Once we dropped our bags off we went for a long long walk.
First we walked up hill to Istanbul Caddesi which is a long pedestrian street of shops. So much to look at all at once. (This photo is from when we went there in the afternoon, it was a bit more deserted in the morning.) We walked along this street to the Taksim Square, and then down towards the Basphorus River where we have to catch the boat tomorrow. We walked along the waterfront to the Galata Bridge.
(I just have to say here, that the side streets are cobbled and narrow, and that there are cats everywhere! They roam around and don't seem concerned about any people. Most buildings seem really old, and some are in total states of disrepair. Really interesting to wander around and take in all these sights.)
Along the way we came across heaps of these places like bars where you sit around a smoke out of the Turkish smoking things. (Sorry, I don't know the name of them). The "hipper" ones had bean bags to sit on. Thought Grannie would like this photo of a purple and pink one. There were so many of these places, it must be a very popular pass time.
The Galata Bridge has hundreds of people fishing off it! They fish from on top of the bridge where the road is, and under the bridge there are restaurants and bars. We spent an hour or so at a restaurant there having a few drinks in the
sunshine watching a few fish being caught. We were served by a guy who looked a bit dodgey (we thought he might be Borat's son), he spoke English reasonably well and we had a bit of a laugh with him.
Then we walked up hill (again!!!) to the Galata Tower. We had to cue a bit to go up, but not too long. The veiw of the city from the top was amazing! (Though I was slightly concerned about the safety rating of the balcony around the top.) This photo is looking towards the Asian continent part of Istanbul. The cruise ships on the left is where we will catch our boat from.
It was only a short walk from the tower back to our hotel, where we were able to check in. The room is lovely and big, free wi-fi, and looks over the street. There is a bottle store opposite where Richard bought a small bottle of JD's which we drank on the roof top. Lovely. We did another walk up Istanbul Cad, and then came back to our hotel for tea. We went to bed at about 8pm, and as soon as my head hit the pillow I was fast asleep. It had been a very long couple of days!