Getting the Balance Right

Sightseeing here is a logistical nightmare as key attractions are only open on certain days.   Maybe that is smart marketing as people need to stay in Istanbul longer to see and do everything.   Yesterday I had planned to visit Hagia Sophia and it was closed ….. today I decided to start with Topkapi Palace and then go on to Hagia Sophia … but today Topkapi was closed!!!    Tomorrow I had decided I wanted to do a day trip to the Black Sea (by land not boat as you get to see more)  but no  one does one on a Wednesday … so I can’t even do that when I am back in July as the only free day I have is a Wednesday.  I wish I had known all this before I left as I would have planned my time differently …. so a real word of warning for anyone traveling to Istanbul that only has a few days – do research on what is open when before you leave and plan around when things are open and tours operate.

Why did I call this blog entry – “Getting the Balance Right” well it is one thing to plan where you are going to go,  but once you have your plan it is time to unwind and soak up the atmosphere and history.  This morning, I found myself  in my usual “I have got to get this done” mode and then I realised I have all day and didn’t need to rush through things – I needed to relax and enjoy them.  Also … it doesn’t matter if I don’t know where I am going when I am walking around – I will eventually find my way back …. and I have all day to do that with no deadlines!  Such bliss given that I live by my diary at home … at least during the week!

Today I did get to visit Hagia Sophia.  It was originally built as an Orthodox basilica in around 500 AD.  In the early 1200′s it became a Roman Catholic Cathedral.  In 1453 the church was converted to a mosque and in 1934 it became a museum.  Obviously it has gone through lots of changes/restoration in that period.  It is very hard to imagine how they designed and built such amazing buildings … I am sure we could not build something like this today even with all our technology, university trained architects, etc.

After that I decided to try the hop on hop off bus even though I had read you spent most of your time in a traffic jam.   I decided just to do the circuit  rather than hop off … and from there decide what I would go and see tomorrow … in addition to Topkapi Palace.  I actually thought it was a great way to see some of Istanbul and even though the traffic was bad it did not spoil the trip.

Whilst I have seen no demonstrations or trouble in Istanbul and everyone has been their normal friendly selves, today  there has been more trouble in Taksim Square as they have evicted the protesters.  Given this they removed Taksim Square from our route although no mention was made of this.  The only hint we got there were still problems in Istanbul were the police sitting on the side of the road obviously ready to deal with any incidents. There were a lot of them with riot gear and water canons at the ready … all looking very laid back and relaxed!!!

I got off the bus at the Egyptian (Spice) Markets and wandered through the market and then out into the streets which were teaming with people.  This is where I got a bit lost – after I left the market I was not sure how to get back to  the hotel but I just wandered in the direction I thought I should go and eventually got there.  On the way I saw many shops that I will have to go and explore when I am back in July.