This is not Potty humor! From the Minoans to the Caliphate (one of two parts)

My travels in Turkey and Greece reminded me that I had NOT continued my series on toilets and bathrooms around the world!  So I paid special attention to these attractions this time around.  Surprisingly sophisticated facilities were found wherever I went.  The earliest (historically speaking) site was the “palace” of Knossos, in Heraklion, Crete.  The palace dates back to about 1700 BC and was inhabited by King Minos – of the minotaur fame.  When Minos refused to sacrifice the white bull given to him by Poseidon, Aphrodite punished him by making his wife fall in love and mate with a bull, resulting in a half bull half human offspring, the Minotaur!  This ferocious being was kept in a labyrinth built under the palace at Knossos by Daedalus.  The excavations are massive, the renovations and reconstructions mercifully limited.

One thing is apparent – there was an elaborate system to get water to the palace using aqueducts, and great drainage system with clay pipes.  Pride of place is occupied by a large, and surprisingly modern looking clay tub that the queen used for her ablutions.

A. R. Rahman’s marvel of light and sound – but where’s the music? (part 2)

I have so much to say about the AR Rahman Bay Area concert, a show that was stunning as a spectacle, but thin on the ground as far as music went.  You cannot have Benny Dayal, Neeti Mohan, Javed Ali, Shweta Pandit, and Blazee as showcased singers and get a good music program.  OK there was Hariharan, but he sang maybe three songs and was hardly present.  The one exception, and possible late addition, was Shaan.  But Shaan has not sung much for ARR so we did not hear any of his signature songs!

Missing were the whirling dervishes, and the feeling of being in the presence of something unknowable.  Kudos to Mr. Rahman for not introducing that element in a loud and crowded concert, no matter how missed it was.  But then just three days later I got to see the real thing! In Istanbul there is a Cultural Center called Hodja Pasha with a half hour every evening of the whirling dervishes.  We decided to go and see them live.  This entailed getting into a taxi and giving directions to the cabbie.  Telling us he understood perfectly and negotiating a fixed price with us (we thought it was a deal!), he left us near the Spice Bazaar and told us it was simply a couple of blocks inside there but it would take much longer to drive than to walk.