Now my travel agent had told me to get there 2.5 hours before the flight which was about 3.30am so I was there in plenty of time.
The check-in counter didn’t open until 4.30am so there was no need to be there that early.

When it was my turn I gave them my paperwork which wasn’t actually a ticket and they said that I needed my ticket.
The lady said to get it from the Alitalia enquiries counter and it would be there waiting for me.
She did check me in with a window seat and just said to come straight back to her when I had my ticket - that was handy as there was a massive line behind me.
I lined up to the enquiries counter and they said that they didn’t have it and that I had to go to the Diamond counter upstairs.
I went to the Diamond Counter and they don’t open until 5.00am - NOT HAPPY JAN.

Anyway eventually got my ticket and went back to the check-in counter and got my boarding pass.

Then we find out the plane is indefinitely delayed!
Not happy again as about half the plane was making the connection in Milan to Turkey - lots of Aussies around!
It ended up being delayed about an hour and we were told we had been pushed up as there were so many connecting passengers on my flight.

We were given a sanga on the plane and that was about it.

I had a window seat and we flew over the Austrian Alps which were just stunning!
I just peered out the window the whole time.
The views were great.

We got to Milan and had to get our boarding pass for the flight when we got to the gate the lady said “Are you from London. We have been waiting for you!”
I don’t think that we were too late though.

Anyway there was a pack load of Aussies on the plane which was quite amusing but definitely a sign of things to come.

Got to Turkey and got my Visa (yay) and another stamp (yay again).

Got my luggage (which is more than I can say for some people - two boys on my tour lost their luggage - I would have cried)

Ledge Tanya

I then found my tour guide - Ledge.
He was really nice and friendly.

The only problem was that I had to wait for two hours until the bus was leaving for the hotel - it all seemed quite disorganised.

Fanatics book their tour and then they onward book with Fez Travel in Turkey - who were total crap … just keep reading and find out!

Details on the Hotel plus 'inside and outside' photos

Anyway we eventually got to the Hotel Ozmen and checked in.
That wasn’t quite as great as it seemed either.
The lobby was lovely as was the restaurant but the rooms were being renovated and although mine was fine two other girls had no door on their bathroom.

My room mate was a Kiwi girl and she seemed nice.

She went out for a walk and I had a nap.
It wasn’t very relaxing what with the builder banging and the call to prayer transmitted across the city.

Anyway we went to the restaurant and met everyone from the group and got our t-shirts.
I was disappointed in them as I had completed my size on the booking form but it was way too big for me.

And, we didn’t get the ticket wallet.
Ledge said that we should have been sent it which was odd as the Fanatics said I would get it in Turkey - more disorganisation!

We walked down to the backpacker district which took about 20 minutes as a bar there was giving us free drinks.

The Blue Mosque
(and there are lots more photos in tomorrow's Diary after Tanya has visited the Mosque)

Anyway - we walked past the Blue Mosque which was just stunning!
I don’t think my photos will do it justice but it really was amazing.

Ledge recommended a restaurant and five girls from the tour had dinner there.
It was great - I had Turkish meatballs and they were so yummy.

After dinner we headed for a drink at the bar but I still wasn’t feeling very well and was tired too.
I had one beer and then a group of us walked back.
It was fun though and there were heaps of people and they were all in the party mood.

I got back to the hotel and went straight to bed.

Istanbul taken from the Hotel Ozmen restaurant

A few things about my first time in Istanbul - lots of rubbish everywhere, incredibly small streets, lots of street sellers trying to get you to buy everything from roasted nuts to socks to perfume to hats, and a massive number of stray cats.
Cats are apparently sacred in Turkey and they are everywhere - apparently it isn’t a good idea to pat them though which was very hard for me to resist!!.