Because I was talking in the last article about femininity and joy, I will tell you about my passion, travel and how it contributes to my well-being and my soul enrichment.
About a month after my "beautiful eyes" meeting, we decided to visit wisit Turkey. I searched for accommodation on Booking.com, one of my favorite sites when we decide to travel. Seeing the multitude of accommodation spaces and prices of all kinds, it took us some time to decide. Benefiting from the discount, being a Genius member, we finally chose the accommodation and got in the car. We bought our vignette for Bulgaria and we continued our journey.
The computer system in Customs was broken and we had to wait 4 hours. But that didn't ruin our mood, so, we patiently armed ourselves and waited to cross. I bought the Vignette for Turkey and arrived in Istanbul in about 12 hours from our departure from Constanta.
Traveling by car we encountered some crowds in Istanbul, but got to the Alp Guesthouse Hotel, in the historical center. Decorated in Ottoman style, but with modern facilities, the hotel offers a lot of facilities. The terrace is absolutely wonderful, overlooking the Marmara Sea, the Princes' Islands and the Asian part of the city. Guests can enjoy a buffet breakfast, while admiring the beautiful view of the Bosphorus. I left the luggage at the hotel and went for a walk. I was fascinated from the first moment by the beauty of the city that spans two continents, Europe and Asia. The crowded streets, full of locals and tourists, offer an atmosphere full of energy. Transportation is a bit more difficult due to the crowds, but you can get there by taxi (not recommended), subway, tram and bus. In the 6 days I spent there I visited a lot of tourist spots.
1. Hagia Sophia was the cathedral of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, then mosque, today a museum in Istanbul, Turkey. The first church on this site was built by Constantin the Great in 325, but burned down in a fire in 404.
2. Dolmabahce Palace was ordered by the Empire's 31st Sultan, Abdülmecid I, and built between the years 1843 and 1856. Previously, the Sultan and his family had lived at the Topkapı Palace, but as the medieval Topkapı was lacking in contemporary style, luxury, and comfort, as compared to the palaces of the European monarchs, Abdülmecid decided to build a new modern palace near the site of the former Beşiktaş Sahil Palace, which was demolished.
3. Suleymaniye Mosque is one of the great mosque built in the classical period of the Ottoman Empire, being built according to the model of the Hagia Sofia mosque. In 1660, the Suleymaniye Mosque was damaged by a fire, but was restored by Sultan Mehmed IV.
4. Topkapi Palace is a museum in Istanbul, former residence of the Ottoman sultans for about 400 years (1465-1856). It is a major tourist attraction of the city, next to Hagia Sofia, being the most visited museum in the country. In 1985 he joined the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
5. Blue Mosque it was constructed between 1609 and 1616 during the rule of Ahmed I. Its Külliye contains Ahmed's tomb, a madrasah and a hospice. Hand-painted blue tiles adorn the mosque’s interior walls, and at night the mosque is bathed in blue as lights frame the mosque’s five main domes, six minarets and eight secondary domes.
6. Ferry-boat trip to Prince Islands
7. Grand Bazar is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with 61 covered streets and over 4,000 stores over a total area of 30,700 sqm.
8.Ferry-boat trip to Uskudar a sprawling residential district, located on the Asian side of Istanbul overlooking the small island of Virgo Tower.
9. Valens Aqueduct is a Roman aqueduct which was the major water-providing system of the Eastern Roman capital of Constantinople (modern Istanbul, Turkey). Completed by Roman Emperor Valens in the late 4th century AD, it was maintained and used by the Byzantines and later the Ottomans, and remains one of the most important landmarks of the city.
With love,
Moon and Sun
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