Again all mixed up but hey, here we go again.

This is Turkish Coffee. The best way to describe it would be really tasty sludge. The best we could guess is that they boil the ground coffee in a pot, with sugar if so wish, and then into your cup it goes, grinds and all. But yum yum buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Looking for the Topkapi Palace we stumbled across the park. It turns out the park runs the length of the Palace wall, outside. It is open to everyone and a surprisingly peaceful place in the middle of a hectically busy city.

Our first meal. We arrived in Istanbul just before lunch and by the time I finally got through passport control, after having to chat to the chief of airport police due to a mixup with stamps and visas etc, it was way way way past lunchtime and we were to starving tourists willing to try it all... here we have The Captain eating a lamb with a side dish of well um yes, and a bowl of um ok well dessert. On my tray there are kebabs, vine-leaves wrapping around rice and stuff, and a salad of yoghurt mixed with some sort of leafy, lettucey, herby, potentially viney greenstuff. And there you have it, a very informative description of local food.

We were staying on the Modern Side of the Golden Horn. This meant a long long walk into the touristy town...or a tram ride, with a connection or two. We normally walked as the things to see along the way were, well, worth seeing. All around our hotel are the embassy buildings. Some of them have been there for a substantial number of centuries. (Russia, it would seem, was the only country not very enthusiastic about permanently placing someone on Turkish soil) They are impressive buildings, from the outside at least, and looking out of our hotel one can see the proudly flapping Union Jack, yip, the British Embassy.

I couldnt help myself with photo. Just one of the many little things on sale in Istanbul, Aladdins lamp.