The Visitors

April brought us a reprieve from the month of March that seemed like it would never end. Two Secretary visits meant that the missus was working serious overtime for two different weekends. That meant two twelve day work weeks for me watching the boy.

Reprieve came in the form of visitors! Uncle and Cousin of the missus came for a quick extended weekend trip to our fair city. It is always nice to have visitors, mainly to reconnect with people from "home" and partly because every visitor is different and wants to do new things. This visit was no exception.

They came in late on a Friday and we all just hung tight until the next day, when we went exploring. The weather that Saturday was as perfect as it gets. I could wear a long sleeve shirt and carry the boy and not get hot or sweaty. There was full sun which lifted all of our spirits and meant that the boy didn't have to be bundled up in layer upon layer.

We drove (drove!) to the Metro station and sped downtown towards Sultanahmet. We started off with food, which was very much needed and appreciated. The boy was mysteriously and repeatedly addressed as "Michael" by one of the waitstaff. He must look like another Michael that he knows. From there we went to Hagia Sophia, which I love to visit any chance I get. I gave the missus the chance to visit the gallery upstairs where you get the best view of the mosaics. I was in luck downstairs because there was a temporary exhibit of calligraphy which was stunning. At this point, the boy, so full of energy before, just conked out. So I took the opportunity to unload the pack and have a sit down.

Drum roll please... Inside the front door of the Hagia Sophia. So much beautiful marble!

From there, we walked over to the Basilica Cistern, but discovered our guests craved more exploring the streets rather than entering another site. We headed off in the vague direction of the Spice Bazaar and happened upon a quiet street where we found a unique card shop and the boy, now awake was presented with a sweet, yet creepy pop-up birthday card featuring an over-exuberant bunny inside. We found another main street and followed the crowds to the Spice Bazaar. We stopped for the requisite one pound of the best baklava in the world and made our way out to the Galata Bridge for a rest and a drink.

Troublemakers inside the Spice Bazaar.

I found a flag seller and bought a small Turkish flag for the boy, which made him an instant celebrity and brought the attention of several schoolgirls who asked for a picture. My good idea soon ended when the flag stick started getting closer and closer to my eyes. We found a nice rstaurant on the bridge and ordered some drinks and took our well-earned rest.

Having an Efes and watching the world go by.

Sunday brought cooler weather. Much cooler weather. We wanted to treat the Visitors to our favorite breakfast spot (featured on Anthony Bourdain's 'No Reservations', as well!). We set off in our trusty vehicle and made it out onto the main road, where we promptly came to a standstill as traffic trying to get to Emirgan to see the tulips had it snarled like nobody's business. It took us an hour to get down the hill that takes me fifteen minutes to walk down, even while wearing a small boy. After we cleared the park, it was mostly smooth sailing and we found our way to breakfast. We got the last table available, outside, on the edge of the roof, with no railing. It was a good seat, but it was chilly. I think we each had three or four cups of tea to stave off the chill. Breakfast was, as it always is in this fair country, fantastic, fantastic, fantastic.

Sunday night we had planned to go out into town so we headed home and lay low. There may have been an unfortunate accident involving the car and Uncle's foot. For that, I am eternally sorry. That evening, the boy and the missus stayed home and I took Uncle and Cousin out for some dinner, drinks and music. Well, sort of. I enjoy Istaklal and its environs, but I am woefully unprepared as far as being a good guide down there. I just don't spend enough time there.

We decided to start with a viewing of and from the Galata Tower, which I had never seen up close before. It turns out, it's quite easy to find and very lovely. Sadly, it was closed as we arrived. We then went looking for an area where a number of food and entertainment venues seemed to reside and found that they were all clustered in  a much smaller area than we had imagined. This being Sunday night, most were closed or not offering the usual sort of entertainment we had hoped for. We did find a decent restaurant, where we refreshed before looking for some music.

The music was more generic pop, versus anything traditional or homegrown so we planned on dessert and making off for home before the Metro stopped running at midnight. Dessert was a win! We found a quiet Özsüt on Istaklal and shared a slice of heavenly chocolate cake, and I enjoyed a Turkish coffee (maybe the first one I've had since moving here?).

Enjoying a chilly outdoor springtime breakfast. The boy got something a little chewy.

The beauty and grandeur of Hagia Sophia was just too much for one of us.

Enjoying the warm sunny day on the Galata Bridge.

Time for a little reflection. They were very good friends. Both had full range of motion and feeling in their toes at this point.

Monday was our planned outing to the Grand Bazaar with the whole group. I know how to get to the Grand Bazaar, but I am lost when I am in it. This was our first time without an expert spelunker to get us back out. Uncle was looking for a specific item (which he found; props to him!), which allowed us to spend some time browsing and not rushing past the "Please sir! I have best prices! Let me sell you something you don't need! Where are you from?! My cousin went there!" It was also the tail end of the  day so the keepers were getting ready to close up shop and go see their families.

After the successful purchase, we found our way back out (!) and also happened upon the book bazaar, which I had hoped would be a little more to my liking. It was also cold and raining upon our exit and we were looking for some food. Again, I am not familiar with any decent restaurants in the area, so we went walking back to Sultanahmet for more options and to load more money on our travel card, which I foolishly let run too low for us to escape out of the rain. It all worked out in our favor, as Uncle spied an Indian restaurant down a side street and we decided to give it a go. In a word, Heaven. The place was warm, the staff were warm, the food was fantastic. And the boy was VERY well looked after. He even got some ice cream, which he went nuts for, not being allowed ice cream at home.

Enjoying the free ice cream after his meal of delicious Indian food.

Hamming it up with our friendly server.

It was home for us from there and the next morning Uncle flew out nice and early. Cousin stayed along with us for a few extra days, but the weather became more and more foul and we were forced indoors. Literally. She was afforded a trip to the mall, sadly, and that was about it for any more excitement that week. It was great having them both. The boy was in heaven having new faces to smile at and have smile back. I enjoyed having adult conversation during the day and good meals throughout.

I hope they had a good time discovering this unique city. I discovered some new stuff too! I was able to try out a Metro spur that I hadn't travelled on, locate and admire the Galata Tower, have a beer midday on the Galata Bridge, experience Istaklal at night (I had done it a few times before, but this was more "explorey"), drive and park at the Metro (which means no more overpriced cab rides to the Metro!) and get myself and others out of the Grand Bazaar. Our next guests don't arrive for a few more months. Make your reservations now!

Working Saturday

Saturday, April 6, was a working Saturday for my love. Secretary of State John Kerry came for a visit.  We got to go out and see him the next day, but Saturday was just the boy and I. The weather had been cool to cold to wet, so at the first sight of sun, I took the boy and we headed out to our favorite spot on the Bosphorus. There is a 6 kilometer walk from Yenikoy to Tarabya and we hoofed it up most of the way. We headed back because my back can't do 12 kilometers with a boy on my back and it gets chilly pretty quick up there, being on the water and so close to the Black Sea.

Coast Guard boat speeding past a cargo ship.

Huber Köşkü - Apparently this used to be (or still possibly is?) a presidential palace. There is another one up the hill, which seems more likely, for security reasons. This one is probably more just for show.

Huber Köşkü - Some nice Ottoman architectural detail on there.

A happy boy and I.

4WD Lada for sale

Any takers? Sorry I forgot to get the number.

A Week in Review

Another weekend nears and another week has flown by. Except yesterday when the boy would. not. go. to. sleep. He awoke at 6:30 a.m. and was active until 8:30 p.m. when he was quite overtired (NOW I know what this parenting term really means!) and was so grumpy, he could not relax enough to just fall asleep. It was such a long day for his papa. I was also grumpy. Then I woke up today and realized what a great and busy week it has been and that he's allowed some days like that. It also didn't help that the PSG v. Barcelona football match was on TV the night before starting at the same time I usually go to bed. So I blame myself, really.

I'll start with Friday. Friday was a gorgeous day. Sunny and a little cold. I was on my way to take the boy north a bit to walk along the Bosphorus, when I got a call from my friend asking if we wanted to go for a walk. I decided to swing by and pick him and his little one up and take us all there. Our destination is just north of Yenikoy, a delightful little village that runs between Istinye and Sariyer. I really like Yenikoy. They have an abundance of restaurants and cafes and tree-lined streets. Most of the waterfront is taken up by private residences, but you can access it just north, as we did. It is the part of Istanbul I'd most like to live in if I lived here forever. It reminds me of a small coastal town in the U.S. It just has a nice laid-back vibe. And by that, I mean as laid-back as you can get in this city! I discovered a nice little place to park (rarity!) along the shore road, across from the gourmet grocery and near the Austrian Consulate. It's a prime place to walk and not crowded at all early in the day on a weekday.

The kids climbing around the car during carseat installation. They had a ball.

A scene out of a movie.

No better spot for a nap.

The next day was Saturday and the Consulate put on an egg hunt for the American expat community. We knew about the former, but not the latter and were overwhelmed at how many Americans live in Istanbul with small children. The boy ended up with a few eggs in his basket and seemed to know to pick them up and place them there. As he doesn't eat candy, we had to find creative ways to dispose of it. The Tootsie Rolls were particularly delicious. The pictures are on the other camera and will be seen here at a later date.

Sunday was yet another gorgeous day and our friends invited us for a walk to Emirgan to see the tulips that the city plants every spring. It was part of the first nice weekend of the year and the park was packed with people. We were luck we were able to walk. It would've taken hours to get our car in there!

He still fits in the backpack and I am still able to carry him in it.

We loved these tulips with the crazy edges.

Some grape hyacinth in the middle, but the rest is all tulips. (check it out large!)

A very happy small boy. No longer a baby.

The outline of the country done up as a Turkish flag. It was quite stunning with all that red!

The boy and I waiting to cross the bridge. All the paparazzi are taking photos of some "lucky" young chap who is to be circumcised later in the day. It is tradition for boys to get these elaborate princely costumes to help them celebrate their big day. This young man was a little fussy at having to wear so many layers on such a warm day. I was thinking the uncomfortable part is yet to come!

A tulip motif made up of tulips. There were as many cameras out as there were people. The tulips in the park are a BIG deal!

But wait! There's more! On Monday we had tickets to see (comedian? performer? funny bloke?) Eddie Izzard and were lucky enough that the venue was only ten minutes away by car. Our group met up at the mall and had a delicious dinner at an outpost of one of my favorite cafes before dropping the boy off at a friend's and heading off to the show. It was a hilarious performance and I was very happy to have had the chance to see him perform live. We returned home with sleepy boy in hand and went to bed way past our bedtime. The next day brought the playdate in Bebek and that's what I've been up to for the better part of a week. It is a good life. This post brought to you by the fact that the boy decided to nap again. Hallelujah.

Bebek Playdate

This may sound similar to a previous post about traveling TO a playdate via the Bosphorus. However, this post is about a playdate on the edge of the Bosphorus in a lovely little neighborhood called Bebek, which just happens to mean 'baby' in Turkish.

Our group consisted of us three stay at home dads from the Consulate and our children. We met up at my place and walked down to the harbor to catch the boat. As always when I take the boat, it is always just pulling in to port when I am arriving. Soon we were off to Kanlica, home of the famous yogurt; Anadolu Hisari, where there is a beautiful museum, a baby park and some lovely open green space; Kandilli, where there is supposedly a stream of delicious fresh water, and onto Bebek, known for its chichi restaurants and clubs and occasional Ferrari and Lamborghini sightings. They also have a great children's park and some other normal restaurants.

My boy was suffering from a recent cold, so he looks a little down in the mouth, but he was very excited to be out and about. He got to see boats, ships, birds, dogs and about two dozen planes where for each, he craned his neck and pointed and said his hoarse "Wow!"

On the boat. Kids stayed buckled in for safety.

A ship and a bridge!

A ship and a bridge and a CASTLE!

A castle, all by its lone.

Sometimes you get passed by giant ships. This one is a livestock carrier bound for Romania originally from Beirut, Lebanon.

We unloaded at Bebek and found our way to the park, which is quite large and very nicely kept. It was very popular and there were plenty of children, but there are enough play areas that nothing was overcrowded. The boy got to go down a few slides with his papa, which he thoroughly enjoyed. My legs are too gangly for the circular slide, so it was just the short straight ones for us.

At the park.

The boy and his accomplice spy a Louis Vuitton bag. They both love to get into bags. The owner came and retrieved it before they could pilfer anything from it.

An attempted escape!

We finally did escape and went searching for some delicious, cheap food to bring back to the park to enjoy in the shade on the grass. We wandered around for a short spell, but Bebek is so small, that you don't need to go too far to see it all. We got a hard sell for a butcher shop / deli from a man who spoke English quite well, but we weren't in the mood for what they had to offer. I wouldn't mind trying it another time, however. We ended up at a koftecisi, a place that sells kofte. We each got an order and it was so delicious and only about $6.50 for a plate with rice, fresh tomato slices, a hot pepper and plenty of kofte. The boy ate quite a few, even though the children had their own order of chicken. After that, it was a game of keep the children out of the water, away from the mean dog, let them chase the crows, but don't let them step in any piles of dog poop. We all wore each other out and headed home on the bus, where all three children fell instantly asleep.

I am excited for the warmer days to come. I plan on exploring each of the ferry stops individually and also inviting others out to join us. It's what I wanted to do all last year, but was too busy getting acquainted with everything and feeling overwhelmed. I have to thank my ever patient Turkish teacher for working with me so diligently, even when I don't study or remember my vocabulary. My comprehension of the language is growing and hence my confidence in going out to the non-touristy places (the safe ones). Here's to a great 2013 with my little guy. If only the wife could play hooky more often...

And finally, the most beautiful Consulate in Istanbul, the Egyptian Consulate. It's like a fancy French estate right on the water. It's one of my favorite buildings here, although I should appreciate the Ottoman architecture more.

Sariyer

Sariyer is the district we live in, but also a town unto itself just a ways north of us. Now that we have the car, we can venture out to these easy to get to places. The advantage of this area is that it is SLIGHTLY less crowded than the rest of the city to the south of us and affords a more gentle vibe. There are still places to walk along the Bosphorus, but the sidewalks are wider and the fishermen less numerous. These pictures are just south of Sariyer, not the town of Sariyer itself.

He doesn't show it, but he was very excited to be there.

A nice little mini harbor.

Getting a blast of cool Black Sea air.

More of the harbor.

Hey there! Despite our relaxed pose, I have a death grip on him because the water is cold, cold, cold and deeper than I can stand. So of course, he's fascinated with being as close as he can to the edge.

One of my favorite things about this little guy is that he now holds my hand...er finger when we walk.

Some gents on a boat..fishing..in leather jackets.

Asia on the right, Europe on the left. Beyond the gap is the Black Sea. This was a sunny day, but there was icy air coming down. This was also the same day as the Galatasaray game that I attended. When the sun went down, this icy fog came shooting south and made it a very chilly evening.

In which mrleedy attends a football match

Those familiar with me know that I love the game of football (i.e. soccer) and I love my Portland Timbers (and that team from the depressing town in northern England a bit too). Living in Turkey gives me the opportunity to see a new brand of football and I've wanting to see a match since I passed the massive new stadium of Galatasaray on my way in from the airport when we first got here.

I mentioned it in passing to whomever I thought might seem interested. I had plenty of people that would look at me as if I'd just reminded them that the game existed (the usual response in the states too, by the way), but no one seemed as excited as I was.

I took the drastic measure of advertising in the consulate newsletter and receieved...two replies. One for a Galatasaray game and one for their arch rivals, Fenerbahce. I offered myself up to be a fan of the home team in exchange for some company to the games.

A match between Galatasaray and Orduspor (Spor is the Turkish word for sport. Ordu is a lovely looking village on the Black Sea.) was found to be suitable for all involved. The date approached quickly and I assembled my team of two friends and tried to coordinate the ticket website as best I could with my feeble Turkish abilities. I found several areas around the stadium for 40TL (~$25) and after conferring with my cohorts, was surprised to see that all of them had sold out except for one corner. One corner...

We made our way to the stadium via an easy and direct subway line, followed the fans decked out in red and gold and were right at the mouth of the stadium. First we had to acquire the actual tickets that I had purchased and reserved online. We found the queue for the section of the stadium where we'd be sitting and waited an interminably long time to get to the front. The stadium is brand new and state of the art. The act of getting your tickets is unnecessarily complicated. It's a combination that is sadly quite frequent here.

With the players already on the pitch (we could hear the roar, no pun intended since Galatasaray are also called the Lions), we finally got our tickets in hand and raced for our entry point. We began circling the stadium and noticed that our entry point was missing. Cohort number one inquired to this and was directed to a metal gate and stairs leading down below the stadium. I also mentioned that our section had "misifir" on them. He informed us that means "guest" in Turkish. Uh oh.

We approach the gate and show our tickets and are cautiously let in. Down the stairs we go, into a battalion of riot police with shields and tear gas guns. I was relieved only because they were carrying their helmets and not wearing them.

We are frisked and proceed to the inner workings of the stadium. We present our tickets and are frisked again. I am fine to go. Cohort number one must surrender his stabby-looking umbrella. Cohort number two is asked to deposit his Lira coin in a collection box. We joke that he had to tip the guy who frisked him. We then climb the stairs to our nosebleed seats with plenty more regular police and find ourselves in a plexiglass box with netting over the top. Nobody gets in, nobody gets out. We figure we'll be fine as long as the home team wins. Before we can sit down, we hear our new seatmates going nuts. Their team is up 1-0.

Luckily the section is mostly empty. We can sit in whatever seats offer the best view, that is, whichever ones have the least obstructed view. The game is not terribly exciting. I think we are all just thinking about how early we should leave if the score stays the same. But wait! Orduspor have been awarded a penalty. They are now up 2-0!

Relegation-threated Orduspor are leading table toppers and reigning Turkish League champions by two goals. The several hundred fans in purple are going nuts. I am impressed with the score, but would like to watch as much as I can without fearing for the intact-ness of my limbs or my scar-free handsome and boyish face.

Galatasaray make a substitution early on in the second half and they seem to be playing as a cohesive unit and have remembered how to pass the ball. Maybe they have just warned up from the freezing Black Sea fog that has been rolling in all during the first half.

*side note* No alcohol is served at Turkish sports stadiums. Plenty of fans arrive with it in their bellies. You have to settle for hot tea at the stadium, which we all did.

New signing Wesley Sneijder scores a beauty of a goal to give Galatsaray some hope. His name is still being called when another goal is scored for the home team. And another. And another. Apparently during all this, the Galatasaray manager is sent off, followed by the team's assistant manager.

Actually we missed the final goal. We decided to leave fifteen minutes early in the hopes that we could walk out unmolested and besides, we didn't want a fancy riot police escort. We follow our footsteps back to the outdoors. My cohort retrieves his stabby umbrella and we ascend to the menacing metal gate. They have it locked and tell us that we have to leave the other way. What other way? Along the freeway offramp, where it so happens, there is no sidewalk so we can hop the railing and walk in the mud or walk between the parked taxis and the cars hurtling off the freeway down the ramp.

Then we have to run across the actual offramp and climb over safety barriers that were erected most likely to prevent people from doing just that and we are back to the safety of the sidewalk and off to the Metro we go.

*side note* After the game, kofte (delicious Turkish meatball) are sold from tiny rolling carts everywhere outside the stadium. They are generally delicious. It seems like excellent post-game food. I didn't partake on this occasion, but I see some in my future gamedays.

It was an amazing time. I can't describe how different it all was, how amazingly loud the stadium was (it holds a Guinness record for loudest crowd roar at a stadium), how bizarrely we were treated, but how safe we felt overall. I was disappointed only because I was there to root on the home team and was hoping to explore the stadium. Instead, I had to focus on watching a quite amazing game of football.

Here are the highlights: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=hRKq5U8nw1M&NR=1

The guy in the red and gold kit bending down at the far left edge of the circle is Wesley Sneijder, Dutch football legend. The guy in the red and gold kit standing at the far right of the circle is Didier Drogba, Ivory Coast football legend.

Nine Months!

It is February. Cold and smoggy February. Warmer days with clearer skies are right around the corner. February also means we've been here nine months. I can say, finally, that I'm starting to feel at home here. The obstacles seem easier to surmount. I'm learning some of the dozens of districts and neighborhoods (on the European side at least). I'm understanding a few phrases and at least learning the personal suffixes so I know the basis of the questions being asked of me. Having a car means I can now ditch taking taxis, which are convenient, but are usually out to scam a few extra Lira off you.

Here's a picture of some fruit.