FIRST TRIP TO ISTANBUL (FINALE) | Surrey NEWBORN-MATERNITY-FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHY

Our family had really saved the best for last. In this final post on Istanbul, I capture the streets bustling with tourists and with everyday Istanbul too. We had waited long enough to go inside the famed Blue Mosque and now finally the day had arrived when we would see it. Spoiler alert - It was gorgeous!

We started our day with the Archaeological Museum. This was a bit disappointing to be honest because a lot of areas were cordoned off as they were refurbishing. For a city with a history like Istanbul, we were quite looking forward to it. Oh well! Another reason we have to go back to Istanbul :)

It was a hot day and this corn vendor came to our rescue after the museum! These carts were all over the place and we had at least one roasted corn per day! lol :) We followed it up with a visit to our favorite restaurant where my little one had a blast!

Finally, we made our way over to the Blue Mosque. There were long queues of families with kids, people on honeymoon, bunch of friends together, people who had come to it as a pilgrimage site - just different reasons but they were all there. The excitement in the queue was really euphoric. The queue kept moving so it didn’t seem long before we were inside. Like with any religious place, there was a sense of calm and peace in spite of there being so many people. I definitely wouldn’t miss this experience - I was so glad we saved it for last! It was the perfect end to our amazing adventure that was Istanbul!

On every vacation our family goes to, we like to look for a rooftop restaurant to enjoy the views in peace. To our delight, Sultanahmet was full of these and I really think we chose the perfect one! We had an amazing view of both Hagia Sofia and the Blue Mosque. The sun was setting at this time. It made for the perfect setting and time to try the last of our Turkish food This time we tried the flat bread which we had seen advertised in so many places! It was HUGE! but equally tasty :)

After that it was time to say bye to this little street tucked next to our hotel. We walked through this street everyday. It had these most amazing lights. They were so colorful and festive! I really did want to capture these and make them part of our memories!

Oh Yes! and when you are in Istanbul - you MUST try these street side ice creams. They are yummy - but the way they serve it to you is an experience in itself! :)

This brings us to our final morning in Istanbul. Once again the kids and I ventured out on our own. It was the perfect way to say bye. Though I find this feeling very bittersweet - the holiday comes to an end but am thankful for the time we had, the memories we created. I won’t lie, my heart is a little heavy!

Thanks for being with me on this journey. I’ll be back with another vacation soon! xx