Booked a trip with my parents to visit Istanbul, my favourite city! Was really good to recharge my bateries :)
I have been in Turkey seven times and never get tired of it, I think I was turkish in a other life hehe.
This time I decided to do a gastronomy trip with them, because the turkish cuisine is the most rich in the world so nothing better than eat a delicious food, buy some spices in the bazaars and search for new flavors in the street market. Even in the flight they serve a delicious meal, always when I fly with Turkish Airlines they serve a delicious lamb "kofte" (lamb meatballs) with "domates burgur" (a grain ten times better than rice) and some stews vegetable and to drink choosed an traditional drink from Turkey: Ayran (Yogurt, water and salt). Its about 5 hours flight from Lisbon till Istanbul, arrived and put the bags at room and came to the main square to have a delcious turkish sweets and baklavas, yes it is REALLY sweet! :)
On the first day I wake up with the sound of the mosques is an unique experience! Istanbul has more than 3.000 mosques! So imagine 3.000 prayers in the same time, is amazing! Had a traditional turkish breakfast which is composed of cheeses, turkey ham, jelly, nutella and honey, olives, tomatoes, cucumbers and bread... all together with Turkish tea, is a delicious breakfast... because breakfast is the most important meal of the day!
Spice Bazaar is the next stop! Is located in Eminönü and is one of the largests bazaars in the city from 1660. I love come here to take pictures of the spices and teas, the smell is really intense inside but I never buy nothing here because is so touristic I prefer buy the same products in the streets close to the bazaar, you can find the same products for half of the price... From there to The Grand Bazaar is just some minutes, so lets go!
Grand Bazaar is the biggest covered market in the world with 61 covered streets and over than 3.000 covered shops! It is listed No.1 among world's most-visited tourist attractions with 91,250,000 annual visitors. Always when come here I always get lost because is so big with so many shops... Impossible to find the right exits hehe.
Next day We Began in Taksim, the heart of Istanbul and came direcly to Galata Tower, where you can see Istanbul by 360º than SultanAhmet the old part of Istanbul. Came again to the Blue Mosque, one of my favorite places in the city, the only mosque that has six minarets. with a traditional islamic arquitecture this mosque is one of the most beautiful mosques in the world. In front of the Blue Mosque you can find Hagia Sophia, was an orthodox basilica, later an imperial mosque, and now a museum is defenetly a place to go in Istanbul- After a big day we diceded try the famous "Mix Kebap" that is a HUGE plate full of barbecoa lamb, beef and chicken all mixed with burgur, lavas bread and come salad (believe me was the most delicious dinner that I had in all my life!) for dessert? Kunefe! No words for this dessert! Imagine a delicious sweet...
it will be a hundred times better than you thought! :)
The other day I decided to come to Kadikoy, located in the asian part of the city... Istanbul is the only city in the world that separates two continents. There I like to go in a street market to buy new spices, actually is where the locals goes. In this market you can find everything and if you are hungry they have a lot of places to eat! Full of nice people always smilling for you and curious to know where you are from! I recomend to stop a bit and drink "Salep" a hot drink that I can't describe what has inside but so so so GOOD! With cinamon on to? The best! By the way you need to pass the beautiful Bosphorus that separes the Europe and Asia. A tip! Bring some bread to give for the birds... They will follow you in the boat untill the next destination, than you can take great pictures!
WHAT TO DO:
- Go to Istanbul clubs;
- Go to street market in Kadikoy;
- Get lost in the city, believe me I love when it happens!;
- See how they make kofte, kebap and other dishes, get inspired!;
FOOD&DRINK
- Eat borek, kebap, kofte, bulgur, Mix Kebap, Tuekish Breakfast, Simit, Lokum, baklava and kunefe;
- Drink Ayran, Cherry juice, turkish coffee and turkish tea.
BRING TO HOME:
- Turkish eye;
- Turkish lamps.