Our adventure in Europe continued on to Turkey, with our first stop in Izmir, the gateway to Ephesus. We had already been to Ephesus last year, so we decided to explore Izmir's Old City instead. We took a cab to Konak Pier and walked to Kemeralti Square, where Dylan enjoyed chasing pigeons with his friends. We then took a local bus up to the Kadafikeli Fort and hiked up the steep ramparts to see the sweeping views of the Izmir skyline.
On Day 12 of our cruise, our ship crossed the Sea of Marmara into the Bosphorus Strait, where we were greeted by amazing views of the beautiful city of Istanbul. While our ship waited to dock, we were stuck in the middle of the strait, which was the best place to be to see both the European and Asian sides of Istanbul. As we gazed at the Dolmabahce Palace, the Bosphorus Bridge and the Old City in the horizon, we were speechless. Istanbul was a world of its own -- historic and modern, mysterious and open, Christian and Muslim, European and Asian -- it's a city full of character and life, and everyone who visits always leaves enchanted by it.
We took our time enjoying the views from the ship, before deciding to take the tender to shore and explore Istanbul on foot. It was sunset as we approached the pier, and it was one of the most magical sights to see -- the glow of dusk illuminating the Sultanahmet district, the Golden Horn and the Bosphorus. Nighttime fell by the time we reached the old city centre, and it added an even more magical aura to the three major sites of the historic city -- Topkapi Palace, Haghia Sophia and Blue Mosque. We walked around the plaza and sat by the fountain to take in the moment before returning back to our ship for the final night of our cruise.
After saying goodbye to our friends and stewards on the cruise ship the next day, we returned to the Sultanahmet district and checked into our hotel, the cozy Hotel Sapphire near Topkapi Palace. We were welcomed with champagne, Turkish delight and a big warm smile by the friendly staff and the chirpy parrot at the front desk. We walked to Topkapi Palace to visit the famed residence of the mighty rulers of the Ottoman Empire. The palace is a huge complex of sprawling gardens and buildings that housed important displays of Ottoman treasures, but Ron was particularly excited to take a trip back to the time of Sultans and their harems!
Oh, and we just have to mention that everywhere we go in Turkey, Dylan is like a rock star! Everyone just wants to touch his feet, pinch his cheeks and rub his tummy! Some people even stop us on the road and ask us if they could take a picture of him! There were a few times when we were surrounded by a bunch of school kids just trying to get a good look at him. Here he is with some new friends that he met in Istanbul...
We woke up the next morning to a lavish Turkish breakfast served at our hotel. After stuffing ourselves with food to last the entire day, we walked to Haghia Sophia, which was originally a Byzantine church, then was converted to a mosque by the Ottomans, but now serves as a museum. We marvelled at the mosaics and relics that survived the centuries at this epitome of Byzantine architecture before continuing on to the other jewel of Istanbul, the Blue Mosque.
Built by Sultan Ahmed to compete with the Haghia Sophia, the Blue Mosque is one of the most impressive monuments in the world with its great cascade of domes and 6 minarets that rivalled that of Mecca. We arrived right in the middle of prayertime, so we just walked around the grounds that bordered the Byzantine Hippodrome, and marvelled at the architecture of the mosque, which dominated Istanbul's skyline.
After a full morning of sightseeing, we decided to spend the rest of the day shopping. Of course, we had to go to the granddaddy of bazaars, Istanbul's Grand Bazaar, and we were overwhelmed with the maze of over 4000 stores selling everything from jewelry, rugs, clothes, souvenirs, houseware, electronics and food. We got tired of haggling with the merchants, so we took the cable car to Zeytinburnu to visit the shops where locals go to. Then we rode the cable car back to Eminonu Pier, where we got a good view of the Golden Horn, the Bosphorus Strait and the many ships that pass through each day.
We walked to the Egyptian Spice Bazaar, which quickly became our favorite place to shop in Turkey. The hagglers where a little less aggressive, and the wares where a little less expensive. And just perusing the shops abounding with colorful spices from around the world was a perfect way to end a full day. We walked back to our hotel and had dinner at a trendy restaurant nearby, then discovered we had a Turkish bath and a heated pool in our hotel so we donned our swimwear and took a dip before retiring.
For the final day of our trip, we decided to take it easy and just enjoy Istanbul. We spent the morning on the other side of the Golden Horn and hiked up to the Galata Tower, where we were rewarded with amazing views of the city. We then crossed the bridge back to Eminonu Pier, where we had lunch with locals at a fish sandwich stand by the harbor. Then we embarked on an afternoon tour of the Bosphorus aboard one of the local boats.
The boat tour was a fitting farewell to our short but sweet visit in Istanbul. We gazed at the waterfront palaces and condos, the tiny parks and plazas that lined the Bosphorus on both the European and Asian sides, and promised ourselves that we will return. And to cap our day, we went back to the Egyptian Spice Bazaar and bought a traditional Turkish bukhara rug as a souvenir. We bumped into some friends from the cruise and exchanged contact information, then went back to our hotel to prepare for our long trip home. Goodbye, beautiful Istanbul -- we'll be back soon!
And with that, our whirlwind trip to the Mediterranean with the Dygmeister was over! It was a crazy but fun ride, and the memories we've made will truly last a lifetime... (End of blog series... See related links: Part 1 - Dyg's birthday, Part 2 - Greece, Part 3 - Egypt, Part 4 - Greece)
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