Our first day on the ship, we stayed in Istanbul. Unfortunately, we woke up to a rainy day, anything from a sprinkle to a downpour. Instead of going to Topaki Palace which is across the river, we decided to walk the 2 km. to Dolmabahce Palace. This palace was built between 1842 and 1853 for the sultan. It is a traditional palace along the lines of Versaille or Peterhof. We visited most of the public rooms. Unique was the crystal staircase with its crystal balustrade and big elephant tusk incense holders at the top. But the breath-taking room was the throne room or Muayde Hall. It has a dome of 25 meters and is 2000 square meters in size. The chandelier is 4 1/2 tons with 664 bulbs made from Waterford crystal.
Throne Room Dolmabahce
Unfortunately, in the midst of the tour, Mary caught the Norwalk virus and had to leave feeling sick to her stomach. We took a cab to the dock, but still had a long walk in the rain with her feeling sickly. On board, we called the doctor, she was given a short which quickly took effect. Unfortunately, she needs to say in our interior cabin for 48 hours.
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