Mat & Kat's big bike trip
Day 96 Istanbul
Sightseeing has begun!
This morning we went to Suleymaniye Mosque, possibly our first ever mosque visit. It was a beautiful building and a great experience. A volunteer called Rana came over to answer our questions: yes they are ostrich eggs hanging from the lighting rings, what the calligraphies on the walls and ceiling say, and yes the carpet does show the direction to pray towards the Ka'ba in Mecca. She gave us a gift of an English quran with our names written in Arabic inside, offered us water and generally made us feel incredibly welcome.
We then passed the Roman Aqueduct of Valens and had a real feast for lunch. Our mission is to avoid the tourist trap restaurants that charge eye-watering prices and won't let you look at a menu in peace - they have to read the whole thing out to you. After a bit of haggling to find vegetarian options we ended up with several dishes all of which were delicious. The whole meal and drinks (water, tea and Aryan, a salty yogurt drink with foam on top) came to 12 Euro.
We also did a spot of shopping on the way back and happily Mat now has more than 2 pairs of underwear.
Our friend Nick from Valencia has just arrived and will be staying in our hotel, so we're looking forward to a celebratory reunion. He's the first "old" friend we'll have seen in person in over 3 months!
Love, Kat & Mat x
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