I have never seen black figs this large and sweet!  They are the size of a large tangerine and as sweet as honey.  I am getting more than my fill of them.

I saw many more women today.  It appears that more of them come out when they pick up the children from school.  I must admit that 95% of the women I saw were Muslim, very conservative looking, although not as conservative as women I saw from Saudi Arabia.  Their heads were covered, but they wore clothing that, while covering them from head to toe, did not come close to the full covering of an abaya. They wore colorful full length tops and skirts (no pants) that were somewhat flattering.  I was very happy to see them, and the school children. 

Old Istanbul shares the big city attributes of a New York or San Francisco.  I met women with children who were panhandling, and saw men who appeared to be homeless.  There were also men scouring for cans and bottles, and trash littered the streets.  And, like other cities, in the middle of the chaos was a park with a large fountain.  Benches surrounded the fountain, children played on play structures, women gossiped and men smoked and played cards and other games. 

I sort of decided to do some shopping, and went into a jewelry store to buy a bracelet.  The bracelet was priced at 10 liras; but, when I handed the 20 lira bill to the clerk, he didn’t offer any change.  “It is 10 dollars and 20 lira.”  I politely took my 20 lira bill back and handed him the bracelet.  No sale today.