We had a really lovely time in Istanbul this past week - what a great city! We stayed in a little hotel in Sultanahmet, a few minutes walk from some of the best sights in the city, and spent each day walking around visiting and shopping.
We took Al to see the Aya Sofia (formerly a church, then a mosque and now a museum) and the Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmet Camii). Both were stunning but we particularly loved the amazing tiles in the Blue Mosque. I think Al was impressed with the carpet mostly - he crawled across it and we caught it on camera for proof since most of the time he still prefers to find other methods of mobility than crawling (see photo above). Mummy had to wear a headscarf in the Mosque and we all had to take our shoes off, except for Al who of course wasn't wearing any.
We shopped in the Grand Bazaar (finally bought number tiles for our front door so people know which is our house when they visit!), went to the shop where the original turkish delight was made, and ate in lovely restaurants. Al sat up with us and helped himself to food from our plates which was fun. His favourites were cucumber, yogurt and definitely bread.
On the last day we visited the beautiful Dolmabahce Palace, where the last Sultans lived, and also crossed the Bosphorous Bridge which links the European and Asian sides of the city. Have to say it looks remarkably like the Humber Bridge, which links the great continents of Barton and Hull! So finally, here is a photo of Al and his Daddy - first steps in Asia for the lad!
All in all it was a great holiday, not least because the Turkish people were so warm and friendly. Al was very popular - Turks clearly love babies, and especially little blond, blue eyed ones, so he was kissed, patted and had his cheeks pinched lots every day. The first word we picked up in Turkish was "Marsala!" which means something like "What wonders God will do!" and is what people often proclaim when they see a baby.
