Oct 8: Birthday Shenanigans

It’s my birthday today! We had a late breakfast, at which, the hotel surprised me with a valiant chorus of “Happy Birthday to you” and little (very pink) birthday cake, which I ate, for breakfast, because I’m a grown up.

We walked to Fener & Balat district, a couple of miles from our hotel, outside the Theodocian Walls. The traditional Christian heart of Istanbul, the Patriarch has his seat there (at St George’s Cathedral, which is generally closed and was today). It is also home to two notable churches: St Stephen’s Iron Church, built in the 1870s, from cast iron (as advertised), for the Bulgarian Orthodox community and St Mary of the Mongols, a 13th Century Greek Orthodox Church (which replaced the original, 7th Century building). Only two Byzantine churches were never converted into mosques. Mehmed the Conqueror himself issued the decree sparing St Mary’s. By contrast, Hagia Irene became an armoury under the Ottomans and is now a state museum. St Mary’s persisted - a gift to Christodoulos, the Greek Orthodox architect who designed Mehmed’s monumental Fatih Mosque.

I had a small pray in St Stephen’s: gave thanks, especially for my time in Bulgaria, my friends there. One of our favourite “hidden gems” in Paris is the church of Our Lady of Labour in Montparnasse, also built of iron (from steel girders, in 1900). I am happy I also found the Iron Church here.

The rest of the neighbourhood was full of half-hearted Insta-attractions (coloured houses; an umbrella walk; faded plastic flowers; chipped, painted stairs). And cats. We have been surprised by the cats (silky coats, friendly, well-fed) and, also, by the pigeons (fearless, whole-footed, shiny). Carey described them as “communal pets”, rather than strays or vermin. He’s spot on. The Prophet was famously a cat-lover. Birds are a particular symbol of trust in God. In Ottoman times, there was a city brigade dedicated to their welfare, supported by charitable giving. The tradition continues in modern times. Kindness to animals is still considered an important demonstration of Islamic values.

Our hotel offers free afternoon tea, which sounds glamorous, but is actually two flasks and the left-over pastries from breakfast. Still, a quiet sit with some tea and biscuits is a nice refresher.

We again took our day in two bites, heading out around 5pm to the Gulhane Park at the foot of the Topkapi palace. It is a shady, green space in a crowded city. We found the Column of the Goths and also the ruins of the Hagia Therapia children’s hospital, which, the interpretive information informs, is likely the origin of the word “therapy” in its modern, medicinal, sense (the original Greek “therapon” means a “helper”, such as a squire or a page).

We dined at a different restaurant this evening, seated on theatrical woven benches, piled with cushions, beneath equally theatrical mosaic lanterns, while a woman dressed in harem pants encouraged other diners to dancing. It was good-natured fun, and the food was generous and tasty.

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Inspired by our 2024 Camino Francais, Karen has a periodic podcast called "I sent you a bloody boat", personal thoughts on faith by a person who believes in thinking. Also, known as "The Reluctant Christian". You can listen to it on Spotify and on Apple Podcasts at: