Allaha ısmarladık Istanbul

It was Eid al-Adha today, and many of the museums were closed. Vince and I had planned to take a full-day cruise on the Bosphorus to the Black Sea and back, but we were short on Lira and didn't want to withdraw more, so instead spent our last day in Istanbul without any hint of an itinerary, which turned out to be wonderful. Detouring to the second floor of Hafiz Mustafa, we took our breakfast while people-watching the sidewalks below. Many of the smaller restaurants and shops were closed due to the holiday, and there were a lot fewer people on the street that time of the morning.

Pastries and tea

Turkish pastries

We walked through Sultanahmet, taking the smaller streets off Divan Yolu, which we typically hugged during our week here, and strolled along sections of the Topkapi Palace near the Ayasofya and Blue Mosque. We spent some time leisurely browsing windows of carpet and souvenir shops in the area; it was nice to take everything at a slower pace.

Street cats and dogs are all over Istanbul, and are very well taken care of by the locals

Emperial Gate of Topkapi Palace

Marmara sea in the background of a street in Sultanahmet

Mid-afternoon, we walked back to one of the fish eateries beneath the Galata Bridge, and had fresh pan-fried fish sandwiches for lunch with a view of the water. The sandwich was kind of like a banh mi; the bread was the same French roll, and there was a "salad" inside of white onion, red cabbage, and lettuce. Simple, tasty, and only 6 Lira.

Back in Beyoglu, we explored the quiet eastern walk along the Bosphorus, passing a couple of pop-up tea cafes right on the water, the Kilic Ali Pasha Complex, and the Tophane Fountain.

Tophane Fountain

In the evening, we wandered back out onto Istiklal, more crowded than we had ever seen it, and made our way down to the Golden Horn for one last look at the city all lit up. So amazing that Istanbul, with its many previous names, was once the capital of the world for 800 years.

A sea of people on Istiklal Caddesi

On the left is the Suleymaniye Mosque

We worked up our appetites climbing back up the hill and dined on little casseroles in terra cotta pots at Furreyya Galata Balikcisi, a casual eatery off the main drag. Our table opened to the sidewalk and was the perfect spot for watching the crowds pass by.

Dondurma

We caught the first flight out of Nevsehir back to Istanbul, and were greeted at the arrivals by a Jonas Brother look-alike who took us to the car service I had reserved. Before we knew it, we were back at our apartment off busy Istiklal. Today is the eve of Eid al-Adha, the Feast of the Sacrifice. The streets and shops seemed extra crowded, perhaps because the locals were preparing for tomorrow's festivities. Though Turkish Airlines managed to feed us breakfast on our one-hour flight this morning, we were hungry, so we found our way to Zübeyir Ocakbaşı. Ocakbaşı means "grill house" and this little restaurant served up shish kebabs of all kinds cooked right in front of us. We started with a cold meze of black eyed peas that was delicious, then ordered variations on kebabs of minced meat which were a lot like sausage. They were served on pide with grilled urfa peppers and tomatoes.

Skewers of urfa peppers and tomatoes, grilled as accompaniments to kebab orders

After lunch we walked down Istiklal and over the Galata Bridge to do some wandering on the back streets around the Grand Bazaar. We spent a few hours slowly exploring some of the quieter alleys and streets, and came across a few busy veins as well.

A busy day in the markets

Because of the holiday, some of the shops were beginning to close up early, while some were already shuttered. I think the three consecutive early mornings - never mind the jet lag - were catching up to us, and not after long we felt like sitting for a drink. The weather was a bit too chilly for sitting outside comfortably at a cafe, so we took refuge again in the Four Seasons lounge, a warm and peaceful setting for a few cups of Turkish tea.

After some warm tea and wine, we trekked back to our apartment for a little downtime, and did a load of laundry. During our check-in, Selma had mentioned that in addition to Hayvore, the Chinese restaurant down the street, Cin Bufe, was a very good option in the neighborhood. We'd been eating nothing but Turkish food on our trip with the exception of Shake Shack night, and were really craving something familiar. We'd peeked several times at Cin Bufe's open kitchen facing the street and the tables inside since we'd walked past it leaving and coming back each day and the wok always looked good. There was always a decent amount of people inside too. Tonight we gave it a go, and it hit the spot.

All over Istanbul, especially on thoroughfares with lots of pedestrians, we've seen dondurma carts and shops. The men slinging this treat, outfitted in red velvet vests with gold embroidery, are constantly churning different flavors in their stands or pulling out entire globs on long paddles like taffy and swinging them around to keep them soft. They're frequently whacking the bells above them with the paddles to attract the attention of passerby, too. At dinner this evening, I saved a little room for dessert so that I could finally buy a cone from the guy that's got a cart at the end of our street. Dondurma's texture differs a lot from regular ice cream in the U.S.; it's pliable, kind of gooey, and a little bit sticky. If you put in an order, it tends to come with a little show as you can see below.

Cappadocia - Day 2

A popular tourist activity in Cappadocia is taking a hot air balloon flight at sunrise. We opted in, and had another really early morning today, but it was worth it! We reserved a flight with Butterfly Balloons and were picked up from our hotel at 5:50 then taken to their office where they assigned us our pilot and served a light breakfast to all of the morning's fliers. After breakfast, we were taken to the field in a van where our balloon awaited us.

Filling up our hot air balloon. 

We shared our basket with four other couples and the pilot. Both Vince and I were very excited to experience our very first hot air balloon ride.

Ready for lift off.

The safety briefing consisted of two instructions. 1) Stay in the basket, and 2) the correct landing position (crouched down facing away from  the landing direction). After the safety briefing, we took off!

Away we went on our first hot air balloon ride.

The entire ride took a little over an hour and it went flawlessly. Our pilot Tamer is a seasoned hot air balloonist. With his expert piloting, we went on a nice ride and saw scenic valleys, open air museums, and got a bird's eye view of several of the villages in the area. At one point, we reached 5200 ft above sea level (about 100 stories above the ground below us). The ride was really smooth, as there wasn't too much wind, and the height didn't affect me as much as I thought it might. Vince had some altitude issues; he says he "has a healthy respect for heights" and said his feet were tingling.  

Some of the 100 other balloons in the air with us making for a majestic view with the landscape and sunrise. 

Tamer landed the balloon very softly. Soon after, a truck arrived with help to deflate the balloon and pack it up for transport. The company set up a small table with potted silk flowers, some small cakes, and poured champagne for everyone right in the field. Each of us also got a cute little certificate. 

Tamer and Vincent 

When we were dropped off back at the hotel, it was still pretty early, so we grabbed some more breakfast and then took a nap. Afterwards we drove to Kaymakli where there's an underground city. There are currently four levels open to the public, and we saw all sorts of spaces: larders, a wine cellar, living room, church...all connected by small tunnels.

Supposedly the stone door can be opened / closed by one person.

The living room was one of the few places where Vincent could fully stand

Back as early as the Hittite times, these underground cities (there are others in the Cappadocia region) were used for hiding as long as six months. There were even stables underground to hide animals. 

A kitchen appliance at the Kaymakli underground city.

After Kaymakli, we returned to Uchisar to have lunch. Vince and I went to a nearby restaurant and shared a Pide; a Turkish flatbread. After lunch, we returned to our hotel to enjoy the view from our terrace. Vince used the jacuzzi and I did some writing.

It's to share :D

When we checked in yesterday, Ferhat at the reception noticed from my passport that today was my birthday, which he shares, including the year. We wished each other a happy birthday, and this afternoon, he surprised me with a beautiful birthday cake, complete with candles and a Happy Birthday Song. Vince and I each took a slice and then shared the remaining with him and the staff. As of this evening, he wasn't sure what he was going to do to celebrate with his wife but I hope she has something nice planned!

Ferhat and I share the same birthday. Month, date, and year!

For dinner, we drove back to Goreme for some traditional Anatolian cooking at Anatolian Kitchen on Muze Caddesi. We started with a crisp and chewy lavash and enjoyed a few falafels. I had a main course of seared minced beef in a tomato, mushroom, and onion sauce while Vince ordered some grilled chicken wings. Everything was delicious. We shopped the windows on the main street and came across a store selling handmade shoes; both of us walked out with some really soft leather slippers made in the village of Avanos. The woman at the shop was so friendly and talking with her, we learned that her family are all artisans of leather, pottery, carpets (she has a weaving certificate, but only crafts them by custom order these days).

Cappadocia - Day 1

Wednesday morning started very early for us as we had to catch a short flight to Nevsehir. We wanted to take a break from the hustle and bustle of Istanbul for a couple of days and explore the Cappadocia region. We rented a car, which was very easy, and drove to our hotel, Taskonaklar in Uchisar. Although in Istanbul we have a small-ish apartment, here we opted for a nice big suite with terraces and a jacuzzi which overlook the Pigeon Valley and volcanic Mount Erciyes. The view is breathtaking! The hotel itself is terraced and carved into a rock face.

The view from our terrace at Taskonaklar

We caught the last of breakfast and had a lovely chat with a couple from Los Angeles who shared some of their experiences and personal recommendations with us (which was great). After leaving our bags in our room (we just took backpacks for this side trip and left the rest of our stuff in our Istanbul apartment) we drove to the Goreme Open Air Museum. Cappadocia is probably best known for its rock formations. People here once carved their dwellings into the rocks. In fact, some still do!

Many of the rock formations were (and some still are) used as dwellings. There are renovated cave homes throughout the area.

Dove cotes

Me in front of some cave dwellings.

Posing in front of a cave house.

The Open Air Museum is a historic Byzantine village that includes several churches, a nunnery, and monastery. Poor Vincent had a harder time crouching though some of the smaller rooms, but it was pretty cool to see how people here once lived. I felt like a little gnome. The churches were full of worn Byzantine frescoes, so we paid an extra ticket to see one that is exceptionally well-preserved and restored, the Dark Church. Unfortunately, we weren't allowed to take a picture of the Frescoes as light does damage to the centuries old frescoes. Here's a random picture of a Turkish hen.

Look at my feathery legs!

Next we stopped at Pasabagi, which was a lot less crowded. Pasabagi is home to a nice cluster of fairy chimneys.  

Me & Vince in front of a few fairy chimneys.

We climbed around there a bit before grabbing lunch at a terrace in Goreme. I tried a traditional Turkish dish called Manti. It's like tiny ravioli, or shumai, filled with a little bit of minced lamb, pinched, steamed or boiled, and served with a rich tomato and sour cream sauce. Delicious and very filling! 

Lunch at Goreme.

After lunch, we drove around for a little bit. Feeling pretty tired from our early morning flight, we rested back at our hotel and enjoyed the scenery the rest of the afternoon. Oh we saw this during our afternoon drive. Vince thinks it's a Turkish Turkey.

Gobble gobble?

The village of Uchisar isn't quite as developed as Goreme and not at all touristy - yet. It's very quiet, charming, and romantic. With all of the geologic finds here, history, and a bit of wine growing, I think it will only continue to grow in popularity. For dinner, we took a suggestion from our breakfast friends, and enjoyed a traditional Turkish dinner at Sira.

A lovely dinner at Sira in Uchisar.

After dinner, we walked back to the hotel and decided to build a little fire in our outdoor fireplace. 

Nothing beats a cozy fire. 

The common garden at Taskonaklar

Taking it Easy in Istanbul

First, breakfast of doner kebab.

We had one more mosque on our list to visit and it was the mosque of Suleyman the Magnificent. This mosque marked the peak of Ottoman prosperity; never again was the empire dominant over the region. One reason for this is that the construction drained the empire's treasury. On the old side of the city, we climbed up through several small alleys lined with local shops selling housewares and various knick knacks. 

Vincent suffered a bit more through the elevation than I did, but we were both rewarded when we reached our destination. Again the inner courtyard was cool and shaded, the perfect setting to sit a bit while we waited for prayer to end and the mosque to open to visitors. Unlike the others we'd seen, this one was distinct in its use of red granite in contrast to the white-grey marmara marble (marmara means marble in Greek).

See the red granite used in the archways of the portico

Inside, the predominant decorations were frescoes, and boldly colored tiles were used more sparingly. The reason we found out, was that the intention for this space was to invoke a feeling of serenity in order to facilitate worship. It was still very beautiful!

Frescoed interior

A view of from the grounds of Suleyman the Magnificent - the European New District (left) and Asian side (right) of Istanbul, divided by the Bosphorus

Feeling pretty worn from all of the climbing we'd done in the past four days, we decided to head back to the Arasta Bazaar for some refreshments, lounging, and relaxation at a tea and hookah cafe. The eve of Eid al-Adha and the holiday itself would be our last two days in Istanbul after our side trip to Cappadocia, so it was a chance to get some last-minute shopping done as well.

Resting in the shade

Gazing back at the New Mosque and lots of fish eateries under the Galata Bridge as we crossed the Golden Horn back to our neighborhood

We whiled away a couple of hours at the cafe until heading back to our apartment on Istiklal and then catching our dinner reservations at Meze by Lemon Tree, a short walk away. We had great dining neighbors at Meze - a couple from Cornwall, England - and talked about travel, beer, and shared our experiences thus far in Istanbul. Before turning in for the night, we prepared our bags (just backpacks) for our two-night trip to the Cappadocia region.