Saturday

Sim and I went to the Grand Bazaar this afternoon. Went to the rug store to have pockets sewn on the kilim we bought so that we can hang it. We shopped hanging light fixtures and stopped at a shop where I bought a scarf a month ago when I was there with Tania, the headmaster's wife. I wanted a scarf like the one I'd bought, only a different color. I found it and said to the guy, "15 lira?" and he said "No way, 25 lira." I said, "When I was here with my friend Tania Chandler, I paid 15 lira." "Oh, why, didn't you say so? Of course, 15 lira." Tania lira is great currency.

When we stopped at the Sultan cafe in the bazaar, our waiter looked at Sim and said, "He looks like Morgan Freeman!". To which I replied, "But handsomer and younger." "Of course," he said. "Morgan Freeman's like 60." As many of you know, Sim is like 59.


We then went to the spice bazaar and in the street outside where there are pet stores and plant stores we bought a rosemary plant. We walked over the Galata bridge and browsed some book stores. (Sim wants a Turkish cookbook but we haven't found one in English.) Stopped and had beers in one of the thousands of places, then went to a restaurant recommended by our friends Felicia and Andy. It's called Antiochia and all the food comes from Antioch. We sat inside because it is unseasonably cold and we don't have warm clothes. The food was excellent and we had a bottle of red wine and the price was quite reasonable. After dinner we walked back to Taksim and headed home.


We're now home, checking out our newly installed Digiturk Satellite TV. Two movie channels, news, BBC series. The flat is warm and cosy though we haven't turned on the heat.

I got a bit down yesterday when one of the guys in my department told me that his shipment was in Istanbul for three months before it was delivered to him. Worse yet, was the fact that folks at the school repeatedly told him that it would be delivered the next day. I have resisted buying anything that I have coming in the shipment, but tomorrow I plan to buy some tights. My party to celebrate my ship coming in may have to be postponed.

Sunday morning update:  We watched the Manchurian Candidate (original)  on the MGM movie channel.  I went to bed.  Sim was delighted to find the Yankee game on one of our stations.  But that was at about 4am.  He made it through the 6th inning.