Constantinople as she was

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I've just spent a week in Nanjing working with a new Coordinator of the program I manage. Left there Friday night and caught the bullet train to Shanghai. It took 1hr 10 mins mainly at 300kph. Smooth as silk - no clackety clack at all! Slept on the waiting room seats for a couple of hours and flew out around 7.15 this morning.

I've basically followed the sun around the earth because after 9 hours flight it was only lunchtime in Dubai. After a couple of hours in Dubai airport and a few more hours flying, I arrived at Ataturk airport at around 5.30pm. This should mean jet-lag I think,

I'm now sitting in a cheap hostel near the Blue Mosque. The room is filled with Dutch, French, American, Swedish Japanese and Australian youngsters. I'm the old fart (apart from the owner of the place). I'm pleased to finally be here after all the planning.

Arrived at Sultanahmet by public transport just on dusk with a dark blue and slightly pink sky as a background to the Aya Sophia mosque - quite beautiful. Cool to mild evening so hundreds of people walking the streets, eating from street-front kebab shops, shopping in the carpet and jewellery shops, wandering past the lit-up mosques and strolling the cobbled streets. Fantastic place.

I'll take it easy tomorrow because my time zones are a bit out of whack. Perhaps visit the Grand Bazaar and maybe the cistern and enjoy the spring weather.

Pics coming soon.

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