Blogs from Turkey, Middle East - page 15

We arrived into the new Istanbul Airport (one word HUGE) late Monday evening from Seoul. We were swiftly picked up by our pre-arranged pick up service by a nice young man in flash BMW and taken to our hotel in the old city. We love staying around the Sirkeci/Fatih area of Istanbul – close enough the Sultanahmet and all of the old city attractions, and only a short walk over the Galata bridge to the shopping/hip district of Beyoğlu. My 6th visit to Turkey, and Bill's 5th. This city will never grow old for us – indeed this country sparks something special for us. Early the next morning (which is a great time as not too many people are out) we walked up the winding street dodging trams and cars to Sultanahmet. As we've done the ... read more

TOWARD TURKEY My Trip Continues The train trip to Athens was uneventful. I met a young man going home to vote; it sounded like the Christmas story. I left my hat and my roller cart on the train and spent almost an hour and a half trying to get them back. The roller cart turned up; My underwater camera fits perfectly on the roller cart, so I was relieved. I never found the hat. I was right on schedule to meet my friend Aylin in Turkey. Back in Washington, when we discussed how and when I would visit her at her summer home in Turkey, we commiserated about how travel is more difficult and expensive for singles. She said she would like to take a trip with me. I thought that would be great…three days in ... read more

In Istanbul rumgelaufen. Völlig unbekannte Moscheen angeschaut. Den großen Bazaar geplündert. Auf schattigen Plätzen gestrickt und ein köstliches Abendessen verschlungen.... read more

Hotel Hilton Garden Inn Umraniye - 6nopti =55euro pe noapte camera dubla, queen family room, imensa, spatioasa, curata si hotel apartinand unui lant si care se afla intr-un centru comercial-mall. Situat un pic mai departe de centru si de punctele turistice pe care le-am vazut intens cu ocazia altor vizite-palatul Topkapi, moscheile, muzeul de arheologie, bazarurile totusi nici de aceasta data nu ne-a tinut deoparte de alte descoperiri si aici in partea asiatica Umraniye. Clima a fost superba, practic am fost acolo in intampinarea verii impreuna cu pescarusii. Asa am descoperit cel mai mare acvariu din Europa- Acqua Florya, acvariu situat si el intr-un mall-Florya. Iar elementul de rezistenta l-a constituit jocul pinguinilor din bazinele imense. Am prins sezonul florilor in gradinile palatului Topkapi. A fost un concediu de Paste placut combinat cu plimbarile feribotului, colindatul ... read more

So my journey home is nicely delayed by a three day stopover in Istanbul. The good news is that it’ll shorten my sitting in a plane seat time and slowly return my body clock to UK time. And the very good news is that friend Julie Dent from the Clover Mill Ayurvedic Yoga Retreat in Cradley is going to join me there for a few days of winter break. In fact she’d booked us into a little guest house near the Blue Mosque and had already been exploring Istanbul for a full day. Straight into the tiny reception office from the sleepy early morning street outside and phoned to see if Julie was awake. Of course she was! So after I’d dumped the luggage and jumped into a welcome hot shower, we climbed the steep marble ... read more