Winter arrives early in Istanbul

There’s no shortage of things to do in the City of Mosques if it’s wet and cold – praise be to Allah! However the prophet never had to squeeze onto an already overcrowded tram to visit the many wonderful sights of this chaotic, noisy metropolis. It was 28 degrees when we arrived here but true to the forecast, the temperature plummeted to 15 today and it seemed as if the entire 15 million residents of Istanbul were using public transport rather than risking their necks on treacherously slippery sidewalk.

Despite the drizzle Istanbul is still enchanting. From the tiny breakfast room on the roof of our six-room hotel (yes it is a narrow three-storey building) you can gaze out on to the Sea of Marmara and the Bosphorous Strait. We are sitting in Europe but the suburbs just across from us are in Asia. There are more than 100 ships at anchor waiting for a signal from the harbor tower that it’s their turn to head up the comparatively narrow channel of the Bosphorous to the Black Sea. No wonder Constantinople (old Istanbul) was such a strategic location and the cause of so much bloodshed.

The Romans and Ottomans have left wondrous legacies here in the form of fabulous architecture not the least of which is the grand and imposing Aya Sofia, now a museum but originally was an ornate Byzantine church with gold mosaics, then a mosque of huge proportion.

Among a city of enormous mosques and other edifices, it is the most beautiful. The Mosaic Museum provided a great insight into the wonderful and intricate paving used by the Romans (from the 4^th century +) in their splendiforous courtyards.

As well as an architectural feast, the cuisine of Istanbul is also a picture to behold, The kebap cafes and restaurants display their ready to cook food (and their ranges of Turkish delight) in tantalizing window displays.

The smaller food kiosks offer three courses with a Coke for $3: kidney beans, rice pilaf, pickled veggies and a can of fizz. Local families can be seen enjoying this bargain or they might opt for a famous fish sandwich down on the busy water front. These hearty meals are served from golden boats with ornate dragon heads. They bob about at the wharf and people queue to devour them along with a plastic tumbler of pickled veg and a yoghurt drink.

They also are partial to chips and Andrew saw a woman move her veil sideways to sneak in a chip when she thought no one was looking. Not many women in Istanbul wear the full garb but a lot wear headscarves and many long gowns whatever the temperature. By contrast, the men wear what they like and can be seen out and about in the evening in groups, occasionally drinking beer, but mostly tea. The women folk are at home. On the other side of the Galata Bridge in the Beyoglu district, young people gather to shop and go to nightclubs. It is much more western in that area of town.

You can buy anything in Istanbul - from shops as we know them,bazaars, tiny kiosks, markets, the subway and specialist vendors in alleys. We discovered "districts" where all the little shops sell exactly the same thing - hosefittings, belt buckles, rat poison and even kitchen scales. It is fascinating to wander among these places. But one wonders why the need for rat poison because they are so so so many cats! We bought six pairs of socks for $2.50 in the subway. So one pair was cheaper than using the public lavatory.

All women must cover up to visit a mosque. Scarves are provided and men wearing shorts above the knee are required to wear a sarong. The dress code does not extend to tourists wearing crass T shirts as was the case with a German guy whose T shirt could only be described as pornographic. While Andrew in his sarong and me in my head scarf admire the gorgeous Suleyman Mosque, this young man was able to offend Allah and everyone else with his disrespectful garb. Yes, the security guys could speak English and could be in no doubt about the graphic on his T shirt!  Talk about double standards.

We had an adventure at the hairdressers. Andrew decided he needed a clip so we opted for a small booth off the main drag which professed to be a women’s and men’s stylist, a one-woman operation by a stylish blonde who wanted to practise her English. She emerged from behind a red veil curtain in belly dancer mode snapping her scissors. She gave Andrew the full works including a “wax treatment” to remove his ear hair! Then she beckoned Jane to take a seat as “a gift” and fashioned a lovely French braid. She was able to tell us in broken in English that her husband was bad and that he had gone.

A slightly more indulgent experience was at the hamam recommended by the Melbourne relatives. What a lovely calming experience after a day in the drizzle. Just the facilities were beautiful enough but to be personally attended by a hand maiden or hand man (separate facilities for men and women) was luxury indeed. What a contrast to our banya experience in Russia. While the banya was entertaining in the extreme, the Turkish hamam was peaceful and soul restoring. A massage after much dousing with water, soaping and exfoliating was lovely.

Today we embark on our week long cruise from Istanbul of the less visited Greek islands. We are going to share this experience with 98 others on the good ship Corinthian II. The itinerary takes in small islands where our mini ocean liner can dock or at least anchor. Then we go exploring on foot or by bicycle. There are guides on board so hopefully we will be in good, knowledgeable hands.

Fingers crossed for calm seas!