Another sad goodbye

Trip Start May 31, 2007
1
57
107
Trip End May 20, 2008


Loading Map
Map your own trip!
Map Options
Show trip route
Hide lines
shadow

Flag of Turkey  ,
Sunday, September 23, 2007

Our hotel is near the Universite exit on the tram within walking distance to the Grand Bazaar.  My college friend, Vanessa, and I finally crossed paths and met up at the book bazaar yesterday.  We wandered a bit through all of the miniature painting shops, browsing and comparing styles and designs.  Most of them were newer paintings on old book pages, often with arabic written on the back or even fronts of the compositions.  An older man was sitting on his chair next to two adult cats cleaning themselves and two small black kittens furiously playing on and around the chair and in the general vicinity...the wind whipping through the trees and stalls as the weather turned from stormy to cloudy and then rainy...

Next we made our way into the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art right next to the Hippodrome and located in the palace of Ibrahim Pasa, a close friend and brother in law of Suleyman the Magnificent Vanessa and I and our friendly waiter
Vanessa and I and our friendly waiter
 .  Ultimately, his power and influence was the cause of his downfall as Suleyman's wife, Roxelana, became jealous and convinced her husband to have him strangled in 1536.  We saw exquisite antique Korans, many carpets in various states of disrepair due to their ages but compelling nonetheless.  Afterwards, had a nargile and drinks in a few cafes and parted way around 7:30pm...me to my final group dinner and Vanessa to her long £$%! train ride out of town from the Sirkeci Railway Station, originally built as the terminus of the Orient Express route.

We had a fun final dinner and then ended up on the roof of the Orient Hostel (again!) for chilly but exclusive farewell and drinks (the hostel closed the deck due to the weather but we convinced them to open it after a bit of persuasion!)

Another sad goodbye to my tourmates who over the course of three weeks, have become friends!
Slideshow Print this entry

Comments

vanessab
vanessab on Sep 30, 2007 at 11:02AM

Can you see the look of love in the waiter's eyes?
Tracy had many fans in istanbul. Can you see the look of love in the waiter's eyes? what a cutie too! So glad we finally got to meet up after a month of circling each other!

Add Comment