Tulips for a sultan

Spent much of the day at Topkapi Palace along with thousands of others. It had been home to the Ottoman sultans for over 400 years.

We queued a lot. To get our tickets in the first place and then to get in through the security checks.

And then to get in to the fascinating Harem quarters. I was delegated the task of taking photographs of the tiles which were just stunning. The tiles that is, the photographs weren't particularly special.

And then to get in to the rooms with the holy Muslim relics - it is a place of pilgrimage for Muslims.

And then to get in to the treasury to see some of the loot collected, appropriated or presented to the Sultans. There were some spectacular gems on display including our own insignia of the Order of the Garter which was given to one of the Sultans in Victorian times.

And, of course, we had to queue to get to the loos where we were reminded of one of the universal truths of life - ladies toilet queues are longer than those for males.

One of the Sultans, Ahmet III, was really into tulips and they were everywhere so that is the blip for today.

As a reward for such patient queuing when people are not always at their best, we treated ourselves to coffee and cakes. A wonderful day.