Istanbul – PalmTreeMusings

This most recent vacation was really special to me, because it was the first vacation in a long time that Chris and I were able to actually fly to together! Although we often meet up with each other in a new city or country, it is rare that we are both flying from the same place. In fact, the last time we were on a flight together was three years ago when we flew to Sao Tome for Christmas! So it was really nice to be able to fly to Istanbul and then Athens together last week.

We had a long layover in Istanbul and discovered that transit passengers could go on a free day tour of Istanbul. The airline handled everything and we had a wonderful breakfast, tour, and lunch with a small group of 10, and then back to the airport. We flew on to Greece the same day and arrived in Athens in the early evening.

couple in front of blue mosque turkey istanbul — Just a quick spin through Istanbul- if you have a six hour layover, check it out!

basilica cistern istanbul turkey — Just a quick spin through Istanbul- if you have a six hour layover, check it out!

Super tired (our flight had left Khartoum at 3:30 am), we slept well and were ready to go see the Acropolis on Thursday. The huge outcropping of rock with the remains of the temples on it was amazing! It started to rain, but we really didn’t even mind, as we have spent these last long weeks in the hot dry desert, so the rain to us felt wonderful.

the acropolis in Athens Greece — The Acropolis

acropolis at night in athens greece — The Acropolis

We spent the rest of the day and the next exploring Athens, looking for cozy tavernas to sit in and drink wine, ouzo, and beer while trying dishes such as souvlaki, moussaka, and of course lots of Greek salads.

Sadly, on Sunday Chris had to leave for work, so I headed up to Delphi to see the oracle and get any advice. Getting off the bus at the same time as me were two Americans that, it turned out, are teaching in Qatar. We found a hotel and did some sightseeing, and soon met another lonely traveler who was looking for adventure and had a car. We all agreed to stay in Delphi another day, eat lots of pork souvlaki, and then head to Meteora together.

On Tuesday we drove up to Meteora and explored the fabulous monasteries there atop the cliffs. The weather was wonderful and it felt great to be outside. The view from the monasteries was majestic, and that night we stayed in the beautiful Guesthouse Iridanos, where we had a fireplace in our room and a balcony overlooking the mountains. The owner recommended a restaurant in the town of Kalambaka, which was delicious.

overview of monastery at meteora greece — Meteora

girls on mountain top in meteora greece — Meteora

Monastery perched on cliff in meteora greece — Meteora Monasteries

overview of monastery perched on mountaintop meteora greece — Meteora Monasteries

I headed north next, to Thessaloniki, and spent two days there. Another day of rainy weather, but to me the cool fall weather was a welcome change and I was determined to relish it while I could. It was bacon for breakfast, pork souvlaki for lunch, and grilled pork chops for dinner, as all too soon it would be time to head back to Khartoum. In between stuffing myself, I found some Macedonian museums and Byzantine churches to explore as well.

Arch of Gelerius Thessaloniki Greece — Arch of Gelerius, Thessaloniki

statue of alexander ii at thessaloniki sunset greece — Arch of Gelerius, Thessaloniki

After taking the night train from Thessaloniki to Istanbul, I had two days in the East/West capital and revisited some of my favorite sights of that city. The Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the Basilica Cistern are wondrous and I will likely never get tired of them. I was looking for some of the hanging Turkish lanterns and trying to avoid the ubiquitous carpet sellers while I shopped my way through the Grand Bazaar. Sadly, the hour did arrive and I was on my way back to Sudan. Luckily, it’s a bit cooler now that it is November, and with the Caledonian Society ball and a retreat to the Nile River planned for the next two weekends, time should pass quickly and then Adam, Hussam, and I will be on our way to Mt. Kilimanjaro!

I finally got the chance to go to Turkey, a country I have always wanted to visit. My school needed an extra chaperone for a student trip, so I agreed to go. But then, they needed one less chaperone, so they paid for my flight (because I had already committed the week to the school) but I didn’t have to chaperone any kids. Bonus!!

Istanbul is certainly a fascinating city. I have never been to a place that has more hotels- but they are for the most part small boutique hotels rather than huge nondescript ones. A bit like all the small ones dotted throughout the French Quarter, but even better.

The other great thing about Istanbul is the food. A wonderful blend of Eastern and Western, traditional and fast food. A great delight for someone coming from Sudan and suddenly craving a Big Mac. Yes, I admit it.

Turkey 2010 079 — A delightful juice bar at the market

Istanbul has so many great sites to see that it is impossible to write about them all. Of course the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque were first on my list. The sheer age of those buildings is just staggering. A couple of walks through the Grand Bazaar, although I didn’t get to go to the Spice Bazaar as I had wanted. Not one but two trips to the Hammam, the old Turkish bath. A new experience for me and completely enjoyable. I could have stayed all day, it was just a desire for more food and more sightseeing that finally pulled me out of the steamy marble baths and back into the cold day. Because yes, it was quite cold in Istanbul, particularly as here in Khartoum we had already been getting up into the 90’s.

Inside Blue Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey — The Blue Mosque

There are many palaces of the Turkish and Ottomon empire dotted around the city of Istanbul- great places to view the architecture as well as amazing collections of jewels and chandeliers, rugs and furniture that great rulers habitually give each other as gifts. Wish I had friends like that!

A cruise along the Bosphorus, with a view of Europe to one side and Asia on the other- Istanbul is truly a city that spans two continents as well as two cultures. Outside of the city, a quick bus trip to Bursa, the silk capital, and a visit to the Silk Market to pick up ties and pashminas made of pure silk.

One area of Turkey that is rated as a “must-see” is Cappadoccia, home of the underground cave cities and the fairy tale chimneys, a geological formation. A great two days in the area seeing some amazing sights.

I didn’t get a chance to go to Ephesus or Troy- hopefully one day I’ll take a cruise of the Greece and Turkey coastline that will make a stop at those places. I would love to see the ruins of Troy. For the time being, I’m just pleased that my week of “chaperoning” a school trip to Turkey turned out so delightful.