I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to update my blog about this trip! but with midterms, being sick during midterms, and then spring break this past week I just found myself so busy and just didn’t have enough time to write a post worthy of the adventure. But now that everything has settled down, there are two very long updates to come :D

Last weekend I took the trip of a lifetime to Istanbul, Turkey. I got the idea to take this trip when I found out most of my roommates wanted to go to Ireland one weekend that I couldn’t, so I decided that I wanted to take a trip on my own somewhere I had never been before.

Our school sponsors a tour group company called Snow or Sand that specializes in taking small groups of 12 or so students to various European destinations, many of which are somewhat unexpected (like Istanbul or Morocco). Being a place I have always wanted to visit, I thought this would be a perfect time to adventure to Istanbul. Flights were kind of expensive, and the trip was a little impulsive, but I can without a single doubt in my mind say that this was one of the best trips I have ever been on! Spontaneity at its best :)

My journey started out on Wednesday evening when I went to the train station to catch a train with my friend to the Bologna airport. Our flight was at 6:30 the next morning, meaning we had to get there ridiculously early. I literally felt like I was on the Amazing Race! I had to run to catch my train, which I wasn’t totally sure was the right one. I had to ask practically 8 people in Italian if the train was indeed heading to Bologna. When we finally arrived, I got off the train and took the bus to the airport where I proceeded to camp out until our flight. Then we flew to Frankfurt which is literally the biggest airport I have ever been in! It’s like a city and I’m pretty sure you could fit SFO, LAX, and JFK all in the same space. I had an unpleasant experience at this airport a few years ago, so Cat and I literally ran to our connecting flight to avoid any chance of complication. We made it just in time and were then finally on our way to Istanbul!!

When we arrived we went through customs and purchased our visas to enter the country. I had no idea what to expect when I was to leave the airport. I had done virtually zero research on Istanbul other than what I had seen on TV (very unlike me), and I had no idea what this city would be like. I knew it was a predominately muslim state, and I knew it was once called Constaintinople (sp? yes that’s a song), but I really didn’t know much of the culture or traditions of the country. But wasn’t I in for a wonderful surprise :)

When met up with our transfer driver he took us to the car and low and behold we stepped outside and it was literally SNOWING! It was unseasonably cold in Istanbul that weekend and snow was especially unusual for that time of year, but it was so cool to see the city in that aspect! Everything had a little white blanket :) We took the long drive to our hostel, and of course I was constantly staring out the window, taking in the sites. We arrived much earlier than the rest of the group so we got to explore a little bit that first day. Our hostel was nestled in the old town center (called Sultanhamet) in a very tall adorable building. The hostel was so hospitable and the people were so friendly :) There was even a yellow lab to play with! I love dogs so this was super exciting. They offered us apple tea (basically the best thing ever) and we settled into our cute room. We then met up with our guide and he showed us the top floor of our hostel which boasted one of the best panoramic views of the old city. The Hagia Sophia was right in front of us.. I was literally speechless. I tried to do a little studying for midterms that day but just kept getting distracted by the amazing view :)

Our tour officially began the next morning when all of us had arrived. There were 11 girls in all and I knew it was going to be a fun bunch :) Our guide, Caglar, explained that Friday was going to be more of the historical day of our tour. We began outside the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque where our guide explained their histories and how they became to be such cultural and historical centerpieces in Istanbul. These buildings are indescribably beautiful. Their immensity completely dominates the surrounding in the most amazing way. One of the greatest sights in Istanbul is the skyline, with the endless minarets poking up around the mosques that cover the city. It seems everywhere you turn there is another one of these great religious and cultural structures, it’s fascinating.

Next we journeyed through some of the tangled streets of Sultanhamet towards the Grand Bazaar. Along the way we stopped and looked at some typical street foods of Turkey such as Kebap, Turkish Delight, Baklava, and fresh squeezed pomegranate and orange juice. Needless to say I sampled all of these delicious treats and had quite the culinary experience while in Turkey. 

Ok: shopping. If you want one of the most exhilarating, exciting, and extensive shopping trips of your life, head to Istanbul. The grand bazaar is the largest indoor bazaar in the world and twists in hundreds of little alley ways in a massive building. It was constructed in 1461 and has over 4000 stores or stalls. Each shop carries colorful variations of different items such as beautiful glass mosaic lamps, gold, jewelry, leather, scarves, fabrics, ceramics and so much more. Also, the exchange rate is very favorable, making the bazaar a very dangerous place for me! Bargaining is also key. You can easily haggle an item down to half its price! I came home with some of the most amazing treasures and souvenirs :) 

After the Bazaar we walked towards the Bosphorus strait to eat some traditional sea food fare! The walk was right through the bustling pedestrian streets of the old city. Istanbul is massive (about 15 million people!) and everything is packed into tiny winding streets. Each shop is so different from the next, and there are always little guys carrying trays of tea to the various shop owners. We got to the harbor and went to a little restaurant right on the Galata Bridge. Istanbul straddles the Bosphorus strait and is next to the Sea of Marmara. Because of this, a huge part of their local economy is based on seafood. Hundreds of boats cover the water, and the bridges are continuously lined with fisherman. The most traditional dish is the fish sandwich. They sell them on the street from boats that rock dangerously back and forth, serving up the fried fillets on big baguettes. We all tried these at the restaurant and they were delish! Very different, but so good! It was really nice to eat seafood for the first time in a longgg time. 

On the way back to the hostel we stopped into a mosque in the old city. It was beautifully decorated in these bright floral blue tiles that covered all of the walls from floor to ceiling. We learned that there are never any images of people allowed in mosques, so instead they use gorgeous tile and elaborate calligraphy  as decoration. It’s stunning!

Walking around Istanbul it’s easy to get lost in the modernity of the city. It’s extremely vibrant, and all of the people are happy and very curious to meet americans and hear about our lifestyle. Noise and commotion is ever present, and the city gets very loud, especially in the winding streets of Sultanhamet. Then, suddenly the call to prayer echoes overhead, and people file into mosques on various street corners of the city. I learned so much about Islamic culture that weekend, and it really is so very fascinating. 

We then wandered through the spice market. It smelled so good in there!! Giant baskets were filled with exotic herbs, teas, and spices. So cool!

After that, our guide took us to a baklava restaurant where we got to sample all different kinds of the delicious Turkish treat! Dessert in Turkey is always really unexpected. They’ll wrap honey, nuts, fruit, and spices up in phyllo dough into something that looks a little questionable, but tastes amazing!! It’s very very dangerous! :)

When we got back to the hostel we had some free time so Cat and I headed over to Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, since we weren’t visiting them with our guide. Hagia Sophia was a church in byzantine times and was eventually converted into a mosque. Now it’s a museum and you can go in and see mosaics that were uncovered and the expansive spaces inside the building. It’s absolutely endless and awe inspiring. Then we went across the way to the Blue Mosque. This mosque is famous for it’s marvelous colorful tiling throughout its interior. Absolutely, indescribably stunning :)

(tumblr won’t let me add any more pics so i’ll have to do another picture post)

That evening we had a very special dinner. Our tour guide took us to the home of a local family in Istanbul for a traditional meal. I knew I really liked Turkish food, but I still didn’t know what to expect. We walked into the apartment and were greeted by warm smiles of an adorable family. They even had little baby girl who was just so precious! We all sat on the floor, as is custom in Turkey, and ate a wonderful meal all together. Our hosts didn’t speak any english but our guide translated for us. It was a great evening! 

The next day we ventured out to get a more modern feel for the city. Caglar took us to an area called Taksim, a very young and lively region of Istanbul. We toured around a bit and looked at some of the historical sights, went shopping, and got some lunch. It was interesting to see such a modern and urban area, with many of the same stores in America, in a country halfway around the world. It wasn’t at all what I expected, but it was beautiful and I loved it! That day we also got to sample Turkish Delight which is nothing but absolutely delectable. I brought back a whole bunch for my roommates in Florence :D

That day we also took a ferry ride to Asia! Haha yes that seems strange, but only a little part of Istanbul, and Turkey for that matter, is in Europe! It was a beautiful, sunny day and we got amazing views of the entire city. The ferry ride actually made me think of san francisco which was really comforting and I couldn’t help but just take tons of pictures :) when we got to other side, we just walked around a bit and got some tea and then headed back so we could watch the sunset on the boat. I loved seeing all the minarets silhouetted against the orange sky <3

When we got back to Sultanhamet, all of the other girls went to dinner, but Cat and I decided we wanted one more last go around in the grand bazaar :) 

That night we experienced a definite highlight of the trip! All of us decided we wanted to try the Turkish Baths. We didn’t really know what to expect, other than that we were going to go into some sort of spa like environment, but this was by far the coolest spa experience I have ever had. We went through a little door on busy street and walked into a massive domed building. I can’t even describe how neat this place was. It was built in the 15th century and has been a functioning bath house ever since. They have different packages and everything is really cheap, so you don’t feel so bad for having a little pampering :) I got the bath, facial, and pedicure. So worth it!! Most relaxing and perfect end to a wonderful adventure :)

The next morning our flight was at 6:30 AM and I was back in Florence by 3. It was a quick weekend, but it was one of the best adventures I have ever been on. I had soooo much fun and experienced a culture unlike any other I had ever experienced. Everyone needs to go to Istanbul!! Hopefully I’ll get to go back sometime and visit other parts of this beautiful country :)