01 May. We started the day with drizzling rain, but our spirit was high. We drove south along the water of Golden Horn. We got on board the cruise boat Basari on the west side of the water and started sailing south crossing underneath the Galata Bridge.
The boat turned north along the Bosphorus (Strait of Istanbul) which provides the connecting waterway between the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara. We passed through a number of iconic structures and famous hotels such as the Ottoman Palaces, Albanian neighbourhood, Egyptian Consulate, Suleymaniye Cami (mosque), and the Leander’s Tower before we disembarked. We finished the 2-hours relaxing cruise, knowing that Fr. Chris could have spotted our boat while flying back to Manchester. We were pleased to know that Fr. Chris’s flight touched down safely in Manchester at around 2:30 pm.
The early lunch enabled us to look for authentic Turkish food which, honestly, is more appealing than the Greek one.
After lunch, we visited the famous Topkapi Palace. We started from the south gate of the Palace and walked through the Carriage Gate of Harem which served as the residential quarters of the concubines of the Sultan.
Other places of interest included the meeting place between the Sultan and his ministers, the Church of Hagia Eirene where the second ecumenical council was held in 381 AD (under renovation).
We finished the day by having a mass celebration at the hotel, thanking God for protecting us with His grace, love, and care throughout the journey. Seven of us will say goodbye to the rest of the group who will continue their pilgrimage in Rome tomorrow.
Bill Wong, Our Lady of Perpetual Succour, Wattle Park, Victoria.