Before we get too much further advanced in our adventures, it is time to put up some pics from a trip we made to Istanbul a few weekends back.
Once again, it's hard to believe that a place like Istanbul is only a little over an hour by plane from Pristina.
After thoroughly researching the history of the Ottoman Empire (I downloaded the Turkish TV soap "Suleman the Magnificent" from Youtube - not to be confused with 'Suleman the Octomum' because that's a different story) I was ready to take on Constantinople.
We were there for a good time, not a long time, so we got busy checking out some of the stunning architecture and monuments from the get-go.
First stop Hagia Sofia - the church that became a mosque that became a museum.
The mosaics were amazing. Some of them made from gold!
With an astounding colour palette
Hmm, I think this is the Blue Mosque ("Suleiman the Magnificent" was a better educator in the love lives of the Ottoman Emperors, but not so much in the identification of buildings of historical importance, ok?)
These Bollywooders in the middle of a film shoot provided some light relief between monuments and monumental waiting lines:
Then it was off to Topkapi Palace - replete with harems and rooms full of decorative containers holding hairs from the Prophet Muhammad's beard (!!)
But I liked the tiles best.
With their perfect pastels and bright blues.
and the windows.
But the truth was, we were there for the food.
The best bit about Istanbul is that you can have baklava for brekky!
and delicious sweet milk puddings
spices at the bazaar
famous fish sandwiches by the river for lunch
and cups of tea in pretty little glasses when you are feeling a bit tired and dishevelled after all the looking and walking and eating.
On our last night we got caught up in this fracas. The local football team won the championship and the streets were awash with red and yellow and happy beery people.
I expected less based on the reviews and photos, I actually booked the place for location, and it worked out the other way. Sure, the location is ok, but the service, room, and breakfast all rocked. And the woman with short dark hair, great English and cool watch, has a great personality and she is super cute (if you ever come to Chicago, please look me up!) The bathroom and bed were great, stay here for comfort and service. Ps. There is another cutie waiting tables next door at the orient express hotel, dark hair and short (Serb ladies rock, and so does this hotel!)
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
HotelMoskvaBeograd, Manager at Hotel Moskva, responded to this review
1 April 2013
Dear guest,
thank you for posting such an optimistic review.We proud our self as a nation, with beauty of our ladies, we are so glad that you had a chance to see for yourself, how polite and hospitable team we are in Hotel Moskva.
We expect you with pleasure in near future,
What a shame he wasn't there when we were. He doesn't seem like a tosser at all!
Occasional dud clientele aside, it is an amazing hotel. One of the oldest and grandest in Serbia. It has an incredible facade and a beautiful interior too.
faaaaaan-cy!
Its former guests have included Albert Einstein, Robert de Niro, Alfred Hitchcock, Richard Nixon and us!
There was a 'white night' happening over the weekend too - which meant all the museums and galleries stayed open all night and for $5 you could have access to them all. If you were willing to wait in line.....which we weren't. So we skipped into a few of the less popular attractions - like this student art gallery
and this witchy looking outdoor installation made of sticks and smoke.
We wandered around the old fortress, hanging out on the crumbling walls and trying to avoid the wrath of the fortress police who came along and roused people for hanging their legs over the edge.
legs up on the fortress wall, overlooking the blue Danube
We strolled past the Belgrade Zoo (but didn't go in because it looked a bit heartbreaking inside).
a peacock fleeing the confines of the zoo
But we ate at this restaurant
which we didn't realise overlooked the zoo until I was halfway through a mouthful of asparagus risotto and heard the tetchy growls of a poor caged lion below. I don't think he would have enjoyed the risotto anyway.
But the main reason we went to Belgrade was to see Depeche Mode!
It was heaps of fun. And packed - over 30 000 people! I guess when you've had over three decades to build up a fan base, you should expect nothing less.
They played with the energy of their 19 year old selves for nearly 2 hours. However up close their faces showed their 50 years and at one point I got a bit nervous when Dave Gahan, the lead singer, left the stage and Martin Gore, the other guy, started singing in his place, especially because I'd read reports about Dave having a heart attack mid-concert a couple of years back.
But out he jumped again! He just couldn't get enough.
Recorded at the gig , although the sound quality is a bit crappy. And we did fail massively as an audience when we missed the cue to keep singing, which was pretty funny. Although I did believe him when he said we were the 'best ones yet' - because we were pretty good, plus this was only their 4th performance of the tour. They have another 48 to go at a rate of about 3 each week, so I'd be pretty keen to see how they are holding up by the end.
Personal Jesus was the best!
And for old times' sake, the original clip for Just Can't Get Enough. Released 32 years ago!
ah, good times.
I'm off now to apply copious amounts of hairspray, scary eye make-up and drastic blush so I can twirl around the apartment in my short-sleeved black leather jacket.
