Night at the Opera ~ Pagliacci

Another great performance by the Portland Opera...

Carmina Burana was quite good also. 

My preference would have been two performances.

Nearest Streetcar Stop

SW 3rd and Harrison

Summer Is Still Here

How can you not enjoy the day and walking to the streetcar when you come across brilliant orange poppies.

Nearest Streetcar Stop

NW Northrup and NW 22nd

Maya's Mural

The finishing touches are going up on this mural at SW 10th and Morrison.

Nearest Streetcar Stop

SW 10th and SW Alder

Streetcar Running Again

Great news! The Portland Streetcar is no long running shuttle buses. There are actual streetcars on the line.

Nearest Streetcar Stop

SW 10th and SW Alder

Portland Parkways

This fellow is getting ready to set up his coffee cart for the Portland Parkways in Northwest. It was a great time to walk and bicycle along streets with no traffic... even if it was done in classic Portland style, in drizzling rain.

Nearest  Streetcar Stop

NW Northrup and NW 12

Lips and Shoes

A bit of summer was in the air today. People reading in Jamison Square. Children playing in the fountain. And of course lunch outside at Hot Lips Pizza.

Messages at the Lan Su Chinese Gardens

Nearest Streetcar  Stop

NW 10th and NW Everett

Thursday Farmers Market

The Farmers Market on NW 23rd will operate just one more week after today. The neighborhood will miss having fresh vegetables and fruit as well as other vendors and musicians on Thursdays.

Nearest Streetcar Stop

NW Marshall and NW 23rd

Mounted Patrol Beginning Shift

Nearest Streetcar Stop ~ NW 10th and NW Marshall

Waiting for the Streetcar

Well in this case she was waiting for the Streetcar Shuttle Bus. This is one of the most spare streetcar stops. Situated at NW Northrup and NW 18th, it's in an area that used to be light industrial. Les Schwab tires is in the next block.

Saint Mark's

Saint Mark's is an Anglican church. In addition to having a brick facade and beautiful trees, bells ring on the hour. I wish I lived closer!

Closest Streetcar Stop

NW Northrup and NW 21st

or

NW Lovejoy and NW 21st

Streetcar Replaced by Shuttle Bus

Imagine my surprise when I went to take the Portland Streetcar and saw a Shuttle Bus instead. Evidently they will be Shuttle Buses will be doing Streetcar duty at least until 26 September because of construction

.

Streetcar Stop at NW Northrup and NW 14th

Lunch at City Market

Remembering the better times while having lunch in front of City Market, corner of NW 21st and Johnson.

Closest Streetcar Stop ... NW Lovejoy and 21st

Friday Morning ~ JFK Terminal #4

Sleeping at the International Terminal JFK 17 September 2010

One of hundreds left stranded...

Last Cup of Coffee in Istanbul

Taken in Ortakoy near the Bosphorus Bridge

Back in Portland on Friday

Bosphorus Bridge ~ Outskirts of Ortakoy (returning to Portland Friday)

Three Modes of Transportation on the Bosphorus ~ In Turkey for Three More Days

Take the Streetcar is still vacationing in Istanbul. Today was spent in Kadikoy, one of the districts on the Asian side of the Bosphorus. These two images were taken from a ferry. So in addition to the view through the ferry to the other side, there's also the gigantic cruise ship and the freighter. Back in Portland on Friday!

Coffee ~ in Istanbul not Portland

Portlanders love their coffee. There are coffee wars. My favorite is from the coffee roasting cellist/cello playing coffee roaster, Badbeard. However when in Turkey, drink as the Turkish drink... two cups of Turkish coffee on the Bosphorus, please.

Hagia Sophia ~ Still in Istanbul

There really are no words to describe the beauty and holy light when you stand in this church.

Kadikoy Nostalgic Tram

Most tourists are aware of the nostalgic tram on Istiklal Caddesi that runs from Taksim to Tunel in Istanbul. They may know that there is another one across the Bosphorus on the Asian side. Few take the ferry to see this one though. Unlike the tram on the European side that uses refurbished equipment, the Asian side employs cars from other railways. It's a small circular route running through the core of the shopping section near the ferry docks.

Topkapi, not Portland

Entrance to the Imperial Treasury... This is one long queue!

Commuter Ferry

These people have just arrived at Kabatas, a station/area of Istanbul, on a commuter ferry. They could have been coming over from the Asian portion of Istanbul. In any case, it's just another form of commuting for Istanbul residents.

More Mosques ~ Istanbul not Portland

The Ortakoy Mosque is always beautiful but it is even more so when it's reflecting the sun. Today we walked here past the Dolmabache Palace, the Four Seasons and the Ciragan Sarayi, another luxury hotel.  It was a grand walk and we were delighted with how low-key the town was later in the afternoon. Sunday photos when it was rainy are up on Flickr. The rest of the ones from today probably won't get there for a few more days. We did catch a bus and took the Funicular to Taksim from Kabatas.

Not Portland ~ Still in Istanbul, View of the Hagia Sophia

Istanbul's Metro

In addition to the Nostalgic Tram that runs the length of the Istiklal Caddesi and buses, Istanbul also has a Metro system. We've been using that to go to Taksim and Sishane when we want to walk wander through the streets of what is known as the New District. The train is fast but perhaps not quite as fast as this photo would make it seem...

Two Trams Meet on Istiklal Caddesi

Yesterday one of the nostalgic trams on Istiklal Caddesi in Istanbul made an appearance on Take the Streetcar. Today I'm hoping that two of them will meet, No. 2 and No. 3.

Istiklal Caddesi ~ Not in Portland

Looking down on this wide thoroughfare in Istanbul and you'll see hundreds of pedestrians. Admittedly there is a truck there and occasionally a taxi goes across the street but for the most part this is a haven for people on foot. Nine out of ten people here are Turks. Turks enjoy this haven of shopping for all sorts of things and a chance to be out. Look closely and you'll see the tracks of the "nostalgic tram" that runs from Taksim to Tunel near Galata Tower. And look one just popped into view below. More Istanbul posts coming before the return to Portland Streetcar.

Street Scene in Sisli ~ Return to Portland on 16 September

The area where we are staying in Istanbul is referred to by many names. One of them is Sisli. I know this because Sisli happens to be experiencing a water outage. All of Sisli. Nisantasi is an area within Sisli and that's yet another name we look for on maps and street signs. In this image we are returning from a perfectly lovely walk to and from the Bosphorous.

Slightly Out of Synch

What with the time difference and Einstein's many theories, this blog is publishing what it thinks is September 2. (For those who have read the previous entries, we're still without hot water.) However, this hasn't deterred us. Here for your viewing pleasure is an image of transportation at Taksim in Instanbul.

Four Pot Bath

There are some downsides to Home Exchanges, especially when the exchangers have been traveling for three months. The hot water boiler wasn't working when we arrived here in Istanbul. Cold sponge baths first night. Next day four pot warm water sponge baths. Repairman arrived at 10 pm. Perfect gentlemen who had much respect for his elders. After an hour we're still without hot water. Another repair person comes in the morning, in theory. But that's it. We'll take four pan baths and leave this problem to the next exchangers. They're from Seattle. Beware.