17 Jun 2011

FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE



more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.

Besides preparing my suitcase for 10 days Istanbul city visit, I also took the plane and arrived on Wednesday in Istanbul. The sun was shining and it was warm but not too hot the perfect weather for a city tour.



But first we had to check in. Our hotel is really in the middle of the town and close to all important monuments and the "Bazar"



Before we left for a walk, we sat on the terrace of our hotel, on the roof where you have a nice view over the city. There also is a little swimming pool.



We walked around to discover the surroundings of the hotel, visited one of the uncountable mosques and looked for a nice restaurant. Finally we found one which seemed to be very nice, but unfortunately it was a real tourist trap, a guy scratched on an old guitar Spanish songs ! The food was also for tourists, and nothing Turkish as we had wanted, so I had a trout.



The trout was very good, but didn't look very friendly and was served without any dressing, a few green leaves, one tomato slice and an onion ! I felt like a cow.

The next day no sun and a grey sky.



I went on the hotel roof to check but it became worse. We started our walk, and then took a tramway to the University, had to buy an umbrella and became quiet wet. It really rained cats and dogs and even through the big tree, where we tried to protect ourselves from the rain.



So we took the opportunity and visited the beautiful Basilica Cistern under the city of Istanbul. At least it didn't rain in there.

We took the tram back to our hotel had lunch in a cute little Pita snack and spent the rest ofo the afternoon in the hotel, we were quiet tired from all this walking. We also had to change room, because we got a far better one on the 5th floor just below the pool.

Late afternoon we walked til the University and a little further to visit another mosque, Dominique likes the architecture and the beautiful artwork in there, and then we walked back and had a nice supper on the roof of our hotel, before we fell half dead in our beds ! I took quiet a lot of pictures, which I will show in another post.

5 comments:

  1. Hi Gattina, glad you arrived safe and sound in Istanbul. Sorry about the sad trout(!) meal and grey weather next day. I hope it improves for you. Jo

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  2. Isn't it annoying when it's raining while you just want to walk and look around? I really hate it! But I'm sure that from today on the sun will shine on your vacation every day!

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  3. The trout makes me think of the one in "Mama Mia" when the two ladies are on the boat, and one of them lifts a blanket of the basket thinking it is a baby and there is a big ugly trout in there, smiling back at her! LOL

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  4. I love trout and I guess a little rain is good if it stops.
    Thats one thing I liked about Singapore is that it rained and then it stops.Now you made me miss living out there lol

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  5. Thanks for the photo's, a really interesting wee tour :) hope the food & weather improved!

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