Istanbul, not Constantinople

DAY #1 in Istanbul

Noreen and I arrived in Istanbul through JFK via Delta Airlines. We were greeted in New York by Noreen's Aunt Kathy, Cousin Keren, and her daughter Kiera. Jim and Shirley had a less enjoyable route due to plane mechanical troubles and a near miss for their connecting flight. We all arrived safely at the Istanbul Intercontinental Hotel located on the Taksim - the European side of Istanbul.

Our first evening was a dinner at the Borsa Restaurant patio overlooking the Bosphorus River as it flows into the Agean Sea. While watching the sunset, a squall blew in rain from the north. The staff scrambled to move our table and squeegee out the standing water. Just as we finished dinner, the rain stopped and it was all a fitting entry to an exciting and energetic city!

DAY #2 in Istanbul

After breakfast our tour guide named Korsey led to Istanbul's old town where we toured the Blue Mosque (built 1616) named after the rich blue tiles that decorate the interior. The rugs, calligraphy, rose (Muhamed) and tulip symbology (Allah) were insightful. We then toured the Topkapi Palace (built 1470 after Sultan Mehmet conquered Constantinople) which served sultans for over 400 years to follow. Topkapi translates to "Cannon Gate". Some of the holy relics within the palace include Moses' staff, St. John the Baptist's skull, Mohammed's footprint and beard, former gold cover for the Kabaa Stone. The views from the garden was beautiful. On the way back we walked through the Hippodrome where chariot races and other forms of bloodletting took place. Fortunately there was none spilt today! Dinner was at Hunkar Lokantasi.