Istanbul!

A sampling from Istanbul!

Please note that directions are not provided for these items, as they are either really obvious (the Grand Bazaar) or really obscure, and would involve a paragraph to describe (how to find the Crazy Lady’s Place inside the Grand Bazaar).

8 am – Find a bakery, any bakery, and enjoy a poğaça (pastry filled with white cheese) and tea for breakfast.

9 am – Stroll seaside in the Ortaköy district and check out the booths and stalls selling local handmade items.

10 am – Visit Deli Kızın Yeri (the Crazy Lady’s Place) in the Grand Bazaar, run by expat American Linda, and featuring gifts, housewares, and more from across Turkey.

11 am – Browse the well-stocked Pandora bookstore in Taksim for titles in English, French, German, Turkish... If they don’t have what you’re looking for in-store, it’s bound to be on their website!

12 pm – Take a ferry up the Bosphorus to the Sakıp Sabancı Museum.

1 pm – Take in Ottoman culture at the Pera Museum.

2 pm – Spend a day on car-free Büyük Ada, one of the Princes’ Islands.

3 pm – Explore history at Kariye Cami Museum, the former Byzantine Church of Saint Saviour in Chora.

4 pm – Travel further back in time at Yerebatan Sarnıcı, an underground Roman cistern – there might even be a classical concert on, amongst the pillars and columns and Medusa heads!

5 pm – Follow the winding roads, spotting stray cats, down to Arnavutköy by the Bosphorus, for an ice cream.

6 pm – Feast yourself on Ottoman cooking for very little liras at Otantik Restaurant in Taksim.

7 pm – Visit the residential Levent district and treat yourself to köfte or a yarım puf (meat filled pastry) in the market square.

8 pm – Sample the bouquets at Viktor Levi’s wine bar at Tünel