Day 7
The bus was due to depart at 8:45 so imagine how Mr Cherry felt when he slept through 2 alarms and awoke at 8:41 to the sounds of kids packing the bus outside. Panic stations when he realised that he had totally unpacked all his gear the night before with the intention of sorting and repacking tidily for the trip home. Off we go to start our ½ day tourist trip around some of Istanbul’s iconic highlights. Such as the Blue Mosque, and the 1500 year old Hadja Sofia. This iconic architectural beauty has been both a church and a mosque at different times and it made us think that if a 6th century Roman built church, later a Greek place of worship, a mosque and now a revered museum of the Turkish Republic could be spared through numerous centuries violent wars then why is ISIS currently destroying world heritage listed monuments in northern Iraq and other places just because of their interpretation of their religion.
On to the Spice Markets for our first run in with gypsy kids and a chance to haggle over souvenir’s for home. Jazmaree was in her element as a bartering shopper when she is often working as the chocolate seller in Fardoulis’ pop ups in Miranda Fair. The spice markets has been operating every day for the last 600 years but I don’t think they have seen such enthusiastic shoppers like our kids.
Lunch was rescheduled to the world famous Orient Express restaurant on the railway station platform. It was a beautiful meal served by waiters who appeared out of a water feature (the kitchen was located down below) with trays of meals and drinks on miniature trains.
The bus was due to depart at 8:45 so imagine how Mr Cherry felt when he slept through 2 alarms and awoke at 8:41 to the sounds of kids packing the bus outside. Panic stations when he realised that he had totally unpacked all his gear the night before with the intention of sorting and repacking tidily for the trip home. Off we go to start our ½ day tourist trip around some of Istanbul’s iconic highlights. Such as the Blue Mosque, and the 1500 year old Hadja Sofia. This iconic architectural beauty has been both a church and a mosque at different times and it made us think that if a 6th century Roman built church, later a Greek place of worship, a mosque and now a revered museum of the Turkish Republic could be spared through numerous centuries violent wars then why is ISIS currently destroying world heritage listed monuments in northern Iraq and other places just because of their interpretation of their religion.
On to the Spice Markets for our first run in with gypsy kids and a chance to haggle over souvenir’s for home. Jazmaree was in her element as a bartering shopper when she is often working as the chocolate seller in Fardoulis’ pop ups in Miranda Fair. The spice markets has been operating every day for the last 600 years but I don’t think they have seen such enthusiastic shoppers like our kids.
Lunch was rescheduled to the world famous Orient Express restaurant on the railway station platform. It was a beautiful meal served by waiters who appeared out of a water feature (the kitchen was located down below) with trays of meals and drinks on miniature trains.