Must all good things come to an end?

Two nights at the Four Seasons Bosporous, incredible splurge... and worth every dime.  On our last full day in Istanbul we walked.  Walking a lot burns a few of the calories consumed during the trip; walking around with a vague idea of where you're going opens up a world of opportunities to be amazed.  We like to walk.

Leaving the hotel after a great breakfast watching the boats go by, we head for the Dolmabahce Palace.  I only include pictures of the outside since no photo taking is allowed inside.  The place is beautiful, built around 1850, it was home to six Sultans and, at the end of the Caliphate in 1924 it became the home of Ataturk, the first president of the Republic of Turkey.

An extravagant display of European rococo style infused with Oriental touches, baccarat crystal balusters line the central staircase and the biggest Bohemian crystal chandelier in the world (weighing 4.5 tonnes), hangs from a soaring ceiling in the Ceremonial Hall.  It's magnificence is hard to describe.

We then wander off in search of the Galata Tower.  We walk to an underground funicular station and take the car up the hill to Galata.  The main street, a wide pedestrian-only (with the exception of a cable car and emergency vehicles) street is gracious and vibrant and it offers many an opportunity to shop, eat and simply admire the architecture.  After a while a taste of the local ice cream, Dondurma, is in order. It is a weird concoction but it does taste good; think of mixing ice cream with chewing gum.  We finally make it to the famous tower and that marks the end of our adventure.  We decide to walk all the way back to our hotel; we orient ourselves by taking a downward route in the general direction of the Bosporous and make a short stop at a tiny food store to buy a light dinner of cheese, fruit, chocolate and crackers which we will enjoy in our room after a nice relaxing swim.  Tomorrow morning we say good bye to Istanbul, we hope to be back one day.