We awoke to see a grey and overcast sky and with rain being shown to come later and at around the time were planning our boat trip so our decision was to wait and see how the weather improves or otherwise. So went down to breakfast and afterwards sat on the balcony overlooking the park and some kids playing on the equipment for a while and then we talked about the boat trip but we were both tired from yesterdays long walk and when considering that we have just spent two weeks on a cruise ship stopping at islands every day so do another boat trip even on the Bosphorus seemed to be over the top and that a further walking day would be over the top and so a quiet day and mid afternoon dinner was planned.
Following breakfast we made arrangements for a car to take us to the airport as neither of us fancied a beaten up old Fiat being driven by a lunatic whilst using two phones and keep talking to people whilst keeping his right foot hard to the floor until something appeared in the road ahead, not for us for a one hour drive. We need to print our boarding passes later and so we discovered how to do this. About three days ago I mentioned to the receptionist of the Executive Lounge the bloody McDonalds type music and we have noticed about one day after the music changed to much more relaxed sounds, so you have to complain to get things done.
Around 1500 we thought about heading over to the Corner Irish Pub which was a simple thing the day before and the taxi driver was instructed where to go and of we went at a high rate of knots missing cars and pedestrian by inches and the whole road scene made even worse with the electric scooters everywhere it was a hang on and hope you get there type ride. Needless to say the driver did not speak a word of the English language and the n he tried to drop us of at several wrong locations and him insisting he was correct and we were wrong, he kept waiving his arms around saying TRAFFIC , TRAFFIC No good you get out and he said using google translate we were only 4 minutes from the bar but he cannot go due traffic. So out we got and tried to follow google maps for walking which we have not really done before and unknowingly headed of in completely the wrong direction, however the streets we walked were fascinating with one with every shop selling different types of musical instruments. After a while and bearing in all the very narrow streets with high buildings dear old google GPS was not working and so we were completely lost. So the only solution was to try and get another taxi via Uber but after being exhausted Noel hit the wrong buttons and sent the taxi to the Irish bar instead, what a prat. We finally found another Taxi who offered to take us at some exorbitant price which we negotiated down and spent another twenty five minutes in a taxi and the driver again dropping us of, or attempting to , at the wrong location. This is ridiculous.
So we started walking we hoped in the right direction this time and after a few minutes found a group of police and one helped by looking on his own phone and said that way until ZARA then ask again. So off we went again a reached Zara and at that point the google maps was getting very excited saying the bar is seventy metres away and finally we found the place. Gosh the beer tasted good after about one mile unexpected walk and Noel without his walking poles. By this time we were both rather tired from walking, lack of food and water but spent an enjoyable couple of hours at the bar and having dinner.
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The rest of the evening we watched some stuff on I-Player and then retired to bed shortly after 22.00 having had an exhausting afternoon compared to the quiet day planned, such is life. Yes London Black Cabs oh boy what a difference it makes having decent safe drivers who are not on two phones at the same time and whizzing in and out of traffic as though he has only a few minutes to live . Ah well we pack up tomorrow morning and leave for the airport at 13.30.
