Istanbul

Istanbul has been on my list for many, many years and I am extremely excited to finally be here.
We arrived late after a long 750 km ride from Cappadocia but we all agreed that we should continue and find ourselves a nice place to stay. The traffic wasn't bad at all, perhaps because it was Friday, perhaps it was after dark so everyone was home for Iftar or perhaps we were simply lucky. Thanks again to our loyal friend GPS, he took us straight into the city center which we identified to be 'the-place-to-be'.

It's always a hassle to find a hotel (and parking spot) in big city centers, but so far the benefit from being in the center of your interest is great: you go to the trouble once, the hotel usually assists in finding you a spot (they know the secrets of the city or they have their own private car-park) and once unloaded the needed luggage (we only have one travel suitcase that we use per country/portion) you're ready to settle and explore.
Istanbul however is congested and the lovely narrow roads, that you appreciate as an pedestrian, are a nightmare when you're here by car.
In a dead-end street, close to the Blue Mosque, Onno and I got out of the car, walked into a small hotel, asked for their bottom-last minute rate, asked for the obvious other questions (internet? non-smoking? including breakfast? Car park?) and checked the room. It was a small, basic two bedroom suite for a bargain price, but when the guy tried to turn on the light, the electricity failed and it was warm and humid inside. "Ah, problem with electricity. You get luggage, I fix problem."
Onno and I didn't think so, goodbye, we're not desperate enough...


A few meters further away was another hotel. It offered an acceptable rate, lovely cosy (small, in hotel-language) rooms, wi-fi internet, breakfast outside in the morning and a restaurant at the terrace. Onno and I checked the rooms, checked the mattresses and agreed downstairs with the duty manager. Deal.

And we love it: we're right in the center of everything and had dinner with the Blue Mosque view.

Today Thijs needed a few extra hours to get better from the bug but around 11 we could finally explore the city. We did two sites today; the Aya Sofya church/mosque and after lunch did the Topkapi Palace. As the kids really don't like 'licensed tour Guides' because they're 'boring' and they tell to much details that you don't remember anyway, we completely rely on our travel guides (Lonely Planet or Rough Guide). The Istanbul Guide from Lonely Planet has a detailed explanation about the sites and as we wander through the sites, I cite from the guide and try to engage the kids as much as is possibly possible with teenagers.

In the Topkapi museum the most interesting part is the Harem (private quarters for the Sultans). As I tell the children about the history of the place we're visiting especially Noelle is hooked to the story and background. We read the guide, try to imagine life in the Harem and meanwhile offering our children some incredible educational experiences while taking them to all these sites.

Onno is almost 16 and would have had no problem driving 10.000 km while staying at hotels and eating the odd hamburger to survive, ignoring all the incredible learning opportunities on his way. They qualify as 'particularly boring' and he has no clue why on earth Thijs and I keep jumping into every new site with new energy, interest and curiousity.
He vows he will never do 'such things' when he grows up...

So, after two interesting sites, lot's of cramps and bathroom stops for Thijs and Noelle, we called it a day and returned to hotel for some rest.

There's only one more thing on our list for today: A cold beer and dinner!

Courtyard in the Harem in Topkapi Palace

One of the Sultan´s privy rooms

The Bosporus

view on the Blue Mosque from the Topkapi Palace