We arrived in Istanbul in the final days of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. The city was busy with preparations for the three-day celebration at the end of the month. On the first day that we were in the city we were eating lunch on the rooftop of a restaurant near the Blue Mosque (background) and then mid-day prayer came on over the loudspeaker. Having been in Doha for a few weeks, it is someting that I am now used to, but it seemed a little strange to my sister.