Istanbul Day One

So we’re in Istanbul. It’s 4:35 AM and both of us have been up since 3. At least we can listen to the call to prayer from the Mosque. We arrived yesterday afternoon, and it was raining so we had a walk around the Grand Bazaar. Didn’t buy anything yet (we decided to explore without wallets so we wouldn’t be tempted to come home with 3 carpets, a few lamps and another hookah) but will have to come back and use some of those bargaining techniques before we leave. All hotels and many restaurants have rooftop gardens, cafes, bars etc and ours is no different. It is really nice up there and we were able to enjoy an aperitif while surfing the net and watching the sunset, before heading out to the restaurant. Develi restaurant overlooks the sea. The food was delicious and we were so caught up in the thrill of trying new things that we ordered the raw, spicy meatballs, an eggplant dish and one with ground walnuts just for starters. We also enjoyed the local Raki, which is similar to Pernod and served with water as well.