A lazy Sunday in Istanbul

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Life seems to start off more slowly here. I'm not sure if its because its Summer holidays or it's what happens normally. Breakfast consists of sliced sausage, cheese, olives, little buns filled with cheese, tomato and cucumber and little glasses of tea. Lunch around 2pm is lots of little dishes set out in the middle of the table, emphasis on vegetables such as eggplants, tomatoes, beans and onions and some meat plus a rice dish that has little bulger wheat noodles cooked into it.
It's light until around 9-30pm which ıs about the time we seem to eat each night.

So after lunch we went to Miniaturk which is a type of theme park with all the significant historical sites and ancient momuments all set out in a mini world. Each stop has an audio which is activated by scanning your ticket bar code and a wonderful British commentary tells you all about it. There are so many Unesco heritage sites in Turkey and the oldest place mentioned which still stands is from 1500BC.

Turkey has the world's second oldest Metro line so we took this to an area where we were going to visit the Galata tower. Popped out at the other end to a Gay Pride parade! Tolerance and diversity is what makes Turkey such a vibrant country.

Galata tower was first built as a lighthouse around 400AD and was also the tower for the world's first attempt at unpowered flight.

An evening meal in it's shadow followed, of typical Anatolian food, always drunk with Raki and lots of shared dishes. A chickpea dish and roasted onions was tonights mains preceeded by the usual starters of lots of vege dishes and salads.

We met Irmak and her finance and went to a wine bar overlooking the Bosphorous Sea and The Golden Hour to end the evening.

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Photos

Miniaturk
There are many visitors from other parts of the middle East coming to Turkey due to the popularity of soap operas

Minarets
there are so many mosques so spot the minaret in the background

Mehteran
this is the name of the type of band and music consisting of single reed flutes, trumpet, drums and singing

Musuem display
Ataturk and his thoughts are widely admired

Galata Bridge
the start of the Golden Horn and inlet from the sea

Irmak
Irmak stayed wıth us in Mackay for a couple of weeks in 2000