Ding's Travels: Constantinople, City of the World's Desire

Incidentally, the title of this entry is from a book with the same name (by Philip Mansel) and I find it to be suitably appropriate. For those interested, it's a book about the Ottoman Empire (1453-1924) and Constantinople (present ... I was staying at the Ayasofya Hotel in the Sultanahmet district of Istanbul, a very pleasant place to stay, with friendly staff and they offer an amazing package deal. Anyway, after a bit of snoozing, I decided to wake up early to make the ...