Istanbul- Lasting Impressions

Istanbul. My first twenty four hours in Istanbul were jammed pack with all sorts of sites. A colleague of my father's who lives in Istanbul was so generous and immediately upon checking in to my hotel picked me up to show me the beauty of Istanbul. Ahead of time she mentioned that Istanbul was best to be seen at night and I couldn't agree more. We headed Beyoglu and Istikal, a long pedestrian promenade that reminded me of many European cities with beautiful architectural buildings on either side and used as a gathering point for people of all ages. After finishing a delicious dinner of traditional Turkish treats we headed to the top of a building and entered a roof top restaurant with a massive view of the lights of Istanbul. The skyline wasn't lit up by all of the mosques but rather the bridge connecting Europe to Asia over the Bosphorus displaying a light show of all colors. Istanbul is the only city that sits on two continents. Day 2 was a whirlwind with loads of mosques, beautiful frescos, mosaics and tiles, dodging cars and carpet dealers, and delicious food. All of this was experienced while trying to stay cool from the un-normally hot 90 plus degree weather and humidity. A highlight for me was a visit to Basilica Cistern a cavernous cistern from the 6th century which was breathtaking imagining how in the world they constructed it. My first full day in Istanbul ended with a group dinner with my newly formed group and I happened to order the one dish that came with a fire under it. I guess that is how one leaves lasting impressions.