Trip down Istiklal Street

After leaving Taksim Square we headed down Istiklal street, a main shopping avenue in the city.  It was full of pedestrians of every type. 

Street view

Note the gigantic stack of ice cream cones that this vendor has on hand.  He is READY for business!  (And given how warm it was, he probably had a great day!)

There was a tram going up and down the street.  At one point they added a second tram car with a live band playing from the back!  Loud music coming and going on the street.

Greek Consulate - had a police box stationed outside the front.  Not surprising given the cool relations between the two countries.

French consulate

St. Anthony's Catholic Church.  The only active Christian church we have visited on this trip.  When we stepped into this church it felt different to me somehow from the other cathedrals that we've visited in Europe.  The appearance was very much the same so it took me a minute to figure it out...it was the temperature.  It has hot and stuffy in the church.  Usually these large stone complexes are cooler than outside (at least in the more moderate European climates).