Day two of our tour started out with a visit to the Istanbul Spice Bazaar. Built in 1660, it houses over 85 shops selling all sorts of spices and Turkish Delight sweets. It was very crowded and had a lovely aroma with all the spices displayed in open bins.
After spending a bit of time at the Bazaar, we had to leave Istanbul and headed west towards the Sea of Marmara. We stopped for lunch along the way and had to stay longer than expected because a severe thunderstorm rolled in, flooding the roads and knocking out power.
We crossed over the Dardanelles Strait and headed for the city of Canakkale for our next overnight stay. The bridge over the strait is brand new and one of the largest in the world. We were originally supposed to visit the ruins of Troy that afternoon, but mother nature dictated otherwise. Once we got checked into our hotel, the weather cleared up and we witnessed a gorgeous sunset.
