Originally, I was supposed to catch a 10:30 am flight from Rome to Istanbul, but due to the lack of people wanting to risk a visit to Istanbul in the wake of the spring bombings, that flight was canceled and I was shuffled over to a 7 am flight. Which sucked, in one respect. However, I got to Istanbul before lunch, and was able to have a nice lunch before hitting the sights.
I have been a bad blogger and have abandoned this place for too long. I have several posts in queue, but recent events have pushed this one to the forefront.
I think most people have at least heard the song, first recorded in 1953 (the 500th anniversary of the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Empire), it pokes fun at the renaming of the ancient city.
Istanbul was Constantinople
Now it’s Istanbul not Constantinople
Been a long time gone
Old Constantinople’s still has Turkish delight
On a moonlight night
Every gal in Constantinople
Is a Miss-stanbul, not Constantinople
So if you’ve date in Constantinople
She’ll be waiting in Istanbul
Even old New York was once New Amsterdam
Why they changed it, I can’t say
(People just liked it better that way)
Take me back to Constantinople
No, you can’t go back to Constantinople
Now it’s Istanbul, not Constantinople
Why did Constantinople get the works?
That’s nobody’s business but the Turks’
