Back in Galataport, we wander past the Tophane fountain, through the Museum Square where they are setting up for a concert this evening and into the rabbit warren of alleys in the Galataport entertainment area.

Alper had told us about a great brewery, The Populist, on the waterfront here in Galataport. We figure we have time, so we’ll pop in for a beer. Um. Yeah, right. This place is packed – well all of Galataport is – and The Populist? A line a mile long to get in. Yeah, we don’t wait in line in Asheville for beer, we’re not doing it here. So we reverse our course and head to the balcony all the while trying to figure out these interesting walls that separate the ship from the populace on the waterfront. They appear to be hydraulic, and when you take a closer look, you can see where they will lay flat. the side facing the water and the ships are all white, but the side facing the Galataport businesses, when raised are sort of brown with a circle design. You can see that same color and design all the way down the pier after the walls stop. Simon is right, this place is wild!

After gym, showers and dinner, tonight there is a special local show up on the pool deck. And, well, being “whales” we have special seating – ack!!!  First row – great seats, to be sure, and Simon has promised us, well at least said “no participation necessary” – which of course leads me to believe there will be participation! We’ve done our dancing for this trip, well Ed has, thank you.

So, we dutifully go to our special seats, which are wonderful with an unobstructed view. But, oh my god!  So, let’s give a little background here…beyond the special suite seats….. For the entire sailing – this one and the one previous – we always sit in the same seats in the Cabaret lounge for shows. Always. Our bar server knows that and jokes with us about it.  Well now that we are “whales” in a suite, all the officers pay special attention to us. Simon in particular, and he has figured out our Cabaret seating preference and so he kids us about it. Last night at the show, he sat in our seats to keep them for us. 

Then after giving up the seats to us, he joked about Norm on Cheers, how he always sat in the same seat on the sitcom – and at the real life Cheers bar in Boston, there is even a plaque with Norm’s name on his seat. Simon says we need one here.  Which of course we thought was priceless, laughed and said we’d be honored. 

Well tonight? He shows up with badges that say Cathy’s seat and Edward’s seat!!! We could not believe it. So totally amazingly sweet and funny and just, well, Azamara! Oh, and he’s “handling” them for us.  In other words, he’s putting them on our seats every night and not letting us have them until we leave. Priceless!

After that, well, what can we say? On to the show, which was great – funny strange dancers, a surprise Belly Dancer (who Steven and Grace were shocked to find in the show, because she wasn’t in the tapes they received when they auditioned!), and an entire set of different traditional wedding dances from around the country. Just excellent.

And of course, afterward? Where do we head? Yep, straight back to the balcony to gaze out at the lights of Istanbul and watch the teeming masses down below on the promenade. Wow. This place is hoppin’. Fortunately, the concert in the square is over and there isn’t a lot of loud music and our balcony doors are pretty sound proof anyway, so we’re not worried about being kept up. Except maybe by curiosity sitting here all night watching everyone outdoors!