Day 18 Istanbul May 4

 

May 4 – Istanbul

I woke up with a classic case of carb-induced brain fog—courtesy of last night’s pastries—but being the first one up had its rewards. The rooftop restaurant was quiet, almost still, and the view over the Bosporus was spectacular. Merchant ships dotted the channel, queued like patient giants waiting for their turn north into the Black Sea. With a large cup of strong, filtered coffee in hand—my first one in Europe—I eased into the day watching the city come alive.

Our first stop was the Basilica Cistern, an underground marvel that felt equal parts ancient engineering feat and modern-day crowd experiment. Built in the 3rd century, it’s undeniably impressive—rows of columns rising from shallow water in dim, moody light—but it was packed with tourists shoulder to shoulder. The narrow grated walkways turned into a slow shuffle, interrupted every few feet by someone stopping for the perfect selfie. Beautiful, yes—but also a bit of a cattle call.

Next up was the iconic Hagia Sophia.  Trying to enter, we hit a bit of a snag—security delays compounded by a power outage left us stuck outside the security screener longer than expected. Not all bad, though. I ended up chatting with a local tour guide, which turned into one of those unexpectedly interesting travel moments that you don’t plan for but end up remembering.

From there, it was on to the sprawling Grand Bazaar. “A lot” is the simplest way to describe it. Endless corridors, shops overflowing with goods—especially purses—and a clear divide between the local feel outside and the heavily tourist-driven energy inside. It’s massive, a bit overwhelming, but undeniably part of the Istanbul experience.

Greatest news of the day, Rick was able to get his passport reissued in Albania at the Consulate.  He scrambled to get his passport photos taken and get the reissued "emergency" passport, change his flight and meet us in Istanbul.   Being his birthday, it was a great day for all!

We wrapped the day with a high note—dinner at Fine Dine Istanbul, perched atop the Arcadia Hotel. The twilight view over the city was stunning especially the Blue Mosque illuminated with lights and the Bosphouous in the background. It was the perfect setting to celebrate Rick’s birthday—and, in a way, our arrival in Istanbul and clean escape from Albania.