Saturday means Light Exploration at a Relaxed Pace
I took a different route to my favorite restaurant today, after looking at Google Earth I realized what looked like a back alley went right to my goal meaning I wouldn't have to walk along a busy street breathing car exhaust. True, the walk along the busy street is a very short one, it's also one I have been down many times. Leaving the apartment I turned right instead of left, it rained last night and this morning and the city streets and everything about them were thrown into a fuzzy shine under thinly overcast skies.
To my delight the alley was actually a very narrow residential street lined with trees. The buildings looked new, and I think that whole neighborhood has been getting a make over, many old building have scaffolding around them and the abundant trees all look very young. Kids were everywhere, either playing on the sidewalks and front porches or walking in packs down the street. Up a hill and down some stairs I approached the familiar door of Haci Baba - Lezzet Sofrasi from the opposite side.
My Turkish is still abysmal and besides telling them that I was well and ordering lamb shish I think I fumbled every other question they tossed my way. But to the questions I didn't know I just replied that the food was delicious and thanked them profusely. Haci Baba's is really a great place with some of the best home style Turkish cooking I've run into here. After a great meal wrapped up with a few cups of tea I wandered the neighborhood I had walked through to get there. Now facing the other direction I saw that framed between the narrow apartment buildings was the tower of steel and blue glass that rises above Fulya avenue. I'm not sure what that building is called, but it's big! When I arrived in Istanbul and had to tell a taxi where my home was I would just tell them Fulya and then gesture wildly with my hands to indicate a gigantic building. Worked every time.
In one of the small shops I picked up some coffee biscuit things and some mineral water, crossed the street, and I was home. Instead of a planned lay out with easily found addresses Istanbul feels much more organic, it's a mass of hidden neighborhoods and great tucked a way places run through by a few large roads that divide things up into neighborhoods. I could live here for years and find a whole part of town with it's own feel that I'd never seen before.
Home, most apartments in Istanbul are painted in more vibrant colors. Like the hall in Jess and Elsa's apartment that is painted bright, lime green. And here's a picture of the cat visiting window with my head in the way.
Today there is a new addition to my blog family, a Persian blog I have been meaning to make for a long, long time. (it's the funny squiggle under the links) If you know Persian (Farsi) take a look at it and then tell me where I've screwed up your beautiful language, I still have a lot to learn. And if you don't know Persian, still go look at it. You might get an idea for a tattoo.
To my delight the alley was actually a very narrow residential street lined with trees. The buildings looked new, and I think that whole neighborhood has been getting a make over, many old building have scaffolding around them and the abundant trees all look very young. Kids were everywhere, either playing on the sidewalks and front porches or walking in packs down the street. Up a hill and down some stairs I approached the familiar door of Haci Baba - Lezzet Sofrasi from the opposite side.
My Turkish is still abysmal and besides telling them that I was well and ordering lamb shish I think I fumbled every other question they tossed my way. But to the questions I didn't know I just replied that the food was delicious and thanked them profusely. Haci Baba's is really a great place with some of the best home style Turkish cooking I've run into here. After a great meal wrapped up with a few cups of tea I wandered the neighborhood I had walked through to get there. Now facing the other direction I saw that framed between the narrow apartment buildings was the tower of steel and blue glass that rises above Fulya avenue. I'm not sure what that building is called, but it's big! When I arrived in Istanbul and had to tell a taxi where my home was I would just tell them Fulya and then gesture wildly with my hands to indicate a gigantic building. Worked every time.
In one of the small shops I picked up some coffee biscuit things and some mineral water, crossed the street, and I was home. Instead of a planned lay out with easily found addresses Istanbul feels much more organic, it's a mass of hidden neighborhoods and great tucked a way places run through by a few large roads that divide things up into neighborhoods. I could live here for years and find a whole part of town with it's own feel that I'd never seen before.
Home, most apartments in Istanbul are painted in more vibrant colors. Like the hall in Jess and Elsa's apartment that is painted bright, lime green. And here's a picture of the cat visiting window with my head in the way.
Today there is a new addition to my blog family, a Persian blog I have been meaning to make for a long, long time. (it's the funny squiggle under the links) If you know Persian (Farsi) take a look at it and then tell me where I've screwed up your beautiful language, I still have a lot to learn. And if you don't know Persian, still go look at it. You might get an idea for a tattoo.
posted by Alex Gray at 16:21
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