On tour

We met our group for this final leg of our trip. There are 25 of us and everyone seems delightful.
After brekky we headed off for a tour of Topkapi Palace which I found quite fascinating. We saw loads of jewels and knives and Arabian Sultan outfits and thrones etc. Everything here is quite different to European Kings/Queens - think Arabian Nights or Aladdin. Very ornate with so much gold and extremely colourful. I am loving how many different things I am experiencing.
Next we explored The Hippodrome where horse and chariot races used to take place during the Roman era and then we went inside the Blue Mosque which I was so keen to do. It was absolutely stunning inside (and crowded). I forget the actual name of it but it is clear why it is referred to as the Blue Mosque. 🕌
Next stop was the spice market but having already been there we opted to go with our guide to try the kunëfe dessert that has been recommended to us by several people. It was kind of like a sweet mozzarella stretchy cheese crossed with a baklava and was very tasty , albeit very sweet and rich. Of course we had another Turkish tea. In fact, we are so enjoying the tea that I bought a pair of fancy tea glasses and some tea for home.
We also got ½ kg of mixed Turkish delight for $3!!!
On the way home we noticed 100+ cargo ships all apparently anchored outside of the Bosphorus. We learned that this is because the waters around Istanbul are the only access point between the Mediterranean and The Black Sea. Some ships may have to wait 15 days or more as only one ship at a time can go through and some take precedence over others 😳😳 AND, it’s my understanding, that there aren’t many cocktail bars or shows on these ships so I’m not sure how they cope 🤷‍♀️
Back at the hotel and resting our overworked feet before setting off for Gallipoli tomorrow.Baca lagi