We were out of groceries and it was a sunny, if chilly, afternoon, so we decided to go out for lunch. It turned out to be very pleasant: we went to Cihangir, to a little hipster street food place. Under the new regulations there is no dining in, so we took our food to the narrow strip of park overlooking the water and found a nice sunny spot away from all the dogs. There are far too many dogs (and dogshit) in Cihangir. It was close enough that the food was in good condition, and clearly months of pandemic has had a positive effect on how restaurants package their takeaways, as it was all secure, not leaky, and there was exactly the right number and type of implements.
After lunch we ran some errands: bought some cake for later, some eggs and bread, some milk, some of the tarama I like to have for breakfast. We then parted ways and I went up to Istiklal avenue to buy a second pair of sweatpants. My first were from Lululemon, bought in Canada a bit over a year ago, and were perhaps the most pandemic-appropriate purchase I have ever made. This was a considerable way downmarket, from Zara’s, but will do well enough. I also bought some notepaper and envelopes as I have to write a letter to my nephew who has recently discovered the post.