Golden Hill Istanbul

... after asking the bus driver about all of these places that i wanted to go to, he was confused when i did not get off any of the stops! as it was late afternoon and i was tired and lazy i decided that i did not want to get off and go anywhere so i basically just soaked up some sites from the window of a local transit bus! what a laugh the bus driver thought i was an idiot. i figured that dipping my big toe in ...

... Sultanahmet (the old city area). Our hotel (Santa Sofia) is pleasant<br>and clean, and we both fall asleep quickly. <br><br>I am disappointed the following morning<br>to have slept through the Call to Prayer, but after a quick breakfast<br>and a few left turns out of the hotel, we stand breathless in front<br>of the Blue Mosque. It towers over several equally impressive<br>monuments, and fills your every sense. We decided to take our time to<br>really ...

... On the way somewhere people just grab a pint, stop and drink or suck on the trot. Vodka is a slightly different story. It is forbidden to sell spirits at these beer vendors which pose as general traders. Supermarkets have full stock. But alcohol between 3.5% and 42% may not be sold between 11pm and 7am. Russian vodka is a standard 40%. There would seem a practical logic to the 11pm cutoff, but to sotto voce publicly declare that you can/should hit the firewater at 7am raises an ...

... this beautiful place we are in now on this rooftop amongst 17th Century history. Jenni here: Imagine if you can, four women waking up a 4am and driving ourselves to the airport in Heraklion, Crete. Spending our 10 hour layover savoring the flurry of Athens. Then flying on to Istlanbul and hopping on the metro at 9pm. We were helped through the maze of trains by two Americans and a Ukranian business man. We emerged from the bus smack dab in the ...

... geared for tourists.  But we went in because there was a gypsy trio playing inside.  Not the greatest musicians, but fun.  We stayed just long enough to refuel and then parted ways with Hakan and Nicole who were headed back to Taksim (the newer area).  We weren't entirely sure of our plans for the rest of the day, but we started walking towards the Grand Bazaar to see what that was all about.  When we reached ...

... adjoining park hanging out and relaxing. And then for something quite different: a quick 15 minute walk and we were on the teeming outskirts of the spice market at a stand-up doner kebab stand for lunch. This was our first experience of this very local cuisine, and it was delicious. Saturday afternoons are clearly very busy days, and the spice market was packed. We wondered about for another hour or so, sampling various delicacies like ...

... this time round is we have arrived slap bang in the middle of Ramazan. Originally we both thought this would be a little bit awkward with shops closed early and services abridged. As it turns out, this has been an amazing time of the year to visit. We are staying a stone`s throw from the Hagia Sofya and the Blue Mosque in Sultanhamet so every evening as the fasting comes to an end the mosque forecourt and gardens come alive with the sounds, smells ...