or something.  I paid for it the next morning.  PS I like my B'day at home better.
Some Turkish coffee interspersed with the Raki

Inside HS

Inside HS

Inside Blue Mosque

Our street, is  a very fine street especially when Turkey scored on the Germans first, won the battle but lost the war

OH yes a very interesting dinner this was, note the food warmer in the middle of the plate

need a table no problem just put it out in traffic, you can't see it but the bush moves.  I don't think the Valkiree(?) was impressed.  she did have nice legs though

Anyone for a puffy papadam