Istanbul Part 1

Istanbul Part 1

I have nothing negative to say about Istanbul except for one thing. For two days it was impossible to get my hands on an Istanbulkart. It is a card that you use for the light rail, subway, and public bathrooms. Once I managed to find a kiosk that actually had them in stock everything was a breeze. I kept the fucking card because if I go back to Istanbul, even if it is in 10 years, I don’t want to be going around like a jackass trying to get another. Other than that, we had a great time.

So I’ll set the stage for you. Istanbul is massive, and like other important ancient cities, it has layers that are obvious or need peeling back. Remember that as a city it used to be Rome. There are many hills, but that isn’t the real thing of beauty. It is the Bosporus itself. On one side you have the subcontinent of Europe, and on the other the Anatolian peninsula leading to the wider Asian landmass. Whether just walking along the water line or up a number of the hills, there are many picturesque views. Since before the times of Romulus and Remus, the city has been a crossroads of cultures and empires. Today, the city is thoroughly Turkish, but you can see its diversity in the people and architecture.

Let’s move onto the food. Perhaps it is just me but the mix of specific seafood and expertly seasoned meat had me in paradise. And to my surprise there was a lot of dishes with pumpkin. My ideal meal is cheese, warm pita, olives, dried fruit, fried anchovies, pumpkin, a giant dollop of yogurt, a shepherds salad, pumpkin, and some grilled meat. Well there’s also the baklava and I’m still overdosed on it, but yeah, add that to my meal. I had baklava from so many different places, and some were buttery and others sweet. I’m not complaining but some days I just wanted a chocolate covered Turkish delight. Since it was Ramadan, many restaurants offered a special menu. Don’t fuck around with this. You better come prepared. Jenny and I needed second stomachs, and we didn’t eat all day. The craziest thing was that the two skinny girls next to us out ate us like it was a joke. I wish I had a bigger stomach, because I’d eat like that at least once a week. All things considered we had some fancy and casual food there; and the fancy is on par with here in the NYC area, but the casual was delightful and to my personal enjoyment: consistent. A few places I went to numerous times in Istanbul were as consistent as Immanuel Kant walking across town. So I tip my hat to the cooks of Istanbul; I wish they were like that here. I long for a plate of shish and a platter of mezze.

Turkish coffee deserves its own mention. Most of it was very good, but hanging at some cafe talking shit and enjoying the sun with Jenny for hours made it even better. What’s better than hanging around doing nothing but talking shit? At first I wasn’t into the grittiness of the coffee, but it just becomes a thing in the background while you enjoy a moment to chill. If bored one could read the grinds and speculate about the future. Although I should point out that tea is a more common everyday drink there based on my experiences.

If I wasn’t making gelato I’d probably be traveling. I am a romantic at heart and as a child I read about far away places. Who doesn’t love a place with a good story? Istanbul is one such place and it is in a strategic location. Pull up a map, if you can, and take a look. That little strip of water they call the Bosporus controls access from the Black Sea into the wider Mediterranean which connects to the Suez and further to the Indian Ocean. It is destined to be an interesting place with many layers of stories. One of our hotels was in a small town almost to the Black Sea, and at all times of the day I could see huge cargo ships navigating the Bosporus. I’d wonder what was inside them. Ukrainian and Russian wheat? Oil? Guns? Humans? In all honesty, it’s probably all that. Istanbul will always be an important city.

Istanbul has left a strong impression on me although I need more time there. To spend time in a country that is known for not knowing if it is European or Asian is something I can relate to. A once nomadic culture that conquered one of the greatest cities in the world to be what it is today and what it can be tomorrow is the stuff of legends. This week Turkey has an election and there is no place for me to comment on their politician situation, but I wish them the best for their people and culture. I look forward to going back and deeper into the country.