Travel With Bender - Family Travel Blog: "One life is all we have and we live it as we believe in living it. But to sacrifice what you are and to live without belief, that is a fate more terrible than dying." - Joan of Arc _ Maiden's Tower in Istanbul, Turkey. _ This medieval tower stands in the Bosphorus Strait, straddling 2 continents. _ What's in a name? According to the most popular Turkish legend, an emperor had a much beloved daughter and one day, an oracle prophesied that she would be killed by a venomous snake on her 18th birthday. The emperor, in an effort to thwart his daughter's early demise by placing her away from land so as to keep her away from any snakes, had the tower built in the middle of the Bosphorus to protect his daughter until her 18th birthday. The princess was placed in the tower, where she was frequently visited only by her father. On the 18th birthday of the princess, the emperor brought her a basket of exotic sumptuous fruits as a birthday gift, delighted that he was able to prevent the prophecy. Upon reaching into the basket, however, a snake that had been hiding among the fruit bit the young princess and she died in her father's arms, just as the oracle had predicted. _ Travel tip: While I was in Istanbul I was always connected to the Internet thanks to my trusty @tepwireless. For my full review take a look at the right sidebar on travelwithbender.com.