It's been a while since we didn't take a flight. It was a good way to remember previous destinations :-)
We arrived quite late in Turkey but leaving the airport was really smooth. Even the transport at 23:30 was easy. Just the f***ing taxi screwed us with a fake meter… We were too tired to notice and fight. Anyway, we found a very nice hotel in the Sainte Sophia quarter — a very central place to visit everything on foot.
The Historic Core
We visited the famous Blue Mosque (under renovation unfortunately), Hagia Sophia (under renovation as well...), the Basilica Cisterna (renovation…), the Grand Bazaar, Topkapi Palace, Galata Tower (too many tourists — we didn't go to the top) and walked a lot of kilometres in different places. We thought a lot about Iran and it's really hard to find more beautiful architecture after a trip there :-)
The Grand Bazaar
The Grand Bazaar is an experience in itself — labyrinthine, vibrant, overwhelming. Somehow both touristy and still alive with actual commerce.
Topkapi and More
Family, Friends, and the Süleymaniye
Our first two days with family and friends were intense and really nice. Even if William was at 60% of his capabilities due to his ankle injury, walking in the city was very pleasant. The old city is really charming. The local people were globally nice even if we saw several rude people who don't give a sh** about others (a normal big city, right?). We think Turkey is worth visiting, especially the less touristy places.
Today, we flew from Istanbul to Madrid, Spain. We did almost nothing except eating and drinking this amazing food we missed so much… Oh and luckily, it was the birthday of one of our friends. It was nice to see him and his family :-)
Now, it's time to fly to Bolivia… 13 hours in the air :-) Stay tuned!
September 10–11, 2018