So take me back to Constantinople, no you can't go back to Constantinople...

Greater Istanbul has a population of 13.5 to 15 million people depending on who or what you consult. Couple that with very hilly narrow streets, a colourful history that goes back over two thousand years, a position on the coast that bridges Europe and Asia and you have a vibrant and bustling metropolis. Although I would have to say that on this Sunday morning where our apartment is situated (on the newer northern side of the Golden Horn and far away from the tourist precinct) it is very peaceful and quiet, apart from the more than occasional jet flying overhead.

We have been here four days now and we have sampled the food, seen some of the major sights and only been ripped off by a taxi driver once.

The Aya Sophia is indeed impressive just in its size alone. It is not necessarily that attractive on the outside but the interior is very impressive. It is yet another example of how the rulers of the past demonstrated their wealth and importance by constructing a bigger and more lavish palace/cathedral/mosque than their predecessors (my cathedral is bigger than your cathedral).

The Aya Sophia was the biggest cathedral in the world for many centuries. When Constantinople was conquered by Mehmet the Conqueror in 1453 he very quickly changed the Aya Sophia into a mosque. It was subsequently proclaimed a museum by Ataturk in 1934.

Just across the road is the Blue Mosque which is still very much in use today. Its interior is stunning.

We have also seen over Topkapi Palace which is also quite spectacular in its size, architecture and decoration. At its height it was a city within a city with over 4,000 inhabitants. The jewellery here is amazing - the sort you imagine exists in pirate treasure chests. It includes a lot of emeralds, some of them bigger than a matchbox.

We also explored the Grand Bazaar, which was interesting in and of itself (again just by its sheer magnitude) but which became a little "ho hum" after an hour or so.

Today we took a tour on the Bosphorous and visited the Egyptian market - better known as the spice market.

This latter market was a highlight for both of us, but Judith had to be held on a very tight leash! We bought some saffron, lemon and mint tea, dried apricots, pistachio kernels, and of course some Turkish Delight (pistachio and honey).

Another characteristic of Istanbul is that almost everyone smokes (or it seems like it) and almost everyone has a cat (or it seems like it). The outcome of all this is that when you walk the populated streets you can't avoid cigarette smoke, and when you walk the back streets all you can smell is cat's urine. Neither of us has seen so many cats in one place before - nor smelled so much cat's urine!

We haven't been overwhelmed by the food yet, so we are trying a Trip Advisor recommended restaurant tonight that is just around the corner. Stay tuned...