Day 5. Sunday 5 April.

Have spent long, tiring days, so no enthusiasm to write the blog at night, so some catch up to do.

Our last day in Istanbul so decided to use the hours available before our 7 PM flight to visit the spice market. Another easy trip – the metro/tram system is so good and very clean.

Walk through the spice market was fairly quick,(all about the colour, really) with again some of the ‘touts’ loving the Aussie accent.

Back at Sultanahmet we tried to get a coffee at a café/restaurant called Loti, where T remembered having her first Istanbul breakfast 26 years ago, but today it was closed at this time so instead had a coffee nearby at Sultana, with the owner complaining about slow business. That was a bit surprising as the area is teeming with tourists and locals. The woman in the front window rolling and cooking bread and giving cheek to neighbouring café staff, and occasionally looking at that ubiquitous item, the PHONE, was fun.

Decided to take a chance on getting into Hagia Sofia (T had been oscillating: to do or not to do)…with a sunny day and a few spare hours we  lined up for tickets rather than paying the extra fee for the online ones, or those offered by guides and touts. The queue was reasonable and the experience was worth it, not withstanding the inevitable crowds (Standing is actually more challenging on the feet than walking, but sometimes it rewards well).

 A visit to the museum was included in the ticket, so we lined up again, much longer this time, and once inside only had time for the 25 minute AV tour before needing to head back to the hotel to leave for the airport. Story of the mosque and the city is the usual tale of power and plunder.

So back to the hotel on the metro. On the train, we saw for the first, and only, time a younger man offering his seat to an older man. No such courtesy has been given to anyone previously – in fact there was a distinct lack of what we would call common courtesy in most public places (use of mobiles, crossing in front, pushing into queues, entering and exiting metro etc). This contrasts with our experience 12 months ago in Spain, where deference to older people is a given.

Arriving at the hotel our driver was waiting for us – he was early! Anticipated about an hour journey: first vehicle accident delayed us about 10 minutes, inching forward in dense traffic. Second accident delayed us about 30 minutes. Fortunately, we had plenty of slack in timings, so no stress.

A quiet drink to settle down before boarding Istanbul airport is wonderful, new, beautiful and well appointed, with double layers of security. Belts, jackets off again, devices etc into trays (& this had been the similar on  entering the shopping mall near our hotel, the art gallery, even the metro) to be greeted by a team of young water polo players joining us on the flight. Boarding was smooth, we settled down for the two hour flight…..but there were strange noises from the aircraft engines. After about 30 minutes we were informed that there was a ‘technical problem’ and that we would be moving to a different aircraft, with a delay of about 90 minutes. Off the plane, long walk to other side of the terminal, boarded, took off, arrived at Dubrovnik airport, having made up about 30 minutes during the flight.

Dubrovnik airport was pretty much deserted, small, with a couple of passport control officers. We were through in about ten minutes to be met by our driver Tanya, organised through booking.com. Tanya was tall, probably about six foot tall, slim, in black clothes including a pencil skirt, and stilettos. D immediately thought Cher. She was a good driver – sometimes with no hands on the steering wheel – and fast. We were dropped off at our address, and met by Josef, the husband of our host, who took us into the apartment, briefed us and left. Josef had lived in Perth and Sydney for a few months as a professional athlete ( physically very impressive, easily picking up both suitcases as if they were shopping bags, a former water polo player).