Istanbul #2

March 10, 2013

Armand picked me up quite near the appointed hour, and drove me about, seeing some of the sights and most of the lay of the land. The Dolmabahce Palace is exactly what one thinks when somebody says “palace.” It is also dusty, down-in-the-mouth, and maybe just a little tawdry. Can I use that word when the tinsel is real gold? A Sultan of the Lingering Autumn built it in the middle of the 19th century to emulate the palaces of, I suppose, France and Germany. In some ways I’m sure it outdoes them, but the effect is a little overblown, like a puny man standing on lifts and thinking nobody notices. More crystal on the ceiling than one could imagine. Haven’t see Topkapi yet (Armand didn’t take me, because he said it is close and I can get here myself) but I’m certain to like it better. Three American girls were in my group, constantly correcting each other’s pronunciation and critiquing each other’s reason. I wondered why they were friends. Then on to the church called Chora (the Kariye Museum), a masterpiece, a gem. I had never seen mosaic in mass splendor, and it is breathtaking, even in its ruined state and its always small dimensions. I longed to be there by myself to wander and stare, and stare. We went to have tea at Armand’s friend’s rug shop. I did realize at that moment that part of the operation had been, since the random meeting at the airport that set it up, toward the end of getting me to buy a rug. I did, too, so it worked. I bought two beautiful rugs, and weighing my delight in them with the irritation of being played–even when I was fully aware–leaves me on the sunny side, if not by a wide margin. On then to a famous fish restaurant, which was wonderful. Gulls flew overhead and the feral cats of Istanbul prowled in the shadows. Armand is going to meet me tonight for drinks, and as I can’t imagine he’s really that interested in me, I’ll be alert for the next gentle scam. I did get them back by not paying them for the tour. Not doing so was entirely a matter of forgetfulness, but I smiled a little when I saw the preferred euros still in my wallet.