Istanbul

Realizing that a flight to Istanbul was - indeed - a European flight (and therefore in reach of our 20'000 Travelclub miles which were about to expire), our minds were made up in no time. Late October 2005 wasn't 100% ideal, however, with gastly weather towards the end and a somewhat reduced tranquility due to Ramazan festivities around the blue mosque, basically in front of our hotel.

Aya Sofia

File size 101 kB. Only JPEG. Edda wasn't quite enthusiastic as I was about Aya Sofia, but go find a 6th century building of similar size in Switzerland or anywhere else, least such a impressive one.

Golden Horn

File size 130 kB. Only JPEG. View from the Galata Tower towards the Golden Horn, with the silhouette of historic Istanbul as truly oriental backdrop.

Bosphorus

File size 153 kB. Only JPEG. Another view from the Galata Tower, this time with a stretch of Bosphorus from the Seraglio Point to the right to the Bosphorus Bridge to the left.

Beyoglu

File size 93 kB. Only JPEG. Virtually the same spot as above, but with a wider angle and a focus on Beyoglu.

Chora Church

File size 86 kB. Only JPEG. Chora Church (or Kariye Müzesi as it is called officially) is renowned for its beautiful mosaics from the 14th century, but is also equally beautiful where it is "naked".