Daniel's story

Inside the Greek church. The dome held the Jesus Christ with a Halo.

Quick China!   Not a Panda Express. I saw a lot of Asian looking people in Istanbul. What  is an Asian person?  In fact, most of Turkey is in Asia, so my stereo type idea of what an Asian shows my bias for Japan, Korea, South east Asia, China.  Asia is big.  What I am really asking is where does someome eat Japanese food.  I saw a restaurant that said the served udon and another one served Japanese pancakes.  In both cases it was a Turkish idea of what Japanese food is. In a lot of cities we usually find a Chinese restaurant.  I only saw one in the upscale shopping mall. It was called Quick China.  The mysterious Istanbul.  Probably if I would  have looked I would have found a bunch of Chinese restaurants is some section of the city I didn't go to.  I know some people who travel look for where the Chinese restaurants are located and that is where they go.  I was there to see Turkey and eat Turkish food.

There is art every where in the world.  This is a painting on the wall of a metal door of a thousand year old portion of a building. Some art on a 1960 building next to some portón of a thousand year old building. A tag    The scooter in front is some industry art in front of a colorful tag. Bathroom art wit Ile and lighting. A show window of a clothing store  A picture on the wall in a restaurant.  I like the light reflectiond from the light saber 

Random things I noticed  Sleep pods in the airport.  A nice idea if you want to connect in Istanbul and not leave the airport. It is important to have your barber speak German, or perhaps it is a command that everyone should speak German. I wonder if the street From Oz is from in Turkey.   I wonder  if this Dr Oz was a really famous Turkish doctor?  Did Dem Oz really give up his Turkish citizenship? This closed, and looks like permanently, Chinese restaurant is on Dr Oz street.  It was such an odd location.  I didn't see many Chinese restaurants.  I went two weeks without eating Asian food.  That is a first in about thirty years. Blast walls? Surge walls? At the cruise ship terminal I saw these walls that are connected to a lifting system from behind towards the cruise ship.  In the area without a ship in dock they are lying flat and people can walk on them. The walls are l...

Ihlamur Pavillon in Istanbul  There are a couple af two bedroom guest houses of the Sultans located in a park. Over a couple hundred years the area was transformed from warehouses to a parkland for the sultans to use. The sultans used the area for relaxation and meditation.  Then they built a couple of guest houses. Upstairs are two rooms on either side of an entrance and living area. There is a royal toilet and wash area. The royal toilet.  I am assuming that someone washed  the sultan's butt.  See the faucet to the left. The water would wash down the hole in front. The sink. The guide said it was  marble from the sea of Maramar.  By the way I never knew there was a sea of Maramar.  In talking to Mori, he mentioned it, and I was really impressed by his knowledge of geography. It looks like fake marble, or it is one really large piece of unblemish marble.  It doesn't really form that way.  ...

Architecture, contrasts in Istanbul This well preserved building, which looks like is being used as a school has these two incredible blue this century buildings behind itm I am not say that religion is dying but the modern age let's the old small local mosques remain but that is about all.  The view from here of the Bosporus is nice. The retaining walls of the past have to be preserved and they have to function to prevent failure in an earthquake event.  In this construction site I stuck my head in the gate,I could see the layers of walls.  I am assuming they are in a process to get permits to build a large modi building on the property  and in front of the old walls. On a street in the old part of town, there are old buildings that still standing but in structurly bad shape.  They have built these metal frames to hold the facade and trays above the sidewalk to collect falling parts if parts do fall. This building...

Tarihi Galatasaray Hamami is over five hundred years old. I was walking in the commercial district near Galata Tower. It started raining and I saw the sign pointing  off down a narrow side street. I had this on my list of places I wanted to experience. This is inside the main bath. It is quiet today.  I was the only one in here.  I laid on a big piece  of hot marble. I was naked with a towel over my  middle.  The slab is very hot and I am sweating. I imagine if the place is filled with men getting a Turkish bath the slab would be covered with naked men sweating.  After a bit a guy comes in and washes my body.  He  first dumpsy dumow bubbles from a cloth bag. Then he scrube with soap and with a hand covered  in a rough wash mit.  I was  first rinsed here on the slab, and then  a final rinse sitting by the faucet. There is a sign out front of the bath that shows in Japanese how to take a Turkish bath....

This is the museum that houses a lot of the material found in Anatolia, at the direction of Ataturk.  He wanted the new republic to be proud of its past. On of his final directions before he died was for the team to discover the ancient history of turkey.   The site they excavated was the centerbplqza  of a small town. The dug down through the many thousands of years of people living on the site until they found the remains of a hunter gatherer society. In front of the museum, there were armed guards and the screening to get was like a strict airport standard.   See the large perimeter fence. The police where there to keep anyone getting close to the building.  The bus is a police officer transport. Inside was quite interesting. This is one of the Hitties sculptures. Thie is from the inside of the museum looking out to the square.  There is a subway station entrance nearby. I thought this saying was nice.  ...

I was looking for a breakfast meal.  This place was playing French music. When I walked into the restaurant the chef and other worker were eating their breakfast.  I said, no problem finish your breakfast. It is a good  sign when the chef eats their own food. I had time to look at everything on the menu.  I enjoyed the French music. The sound track started playing a Greek song, and it was abruptly ended by the chef.  I like it when the chef gets into the music. I ordered a spicy Turkish omelet with sausage. It seems like something that I would make at home. I didn't know I was making Turkish food. Everyone seems to love animals. This customer had a very friendly dog who came up to me to say hello.

I had a very delicious dinner at this restaurant just a short walk from my hotel.  The burger was pulled beef,  cooked in spices for four hours. The vegetable soup was super tasty and warm. On a cold night it was so enjoyable. These little bulgar balls filled with spicy meat are boiled. Served on a dab of yogurt. This restaurant was very excellent.

Cats in Istanbul are the new  Sultans.  They do what they want, when they want.  They are tough, yet refined.  Everyone takes care of them, and they expect it.  This particularly cat said to me, I am the Sultan. You must pet me.  I might bite or scratch you even if I like you. This sultan is on parade. This is the sultan's Haram. Ok,  the sultan's fell from power had to sell their belongings, and got a job in a store.  They still only do sales work. What do you want?