Topkapi Palace & Musem (Areas Ahurkapi Lighthouse)

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On our second day in Istanbul we were ready to explore the city! The trams were about a block away from our hotel, but as anyone who has been to this city will tell you the best way to explore this city is on foot. The quaint shops, the small little eateries, the little back alleys with goods to sell are all missed if you go by tram. Nevertheless, the tram is a great way to get from one place to another quickly.

We ended up walking from the university areas all the way across the city to the Topkapi palace. In October the weather is still very warm and sunny, which is great, but not humid as it would be in the summer. Walking towards the Bospherous is quite hilly. Much like Europe (Spain, Portugal) where you are walking up and down streets to get to your destination. Istanbul is like Paris and even Toronto, where things look close but actually take you a long time to get there. Since we were in an exploring mood we took our time taking everything in.

Before we got to the sea wall area, we found ourselves in a small touristy restaurant area getting ready for the lunch time crowd. Probably where bus tours stop.

The sea wall area facing the bospherous is where the locals hang out. People walking about, this is small park area where kids kick the soccer ball or have a small picnic. We ended up taking a rest there with some soft drinks taking it all in.

We walked up to the palace. A bit tricky to find as the signs are confusing. Don't be shy in asking people where to find the palace.

The palace itself is wonderful. A vast area where you can go at our own leisure. The palace is set up with a series of rooms you can go in to experience palace life.

The best part for me was the museum. Artifacts from the Prophet (PBUH) were so mind blowing and mesmerizing. Not far from the palace is the Hagia Sophia. You can walk there and from there is a large pedestrian area that leads to the restaurants.

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