Wandering around Istanbul with Portra 160 Film (Nov. 2024)

Dear Readers, Istanbul is an amazing city, but you know that. I had not been there for almost 20 years. It was time to return. 

Istanbul tourist map (from Masha Pasha Travel)

Istanbul was the center of great empires, even before the era of the Byzantines and Ottomans. Today, Ankara is the capital of Turkey, but Istanbul is the commercial, industrial, finance and tourist powerhouse of the country. History is all around you, everywhere. You walk and breathe history. Romans, emperors, Crusaders, Persians, Greeks, Turkomans, and a myriad others walked these same streets.

Most tourists stay in the Sultanahmet district. The Romans were here 2000 years ago. This is where Hagia Sophia and other amazing mosques are located. The sultans lived here in Topkapi palace. They built cisterns to store water and paved streets with stone blocks. 

In late November of 2024, Istanbul was still crowded, even though this was supposed to be the off season. And we had sunny, clear weather until the last two days of our trip. Summer, during the humid heat and the crowded tourist season, must be almost unbearable. Here is a quick overlook from my short visit.

View of the Bosphorus from Topkapi Palace (Pentax MG camera, 50mm ƒ/2 Pentax-A lens)

Topkapi Palace ticket

In December, ₺ 1700 was about US $29. That is quite a jump compared to 2005, my previous visit.

The Golden Horn with the Karaköy district in the background

Bosphorus view from the Asian side (Samsung digital file)

Ferry boats take you back and forth across the Bosphorus for a low fare. You may recall in "From Russia with Love," James Bond (Sean Connery) and the pretty Soviet cipher girl are on a ferry boat. He asks her to talk into his Rolleiflex, which is really a miniature tape recorder. Love that 1964 technology.

 

Turkish kitty in the morning sun near Hagia Sophia (35mm ƒ/2 Pentax-A lens)

Stray dogs and cats get medical attention and neutering in Istanbul. People feed them and treat them like pets that belong to everyone.

Interior of Hagia Sophia (Samsung phone digital file)

Few domes anywhere are larger than Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque. And this one was built between 532 and 537 by Byzantine emperor Justinian I as the Christian cathedral of Constantinople. It was an astonishing architectural feat for that era. It is a mosque again, so tourists can only access the balconies. The faithful can enter the main floor without fee. 

Arasta Bazaar - for the tourist trade (35mm Pentax-A lens)

You can have a Sultan or a warrior, too.

Many of the souvenir shops in the Sultanahmet area are expensive and sell merchandise for the tourist trade. Best to avoid. The ancient stone building is part of the Sultanahmet Camii (Blue Mosque) complex. Renting commercial space is one way how mosques make money to use for their operations and upkeep.

Büyük Yeni Han, Fatih District (35mm Pentax-A lens)

A Han in Istanbul was a covered building that served as an inn, marketplace, and warehouse. Built during the Ottoman Empire, they were centers of commerce, similar to caravanserai in rural Anatolia. This one, built in the 1700s, still had some workshops on the second floor, but many of the rooms/units looked unused. The brick section crossing the courtyard was a later construction.

Fatih rooftops from Büyük Yeni Han

Egyptian (Spice) Market

The famous Spice Market, also known as the Egyptian Market, in the Eminönü quarter near the Golden Horn, is modern. It was built in 1664. Isn't it nice to be surrounded by infrastructure that is still in use 400 years later? Compare and contrast with the typical crappy US strip mall, maybe 15 years old and already abandoned and trashed. At the Spice Market, buy your oregano, figs, Turkish Delight, and baklava. 

Don't feed the seagulls? Seems like it is done in Istanbul.

Grand Bazaar

The core of the Grand Bazaar (Büyük Çarşı) was started in 1455. It is a huge complex of shops and stalls selling jewelry, textiles, rugs, and souvenirs. Today, it is rather civilized, with LED lights, clean floors, and ventilation, and the merchants accept credit cards. 

In 1965, the Grand Bazaar was rather earthy. I miss the earthy. I wish I had photos of the earthy, but I think those family slides have disappeared. 

Well, you readers know what is next:

 

Dinner with a new friend

Time for a Turkish coffee and pistachio pastry. What else do you do after an exhausting day touring?

If you have never been to Istanbul, go. Just do it. 

More Istanbul to follow. I took these pictures on Kodak Portra 160 film with a Pentax MG 35mm camera and 35 and 50mm Pentax-A lenses. The MG is a consumer version of the compact M series of SLR cameras from the 1980s. I am amazed how well this little camera works. It does not have a manual exposure mode, so I used it as a point-focus-and-shoot. The Pentax K-mount lenses are superb and inexpensive.   

P.S., my 2005 visit:  https://worldofdecay.blogspot.com/2013/02/at-grand-bazaar-and-egyptian-market.html

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Tourist Information.  If you need the services of a knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and patient guide, call Lale Kosagan at KSG Tours. She is fabulous.

On the Waterfront - Chalcis, Greece (Nov. 2024)

Euripus Strait, Chalcis, with lift bridge linking Euboea to the mainland

Chalcis (also called Chalkida or Halkida) is an ancient city on the Evrípou Strait, which separates mainland Greece from the island of Euboea (Evia). The weather in late November was still sunny and warm, so we thought, "Let's go to Chalcis, look around, and eat by the sea." A typical Greek outing. 

An unusual phenomena of the Evrípou is an irregular tidal current, which changes direction six to seven times a day.

Ice cream time

Nap time

The municipality has cleaned up the waterfront and added benches and recreation areas. 

This is a cheerful waterfront on a sunny day. Summer will be much more busy.

Santa checking out Ice Cream Man

They still sell Fanta in Greece?

Oh oh, getting the Evil Eye next to the Citroen 2CV (Samsung phone digital file)

 Dear Reader, you know what comes next: LUNCH in Nea Lampsakos, a few km south of Chalcis.

It does not get much better than this. And, of course, this is followed with a Greek coffee and a baklava. Ahhh.... (but no nap??)

This ends our November 2024 visit to Greece. I hope you enjoyed the short tour. 

More Wandering around Athens (Nov. 2024)

We continue wandering through Athens. I never lose interest here. 

Uncontrolled late-20th century urban sprawl, northwest Athens. Mount Parnitha is in the distance. (Samsung phone digital frame)

Parts of Athens are a congested concrete jungle. City fathers failed grossly to not impose green space requirements, build parks, or lay out arterial highways after World War II. In the scene above, the land in the foreground had disputed ownership for over five decades but will be preserved as park land.

Scooters on Asklipiou Street, near the Politeia bookstore (21mm ƒ/4.5 Zeiss ZM lens)

The Politeia bookstore has a good selection of books in many languages. In the past, we shopped at the famous Eleftheroudakis bookstore, but it closed in 2016 after 120 years of business.

Phones, Asklipiou Street

I am not a fan of graffiti, but it adds some color to the rather severe limestone walls. It does not do much for the phone booths. 

Lycabettus Hill from the National Museum (50mm ƒ/2 Summicron lens)

Mrs. Poppy's store in the Plaka (35mm ƒ/2.8 Pentax-A lens)

Monasteraki Square (35mm ƒ/2.8 Pentax-A lens)

Deep thinking, Athenas Street

Most of these frames are from Kodak Portra 160 film. If you are interested in earlier visits, including the 1950s, please type "Athens" in the search box.

Athenas Street, Athens, with the 21mm ƒ/4.5 Zeiss C Biogon Lens (Nov. 2024)

I've walked along Athinas Street tens of time over the decades, but I can't resist re-exploring each time I visit Athens (Greece). The noises, smells, colors, signs, tourists, merchants, and bustle make it fun if a bit intense. These vendors sell almost everything for the household except, possibly, large appliances. 

This last trip was in November of 2024. In the past, November in Athens could be cold, wet, and blustery. But 2024 smiled on us. It was dry and reasonably warm. My relatives tell me that more and more tourists linger in Athens later in the season than pre-pandemic. Greece as a winter destination?

This time, I wanted to try my 21mm ƒ/4.5 Zeiss ZM Biogon lens. It is wide enough to let you grab big chunks of the scene, which is handy on crowded streets. I used Portra 160 film in my Leica M2 camera and measured the light with a Gossen Luna Pro digital light meter. 

These card phones still work?

Ah, some colorful grunge

Central Market

The Central Market is best early morning, when vendors and buyers haggle over octopus, fish, and other goodies. I have written about the market before. If you are interested, type "Central Market" in the search box.

The spice vendor. I always take bags of fresh oregano home to USA with me.

The nut vendor

Dear Readers, you know where this is going. What do you do after several tiring hours exploring the city? Why, you go eat fish, of course!

I suggest Attalos Restaurant at Adrian 9 in the Thissio area near the Flea Market. Don't forget some Horta (Χόρτα) for your greens, a glass of Retsina, and baklava for dessert.

This ends our short walk downtown. More Athens and Greece to come soon.

My Leica M2 with the 21mm ƒ/4.5 Zeiss C Biogon lens, correct Zeiss hood, and a Leitz 21mm viewfinder. Note the finder is offset so as to not cover part of the shutter speed dial.

2024 E. Washington Road Trip 04 - Republic, Jared, and Cusick

Continuing my trip through eastern Washington, I rolled into the city of Republic, the county seat of Ferry County. The city has an early 1900s appearance, appropriate considerings its heritage of mining and logging. I checked into the Northern Inn, which was clean, reasonable, and comfortable. The motorcycle guys admired my 42-year-old car. Each of their big bikes produces more horsepower than my little 1800 cc engine. 

Waiting for riders, Rte 20 near Republic

How did that tractor get up there? Feed Store, Clarke Avenue, Republic.

Prospector Inn, Clark Avenue, Republic (135mm ƒ/3.5 SMC Takumar lens)

This a nice little town. Grouse hunting is a popular tourist activity in the area. But after a sound sleep, it was time to move on. Time for a coffee!

Welcome Coffee House & Cafe, Republic

Quick repair at WR Tires (Samsung digital file)

Great choice, good coffee and pastries. I filled up (both the car and me), had a flat repaired, and continued east on the Sherman Pass Scenic Highway. What beautiful terrain, with minimal traffic and excellent roads. 

My car felt like it was losing power. Was something wrong? Oh, I had ascended to Sherman Pass at 5575 ft. With no turbocharger, this little car feels the altitude. But descending east down to the Columbia River was an easy cruise. I left the gearshift in 4th and let the engine do the braking. 

Kettle Falls Bridge over the Columbia River near Barney's Junction

I crossed the Columbia and stopped in Kettle Falls for a snack and to take some black and white photos (I will show them later). 

Barn, Rte 20, Jared, Washington

Rte 20, Cusick, Washington

Cheerful paint, Cusick

Detroit iron, Cusick

Empty house, Cusick

Cusick is a small town on the Pend Oreille River. It occupies the former site of a main village of the Pend d'Oreilles tribe. Today, it looks like a rather sad town with some economic issues. From here, it was a short run south on Rte 211 and US 2 into Spokane.  

Fixer-upper house, Rte 211, Deer Valley, Washington

After a fun few days in northern Washington, I visited a friend in the big city of Spokane. To be continued....

Most of these photographs are from Kodak Portra 160 film. I used my mid-1970s Pentax Spotmatic F camera, all handheld.