Tulips and Easter Istanbul

It is Tulip time!!!  This spring we took our bikes on a train to Hillegom with the Haley's and explored the little town and the many tulip fields!!!

The colors were stunning and so vibrant!  With the abundance of tulips right now you can buy 50 tulips for 5 euros.  We have them in our apartment always during this time!

After biking around we hit up a cafe along the canal for some sliders (the best I have had here) and beer.  A great day with the Haley's!!!

Later we met up with a large group of our American expat friends to celebrate Courtney's 30th!  We started off at her place and biked together to Jamie Oliver's restaurant, Fifteen.  The night ended at the Gaper.  Some of my favorite memories come from nights like this - biking together in a pack, laughing and enjoying our beautiful city!

The next weekend, we checked another city off our list - Istanbul!!!  For Easter this year we joined the Rohrer's in Istanbul, Turkey for a lovely 4 day weekend. Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey and the 2nd largest city proper in the world with a population of 13 million - making it the largest metropolitan city proper in Europe.  It is also the only metropolis that is situated on two continents (Europe and Asia).  We could not believe the massiveness of the city.  So many people, and every inch covered with buildings.  The city is incredibly hilly like San Francisco and had everything a major city offers.  Our first night we headed to the old town area for a traditional Turkish feast at Kumkapi Kalamar Restaurant.  We had an unique arrangement of seafood and sipped on Turkish Raki!

From our hotel you could see the Blue Mosque and the Bosphorus Bridge connecting Europe to Asia.  Our hotel was located in the New District and the Bosphorus Straight was about a 10 minute walk down the hill.  The straight connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara.  The Bosphorus is a major port, chartering huge tankers and cargo ships transporting goods.  Istanbul also offers ferry and boat excursions around the straight, dropping you off in Asia for the day!

One of our first stops was the Spice markets.  We took the tram to Eminou to the Yeni Cami Mosque.  This mosque is located by the spice markets and right on the coast.  We walked around the spice markets, and saw all kinds of spices, herbal teas, souvenirs and food stands.  My favorite stand would have to be the Turkish Delight store called Nuri Spice Shop.  Besides the multiple varieties of Turkish Delight, they also sold Iranian caviar, dry fruits, nuts, tea and coffee.  The gentleman running the stand spoke multiple languages including Dutch.  He also said Kirk looked like a bomb maker, whatever that means.  At another stand the owner said Chad looked like he "makes the body building".  We later found out that ultimate fighting is huge in Turkey!

That day we also spent some time at the Topkapi Palace which is located in the Sultanahmet area.  The palace itself was not open for visitors, but the park surrounding was available.  The park had sculptures and benches to sit on and tulips all over.  Although tulips are associated with The Netherlands, the flower actually began in the Ottoman Empire. The Dutch just took their idea!

We stopped for some Turkish tea and eats at La Safron.  The kebabs were amazing and really savory.

Next stop, the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sofia.  It was a beautiful day and the tourists were out and about, covering each inch of the city.  Food stands and vendors sold corn, walnuts, and kebab wraps.

Hagia Sophia originally served as a Cathedral of Constantinople, then a mosque, and now is a museum.  It was the largest cathedral for 1,000 years.  Famous for its massive dome, Hagia Sophia is tall enough to hold the Statue of Liberty while doing jumping jacks.

The Blue Mosque is one the most prominent landmarks of Istanbul.  It is very impressive with its beautiful domes and semi domes, and nice courtyards.  Sultan Ahmet 1 founded the Blue Mosque.  The complex was completed in 1616.  The interior is breathtaking with its chandeliers and blue tiles.  The blue iznik tiles gives the mosque its name.

Out of respect and tradition Erin and I wore head wraps to enter the mosque.  You also have to take off your shoes, and non-Muslim visitors are only allowed through a separate entrance and could only view the inside if it is not prayer time.  Like Morocco, you could hear the prayer 5 times a day throughout the city.

Finally, the Grand Bazaar.  After spending some time in the souks in Marrakech, we were prepared for the hectic vendors and were pleasantly surprised by how tame the shop owners were.

The Bazaar is massive, colorful and it looks like a labyrinth at first but it's really not that complicated.  The locals are actually really friendly and helpful, so any point you are lost, you can easily ask a local and in return get some great advice.  The covered Bazaar is on the must-sees of Istanbul.  The Bazaar is one of the largest covered markets in the world.  More than 4000 shops in the 64 streets and with 22 gates.  The market was first constructed in 1464 and had many restorations due to fires and earthquakes.  You can find everything from bags, silk and leather to ceramic bowls, jewelry and food.  We bought a beautiful hand-crafted bowl!

We made the mistake of trying to take a tram back to the hotel during rush hour which resulted in us being stuck in like sardines with the tram moving inches every so many minutes.  It got so bad, I made the group get off on the next stop which I later was thankful for since we were able to walk over the Galata Bridge which connects the Old and New Districts.  Local fisherman line themselves along the whole side of the bridge, spending hours fishing and selling bait.  The lower part of the bridge has restaurants and stores.

We ended the night with a lovely dinner at 360, a hip Turkish/International fusion restaurant.  The place is in a penthouse overlooking the whole city.  After dinner we took a stroll through the street called Istiklal Caddesi and Taksim Square where the masses joined for some late night strolling, dancing, ice cream and shopping.  This area is considered the heart of the city and extremely lively!

The next morning we decided to stick to the New District and visit Ortakoy.  Here we saw the famous Ortakoy Mosque which appears as if it is floating on the Bosphorus and the mini markets.  We had a great view of the Bosphorus Bridge.

A funny thing we noticed in Turkey, the amount of dogs sleeping around the city.  You wouldn't see an owner in sight, but the dogs had tags in their ears, which we believe indicated that they do have an owner and probably is out fishing and the dogs decided to take a nap in the sun.

We had turkish coffee at Beltas Cafe.  Turkish coffee is very different from any Starbuck's we have ever had.  It's gritty and really fragrant.  Each sip was like a meal, but so good!

We walked along the coast making our way to the next neighborhood, Kurucesme.  The yachts were huge and abundant, all tied up along the edge waiting for its next trip out on the Bosphorus.

We were took a boat taxi to a restaurant called Suada, which technically is anchored right in the middle of the Bosphorus, therefore placing you between Asia and Europe!

The food was so good, we ate Turkish Pizza, hummus, and more kebabs.

Kirk and I did our own little walk around our hotel's neighborhood.  We found a small park and then another busy market.

We sampled some turkish waterpipe called Nargile (also known as hookah).  The flavored tobacco is filtered thru cold water making it really smooth and easy to smoke.  We opted for Watermelon flavor!

Outside the cafe we ate these amazing mussels stuffed with rice and spices and sprinkled with fresh lemon juice. Yum!!!

For the evening we ended up in the neighborhood of Bebek.  The night was so pretty and full of life!  We had a lovely dinner at il Porto. 

A perfect place for our last night in Istanbul!  We sat right on the water, ate a delicious meal and discussed future travel - other places we hope to see someday!

We had such a fantastic time with the Rohrer's and look forward to another adventure with them!  If Istanbul is not a must on your travel list, it should be now!  Easily one of our favorite cities!