Europe 2026

Our first visit this morning was to the Basilica Cistern, about 100 metres from our hotel. This is an absolutely incredible water storage built underground 1500 years ago (!!!) by the Romans.
We then started to follow the Lonely Planet walking tour until someone told us the Blue Mosque is closed Friday mornings, so we jumped on a tram and had a wander through the Grand Bazaar.
This is an enormous complex of little shops, all under cover with arched roofs over the walkways. Eventually the cigarette smoke in the air got too much for Pat so we headed for fresh air.
We took the tram(s) to the end of the line, over the Galata Bridge to Kabatas, then took the underground funicular up to Taksim Square.
Searching for a good gluten free lunch had us wandering down steep narrow streets among the stray cats. We shared a surprisingly good chicken salad at Art Salad, a tiny shop with one table out the front. While we sat there probably 20 food delivery motor bikes went past.
Back to Kabatas and onto a ferry across the Bosphorus Strait to Uskudar on the Asian side. We had a coffee and Pat had tiramisu at a little upstairs cafe, then home by ferry and tram.

NB:Basilica Cistern had just been closed to the public.
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