Turkey, anyone?

We have arrived safely ın Turkey, having found it difficult to say goodbye to Romania. On our way to Turkey we went via Veliko Turnovo, Bulgaria which proved to be a hidden gem in our itinerary. İt is yet another charming medieval town (you would think we would be getting tired of those by now, eh?) set dramatically on limestone cliffs carved out by a river (see couple first pics). Some say it is the 'the next big thing' in Europe and it likely will be given it´s dramatic landscape, friendly people, good food, and cheap prices (1.50 for a beer ın a bar, about .75 in a market).
Despite some brief issues at the Turkish border (getting absolutely ripped off for entry visas), Turkey so far is nothing short of amazing. We were met at the train station by our freeloaders host, Serkan, and his friends Hakan and Sinem. They have gone completely out of their way to help us and make us feel at home: hooking us up wıth 'football' tıckets on Saturday night, giving us tips about the city, taking us to some really good bars, and of course giving us a place to sleep!! They are great people who truly reinforce the image of Turkish hospitality.
Yesterday we saw the Blue Mosque and Aya Sofyia (a Byzantıne church cum mosque cum museum) which were both absolutely stunning in their grandeur and imposing presence. The dome of Aya Sofyia is supposed to be the greatest in existence and İ believe it!
Today we will go to Topkapi palace and the Grand Bazaar if we have time (which means I must go!).

Regards from İstanbul
Nıck