Blog posts from Istanbul
Istanbul 2015: Food!

Istanbul 2015: Food!

Perhaps the most memorable part of Istanbul was the food, with lots of nuts, honey, olives, etc, and much of it grown or produced domestically. Breakfast Eric found two great breakfast options near...

Istanbul 2015: exploring & shopping in Istanbul

Istanbul 2015: exploring & shopping in Istanbul

Besides the big mosques and museums we also visited several other spots around Istanbul in the course of our explorations. Galata Bridge is a key connector between Galata and the famous tourist...

Istanbul 2015: Bosphorus

Istanbul 2015: Bosphorus

Istanbul is famously split into a European and an Asian side by the Bosphorus strait. Somehow I convinced Leandra to take a 2 hour tour up the Bosphorus, and the views were great! After pulling away...

Istanbul 2015: Asian side

Istanbul 2015: Asian side

After spending several hours at the Topkapi palace we decided to take the ferry across the Bosphorous and explore Kadıköy, a neighborhood on the Asian side of Istanbul. As soon as we exited the...

Istanbul 2015: The Topkapi Palace Museum

Istanbul 2015: The Topkapi Palace Museum

The Topkapi Palace grounds are immense, so we prepared to spend several hours exploring. Photos are not allowed inside many of the buildings, though rule enforcement varied from not at all to loud...

Istanbul 2015: Cooking class

Istanbul 2015: Cooking class

Several weeks before we left, I emailed the Istanbul Cooking School to see if there were any openings during our trip. Although Oguz couldn't confirm anything until about a month before, everything...

Istanbul 2015: overview

Istanbul 2015: overview

Over the past few years we have accumulated a stash of Lufthansa miles but using them on an award ticket can be expensive due to fuel surcharges ($600-$800 per ticket!). Booking with their...

Our Itinerary

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