Singapore – and a summary before our sojourn.

Monday 15 October.  This is our last blog, as tomorrow morning we board our flight for Sydney and home (we flew to Singapore this morning and are spending the night in a hotel in the east coast area).  Our last night in Penang was great! We walked to the Red Garden, a large square off Penang Road that is home to about thirty or more food stalls around an eating area about the size of a football field.  We had dinner, with entertainment provided by a small band and a number of singers, bringing us songs from the 1950s to the 1970s. It has been a truly memorable five weeks.  Particular memories include the amazing Gardens by the Bay in Singapore, with their huge enclosed gardens containing every flower and plant imaginable. In Berlin, the historic Brandenburg Gate, the remains of the Berlin Wall to remind us of how recently the city was divided and occupied, and the wonderful Pergamon Museum with the reconstruction of actual relics from Pergamon and Babylon dating back more than two millennia.  To Warsaw, and all of the tributes to Chopin and our visit to his place of birth; the poignancy of the relics of the confinement of the Jews in the Ghetto during WWII, where so many died; and the effort that, each year, is put into accurately recreating the Warsaw Uprising of August 1944.  To Krakow, and the beautiful old town square and Wawel Castle, and the contrast of that beauty with the disturbing images evoked by our visit to Auschwitz and Birkenau.  To Ljubljana, Slovenia, such a pretty town with the river snaking through it, crossed by pretty stone bridges, and the surprise of finding an old Roman wall, from the first century, and the excavated remains of a Roman town. To Ravenna, and the breathtaking beauty of the fifth century mosaics in the Basilica di San Vitale and the Basilica di Sant Pollinaire in Classe; the fifth century tomb of Theodoric the Great and Dante’s tomb.  To Bologna, with its rich history as a university town and the many magnificent churches and piazzas, and our surprise at seeing how much of the town is opened up to the people each weekend by the prohibition of motorised traffic, creating a true community atmosphere.  The side trips to Parma and Modena, each with its own charm and history.  To Istanbul, which stands out as the former heart of the eastern Roman empire, our exploration of the magnificent underground cisterns that held the water for the people of Constantinople more than fifteen hundred years ago; the monumental Aya Sofia and the mosques erected by the Ottoman conquerors in their attempts to rival that great Byzantine church, and our surprise at stumbling across densely patronised food outlets almost everywhere we walked. Finally, to Penang and the magnificent views across the Strait of Malacca to the Malaysian mainland, and the gigantic Buddha which occupies the highest point in the Kek Lok Si temple complex.  It has been a truly rewarding, memorable, educative, exciting, fun experience.  The people we have met have, without exception, been friendly, considerate and helpful and we are grateful for the opportunity to have met these people and had these experiences.

Tomorrow: the flight home to rejoin our beautiful family and friends.

Pagodas and more in Penang.

Sunday 14 October.  Another great day; after a delicious breakfast (no confusion – it was self-serve), we hopped a cab out to the bottom of Penang Hill and caught the funicular train up to the summit for views right across Penang island and also to the mainland (where the Butterworth Air Force Base, until fairly recently a RAAF base, is situated). We visited an exotic bird park and saw the very strange Rhinoceros Hornbill which looked like it has a banana on its head, then visited the temple originally erected for the labourers involved in the building of the first railway line, and the mosque erected in 1933.  We had a nice lunch at the hotel atop the mountain.  It wasn’t until we had finished our meal that our waiter told us there was a snake in the foliage above our heads – “No problem”, he told us, “it’s only a viper”.  Back down in the funicular, a bit of a walk, then a taxi up the very steep mountain to the Kek Lok Si temple complex.  It is stupendous; the giant Goddess of Mercy statue, which must be more than thirty metres high overall; several temples and prayer halls; stone statues including one of a monkey (that’s Elizabeth on the left right); a beautiful pagoda; and a long gallery of stalls as you wind your way down to street level.  A memorable experience.  When we reached the bus stop we were lucky enough to meet a couple of expats who are now living on the island and they gave us a couple of tips for our last night in Penang.  Back into town on the bus, a bit more shopping then back to our hotel.  Venturing out now for dinner and some local entertainment.

Tomorrow: fly back to Singapore about noon, then overnight there before we return to Australia on Tuesday (sob).

Pottering around Penang.

Saturday 13 October. Firstly, congratulations Cait on buying your first car. Today we were speaking to a young man who had also just purchased his first car and he was just as excited (see photo). As we reported yesterday, there is nothing spectacular about Penang, however you do feel that you have stepped back a century or so.  Although there is archaeological evidence of settlement dating back four or five thousand years, Penang’s extant history, both what you see on the streets and that which is displayed in the State museum, concentrates on the time from British occupation in the late eighteenth century (not dissimilar to Australia until fairly recently).  So this morning, after a hearty breakfast (although somewhat confusing in the ordering), we set off on foot, first a return visit to the Kapitan Keling Mosque for a short guided tour and photograph, then a look in the Goddess of Mercy Temple, a nineteenth century Chinese temple. After that we walked through the unremarkable St George’s Church, consecrated in 1819 and the oldest Anglican church in South-East Asia.  Continued on to Fort Cornwallis, where Captain Francis Light landed and established the first British fort in 1786. It contains many cannons lined up to repel invaders (and one pointing inwards for some unexplained reason), an empty chapel, a gunpowder magazine and views to the water. Then around the corner to the air-conditioned State Museum, which contains fascinating information and displays describing the ethnic diversity of Penang, particularly its indigenous Malays, as well as Chinese and Indian immigrants whose descendants now make up a large proportion of the population. From there we jumped on the bus to KOMTAR, a huge- multi-storeyed shopping complex. We had lunch: tom yum soup for John, Japanese crispy chicken and rice for Elizabeth, two fruit drinks and two ice-creams, total price about seven dollars Australian.  Then back into the heat to trawl through the Chowrasta Market, a series of alleys and walkways in the best Asian tradition.  Back to the hotel about 5.30pm and a swim in the hotel pool, followed by a cold drink pool-side.  It’s pouring rain now, absolutely bucketing down, so we’ll wait until it settles before venturing out for dinner.

One thing that has caught our attention is the number of dogs and cats around the streets.  Although they seem to be strays, they all seem to be in good condition and we have seen evidence of food being left out for them.  They are unobtrusive and we have not heard a dog bark (are you paying attention, Maddi and Sasha?)  We even saw a cat sound asleep on the top of a jewellery display case in the middle of a busy market.

 Tomorrow: more of Penang, including the funicular ride up to Penang Hill.

Picturesque Penang.

Friday 12 October.  We’ve arrived in Penang after a tedious journey from Istanbul.  We left our hotel at 11am yesterday (Thursday) and took off at 1.30pm (local time) for Singapore, arriving at 4.30am (local time).  Then we waited until 9am for our 75 minute flight to Penang; caught a cab into the old city, Georgetown, and to our hotel, the Penaga.  This is a throwback to the British occupation of Malaya, everything sumptuous and in good taste. Our four-poster bed is huge, the bathroom has a double spa bath, and we have our own balcony with an overhead fan, overlooking the garden.  We just had time to take it all in before a shower and a lie-down about noon.  Refreshed, we were on the streets about five to begin our exploration of this historic city.  There is nothing spectacular about Penang (that we have discovered so far, anyway); it is full of interesting narrow streets with various colonial and post-colonial architecture, with the occasional mosque, temple, house or monument to celebrate its colonial past.  We were a bit late for the open-air markets but no doubt we will have time to explore a few of them (including the fresh seafood market just down the road) tomorrow.  There are small restaurants and street-side eateries everywhere and we eventually settled on an open air cafe, obviously popular with the locals, and had a delicious meal of rice pilau, fish, prawns, squid, stewed lamb and  chicken tikka, washed down with fresh watermelon and carrot juice. Delicious, but just a wee bit spicy.  We continued walking and passed the oldest mosque in Penang as well as a temple or two, and we found the waterfront, which seems to be mainly a working waterfront and not exploited for tourism.  Then back to our room about 9.30pm, cold drink sitting on our balcony, tepid spa bath and off to bed.

Tomorrow: begin exploring in earnest.

Contented in Constantinople.

Wednesday 10 October.  Last night we went for a stroll up to the Hippodrome and around the Sultanahmet Camii (Blue Mosque) and Aya Sofia to take some night photos, and then had a lovely outside meal at a restaurant on the edge of the Hippodrome.  Today, much of the old and some of the new.  After again being gently awoken by the call to prayers from the neighbouring mosque (which we again politely declined), we set off early to beat the crowds to the Aya Sofia (or Hagia Sophia).  Although this was a return visit, it still took our breath away.  The original Aya Sofia, constructed of wood during Constantine’s reign, destroyed, and rebuilt by his son Constantius, was burned down during the Nikka Riot (which we mentioned yesterday).  Emperor Justinian immediately ordered the construction of a new basilica, in stone, to be the greatest church in the empire.  His architects were Isidore of Miletus and Anthemius of Tralles, who were both professors of geometry at Constantinople University. It is enormous and still stands as the epitome of Byzantine architectural achievement. Built in just five years, between 532 and 537, it is 70 metres wide and 75 metres long; the central dome has a diameter of 31 metres and is 55 metres above ground level.  It was to remain the largest church in the world for a thousand years. As we stood in the upstairs gallery and again tried to take it all in, we imagined what the first project meeting must have been like as Isidore and Anthemius presented their plans; the builders and stone masons declaring it couldn’t be done; Justinian declaring that it would be done.  And it was.  Not only is the Aya Sofia grand and beautiful in its own right, it also retains some wonderful original mosaics.  The Aya Sofia was claimed by Mehmed the Conqueror as one of his first acts when he took Constantinople in 1453 and it remained a mosque until Ataturk established the secular Turkish state in 1925.  It is now classed as a museum.

Then, after a drink of fresh orange and pomegranate juice at a nearby cafe we tracked down another cistern; underneath the Nikkas carpet shop below the hippodrome.  We then made our way out of the city to the Kariye Mosque and Museum, which has a large area of recently-recovered floor mosaics.  Unfortunately we found on our arrival that it is closed on Wednesdays. Not to worry; with the help of a few teenagers in a nearby shop we jumped on a bus and headed back into town, alighting on the other side of the Golden Horn at Taksim.  We made our way across the Galata Bridge, stopping for lunch on the way at a restaurant on the colonnade below the bridge with great views of the waterway, the Aya Sofia and the many fishing lines that dangle over the bridge all day catching sardines. Next a brief stop at the Yeni Camii – the “New Mosque” (so called because it is only about 400 years old – built in the decades after 1597). Then to the Spice Bazaar for our senses to be invaded by the smells of spices from around the Middle East and Asia; a walk through the Grand Bazaar and a cup of rose tea with a carpet seller who has a sister who lived in Sydney (and he didn’t try to sell us a carpet or rug!); a long walk down the side streets below the Aya Sofia and the Hippodrome to locate our last port of call, the Küçük Ayasofia Camii, the “Little Aya Sofia”. This church was built by Justinian immediately after becoming emperor in 527, in homage to Saints Serguis and Bacchus, two former soldier saints.  They are credited with saving Justinian from a hit squad ordered by his uncle Emperor Anastasius, who apparently put a contract on Justinian some years earlier because the emperor thought Justinian was plotting against him.  The legend goes that the saints came to Anastasius in a dream and talked him out of his plans for Justinian and the contract was cancelled.  Like many Byzantine churches this is now a mosque and we were able, from the gallery, to watch the imam leading a number of men in prayers.  A simple, somewhat moving ritual.

Tonight we went for a long walk away from the tourist area and stumbled across a group of about twenty seafood restaurants, and an unending stream of people either dining or just walking through the area. We had a delicious seafood meal, with our delightful and attentive host’s life story thrown in for free.  We will be sad to leave Istanbul.  Again, we have been impressed by the friendliness of the people and overwhelmed by the beauty and history of this great city. Tomorrow: on an afternoon flight to Singapore, arriving very early Friday morning, then a further flight to Penang (so no blog Thursday).

Istanbul – instant easing of aching ischial tuberosities*

Tuesday 9 October.  Yesterday, we spent most of the day sitting; first the train trip from Bologna to Milan (just over an hour, at 300kph!), then the train trip from Milan to Malpensa Airport (45 minutes), then waiting for our flight (3 hours), then the flight to Istanbul (3 hours).

But we’re here, settled into our lovely room in a hotel which started life as a 19^th century Ottoman home and is metres away from an old mosque. So, after our 0610hrs “call to prayers” we were up and out walking,  enjoying this fascinating city, which has played such an important part in world history. First, the Hippodrome, constructed in 203 by Roman Emperor Septimus Severus and expanded in the early fourth century by Emperor Constantine.  It was the venue for chariot races, wrestling, boxing and other athletic activities and was the site of the deaths of 30,000 people who were herded up and killed by Emperor Justinian’s army following the Nikka Riots of 532. The remains of the Sphendone, or curved wall, at one end of the site are about twenty metres from our hotel and these are the only remains of the actual hippodrome construction above the ground. The hippodrome arena area has been built over during successive centuries and the bases of the remaining features are about three metres below present ground level. These features include the Serpent Column (which was brought by Constantine from the Temple of Apollo in Delphi, Greece, where it had been erected in 479BC to commemorate the Greek victory over the Persians) and the Egyptian obelisk, transported from Alexandria, again by Constantine, where it had first been erected about 500BC.  Next we went underground to look at huge cisterns, first to Yerebatan Sarniçi, known as the Basilica Cistern. Built during Justinian’s reign, this enormous underground lake is 140 metres long and 70 metres wide, and has 336 stone columns supporting its ceiling, and was used for storing water for use by Constantinople’s inhabitants.  Extensive walkways have been built about five metres above the bottom level and there are a couple of feet of water throughout (with fish swimming everywhere).  The lighting that has been installed highlights the subterranean beauty of row upon row of columns reaching up into the darkness. Here we also dressed as a Sultan and a Sultana and had our photo taken (a moment of madness).  Then we walked to the Binbirdirek Sarniçi, or the Cistern of 1001 Columns, which was built during Constantine’s reign early in the fourth century.  This cistern is dry, well-lit, and used for many purposes – it contains restaurant and cafe and is available for weddings, and does have the same atmosphere as Yerebatan, even more so for us as we were the sole visitors apart from a lurking cat. We marvelled at the adaptation of underground space as a water storage facility so long ago.

After a delicious Turkish lunch at a nearby restaurant we continued our exploration; a walk through the Grand Bazaar, the largest undercover market place in the world covering an area of 76 acres.  Then to the Süleymaniye Camii – the Suleiman Mosque – built by sultan Suleiman the Magnificent between 1550 and 1557 and with a larger dome than the Aya Sofia (more about that tomorrow).  Next was the tomb of Mehmed the Conqueror, the Ottoman leader who conquered Constantinople in 1453 and finally brought about the fall of the Roman Empire.  After that we walked along the base of Emperor Valen’s Aquaduct, constructed around the turn of the fourth century to connect two hills of ancient Constantinople, for the purpose of bringing water to the city from the springs of Belgrade forest, about 30km north of the city. And finally the Fatih Mosque, built by Mehmet the Conqueror between 1462-1470, which was intended to rival the Aya Sofia, however legend has it that when the mosque failed to reach the height of the Aya Sofia, Mehmet had the architect’s hands chopped off. We made our way slowly back to our hotel, picking up a few mementos and gifts on the way and will now rest before going back out to get some photographs by night – and dinner.

Tomorrow: the Aya Sofia, the Spice Bazaar and whatever else comes our way.

*For you non-medical types – they’re the bones in your bottom.

Our own private pilgrimage, pepped up with pizza.

Sunday 7 October.  After our dinner of spaghetti Bolognese (but of course – we are in Bologna!), washed down with a local red wine, we had a bit of a sleep in this morning.  This apartment is so quiet, despite being near the centre of town.  We set off and made our way back to the true centre, the Piazza Maggiore, and found that the surrounding streets were still blocked off to motorised traffic.  We came across a one-man band (plus what sounded like a full symphony orchestra on tape accompanying his guitar, and his motorbike as a backdrop), then some sort of military band which marched and then ran across the square into the courtyard of a palace.  We followed it in (as did a hundred or so others) and found ourselves in the middle of a wedding, which the band honoured by playing Happy Birthday to the bride and groom. Most bizarre, but most entertaining.  Our target was the Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca, a basilica complex perched high up on a mountain overlooking Bologna.  Its history dates back to 1190 when Angelica, a young girl born of wealthy parents, decided to lead a hermit’s life on a plot of land her parents had given her.  The idea apparently caught on; within a few years a community sprang up alongside her and in 1194 the Bishop of Bologna, by order of Pope Celestino III, started work on a church on the hill.  (So much for the hermit’s life.)  Since about 1700 the basilica has been connected to one of the western gates of Bologna, the Porta Saragozza, by the longest covered portico in the world.  It measures 3,796 metres in length and has 441 steps spread along the steep path.  We caught a bus from the centre of town to Villa Spada, which is where the steep ascent starts, and walked the remaining two kilometres to the top.  When we eventually reached our destination we were rewarded with spectacular views over Bologna, a beautiful basilica built on simple Greek lines but with wonderful art work by some of Italy’s leading eighteenth century artists, and a delicious prosciutto, artichoke and mozzarella pizza at the local trattoria.  We then made the long trek back down, completing the entire 3.8 kilometre length, with another kilometre or so back to our apartment. We were wrecked, but it was worth it; this is an annual pilgrimage, dating back to 1433, that young and old participate in during Ascension in order to carry the Byzantine Madonna and Child from the basilica to the cathedral in town, so it was worth the effort to traverse such a historic and symbolic route.

Tomorrow: train to Milan, then our flight to Istanbul (so no blog tomorrow).