Onward to Prague

Our flight to Prague left from Gatwick.  Unfortunately, that proved to be challenging.  Had we left from Heathrow, it would have been a quick tube ride on the Picadilly line.  Getting to Gatwick, however, was a trick.  We had to get to Victoria and then buy tickets on the Gatwick Express.  Once we got to Victoria, however, I couldn't put my hands on my credit card.  Unfortunately, this became a bit of a recurring theme.  I was forever having difficulty finding this or that.  Cindy was able to pay for the two round-trip tickets, and we were on our way.

We flew on EasyJet, the cheapest option I could find.  I believe Gatwick is an EasyJet hub.  When I'd flown to Istanbul, Turkish Airlines flew out of the North terminal, the International terminal.  I assumed that we would have to use the International terminal for our flight to Prague.  After looking at the readout, I was unable to see the Prague flight, which is when I realized my error.  I had failed to read the itinerary carefully, which clearly stated South terminal.  This was not the way I wanted to start our trip, but it wasn't the worst thing in the world.  We had enough time, and we made our way over to the South terminal without difficulty.

The flight was fine, and we made it through Passport Control without incident.  After collecting our bags, we proceeded to follow the instructions our B&B hostess had provided.  I had been somewhat anxious about it, but it was not a difficult process.  We caught a bus directly outside of the terminal.  We failed to buy tickets, but that didn't seem to be a problem.  The bus deposited us at the Underground, where we did buy tickets which could be used for both the tube AND the tram.   We were on the tube for only two stops, and then caught the tram heading south for the Podoli neightborhood where our B&B was located, right on the river.

We disembarked one stop early, but it was an easy enough fix.  We didn't have long to wait to catch another tram, and then there we were.  The tram stopped directly in front of the apartment.  When we rang the bell, our hostess Hana told us to wait for her to come down  to guide us inside.  The halls of the building revert to darkness if one doesn't actively switch on the lights.  Hana took our bags with her in the elevator and we walked up the two flights to our flat. 

Here's what we found.

Although we shared a bed, we each had our own duvets, which made it more comfortable.  Also, we had our own reading lamps, so we could indulge our own reading patterns.  The paintings above the bed were artworks Hana's daughter produced.

Although we didn't turn on the television the first night, we actually did watch some Czech TV while searching for English language services. 

The bedroom was quite spacious and offered a lovely view of the River Vltava, or Moldau.

There were many, many books on art, and quite a few novels as well.  Naturally, they were all in Czech.

The breakfast room was very nice--quite a lot of room, actually.

The bathroom was well designed, and very self-contained.

It was a lovely apartment and we were very comfortable. 

As an added bonus, there were a few restaurants within walking distance.  There was a restaurant less than a block from the flat, so that's where we chose to eat.  I don't remember what Cindy had, but I chose traditional Czech fare--roast pork, gravy, dumplings, and onions.  I also had a delicious Pilsner.  The server didn't speak much English, but we managed quite well.

As more guests filled the restaurant, so too did smoke.  Fortunately, we were able to take showers upon our return. 

We made an early evening of it and started reading by 9:00 p.m.  We had an early morning ahead of us.

London Weekend

The Riverview Room where we stayed before leaving for Prague overlooked the River Thames and was in the London suburb of Fulham bordering Hammersmith.  It turned out to be a great location.  It was within walking distance of the Hammersmith tube station, a bus stop and the Fulham Palace Road.  I was able to take my laundry to a local laundromat on a Sunday morning and get it back by the early afternoon, and  I was able to buy a new coat at the local TK MAXX while I waited for my laundry to be processed.  My zipper had broken on my Evergreen coat an, anticipating colder weather, I didn't feel it was wise to go to eastern Europe without a coat featuring a working zipper.

We managed to do these chores AND do a little sightseeing.  Our hostess Cassie told us the 74 bus offered a good route into London, which we found to be true.  One of my personal goals  for my remaining time in London was to visit the Victoria and Albert museum.  As it happened, the 74 bus stopped right across the street from the Victoria and Albert.

As was true of so many of the museums we visited, photographs were not permitted past a certain point.  The only shot I got of the Victoria and Albert was of the Christmas tree in the vestibule.

It's a shame really, because there were many images I would have loved to record.  There were two special exhibits available that day.  Entry to the museum itself was free of charge, but special exhibits required an entry fee; the cost of these two exhibits was 20 pounds.  One was devoted to British Ballgowns since the 1950s and the other was devoted to costumes from famous films.  The latter was the more popular of the two and had time-controlled entry.  We weren't able to get in to that exhibit until 4:30, which wasn't ideal since the museum closed at 5:30.  We bought tickets for both, so it made sense to start with the ballgowns.

I'm not sure what I expected, but it wasn't what I saw.  These gowns were, by and large, some of the most unattractive dresses I've ever seen in my life (click on the highlighted and underscored title in the previous paragraph to see some of these gowns).  There were some notable exceptions, one of which was the famous "Elvis Gown" worn by Princess Diana.



There were a few other gowns which were lovely, but many of them were, frankly, disasters.  One of the notable gowns which had me shaking my head was made up of strips of shiney material.  It looked like it was made up of the foils my hairdresser uses to highlight my hair.  There was one monstrosity made of ostrich feathers.  Others looked like rubber balls stretched to fit a mannequin.  There were a few displays arranged chromatically, which really didn't do too much to enhance the attractiveness of these dresses. 

The Film Costumes exhibit was a lot of fun.  The displays included the gingham pinafore Judy Garland wore in "The Wizard of Oz," as well as the fabulous green velvet curtain gown worn by Vivian Leigh in "Gone With the Wind."  I loved the section devoted to the careers of Meryl Streep and Robert de Niro. There were four rooms of displays, and it would have been helpful to have had more time, but alas, 5:30 came all too soon. 

This was probably the first time I forced Cindy to run for a bus, but it wasn't the last.  We weren't sure where to pick up the 74 bus to head back to Hammersmith, so we ended up running for about four blocks.  After a 74 unloaded a full bus of passengers at the next bus stop, we anxiously waited for the next one to arrive (okay--I was the anxious one).   Another 74 pulled up (much to my relief), and we boarded.  This time, we ended up missing our stop.  It wasn't too far to walk back to where we should have disembarked, but it meant we had to pass by a cemetery. 

The next day was New Year's Eve, but we thought we could do some sightseeing in spite of the holiday.  The big fireworks display takes place on the River Thames by Big Ben/Eye of London.  That meant we'd need to get back to Hammersmith before too late.  Once again we caught the 74 with an eye to catching the on-off bus for a tour.  We found a stop where we were able to catch the on-off bus and climbed aboard.  We headed upstairs to the uncovered portion of the bus.  Unfortunately, it started raining, so we had to don rain ponchos.  They were a bit tricky to put on, but we managed. 

The tour took us past the major shopping districts.

There was a fun Twelve Days of Christmas Street Sign Display.

We passed through the theater (or "theatre") district.

 We saw the three "Muses" diving off this building.

We also passed by various government buildings.

There was some interesting statuary.

But this monument to the women who served in World War II was one of the more interesting.

I also liked some of the more unusual sculptures.

We passed by the big London monuments.

Our on-off tour was a means of getting to another of my goal destinations in London, St. Paul's Cathedral.

After touring around Great Britain for four months plus, I made it to a number of cathedrals, but I don't think St. Paul's has its equal.  It is truly magnificent.  The entrance fee was about 14 pounds, and it was worth every penny.  We picked up audio guides, which was a helpful way to learn more about the cathedral's history.  The dome was gorgeous, as were the statues, the floors and the crypt.  I was so glad we had that opportunity.  We had lunch at the cathedral and then hopped back on the bus.  We decided to ride out the tour.

We made it back to Hammersmith before 5:30, and decided to go in search of an early dinner.  This actually proved to be a challenging proposition.  It's uncommon for people to go out to eat quite so early.  We found a pub on Fulham Palace Road, and had a edible meal (nothing to write home about).

We headed back to the room, and were more or less done for the night by 7:00 p.m.  Our room was right above the neighborhood pub, so there was some reveling to contend with for the evening.  Although we were right on the Thames, we were quite a few miles from the fireworks launch.  Nevertheless, there were numerous fireworks in the neighborhood. 

It was a pretty tame New Year's Eve, but we were about to embark on our European tour, so tame was okay.

Making connections...or not

Istanbul was only the first phase of my post-teaching travels. I was about to embark on the second phase of five phases. 

After learning I had been accepted to teach in the Study in England Programme, my friend Cindy and I hatched a plan to visit some of the Nazi concentration camps.   Our work on the Baeumler Kaplan Holocaust Commemoration Committee acquainted us with the evil of these camps, but we felt compelled to see these camps ourselves.  This meant we were committed to visit a number of European cities. 

The first step in our plan though was to connect in London.  Cindy sent me her itinerary indicating that she was scheduled to arrive around noon at Heathrow airport, so I arranged my return flight from Turkey to arrive a few hours after Cindy's flight.  We agreed to meet at Paddington Station by a World War I statue.

I was concerned about the timing.  My flight was scheduled to arrive at Gatwick airport at 2:30 p.m.,  I had to go through passport control and then catch the train back to Victoria.  As luck would have it, I didn't manage to catch the express.  The express usually travels the route from Gatwick to Victoria in a half hour.  The train I caught took over 90 minutes.  From Victoria I had to take the tube to Paddington.  The London transit authority uses the period between the winter holidays to do repairs on the tube system, which meant that the direct route to Paddington was unavailable and I had to change trains before arriving at my destination.

The upshot of all this is that I didn't get to Paddington until just before 5.  I rushed as quickly as I could through the tube area to the train station.  I scurried over to the statue, but saw no sign of Cindy.  I then decided to walk around the station, thinking she might have become tired of waiting and decided to explore the station.  I walked around the station but did not spy her.  I went back to the statue, but no one was there.  Then I thought I should go in to the shopping area across from the platforms, but no luck.  I walked in to a number of the shops and still didn't see her, so I headed back to the statue.  I had a quick moment of hope when I noticed people by the statue, but alas, it was a couple catching a bite to eat before boarding their train.   I approached them and asked if they had seen a dark-haired American woman, but they said 'no.'

I repeated these steps a number of times, and then went to the information desk to ask if they had heard from Cindy.  They also said 'no' so I did another circuit.  I called the Bed and Breakfast where we were staying to see if our hostess had heard from Cindy--she said 'no' as well.  By this time, it was about 6:15, so I decided to write a note to Cindy including directions on how to get to the B & B.  I had to remind myself of something my son had said to me when I expressed concern about making my various connections, to wit, "Cindy's an intelligent woman who can figure out things for herself."  Certainly, those are true words, but I felt a tremendous responsibility for her well-being.  Still, I made up my mind to leave the note and head to the B&B by 7:00 p.m.  I tried to leave the note at the information desk, but the information folks refused to accept it.  My anxiety was high, but I felt it was best for me to head to the B&B earlier, rather than later since I had never been there.

With a heavy heart, I took the tube to Hammersmith and then walked down toward the B&B.  My B&B contact person had sent me a map, so I felt I'd be able to find it without difficulty.  The map I had featured five upside-down 'U's which I interpreted to be houses.  After not seeing the street I was seeking, I asked two ladies out for an evening walk for directions.  They kindly walked me in the right direction, revealing that the upside-down 'U's were actually street blocks. 

I finally arrived at the B&B flat a little before 8.  My hostess was a lovely young woman named Cassie who was very sympathetic to my concerns.  She let me use her laptop to send Cindy a message.  I checked e-mail first and then went to Facebook.  There I saw that Cindy's flight had been delayed.  When she sent the message, she anticipated arriving at 8:00 p.m.  I responded with an update on my situation and gave her Cassie's cell phone number, and then I settled into the room.

The room was spacious and comfortable, featuring a king-sized bed, as well as a twin bed.  There was a television set along with quick and easy access to the bathroom.  Cassie asked when I wanted breakfast and headed back downstairs.   The flat is quite small.  Cassie has a room on the first level across from her galley-style kitchen and breakfast nook.  She has a fold-out bed which doubles as a couch.  She never uses the upstairs bedroom, as she reserves it for her guests.  The flat overlooks the Thames, which offered a lovely prospect.

It occurred to me as I looked out the window that I would be back in Duluth for the next full moon.

One of my favorite things about living in England were the crime TV shows on ITV 3.  It was a great night for it, so after my shower I was quite happy.

Sometime after 10, Cassie knocked at the door to say Cindy was on the phone.  The poor dear had experienced delays in Minneapolis.  The passengers were sent to New York to connect with another crew.  Once there the passengers were told they had to wait for a part, and were given pillows and blankets  so they could rest in the waiting area.  Finally, they took off for London and arrived 10 hours after their scheduled arrival.  I was so glad Cindy called.  Not only was I relieved she had finally made it to London, Cassie was able to give her a much more direct route to Hammersmith.  That meant she was able to get to Cassie's flat much faster than if she had gone to Paddington as we had originally planned.

Finally, Cindy was at the door to the room a little before midnight.

I was reminded of the old adage--"[wo]man plans, God laughs."

Farewell to Constantinople

Istanbul was such a surprise.  I never even considered it as one of the travel options I'd be able to do.   I remember when my aunt and uncle took my two cousins to Istanbul when they were little kids;  I thought it was the most exotic destination imaginable.  When my son suggested we meet in Istanbul, I jumped at the chance.

I've already written about the week we spent there from the mosques and the five daily calls-to-worship echoing throughout the neighborhood, to the mosaics and Topkapi.  There's one thing I haven't addressed at length, and that's the cat population.

They were all over the Sultanahmet district.

Everywhere one turned, there was another cat.

 Alison really loved the kitties.

Every now and then, you'd see a dog hanging around as well.

But the kitties really rule Sultanahmet.

I wish I'd had my camera ready when we went to the fancy fish restaurant.  It was cat heaven.  As we left the restaurant that night, we saw waiters bring the fish bones out to the alley for the cats.  I think I counted about 15 cats swarming the fish remains.

Cats were still underfoot when I left Saturday morning for the airport to catch my flight back to London.  Jake and Alison stayed on until New Year's Eve, but left the Metropolis in search of cheaper digs as the price for the room jumped rather dramatically.

It was a great destination city.  We did a lot, but there's so much to do. I recommend the time around Christmas, but clear out before New Year's, or prepare to pay elevated prices.

Last Day of Istanbul Exploration

Our last full day together was Friday after Christmas.  Alison wanted to rest, so Jacob and I decided to explore a few areas beyond the Sultanahmet area.  When we had gone in search of Rice Pudding a few nights earlier, we passed by the Grand Bazaar, so that was one of our destinations for the day. 

We set off walking and managed to get a little lost.  As we walked, we noticed entry points to the Bazaar, but we were walking along at prayer time.  We saw men praying in the marketplace and on the street.  This was the first time we saw this during our visit.  Of course, it was Friday.  I noticed people taking photographs of the men prostrating themselves in prayer, but I personally draw the line at that kind of invasion.  I have had the experience of taking unwanted photos in the past and I always feel bad about it after the fact.  I know I have an aversion to people taking photos when I am in prayer, so I am particularly mindful of that when I encounter others in prayer.

Once we found the Grand Bazaar, it reminded me of the covered market of Oxford.  The goods were somewhat different, but not in a significant way.  There were booths devoted to crockery, gems and leather goods, silks and other fabrics, lamps, purses, Turkish Delight and other candies, nuts, tee-shirts, and so on and so forth.  I'm not much of a shopper to begin with, and I had made a pledge not to buy tchochkes.  Beyond that, my son is one of the most frugal people I know, so we moved through the market quickly.   I suppose if I had certain  purchasing goals the market might have been more interesting to me, but I didn't and it wasn't.  I just couldn't afford to generate an interest in the products.

Having said that, I did learn a couple of interesting facts. The Bazaar has "60 streets and 5,000 shops, and attracts between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors daily."  Additionally, "[t]he complex houses two mosques, four fountains, two hamams, and several cafés and restaurants. In the centre is the high domed hall of the Cevahir Bedesten, where the most valuable items and antiques were to be found in the past, and still are today."

We decided to check out the Spice Market as well.  We thought we knew how to get there, but it was a little more complicated than we anticipated.  Still, as was true of so many of the experiences I had this past autumn, the mistakes were actually very interesting.  As we exited the Grand Bazaar, we walked past Turkish police wearing helmets, bulletproof vests, and large shields. As we turned to the right, we realized we were right by the University of Istanbul.  We saw part of the contingent of police run off in the general direction of the university, but we weren't able to discern what they were doing.   

We figured out the path we wanted to take and started walking in the correct direction.  We passed the Rüstem Pasha Mosque and were in the vicinity of the Galata Tower. When we found the Market, it was frankly hard to distinguish from the Grand Bazaar.  There were a few booths specifically dedicated to spices and soaps (and, counter to our "no-purchase" policy, we actually bought a couple of bars of soap for Alison), but we took the same approach we had in the Grand Bazaar--a quick run-through and then we were headed back to our hostel.

We went back to the first restaurant we had visited on Monday and discovered the prices had gone up considerably since that first meal.   The truth is, we had been eating at tourist traps the whole week.  It didn't matter much because the costs had been generally low. 

Vibav, our resident food adventurer, had decided we should go to the Beyoglu district to sample the best kebab in Istanbul.

Equipped with an I-phone (and simcard), we headed up to the tram stop.

The tram was efficient and inexpensive.  We took it to the Tunel Stop on our way to Beyoglu.  Our roommate, Carson, had just recovered from a car accident which had injured his mouth.  On our way to the Tunel, Vibav encouraged us to just cross over to the Tunel entrance without waiting for the light.  Carson was understandably hesitant to do so. Strike One.

The Tunel was another charge, but again, it wasn't too much.

The Tunel, or Tunnel, is the second underground "system" in the world (after the London underground).  The word "system" seems to be an overstatement as the train runs between two stops.  The stops and the train are immaculate and inviting.  We had to wait to board on our return trip as a crew was cleaning the train cars.  As is true in subway systems the world over, these tunnels offer acoustics musicians find inviting.  This cellist wasn't there when we returned after 10 p.m.

Once we made it to the other side, Vibav took us on an interesting jaunt through alleys of restaurants and bars in search of Durumzade' where they serve up a spicy mix of meat on a wrap, or durum, with sauce and red onions.  As it happens, our friend Carson is a vegetarian.  Beyond crisps, there was nothing for him to eat at this stand.  Strike Two.  Five of us were in heaven.  One of our party did not enjoy it because he found it too spicy.  It was ridiculously inexpensive, so we all decided to find a bar where Carson might be able to get some chips and the rest of us purchased beers. 

Carson was happy.  Whew!

Topkapi

One should not go to Istanbul and skip Topkapi.  It is a magnificent palace and it sprawls over acres and acres (according to Wikipedia, the area is 6,379,000 to 7,500,000 sq ft).  The architecture and design--both on buildings and in the landscape--are phenomenally beautiful.  The word turquoise comes from the French for Turkish and was first applied in 1597 to the color of the gem originally exported from Turkey.  The color is abundantly evident on the walls of this lovely royal site.

The entrance to the site is a long avenue.

The Imperial Gate (Bâb-ı Hümâyûn)

Church of Hagia Eirene in the First Courtyard

Once inside we realized there was an exhibit not to be missed.  We were fortunate that a selection of Terra Cotta Warriors were on display at the Imperial Mint.

The sign in the middle of the photo advertises the Terra Cotta Warrior Exhibit.

Unfortunately, we weren't permitted to take photos of the Terra Cotta Exhibit.  Still, it was great to see them and I'm looking forward to seeing the exhibit in Minneapolis within the next few weeks.

There are four courtyards at the palace.  This is the Gate of Salutation, entrance to the second courtyard.

Bâb-üs Selâm

In anticipation of our visit, I read that the Harem was a "must-see," so we purchased our tickets (a cost in addition to the entry free for Topkapi) and proceeded to visit the halls and courtyards of the Sultan's concubines and eunuchs.

Reviewing material on Topkapi online, I noticed there were more displays featuring mannequins.  This was the only such display we observed on our visit

The courtyard of the Eunuchs.

One of the courtyards of the concubines.

Walls of the Queen Mother's chambers.

Courtyard of the favorites.

The Privy Chamber of Sultan Murad III

Outside view of the apartments of the crown prince.

The library (sans books) of Sultan Ahmed III.

The fountain outside Sultan Ahmed III's library.

A view of the Bosphorous from Topkapi Palace.

One of the pavilions on the periphery of Topkapi--overlooking the Bosphorous.

An interior view of one of the pavilions.

As was true of so many of the wonderful places we visited, there was too much to see and not enough time or energy to see it all.  We did visit the halls where some of the gems were kept, but it was a quick run through, leaving us a bit dissatisfied.  The lines were too long for the treasury and one of the other displays.  Still, this place did not disappoint!  If I had to choose a favorite exhibit here, it would have to be these pavilion/kiosks along the edge of the site.  The views from the windows definitely had something to do with that preference.

That evening we supped at a fancy fish restaurant where we ate terrific mezes.  Frankly, they have quite the scheme.  Once seated, they present the table with the array of appetizer options already prepared.  We selected quite a few to share (we visited this restaurant at the recommendation of Vibav's cooking instructor, and "we" consisted of Vibav, our roommate from Dusseldorf, Christian, and our Finnish friend Samul).  The fish was okay, if overpriced, but the mezes were the star of the show.

Thus ended the fourth day of our visit.