Istanbul...Day 1

Our shipped docked at about 7am and our ride was waiting for us.  We got to the hotel and were able to check right in which is always nice.  The hotel is very modern and very cool. The lights in the hallways are all motion sensor..so when you step out of the elevator on your floor they go from very dim to bright. The whole design of the hotel is very modern.   Our rooms are on the 14th and 20th floor and we have an amazing view of the city!

We dropped off our this and got some directions from the desk and off we went to explore the city.  We headed to the metro  and after the challenge of whereto buy a metro card we were on our way.  The metro was very nice and clean.  We got off and walked along a shopping street with a few stops along the way.  Our destination was the Galata Tower.  When we arrived we decided we needed a quick coffee before heading to the top.


After a nice Turkish coffee we headed to the top.  We felt very lucky when we walked in and saw an elevator! Bonus ! It took us almost to the top.  A few steps and we walked out on to the top area.  The views were amazing! You could walk all the way around and see every side of the city! Definitely worth it.

 

View of the Galata bridge

We then walked across  the Galata bridge where there are lots of restaurants and fisherman all desperate for customers since it is Ramadan a lot of people are fasting and restaurants are empty.  

We played frogger and made our way across the street looking for a quiet spot  for lunch out of the hustle and bustle.  We found a restaurant with a rooftop terrace but chose to sit on the 2nd floor at nice  window  over looking the Bosphous. 

We had a nice lunch with a few appetizers and we each has a Kebap.

Our lunch time view

After lunch we ventured toward the Grand bazaar , in the maze of streets it took us a little while to find but but eventually made it.  The boys were troopers and walked through once with us then decided they should go have a beer and we would go back and shop a little more. When they went to have a beer they were told that is was illegal to drink alcohol I this area, then someone told them to go up to the 3rd floor and they could have a beer.  So up the 3 flights of steps they went and a beer was served to them in a paper cup.

Michelle and I shopped around the bazaar and met back up with the boys after about 45 minutes.

Time to head back to the hotel.  We hopped back on the tram but somehow when we got off and walked to find the metro station we were walking to the wrong station and probably walked an extra 1/2 mile we didn't need too which no one was really in the mood for, but we finally made it back to our hotel .  Time for a nap and shower before dinner later tonight.