Istanbul Escape and then some...
In the early hours of the morning we loaded the car and, under the cover of darkness, we joined the convoy of expat families heading to Mumbai Airport for the Christmas escape. For us it was a Turkish Airlines flight to Istanbul and, despite Kate's dire predictions of being squeezed between a large and hairy Turkish wrestler and a crone exporting live chickens in her lap, the trip was pleasant. Well, as pleasant as economy class with two children can be!
Istanbul provided exactly what we were looking for, the order and amenity of a historic European capital city combined with exotic sights and sounds of a majority Muslim country. We enjoyed the change in food, which for me meant some grilled meat twice a day, and reveled in the cool crisp air.
Our hotel, The Amira, was well positioned deep in the old part of the city, a five minute walk from the main sights of the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofia and the city Cistern. The passage of empires has certainly left its mark on the city with the Roman, Byzantines and Ottomans all contributing to a rich cultural tapestry.
In addition to the magnificent sights, no trip to any great European capital would be complete without a spending time at a shopping mall. Inevitably this is the bribe to compensate for seeing the sights and trying to give our children a rich international education.
The magnificent Byzantine mosaics in the Chora Church, ironically preserved by the white wash that was used to cover them when the church was converted into a mosque by the Ottomans, were given a quick glance by the kids in between playing with the church cats and dancing to their Ipod (thanks Mr Jobs).
In contrast, the kids were awe struck by an above average shopping mall with the usual array of H&M, Zara and Marks and Spencers. The only joy from Kate and my perspective was that it was the only shopping centre in Europe not in the grip of a Christmas frenzy. There is something to be said to doing your Christmas shopping in a Muslim country!
We were conscious of the "thick skin" that we had developed in Mumbai as a means of protection against the constant efforts to separate us from our money. As a result we had committed to being more open and letting our guard down a little. This was immediately rewarded through a chance meeting with a mother and a little girl Ada's age who were doing a school assignment consisting of recording the home country and towns of people that they met, all in great english.
However, this was short lived as we were soon overwhelmed by touts who were under-employed due to the winter and the economic down turn. They had such a casual approach and charming banter that it took a while before you worked out that you were being led to their favored carpet retailer. Their approach was sophisticated and friendly and a refusal from us was always met with a smile and best wishes.
Trade must be hard during the winter along with the economy in Europe that said how many people buy Turkish carpets? Given the number of retailers, they must give away a Turkish carpet for every Ryan Air flight, at least it would give you somewhere to sleep when your flight is cancelled.
Istanbul provided exactly what we were looking for, the order and amenity of a historic European capital city combined with exotic sights and sounds of a majority Muslim country. We enjoyed the change in food, which for me meant some grilled meat twice a day, and reveled in the cool crisp air.
Our hotel, The Amira, was well positioned deep in the old part of the city, a five minute walk from the main sights of the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofia and the city Cistern. The passage of empires has certainly left its mark on the city with the Roman, Byzantines and Ottomans all contributing to a rich cultural tapestry.
In addition to the magnificent sights, no trip to any great European capital would be complete without a spending time at a shopping mall. Inevitably this is the bribe to compensate for seeing the sights and trying to give our children a rich international education.
The magnificent Byzantine mosaics in the Chora Church, ironically preserved by the white wash that was used to cover them when the church was converted into a mosque by the Ottomans, were given a quick glance by the kids in between playing with the church cats and dancing to their Ipod (thanks Mr Jobs).
In contrast, the kids were awe struck by an above average shopping mall with the usual array of H&M, Zara and Marks and Spencers. The only joy from Kate and my perspective was that it was the only shopping centre in Europe not in the grip of a Christmas frenzy. There is something to be said to doing your Christmas shopping in a Muslim country!
We were conscious of the "thick skin" that we had developed in Mumbai as a means of protection against the constant efforts to separate us from our money. As a result we had committed to being more open and letting our guard down a little. This was immediately rewarded through a chance meeting with a mother and a little girl Ada's age who were doing a school assignment consisting of recording the home country and towns of people that they met, all in great english.
However, this was short lived as we were soon overwhelmed by touts who were under-employed due to the winter and the economic down turn. They had such a casual approach and charming banter that it took a while before you worked out that you were being led to their favored carpet retailer. Their approach was sophisticated and friendly and a refusal from us was always met with a smile and best wishes.
Trade must be hard during the winter along with the economy in Europe that said how many people buy Turkish carpets? Given the number of retailers, they must give away a Turkish carpet for every Ryan Air flight, at least it would give you somewhere to sleep when your flight is cancelled.
