More Turkey Talk

Our private tour around Istanbul's Old City is incredible. At the Sultanahmet Camii (Blue Mosque) Isabelle is very concerned about removing her shoes, and clutches them tightly the entire time we are inside. The mosque was built in 1615, and unlike Hagia Sophia which is a museum now, the Blue Mosque is still an active mosque. I enter the women's prayer area and am amused by the sign that reads: "Please keep your handbag close during prayer."

Inside Hagia Sophia (meaning Divine Wisdom) we take in the stunning Christian and Islamic decorations that are side by side. Haiga Sophia was a church for a thousand years, before all the icons were .... , minarets were built and it was converted to a mosque. We walk through the white marble Gates of Paradise - and it'll be as easy the next time around!

A cute leather and fur vest being sold by a street vendor gives Isabelle a more Byzantine look for the rest of the day. And helps her forget out the horse/finger "incident." Her fingers were still a little sticky from the strawberry jam at breakfast, and the carriage horse outside Hagia Sophia thought that smelled like a pretty tasty snack and bit her! No skin was broken, but there was a tooth mark on her middle finger.

We're wondering how we'll ever get her back in a car seat. She squeals with delight every time the car stops and we're off on our next little adventure.

I'm fascinated by City Walls - and we spend some time running back and forth from one of the old entrances. Equally spectacular are the enormous radishes (red, white and black) being sold by the farmer who keeps his garden alongside the City Walls. They're the size of grapefruits, and although a little less juicy than the radishes I'm used to, they're delicious.

We have lunch at Ziya's in Fatih, the most fundamentalist neighborhood in Istanbul. Their sign says "fast food," but we learn that "fast food" here means a homemade ready-cooked meal! We have raw spicy meatball - to die for good - and a salad with pomegranate sauce. After that I have one mission in life: find pomegranate vinaigrette! We do, at the Spice Market.

I've decided we have enough things hanging on our walls, and I'd like to start buying furniture on our trips. Our tour guide is surprised we're opting to go furniture shopping over visiting Topeki Palace, but she rises to the challenge. In so doing, though, she seriously overestimates our financial means, and at the antique shops she takes us, the items I like range from $3,000 to $15,000.

While I'm trying not to spend Isabelle's college fund, she and Dennis devise a new game of Full Speed Leap. It goes like this - Dennis sits on the ground while Isabelle runs as fast as she can and then leaps into his arms.

A girl who expends that much energy needs a little pick me up! And what better than Turkish Delights! She definitely has Dad's sweet tooth - and as the Delight is moving from her hand to her mouth she starts asking for more. Asking becomes increasing harder, though, as her cheeks fill with these starch and sugar treats.

Isabelle fell in love for the first time tonight - with our waiter at Adamar Hotel's panoramic restaurant - most incredible views of the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia. "Oh, Isabelle is in the kitchen again," Dennis would say everytime she'd disappear with our waiter.


She wants to "walk" all the way home - but keeps falling to her knees and laughs hysterically as we keep pulling her. She falls asleep ın 30 seconds--maybe 10. best baby ever.