Our sixth and final day in the tireless metropolis of Istanbul draws to an end. Fireworks were exploding in the sky overhead a few minutes ago, but they were probably not for our benefit, although benefit, we did.
We were somewhat thwarted in our plans for today.
Firstly, we set off for Topkapı Palace, only to discover that it is closed on Tuesdays. That was stupid of us, because the opening hours are there in black and white in our Lonely Planet guidebook.
Since we were in the area, anyway, we opted for a walk through Gülhane Park, where Eloïse was happy to discover a playground with a slide and swings. She played there while her parents rested on a bench.
Lunch was a delicious pide (covered Turkish pita, the local variant of pizza) at the Karadeniz Aile Pide Ve Kebap Salonu, followed by dessert around the corner at Çiğdem Pastanesi. I had the Tavuk göğsü, which, for the uninitiated, is a sweet pudding made from chicken breast, milk, sugar and cinnamon. Possibly an acquired taste, I’ve almost acquired it, but not quite.
Our next stop for the day was the Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum.
We’re usually not keen on museums, especially with fidgety young children, but given how Eloïse has patiently sat with us in carpet shops over the last few days, as one piece after the other was rolled out for us to look at, we realised that she probably does actually have the patience to walk around a museum with us without throwing a tantrum.
The museum turned out to be just the right size, too, so that we could make our way around it in about an hour. By the end, she was getting bored, so that hour turned out to be roughly her limit. It was a good museum, and I was particular struck by some of the — here comes that word again — carpets, which are anywhere up to seven hundred years old and in incredibly good condition, considering.
After that, we decided to round off the day with a visit to the Süleymaniye Mosque, but when we finally got there, it was undergoing major renovation and only a tiny, relatively uninteresting section of the mosque was open for visiting and prayer.
Dinner at Hamdi Et Lokantasi Friday night was so good that we decided to put the seal on our trip by going back again this evening. On the way, we stopped off at the Ali Muhiddin Hacı Bekir confectionery shop, which has been selling Turkish Delight since 1777, and then picked up some apple tea in the nearby spice bazaar. Sarah’s folks are flying over at the end of the week, so it’ll be nice to have these at hand to offer them.
I took some photos from the rooftop terrace of Hamdi after our meal. They really do have a spectacular view from up there. As usual, I’ll vow to have the photos on-line quickly after our return and try not to allow myself to fail in this regard, as I so often do.
A crammed tram ride brought us back to Sultanahmet.
Six days in Istanbul and we’ve really only scratched the surface. What a place; this is definitely one of my favourite cities anywhere in the world.