Istanbul Day 1

Istanbul Day 1

We arrived into Istanbul in the late afternoon with beautiful views of the city. There were two cruise ships in port when we arrived and our parking spot on the dock was in front of them both, meaning we had to sail past them and then parallel park in our spot in a sense. It took some time and it was probably nerve wracking for the captain considering the majority of the passengers on our ship were on the top deck watching and many passengers from the other two ships had gathered on their decks to watch us as well. He pulled us right in with ease, it really was quite amazing.

Once docked we headed for the tour bus to get our tour started. It began with a stop at the Basilica Cistern, one of the few early architectural examples to survive and stand today. Then it was off to the famous Spice Bazaar where we all tasted many samples of Turkish Delight before buying a few boxes to take home with us. Colin learned quick that he could lay on the charm to get more goody samples, he enjoyed that part! The market was incredible, the pictures show some of the things you could buy there. After the market we boarded a sightseeing boat for a cruise of the Bosphorus Straight, considered one of the most scenic and beautiful places in the world. It splits the Asian and European sides of Istanbul (yes, the city limits actually lie on two continents!) and architecture from the Ottoman Empire dots both sides of the straight. Afterwards we went back to the boat for a party on the back deck with Turkish food and incredible views of the city under the moon.