Monday – 30/12/2019 | Topkapı Palace & Madame Tussauds

Our day started at 9am, we caught the tram to Sultan Ahmet and sat for a bit outside Hagia Sofia. The majesty of the Hagia Sofia blew me away every time I saw it. We then took a short walk to Topkapı Palace where we waited for our guide in front of the III. Ahmet …

Sunday – 29/12/2019 | Hagia Sophia & Galata

We were up at 7am, got dressed, read fajr (sunrise is only at 8:23am!), had breakfast and then we were on our way. We caught the tram to Sultan Ahmet and got there in time for the 9am Hagia Sophia tour using the Istanbul Welcome Card. I had read up a lot on Hagia Sophia, …

Saturday – 28/12/2019 | Pierre Lotti & Eyüp Sultan Mosque

We started our day a little bit later than usual. We walked from our hotel to the bus stop buying chestnuts on the way (these are a really delicious snack!). It was a clear day so my mum decided that we would go to Pierre Lotti Hill.  After the bus, we reached the Eyyüp district …

Friday – 27/12/2019 | Cappadocia to Istanbul

When I woke up on Jummah morning, Cappadocia was covered in white. It was a complete winter wonderland. I have never seen such a beautiful sight in my life. I absolutely love the snow. I was genuinely sad to leave Cappadocia this morning. Our flight was at 10:15am so we had to be ready by …

Thursday – 26/12/2019 | Cappadocia ~ the land of the horses

Our day started with a traditional Turkish breakfast. Tea, coffee, boiled eggs, cheeses, honey, jam, nuts, tomatoes, cucumber and sigara böreği (a philo savoury with cheese). The hospitality of the hotel was overwhelming, these people went out of their way to make sure we had everything we needed. It was a cloudy and cold day …