Travellers' Tales on Wednesday

My Bucharest Trip

My visit to Bucharest was a one day trip. Short it sounds but at the expense of it prolonged enough, from the early mourning hours to moonlight, and padded with permanent action for my measuring system can state about it a very successful one, rich of interesting sites and various emotions.

Bucharest is the capital city of Romania and, located in its south eastern part, is in a very close range to Bulgaria, both countries separated from one another by the great European river Danube, their geographical and political border, and connected through the Danube Bridge that stretches between the cities of romanian Giurgiu and bulgarian Rousse.

As the tradition, I begin my notes with the index of my trip, the thorough list of places of interest I have visited there as well as others I would like to recommend to your attention. And again, I hope you enjoy the story!!

* This list is still improving - new information is on to be added.

The Tour Walk
May. 09, 2009
The Tour Tale

The Route Map { coming soon }
The Places List:

Civic Center ro:Centrul Civic
Historic City Centre ro:Centrul Istoric al Oraşului
Lipscani Area ro:Zona Lipscani
Manuc's Inn ro:Hanul Manuc
Metropolitanate Hill ro:Dealul Mitropoliei
Mogoşoaia Palace ro:Palatul Mogoşoaia
National Museum of Contemporary Art ro:Muzeul Naţional de Artă Contemporană
Old (Princely) Court ro:Curtea Veche
Palace of the Parliament ro:Palatul Parlamentului
Palace of the Patriarchate ro:Palatul Patriarhiei
Romanian Patriarchal Cathedral ro:Catedrala Patriarhală
Triumphal Arch ro:Arcul de Triumf
Village Museum ro:Muzeul Satului
ro:
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A Hundred Instants of Istanbul

* The post is still incomplete - new information is on to be added.

And here, these are my hundred instants of Istanbul memorized there:

Fourth Istanbul Tour Walk

The Tour Details

The Site Page

Статията на български

The last day of my visit we had snow, wet and falling in heavy white rags, a great surprise even for the city itself. You have already seen what the winter sea climate of Istanbul looked like during our presence there in my pictures so far. After the wonderful sun we were blessed with on the first day of the New Year and remembering the time before, the fairy-tale weather of our ferry trip to the islands, that day we reached the complete set of experienced emotions.

I am quite far away from a winter lover. Disliking its frost and chill to my deepest, I am born to make it through them all and welcome the green. Despite my nature, this extraordinary snow made it all special in my eyes and I could feel truely satisfied with my stay there. As when you could get everything, even the impossible. As if Istanbul wanted us to leave fulfiled, with a basket to the top with every piece of Turkish delight existing in taste and colour. I loved the feeling and I loved having warmer clothes in my luggage too.

Yet, speaking of the cold, I could not escape the extreme experience with my visit to the Blue Mosque. As it usually happens, the monument we used to face every single day on start and turning back in the evenings; the one, closest to the hotel, was left unseen for the final. So, it is the rule, you get what you have prepared. There is a law in the Islamic world to take shoes off before entering a temple. And while it was snowing most heavily in the meantime, I could have no different choice. You can propably imagine how neither the thick red carpets nor the golden splendour inside managed to warm my poor frozen feet... I was only left to warm my soul in the spiritual sense.

A monumental tower of the sea walls of Constantinople.

Part of the sea walls with the unique marble window-frames.

Another part of the sea walls of Constantinople.

Wed facing one of those popular tea-rooms where you can smoke nargile/hookah with your tea.

The desert embankment of the snowy Marmara Sea.

A triple view-plan of Ahtamara/Arasta Bazaar, the Carpet and Kilim Museum and the Blue Mosque.

The main gate entrance of the Blue Mosque external walls.

A courtyard view to the Blue Mosque. In my architectural opinion the most exquisite and refined place I saw in Istanbul!! You need to see pics of the outstanding interior to imagine its splendour.

The fantastic pleiad of domes, semi-domes, vaults and archs forming the entire ceiling cover of the mosque.

In natural light the interior sinks in bluish shades because of its mosaic tiling's blue colour. Blurring eyes you can also see the blue lights of the windows and know why they call it the Blue Mosque.

Opening your eyes and litting all the lights the mosque appears in its breath-taking golden splendour.

One of these gigantic columns carrying the enormous structure of the mosque. When you're inside you can truely feel the whole space magnificence.

One of the galleries with the blue mosaics adorning the interior of the mosque.

The fairy-tale winter sight of the mosque garden with a view to the Cistern and St Sofia in the spectral background.

The Egyptian Obelisk elevating in front of the Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum main building.

The Serpentine and the Walled Obelisks. All three of them are placed at the ancient Hippodrome site of Constantinople. Huddling up in the snowy background the Marmara University Rectorship.

The famous Grand Bazar of Istanbul. I think of it as the city's symbol. There you will find all the sellers getting cross with you daring refuse to haggle and bargain over the price:)

One of the central vaulted galleries in the new Grand Bazar body.

Another of the Grand Bazar vaulted galleries in its original old body.

The Beyazit Mosque. The oldest surviving Sultan's mosque from the imperial times.

The brilliant Beyazit Mosque inner sight with its courtyard and the typical fountain. It is a traditional view for the mosque architectural complex.

The central of the three bizarre buildings of the Istanbul University.

Another of the Istanbul University structures. I absolutely love the sight - it looks so likewise to my favourite romantic residential environments.

The obscure sight of the famous Column of Constantine surrounded by iron bars and metal brackets of the restoration work.

A magnificent night view of the blazing Blue Mosque.

Third Istanbul Tour Walk

The Tour Details

The Site Page

Статията на български

This was the tour leg with the largest program and therefore the most tiresome of all. The reason, the little pebble in my shoe, was that I had missed the entire previous day, the first day of the New Year, in an accidental and all personal manner, and needed to catch up with its appointed visits as well. Despite of it, I should say, I had felt more pressure during my first walk and would feel the already loaded exhaustion in the upcoming.

I succeeded to see all of them, the Topkapi Palace, the Hagia Sofia, the Basilica Cistern, then to throw myself as further as the Yedikule Fortress and the Golden Gate, and finally to turn back through the Valens Aqueduct. Taking a look at the map, only then you will be able to realize what the whole picture resembles in kilometers. I was on foot the entire time except for the segments from the Center to the Istanbul University, from around there to the Belgrade Gate, and from Yedikule to the Valens Aqueduct.

Take also into account that most of these places are world-famous monuments of history and culture, important to be seen, and to be seen thoroughly. They need our time and attention to reveal their prominent features, and we would need the same on our behalf to be able to rationalize this great amount of information, welcoming the chance to experience the strong emotion of our meeting in a natural way. Moreover, the Topkapi Palace is a place usually taking a day for a visit because of its dimensions and complexity. Actually, it is a monument composed of numerous others.

I think the main reasons for such an ambitious round to turn to be successful were the top central location of my accommodation; also the fact that the first main group of places of interest was in a very close range to one another and one hand distanced from the hotel. Surely, I do not want to miss mentioning the politeness of Istanbulites, always ready to help and guide, the well-developed urban transport net, and finally, the luck. Of course. In the end, I was awarded for my hard pushing. I saw a fabulous fortress, although half of it in dusk, and one of the most exquisite sites my eyes had ever touched, the lovely Basilica Cistern, full of beauty, music, golden fish and water. You might say, a place born just for me and I would totally agree.

* This set is still improving - new information is on to be added.

The outermost wall and gate of Topkapi Palace.

Hagia Sofia, the former orthodox church is now a museum open for visits with special permissions.

Hagia Sofia

Hagia Sofia

Basilica Cistern

Belgrade Gate

Theodosian Walls

Yedikule Gate

Yedikule Fortress

Valens Aqueduct

A nocturnal picture of Hagia Sofia, although illuminated, it sinks in its emormous torso mysteriously in the late evening.

Buyukada Architectural Eccentricities

The Main Article

The Site Page

Статията на български

Istanbul, not to say Turkey as a whole, is a district of various contrasts. I remember when my mom went there on a business trip years ago she was sharing about the same impressions. It is a real picturesque universe and the islands make no difference. All the trips along I could meet the gravity of history and richness of romance and right to their next corner face the other side of things. I believe the whole world is founded on this dichotomy but here the unique is you could see the two in one without the feeling of the casts. Likewise the drama theatre two masks stand together in the symbol or why not Yin and Yang. And each part of that having its numerous expressions. As a person I am in a constant quest for positive in life (all us having quite much of the other) so my intention with the present post is to reveal the second face in smiles:) Eccentricities in Buyukada Architecture:

Hayal Cafe: With its eccentric structure the fair-like examples began to pop up before our sight and paint it full of colours right when we started our ferry voyage for the Princes' Islands aka Adalar.

Buyukada jetty: Landing on, the sight stretches to the four directions. The welcoming island to the front, with its ferry port, miraculous surprises and inhabitants. Behind, the magnificent view of Asian Istanbul quarters. To the distant left, the steamer ferry waiting for its passengers; and facing closer to you, the other "beauties" of the pier.

You can see the usual white wooden villas in unique combinations with eccentric structures. The one shown here is an excellent example with its terrace visor so manifestly disproportional and resembling the snout of hammer-fish.

And the second one is a pretty good example of what we call eclectical. The wooden structure of the main volume estranging to the solid tower made from red material or stone. It invokes associations with Brick Gothic Architecture and the Tudor style somehow. Something like a local amalgam, unique and eccentric in its whole position. Both siluettes with nothing in common and unable to speak in mutual language. You can find a general feature if viewed via the Victorian prism but need to arm the look.

Such fantastic foundations can be also seen in Buyukada. Butaphoric structures, as the shown example seems to be, or completely made from solid materials. They look like aliens in the traditional atmosphere here but it is exactly their eccentricity which makes them interesting to the sight. The towers attached or in-bodied in the buildings are quite popular among Adalar residences.

Along with typical wooden villas, residencial buildings of the 1930s European stream are pleasingly to find on the island too. My absolute adoration to them though obviously in the same external condition as for example in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. Nothing odd so far until the "no-cycles" sign is marked. Knowing vehicles are forbidden on Buyukada (and Adalar in general) and only walks afoot, with carriages or bicycles allowed, you will distinguish eccentricity straight here.

Adalar Deputy Government building: A motorized bicycle to the right. Is it a special privilege for the public institutions or a casual eccentricity??

The Ministry of Health - Adalar Group building: A typical wooden structure. What provokes attention here, as well as on the previous example, is that it obviously seems the public and institutional buildings are quite untended in comparison with the private residences.

Though not at all excluded to meet disrepair in villas maintenance as well. Buyukada Yin and Yang: the favourites of my choice. These twins are just an excellent example, the most expressive and charming micro variant I have come across of what Istanbul presents - two faces in one place.

Walking along Buyukada was an amazing personal experience. The feeling was a fairy-tale!! Surely you could meet numerous instants of dislike (as i.e. the common buildings present local style) but I know the streets were worth each step and the atmosphere - every breath of mine ..