From Rome to Constantinople (that's Istanbul to you)

I wish I had been able to spend more than 4 beautiful days in Turkey. Since that was the time I had, I opted to spend them all in Istanbul. It's gorgeous and bustling and touristy and fabulous. Nicky met me there and we spent our time eating tasty dinners made up of dipping things and tangy cheeses and fruits and breads and wine after glass of Divine wine. The old town is home to two beautiful, and rather famous mosques, the new town is urban and modern and crowded, and the shopping is brilliant all over the place. I acquired a love for Turkish delight (Nicky might have as well....the stuff was good) and gooey pastry of all sorts. We took a river cruise that highlighted the neat geography of Istanbul and the views were gorgeous. Like many places in Europe, Turkey is home to a large population of homeless cats. Unlike many other places, these cats appeared well. Well fed, well groomed and they were everywhere in abundance. Nic and I decided to do our part and fed a crew of kitties a hot dog we bought from a kiosk in a park right across from the Blue Mosque in the old town. They were a little scary in their pursuit of our meat morsels, but it was an experience none the less. I can't imagine feeding stray cats in a park in London or even Minneapolis. Probably because there are few if any stray cat crews in London or Minneapolis, but even so, it felt neat and unique and just not the sort of thing two practical girls would be compelled to do except during a long weekend holiday in the mysterious, beautiful, bustling city of Istanbul.

Here we have the old town, a window display that made me salivate, and Nic with her brood of feline wonders.

The cats are everywhere. Indoors as frequently as outside.

I had to take this photo, as it would appear that police officers double up while patrolling around town on their trusty motorbike.
Talk about making the most of your resources!

The new town looks like this from the river. It's really beautiful and interesting to soak up.

The spice market where I purchased my tasty treat of Turkish delight.