The city of Istanbul, formerly known as Constantinople and Byzantium, buzzes with excitement and energy. It has an atmosphere of a busy bazaar visited simultaneously by 15 million people all buying and selling, eating and drinking, praying and playing. The city spans two continents and stretches for kilometres along the two coastlines. It is mind-bogglingly large, stretching over 2100 square miles. Istanbul is a beautiful city with a huge heart. The citizens are friendly and kind and any visit there will be remembered as much emotionally as intellectually. Istanbul was founded in 630 BCE and a real sense of history is pervasive as one discovers and understands that it has been the crossroad and economic hub of civilisations linking East and West for thousands of years.
No visit to the city would be complete without seeing the Topkapi Palace and Sultanahmet – The Blue Mosque. Equally the other tourist attractions are a must; the grand bazaar, the spice market, the Basilica Cistern, the Galata tower, Eminönü as well as Taksim square and a boat ride on the Bosphorous. 
But the joy for me was a ferry to the Princes Islands. Five islands in all but four that are on the ferry route. If you wish to avoid the crowds then catch a high speed IDO ferry early in the morning but half of the delightful experience is catching the normal ferry and enjoying the people, the entertainment, the food on offer and it costs the price of a train ticket. Which reminds me – and Istanbul card is the best way to pay for transport be it ferry, bus or train. The islands are interesting because the only transport is electric motorbike, cycles or horse and carriage. Catch a buggy ride to see the island of your choice and refresh at a restaurant at the highest point. Set aside a full day for the excursion, it is well worth the effort
