2 days in Istanbul, Turkey

Istanbul was the most interesting port I remember pulling into. The sites on both sides of the ship were incredible. We were also greeted with a band playing Turkish music as the ship docked. It was the neatest welcome we have ever had! It is located on the Bosphorus Strait and encompasses the natural harbour known as the Golden Horn. It extends both on the European and on the Asian sides of the Bosphorus, and is the only metropolis in the world that is situated on two continents.
This is the bridge that connects the two continents!

Every block or so they have a park and in the park they have exercise equipment for the residents to use. I couldn't resist trying them out. I wish we had these in our parks here!!!

This is the Hagia Sophia built by Justinian was the largest ever cathedral building in the world for a thousand years, until the completion of the Seville Cathedral in Spain. Originally it was a church, later a mosque, and now a museum, built in the 6th century.

The Grand Bazaar is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with more than 58 covered streets and over 1,200 shops which attract between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors daily.

I loved our tour guide and she always addressed us as" My dear guests", it was so endearing. I loved visiting Turkey, It was truly incredible!