We began our day walking to Topkapi Palace where we oooooed and ahhhhed over the beautiful tile walls and mosaic floors of the harem quarters, the grand view of the Bosphorous from the palace balconies, and the gems, thrones, and robes in the museum.
My favorite, however, was the grand view. I could have spent an entire afternoon sitting on the balcony, watching the boats in the water, looking into the Asian side of the strait, and thinking about all of the history this city has witnessed.
Our first lunch in Istanbul was several courses of different foods. I particularly enjoyed the appetizer consisting of an artichoke half filled with peas, carrots, and potatoes. (Little did I know that by the time my trip in Turkey ended, I would eat this dish one more time, and it would be even better then.) I also thoroughly enjoyed the dessert—sugar pie. It looked like a brown roll, but it tasted like wet sugar. Vanilla ice cream was the perfect complement to the sugar pie.
Next we walked (good thing after that big lunch) to the Hagia Sophia. First built by Emperor Theodosius in the 4th century and subsequently destroyed by fire and earthquake, the current structure was built by Emperor Justinian in the 7th century. It has over a thousand windows which made it lighter inside than most structures at the time. When the Muslims converted it to a mosque, they plastered over the incredible mosaics on the walls and the domes. Currently under restoration, its interior was somewhat darkened by the scaffolds, but we were still in awe at the beauty of the mosaics.
Leaving the Hagia Sophia, we toured the Basilica Cistern, an underground water supply from the time of Constantine.
Our last stop for the day was the Grand Bazaar. It is composed of thousands of shops in several streets in old Istanbul. A couple of us ended up in a little shop on a back street on the very edge of the Grand Bazaar, but we found our way back to the gate where we supposed to meet the rest of the group—with tales to tell of bargaining successes and samples of wares.
No group supper tonight, we’re on our own. My friends and I found a sidewalk cafe where we were serenaded and treated to friendly conversation. Yes, the Turks have a reputation for hospitality, and they deserve that reputation!
View more pictures of Turkey Trip Day 2
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