Spring is upon us, flowers blooming everywhere, trees being painted again by that incredibly talented invisible hand in a ravishing green palette, sun boldly sending its rays towards his most beloved offspring, the Earth. While I rest in astonishment and admire Mother Nature coming back to life, I must admit I am feeling a bit nostalgic about my incredible winter! And going back to last winter’s beginning, I found inspiration today to write about my trip to Istanbul, Turkey. The occasion for making this trip happen rose when consulting the calendar and becoming aware of an extended weekend’s presence, the one including Saint Andrew Feast on November 30 and Romania’s National Day on December 1st. Since Romania is so close to Turkey, the trip from Bucharest to Istanbul was just 1 hour and a half long. We arrived in the evening and after checking in our lovely boutique hotel (http://www.barberahotel.com/), we still had time to grab a light traditional dinner and then sign up for an energizing walk in the nearby historical center. Turkey’s capital city greeted with a first rainy day - of course, this would be the day assigned mostly to visiting according to our travel plan. Well-equipped, with curiosity and enthusiasm high, we marched towards our first objective: Ayasofya (Hagia Sofia). This immense mosque allows you to trace, follow and actually feel all the painful yet incredible past gathered in it. Ever since I first traveled to Turkey many years ago, I immediately became fascinated with the “adhan” (the call for prayer), recited by the mysterious Muezzins, and was really excited to hear it again although for me it is just a melodious mystic chant. Another interesting detail which caught my attention inside the mosque was the presence of the All-Seeing Eye, not just by itself, but also in the tapestry’s design or in hidden remote corners. Our visitor stroll continued, and so did the rain. To reach Topkapi Palace, we crossed Gulhane Park, a still and calm oasis inside a turbulent city. We indulged in roasted chestnuts and also made a stop at a famous traditional Turkish delights cafeteria and had a taste of the miraculously aromatized and tasty Kazandibi dessert. Topkapi Palace was a bit crowded, people would wait in long lines to see every bit of this magnificent palace. Besides the intricate and opulent jewelry, the insanely fashionable costumes Sultanas would wear inside the seraglio, and also the beautiful marble designs, I was really impressed by the perspective ample views over the sea and the imperial plenteous gardens. Our footsteps would then stop for a scrumptious late lunch – Indian cuisine – before entering the infamous Grand Bazaar. It was not long before I started feeling as if a ubiquitous game master would sharply shout: “Let the games begin!” and us, his prisoners, would be released to run for our lives inside his magical labyrinth, the bazaar. Paths seemed to repeat over and over again, shiny jewelry everywhere, antiques, purses, shoes, candles, tiny hookahs, watches, leather goods, furs, sophisticated fabrics, delicate china, almost everything our minds can think of in terms of merchandise can be found somewhere inside this mind-boggling place. Moreover, a tantalizing aroma of Turkish traditional dishes hovers around, inviting you to spend more time in this concrete paradise of madness where alluring voices of hospitable yet ingenious stallholders would obsessively follow you. Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar must not be missed! Every day, we crossed over the bridge that spans the Golden Horn, the Galata Bridge, and still we were amazed by the large numbers of fishermen gathered there. Incredibly many, even at late hours of the night! If you decide to cross over this bridge and walk under it, you will encounter many restaurants, cafes, hookah places, but pay attention to rods and fish hooks from above not to catch on. In Istanbul, cats, kittens, and tomcats slothfully come by your side and seek for attention whenever they get a chance to. I love to try out local traditions on the spot - playing backgammon is such a tradition in Istanbul (and also in Greece and Romania). We stopped by this coquette cafe (Nakka Bistro Cafe Restaurant), where we instantly grabbed a backgammon set and started playing. A furry red tomcat appeared out of nowhere, jumped on my lap, and started purring. Cuteness overload! Our dinner experience at one of Istanbul’s 360 restaurants (http://www.360istanbul.com/eng/index.html) was really pleasant. This restaurant features large, wide windows from floor to ceiling, allowing you to enjoy panoramic views over Bosphorus. The night was young, and so were we, but new adventures would wait for us the following day. In the morning, we humbly took our shoes off and stepped bare-footed inside the Blue Mosque; we admired its heavily adorned tall walls, its lavish chandeliers almost touching the infinite precious rugs, its dedicated parishioners offering prayers in fervor to their god. Because I told him I love reading, the counselor inside the Blue Mosque offered me a Romanian version of the Qur’an and thoroughly explained to me that words’ meanings and senses are often lost throughout translation. I left with the impression that I know little about Islam, and about the many other religions of our immense world, about their systems of beliefs, and about what they worship and why. Music plays a special role in my life, and I always make time to listen to music, to download music, to share music I appreciate with people. An artist which I have discovered 2 years ago, Chinawoman, composed this lovely track entitled “Kiss in Taksim Square”. Obviously, I would not have left this city without visiting this popular crowded destination, just to see what she felt and meant when she wrote it. On our way to the desired location, we stopped by Galata Tower to get a better perspective over Istanbul. The view from up there resembles an East-European dream of loud merchants, delicious foods, amazing natural beverages, silk and embroideries, paved narrow streets, and boats elegantly dancing. While walking around, we came across the Istanbul Shoe Shine Scam. We had some good laughs afterwards, but when it happened, we were quite shocked. The shoe shiner walked past us and dropped one of his brushes. I picked the brush up and warned him that he had dropped it. He was very grateful and he offered to shine my shoes to show his appreciation; while he worked, he started telling me about his hard times as a poor student in a big city, and at the end of the process, I was charged with the equivalent of 15 Euro. Of course, we gave him a few Turkish lira and left. Creative Turks! Later that day, we decided to walk from our hotel to the Pierre Lotti cafeteria, renowned for spectacular views (http://www.pierrelotitepesi.com/index2.asp). To reach this location, you can either take a cable car or climb through the well-known Eyup Cemetery. I must admit that descending between graves of sultans, with dim light or no light at all, and with cats silently crawling near you was definitely a new weird experience for me. And then, what more can one wish for than for bright sunny rays caressing visages when visiting the grandiose Dolmabahce Palace? After admiring its surrounding perfect jaunty gardens, we soon discovered that the palace was closed for visitors on that day. We still enjoyed a lovely Turkish coffee while glancing at seagulls scavenging for food into the sea’s mild waves. Not being able to see this luxurious mansion is one of the reasons I would like to go back to Istanbul at some point. From mighty sun to no sun at all – we went under, literally, into Basilica Cistern. Underground bodies of water, protecting dimly lit stone columns, would surround us in a still adjacent reality. Each step taken further on the cold moist marble would echo in dampness. An unexpected surprise awaited towards the end of this immense chamber: two Medusa heads at the bottom of two columns, provenience: unknown… For connoisseurs, Basilica Cistern is also known as The Sunken Palace, a name which makes me think about computer games with mystical connotations, such as the Diablo series. Our evening would be an elegant one, and also a farewell one. We had dinner reservations at the Aheste Pera Restaurant (http://www.ahesterestaurant.com/), down in the historic neighbourhood. We took delight in each and every bite since traditional Turkish cuisine appeals to me on so many different levels of taste, flavour and savour. Steps took us by Georges Hotel near Galata Tower (http://www.georges.com/), where, on its rooftop terrace, we would spend a couple of magical hours. In stupor I stood, watching my beloved moon extravagantly shine upon Bosphorus, reflecting its majestic light in water’s purple-black inflections. One important detail which made the evening even more perfect: the terrace was lit only by candles, wagging and fluttering in total accordance with our breaths’ rhythm. A marvelous experience! Oftentimes during my stay in Istanbul I felt like being in a sequence of dreams. The hubbub, the crowds, the magnificent colours, the tastes, the flavours, the fragrances, the opulence, the diversity, the extraordinary. Even now, when I am writing this post, I feel dizzy because of Istanbul’s fervor and grandeur. Sometimes, I visit it in my sleep, on a beautiful Anatolian flying carpet, famished for its restlessness, greedy for its long-forgotten stories, remnants of a thick book of teachings and knowledge we are now left without. I climb up to the moon, find a comfortable seat and thoroughly explore the miracles of Istanbul, until dawn gently sends me back home.
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