Istanbul

We stayed in old historic (European side) Istanbul.  We were within walking distance of the Blue Mosque, St. Sophia Museum, Topkapi Palace, Grand Bazaar, Bosphorus strait, The Fish Market, spice market and the old city wall.  We also saw the Chora Museum and Dolmabahçe Palace.  

Part of the Istanbul tour was a 90 minute boat ride on the Bosphorus (the strait of water separating Asia and Europe).  There is no greater way to experience the ebb and flow of Istanbul's many cultures than during a cruise on the Bosphorus as we glide past the magnificent palaces, beautiful mosques, imposing fortresses and Ottoman mansions that still grace its shores.   The shores of the Bosphorus are between a third of a mile and two miles apart and are lined with cafes, restaurants, taverns, Yali's (residences) and several palaces. From Istanbul to the Black Sea the shoreline measures nineteen miles in all. The view of the Bosphorus is amazing with its traffic of freighters, fishing boats, water skiers, swimmers, and flights of storks and eagles. Silently watching all this progress for centuries are the two imposing stone fortresses, Anadolu Hisari (1390) and Rumeli Hisari (1452).  

Istanbul has about 12 million residents, an impressive setting straddling Europe and Asia, and an unchallenged place in the country's history, folklore, commerce and culture. For several thousand years before the construction of the Bosphorus Bridge in 1973, the only way to go between the European and Asian parts of the city was by boat. A second bridge was completed in 1988, a third is planned and a metro is being developed.  Our boat went under both bridges - truly spectacular.

Walking along the Bosphorus and visiting the fish market in the late afternoon was wonderful.  It was only a 15 minute walk from our hotel down some local streets.  As we walked back to our hotel, the sunset was beautiful.

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