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Tuesday, October 19, 2010

The Topkapi Palace

The Turkish Military keeps armed guards at the Palace.
 The Charming Man and myself spend over five hours at the awe-inspiring Topkapi Palace. To quote Wikipedia,

The Palace was the official and primary residence in the city of the Ottoman Sultans for 400 years of their 624-year reign,[2] from 1465 to 1856.
Here are a few of my favorite photos to give you an idea of how huge, lavish, and jaw-dropping this palace.


This was a quiet day at the Topkapi Palace

The interior of the Library of Ahmed III.

I think every library should look like this!

Again, Wikipedia:
The Imperial Hall (Hünkâr Sofası), also known as the Imperial Sofa, Throne Room Within or Hall of Diversions, is a domed hall in the Harem, believed to have been built in the late 16th century. It has the largest dome in the palace. The hall served as the official reception hall of the sultan as well as for the entertainment of the Harem. Here the sultan received his confidants, guests, his mother, his first wife (Hasseki), consorts, and his children. Entertainments, paying of homage during religious festivals, and wedding ceremonies took place here in the presence of the members of the dynasty
Breathtaking stained glass in the private chambers in the Haram.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Visiting Cagaloglu Hamami

I don't have a Turkish keyboard, so I don't have the diacritics that belong in the name. Please forgive me!

Photo from www.istanbul-turismo.com


When I was in Istanbul, the one place I knew I had to visit was a hammam. I went to one of the most famous Hamams in the world - Cagaloglu Hamami.

This is the description I sent my fellow author, Sloan Addams. She calls me Wonder Woman. I call her Power Girl.

***

Power Girl! I have come to the conclusion that the hamam is the cure for all the world's ills.

First, some nice lady pours hot water all over you as you sit on a heated marble floor. Then you get to lay there in wet, fabulous bliss. She comes in with soap and a exfoliating mitt and scrubs you all over, front and back, so that your skin is incredibly smooth and clean. This is not fast, either. It's complete relaxation.

You get rinsed by more hot, clean water splashed over you. This feels like heaven.

Then you realize that heaven is even cooler than you thought, because you get a massage with the soap suds. The soap and water is so thick and bubbly that your massage is slick and relaxes every damn part of yourself.

Finally, she washes your hair.

At the end, you ooze your boneless way back to your little room and try to remember how to put on clothes.

I bought some of the soap and one of the mitts there, so I can give myself a cheater's hamam here at home. No heated marble floors, you know. ;)

***
Her response?



Wonder Woman - I just turned green.

Friday, October 15, 2010

Random internet radio news

Norah Jones, while very nice, is a let-down after hearing Aretha Franklin.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

This is the Hagia Sophia

 I have no words for this former Church, then Mosque, now a museum. So I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.



Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Hot stuff for an autumn lunchtime

So, we left our naughty couple in the bedding department of JC Penny's....    

     I follow his directions and stretch across the pristine white fabric. I toe my strappy sandals off and let them drop to the floor as I scootch to the middle. It’s actually a good mattress, the support comforting and arousing at the same time.
     Mike stands at the foot of the bed, looking me over. “Inch it up, baby, I want to see.” The boy always was a voyeur. The peek show I had given him obviously whetted his appetite for a longer perusal.
      Slowly I ride my skirt up to my waist.
      “Spread ‘em.”
      I open my legs an inch, then stop. I arch an eyebrow. “Unzip.”
      He runs his hand up and down the length of his erection, casually curling his thumb under the top button of his low riding Levi’s. He pops it, and the rest follows, smooth as butter. My legs automatically spread wide as if I had ball bearing in my hips. The sound of button fly jeans always made me salivate. Guess his memory is better than I thought.
       He’s not wearing underwear, just the way I always liked it. I want that hot hard length in my hands and I sit up. He wags a finger at me. “Nuh-uh. My game, not yours tonight.”
       “Whatever.” But I lie back down, run my hands up and down my thighs, framing my clipped pubis. He’ll play my games later.
       He wraps his hand around his cock, strokes with elegant, lazy fingers. “Open up for me.”
       I dig my fingers into my labia and unfurl them. Mike licks his lips, and swallows, as if the sight of me has made his mouth water. He yanks once hard on himself and cups his balls.
      “Can you come quietly?”
       “Not if you’re any good, I can’t.” I breathe. My fingers on one hand creep toward my clit, and the other teases my opening.
       “Prove it.”

Tuesday, October 12, 2010