Day 2, Friday 4 October

Home from Home…….. Understandably we wake up late and add more provisions to expand our stock. Katoon starts unpacking more dried goods and we’re almost totally self-sufficient now. It’s just as well since I don’t honestly believe that Katoon can live on kebabs all day. By midday nothing at all has happened. I guess that means it will be well into the afternoon before we go exploring. One job needs to be done first
More Nights at La Casa…….. Despite being awkward to get to, La Casa Suite is a huge improvement on my previous accommodation. There are probably other hotels more accessible to the equivalent standard but I decide to go with what I know and book this room for the remaining 3 night's stay in Turkey as well.
Relaxed…….. At 1pm we head up to the tram stop in Bayazit Square and hop on the usually jam-packed service round to the ferry pier. This is an attraction in its own right, the busy waterway consisting of a ferry service connecting Europe with Asia and a base for tours along the Bosphorous. It’s a very important transport hub. Here is an ideal location to just chill out, order seafood at the many restaurants under the Galata Bridge or just gaze out across the Golden Horn and the entrance of the Bosphorus with a myriad of craft crossing the waterway. This could not be more in contrast to the grey days of autumn in the UK. At one of the restaurants we order a mackerel baguette, very popular here, with muscles and tea. For the time being I’m in the more relaxed mood than I was in section 1 of the tour but we can’t stay here all day.

Spice Bazaar…….. The Spice Bazaar is directly opposite the pier and is accessed via an underpass. I guess the best way to describe it, is that it is as it says on the tin. Istanbul (formerly Constantinople), has been the centre of trade since ancient times bringing together a rich diversity of oriental spices, herbal teas, coffee, Turkish delights all full of Eastern promise and so much more. The vast array of spices, many of which I’ve never heard of, is just mind blowing. Added to this, there are souvenir shops selling related kitchenware, exotic tea sets, spice grinders, cooking equipment of all description and a lot more. The Spice Bazaar really impresses both of us and I’m sure we will return later before we head home. There seems to be all you need here for presents to take back but for items of a more personal nature i.e. clothing, footwear, bags and jewellery, those can also be found in the Grand Bazaar. Finally, we gaze out at the beautifully decorated boats moored at the pier, their only function to act as a kitchen for the seafood, mainly the mackerel being cooked.
Suleymaniye Mosque…….. Now totally at ease, I have control of the itinerary with the knowledge I’ve gained over the last few days but I’m about to lose it. It was only a matter of time before Kartoon gets involved. Avidly watching travel videos of Istanbul before she left, I’m sure she has her own ideas. One of these is right in front of us on the hilltop. It doesn’t look that far away but as we ascend through the busy cobbled streets it’s hard to walk through the crowds and the navigation is tricky. By the time we arrive at Suleymaniye Mosque, afternoon is turning into evening. Arriving at the ramparts, I have to admit there is a glorious view of the Golden Horn and the land across the Bosphorous and then there is of course the mosque itself with its enormous dome and minarets.

Grand Bazaar…….. As dusk falls, Kartoon’s navigational instinct is to retrace our steps. However, there is a better option. As the crow flies, we are not far from the Grand Bazaar. Although it means more walking, there is a good passage to it and of course that will take us to our starting point of the day. We don’t need the tram again as we wander through the bazaar.
Chicken, more Chicken…….. At the Spice market there was ample opportunity to buy something to take back to the room but as we head back to La Casa Suite, that option has passed and we now have to take dinner somewhere near. Now this could be interesting. Although there are other options apart from Turkish restaurants here i.e. Indian and Pakistani restaurants in the area, these could not be further from the style of Thai food. When we see roast chicken and chips that seems to be the problem solved but quite how we order, I’m not quite sure simply requesting that we need enough for two people. Well, I guess I should know by now the size of Turkish meals and we end up with a whole chicken which askes two questions. The one is so obvious: how are we going to eat it all? The second question is how much will it cost? We manage to consume nearly half a chicken but hardly touch the rice and salad. The rest we can put in a poly tray to take back to the room. As for the price; what it’s just 38 Turkish lire (£5.50): Enough food for breakfast, lunch and dinner the next day. That’s just insane. I have to admit Section 2 has got off to a cracking start and I haven’t had a beer for two days now. Sweet dreams are well in order tonight. Next Page.