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| Michael meets some of the rellies in Athens |
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| Yummy stuff at the Pudding Shop for lunch |
Upon arriving in Istanbul there was quite a dilemma when my suitcase was nowhere to be seen. One lonely red suitcase making its way around the carousel led us to discover a "Vicky from Istanbul" had accidentally taken my suitcase. But thanks to the efforts of Carl and Tric I was eventually reunited with it.
At the airport we were greeted by the hilarious Bitzy - the famous tour guide among SOAPies. On the bus she pointed out some features of Istanbul. The mosques stood out among the densely packed city of old buildings which was highlighted by a stunning 66 metre view of Istanbul from the Galata Tower.
We were also surprised to see beautiful tulips lining the streets as we were told 4-5 million tulips had been planted in Istanbul for the Tulip Festival.
Next up was the Hagia Sophia, an ancient mosque, and former Greek Orthodox basilica, now converted into a museum which is regarded by some as the largest and best mosque in the world. The features were exquisite from the marble floor and walls to the stainglass windwos, paint work and architecture. It left us all wondering how it was possible to build such a wonder.
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| Sanduni checks out Yerabatan Cisterns |
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| From the Grand Bazaar - a fez for Carl and fezette for the Jack Russell |
After a huge lunch we visited the Yerabatan Cistern, an ancient underground water reservoir. Then it was finally time for shopping at the Grand Bazaar. We all fired up our bartering skills and eagerly shopped, ending up satisfied with some great bargains!
The eventful day ended with a scenic tour boat ride of the Bosphorous.
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| Cruising the Bosphorous |
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| Reunited at last! Claire and the long lost luggage |
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