Turkish Delight
(part II)
“ If the Earth were a single state, Istanbul would be its Capital ”
– Napoleon Bonaparte.
We just got back from Istanbul. So what had changed?
This time the arrival was by air, again in the middle of the night. A visa was issued on arrival, a simple stamp. “Next”
Our hotel had been selected by the airline, a layover. The monolithic structure stood out in a residential area of suburban Istanbul. The hotel, celebrating 30 years, would have been considered luxurious back then, at the time of my first visit. Now it was just a welcome place to pause.
I thought back to that first visit nearly 30 yrs ago, and sitting by the hotel pool. I saw a woman with her husband, covered from head to toe in black. It was the first time I was seeing a woman wearing Abaya. When I went for a swim, I wrapped a towel around my shoulders and another around my middle, staying as covered as possible, hoping not to offend. The pool and beach today looked very different. Very few women were covered, only the older ones. Most women were in tops with shoestring straps or bikinis, enjoying the sea and the sun on their skin like everyone else.
We made a beeline for the Turkish baths each day. It had been a while. I had forgotten how much I enjoy it. A change there is that changing room chat has been replaced with women silently scrolling on their cell phones and taking selfies in fluffy towels. I was the only one sitting with my thoughts. I reflected on that first visit here. Yes, the years had passed. There were many changes in this city. And I know I’ve changed too. I wondered if perhaps I wouldn’t mind recapturing a little of who I was then, but that’s a whole other story.
There seemed to be a lot of cats. We saw them everywhere. In our local area kittens were being cared for by local residents. Cat ‘igloos’ were left under bushes and food was being left out for them. I carried them cold cuts from breakfast each morning and we watched. We often find ourselves saying that you can learn a lot from cats, who focus on what’s important, taking time to rest and live in the now, their ‘eternal meeow’.
During our time in Istanbul we quickly opted out of the chaos of the city chose to spend more time walking along the Bosphorus. We took time to recharge on our long haul journey.
But I was still impressed by this vibrant city, that straddles both Europe and Asia.
And there were a lot of cats!
© Maggie M / Mother City Time