The 'Hood

In Istanbul we stayed in one of the many little hotels in the old part of town, down an alleyway very close to  the Big Daddy monument buildings - Hagia Sofia (pronounced Eye-a Sofia) and Sultanahmet Mosque (aka Blue Mosque) and all the other pieces of eye candy in that neighborhood. The roof terrace of this 5 story building is also the breakfast room and here is the view over morning coffee...

If you don't like this view, just turn your head:

Or if these views are getting too Ho Hum, how about watching the ships entering the Bosphorus...

In the alleyway we had lots of neighbors. The cat family at one end, the bird in nest with babies on the wall opposite the hotel entryway and this Momma Cat who gave birth one night to three babies. When she was in labor she apparently tried to enter the hotel next door.  They wouldn't let her, but instead created a box nest for her just outside...

There are so many cats in Istanbul and most look very well fed. The locals in this neighborhood anyway, seem to take care of them. In parks you can see handfuls of dry cat food all over the place that someone has brought to feed them. Down the lane from us there is a butcher and if you get up early enough you will see a dozen or so cats waiting patiently. For breakfast...

This little guy, later in the day, is sitting on the sidewalk looking intently into the butcher shop. Did he miss breakfast?

Across the street from our hotel is another mosque. Note the loudspeakers up on the tower. Five times a day the call for prayers rings out and the caller of that mosque and another in the neighborhood riff off each other. It is really quite charming until it's not. The early prayer call is at 4:40 a.m. and that speaker seems to be aimed right into our bedroom window!

The nearby street we nicknamed "Bar Street" (and frequented for obvious reasons). A little living room cafe set up on the sidewalk...

Evening in the 'hood. The weather was perfect and the restaurants and cafes take over the sidewalks. Dinner al fresco...

Way fun.