Topkapi Palace on a sunday morning

The Sultan's palace is quite an impressive site. My favorite - believe it or not - was the Harem, where the women, children, female servants and eunuchs would spend their lives. A large and beautiful golden cage. Have you noticed that I haven't said anything about women wearing veils? At first it felt just like Paris, you see the same women, but here it is different. This is certainly a muslim society, in spite of all the modernizing efforts of Ataturk - that I am admiring more and more every day, BTW. The modernization process failed after decades, now people are moving towards the extremes, radical Islam or radical Christianism. Both are the same expression of the failed promises of society, here, in France, in the US and everywhere else in the world. A rigid external societal structure provides a security that the individual cannot find anymore. Yes, I still find it interesting to see a woman covered from head to toes, I even saw a few with full black veils, I could not even see their eyes. BUT at the same time, these gorgeous girls full of make-up and highlights, curls and whatever else walking right next to them. It is true, this is a city of contrasts.