Cleo slept in the bed again, but at least it still fits (or we make it fit😉) to sleep with the four of us in a single bed.
After Tim’s morning photography session, we have a luxurious breakfast at our favourite place (the same place as the first day) and then decide to split up, as Zeno has a cough that just stays around and we do not want to take the risk that it develops in something worse, so we let him do his morning nap in the apartment.
Cleo and Tim visit the Theodosia Cistern in the meantime. This one is around the corner of our apartment, once there it’s clear that this one is much smaller than the Basilica cistern of the first day. So we made a wise call to spend some extra lira for that one. The only advantage of this one is an elaborate lightshow. When we are outside again after 15 minutes we go for some tea with sweets.
Since Zeno still needs some rest, it’s time for Olga to explore the neighbourhood some more. The Grand Bazaar is nearby so Tim prepares a wish lists of goods and Olga also enjoys exploring the city on her own. The bazaar is not very special: it’s big indeed, but looks rather new and does not seem to sell much of Tim’s wishlist. However, it’s refreshing to be alone on an adventure.
When Olga is back, we’ll have to decide the last thing of our Istanbul list to visit. It’s either the archaeological Museum or the Hagia Sophia. Since the Hagia Sophia has a two hour long waiting line, it has been converted into a mosque seriously limiting the areas you can explore, and costs 25 Euros we choose the archaeological Museum.
It’s packed with statues and finds from Turkey and the Ottoman Empire. There are some great sarcophagi and the collection is a fine addition to our Turkey trip of 2,5 years ago to Antalya. We see a lot of original pieces from the dozens of sites we visited then.
Afterwards we chill in the adjacent Gülhane Park, enjoying the first warm day of our trip between the flowers before taking the tram back. We eat in again, we started liking our compact but bright apartment and enjoy our final evening. Zeno is running around again, trying on Tim’s shoes, unpacking our suitcases and stealing our e-reader, just like we know him. And just in time, because tomorrow we’ll fly to Uzbekistan!
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