Istanbul -- Day 2

Day two of our time in Istanbul began much earlier than day one.  This time we needed to be at Taksim Square by 8h30 to be picked up for our tour.  Which we miraculously managed to do.  First stop; a mosque.  I'll be the first to admit I don't remember what was so special about this mosque.  I just vaguely remember something about the blue tiles, but I think that was more of an Ottoman thing...or something like that.  Pictures do a better job explaining the mosque though.  One of the great things was that the mosque was completely empty for part of the time we were there.  And since I love not having people in my pictures, this was fantastic for me.

We are currently working on bringing them back to the proper faith...

After spending time at the mosque, we were supposed to visit the spice market, but time was pressing so we boarded a boat for a water tour of the Bosphorus Straights.  On the way we passed another large mosque.

Somewhere between the mosque and the Golden Horn (that being a harbour)

Those small ornate boats are actually sandwich shops.  Fish sandwich shops.

After the tour, we did go back to the spice market, in which we were bombarded with aggressive sales tactics.  Just smile and...well, actually, waving would be a bad idea probably.  Unfortunately, the light was not conducive to picture taking and I was afraid that taking a picture of the stuff would instantly get me surrounded by salespeople.  Once done with the market (which was great) we went for lunch on a terrace restaurant overlooking the Hagia Sophia.

aaand after lunch it was a long drive across to the Asian side of Istanbul to the highest point for an amazing view of the city.  Words are pointless.

Our last stop was at a summer palace for the sultan.  Unfortunately, pictures were not permitted on the inside, so here is a shot of the outside.  And of a path.

The inside was extremely ornate, as might be expected, and felt remarkably similar to most other European 17th-18th century palaces.  One of the interesting features was the design style of the large rooms; they were all made perfectly symmetrical.  Or at least, very nearly.  Same furniture arranged in the same way on either side, with the centre being some symmetrical centrepiece or something (one room had a pool with a fountain...all symmetrical).

This was the last stop on our tour of the city, so we were then brought back to Taksim Square, where we saw the new style of protesting; standing in the square and reading.

So of course my dad went and joined them.

For those not familiar with my dad...baseball cap and blue shorts.

And then we went home.  I tried getting some candid shots of locals along the way, but that felt way too awkward nor did they really come out well.

This wasn't the end of the day, but is unfortunately the end of my pictures.  After returning home we went out again to the same street as yesterday; my dad and I got shaved by a silk thread (which was really not exciting at all, nor particularly effective), got ice cream from a trollish turkish ice cream vendor (they all are trolls), and a few things from some shops.  Dinner was at a small little restaurant by our apartment; really good food.  Tiny local restaurants are typically the best.

And thus was Day 2.