Amasra, Turkey to Safranbolu, Turkey

It is still relatively cold again this morning. 

We’re up early to get to the dolmus back to Bartin.  Almost immediately we were put on a minibus to Safranbolu.  This ride was uneventful, but the mountainous scenery was something else.  The bus dropped us off at the top of the old part of town (Carsi).  A short walk down the hill and a lady from Hotel Terras guided us to a place to stay.  The hotel is a small room which is quaint.  It overlooks the main square and once we are settled in we went on the hunt for lunch.  A small café nearby did the trick. 

Hotel Teras (behind brown building in foreground), Safranbolu, Turkey

After lunch we spent some time wandering around town.  All the buildings here were built during the Ottoman rule and have caused the town of Safranbolu to be World Heritage Listed.  We continued walking, including to the abandoned shell of a palace in the west.  Then, to the graveyard to the east.  Both places are on hills overlooking the town in the valley. 

Palace, Safranbolu, Turkey

We spent the late afternoon napping in our room.  

Dinner was had at Kadioglu Sehzade Sofrasi.  It was Turkish pide for me.  On our way back to the room we bought some Turkish Delight to snack on during the late evening.

Amasra, Turkey

Today is not the nicest of days weather-wise.  It’s cool and with wind is not helping in anyway.  A storm blew in last night and the remnants have remained. 

We picked up some pastries for breakfast and wanted to eat them on the break wall of the big harbor, but we may have been blown in the water had we’ve done so.  Instead Yilmaz found us and took us to a tea house where he and Amy played backgammon.  When he had some other guests to take care of Amy and I went wandering again for a bit and then ended in the internet café for a while. 

We did the afternoon nap again and when we woke up we went and bought some vegetables for tonight’s dinner.  Ayfer and Yilmaz cooked dinner for us, Karen and Tanya, which we ate at the pension.  The night continued with backgammon, dancing, chatting and laughing.  It was a great last night in Amasra.  For all his help we gave Yilmaz a XXXX shirt from the Walkabout, which he seemed to get a buzz out of.

Our Hosts Yilmaz & Ayfer, Amasra, Turkey

Tanya, Ayfer, Amy, Me, Yilmaz & Karen, Amasra, Turkey

Amasra, Turkey

This morning we walked over to the small harbor to enjoy a tea and coffee in the outdoor café right on the water’s edge. 

We then wandered aimlessly around some of the shops in the small town.  Amasra’s citadel joins the mainland to a small island, Rabbit Island.  Amy and I walked all around, through the residential area, taking in many views of the town.  We came to the eastern edge where a small shack served as the city’s most remote café.  We sat on benches overlooking Sea Gull Island and the main harbor, eating our cheese and tomato toasty lunch. 

Small Harbour, Amasra, Turkey

Amasra, Turkey

We then continued through the town.  We wanted to sit on the beach and have a swim, but no one else was around and we didn’t want to offend anyone and/or step out of line.  Instead we went back to the pension and rested from the heat. 

When we woke we went to dinner at Safaks.  I had an Iskender Kebab and Amy the green beans, rice, yoghurt and salad.  We ran into Yilmaz again – of course his friend is the owner.  He took us to the tea house near the big harbor where we met Karen and Tanya; two Melburnians Yilmaz had helped earlier.  We wandered over to the tea house where we were this morning and had a couple of drinks while watching the sunset. 

When the girls wandered off for dinner we met an English local, Nigel.  I think he enjoyed the English conversation.  He told us Yilmaz was known in town as "The Hunter" for he seeks out tourists that come to town, and gets them set up with everything they need.  When he took his daughter home, we went back to our pension for the night.

Istanbul, Turkey to Amasra, Turkey

We were up early this morning.  Turkish breakfast on the roof again and then loaded up the backpacks for the walk down to Eminonu.  From here we catch the ferry to Harem, on the Asian side of Istanbul.  The 20 minute ride drops us straight at the bus station and within minutes people have helped us purchase tickets to Amasra.  There is about a 45 minute wait for the next bus.  The bus ride is uneventful – I slept most of the way.  The bus dropped us off at Bartin, where we caught a local dolmus for the 20 kilometer ride into Amasra.  The windy mountain road made for a hair-raising ride. 

On arrival we were greeted by a local, Yilmaz, who offered us a room in his cousin’s pension.  Her apartment was one road back from the main harbor and was only going to cost us £8 per night.  Sold!  We went out for a walk once our bags were down.  We walked around the harbor and along the pier. 

On our return we stopped at a restaurant, Balikcinin Yeri, which was owned by another of Yilmaz’s cousins, and had dinner there.  I had fish, while Amy had an amazing salad.  Yilmaz sat with us and told us that he grew up in Amasra and loved meeting tourists, hence learning English.  He plans one day to go to Australia. 

After dinner Amy and I headed back to the pension and for a night of rest.  It was a hard day on the bus and it makes us tired.

Istanbul, Turkey

The Lonely Planet suggests allowing a minimum of half a day for the Topkapi Palace, which meant we left our hotel early, after breakfast on the roof, of course.  A short walk uphill and we were inside before we knew it.  The Topkapi buildings are not extremely big (in comparison to other palaces I’ve seen), but the courtyards were large, giving a wide open feeling to the place.  We started in where the palace kitchens used to be, which now house much of the remaining porcelain and glassware used in the palace.  Across the courtyard is a display of Armory used by the Turks over time.  Next to this was the Kubbeult, or the Imperial Council Chambers.  This is an extremely ornate room matching the golden doorways.  You walk through the Gate of Felicity to get to the Third Court.  This gate was the entrance to the Sultan’s private space.  It was also used for greeting dignitaries and other political processions.  Immediately on the other side of the gate is the Arz Odsasi – where the Sultan could conduct political affairs.  In the buildings on the right were displays of royal robes and clothing.  Beside that was the closed Treasury.  Also in this court is the Library of Ahmet III (built in 1718).  In the corner of this courtyard is a portrait room containing paintings of all the previous Sultans, either collectively or singularly.  The room beside is called Mukaddes Emanetter Dairesi, which stores some holy relics.  It has letters written by Mohammed, his foot print, and a walking stick used by Moses (to name a few).  While we walked through this room there was a man reading aloud from the Koran, giving an extremely religious feel to the room.  Into the Fourth Court and there is not too much too see.  In one corner there are a couple of small rotundas surrounding an unfilled pool.  The tiling on the wall here is exquisite, but this is the really only good thing about this part of the palace.  After leaving this we walked back to the Second Court and payed to go through the Harem.  The Harem is the private residence of the Sultan’s family.  We are taken on a guided tour through the various rooms including the Favorites Courtyard, servant’s room, and Valide Sultan’s room (the Sultan’s main wife). 

Topkapi Palace, Istanbul, Turkey

Topkapi Palace, Istanbul, Turkey

Topkapi Palace, Istanbul, Turkey

Once this tour had finished we left Topkapi to wander the city again.  I picked up a chicken kebab for lunch on Divan Yolu and we then walked down to the Golden Horn.  Somehow we were caught right in the middle of the Egyptian Market.  After struggling through all the people we end up near the Bosphorus and walk over to Galata Bridge to the northern side of Istanbul.  There is not much to see on the river’s edge here so we made the long walk home. 

Dinner was at a restaurant just around the corner from the hotel.  Another great meal at an extremely low price!  Tomorrow we’re on the move to Amasra.

Istanbul, Turkey

We started the day off on the roof again for breakfast before heading up the road and around the corner to the Aya Sofia.  The Christian Church was built in 537AD and was considered the greatest church in Christendom until Constantinople conquered the city in 1453.  He converted it to a mosque and in 1935 it was proclaimed a museum by Ataturk.  This place is huge.  The design of the dome may have been ahead of its time as it has been in continual repair since 1992.  Christian mosaics still exist, but are blended in with Islamic scriptures and Imperial Fugra (signatures).  A beautiful temple that would have been incredible in its day. 

Aya Sofia, Istanbul, Turkey

Me, Aya Sofia, Istanbul Turkey

Once you exit the Aya Sofia, you walk through a park to arrive at the Blue Mosque.  This is a 17th century mosque built where a palace used to stand.  As you enter the mosque you must remove your shoes and be properly attired (i.e., well covered).  Inside is, once again, amazing.  The Blue Mosque gets its name from the tile (Iznik), which line the walls.  But for mind, the massive iron chandelier that hangs from the ceiling and stops about 2 meters above the ground is breathtaking.  I also felt peaceful and serene inside the building.  Tourists were well behaved and there were a few locals praying towards Mecca.  Also the entire floor was covered with a beautiful, plush carpet.

Blue Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey

Just beside the mosque is a market whose rents pay for the upkeep of the main building.  Within this market is the Great Palace Mosaics Museum.  This museum contains fragments of mosaics found by archeologists in the 1950s.  The mosaics came from Byzantine Palace, which originally stood where the Blue Mosque is today.  It was believed that the mosaics date back as far as 500AD.

 

After having this museum to ourselves we went to the western side of the Blue Mosque to the Hippodrome.  This area was used by the Byzantines and Ottoman rulers for palatial and recreational purposes.  Today there are monuments that sit in the middle of the park.  One is of Kaiser Wilhelm’s Fountain – a gift from a German Emperor in 1901.  Then, moving south is the 3500 year old Egyptian Obelisk of Theodosius, named after the Byzantine Emperor who bought it to Constantinople in 390AD.  There is another column and obelisk which are unknown quantities.

 

From here we walked up to Divan Yolu and up to the Grand Bazaar.  This is a huge market – mainly undercover – and a maze of carpet shops, jewelers and Turkish knick-knacks.  We spent some time wandering through here and sheltering from the heat.  On our way back we picked up some pastries and goodies – some of which we ate at the nearby Palace of Antiochus Ruins.

We had an afternoon siesta and spent the evening on the roof taking photos of both the lit up Aya Sofia and Blue Mosque.

Blue Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey

Aya Sofia, Istanbul Turkey

Istanbul, Turkey

Breakfast consisted of cucumber, tomato, cheese, bread and tea this morning.  I don’t think we could get out of the hotel quick enough. 

We walked into Sultan Ahmet as we knew this was an area of town with plenty of accommodation.  We found a hotel, The Ali Baba, across the street from the Four Seasons, and then headed off to search the city. 

We started off at Cankurtaran and followed the water’s edge all the way north, then west until we are near Eminonu.  Here we are invited to cruise the Bosphorus for 15 million Turkish Lira (TL15m) or about £10.  How could we say no?  The ferry left and stayed close to the western shore.  With no commentary we had to guess from the Lonely Planet as to what site was what.  We went under the Bosphorus Bridge and north to the Faith Bridge, where we moved over to the Asian shore, making our way back to the dock.  We pulled into the town of Beylerbeyi for half an hour.  This was enough time to do a quick lap and buy from a local patisserie.  Back on the boat to enjoy the rest of the ride back into the middle of the city – mind you sunburn was already taking effect. 

Otrakoi Camii, Istanbul, Turkey

Mosque on Bosphorus River, Istanbul, Turkey

Suleymaniye Cammi, Istanbul, Turkey

Once back on the shore we wander back up the hill and decide on a siesta (it was 3pm and both of us were getting fried by the sun).  We snoozed for a couple of hours and then wanted dinner. 

We walked around Sultan Ahmet for a bit, before deciding on the restaurant next to the hotel, Med Cadir.  Two courses, beer and wine each only cost is £15.  Expensive for Turkey, but a bargain for us – and the food was awesome.  I had calamari and Kofte, while Amy had a meze.  After dinner we walked up to Sultan Ahmet Parki.  This lies between Aya Sofia and the Blue Mosque – which we’ll visit tomorrow.  This was a place for many a good photo opportunity.

Back upstairs afterwards as the sun has made us weary.  I think it may take a while to get used to being in an Islamic country.  Hearing the call to prayers from the mosques (over loud speakers) is somewhat of a surprise at first, but becomes natural quickly after hearing it five times a day.

London, England to Istanbul, Turkey

Maybe….just maybe…every holiday out of England needs to frustrate me at the beginning so I can enjoy it all the more.  After a frustrating night’s sleep we were on the 6.10am bus to Heathrow from Kingston.  It seems as though the bus teases you as it goes around the edge of the entire airport (seemingly 10 times) before you arrive.  Check in – simple enough concept – not for the Poms.  After finally getting to the front of the queue, our attendant disappears for half an hour with no explanation.  But we’re on holidays.  Once again without explanation our flight leaves 2 hours later than scheduled. 

We fly into Vienna, missing our connection – hoping for a night in a hotel – to find we have been rebooked on a Turkish Airlines flight in 2 hours.  Of the 15 rows of seats on the flight, we manage to get the one where someone had thrown up the flight before.  Nice smell!  At 8.30pm, with my ears screaming in pain from the descent, we arrive in Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport. 

We get through passport control without a hitch and our bags are waiting.  It is now dark and we are unsure of what to do, so we decide to get an agency to book us into a hotel.  He suggested 3 (we took the cheapest).  We took Hotel Eris as it looked OK in the brochure.  The drive into town was scarier than any roller coaster I had been on, and at several points I thought we weren’t going to make it.  The drive through the city was great.  I was pleased with where we were going.  Then the driver took a turn off the main road and within 2 minutes we were at the hotel.  It looked like a seedy part of town, but we were only going to be here for the night.  We got our US$65 room (can someone say “rip off”) and just crashed – equally parts tired and scared to leave the hotel.

Voodoo Glow Skulls @ Cockpit

The Crap Facts

This is my 189th concert.
This is my 2nd concert at The Cockpit.

This is my 3rd concert in Leeds.

This is my 3rd concert in West Yorkshire.

This is my 3rd concert in England.

Voodoo Glow Skulls are the 246th band I've seen.

Nelson Mandella @ Millennium Square

Just down the road from the Walkabout

Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela

Ladysmith Black Mambazo

Buddy @ The Strand

Charlotte, NC to London, UK

Last June I gave up my seat on my Miami to Denver flight and was given a $400 credit.  We used it to fly to Charlotte on March 3 to spend 2 weeks with Amy's family in Celebration of Lynn's 60th birthday.  We stayed mostly in Charlotte, but did drive down to Charleston for a day.

Starlight Express @ Apollo Victoria

Leeds United vs Middlesborough @ Elland Road

Leeds 1 (Robbie Keane 55) drew with Middlesborough 1 (Alan Boksic 27)

Leeds

Paul Robinson, Rio Ferdinand, Dominic Matteo,Gary Kelly, Lucas Radebe, Olivier Dacourt, David Batty, Lee Bowyer, Jason Wilcox, Mark Viduka, Robbie Keane (Alan Smith 75)

Middlesborough

Mark Schwarzer, Alan Boksic, Robbie Mustoe, Paul Okon, Christian Karembeu (Phil Stamp 66), Curtis Fleming, Steve Vickers, Dean Gordon, Gianluca Festa, Ugo Ehiogu, Hamilton Ricard (Noel Whelan 81)

Crowd: 39,251

Leeds vs Middlesbourough

Robbie Keane Scores A Penalty beyond Mark Schwarzer

Leeds Corner

Sick Of It All & 28 Days @ Cockpit

On the 12th of this month Evan, Andy, Randal and I went to The Cockpit in Leeds to see Sick Of It All. A good night of punk. The support band was the Australian band 28 Days, a good support act, whom the crowd was into.

I wish the opportunity to see bands in Leeds came more often, but working nights in the pub is the main hindrance. That, and I am still trying to save money.

The Crap Facts

This is my 188th concert.
The Cockpit is the 50th venue I've seen a concert.

This is my 2nd concert in Leeds.

This is my 2nd concert in West Yorkshire.

This is my 2nd concert in England.

This is my 2nd 28 Days concert.
Sick Of It All are the 245th band I've seen.