I Prefer Paris: Trip to Turkey- Istanbul

Istanbul and Turkey have been on the top of my travel wish list for years but in recent times it hasn’t been safe to travel there because of the political situation. After my experience in Strasbourg in December, where I was at the site of the shootings 90 minutes before they happened, I have an altered viewpoint about where it’s safe to travel. I believe there aren’t many places left in the world that are truly safe to travel and not immune to danger. Although I am a responsible traveler, my attitude now is, let the cards fall where they may and if it’s my time to go, than let it be so.

I flew to from Paris to Istanbul in November the day before Thanksgiving, a 3.5 hour non-stop flight for only 180€ round-trip.

The weather was similar to Paris, mostly cloudy and gray, but slightly higher in temperature, hovering in the high 40s to low 50s Fahrenheit. I stayed in the Sultanahamet area, which is walking distance to the main attractions. I didn’t realize how vast Istanbul was: the population is over 15 million people, spanning 2,063 square miles covering two continents, Europe and Asia. There are four major waterways in Istanbul, the Bosporus Strait, which connects to the Aegean, Mediterranean and Black seas.

Although Istanbul is quite spread out, the Sultanahamet area contains most of the main attractions clustered in a well-organized park area, all of them within walking distance.

First up was the Hagia Sophia, formerly a Greek Orthodox cathedral, then an Ottoman mosque and today a museum. Built between 537 and 1453, the structure had a series of magnificent painted domes, slabs of colored marble walls and archways, plus incredible tile and mosaic work. The Blue Mosque constructed in 1609, a later structure to rival Hagia Sophia, was another stunner filled with blue tile work, although it was under renovation with scaffolding covering much of the inside. However the outside was intact with wondrous domes and tall rocket-like minarets. Unfortunately, I didn’t visit the Topkapi palace because it was also mostly under renovation with many of the main galleries closed.

Hagia Sophia

On another day, I switched gears and went on a food tour. It’s ironic that even though I lead food tours all the time, I’ve actually never taken one. I booked my tour with Secret Food Tours https://www.secretfoodtours.com/, a company that provides food tours around the world and they had just added Istanbul to their list a few months before.

My guide Nusret, an affable young man in his mid-20s, was new to guiding but certainly not inexperienced. The tour was in his neighborhood, Kadikoy, a hip area similar to Bastille in Paris; like my Marais tour, Nusret pointed out the building he lives in. Our first stop was a tiny coffee shop/diner serving traditional Turkish breakfast. I was told by a Turkish friend who’s a chef that I must have a Turkish breakfast, which I wasn’t able to have since the hotels I stayed in had an American style buffet. A plate came out with fresh cucumbers, peeled tomatoes, two types of cheeses, and black olives as a starter, followed by a concoction of elastic cheese and melted butter in a frying pan, much like consistency and taste of French aligote and finally a frittata like dish with baked eggs and peppers. More than sufficiently stuffed from the satisfying breakfast, I had to pace myself for the upcoming stops. Pide is the Turkish version of pizza, shaped in long oval, and I enjoyed a cheese and dried ham one and another one of spinach. It was served with a very unusual dish, a light and delicate, tiny ravioli topped with a brown sauce and yogurt. Taking a needed break from the food feast, we stopped at a fabulous Art Nouveau bar and restaurant and had another unusual treat, a glass of sour cherry wine. Expecting it to be sweet and syrupy, I was surprised by its full body. I still couldn’t get used to the taste of the bitter Turkish coffee even though we went to a reputable Turkish café. Last but certainly not least was dessert. Nusret rounded a few corners to an out of the way place, which was his secret pride and joy, barely known even by the locals. What appeared to be a workingman’s café was the best place to have katmer, a pastry of warm phyllo dough filled with clotted cream and topped with chopped ground pistachio nuts. Just in the description my mouth was watering and once I bit into it, I knew I was in a newfound, taste galaxy.

Pide

katmer

Turkish breakfast

Kadikoy
Kadikoy
Kadikoy

Given the importance and size of the souks and markets in Istanbul, I made sufficient time to thoroughly experience them, setting aside almost a full day. The Grand Bazaar, the mother lode of all covered markets, has over 4,000 stalls. Ambling through the mazes and passageways in wonder, sifting through the carpets, jewelry, silver, antiques, furniture and tons more, I was overwhelmed, although the merchants weren’t as aggressive as they are in Morocco. I did end up buying Vincent a handmade, silver ID bracelet with his initials on it.

Many stalls had line for line copies of French designer handbags, jewelry and leather goods including Dior, Louis Vuitton and Hermes, which are highly illegal in France. I was tempted to buy something but was told I could be fined in France if customs decided to randomly check my luggage.

In another location, The Spice Market was one of the most exceptional food markets I’ve ever been to. A bit more chaotic and less touristy than The Grand Bazaar, it was a fabulous feast for the eyes, the nose and for the taste buds. Merchants were pride fully offering tastes of their delicacies including cheeses, bread, olives, candies, and dried fruits. Every few feet there was a stall with sample trays of candy jelly laden with pistachios and I almost overdosed. Other stalls had mountains of spices, fresh seafood, nuts, dried grape leaves, beans, vegetables, tea, and coffee.

A daytime cruise on a commuter ferry along the Bosporus was a relaxing and inexpensive way to see the coastline of the Asian and European side of Istanbul.

Before I boarded the ferry, I visited Dolmabahçe Palace, a sprawling former palace overlooking the Bosporus, where six different sultans resided in the 19^th and 20^th centuries. Rivaling Versailles in its size and riches, it has 285 rooms, 46 passageways and 68 toilets. The cost to build the palace in 1843 was the equivalent 1.5 billion dollars today. Over 14 tons of gold was used to gild the ceilings and other rare materials included Egyptian alabaster, and Marmara marble.

I treated myself to one of the best restaurants in Istanbul, recommended by my chef friend who I mentioned before. Mikla was opened in 2005 by chef/owner Mehmet Gürs and is located on the top floor of the Marmara Pera Hotel in a modern high-rise building.

The 70s modern décor and well-heeled crowd was as chic as any restaurant I’ve been to in Paris and New York. The small plate, tasting menu was superb and certainly the best meal I had in Istanbul. After dinner, I stood on the outdoor terrace in the bar area, taking in the view of Istanbul, a city I feel privileged to have visited.

Later this I will write about the great hotels I stayed in, so stay tuned for more of Istanbul.

Secret Food Tours Istanbul https://www.secretfoodtours.com/istanbul/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIt_Cyjr7Z3wIV0_ZRCh1yqAM7EAAYASAAEgI0ivD_BwE

Dolmabahçe Palace

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