A day of exploration and relaxation! A leisurely breakfast at our hotel and then morning tea at Hazif Mustafa with a reputation for delectable Turkish Delight. We had spinach rolls and Turkish tea!! The cafe looked over one of the main intersections and it was fascinating watching buses, trucks, trams, cars and pedestrians all trying to keep out of each other's way. We also found our favourite restaurant in Istanbul - the Adora Restaurant and Ugur.

We stayed at the Yasmak sultan Hotel in Istanbul The Yasmak Sultan Hotel is perfectly positioned within walking distance of the old town. Our room was clean, quiet and comfortable with tea/coffee making facilities, nice toiletries, bathrobes and plenty of good toiletries. The wifi was excellent. The staff from check-in to check-out were fantastic and couldn't do enough for us. Breakfast was excellent with a wide variety of fruits, cereals, breads and cakes. Eggs and hot food was cooked a la carte. My omelette each morning was scrumptious! The restaurant is situated on the top floor with a magnificent view over the harbour. Breakfast took a bit longer than usual because I loved watching all the traffic on the water - the ferries going back and forth across the river, little fishing boats and the different cruise ships which had docked each morning. Very relaxing with a nice cup of Turkish tea! There was a pool, gym and spa which we just didn't have time to use. We will definitely stay here again on our return to Istanbul. www.hotelyasmaksultan.com