A Few Amazing Hours in Istanbul

We are back in Bella Italia and still I haven’t posted on a few beautiful hours we spent in Istanbul enroute from Hong Kong to Venice.  We had a twelve hour stopover that allowed us the time to ‘feel’ Istanbul once again.  We arrived there on the first day of the   protests in Gezi

A day in Istanbul. Part 2.

Ayasofya or Hagia Sofia The day is bright outside after the mysterious dark of the Cistern and for a minute we sit soaking up the warmth of the spring time sun.  Now we are going to visit the Ayasofya across the road and we look dubiously at the long queue at the gates, but it

One wonderful day in Istanbul. Part 1

We have one lovely day in Istanbul to do Everything.  We are up with the early morning traffic, which isn’t loud, because we have a pedestrian street outside, but there is stirring in the city and it’s too exciting to lie still.  We are up and trying out our winsey shower space and we do

Istanbul and the carpet man

Istanbul!  Magic carpets, Aladdin’s lamp, minarets, domes, turbans, spices.  Yes.  It is all here.  How wonderful to be here.  I have dreamt of this magical place forever and now here we are. On our last trip back from Hong Kong, we stopped over at the airport on our way to Venice. As we wandered around