Turkish Delight Part 1: Istanbul

Direct flights are great.  I fell asleep in NYC and woke up in Istanbul and happily had no problem finding Erin at the baggage claim.  

Our hotel transport was waiting for us right outside and we zipped to our hotel Sirkeci Mansion in the Fatih district in historic Istanbul.  We got there in time for a casual, but tasty dinner near our hotel.

Unfortunately, we only realized halfway through dinner that had we eaten right across the street, we could have dined where Russel Crowe once did, oh well, next time.

We decided to kick off our time in Istanbul by hitting the ground running.  We booked a guided tour of the top sights.  When we awoke the next morning to a monsoon, we were pretty happy we decided on the tour (which included mini-bus transport) versus heading out on foot.  The day started off wet, but by mid afternoon cleared up into a lovely day.  Istanbul was an absolute feast for the eyes!  Everything about the buildings, architecture, tile work, inlays, mosaics, carpets - it was all my preferred aesthetic and I just loved it.  

We took about a million photos, you can see the full TURKISH DELIGHTS ALBUM here.  Below are some highlights from our first 2 days:

1. Hippodrome (no photos - it was POURING)

2. The Blue Mosque (ahh! I could hardly stand how amazing this place was!

3. Hagia Sofia (also just INCREDIBLE!)

I just loved all of the domes and tile work and mosaics.  It was so stunning.  Even the parts that were in need of repair, the worn down look just added to the beauty of the place.  

Erin and I even found a little spot to sit down and just look up for a bit! 

4. Spice Market (very similar to the one I saw in Dubai, but with the addition of so much Turkish Delight - we bought a few grams for snacking).

5. Little Sofia (much smaller than her big sister, this mosque was off the beaten path a bit, but quite lovely).

Back on the bus to the last stop of our tour...

6. Topkapi Palace: This place was just unreal!  The clouds cleared, the views were amazing the the palace rooms were like my tiled-home dream.

Overlooking the Golden Horn from the Palace walls

my favorite dome mosaic (in the Harem)

gorgeous blue tiles EVERYWHERE!

in-lay semi-precious stones & marble walls

We took a load off at the end of the day and enjoyed some ice cold brews at an outdoor bar.

classic Erin shot :)

* * * * * * *

After a very long day of sightseeing, we decided to spend our next day luxuriating in the good life of Istanbul: shopping, bathing, eating & drinking.

Started out by heading to the Grand Bazaar -- along the way I spotted an intriguing rug store and found the first of my kilim purchases:

I absolutely LOVE my kilim, looks wonderful in my apt

After shopping til we (almost) dropped - we headed to the incredible Aya Sofya Hamami to experience an authentic Turkish Bath.  OMG - it was incredible.  Despite the "semi-private" conditions, I'm pretty sure Erin was even won over too. Must. Go. Back.

Then we sat down for some alfresco snacks and libations.  Note: humus is not the same (or as good) in Turkey as it is in Israel, Greece or the US.  Oh, and there are lots and lots of stray cats (the city pays to feed them) - fine on a case by case basis, but not my favorite thing when dining outside.

That night we headed to dinner at a converted old cistern restaurant called Sarnic.  It was quite lovely (sort of a Medieval Arthur vibe) and quite tasty, especially (surprisingly) Erin's stroganoff.  Then we got some sleep.