April 16, 2026     Bused to Zeyrik Hane for lunch. This restaurant is run by the city to provide affordable/non-tourist prices for locals. Our friends know someone here who is a diplomat here and she shared this local hidden gem.  Entry garden  Stellar tiles in the restaurants were almost as amazing as the views:   and the spectacular views from the balcony of the Zeyrik Hane restaurant Entrance, menu and food (eggplant puree with beef stew, salad, manti (fried dumplings), and J's meatballs And at their adjacent establishment for dessert   Street & sidewalk photos   from our double decker bus ride         

April 15, 2026      Our 2nd day we utilized all forms of public transportation in Istanbul to reach the  Nezahat  Gökyiğit Botanical Garden.  We walked first to the FERRY      to cross the Bosporus Strait. After stopping for a delicious  fried fish sandwich ($5/230TL),    we walked to the METRO   We noticed how clean and utilized the metro is as we rode 10 stops, then walked to the  BUS  We rode the bus to the botanical park stop only to discover that the entrance on Google was a construction site! A HUGE construction site! We weren't the only ones confused and discussed navigation with two other groups of Turks who also couldn't figure out how to get in! Neither knew the other's language, but there's enough gestures and familiar sounding words that we understood each other. We walked next to a lot of traffic around a huge clover-leaf. We knew that the gardens were nestled within the clover leafs, we just di...

April 14, 2026     Rustem Pasha Mosque is an  enchanting little old mosque Rustem Pasha 1561 one of the most embellished from the Ottomans with over 7,000 pieces of tiles consisting of 36 tulip motifs. It is a peaceful place.         The true magic happens when you step through the doors. While the Blue Mosque is famous for its tiles,  Rustem Pasha Mosque   takes it to another level. It is said that no other building in Istanbul boasts such a rich collection of  Iznik tiles  together. The interior is covered virtually floor-to-ceiling in ceramic art.  Look closely for the famous "tomato red" (coral red) on the tiles, a color that was technically very difficult to achieve and represents the peak of Ottoman ceramics.  (source Tourist info)