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Not quite knowing what to expect we opted for the Cemberlitas Hamam, one of Istanbul’s oldest public bathhouses, just up the tramline from Sultanahmet and as tourist-friendly as they come. Many hamams open for men and women on different days; at Cemberlitas we were both able to visit together as the bath offered separate areas for men and women.

With assistance we produced some really tasty dishes including red lentil and burghul soup, green beans in olive oil, roasted eggplant puree in a bechamel sauce, zucchini and white cheese fritters and semolina cakes soaked in a delicious sugar syrup.

Some buildings are so old, so beautiful and so steeped in history that they make you gasp. Aya Sophia (also known as Haghia Sophia or Aya Sofya) is one of them. Aya Sophia makes the Blue Mosque across the way look like a new kid on the block. The Blue Mosque was built by Sultan Ahmet in the early 17th century; Aya Sophia dates back, incredibly, to the reign of Emperor Justinian and was completed in 537.

Imagine my pleasure when, during a visit to Istanbul’s Topkapi Palace, we came across this exhibition of Ottoman megakitchenware. The dutch ovens of the Ottoman feast preparation scene, these super saucepans were big enough to crawl inside.

Topkapi Palace occupies a prominent spot on the headland at Sultanahmet, with views over the beginning of the Bosphorus Strait. It is an enormous palace complex, with a series of gates that lead from one courtyard to the next, built by Mehmet the Conqueror in the 15th century.

Day 39-43: Hotel Spina was our hotel in Istanbul. You’d be hard pressed to find a better location in Sultanahmet, right between the Blue Mosque and Aya Sophia, equidistant from each and with unbelievable views from the roof terrace over both.
Our room was simple, elegant and uncluttered. Breakfast on the terrace was a sublime experience […]

Day 38: On our first night in Istanbul we arrived after 1am and were happy to check in to the Hotel Desraadet without fuss.
While we only stayed here a night, before moving to Hotel Spina which was recommended by a traveller we met in Rhodes, we enjoyed a lovely breakfast and had our first experience […]

Spotted at the book bazaar in Istanbul, where English language books were hard to come by, was this collection of highly sought-after Lonely Planet titles featuring the hottest travel destinations in the world. Prague, Greece, Egypt, Paris and… well, see if you can spot it.