May 12, a.m.
Today is my last day in Istanbul. I meant to post yesterday evening, but I was exhausted. Barbara and I visited the Dolmabhce Palace yesterday. When the sultans began visiting western Europe in the 19th century, they fell in love with the architecture and all the sumptuous living that they found there. So, they built the Dolmabhce (Dol-mah-bah-chay) Palace. It took 30 years, and, among other things, 50 kilos of gold. The palace is huge, and the furnishings a good deal like what one sees at Versailles, including the ceilings, which are very ornate and often coated with gold leaf. There are also lots of very ornate chandeliers, which range anywhere from 1 ton to the largest one, which weighs in at 4.5 tons and takes 700 light bulbs. The palace is now a museum for the most part, but is still used for visiting dignitaries. The largest reception room is 2,000 square meters and the ceiling is 36 meters high. An extra ticket got us into the Harem, which includes Attaturk's bedroom and bathroom, as well as the wheelchair that he used in his last days. After the tour, I asked the guide if Attaturk had many wives. She replied, "No, he was a humble man," She went on to say that he had only one wife, but he was so busy that she divorced him. He eventually adopted 4 or 5 girls and only one son, who was a little shepard boy. The daughters were well-educated and went on to lead very useful lives. My curiosity is peaked now. I plan to read a biography of Attaturk.

After the Dolmabache Palace, we took a two hour cruise up the Bosphorus. We were again reminded that Istanbul has microclimates. The weather was warm when we began, but all of a sudden, we were aware of a drop in the temperature. I forgot to check my little thermometer, but it was several degrees. We saw some really expensive real estate along the way, and many mosques.

Several times while I've been here, strangers have asked me where I'm from. Obviously, I do not fit in with the locals. I read in a book in the apartment on Turkish Culture that blue eyes are believed to be a natural protection against the evil eye, and that people may stare at them because they are so uncommon. A couple days ago on the way to the Topkapki Palace, a Moslem woman, who was sitting beside me, struck up a conversation. She wanted to know where I was from and what I thought of Turkey. Later, I saw her again at the Topkapki Palace. Our eyes met, and we both recognized each other. She introduced Barbara, Pat, and me to her two sisters. They are from Iraq, and they had quite a lot to say about their government as well as ours. They are unhappy with their government, but they liked Sadam Hussein.

This morning, Barbara left to go explore other places in Turkey. Pat and I helped her down the 4 flights of stairs with her luggage and walked with her to the hotel where she was to be picked up by the tour bus. Our apartment is on a very narrow street, and the man at the tourist agency asked her to go to a hotel. She was due to be picked up at 6 a,m,, but we arrived at 5:30. Fornunately, the tour mini-bus came by 5:45.

Today, Pat and I plan to go to the Prince's Island. More about that later.