Günayden (good morning) from Istanbul!
We have had a lovely time shopping and sight-seeing in this vibrant city. On our first day, we saw the magnificent Topkapi palace, the luxurious palace of the Sultans of the Ottoman Empire. The walls of the palace were adorned with thousands of hand-painted tiles. The sheer size of the palace was amazing but this was nothing compared to the gold and jewels of the sultans. They had everything from thrones to their royal gourds made out of gold, rock crystal, emeralds and rubies. However, the most spectacular item was the fourth-largest diamond in the world. At 86 carats surrounded by 46 smaller mine-cut diamonds, this was most shiny indeed.
Next was the Hagia Sophia an ancient church covered with mosaics and rich in history and mythology. Over its long life it has been a temple, a church and a mosque. This was the place where the king was crowned and the home of the wishing column and a door that is 2000 years old. After lunch, we visited the Basilica; a water supply for the Byzantine palace. We saw Medusa’s head and the numerous fish residing in the water. Then, the Hippodrome which was a museum for the hippies or so Mr. Croft led us to believe. If you have ever seen Ben Hur, you will know what I’m talking about. For those who haven’t, this is the place where the chariots raced all those years ago. It was then a quick walk to the Blue Mosque which was not as blue as expected. However, it was very beautiful, covered with ornate tiles like the walls of the palace.
We only did a bit of shopping that day, but the next day was the GRAND BAZAAR DAY!!! This is one of the biggest covered markets in the world. There were lanterns, games, shoes, clothes, but most of all, harem pants. Almost all of the girls (and a few of the boys) bought a pair or two and enjoyed the unbridled comfort that defines these pants. We had a few marriage proposals and cheesy pick-up lines from the charismatic stall holders, but still managed to get some great bargains by haggling them down to semi-reasonable prices. We went to the spice markets after lunch which was an interesting experience. The crowds of people were unreal. It was all elbows and shoulders to make any headway. For dinner, we had a ‘cultural experience’. We sat on authentic Turkish cushions, listened to authentic Turkish music and ate chips (and authentic Turkish food). It was a good experience for us to see how they do things.
On our last day, we started out with a two hour cruise of the river Bosphorus. This was wonderfully relaxing, as all we had to do was sit back on our benches (and beanbags) and enjoy the spectacular scenery of the city. People waved as we passed and we admired the serenity of this unique and beautiful area. After lunch we made the steep hike up to the Galata tower. This tower has, at various times been a fire, control and watch tower. Its height and size are pretty impressive. It was then time to burn up the rest of our Turkish Lira’s by indulging in some retail therapy. This is when we came across the annual May Day marches. After this, it was back to the hotel for packing and relaxing, then out again for dinner. We walked into the restaurant and were gob-smacked. Our final meal was in an old Roman cistern, lit by numerous candles with live music playing in the background. The food was excellent but the main highlight was Kaitlyn and Brierley playing the piano for us like a couple of professionals.
Tomorrow, we fly out. The tour has been an enriching experience and certainly one that we will never forget. Although we have had a brilliant time it will be great to see all our families and have be surrounded by the familiar.
See you all on Tuesday,
Jenny and Maree
