June 13th, 2014
We were told that we really should get up early in order to watch as our ship approached Istanbul……It was described as “breathtaking” and “a city arising out of the mist”. So we got up at 5 am, and headed straight up to the deck. We were not disappointed.
The great church/mosque, the Hagia Sophia, in the Historic section, with its many minarets……
And the sun rising in the east….over modern Istanbul (somehow fitting). Istanbul is unique in that it sits on two continents. The older historic area is on the European side, while the newer section is across the Bosporus in Asia.
Barge traffic on the Bosporus, reminding us of the role that this waterway plays.
In the dawning light…..The Blue Mosque visible behind the Hagia Sophia.
Amazing……and so very ‘Eastern’……and exotic…like something from the “Arabian Nights”.
Topkapi Palace, the residence of Sultans…..so much to look forward to seeing!
The cruise portion of our trip was over……..It had been such fun! And a delightfully pampered way to see the Greek Isles. But we were very excited to begin exploring the historic city of Istanbul.
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