Day 8 Greece Istanbul

This morning started off with breakfast on the roof top restaurant which includes a stunning view of the city one way and the Bosphorus straight the other. This is where we sorted out our plan of attack for the day. The itinerary was as follows Hagia Sophia and the Grand Bazaar, well we got more bang for our buck today.

Dad and I head down the street to Hagia Sophia, on approach to the old Byzantine Basilica we get hassled by all these so called tourist guide i started talking to a couple them and i could see out of the corner of my eye the look on the olds man face, as to say why don't you all pi5s off, until this little old man of 81years called Mustafa comes up and says to us both" The little money you will pay me today will only last me today but knowledge I will impart on you will last a life time " well reminiscent of that corny Tom Cruise movie Mustafa had us both at hello. Well what a guide the man new everybody in there I think we fluked Tourist guide royalty it was like Moses parting the dead sea people let him jump Cues and take time to explain the details of an important feature like Saint Gregories column ,you put your thumb in this hole and turn it clock wise and what ever you wish for will come true and at one stage it was believed to help women fall pregnant, if they rubbed their boobs on it, i waited for awhile to see if could assist any aspiring mothers with their wish but to no avail. The history behind this Church stretches back to the 5th century where started off life as a Byzentine ( Greek Orthodox) Church then for a short time the Catholics used it then the Muslims, they all had a crack at it then the Great Ataturk believed it was of world historical importance and tuned it into a museum beautiful place a must see whilst in Istanbul.

As we where parting ways with Mustafa he asked if we would like to see the Hippodrome, The Basilica Cistern and the Blue Mosque, we took him up on his offer the man has been working this area for 67 years so the knowledge and stories were right up my alley (not literally). First stop the Cistern well what a place its my second time here and still amazes me absolutely beautiful, If you walk all the way to the end Medusas head is holding up one of the columns.

After the Cistern we head down to the Hippodrome which had been demolished a fair while ago (Mustafa said we had to use our imagination), only  a couple of obelisks are standing, this was their version of the colosseum apparently it  looked a lot like it and sat 100,000 people, from there we head across the blue Mosque this place is huge full of 10's of thousands of hand painted tiles which look brilliant as the light hits them check the photos out, actually talking about photography the photos you  see me in have been censored they need to taken 4-5 times each. Dad and technology are not friends, in fact I believe they're arch enemies as my son would say. I have just taken a few of the great shots my old man took today, I would have liked to make them into a montage with a backing track ,are well them on their own will do.

From the Blue Mosque we head out for lunch nothing special dips bread and Shish Kebabs , I think more Shish than Kebabs from there we head out the Grand Bazaar now there is a place full of life and colour and people wanting you to buy anything from "Real fakes" and calling out" let me show you how to spend your money" I tried bargaining with a couple of the store holders you can only push these people so far and once that line is crossed then they don't want to know you. Now the old man thinks he's a bit of a wheeler and dealer and says watch me. I gave some advice and explained to him that Asia was on this other side of the Bosphorus and that they are very different to the Chinese, with that advice in hand he scrunches it up throws on the ground and starts hid assault on this store holder I get there towards the end of the conversation and heard the man getting a little upset say to dad I told you my last price was 200 lira and if you leave and come back it will be 300 lira that went well. We took of with our trinkets and what pride we have left back to the hotel get ready and go out for dinner on the way back to the hotel Dad found God in a Syrup soak semolina cake.

Well dinner was interesting with the normal start Mezzo we moved on this clay Jar cooking style where they cook it in a wood fire oven bring it out side on fire turn it up side down break the clay Jar with a piece of bar , pour the contents on to plate and you eat with rice and salad, very nice, we wash it down the a couple of the local brews and call it a night. Good night speak to you soon.