Istanbul: Last Day

Our last full day started with a delicious late lunch with Sania and friends in Bebek, a little north of where we were staying in Ortaköy (all within the expansive Istanbul city limits).

Since we left the club "early" the night before (at 3:30am), we decided to explore the area while the party animals recuperated on Galatasaray Adası, the man-made island in the middle of the Bosphorus.

The first stop was up this random, never-ending staircase across from the restaurant.  We didn't find much up there, but we did burn off some calories and found a great view!

Next, we stumbled across a neat looking cemetery in the shadow of Rumelihisarı (Rumelian Castle).

We totally had to check it out... if only for these gorgeous purple flowers spilling over the tombs/plots.  (It's a little morbid, but I loved the tombs/plots in all the cemeteries we saw.  Most had flowers and/or herbs growing on them like a beautiful eternal flower pot!)

And what a great place to spend eternity over-looking this view!

I'm sure these plots were very affordable (yeah right) so moving on up the hill, we finally reach Rumelihisarı, which is situated on the narrowest point of the Bosphorus straight and was built by the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II between 1451 and 1452, before he conquered Constantinople.

This is what it looked like from our Bosphorus cruise earlier in the week.  (We were walking along the tower and wall on the left side of the photo below)

It's really too bad we didn't have enough time to explore the whole complex, but I guess that's what happens when you get a late start.

It was a relaxing and a gorgeous day to go exploring around this little residential district.  The week flew by and before we knew it, we had to go home.

Istanbul is a true mix of Europe and Asia - we've never experienced anything like it.  The city is fascinating, intoxicating, and overwhelming.  We're not sure if we'll ever make it back, but Istanbul has a way of making a lasting impression on its visitors and we'll never forget her.

Now before you get too sad about the end of our Istanbul trip... stay tuned for the next blog post dedicated completely to FOOD!!!!  I'm still drooling over the ice cream over there...