Last day in Turkey. Leaving at 6 pm so we left the cases at Best Point and headed for the Grand Bazaar. Jeannie was spewing - there was a Starbucks right there all the time - five minutes from the hotel. Into the Grand Bazaar - a maze of shops and covered streets. The outer Bazaar consists of formerly open streets that they have simply roofed in and laid tiles over the cobbles. To be honest though the Spice Bazaar was better - more colour, spice smells, better bargains and better humour from the shopkeepers also- each one had an engaging opening line to bring you in. A final lunch at the Barbecue House near the Blue Mosque with local dishes and excellent Efes beer, with Wifi and an engaging host, then down through the cobbled streets to the cool clean water of the Bosphorous Sea before our final departure from the Hotel.

Collected memories we will take with us from Istanbul:
Cats and dogs everywhere especially cats. Locals seemed to have an aversion to the dogs we were patting- maybe rabies. Funny vendors and waiters. "My turn" from each vendor as we approached. The old walls of constantinople everywhere - still standing almost 2000 years later and the third largest wall ever constructed. The cool blue Bosphorous Sea and the heavy shipping. Layer on layer of empires from the Romans through the Byzantine to the Ottomans. Magnificent Mosques in active use. Finding a Starbucks. Dick's shouted "Stand up! Plane!" Mosaics and tiles. Tourist groups everywhere and the tour group stickers. Spice Bazaar. Crazy traffic jams. Ramadan and the regular call to prayers from the many minarets. The police massing outside and around Taksim Square getting ready to dance. Very engaging people the Turks - good sense of humour.

One final Turkey anecdote: "Dick's Final Standup". We have let a few days pass on this one, but the story must be told. On the flight in d*** and Yvonne were sitting opposite - d*** with headphones and some heavy metal going on from the noise. Suddenly Yvonne looks out the window, then turns to Dick. d*** looks out the window grabs his camera and shoots then turns to me across the aisle - headphones still on and says loudly "Plane!". I gestured for him to lower his voice and misunderstanding he shouts really loudly "STAND UP! PLANE!!" Half of the plane stood up. Apparently there was a plane flying close by. Not sure what the other passengers were thinking but I saw lips moving in prayer.