Hitting the buffers in Istanbul

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Thirteen trains through ten countries - running just 90 minutes late, we ride in to Istanbul on the Bosphor Express. It is literally the end of the line – beyond the sadly run-down station is the sea and beyond that Asia.

We are a little sleepy, despite having enjoyed the luxury of a six berth sleeping compartment for just two on our 15 hour train ride. Our sleep was first interrupted at 2 am - leaving Bulgaria meant having our passports checked. At about 3, we all had to disembark to buy our Turkish visas. Once we had returned to bed, there was then another passport check – to make sure we had all got visas. And about an hour later, the Turkish train guard knocked to check our tickets. We did then get some sleep before we woke to early morning sunshine across cornfield – very Van Gogh.

Istanbul is the first place that we have been to before. Gill was here 40 years ago Alistair more than 30. And it has changed! The Grand Bazaar was once a souk of dusty lanes lined with stalls and frequented by donkey carts. Now it is all tiles, with shops where the stalls were and not a donkey in sight. The Turkish salesmen are still the same with wit and repartee, an answer for every evasion by us. I suppose many of these will be the sons of men you tried to sell us carpets and lamps last time we were here.

There are tourists everywhere. We visit the splendid Blue Mosque and equally exquisite Aya Sophia. We shop in the Spice Market and cruise the Bosphorus. The weather is beautiful, the sky clear blue and the sun shining. We eat well, the food is very good – another thing that has changed since our last visit.

Tomorrow, our Orient Express journey will be over but what a fascinating experience it has been. EasyJet will fly us home across Europe in just four hours.

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