After a cold and rainy visit in Poland, the Diemers make the most out of a long layover in Istanbul. Initially planning on taking the free bus tour of the city, a series of delayed flights and jetlag influenced decisions had them missing out on the complimentary tour by 5 minutes. Rats.
When life hands you lemons, the only thing to do is make martinis with lemon twists. Sucking it up, the Diemers put their sleep deprived minds at work to figure out public transportation to the city and salvage the day.
Conducting their own tour of the city, the first stop is of course the Blue Mosque. And then the next mosque. And then the next. There are a lot of mosques in Istanbul.
Next, Tim demands a tour of The Basilica Cistern. Allison makes it quite clear that she has no interest in going underground to a “big water tank I don't even know what it is”. In an amazing turn of events, it's the highlight of the trip in Istanbul.
Finally, a tour of the Istanbul Spice Market is in order. Sellers and shopowners frown openly at the hordes of tourists walking through the spice market, shoving gopros toward all the colorful goods but clearly not interested in purchasing anything. It's an Instagram goldmine.