A City on Earth

I love the artichoke without caring about if the artichoke loves me back or not. It is my most favourite vegetable in the whole world. My grandma used to make the best artichoke dishes, and my mom is not bad at creating her own version of artichoke food formats either. And there’s Kantin’s artichoke spread which, for me, is a yummier than yummy side dish. And I say “hello” to those two men who sell fresh artichokes on the corner of a street in Nisantasi whenever I make eye contact with one or two of them. So, up to here, I think I’ve made myself clear about my feelings towards the cynara cardunculus. They are just marvelous. On the way to Ikea this past weekend, right at the heart of Bayrampaşa, a district which has made a name for itself with its eponymous prison (I’m thinking that these days Ikea is way more popular than the prison. Ask for directions and you’ll notice that everyone is in the know.), I found this fountain made of giant artichokes. OK, I know we are shit at designing urban objects but what the hell is this?  One more question to the Swedish people: Does your Ikea offer such incredible sights en route?