We arrived in Istanbul 31st May at 2pm & immediately went with our USA mates Sheila & Steve ( S.Waters back to front tour guides )  onto the tram & into see the Blue Mosque, wow, a lot of money spent on an elaborate structure, but as always, on this trip, the question is, how was it done back in those days, no mechanical help ?? Just manpower, it is an awesome building.  After the Blue Mosque we went down in the bowels of Istanbul to look at the Grand Cistern, this was the storage area of 80,00 cubic meters of fresh water to service the city, as always the construction was unreal, large columns with designs to support the domed roof, it now only has about 39cm depth of water full of fish to eat the algae, it is a major tourist draw card.  We went on a ferry trip to the Asian side & returned then had a fish dinner in one of the restaurants below the Galata bridge.