Turkey > Weekend trip to Istanbul

Just before half past eight, Nicolette and I drive to Sassenheim station. We are going for four days to the Turkish city of Istanbul. It is raining and there is a strong wind. This also means heavy traffic. Because of the congestion, it takes longer to reach Sassenheim station. At the moment we park our car, the train is already arriving. Luckily, the next one comes in twenty minutes. At ten to half ten, we get off at Schiphol. Since we are traveling with hand luggage only, we can go straight to security and customs. After that, we still have plenty of time for coffee. Exactly at the scheduled time of 11:20, flight TK1952 leaves the gate. Funny enough, this is exactly the same flight I took six weeks ago on the way to Pakistan. Then we had a bit of a delay. Today, we land on time at half past three at Istanbul Airport.

Turkey - The plane is ready for departure to Istanbul

It still takes twenty minutes taxiing to reach the gate. Istanbul Airport is a huge airport. We have to walk quite a distance before we reach customs. Because several counters are open, the queue moves quickly. With a stamp from Turkey, I enter the arrival hall. Istanbul Airport is 46 kilometers outside the city. Using public transport, we would have to transfer twice. Therefore, we have reserved a taxi. When we arrive at the meeting point, we are not the only ones. A staff member guides a group of about twenty people to the parking deck. Here taxis arrive one by one to pick up passengers. Because there are multiple companies, it’s a chaotic scene. Eventually, a taxi van arrives for us. The driver takes us on the highway to Istanbul. The first part goes smoothly, but soon traffic gets stuck in the evening rush hour. That we have an overnight stay in the Sultanahmet district, right in the old city, doesn’t help. Several times the driver apologizes for the delay. Around six o’clock, we arrive at the Peyk Hotel. We are warmly welcomed. Are we interested in booking a boat cruise with dinner? This is all a bit too fast for us. If we want, we can still choose that later. Outside it has become dark. We walk to the Blue Mosque. From the minaret, the call for evening prayer sounds. We follow the flow of worshippers. There is a separate entrance for tourists at the mosque, but it is currently closed. We will come back later to visit the mosque.

Turkey - The Blue Mosque at evening

In the courtyard, we take photos of the beautifully lit mosque. A little further on lies the Hagia Sophia Mosque. This mosque is less illuminated and partly scaffolded. We walk between the mosque and the Topkapi Palace. We will visit the palace tomorrow. Through Gülhane Park, we reach the Bosporus River. On the other side, we see the lights of the Asian part of Istanbul. This wide waterway is the only connection between the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara. We walk a bit along the water towards the New Mosque. This New Mosque dates from the 17th century and is one of the largest in the city. Behind the mosque is a maze of small narrow streets. Here are also cozy restaurants and terraces. In one of the restaurants, we order a kebab dish. Nicolette chooses the spicy variant, I the non-spicy. There is not much difference between the two dishes.