Istanbul!

Sun Jul 13 - Two Days in One

14 sleepless hours into our travels we realize three babies next to us and a plane full of families with kids makes for an enthusiastic plane vibe.

Turkey comes into view out the plane window...exciting!

Patting ourselves on the back for figuring out the subway didn't last long when we couldn't find out hotel on the map.  Sherisse submits to a moment of panic and Google maps the hotel on her iPhone.  Later, at the hotel MTS kindly texts her to say the 8mb of data used over 10 seconds are going to cost her a little more than $100. 

Apparently the key to overcoming jet lag is to stay awake the first day at all costs despite crying babies keeping you awake the entire flight.  Sounds fun.

Tour of the Ottoman Sultan's palace took us through the afternoon and Sherisse had fun posing for pics in the harem.

Supper across the channel at a guide book recommended restaurant lead to an extended walk through abandoned warehouse district?  Couldn't be we got lost from lack of sleep.

Supper tasted good but the couple making out at the table beside us took a little something away from it.

We discovered the quaint waterfront restaurant district we had been looking for earlier on our way home at sunset.

Wrapped up the day with a roof top patio respite.  The amazing view overlooked the Bosphorous strait, surrounding mosques of the seven hills, and the cosmopolitan bustle of one of the worlds more ancient cities.

Tues July 15 - day 3
Hagia Sophia
- Jump the line pass brilliant
- it's full of scaffolding?
- whew, found the mosaics
Turkish language lessons from Layla
Street corn is disgusting corn
Call to prayer from blue mosque is poetic
Blue mosque is beautiful and serene
Horse mackerel is disgusting
Midnight bidet surprise

Wed July 16 - day 4
Attack of the killer kittens breakfastcapade
Bus ticket trip
Grand bazaar - Turkish delight, tea and baklava
Hagia Irene - empty and under renovations but good acoustics
Randall's gets the travelers trots which prove Sherisses's prophecy true
Bosphorus cruise
Rooftop patio respite

Thurs July 17 - day 5
Spice bazaar
Mosaic museum
Carpet dude with green bay hat
Rice with catcapades
Turkish Science Museum
Climbed the hill to Istiklal street
Turk tea n icecream
Orthodox church
H&M
Ran from police army protest
Walked down 2nd of the 7 hills
Shared dinner with a seaside sunset view
Several Sherisse scurry scampers and one escalater escapade later we caught a night bus to Goreme

We cross the only city bridge in the world connecting one continent to another.  Leaving Europe we cross into Asia!