Stopover in Istanbul

We said goodbyed to Kilis. We stopped over in Istanbul with the idea of making a quick visit to the city. We took out our passports again for the several controls.

Istanbul is a modern city, very different from Kilis. The hotel is very nice and has a bathroom in each room, but we can't relax in it. We've only got a few hours to visit the old Constantinople.

We walk round the city. The first mosque we see is Aya Sofya. It was originally a chursch, from the year 537 until the conquest of Istanbul in 1453. The marble sculpture below seems a bottle of perfume, doesn't it?

We decided to get on a carriage to get a view of the city. We were frozen when the ride was over.

The Blue Mosque is the most important and seductive mosque in Istanbul. It was built to rival Aya Sofya and it has become Turkey's national mosque.

It's very late now and we haven't had lunch yet. It's time to get warm and eat something. It's really cold in Istanbul.

It was getting dark but we had a nice walk in Istanbul. We explored the city with the help of a map. Jordi was at the front, guiding us all. We had fun looking at scary houses and going down steep streets. We met people on the way, but all of them were men.

We warmed our hands over a burning tyre and had something to drink in a shop. The owner insisted on paying us the drinks! He used to live on the Canary islands

We felt really cold but nobody lost the sense of humour.

Some of us ate fresh fish. It was a good decision. The sandwich was delicious.

Mosque from the Galata Bridge

The pistachio gives these Turkish biscuits their characterisctic colour.

We went back to the hotel to fetch our coats to visit the Blue Mosque standing out bright in the dark night.

The good experiences didn't finish with the Blue Mosque. We were invited to get into a rug shop where some musicians where playing Turkish music and dancing. We joined their joy and danced as well.

We went to bed very late. Most of us slept only four catifes però ara estem molts cansats. Demà matinem i tornem a Barcelona.