Family - day 2, Istanbul
Trip Start
Mar 12, 2008
1
12
59
Trip End
Mar 31, 2008
Another great day! Everyone slept late, and we only got up to breakfast by about 9:45. The breakfast room is on the 5th floor of the hotel and has magnificent views of the Sea of Marmaris and the part of the Sutanahmet district. The breakfast covered the full specrum of Mediterranen and western type foods, with a range of eggs, salads, yogurts with honey, and a huge selection of cheeses. Everyone ate well, which was just as well - because we did a lot of walking. We started by going through the Grand Bazaar, an altogether enthralling experience. We were not accosted much, and people were generally very friendly. Gracey even received a free key chain from a store proprietor who she had been speaking with. We moved on from there down to the Eminunu area, and had lunch of mackeral fish sandwhiches on the Galada bridge, right at the mouth of the Golden Horn. The veiw from where we sat was straight up the Bospherus, with the Bospherus bridge in the distance. And all for 11 Turkish Lira (about $8 US). From there we continued waling up into the Beyoglu area, past the Galada tower, an ancient citadel that looked over the Bospherus from a defensive position. We continued our walk (with only Hayley in the stroller) all the way up to Taksim square, one of the main up-market shopping and (apparently) night-life spots. We ended up at a pastry shop near the Military Museum, and treated ourselves to hot tea and sweet pastries. Again, unbelievably friendly people, and we have discovered that "teshakur ederim", thank you in Turkish, goes an awfully long wy to making friends. After the long walk, we caught first a trolley, and then a tram to get back to the hotel at about 6 for a break in the room. We ended up eating in the hotel, atypical Turkish meal of egg-plant and lamb, in the hotel's restaurant. That is located in an ancient cistern with columns, discovered when the hotel was built in 1984. Just an added delight at the end of a great day.
