Turkish Delight - Arrival in Istanbul / by Catherine Pham

After a full-morning layover at Schipol, we finally got on our flight (with lots of other Americans) to Ataturk International Airport. Arrival for me was a breeze, but Vince had to meet three passport control guards before being admitted with his Indonesian passport. We soon got into a cab and headed to Beyoglu in the rain.

After winding through Galatasaray, we pulled up to Turnacibasi Sokok no. 19, and were greeted by Nahide's mother, Selma, who then gave us a primer on the amenities of our well-appointed home for the next week, as well as her personal recommendations for places to get dinner. Vince and I were both pretty tired, so we headed down our street to a local favorite self-serve restaurant, Hayvore, and loaded up on some Black Sea specialties for our first taste of Turkish cuisine: stewed pazi (chard), sarma (grape leaves filled with minced meat and rice), kuru fasulye (creamy white beans in a buttery tomato sauce), kofte (turkish meatballs), hamsi (anchovies), and pilaf.

On the way back from dinner, we grabbed some supplies like laundry detergent, toilet paper, and bottled water for the apartment.