Here I am again, terribly behind on updating my blog. Good thing I mostly do this so that Todd and I won't forget all of our adventures, but for the few of you out there who might read this (OK, I know you are family) then I am sorry for the delay.
Turkey! Istanbul to be exact. This is where we went for the second part of Spring Break (yes, I got 2 weeks off!) back in April. Since we've moved here, people told us we MUST go to Turkey, that it's a magical place that can't really be described, something in the air there.... Well, we decided to check it out for ourselves and found that it did not disappoint. It has a very laid back, European feel and we loved visiting. I won't go through our travels in detail, but I will list our top 5 things we did while we were there.
Top 5:
1. Dinner at Giritli's
We ate at Giritli's on the first night we arrived. It was within walking distance from our hotel and was a great first meal because we got to taste a little bit of everything in the Turkish world of food. With a fixed-price menu (and unlimited wine), we tried loads of mezze and fresh fish. Todd loved all of it. I am a bit pickier of an eater and didn't go back for seconds on some things (sardines, olives, anything pickled...) but I appreciated the chance to get to sample things I normally wouldn't have ordered.
2. Basilica Cistern
The entrance to the Basilica Cistern is not very grand, but once you walk downstairs and let your eyes adjust, it's a pretty amazing site. The cistern is about 100,000 square feet in area and was once used as a water filtration system for surrounding palaces and buildings. It has been kept up quite nicely and still contains water.
3. Bosphorus Cruise
We decided to take the Bosphorus Cruise on our first full day in Istanbul. It was somewhat chilly while we were in Turkey, but the beautiful, sunny day we picked for the cruise was perfect! The two hour cruise took us down the Bosphorus with Europe on one side and Asia on the other. There was an audio tour that went along with the ride (which we usually love) but because we were on the "wrong" side of the boat, we couldn't see any of the buildings they were talking about. We just took off the headphones and enjoyed the ride. Check out the website here for the best (cheapest) ferry to use and times they leave.
4. Hamam (Turkish bath)
Todd and I were pumped about getting a Turkish bath. They literally wash and scrub you to get all the dead skin off your body. We've done it once before (in Georgia, the country not the state....quite an experience!) and couldn't wait to do it again. We chose to go to Suleymaniye Hamam because it is one of the few that doesn't separate guys and girls. It was a nice experience, but obviously caters to tourists (not necessarily a bad thing) and our scrub wasn't the best that we had. Our advice: don't skip on the hamam, but if you want a thorough scrub then try somewhere less touristy.
5. Grand Bazaar
If you like to shop, you must go to the Grand Bazaar. It's one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world. It's really more like a maze where you find more and more stuff with each corner you turn. We could've spent days in there. Plan to find any and everything you could ever want!
So many great things about Istanbul, it's hard to have a top 5. The city is so rich with history, shopping, good food, and sidewalk cafes perfect for a tea break. And with that being said, we pass on what everyone has said to us....You MUST visit Turkey someday. It really is quite magical. :)
Turkey! Istanbul to be exact. This is where we went for the second part of Spring Break (yes, I got 2 weeks off!) back in April. Since we've moved here, people told us we MUST go to Turkey, that it's a magical place that can't really be described, something in the air there.... Well, we decided to check it out for ourselves and found that it did not disappoint. It has a very laid back, European feel and we loved visiting. I won't go through our travels in detail, but I will list our top 5 things we did while we were there.
Top 5:
1. Dinner at Giritli's
We ate at Giritli's on the first night we arrived. It was within walking distance from our hotel and was a great first meal because we got to taste a little bit of everything in the Turkish world of food. With a fixed-price menu (and unlimited wine), we tried loads of mezze and fresh fish. Todd loved all of it. I am a bit pickier of an eater and didn't go back for seconds on some things (sardines, olives, anything pickled...) but I appreciated the chance to get to sample things I normally wouldn't have ordered.
 |
| Our spread at Giritli's |
2. Basilica Cistern
The entrance to the Basilica Cistern is not very grand, but once you walk downstairs and let your eyes adjust, it's a pretty amazing site. The cistern is about 100,000 square feet in area and was once used as a water filtration system for surrounding palaces and buildings. It has been kept up quite nicely and still contains water.
 |
| Basilica Cistern (You really just have to see it in person!) |
3. Bosphorus Cruise
We decided to take the Bosphorus Cruise on our first full day in Istanbul. It was somewhat chilly while we were in Turkey, but the beautiful, sunny day we picked for the cruise was perfect! The two hour cruise took us down the Bosphorus with Europe on one side and Asia on the other. There was an audio tour that went along with the ride (which we usually love) but because we were on the "wrong" side of the boat, we couldn't see any of the buildings they were talking about. We just took off the headphones and enjoyed the ride. Check out the website here for the best (cheapest) ferry to use and times they leave.
 |
| This guy |
4. Hamam (Turkish bath)
Todd and I were pumped about getting a Turkish bath. They literally wash and scrub you to get all the dead skin off your body. We've done it once before (in Georgia, the country not the state....quite an experience!) and couldn't wait to do it again. We chose to go to Suleymaniye Hamam because it is one of the few that doesn't separate guys and girls. It was a nice experience, but obviously caters to tourists (not necessarily a bad thing) and our scrub wasn't the best that we had. Our advice: don't skip on the hamam, but if you want a thorough scrub then try somewhere less touristy.
5. Grand Bazaar
If you like to shop, you must go to the Grand Bazaar. It's one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world. It's really more like a maze where you find more and more stuff with each corner you turn. We could've spent days in there. Plan to find any and everything you could ever want!
So many great things about Istanbul, it's hard to have a top 5. The city is so rich with history, shopping, good food, and sidewalk cafes perfect for a tea break. And with that being said, we pass on what everyone has said to us....You MUST visit Turkey someday. It really is quite magical. :)
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