Or at the very least, buy me the April issue of Cosas Moda, which features a spread on the colourful, quirky fashions of Buenos Aires.
Image via Keep Feeling Fascination.
Browsing Category
Travel
It would be a dream come true.
Spent the weekend at Semiahmoo Resort in Washington and it reminded me how wonderful it is to be inside and hear the waves crash on the shore. Leroy loved it too. But only because he didn’t actually have to go in the water.
Jenny writes:
My boyfriend and I are going to Turkey next month (YAY!) and was wondering if you had any tips for us. We’re going on a pretty tight budget and are only staying for about 10 days. We’re flying into Istanbul and don’t really know where we should go. Any suggestions?… I really enjoy reading your blog, by the way. It’s inspired me to be a little bit more creative with my vintage pieces and random finds.
I’m no expert on Turkey (I spent a week in Istanbul and then flew to Antalya on the Mediterranean coast where I spent another week) but I’m more than happy to share my experiences and the places that all y’all so kindly recommended I visit during my recent trip.
We stayed at the Hotel Mina in Sultanahmet, which certainly isn’t the cheapest hotel in Istanbul, but is a really good value. There are also a ton of hostels in a beautiful neighbourhood near the Four Seasons where the streets are wider, traffic is quieter, and you’re still only a few blocks from the Blue Mosque (which was my favourite part of the city).
I am proud (or ashamed) to say I visited the Grand Bazaar four times. We ate chicken shish at a really good, really cheap little restaurant called YENiTAT, which is tucked right behind the main strip of higher end jewelry stores. My sisters-in-law Jaclyn and Whitney scouted it. They found that most shop owners recommend it, so just ask one when you’re there and you’ll get pointed in the right direction.
Jaclyn, who is far more organized than I am, also took the business card of any Bazaar shop she wanted to return to and wrote a little note on the back of it so she’d know where it was (the place is a labyrinth). “You get so mixed up about where you wanted to go back to, wanted to exchange something, wanted to bring your friend to, that grabbing cards as you go helps,” she says.
And speaking of shopping, we stumbled across the tiniest, prettiest interior decor shop called Tulu, just around the corner from the Blue Mosque. Prices were marked in American dollars.
We ate meat on the street a lot (the cafe pictured above was right beside our hotel) but we also ate amazing salads at every restaurant we visited.
Before I left for Istanbul, Osman wrote “To hang out, you can choose Taksim square and Istiklal avenue.” Which we did. We ate dinner on the rooftop terrace of a place called Boncuk on Nevizade near Taksim Square and later wandered the alleys till we came to a bar named Mr. Bliss where we joined everyone dancing to live music in the street. Go on a Friday or Saturday — the streets are packed with more people than you’ve seen in your life. And the area near Taksim houses stores like Topshop so it’s worth visiting during the day too.
Much of our down time was spent sitting on the benches between the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, where you can order tea. Both sights are worth visiting. The Hagia Sophia (pictured above) was especially beautiful inside, though admission wasn’t particularly cheap. We didn’t spend the few extra bucks on a guide, but my sisters-in-law did and they said it was well worth it because they learned so much about the Hagia Sophia (and a bit about the Blue Mosque next door). Plus, they got to skip the lines.
Going to a hamam (Turkish bath) was certainly an experience, though by no means a cheap one (it was about 50 Turkish lira per person).
But really, the most amazing thing about Istanbul is wandering its streets. Hauteworld said “I would just roam the city, it’s quite bohemian and the food is divine. There’s also a ferry that takes you across to ‘Asia’ if you want to set foot on another continent ;-)”
There were also a few other places I wish I had visited, like those that creative Be (who has been to Istanbul several times) recommended: Dolmabahce, Topkapi Palace and Bebek (a street that has lots of great restaurants and views of the Bosphorus).
If you have your own experiences in Istanbul or Turkey, leave a comment. Jenny, I hope this helps!
I miss sitting outside the Blue Mosque in Istanbul.
Inhaling watermelon, gnawing on corn on the cob, and slurping back tea while the calls to prayer echo throughout the city.
I have only been home a few weeks, but I’m dying to go back.
I’ve often thought if I could travel for a living, I’d be a very happy little camper.
I remember learning about the Hagia Sophia in Art History.
And I use the term “learning” lightly.
Because I really don’t remember anything I was taught about it.
But I do remember looking at a photo of Istanbul’s skyline with the domes of its roof jutting out.
And I remember thinking how incredible it would be to see a city with such a remarkable history.
Such ornate beauty.
It feels nice to scratch something off my bucket list.
That’s how we ate our way through Turkey. Then we’d dance (live music filled every restaurant) and drink raki all night (diluted with water).
My favourite dish was a salad made of finely chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, green peppers, jalapeños and parsley drizzled in olive oil and a light vinegar. At least that’s what I thought was in it.
We’d drink tea with everything. In the shops. At the Blue Mosque. On the beach. Always with a single cube of sugar (I tried to ween myself off sugar for awhile. But I’m too addicted.)
And eat doners in places that were essentially outdoors, but covered.
We’d sit for hours on the benches in front of the Blue Mosque (which was the highlight of the trip for me) eating fresh watermelon and corn on the cob. Washing it all down with more tea.
I could really go for some of that right about now.
The Turks we met were incredibly hospitable — they’d leave their shop unattended to walk us down the block and point us in the right direction.
The kids were no different. They spent an entire afternoon showing us the best places to dive off the rocks in the Antalya harbour.
“Deep, deep,” they said. So we leapt off the rocks too. When we resurfaced, they gave us the thumbs-up.
They’d even smoke in the middle of the harbour, taking care to keep their cigarettes dry. Neither one of us had ever seen anything like it.
Their English vocabulary was far more impressive than our Turkish lexicon (which, I have to be honest, doesn’t consist of much more than “Indirim” which means something along the lines of “Sale” or “Discount”).
Man, did these kids make us laugh.
“My name is Barack,” said one jokester, rolling his R’s. “Barack Obama!” And they all burst out laughing.
You’d never know it to look at me (I’m as pale now as when I left), but when I was in Turkey I spent ten days on the Mediterranean.
A few of those were spent in Side where we’d walk through the ruins on the way to the beach, on the way to dinner, on the way to go shopping, on the way to wherever.
I bought my flowy pants at a small shop in a nearby town — they tie up twice (quite complicated), but they’re quite pretty with subtle embroidery at the waist and hem. I never really wear white (except, of course, for my wedding dress) but I love white pants. Would love a pair in linen too.
I loved Turkey. But I especially loved busy, beautiful Istanbul — the hospitable people, the live music and dancing everywhere, the calls to prayer echoing throughout the city, and the shopping (we spent four afternoons at the Grand Bazaar). Vancouver, by comparison, seems so quiet.
This week I’ll share some of my favourite moments (and purchases) but right now I’d like to hand out an award I received from Haute World (thank you! thank you! thank you!) to some of my favourite bloggers.
la flore et la faune
ten thousand things
La Couturier
Dream Sequins
V
Carla Loves Photography
Of Esther Lee
You guys are stars — I love what you have going on. Now, I believe the rule is to accept the award from me, give it to the blogs you love and then let them know they’ve received it. Thanks again Haute Shopper!
I love travelling. Love everything about it. Even the things that, when you’re jetlagged, can turn you into a cranky beast. (Or is that just me?) I’ve compiled a list of some of the beautiful nuisances that I love to hate because it means I’m somewhere incredible. Like Antalya, Turkey.
1.The blotch burn. My husband’s slap happy method of sunscreen application means I always end up with the blotchiest sunburn. But you can’t get one of those at the office.
2.Tripping over cobblestone streets. I learned to walk on the smooth sidewalks of Vancouver. Nothing makes me feel clumsier than stubbing my toes all over these beautiful, ancient streets.
3.Learning to type on föreıgn keyböardş.
4.Dual pricing. One price for locals and one for those with a blotch burn.
5.Risking your life in a cab. So far, we’ve taken two cab rides. Fifty percent of them have resulted in an accident. (It was minor, ma, don’t worry.)
What would you add? Mild food poisoning?