We spent all day, from shortly after 9:00 until 2:00 perusing and browsing, haggling and buying – never at the asking price. We got what we think are pretty good bargains. We can only imagine the storekeepers chuckling after we left, “boy did we take those tourists,” or something similar in Turkish. The girls did the shopping; I was the camel, until they bought more than I could carry and they had to carry something, too.
After a quick lunch, we rushed back to the hotel to shower off all the sweat we worked up shopping, and to meet Roberto and Sara, Isaac's cousins. I greeted them when they got to the hotel, as the girls were not quite finished. They speak pretty good Spanish, mixed with Ladino words and phrases. The three of us and two of them chatted in the drawing room of our hotel for a few minutes until we left in their car. They would take us on a cruise up and down the Bosporus. The boat terminal is about 2 km from the hotel; it took us about an hour in the frustrating, crazy Instanbul traffic.
The day was gorgeous, and we enjoyed it on the top deck of the boat, as it cruised up the European coast of the Bosporus, under the two enormously high suspension bridges that connect Europe and Asia. The sea breezes made the 35-degree day (95 Farenheit) comfortably cool. We passed the Ottoman castle the was built by the Sultan who was planning to attack Constantinople in the 15th Century. He built a fortress on each side of the straits and extended a chain the half-mile from one to the other to keep boats from the European Black Sea from being able to reinforce or to supply Constantinople. Finally, in about 1451 his armies were able to conquer the city.
If not for that victory, the Jews, who would be forced to leave Spain fewer than 50 years later, would never have been able to move to safety in Turkey.
The boat made a wide turn and came southward on the Asian side of the straits. We passed ancient palaces and newer luxury homes. During this time, plans were made to visit Sara's sister, Ida and her husband on the island where they live for 2 to 3 months every summer. They explained how to take the streetcar, and which stop to get off. They explained what time to get the boat, and which terminal to to. They were impressed that we had an akbil, the re-chargeable bus/streetcar pass for the city. The akbil was good for the boat trip to the island, as well.
When we returned to port, we sat for tea at one of the waterfront cafes. Then we wandered the artisans' market in the vicinity, and our hosts bought the girls trinkets from a couple of the vendors.
Back in the car at about 7:00, we started for the restaurant. Our hosts have a favorite fish restaurant where they would take us, in one of the northern neighborhoods of the city. Traffic was its usual horror, and we pulled up to the restaurant at about 8:45. The proprietor welcomed his familiar guest and showed us to a nice table overlooking the water. Appetizers started to appear, until we had sampled so many varieties of fish and vegetables, that we thought surely that this was the complete meal. The waiters must have changed our plates 4 or 5 times during this period, and after an hour of enjoying mezes, the waiters brought new plates and the main course of fish and salad. When we were finished with the main course, we were brought the dessert: The Volcano, a specialty of the house. It was a hot brownie-like cake with ground up nuts sprinkled around, powdered sugar and chocolate/strawberry syrup over the top, surrounded by ice creams. Four of us shared one, and could barely finish our portions, but Sara wanted one all to herself, so she ordered a second. (By the way, she is thinner than I am.)
At about midnight we were finished eating, and our hosts drove us back to our hotel. The three of us were so tired that we all felt uncomfortable that we were unable to maintain any intelligent conversation. We collapsed in bed, unconscious.
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