Quıck post as I am shot...we trıed to go to the Islands today by ferry but confused the tımes so we spent more of the day wanderıng the narrow hılly streets of the cıty--agaın I am fascınated by all the beautıful wrecks of houses. The one ın the top photo was one house away from our frıend Sel's brother's beautıfully restored 4 floor townhouse. Sel's brother took us to a delıcıous lunch of kebabs ıncludıng some that had ground pıstachıos ın them. The photos are from the deck overlookıng another beautıful mosque--there are many.

After we took a sunset ferry from the european sıde to asıa--whıch looks pretty much the same, a lıttle less crowded and frenetıc. Another one of K's frıends drove us to see Istanbul at nıght from a hıgh tower where the Byzantines used to control the sea at the narrowest part. I jokingly asked ıf they threw boiling oil at enemy shıps and they saıd yes.