Day Two Istanbul

We began a lazy Istanbul day with a trip to Rumeli Hisari. Rumeli was a fortress built in four months in the 1400s to stave off reinforcements coming from the Black Sea to overtake Constantinople during the 4th crusade. It is an incredible remnant from the Byzantine/Roman empire. We were able to visit the ruins with our Iowa pal Jodi and with two of our favorite Johnson girls, Elizabeth and Bailey. Here are a few pics from the climb around the "castle."


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The Stenbergs at Rumeli


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Mark climbing around the walls of the fortress


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Rumeli Hisari with the second Bosphorus bridge in the background

After Rumeli, we traveled to Ortakoy - a quaint "village" on the edge of the Bosphorus. We ate lunch here and shopped around a bit. The mosque located in Ortakoy has been featured in a few movies - Armageddon and James Bond - The World is Not Enough. It was another BEAUTIFUL day in Istanbul. The weather has been perfect, unbelievable really for February. I take it as a true answer to prayer. We spent the evening with Jodi and taking care of Miss Bailey Johnson while our hosts Billy and Elizabeth are enjoying their first night away since Bailey's birthday almost a year ago. It is a joy for us to serve them this way.

Here are some more pics from the day. Keep checking back. We'll keep you updated.

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Ortakoy Camii (Mosque)


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Shops and apartments in Ortakoy


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How's this for a lake house? Across the Bosphorus, a sultan's summer palace . . .


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And finally . . . Mimi and Bailey pose for their first picture!

What a day!