Istanbul - Bosphorus Cruise

After a couple of days of walking around and seeing monuments we decided to do something a bit different and took a cruise down the Bosphorus. Our plan during this trip has been to intersperse different activities during our visits to different places to make sure that we don't loose appreciation for the wonderful things we are seeing and doing on a daily basis.

From our hotel in Sultanahmet we walked North to the Neighborhood of Eminonu where the ferry station was located. It took some talking with the people at a couple of stations before we found the ferry we wanted: one that would cruise the Bosphorus north to where it empties into the Black Sea and would return that same evening. We bought our round tr¹p tickets and climbed on the ferry. It taxied away from the pier and took off.

The Bosphorus Strait, also known as the Istanbul Strait, connects the Black Sea with the Marmara Sea and has a total length of 32 kilometers.

As we headed North we had the European side on the left and the Asian side on the right. Off in the distance on the European side the skyscrapers of modern Istanbul provided a stark contrast with the waterfront palaces which were previously the homes to sultans and the upper crust of society. One of the notable palaces was the Dolmabache Palace which was built by Sultan Abdul Mecit, who decided to leave the Tokapi palace and rejected the typical Ottoman architecture and chose Baroque and Neoclassical instead. As we got farther away from the city the buildings thinned out and the area turned into more rural riverside resorts. The vegetation surrounding the Bosphorus is primarily the Judas tree whose purple lilac color when blooming was the official color of the Byzantine Empire.

We got off at Anadolu Kavagi and spent a while strolling the streets of the small fishing village there, then dined on fresh fish at a restaurant there.

Going back we climbed on a returning ferry and changed sides to see the sights of the Asian side with its wooden waterside summer residences built by the Ottoman aristocracy in the 17th, 18th & 19th century.

Cruising down the Bosphorus was a very relaxing and enjoyable way to spend the day. It also gave us a very different perspective on Istanbul.

Istanbul – Grand Bazaar

The Grand Bazaar is a world of mayhem. It is a labyrinth of stalls with people yelling at you “Come in! I like your money!” and “Let me sell you something you don't need”. A chaotic world of bright color fabrics, the sound of people bargaining, and the smell of food stalls.

Anything you need to buy you can find it in the Grand Bazaar.

With over 4,000 shops and several kilometers of lanes the Grand Bazaar is the oldest in Istanbul. It was split up in different areas. There were copperware, leatherwear, carpet, gold, clothing, and fabric areas.

When we went, we had to prepare ourselves properly. All valuables had to be put away and we went in a good mood and energized. We went ready to swap friendly banter with the sometimes pushy shopkeepers.

For serious bargaining there was a protocol. You sit with the shopkeeper and start with some small talk, all the while drinking tea. During your chat you bargain back and forth until you find an acceptable price for both parties.

We found the bazaar to be a tourist trap and cheesy but the building is beautiful and the overall experience was very interesting.

Istanbul – Topkapi Palace

The Topkapi palace has been one of the highlights of all of we’ve seen so far.

As the main palace for the great Sultans of the Ottoman Empire, plus their wives, concubines, and eunuch guarded harems. It took us most of a day to walk through the enormous complex, with its opulent buildings and rooms made of precious metals, tiles and inlaid wood and mother of pearl. The level of grandeur of the buildings is incredible and the buildings went on and on and on.

The Topkapi palace was started by Mehmet the Conqueror shortly after the conquest in 1453. It was occupied by the subsequent Sultans until the last one left in 1839.

Our favorite part of the Palace was the harem which was in reality the imperial family quarters and every detail of harem life was governed by tradition, obligation and ceremony. The whole complex structure of life in the harem was fascinating and we couldn't help but imagine how the girls must have worked to be the favorite of the sultans and tried to bare the male heirs that would succeed the throne and give their family opportunities forever. The infighting and catty behavior between the women must have been legendary.

We strongly recommend you see the Topkapi Palace. For the over-the-top opulence of the buildings alone it is a must see.

Istanbul – The Blue Mosque

The Blue Mosque was built by Sultan Ahmet I (1603 to 1617) who set out to build a monument that would rival or even surpass the beauty and grandeur of the nearby Aya Sofya.

Whereas the Aya Sofya is known for its interior, the Blue Mosque managed to create an incredible exterior with 6 minarets and the biggest courtyard of all the Ottoman mosques.

We entered through the south door because only worshipers could enter through the main door. Gaby was given a shawl to cover her head and bare arms and we had to take off our shoes (appropriate clothing is required in all mosques). The inside of the mosque is impressive. There are 260 windows and the central prayer space is huge. The dome is held up by four huge “elephant feet” pillars and the Mosque is named after the more than 10,000 blue tiles that line the inside.

The only downside was the smell of thousands of shoeless feet on a 100 degree day on the beautiful Persian carpets that lay on the floor. They made Steve’s high school locker room pale in comparison. We learned the art of breathing in without smelling in there.

Istanbul – Aya Sofya

Our stay in Istanbul began with a visit to one of Istanbul’s major destinations: the Aya Sofya (or Church of the Divine Wisdom).

Aya Sofya is quite simply Istanbul’s most famous monument. It was built by emperor Justinian in 537 AD as part of his effort to restore the greatness of the Roman Empire. It reigned as the greatest church in Christendom until the conquest in 1453. Later on, it was converted into a mosque and remained such until 1935 when Ataturk turned it into a museum.

The exterior is beautiful but the real beauty is in the interior where the magnificent domed ceiling and mosaics are stunning.

After soaking in everything on the first floor we climbed the switchback ramp to get to the upstairs galleries. The frescos are mostly from the 14th century and depicted biblical scenes. It is hard to believe that they are so old because the quality and skill of them is amazing. If you ever go we would suggest arriving when it opens because by the time we left we were swallowed up by the large tour groups.

In one of the walls you can find the weeping column which is a worn copper facing pierced by a hole. Legend has it that the pillar is that of St Gregory the Miracle Worker and that putting one’s finger in the hole can lead to ailments being healed if the finger emerges moist.

We saw amazing mosaics of the Madonna and child and also of the archangels Gabriel and Michael. As you leave the museum there is a 10th century mosaic that was pretty amazing, it shows Constantine the Great, on the right, offering Mary (who is holding baby Jesus) the city of Constantinople and the Emperor Justinian to the left offering her Aya Sofya.

Arrival in Turkey

Gaby’s flight was supposed to arrive half hour after mine but was delayed. Because we didn’t have a way of communicating I wasn’t sure if she was coming or when she was coming. I waited anxiously while hundreds of people went by without seeing Gaby.
Finally after over an hour she showed up, we were ready to hit Istanbul!

When we got to the baggage claim my backpack was nowhere to be found, and after checking everywhere we finally found it in the lost & found area. While trying to figure out how to get downtown we were approached by a local who informed us that the hotel we were going to had an airport shuttle, he volunteered to show us and we proceeded to follow him. Out of nowhere another guy came up and punched him and the person we were following threw his cell phone at him, shuttering it into a million pieces. The two of us looked at each other, turned around and took the opportunity to leave the scene of the fight that ensued.

We figured out how to take the metro into the Sultanahmet neighborhood where we would stay. We ended up taking a hotel room on the main street across from the mosque and that was the beginning of our night of hell.

Between the blaring of the Muslim prayers through the loudspeakers across the street, the people next door partying all night, and the brutal temperature in our room (88 degrees all night) you could imagine how little sleep we got.

First thing the next morning I marched out of our hotel looking for a good room we could crash in. I found it in a small hotel located in a back alley with a soft bed and air conditioning. After checking in we closed the drapes, ran the air conditioning and slept the entire day.

Steve

Layover in Madrid

I was coming from Argentina absolutely exhausted and luckily, as always, I fell asleep before take off. When I arrived in Madrid I realized that I only had 12 hours there and instead of checking into a hotel and resting I chose to leave my backpack in a locker at the airport and go do one of my favorite walks in Madrid.

I took the Metro to Puerta del Sol Station and went straight to El Corte Ingles shopping center that is across Plaza del Callao. I walked to Plaza de España and quickly took a seat at a sidewalk table of the Museo Del Jamon (Ham Museum). Nothing better than ham croquettes and a very cold beer on a hot evening in Madrid!

I walked the Bailen Avenue and went by the Royal Palace and the Cathedral of our Lady of Almudena and ended at the Plaza Mayor.

After midnight I took the Metro back to the airport and after connecting flights in Rome I got to Istanbul, where right outside my gate Steve was waiting for me.

Thankfully everything turned out as we had planned it.

Gaby

Layover in Germany

I was able to successfully wrap up all loose ends in Napa before departure day and finally took off for Germany. I had a two day layover in Frankfurt before continuing on to Istanbul. I decided to go to Mainz instead, which is a small college town 30 minutes west of Frankfurt.

I had read about this interesting place to stay but the journey getting there became extremely frustrating. After spending a couple of hours looking for it while lugging my backpack around I waived down a taxi. This did not necessarily help much as the driver did not speak a word of English and proceeded to drive me around town for an hour looking for the place, which was apparently listed incorrectly in my guide book. After finally finding the place and getting a room I headed out for something to eat.
Being that it was Sunday and all the businesses were closed I finally found a Kebab place which I washed down with a cold wheat beer.

My second day was much easier as I figured out the local bus system and explored the city. I enjoyed walking through the cobblestone backstreets which are full of old German style houses. Coming from the States, it was interesting seeing the differences in things. The cars are small, everyone rides bikes, food portions are smaller, the people thinner and the place much cleaner and more organized.

I was quite surprised how much trouble I had communicating to people in English though and it was interesting how everything closed down on Sundays.

I really enjoyed my layover in Mainz but considering that it took me a full day to figure the city out I could have really enjoyed a couple more days to explore the area more in depth.

After a bus to the train station, a train to the airport and a plane to Istanbul, I was finally waiting for Gaby at the ´arrivals´ area of the airport.

Steve

Detours to get to the beginning

There´s always a good excuse to make a stop in Madrid.
I love Madrid. It´s streets, parks, museums, people and tapas!! I´ve visited it several times, and besides, that´s where Steve and I got back together several years ago, it could be "nostalgia" or simply the fact that it is a wonderful city.

It´s been a few weeks since I left the States where Steve stayed behind to wrap up the final details before our departure. I flew down to Argentina, where I had the opportunity to share the last days of someone very important to me, my grandma, with whom I had a very special relationship. I won´t go into details but those that know me understand that this was a major event in my life and all I can say is that I´m at peace and happy with the fact that I was there for her and for others.

With my low defenses and extreme temperatures from one day to the next, I ended up with a severe bronchitis that nearly killed me. I wasn´t able to see many people I wanted to see while being there, but I know I´ll be back in Argentina in a few months and there will be plenty of time to catch up personally.

Steve already left San Francisco, California and is on his way to Frankfurt, Germany where he should be right now.
If everything goes fine, we will both fly into Turkey from where we are and we´ll meet at the Istanbul airport, he should be waiting for me at my platform. We´ll see how things unfold!!!

Gaby