August 3 One last day before leaving Istanbul - for now!

Today was a quiet one preparing for our departure tomorrow aboard Le Lyrial heading for Venice. Of course we went out for a wander and meals and while out I searched for an ancient marker erected back in the days of the Byzantine Empire: the Milion Stone, or Milion Taşı as it is called in Turkish. I almost missed it tucked into a corner at the end of our street. It was built by Emperor Constantine in the C4th when Byzantium (renamed Constantinople) was appointed as the new Rome. Like its counterpart in Rome it measures the distance from Byzantium to all the cities in the Byzantine Empire. - the new Rome  I found it where it always was but now it is being included in an archeologival site being excavated. I have included the photos taken in 2018 and 2023.

Left: The Milion Stone 2023 under restoration. Right: 2018 

One of the minarets on Sophia Hagia with a muezzin calling the adhan

That evening we met up with Deanne and Rob for drinks. Over drinks in the rooftop bar of our hotel we could see a muezzin calling the adhan. At Sophia Hagia it is usually a recording played from this minaret but they seem to have been having some 'issues' over the last couple of days. This evening we could see the muezzin calling the adham through a microphone.  Later we all went exploring for a place to dine. After a dlicious meal, when Lindsay wnet to pay for our meal he was told that the Turkish man who had sat nect to us with friends, had already paid for ours. Such generosity! We had only exchanged pleasantries. That gesture of unexpected generosity warmed our hearts.  We love the Turish people - they are fierce but friendly and love Aussies. The next day Deanne and Rob were flying off to Uzbekistan while we were setting out to navigate to Venice, two more different destinations you would not find!