Taking the night train...

We spent our last days in Istanbul visiting Topkapi Castle, the Blue Mosque, the Science & Technology Museum, a library, the Grand Bazaar (more like a busy mall 🤯😐) and took a ferry to the Asian side. Kathie & Larry had visited before so they did their own thing, including Larry's visit to a Turkish barber💈where he was coiffed, plucked and waxed! He looked fabulous! We met up to collect our things, have something to eat and walk to the train station where we took 2 trains to get to the station for our night train to Istanbul. That train had 3 cars and they were all sleeping couchettes. The seats were fairly uncomfortable but folded down to a bed and it was comfortable. The top bunk folded down from the wall. There was a sink, and a fridge with a couple of snacks and juices. The bathrooms were at either end of the car and not so nice. We set off at 6 p.m. and went to sleep later only to be woken up at 2:30 a.m. to go through passport control leaving Turkey. We all trooped off and stood in line to have passports stamped then back on and moved down the track for about 15 minutes only to be disturbed again for entry into Bulgaria! Fortunately, we didn't have to get off; someone took our passports and after about 45 minutes, they were returned and the train set off again.
Consequently, not much sleep and we were late arriving in Plovdiv. Probably a good thing because when we arrived at the hotel, they let us check in. A lovely hotel in the old town.Read more