Covering every square inch!

8.8.15

I have another lovely person to add to the cemetery guy and the Tourist info list, -Amira, who looks after our apartment.
I bumped into her at 11pm last night in the garden when I went outside to upload yesterdays blog as WiFi in our room is non existent.
She came flying out of her apartment when she heard me in case I was scared of her dog, who she had just let out.
He’s a crazy Alsatian, completely daft and very playful.

She was so apologetic about not meeting us til now but she had been busy helping some street dogs.
She feeds 15 nearby and had been helping a little pup with a broken leg and generally in a really bad way.
She showed us a photo and it was so sad, she had brought him to the aparts in the morning, lucky we were out as we would have fallen in love with him.

We set off to join a walking tour today.
A really interesting and knowledgeable young guide, Halip from Spirit Tours.
We really enjoyed finding out more about the many buildings we’ve seen at around town.

Halip explained that the city is often described as Jerusalem as it has Muslims, Christians, Orthodox Church and Jews living happily together.

At some times in winter its possible to hear the call to prayer and church bells together at midday.

Afterwards we revisited a Han that was donated by a wealthy Ottoman called Gazi Huzrev which we were shown on the tour, fabulous setting for a delicious lunch of cevap and sausage.

Gazi Huzrev was responsible for building the most decorative mosque and some of the Hans, areas where people could stay free of charge in Ottoman times.

We wandered along to a nearby shopping mall, via one of many ice cream stalls.
We opted for creme caramel, lovely but not as good as the Kinder one yesterday
I have my eye on a Rocher one for later or tomorrow.

The shopping mall was disappointing with 5 floors of brands we can’t afford.
After 2 floors we gave up and went across the road where John had a beer and I had an espresso.
I am currently so addicted to espresso, ice cream and Bosnian sausages.
I wonder how long I could exist here without getting scurvy.
Currently in a beautiful little garden bar, more beer and espresso.
Johns dozing due to not being used to daytime drinking and my pulse rate is pounding as I type.

Before leaving the bar I went in to use the loo.
The inside was like a museum of antiquities, you couldn’t have found a space for one more thing and even the toilets were full of memorabilia.
On the way out I commented to the owner who proudly told me its all authentic from 100 years before.
I asked about cleaning it all and he was even prouder to tell me his wife does it all.
She didn’t look so impressed. She had been running around taking orders and serving while he sat at a table with a beer.
Not sure she’s going to last as well as the antiques.

We strolled along the river, mooched around the shops, wandered round a clothes market, found a couple of second hand clothes shops – not sure if they’re for charity, had another espresso, and called into the tourist info shop to see if there’s anywhere on the outskirts to visit as we’ve covered just about every inch of this area now.

Then we looked for inspiration for dinner.
There isn’t a huge choice around, and we fancied something different.
So we walked in the other direction for a change but it looked very derelict and nothing to be seen.
So we decided to walk up the road parallel to where were staying to see if there was anything different up there.
We found a bakers and bought ridiculously huge deserts.
Then as there were no restaurants we ordered pizza from a shack on a corner where a young lad was chopping wood.
We watched him put it in a large stone oven and asked if it was open.
Next thing he was making our pizzas.

Walked back to our base and have just stuffed ourselves with pizza, a huge marshmallow sort of cake washed down with watermelon and strawberry alcopop. Feeling slightly sick now and ending today’s blog due to extreme bloating.

Just time for a couple of quick observations though :-

The most incredible ice cream stalls, no 2 stalls seem to repeat the flavours.

The main museum is closed as they can’t afford to pay staff wages, yet the malls contain luxury brands.

People seem to thrive on coffee and fags which is exactly what I did years ago when I was equally skinny.
I look wistfully at the beautiful skinny ladies here. But I don’t see them eating sausages, pizza, ice cream and cakes til they feel sick.

Maybe I could try hard tomorrow ? Doubtful now that I know about the existence of Fererro Rocher ice cream though!