stray cat strut

Our first day turned into a fantastic adventure, beginning in the morning with a tour of an ancient cistern deep beneath the city.  We think that this was the setting for the battle with Medusa from the original Clash of the Titans. 

We spent the rest of the morning looking around the Blue Mosque, and then an extended visit to the Topkapi compound, the palace, the kiosks and the harem.  Istanbul has some particular features, like the bands of feral cats absolutely everywhere; they seem content for the most part.  Another common feature, part of the inventory, is the hawker to lure you into his stall, shop or restaurant.  It is a little overwhelming, and I am not the quickest to decide when it comes to a simple choice so I do not like to feel pressured. 

In the afternoon, we walked to the periphery of the Grand Bazaar--saving that foray until today and saw the Column of Constantine, which was once apparently laden with relics, like the axe of Noah and the staff of Moses--though I thought that was at the Topkapi treasury. 

In the evening, we also saw the Wall of Theodorus and then returned (by streetcar) to the mouth of the Bosphorus and walked from Europe to Asia and rebounded underneath the Galata Bridge for a very fancy dinner--that was also thrust upon us but pleasant and reasonable in the end.  If there is one salesman on the block, then they all have to use the same tactics.