I find it truly embarassing to mention that I bought two travel guides, one for Istanbul and another one for Lisbon, back home prior to our departure for our summer vacation yet I hardly opened them during the entire trip. It was a good thing Marc did. Otherwise, the money I spent on them would have just gone to waste.

Knowing what sights to see and how to get there, Marc took me to one square not far from the Aya Sofya and the Topkapi Palace. Little did I know I would see the Egyptian Obelisk and the Serpent Column there. I had never heard of them in Istanbul. Anyway, they sure made for an interesting visit as we tried to kill time while we waited for the Blue Mosque to reopen in the afternoon we planned on going.