My top five favorite things about Istanbul

My top five favorite things about Istanbul:

1. Tulips...I will always remember the beautiful tulips everywhere. How pleasant and wonderful. Driving around NC today, I longed to see them along the highways, like in Istanbul.

2. The Turkish Bath...totally hedonistic and relaxing. After walking around the hilly city for a couple of days, the hamam is a nice respite from the crowds, filth and bustle. I would do this again in a heartbeat. It is worth returning to Istanbul for.

3. The food...The first night we ate out in Istanbul the food was divine. I longed for a meal that good for the rest of the trip. The Turkish breakfasts were delicious too. My two favorite things: cheese and bread galore...along with yogurt, fresh and dried fruit, vegetables, and pastries. It was so nice to fill up on a bunch of food before going out for the day. It was enough to tide me over until lunch, even after all of that walking. The desserts were awesome as well...namely baklava and Turkish delights.

4. Being close to the water...While I didn't get to take the Bosphorus cruise like I wanted, just being near the water was a great feeling. I loved opening the windows in the morning and looking out at the Sea of Marmara. Istanbul is also a hilly city, so you'd just be walking around checking out stuff and all of the sudden there is a beautiful vista in front of you. At night, the boats are sparkly on the water and during the day the water is such a rich blue color.

5. The age of it all...Here is the states everything is new, with the exception of native American pueblos and such. But in Istanbul, everything is old...it is practically the heart of civilization. Topkapi palace: 1470s, although built on the ruins of Byzantinium; Hagia Sophia: a.d. 530s, Galata Tower: 1348; the Grand Bazaar: 1461, although parts of it go back to the 9th century; Sultanhamet: early 1600s; the Egyptian Obelisk: 1500 BC, although it was moved to Istanbul in a.d. 390; the Hippodrome: 4th century a.d....I could go on and on. I don't claim to know much about architecture, but I sure do appreciate it. I mean, the engineering is amazing. Wish people would build stuff that hardy today.