Hagia Sophia cont ... New Mosque, Beyazit Mosque

Food is calling, but our itinerary to Topkapi Palace museum does not pass restaurant. It does pass St Irene's military museum with selection of cannon outside, very impressive, more than I have ever seen before. The Topkapi is closed today (Tuesday). Food! Into usual type restaurant for shish kebab with chapattis and delicious bread, pudding rice, stuffed peppers and tomato salad 14TL. Look at ferry arrangements on the way to New Mosque.

Here there is a vast influx for a service. Chanting starts quietly in the east. Then taken up by purple skull capped gentleman on top of favoured 'box'. Women all in boxes are at the back. Late-comers arrive tugging on skull caps. Then at the command they all surge east and huddle at front. Obeisance is made in unison - all those bottoms - while the 'official representative of Mohammed' chants into a mike. After several sessions some return to their previous positions, still people arrive, some now depart. More depart as another turning point is reached. Finally, almost everyone leaves except the holy men. We are ushered out at this point. Sitting on your haunches is most uncomfortable! It must keep them supple.

It is very cold and very windy all day, with very occasional snatches of sun. In this square I notice what look like spices and remember the spice bazaar. Lo the building behind is it, and we have a ball buying Turkish curry, cinnamon, nutmeg and sundry others including ginger and some herbs. Then we find honeycomb (not very good as it transpires) and joy of joys a dried fruit stall. With great panache we are served with raisins and sultanas, figs and prunes for Christmas pud.

Then up through streets crowded with shops, stalls, people, cars and NOISE towards Askaray Square. The hand brake for a horse cart parked on a hill (apart from the horse) is a skid on a chain thrown through the wheel. Then a hard-pressed horse is being pushed down the bill by its cart which has one wheel on one of these skids. A car appears and attempts to park in the line of its onrush, but quickly reverses away again. The horse neatly executes a left turn amongst the traffic onto a more level road and disappears.

We locate ourselves once more at the top of the hill and walk down to Askaray Square to buy vegetables at the market there. With loaded shopping bag we secure the two front seats in a Ford Transit with only 4000km on the clock. It is immaculate and the driver is still running it in and drives eminently sensibly. Though I feel he is waiting impatiently for the day he can open it up. Some girls in the back of a lorry find us very amusing. After seeming to share the joke Brian gets his camera out. They all hide their faces. The journey to camp is over much sooner than usual with being in comfort and able to see where we're going.

Down to the kitchen for cup of tea and second shopping list, while Brian starts food and sorts out the purchases. Then off to the village shops. Sugar is difficult, but cherries? Gradually learn that they are kira or yok and are out of season. Preserved ones are unobtainable, and jam has got so few in as to be not worth buying. Everything else bought, though lamb's liver is not divisible, cow's is, so that's what we got. Butcher gives me Turkish cigarette after buying sausage, and greengrocer is most helpful and enlightening. So back to the patient Brian for supper. Liver into pan and it's soon on the table. Pud of syrupy "buns".

Then Aussie birds (Lorna, Jeanette and Annette) along with Derek their student tagger-on takeover the table. Afterwards coffee and cards, we play 500, like simple bridge, for some time. Meanwhile fruit for Christmas pud is soaking in cold tea and prunes are on to cook.