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Day 39-43: Hotel Spina was our hotel in Istanbul. You’d be hard pressed to find a better location in Sultanahmet, right between the Blue Mosque and Aya Sophia, equidistant from each and with unbelievable views from the roof terrace over both.
Our room was simple, elegant and uncluttered. Breakfast on the terrace was a sublime experience […]

Day 38: On our first night in Istanbul we arrived after 1am and were happy to check in to the Hotel Desraadet without fuss.
While we only stayed here a night, before moving to Hotel Spina which was recommended by a traveller we met in Rhodes, we enjoyed a lovely breakfast and had our first experience […]

Spotted at the book bazaar in Istanbul, where English language books were hard to come by, was this collection of highly sought-after Lonely Planet titles featuring the hottest travel destinations in the world. Prague, Greece, Egypt, Paris and… well, see if you can spot it.

For a market we’ve heard decried by seasoned travellers as lacking authenticity and gearing itself to tourists, Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar had a lot of locals shopping in it. Sure, there were plenty of cruse ship passengers with identifying stickers on them crying out “Ask me for double!” but when we were there, folk of Turkish extraction outnumbered tourists by 10 to 1.

Dating to the 16th century, the mosque had magnificent grounds, an impressive courtyard and a spacious interior decorated simply and warmly.

Like Aya Sophia across the square, the Blue Mosque is visible from miles away and its six minarets make it unique (Mecca is the only mosque to have more minarets, with seven). Inside, despite the crowds of cruise ship visitors, it was a spectacular sight with warm low-hanging lights suspended by thousands of wires from the magnificent domes and archways above. And throughout the day, and at a very early hour of the morning, the call to prayer rang out across Sultanahmet.