Risab & Family's Istanbul Trip Report

Old May 12th, 2008, 04:56 PM
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 655
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Risab & Family's Istanbul Trip Report

Istanbul April 20 – 30 2008

Family: Mom, Dad (R), Daughter (L)
4/20: Departed JFK bound for Istanbul on Delta. The plane left an hour later – par for the course but was basically a good flight. The seats seemed to have a bit more legroom and that was good for my tall husband. This was the first trans-atlantic flight we’ve taken where the dinner was so skimpy – seemed like a half portion was served. Guess the oil prices are taking a toll. We all managed to sleep for about 4-5 hours so it really made the flight go fairly quick.

Day 1: We arrived at 10:15 to a beautiful day in Istanbul. Getting through the airport took a bit of time as we had to first get our Visa (quick process) and the lines through passport control were long and took time. Hooray…our bags were all there and we met our driver, arranged by our apartment/hotel.

What struck me most about the drive into Istanbul were the lovely parks along the water and the number of really nice playground facilities for children. I found that impressive. Oh and of course, tulips in full bloom.

Our apartment hotel, The Galata Residence, located in Galata/Beyoglu was on a very narrow street in a very steep area so we got a quick thrill ride as our van made it’s way through the steep narrow streets. The Galata Residence is also up a big flight of stairs from the Bankalar Cad. – so one must be up for it to stay in this location.

We checked into the hotel and unpacked right away. Our apartment was quite spacious – two bedrooms (each a nice size), living room with a balcony and we had a partial view of the water and Aya Sophia and Blue Mosque, bathroom, and a nice size kitchen and full-size refrigerator. The bathroom was a good size but the shower was narrow - you couldn’t be heavy and fit inside. This hotel is a great place for families but I think would be hard for very young children who needed to be bathed. On the top floor is a Greek restaurant (one floor above our space) and they were only open on the weekends. They had live music and it was really lively and loud – but basically we got in late and only heard them for about ½ hour so it didn’t impact our stay. The room got serviced each day – they made beds, gave us clean towels, and cleaned. It was very nice! They had free internet service in the lobby so my husband and daughter hung out there a during our stay to check emails (my daughter’s boyfriend was in Israel so they were on the same time zone). Everyone at the hotel was very nice and helpful – we’d stay there again and highly recommend the place.

The weather was sunny and in the 70’s so we went for a walk over the Galata Bridge, and went through the Spice Bazaar. It was a good introduction to Istanbul. It was packed and we enjoyed walking through and looking at all of the items (and of course, we did get slightly hassled by the shop owners). We stopped at a small outdoor restaurant and had a soda and people watched. The waiter was very friendly and told us that he was from London but was visiting his brother (the owner) and was helping him. We ended up speaking to him for a few minutes and this was a good introduction to the friendliness of the people that we would encounter throughout this entire trip.

I will add that we love Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine so we were in heaven with the food selections in stores and restaurants and street food in Istanbul. On our way back to the hotel we stopped for some cheeses and olives. When we got back to the apartment we took a short siesta and then went to the grocery store behind the Galata Tower to get staples (we loved having breakfast in every morning –). There was a great produce store nearby and the owner could not have been nicer (giving us strawberries and always greeting us with a big smile). The tomatoes were always superb and we went through bowls of wonderful strawberries (ripe, sweet, with long stems on them- yum).

After some olives and wine we headed out for dinner. We decided to go to a meyhane on the Cicek Pazaji our first night. On our way there my husband just went into heaven as we walked up Galip Dede Caddesi (the street with all of the music stores) – he is a musician. He could not wait to go back and spend time – and he did a lot during our stay.
We ventured up Istiklal Cadd and loved the scene. Then we found the Flower Passage – since I was a bit spaced from travel I forgot to refer to my notes for the recommended restaurant so we just sat at an empty table outside one of the restaurants – the name I did not focus on. But, no matter, we are vegetarian so we ordered mezzas and they were great – eggplant in tomatoe and green beans in olive oil were the big hits and we ended up ordering seconds. We had a nice leisurely dinner then we walked down Nevizade Sk and were amazed by the crowds. We walked up Istiklal to Taksim then headed back to the apartment for bed –it was late and we were exhausted! We all slept great.

Day 2: Woke up to the sounds of the “call to prayer” about 5:10 AM but dozed off until about 6:45. We had to get up early for our tour of the Jewish sites of Istanbul. We got our tour guide through the Jewish Museum prior the trip and submitted the required documents so we could visit the synagogues. One thing to note…the location we were staying in was in the heart of one of the old Jewish neighborhoods and the Galata Residence was the former Camando family home (a famous banking family during the Ottoman period). Our tour guide, Linda, met us at the hotel at 9:30 to start our tour. It was a great way to learn about Jewish History and get acclimated to Istanbul. We went to the Ashkenazi synagogue first. It was beautiful and we enjoyed hearing about the congregation from several older men who were there. They showed us torahs and shared the history of the center and gave us a gift in commemoration of Holocaust Remembrance Day. Of course, we were immediately struck by the iron gate that covered the synagogue and very tight security – common at all of the synagogues we visited. We toured more of the neighborhood with Linda and she was great pointing out homes that had the dates they were built with both the Jewish calendar dates and secular calendar. She also mixed the tour with history about all of Istanbul’s influences both past and current – so, it was really interesting and not just all book facts. We then headed by taxi to Ortakoy to visit Etz Chayim synagogue. We first went to the waterfront and took in the lovely view. The weather was warm so we sat for a while and enjoyed the sunshine before venturing to the synagogue. This was a more modern synagogue and had had a lot of renovation. It was a lovely complex and again, we met some congregants who spoke to us about their congregation and about Jewish life in Istanbul. We walked through some of the streets and admired the really cool cafes – and decided that we’d come back another day to spend more time.

We cabbed it back to Beyoglu – by way of Nisantasi – (“L” immediately saw stores she wanted to go to)…we got off by the Pera Palace which is under renovation. We stopped for lunch and enjoyed chatting with our guide. Our daughter, often wary of tour guides, really enjoyed talking with her, too. Then we went to the Neve Shalom synagogue – this was particularly emotional since it was the sight of two terrorist attacks. Afterwards we visited the Jewish Museum and the Schneider Jewish Center that was right across the street from our apartment. We ended our tour around 4:00 – and thanked our guide for a great day.

Time for a glass of wine and olives…and some rest.

Before dinner “R” wanted to check out some of the music stores so we walked up to the Galata Tower, “L” and I sat on a bench and people watched while my husband visited some stores. There were a lot of stray dogs around – in some posts that I’ve read prior to our trip some people commented how the dogs seemed menacing but the dogs we saw were all laid back. People would come by and pet them and they seemed fairly content. Of course, cats were everywhere, and since we have two cats we loved seeing them around.

Since we were pretty tired we decided to have dinner at the restaurant next to the hotel – Destiny Restaurant. The owner spoke to us (as did some British patrons) encouraging us to eat there. Nice weather so we liked the idea of sitting outside to eat but we were a bit surprised when the proprietor sat with us and – although at first he seemed friendly he never left us alone the entire dinner – so what seemed initially as friendly was overkill. Nonetheless, dinner was delicious! “R” had a salad and I had potato salad and eggplant with tomatoes. “L” just wanted some baklava and tea. We took another short walk and then we called it a night!

Time to comment on water…well all of the posts I read before our trip had me concerned about drinking the water and maybe even getting a “bug.” So, I brought along Pepto Bismol and Cipro. We bought a lot of bottled water for the apartment and always kept one in the bathroom for brushing teeth, but occasionally we all forgot and rinsed with tap water. The water does smell really bad (like Allentown PA or Philly water). When I washed fruit I used bottled water but we basically at fresh salads and had drinks with ice in restaurants. Guess we were lucky because none of us came down with any stomach problems. We also ate Activia every day because we love it and it is also good for the stomach.

Day 3: Children’s Day…a national holiday in Turkey. Slept in and did not rush this morning. Another beautiful weather day! We went to Sultanahmet – it was really crowded as kids were off from school (some in lovely traditional clothing) and there were a lot of families among the tourists. We stopped by a souvenir store near the Topkapi Palace and bought several pairs of wonderful copper earrings – very inexpensive and sold all over the streets of Sultanahmet. We first went to Aya Sophia. It is quite a structure and under some renovation. I was fascinated to see it because of its importance in history – I thought that it would be more ornate inside. However, it my husband loved it. All of the green spaces around Sultanahmet were beautiful with tulips everywhere –and tulip sculptures. We then went to the Basilica Sistern and found that very interesting. There were some small shops at the exit so “R” chatted up with the proprietor and bought a few music CD’s and then “L” got daddy to buy her two eye bracelets. The young salesman commented to my husband on his pretty daughter (this was a common occurrence since we were traveling with our 17 year old daughter who is very pretty – she did receive a lot of attention but it was very protected since mom and dad were there- but, “L” is quite well-traveled so she really held her own.)

Time for a coffee break so we went to a café on Divanyolu – right off of Ticarethane Sk. – a “Starbucks-like” place. We ended up having a great time because the two waiters were absolutely hysterical. They seemed to have learned specific phrases in several languages and once they got our orders straight they wanted to practice English with us – and I think they liked practicing with our daughter –who was just in stitches. One pulled out a hand-held translator and asked “would you like a window?” and “what is your profession lady?” They were even laughing at themselves. They thought we were from England so they started to name all of the soccer teams –then we said New York. The place was full and some of the other customers were a tad neglected but we had a great time and it called for a photo op with “L & the waiters.” The “what is your profession lady” was one of her moments of the trip.

Time to head to the Blue Mosque…and dodge the crafty carpet salesmen who carefully posed as tour guides along the walkway to the mosque. The mosque was just gorgeous and this was one of “L’s” favorite sites that we visited. It was our first time in a mosque so it was a very interesting experience –especially after traveling through Europe and Israel so we have seen most of the top Christian and Jewish sites – this was a great way to see Islamic sites and round out the three Abrahamic religions. After the mosque we went by the Arasta Bazaar but none of us were really in a shopping mode – and we didn’t find anything too special.

On our way back we ventured on winding streets and ended up on possibly Oriculer Cad. – it was just filled with people shopping and families out for the holiday and mostly catered to Muslim families. In the midst of all of the shops I noticed a tiny store on a corner with a lot of Hamsas and Evil Eyes in the window. Looking closer I noticed some Judaica so I went inside and to my delight found some wonderful items to purchase –all very inexpensive but lovely. Since we didn’t really have any idea of where we were until we finally reached Eminonu I thought I’d never find that store again (but we did a few days later and both “R” and ‘L” bought some more items there).

We stopped to rest by the waterfront with some fresh nut mix that we bought along the way – the sun was shining, it was warm and the area was filled with people enjoying the holiday. Then back over the bridge and back to the apartment for a brief rest before we headed up to Istiklal Cad because “L” wanted to go to Top Shop. We hit a few stores and then went to House Café in Beyoglu for dinner. Dinner was expensive but very good – “L” and I had salads and shared an order of roasted potatoes and “R” had penne arrabbiata. I had the name of a music club called Bedahane but forgot where it was located – so after dinner we asked the waiter if he knew where it was – he gestured to us and he walked us up to the corner and showed us that it was basically next door. We had heard the club offered live “gypsy” music on Wednesday nights and since my husband loves clarinet music he wanted very much to go…little did we know that one of his favorite musicians, Selim Sesler, would be performing. “R’s” face lit up when he walked in this small little place filled with people at all the tables – and there in the corner was Selim Sesler and his musicians. The waiter asked if we wanted a table and went outside and brought one in along with three chairs. Not bad service. The music was wonderful, the crowd would get up to dance every so often and we were really enjoying the experience. “R” spoke with Selim Sesler after the set and was really pleased that he got to see him perform. Needless to say, we were exhausted by the time we reached back to the apartment.

Day 4: Slept in a little later today and woke up to overcast skies and cooler temperatures – a long sleeve shirt and jacket day. “L” slept until 10:30 so we definitely took the morning slow. After breakfast we emailed family members and then I went to the market to pick up a few things. We headed out after 1:00 and took a taxi to Nisantasi because “L” wanted to do some shopping. You see she will be studying for a month this summer in Italy and since the dollar is so weak there she wanted to get some “cool things” so she doesn’t feel the need to shop in Italy (if that will be possible). We stopped at Starbucks first then hit a lot of stores and “L” had success and got a few really cute items (although we do live in NYC so the child is not deprived of shopping). Nisantasi was really cosmopolitan area and the sales people in all of the stores we went into were all lovely. My husband who began to fade after a while enjoyed being offered a cup of tea in one of the stores. We came back in the late afternoon, had some wine and snacks and later went to Sultanehmet for dinner at Rumeli Café. We didn’t have reservations but managed to get one of the last tables and we were so happy we did because the food was amazing! “L” and I had mucver and “R” had a salad for the appetizer. The mucver was delicious. We had to wait quite a long time for our entrees but when they came they were worth the wait. I had a wonderful vegetable cous cous that was made with Israeli cous cous and a delicious creamy sauce – it tasted like risotto. “L” had spinach crepes and “R” had grilled vegetables in “gypsy sauce” – both were great. “L” loved my cous cous so we ended up sharing our entrée. We enjoyed the dinner so much we made reservations for our last night. On our way back to the bridge we stopped and bought some more of our favorite earrings. The weather was now getting much cooler and windier. Off to bed…

Day 5: We all slept late again…another great reason to have an apartment and base yourself in one location for an extended stay – we didn’t have to hurry to make the breakfast time and we got a chance balance all our running around with rest, too. We had a bit of trouble with the water – the hot water ran out and “L” had to wait a while until she could shower. We had two more days with some water issues but basically it wasn’t a problem. The day was cool again and it was raining a bit in the morning. It stopped by the time we went out and made our way to the Topkapi Palace. We all loved the Topkapi Palace and we especially loved the Harem. We also saw a special exhibit of Islamic holy relics and that was really interesting – again rounding off our experiences and enabling us to get close to Islamic artifacts and history. The whole experience was quite impressive. We stopped to refuel at the restaurant at the palace and were pleasantly surprised when we got a seat by the window with a wonderful view of the Sea of Marmara. Even though it was a cloudy day it was still picture perfect. We enjoyed tea, fruit, and a cheese platter. Then it was off to the Grand Bazaar. Oy vey…was that an experience. We walked into the leather area and it was like bees on honey – we felt accosted. “R” did buy some leather gloves and while he was doing that “L” took advantage of a pushy salesman that allowed her to try on every leather jacket in the store. Jackets were quite nice and the quality seemed good but we were not really shopping for leather jackets on this trip. We quickly got out of there and then went to the jewelry area where we found the sales people to be very laid back. I ended up a getting silver Hamsa necklace. The Grand Bazaar was worth seeing but it wasn’t our favorite experience so we got out quickly and low and behold ended up back on the street we walked down a few days before and found the little “evil eye” store.

We decided to eat dinner at home so “R” took time to play his clarinet while “L” and I went out to get what we needed for dinner. We had vegetable omelets, grape leaves (canned but very good), cucumber and tomato salad, labne, and olives and wine. Dessert was cookies and chocolate. It was great having space to cook and enjoy our meal.
We took an evening walk through Beyoglu before turning in. Another wonderful day in Istanbul.

risab is offline  
Old May 12th, 2008, 04:58 PM
  #2  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 655
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Day 6: After a good night sleep “R” and I woke up early. It was another cool damp day – this time a bit more rainy. We let “L” sleep late. We had a great breakfast and then we decided to venture to the Asian side to Bagdat Cad. We took the ferry from Kadakoy to Karikoy – it was cheap and easy. When we got off the ferry there were women selling flowers singing really lovely melodies as they were selling – however, they probably were not suppose to be doing this because all of a sudden they were running away. When we got to the main street there were no taxi’s insight or any cars and there were police in riot gear blocking the streets. There was a protest going on a few blocks away so we walked in the opposite direction figuring we’d eventually find a street with cars and taxi’s. It took a little while but we eventually found a taxi to Bagdat Cad. It was an interesting drive but unfortunately it started to rain. We decided to have tea and a snack before venturing to the stores. Wished the weather would have been nicer because the area was really lovely – palm trees, lovely stores, quite upscale and fashionable. The area actually reminded us of Tel Aviv. We stopped in Vakko – it was a gorgeous store, and we stopped in a lot of the shops – since it was raining it kept us occupied otherwise we would have walked much more the distance of the area. On our way back to the ferry I was amazed by how many Starbucks we passed – just like in NYC. We got back around 5:30 so we rested – it was Saturday night and we had dinner reservations for the 8:00 seating at 360.

360 was quite beautiful and had a wonderful view of Istanbul – unfortunately it was a cloudy, rainy night so we could not appreciate it. The place was packed – a very fashionable crowd and there were massive amounts of wait staff. The menu was quite extensive and offered us many vegetarian choices. We ordered a bottle of Rose “L” started with a sea asparagus and broccoli tempura salad, “R” had salsa asparagus soup and I had zucchini floweret dolmas – the appetizers came very quickly and they were all delicious. But, after a few minutes I realized that since we were the first seating this would be like eating in a fashionable factory restaurant and that was basically the experience. For entrees I ordered mushroom risotto in truffle oil and “L” and “R” both got penne arrabbiata – again the food came quickly after our appetizers – not a lot of time to even enjoy a glass of wine between courses – and both plates of penne were cold. The waiter apologized and took their pasta dishes back but I sat with their with mine – my risotta looked lovely and was hot but I didn’t want to eat alone – and not for the price of this meal. Finally the hostess came over, asked if something was wrong with my food and we explained the situation. She took my plate and said they’d bring everything back warm. A while later all the entrees were returned and I must say mine now looked like a pile of mushroom “doo-doo” was thrown on top of the risotto. The original presentation was blown. The penne turned out to be delicious but too spicy for “L” – perfect for “R” who loves hot spicy food. So, “L” and I changed dishes – she preferred the risotto and I liked the penne. But…360 definitely was a let down. They did redeem themselves by “comping” us on the desserts (lemoncello sorbet – delicious). But, Rumeli Café was still a better dining experience. It had stopped raining by the time we left 360 so we walked to Taksim Square before heading back to the apartment. We stopped along the way to enjoy some street musicians and watch a woman dance with some children who were playing music on the street. It was quite entertaining. Again, another good night sleep.

Newsflash! From Brooklyn, NY: My husband (“R”) showed me the cover page of the NY Times Travel Section featuring Morocco and music- (this is another destination we’ve been talking about visiting) – so, I took a break from writing this report. I skimmed through the Travel section and there was an article on Istanbul’s International Music scene and the first paragraph mentioned Bedahane and Selim Sesler. How cool!

Day 7: Again…another gray day. We were originally going to go to Balat but decided to go to the Dolombahce Palace instead since it was raining. We toured the Harem – interesting – and the Sultan’s Chambers – quite elaborate. We walked around the grounds and saw the clock room. Finally the sun started to come out and we decided to take a taxi to the Galata Bridge and then walk to Sultanahmet to get tickets to a Dervish show before going to the Archeology Museum. It started to get warmer and we even had some moments of sunshine. The archeology museum was really lovely and we especially loved the sarcophagus’ that were found in Sidon and the mummy that they had on exhibit –the Alexander sarcophagus was really beautiful. We rested outside of the museum on a bench and were visited by some hungry kitties who shared our snacks. Then we walked to Doy Doy and had a nice dinner – salads and two delicious cheese pizzas. Service was really good and we got a kick out of the waiter who came by at the end of the meal to tell my husband that our daughter looked like “Halle Berry.”

We then went to the Dervish performance, which included a Sufi music performance. The performance space was on Divanyolu Cad and the place was packed with tourists just like us. The music was very good – of course “R” really enjoyed it, me, too - but, “L” found it a bit boring and was not impressed by the Dervishes. After one spin set she had enough – so did the Italian family in front of us – first dad dozed, then the daughter laid her head on mom’s shoulder, and mom laid her head on dad – the whole family had siesta. My husband and I found the spinning fascinating. Yes, it was touristy but it was an Istanbul experience and we all agreed it was more interesting than the Black Light Theatre in Prague. On our walk back we ventured into a small store that had lovely lights and very different tiles in their window – not the typical Turkish tile but clay tiles with modern “evil eye” motifs and animals. We ended up talking for a while with the owner who spoke English very well (and about a dozen other languages) - it turned out he was born Jewish but was now studying Sufism and we had a very interesting conversation with him. “L” and I were admiring the tiles and clay animals, especially the cats, but decided to purchase a very modern evil eye motif tile. On our way out he came to us and told our daughter that he’d like to give her one of the cats that she was admiring and to pick one of her choice. It was a very lovely gesture and she was very appreciative of his generosity.

So…we’re walking near the Yeni Camii and I noticed a woman walking with a group of folks who looked just like a someone we know back in Brooklyn – mind this woman is about 6 ft. tall with a curly head of hair – and she lives around the corner from our house but in the ten years that we’ve lived here we’ve never just run into her in our neighborhood – so we called to her and it was her. She was in Istanbul with a group of colleagues at a conference. She knew from her partner that we’d be in Istanbul but thought in no way would she run into us. Turned out we also had the same flight home.

We certainly had a full day so once we got home we all put on our bed clothes and then went in the living room for a glass of wine and sweets and watched some BBC – the only channel we could get on our TV. Then we planned our itinerary for the next day before turning in.

Day 8: Rainy and cool but nothing was stopping us! We didn’t sleep in because we wanted to get in a lot of Istanbul since we had two days left. We took a cab in the late morning to Balat and decided to that we would find the Ahrida Synagogue, the oldest synagogue in Istanbul before we headed to the Chora Church. Balat was really a bit gritty but we loved it. It was definitely a place where tourists probably did not venture a lot – a rather conservative neighborhood with a lot of places where just men gathered. A few people wondered out of stores as we walked asking if we needed anything (not necessarily in English but we got the drift). We did need some help finding the street and the people we asked were very helpful and friendly. Of course the Ahrida was behind a huge iron gate so all we could see was the Hebrew above the gate. With the help of some more nice folks we made our way to the Chora Church. We ran into some little boys leaving school who were fascinated by my husband and one of the most beautiful sights we saw on our walk was a produce store that had the vegetables and fruits arranged like a still life painting with beautiful brass pitchers placed throughout the stand. It was so gorgeous that I had to photograph it – it really spoke about an aesthetic that was part of the culture. We made our way up a very steep hill and finally came to the Chora Church. First stop was a jewelry store where “L” decided to purchase a very lovely amber ring – and with her own money this time! We all loved the Chora Church – really beautiful mosaics. Afterwards we had tea at the restaurant next to the church but it started to rain so we finished quickly and luckily got a taxi back to Galata. We took a short siesta at the apartment and then “L” and I ventured out for some retail therapy on Istiklal Cad and “R” was headed to the music street to buy some CD’s, talk with the musicians, and eventually buy himself a Turkish clarinet.

Ladies, Istanbul has some beautiful shoe stores and prices were very good with the exchange rate…I bought a lovely wallet and a pair of sandals and I could have purchased a lot more shoes. “L” and I ventured to a few stores we wanted to hit before we went home and even though it was raining pretty hard it did not deter us from shopping. We took a break for some juice and boreks – yummy. I loved snacking in Istanbul. When we got back to the apartment “R” was playing clarinet – “L” went in to the bedroom to say “hi” and noticed dad’s new clarinet – he was so happy because it was a special clarinet that allowed him to get the Turkish sound – he also bought a drum. “R:” is a talented musician in his own right and has a following in Europe and Japan.

We hung out at the apartment for a few hours – “L” went to the lobby to email her boyfriend and I “rested!” Dinner was at Zencefil, a vegetarian restaurant not far from Taksim Square, off of Istiklal Cad. The staff were aloof in that hippy natural foods restaurant way (must be a universal phenomenon) but the food was fresh and delicious. The ironic thing was that even though it was a vegetarian restaurant almost everyone was smoking and it was the smokiest restaurant we had eaten in during the whole trip. So…we started with salads that were delicious and “L” had a cheese plate that we all shared. “R” ordered vegie lasagna, “L” had pesto spaghetti, and I had a potato pie. All tasty, hot, and yummy. We were way too full for dessert but the choices looked awesome. On our way back to the apartment we stopped at the Amnena Galata Hotel for a drink on the rooftop bar. We were the only one’s there and it was a bit overcast but the view was wonderful so we sat for a while and savored Istanbul as our trip was winding down.

Day 9 – Our last day in Istanbul – Yes, Sunny and warm!
I made a wonderful last day breakfast spread and we enjoyed the best strawberries, tomatoes, cucumbers and creamiest labne! Then we headed out to spend the afternoon in Ortakoy. We were so glad that we had beautiful weather our last day so that we could really enjoy the area to the fullest. Since we were there on our second day and the weather was also wonderful it was a like coming full circle We sat at the waterfront for a while and enjoyed the gorgeous view of the Bosphorus and Asian Side. We did venture into a few jewelry stores and “R” bought a very hip onyx ring and I bought earrings –not copper this time. We walked past the “potato stands” and were very sorry that we ate a big breakfast because they looked amazing – huge stuffed potatoes. Then we took a walk into the neighborhood of Ortakoy. I stopped in a grocery store to buy olives and raisins to take home (every grocery in this neighborhood was so lovely and it was like having “Sahadi’s” everywhere – Brooklyn folks will know what I am referring to). We love olives so we ate some as we walked along. Then we found a great looking baklava bakery with chocolate baklava in the window. We decided to go in and have one piece – it was so heavenly that we ended up buying a box of chocolate and pistachio baklava. And of course, the gentleman selling it gave us samples. I forget the name …but there are other locations in Istanbul. We took the baklava with us and decided that we’d have tea at a rooftop café we noticed not far from the waterfront. It was a café that had about four floors and the rooftop café had a great view. The waiter spoke a bit of English and was very friendly and if it was okay to eat our baklava while we had tea (and I ordered Aryan since I had not tried it yet). He came back with nice plates and silverware so we could eat the baklava with our tea. The baklava was so delicious and we wished we had gotten more to take home with us. We sat there for a while enjoying the sunshine and view. On our way out the waiter talked with us again and asked if he get a picture with us. He had one of the waiters use our camera to get photographed with us. It was very funny. We then learned that his co-workers call him “Harry Potter” because he resembles the actor who plays Potter.

Since the weather was so great we decided to walk from Ortakoy along Ciragan Cad. The street and the view of the water along the way was really nice and we got to see the schools and universities. We walked as far as the Dolambahce Palace and then took a cab back to Galata. We had to pack because we were leaving the next morning.

Our last night’s dinner was at Rumeli Café. We had an alcove on the third floor – beside a well-behaved group of British athletes. Again the food was excellent but the service was slow. We ordered the mucver and artichokes in olive oil appetizers. “L” ordered the vegie cous cous, “R” ordered penne siciliana, and I ordered the Rumeli salad. All of the entrees were outstanding and again, worth the wait. For dessert we shared the fig and walnut dessert (I had wanted to try this at several restaurants but was always too full) – mmm…marinated figs with honey and fresh whipped cream and walnuts. “R” and I loved it- “L” abstained. It was a great dinner and the perfect place to complete our dining experiences in Istanbul.

On our way back from the restaurant we walked by a bakery that had baklava in the window and I noticed it was the same name as the one in Ortakoy. We were so pleased so we went inside and bought a few more pieces to take back to NY with us. We could not believe we actually found the same bakery. We walked back to our apartment and “L” asked if we could walk up to the Galata Tower to sit for a while before we turned in. Of course we agreed. On our way we met a cute hungry cat so we decided to get some cat food. We sat for a while taking in the beautiful tower lit up in the night. Then we stopped to feed the little cat – of course as soon as we opened the food cats came from everywhere. Luckily we bought a few packages of food. That felt like a very appropriate way to end our last night in Istanbul.

The next morning we awoke early, had our last bits of food for breakfast, said goodbye to the great staff at the hotel and were on our way to the airport by 10:00 AM. We ran into our Brooklyn friend at the airport then settled in for a long flight home. Right after the lunch was served we all fell asleep for a few hours (we felt like they spiked the food with sominex) – but, I guess we were really exhausted. The flight was good with the exception of the two little ones behind us who’s oblivious mother provided them with no activities and allowed them to play with the table trays and kick our chairs for most of the 10 hour
flight. We tried to be tolerant because it was probably harder for them. We’re really nice people although “L” did turn around a few times and give the mommy the “evil eye.” We landed in NYC at 5:30, were home by 7:00, unpacked by 9:00 and off to work and school the next day. So ends the wonderful vacation to Istanbul of 2008. We’re already thinking of our next trip there!

“L” said that this was one of her favorite trips – she loved the people and she thought Istanbul was really cool. And she said she had a lot of fun with her parents.We agree!
risab is offline  
Old May 12th, 2008, 06:14 PM
  #3  
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 674
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
ttt
pjsparlor is offline  
Old May 12th, 2008, 06:38 PM
  #4  
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 3,405
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Thank you for the detailed report! We are considering Istanbul for one of our trips next year (with teenaged daughter).
ms_go is offline  
Old May 12th, 2008, 07:19 PM
  #5  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 299
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Thanks for the great information. My husband (Marty) and I are going to Turkey in September and tho we are on a tour, will take one extra day in Istanbul. We've been there before, for two days on a cruise, but want to do some things on our own before the tour. The copper earrings interested me, because I now know what kind of gifts I will be buying for my friends. Your details and names of places was very helpful. Ciao!!mhm
'
mercy is offline  
Old May 13th, 2008, 01:59 AM
  #6  
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 332
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Thanks for this lovely report! My brother went to Istanbul last year with his university class (he was studying at Hebrew U) and could not stop raving about it. I'd love to go sometime!

To get into the synagogues, do you need a tour guide? Did you just call the Jewish Museum for the passes?

Thanks!
PittPurple
pittpurple is offline  
Old May 13th, 2008, 03:54 AM
  #7  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,604
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Great report. We just booked a trip to Istanbul for March 2009. I have reserved a suite at the dersaadet hotel in Sultahanamet (sp). I read that it is very touristy. How did you find the area that you stayed in? You seemed to be very happy with it.
opaldog is offline  
Old May 13th, 2008, 05:34 PM
  #8  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 655
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Glad to know folks are enjoying and benefitting from the report (as I did from the many I reviewed during my trip planning stage).

PittPurple: To get a tour of the synagogues you must get clearance from the Chief Rabbinate. Email the address that I am going to provide you with and detail the dates you will be visiting. They can also give you the names of tour guides if you are interested (that is how I got my tour guides name).

Email: [email protected]
They will send you attachments of the forms you need to fill out and fax back along with copies of your passports. You'll need to do this a few weeks prior to your trip.

OpalDog: Sultanehment is a very beautiful area and close to many of the sights and good restaurants. We thought it was lovely but preferred where we were staying because we found Sultanehmet too touristy - and the sales people and restaurant "barkers" too much.

We loved Beyoglu because it reminded us a lot of a hilly Trastevere (minus the outdoor cafes) - it is definitely a more Euro feel to the area and close to Istiklal Caddesi which we liked. It felt more like a "neighborhood" than a tourist area (but there were plenty of tourist, too). We like to walk a lot and so we didn't mind walking to and from Sultanehmet.

We'd like to go back one day and we'd definitely still stay in Beyoglu instead of Sultanehet.
risab is offline  
Old May 14th, 2008, 03:39 AM
  #9  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,604
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Risab: Do you mind sharing what you paid for your room? Also, do you know if they have one bedroom apartments? How far was the walk to the "old city"?
Thanks.
opaldog is offline  
Old May 14th, 2008, 06:05 AM
  #10  
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 4,037
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Thanks for a great report. We've been to Istanbul 3 times and enjoyed it a lot. We stayed in Sultanhamet two out of the three times and continue to book there rather than other areas in spite of the tourist factor. It's nice to have things lively and a lot going on. that's what makes tourist areas fun.
JulieVikmanis is offline  
Old May 14th, 2008, 07:11 AM
  #11  
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 3,350
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Thanks for the great trip report--I don't have children but love to hear about families traveling and I appreciate your travel "style."
Just chiming in to add I had no stomach upset either, eating salads but drinking bottled water. I also occasionally rinsed my toothbrush with tap (oops) but no trouble.
I chose to stay in Sultanahmet for my first visit, because I tend to get a late start in the am and can easily navigate public transportation for the evenings, which I almost always spent in Beygolu. Next time I would certainly stay in Beygolu--or stay in an area just outside of Sultanahmet. If you don't want to walk, you can take the tram. The public transportation was great--I recommend getting an akbil pass to make it easier.
yorkshire is offline  
Old May 14th, 2008, 03:03 PM
  #12  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 655
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Opaldog: We paid $1617 for 9 nights.
I thought that was relatively reasonable -especially since the hotels that I first contacted in Sultanehmet would only quote me in Euro and we needed at least a suite or two rooms. So, this was a great price.

I believe that they only have two bedroom apartments but they have another building nearby that has one bedrooms.

They do have a website www.galataresidence.com

The hotel is really about two blocks from the Galata Brigde - really close - the thing is the hotel is only accessible by walking up a large flight of steps so you need to be up for that (there are two flights of stairs leading to the street of the hotel - one is just a big cement set of stairs and the other at the end of the block is the Cammando Stairs). You can check the area out on a map to get the proximity to locations. And the tram is very easily accessible and goes to Sultanehmet.

Since we live in NYC and have to ride public transportation we often try to stear clear of public transportation when traveling because we need a break from it but - yes, public transport is good and cheap in Istanbul. Only one taxi driver tried to rip us off and we told him that we wouldn't pay the fare he asked for (because we had just taken a cab to the place he picked us up and new the return trip would be the same price)We gave him the fare we paid the other driver and he didn't balk. Do remember to make sure they turn the meter on - we forgot to remind this driver - and that it indicates daytime "gunduz" or night time "gece" for the correct fare.
risab is offline  
Old May 14th, 2008, 03:25 PM
  #13  
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 1,255
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I am with you, risab. I don't like Sultanahmet. I think it is fine to eat there and go see the Blue Mosque, Tokapi, Hagia Sophia, etc., but I would rather stay in Beyoglu, Taksim, or Ortakoy.

We stayed at the Ritz-Carlon, near the Dolmabahce Palace.

We (mother, Keith, Muffy, and I) just loved Istanbul.

Did you go to Chora to see the mosaics?

Thingorjus
Proenza_Preschooler is offline  
Old May 14th, 2008, 04:59 PM
  #14  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 655
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Hi Thingorjus: I always love reading your posts so glad to have you chime in!

I did love Ortakoy, too. That was one of my favorite areas.

We did go to the Chora Church to see the mosaics and they are beautiful and worth seeing (although, not to take anything away from Istabul - but the best mosaics I have seen are in Ravenna and also Basilica San Marco in Venice.

risab is offline  
Old May 14th, 2008, 08:19 PM
  #15  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,502
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
risab - reading your trip report was like mentally reliving my own Istanbul visit; thank you so much for posting.

opaldog - Staying in Sultanahmet is loosely akin to staying in the Latin Quarter in Paris. The pubic transport is so easy that it is not a problem getting there from other parts of town. The Galata looks fine, but do heed risab's caveat about the steep stairs. That is a steeply hilly part of town.
Seamus is offline  
Old May 15th, 2008, 01:43 AM
  #16  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,604
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
risab: not only am I getting great information from your enjoyable report, but I am getting good advice from other posters regarding which area to stay in while in Istanbul. Seamus likens Sultanahmet to the Latin Quarter. I have always stayed in the marais in Paris and have never been crazy about the Latin Quarter. That I have to take seriously. I also like your comment about beyoglu comparing to a hilly Trastevere. That is also where we stay in Rome. I have some time to decide, but I'm seriously thinking about beyogly.
opaldog is offline  
Old May 16th, 2008, 08:06 AM
  #17  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,502
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
opaldog - fueled by memories engendered by risab's post, I started to daydream about my next Istanbul visit and found something that may interest you http://tinyurl.com/6g97cm I used this site to find the Paris apartment we will rent next month.
Seamus is offline  
Old May 16th, 2008, 10:20 AM
  #18  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,604
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
seamus: thanks, I am investigating all leads at this point. Where is your next Paris apartment? I'm skipping Paris in 2009 for Istanbul, but will go back to Paris in 2010. I'm always looking for good apartments.
opaldog is offline  
Old May 16th, 2008, 06:55 PM
  #19  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,502
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
opaldog - This year it will be a 2 bedroom across the basin from the Mornay apartment. If you are at the Quai de la Rapee metro looking back at the basin, you would take the street to the right, Av Ledru Rollin, and on the left is a cul d sac named Square Georges Lesage. This is the place: http://tinyurl.com/6ef8o5 I have come to really like that area.

BTW on the way back from Istanbul I stopped over in Paris for a brief visit and it broke up the journey quite nicely... just a thought!
Seamus is offline  
Old May 17th, 2008, 02:55 AM
  #20  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,604
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Great looking apartment. I like that area also. We walked around over there. Good idea to stop in Paris, however we already have our tickets. Definitely back to Paris in 2010. Risab,sorry to hijack this thread; I would love to hear more about Istanbul. I am still wrestling with my hotel choice vs. apartment and the area to stay in.
opaldog is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information -