Istanbul - Day 2

I found Istanbul to be a many layered city and as we didn’t sail until the early afternoon, I signed up for an additional tour. The only catch was that it entailed an 7:15 start which meant that I needed to be up around 5:30 am. Marija was having none of the so I was on my own and grabbed a coffee, a croissant and some fruit.

A small but hardy group assembled in the Nautical lounge for the start of our our tour. We started the morning with a short walk. On the way we passed a number of wooden houses - some well preserved - others not so well!

We then visited a much smaller mosque which nevertheless had some beautiful mosaics and ceilings.It as was the case with many of Istanbul’s mosques, they started their lives as Orthodox churches with one significant change. The altar had to be shifted a few degrees so that it faced Mecca not Jerusalem.

We then travelled by bus to the Chora Museum which was at one time an Orthodox Church but now is in two parts, a mosque and a museum with some stunning mosaics and portrayals of the Biblical story. Quite frankly, it was the highlight of the trip up to that point. There was so much to try to take in that I purchased a very detailed book with stunning images contained within it. I also bought a scarf for Marija for 5 Euro - a far cry for the price of the previously quoted one at 120 Euro.

Next we went to an Orthodox Church where there was a service underway coinciding with a particular saint. I confess that I am unaware of the saints identity. Again some intricate mosaics and images are portrayed. While waiting for the bus to return I went up a side street to view a private Orthodox school. A very intricate design.

We completed the tour with a visit to the spice market - unfortunately the only difference between it and the Grand Bizarre was the number of shops, Spices, jewellery, spices, rugs, trinkets, Turkish Delight and clothing made up the majority of the shops. As you walked through it you were constantly propositioned to purchase something for a “great deal” Once again I resisted.

I returned to the ship just before 1:00 for a 2:00 sailing. In the afternoon we joined up with our trivia team - Marija and I and four Brits. We finished up the evening with a signing performance by the resident troup. Then off to bed after a very busy day!

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