Full Day in Istanbul

After a fitful night’s sleep, we woke up and went up to the 6th floor restaurant, where, like all good European hotels, breakfast was included int the price of the room. Not only was the breakfast good abundant, the view was spectacular.

After breakfast, we walked about three blocks down the hill to the square that has the Hagia Sofia on one end and the Blue Mosque on the other end. The Hagia Sofia is a spectacular church built in the sixth century by Byzantine Emperor Justinian. Fifteen hundred years later,and a thousand years as a Christian church and five hundred years as a mosque, it is now a museum. Across the square is the Blue Mosque, finished in 1616.

We took the self-guided tour which took us first to the Blue Mosque. Patty was resplendent in her Volcom headscarf as she toured the mosque.

After leaving the mosque, we went out to the hippodrome, the site of the Roman chariot race track, complete with its own plundered Egyptian obelisk.

After coming back down the hippodrome, and finding an ATM, and getting some local cash, we paid the entry fee and toured the Hagia Sophia. It is truly spectacular.

After the Hagia Sofia, we crossed the tram tracks and, on the way back to our hotel, toured the now restored city cistern. It was built in the sixth century to store water for the city.

We went back to the hotel, took a break, and then headed over to the Grand Bazar, a collection of some 4,000 shops that are now mostly tourist traps.

After wandering around the Bazar, buying some touristy stuff, we walked back toward the hotel. We had seen an old shoe shine guy earlier, so we both got our shoes cleaned and shined.

We came back to the room, rested and then went back down to dinner at a Rick Steve’s recommended place by the Blue Mosque. It is a famous old place nicknamed the “Pudding House” and even has its own WikiPedia entry. It was a famous hippie hangout in the 60’s and even has a picture of Bill Clinton shaking the Owner’s hand.

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