On our second day in Istanbul we first of all visited the Church of St Saviour in Chora with its staggering frescos and mosaics. We took a trip up the small telepherique to the viewpoint by the Pierre Loti cafe but this was unfortunately spoiled by some heavy rain. In a bit of a rush due to the impenetrable Istanbul traffic we managed a quick visit to the Rüstem Pasha Mosque just before prayer time. This mosque is famous for its extravagantly large quantities of exquisite Iznik tiles. We then had a look around the Spice Bazaar, a dazzling array or colours and smells.
In the afternoon after a stroll around the Taksim Square area we went for a sail on the Bosphorus. We landed from the boat on the Asian shore and went by bus to the high viewpoint and pretty gardens by the TV transmitters which gives an amazing view over the sprawling city of Istanbul.