I know it's been a little while since my last post, but without steady access to a camera, it's hard to document my experiences! Last weekend, my friend and I had an amazing time in Budapest -- I'll post more about that when I can show you photos from the opera house.
Anyways, this weekend, I traveled to Istanbul! I've had this trip booked for what feels like months, and it seemed like it would never come. I was so excited when we finally took off for Turkey. And, I was not disappointed. We hadn't even been in the city limits more than half an hour and I was already in love. I can't even really put my finger on what it is that makes me love Istanbul, but there's just something in the air... The streets, markets, culture, food, people.
The first day, we arrived in the city around noon, and spent the rest of the day wandering. We stumbled upon the Spice Bazaar, walked along the straight and tried some of the local seafood, and of course tasted some treats. Baklava?? Turkish Delight?? So. Good.
The next day, we saw some of the more major sites, and walked over to Taksim Square and Galata Tower. We spent a lot of the day in the markets and Grand Bazaar. The Grand Bazaar is fun to walk through, but not the best for finding a good deal, even with haggling. There's an outdoor market of sorts, basically a mass of narrow streets filled with vendors, in between the Spice Bazaar and the Grand Bazaar where I found some great gifts for family and friends back home!
The next day, we did it all. We went to the Aya Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, and the Basilica Cistern. I'm not sure which was my favorite; I'm torn between the Blue Mosque and the cistern. Two of the pillars in the cistern have Medusa heads on the bottom, and no one knows for certain how or why they're there. One of the many mysteries of Istanbul.
These pictures certainly don't do Istanbul justice. And besides the famous historical monuments, the food was delicious and the people were incredibly nice. We were hosted in restaurants and lounges by some amazing folk, who eagerly gave us great local knowledge and at times even walked us to our next destination. I would love to return to Istanbul someday, there's something truly magical about the city.
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