Turkey is one of my favorite places that I have been so far. It is always the hardest question when people ask, “What’s your favorite place you have been?” I finally narrowed it down to 5 countries, 5 cities, and 5 states each with an honorable mention—not that narrowed down, I guess. Istanbul made it on the top 5 favorite city list. One of my best travel buddies and I went to Istanbul in May of 2022. The city has a vibrant energy and is busy with people, smells, sights, noise, and all kinds of transportation.
Nestled around the Bosphorus Straight, Istanbul's ancient buildings and the domes of the Sultan Ahmed (AKA Blue Mosque) and Hagia Sophia mosques rise above the water on the hill on one side, the Asian part of Turkey on another side, and another hill across from the mosques where the Galata Tower is. We stayed on the hill near the Galata Tower in a two-bedroom Airbnb with a tiny kitchen. We did not cook, but the food in Turkey is so delicious, fresh, and inexpensive, that we did not mind eating out more. The Sultan's Palace (Dolmabahce Sarayi) is on the Galata Tower side is worth a visit, but be aware that it typically has a long line and covers a large area. I would plan it on a day without a lot of other walking. There were the most incredible colored chandeliers in many of the rooms.
Istanbul is hilly with cobblestone streets and quite warm in May, but we still walked a ton. We were able to get to most of the places we wanted to go by walking. My travel buddy and I love wandering around new places, and we see so much more when we walk. I like being in the middle of everything.
One of my favorite breakfasts of all time, and yes, I mean in my entire life, was near the Tower at the Guney Restaurant. A Turkish breakfast has all these little bowls of goodies, which seems to be a pattern of like for me. There are olives (all for my travel buddy), white
cheeses, meats (all beef), bal kaymak (honey and clotted cream), and cucumber and tomato salad served with hunks of bread called ekmek that has a crispy outside and soft middle. They also serve Menemen eggs cooked in a special pan with tomatoes, spices, and green peppers. Lingering long over breakfast while people-watching in another country is one of my favorite things to do on vacation. The days with a late or no timeline, to just be, are precious, and even better with delicious food and copious cups of coffee to go with it.
My friend and I have birthdays one week apart (plus 14 years), and we both love a good trip for our birthdays. On this trip, for her birthday, we went to the Turkish bath. I didn’t know exactly what to expect, but I let go of any inhibitions and went with it. It was a relaxing and lovely experience. I had a sweet memory of my mom bathing me as a child, and though it was the woman’s job to wash me, it was a tender reminder of being taken care of. As an independent, single woman, that is a treasure.
We wandered the markets full of spices and invitations to come to sit in people’s shops where they offered us so many samples in hopes that we would spend our money in return for their hospitality. I drank several types of tea and tasted lots of Turkish delights. I think they are delicious and not as sweet as people might expect. I brought some home to share with my coworkers. The pistachio ones were probably my favorite.
We took a boat to the Asian side of Turkey and wandered around a bit, not quite sure what we wanted to do there. It may have been an occasion for more planning, but who doesn’t love a good boat ride? The Blue Mosque was under renovation, so we did not go inside, but we enjoyed people-watching from the park outside.
Crossing the street can be tricky, but you have to go for it or you will never get across. This was quite the juxtaposition from our time in Bulgaria that we had in-between our days in Istanbul. We took an overnight train to Sofia, which wasn’t too bad except for the abrupt wake from sleep to go through passport control at the border!
Sofia, a former Communist country, is very orderly. Everyone pays attention to the crosswalk signs—both drivers and pedestrians. Many of the buildings of the Communist era are plain
and block-like from the outside, but the older buildings (often churches) are ornate and unique. We did a walking tour in Sophia--one of the "free" ones, but they always do a good job, so we are happy to pay their tip.
We stayed in a building that was not much to look at from the outside. As we trudged up the stairs with our suitcases, I wondered if the $35 per night price tag would match the accommodations, but the two-bedroom Airbnb apartment was lovely. There was a nice kitchen and a washer and dryer. We climbed a few little steps up from the dining room to go out the large window to sit on the balcony. It was an amazing deal for accommodations! (Read more about Choosing Accommodations.)
We visited the Rila Monastery, Belogradchik Rocks, and Venetsa Caves on a day trip with a local tour guide. Our other travel companions were enjoyable company, and we got to know them on the drive and at lunch. I ate a lot of grilled meat in Bulgaria--like it was the main thing at most restaurants. The Monastery was an amazing site with 800-year-old frescoes, with an interesting black and white stripe painted look in the beautiful Rhodope mountains. My friend and I wandered down a path alongside a stream under the greenish young trees outside of the monastery walls.
Both of these countries were incredibly affordable, and we had excellent food at low prices. I wish I had more photos to show you of what we ate! It was interesting to pair these two countries on one trip since they were so vastly different from one another, but we enjoyed them both. Flying from the United States is so expensive now, so it is nice to take advantage of visiting neighboring countries to broaden your experiences of different cultures. And last, but not least, I did enjoy the Turkish coffee. It is incredibly strong, but the finish is so smooth.
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