Day 16, October 6, 2007
We left Kusadasi and went to the airport in Izmir for our flight back to Istanbul. I used Atlas Jet and had made online booking months in advance. All went smoothly from checking in to boarding the flight. The flight was not full and it was a quick 40 minute flight back to Istanbul. Unlike US flights of that length we were given sandwiches and drinks. The sandwich wasn’t the best I ever had, but it wasn’t the worst either.
We arrived back in Istanbul at about 4:30pm and our shuttle bus driver was waiting for us after baggage claim.
During this stay in Istanbul I took the advice of Fodorite fishee and booked 4 nights at the Hotel Uyan (http://www.uyanhotel.com/) in Sultanahmet. Because I had booked the room back in January 2007 I got a rate of 90 Euro per night since then the price has increased to 99 Euro per night. This price included the pick up from the airport and daily breakfast at the rooftop dining room.
We arrived back in Istanbul at about 4:30pm and our shuttle bus driver was waiting for us after baggage claim.
During this stay in Istanbul I took the advice of Fodorite fishee and booked 4 nights at the Hotel Uyan (http://www.uyanhotel.com/) in Sultanahmet. Because I had booked the room back in January 2007 I got a rate of 90 Euro per night since then the price has increased to 99 Euro per night. This price included the pick up from the airport and daily breakfast at the rooftop dining room.
Because we had a late afternoon flight and a Saturday during Ramadan, the traffic into the city was terrible and it took about an hour to get to the hotel. But all went smoothly with the ride the driver spoke near perfect English; he had gone to school in England. And check-in at the hotel was a breeze. We had a twin room that was very comfortable and clean. Our room faced the back of the hotel which worked out well since we didn’t hear any street noise which we thought would have been an issue with the rooms facing the street. Although I have to say the street was fairly quiet for being in Sultanahmet.
During check-in we asked the girl at the front desk to make a reservation for us at a restaurant down the street called Rami. This was in my opinion the BEST meal of the entire trip. The address for Rami is Utangac Sokak No. 6 Sultanahmet.
Our reservation was for 7:30pm and when we arrived the restaurant was not very crowded, however the place filled up while we were there. We had a small bottle of white wine, a grilled eggplant, tomato, & yogurt starter which was completely out of this world delicious. CL had the house special of eggplant, meat, potato, peas, mushrooms, and olive oil baked in paper, it was a stew-like dish and she loved it. I had a shrimp, eggplant, tomato, and cheese dish baked in a terracotta bowl and it was absolutely decadent. It was rich, but I savored every forkful. We passed on dessert and the bill came to 110 Lire. We chatted with the couple at the table next to us for a while and it turned out they were going to be starting the Rick Steves Turkey tour in a couple days, so we gave them the "skinny" on our tour and then called it a night. With our bellies full we waddled up the street back to our hotel and fell into a peaceful slumber.
During check-in we asked the girl at the front desk to make a reservation for us at a restaurant down the street called Rami. This was in my opinion the BEST meal of the entire trip. The address for Rami is Utangac Sokak No. 6 Sultanahmet.
Our reservation was for 7:30pm and when we arrived the restaurant was not very crowded, however the place filled up while we were there. We had a small bottle of white wine, a grilled eggplant, tomato, & yogurt starter which was completely out of this world delicious. CL had the house special of eggplant, meat, potato, peas, mushrooms, and olive oil baked in paper, it was a stew-like dish and she loved it. I had a shrimp, eggplant, tomato, and cheese dish baked in a terracotta bowl and it was absolutely decadent. It was rich, but I savored every forkful. We passed on dessert and the bill came to 110 Lire. We chatted with the couple at the table next to us for a while and it turned out they were going to be starting the Rick Steves Turkey tour in a couple days, so we gave them the "skinny" on our tour and then called it a night. With our bellies full we waddled up the street back to our hotel and fell into a peaceful slumber.
Day 17, October 7, 2007 – Istanbul
We started the day with breakfast at the rooftop dinning room (the Hotel Uyan does not have a full roof top restaurant, just a breakfast area). The food offered at breakfast was similar to what we’ve had elsewhere. There was a variety of breads, cheeses, yogurt and coffee.
We started the day with breakfast at the rooftop dinning room (the Hotel Uyan does not have a full roof top restaurant, just a breakfast area). The food offered at breakfast was similar to what we’ve had elsewhere. There was a variety of breads, cheeses, yogurt and coffee.
Shortly after 9am we started out for the Dolmabahce Palace. We took the tram from Sultanahmet to the Kabatas stop (the last stop on the line) and had a short walk to the palace. The ticket line was not long and it cost 15 Lire per person for a 1 hour guided tour of the administrative wing. We did not take the tour of the Harem at Dolmabahce. There was an additional fee of 10 Lire if you wanted to take pictures inside the palace.
This palace is a huge ornate place and in one room there is a 4.5 ton Baccarat crystal chandelier. It was interesting and the tour was in English. After the tour we walked around the grounds for a bit and took some more pictures.
This palace is a huge ornate place and in one room there is a 4.5 ton Baccarat crystal chandelier. It was interesting and the tour was in English. After the tour we walked around the grounds for a bit and took some more pictures.
After see all the opulence we decided to walk to the Oratoy neighborhood. It took us about an hour to walk. We were told by our taxi driver the day before there would be a local market and the vendors would not “hassle” us there. He was right; it was nowhere near the experience at the Grand Bazaar. There were vendors there with lots of different crafts and we both bought interesting bead necklaces for 10 Lire each. We walked around the area and then hopped on a bus heading back to the Kabatas tram stop. The bus fare was 1.25 Lire each.
When we got off the bus we got on the funicular which took us to the Taksim Square area. The fare for the funicular was 1.30 Lire each.
We walked down Istiklal Street, which is a modern shopping pedestrian street. It was packed with people. We stopped to have lunch at a cafeteria type place. CL ordered a doner sandwich which is shaved meat with tomato, peppers and French fries on bread. I had stuffed eggplant and a pudding for dessert. We shared everything and it was all very good (I can’t remember the name of the restaurant!), but it was way too much food and we could only finish about half. The pudding was the best we had tasted during the trip.
We meandered along the street and ultimately made our way to the Galata Tower. Today was a much better “tower day” then the day we were in the area 2 weeks before, so we went up to the top of the tower (10 Lire each). The views of the city were spectacular. We then made our way back to the hotel for some relaxation time.
When we got off the bus we got on the funicular which took us to the Taksim Square area. The fare for the funicular was 1.30 Lire each.
We walked down Istiklal Street, which is a modern shopping pedestrian street. It was packed with people. We stopped to have lunch at a cafeteria type place. CL ordered a doner sandwich which is shaved meat with tomato, peppers and French fries on bread. I had stuffed eggplant and a pudding for dessert. We shared everything and it was all very good (I can’t remember the name of the restaurant!), but it was way too much food and we could only finish about half. The pudding was the best we had tasted during the trip.
We meandered along the street and ultimately made our way to the Galata Tower. Today was a much better “tower day” then the day we were in the area 2 weeks before, so we went up to the top of the tower (10 Lire each). The views of the city were spectacular. We then made our way back to the hotel for some relaxation time.
We weren’t really hungry but we wanted to try the outdoor restaurant just down the street from the hotel since we were told they had good mezes there. So we set out at about 6:30pm. When we arrived it was hardly crowded and we ordered hummus, eggplant & sauce and a spinach pancake. All the food was good and as the sun began to set the restaurant started to get busy. Since sunset was fast approaching it was almost time to break the fast so more and more people kept streaming into the restaurant. CL and I just sat back and did some people watching and it was one of the most fun evenings we had. After a couple hours we called it a night and went back to the hotel to get a good night’s sleep for our “designated” shopping day tomorrow!Day 18, October 8, 2007 – Istanbul
We spent time today shopping. CL wanted to go to a leather store Murat had recommended which meant we had to take a taxi there since it was in an area between Sultanahmet and the airport.
We had the girl at the front desk call a taxi to take us there and it cost 13 Lire. CL did find a leather coat but alterations had to be done to the sleeves so we had to come back the next day.
When we finished with the purchase the shop wouldn’t call a taxi for us but said we could get one on the main street (Kennedy Caddessi), so we left the shop and started to walk along the street towards a bus stop. But there was no schedule posted at the same time a taxi had stopped and we jumped in.
Now, I have to digress here…I had read about how taxi drivers will scam you in Istanbul if not called by a hotel or restaurant but at this point we where far from where we wanted to be and there was not route map or schedule at the bus stop. So against that little voice inside me, we took the taxi.
We told the driver to take us to the Grand Bazaar. We were nearing the Spice Market, not our original destination, but when the meter started to roll past 20 Lire we changed our mind and wanted to get out at the Spice Market. There was some communication difficulty, but we managed to make are point, paid the driver and we got out at the Spice Market.
We walked around the Spice Market but did not purchase anything. I think the difficulty for me was that there were so many choices, I just couldn’t decide on anything I wanted! We did go back over to the Grand Bazaar and stopped to see Murat again. He was kind enough to take us to the jewelry wholesaler where his son-in-law works and I did find a really interesting 14K gold ring there that I did purchase.
After shopping we decided to have a late lunch/early dinner at Hamdi (www.hamdirestorant.com.tr). This restaurant, near the Spice Market is on the upper level of a building. They have a small outside terrace overlooking the water and we sat there enjoying the view.
We ordered the eggplant kepab, which wasn’t the best we had but we also ordered the beyit which is a meat wrapped in phyllo dough kepab and that was delicious.
Day 19, October 9, 2007 – Istanbul
Today we decided to venture on the tram and try to find our way back to the leather shop to pick up CL’s coat. We had a map, but in retrospect it wasn’t the greatest map we ever used. We got on the tram just after 10:30am and went several stops (not quite to the end of the line). We got off the tram at about 11am and started walking in the general direction we thought the shop was in. We knew we would have a “good” walk because even on the map we had, it seemed a pretty far distance. One hour and 20 minutes later we found the shop and got the coat. Now to find the tram again!
We figured out that we had gotten off a stop or 2 too early! Our map showed a shopping mall not too far (or it looked not far) from a tram stop. So we managed to find the mall while walking through what clearly appeared to be the leather and fur district. If I am ever back in Istanbul I now know where to go to order a custom leather or fur coat!
We stopped at the mall for a bit to eat and a little rest for our weary feet and then we set out to find our way to the tram. We were doing good for a while but then started to wonder where the tram stop was. We pulled out our map again and there were 2 young girls who were about high school age who helped us. They walked us all the way to the tram stop and believe me if it weren’t for their help we would probably still be wandering around looking for the tram! They were so nice, they didn’t know much English but they showed us their school notebook with their English lessons. We thanked them profusely and got on the tram.
Once we got back to the hotel we started to re-pack our bags for our return trip home the next day. After packing most of our belongings we decided to have dinner at Balicki Sabahatin (address: Seyit Hasan Kuyu Sokak 1).
We sat outside on the covered dinning area and had 3 mezes, seabass, grilled squid and a house special that was rice with carrots, onions, and mussels, it was all delicious. We also ordered a bluefish entre which was very tasty. This was a great place for our last meal in Istanbul.
Day 20, October 10, 2007 – Leaving Istanbul
I can’t even really count today because we left the hotel at 9:30am for our flight home. The flight left Istanbul about a half hour late, but we landed at JFK on time. Instead of connecting to a flight home to Savannah immediately we decided to spend the evening in NYC and I was able to book a reasonably price room at the Washington Square Hotel on Waverly Place in Greenwich Village. Once we were through customs and immigration and got our bags from the baggage claim we took the Air Train from JFK to the subway and was in the city within an hour.
The next day we didn’t have much time to spend in the “Big Apple” but we walked around a bit and then hopped back on the subway and went back to JFK for our uneventful flight home to Savannah.
It was a great trip and I brought home lots of wonderful memories!
We spent time today shopping. CL wanted to go to a leather store Murat had recommended which meant we had to take a taxi there since it was in an area between Sultanahmet and the airport.
We had the girl at the front desk call a taxi to take us there and it cost 13 Lire. CL did find a leather coat but alterations had to be done to the sleeves so we had to come back the next day.
When we finished with the purchase the shop wouldn’t call a taxi for us but said we could get one on the main street (Kennedy Caddessi), so we left the shop and started to walk along the street towards a bus stop. But there was no schedule posted at the same time a taxi had stopped and we jumped in.
Now, I have to digress here…I had read about how taxi drivers will scam you in Istanbul if not called by a hotel or restaurant but at this point we where far from where we wanted to be and there was not route map or schedule at the bus stop. So against that little voice inside me, we took the taxi.
We told the driver to take us to the Grand Bazaar. We were nearing the Spice Market, not our original destination, but when the meter started to roll past 20 Lire we changed our mind and wanted to get out at the Spice Market. There was some communication difficulty, but we managed to make are point, paid the driver and we got out at the Spice Market.
We walked around the Spice Market but did not purchase anything. I think the difficulty for me was that there were so many choices, I just couldn’t decide on anything I wanted! We did go back over to the Grand Bazaar and stopped to see Murat again. He was kind enough to take us to the jewelry wholesaler where his son-in-law works and I did find a really interesting 14K gold ring there that I did purchase.
After shopping we decided to have a late lunch/early dinner at Hamdi (www.hamdirestorant.com.tr). This restaurant, near the Spice Market is on the upper level of a building. They have a small outside terrace overlooking the water and we sat there enjoying the view.
We ordered the eggplant kepab, which wasn’t the best we had but we also ordered the beyit which is a meat wrapped in phyllo dough kepab and that was delicious.
Day 19, October 9, 2007 – Istanbul
Today we decided to venture on the tram and try to find our way back to the leather shop to pick up CL’s coat. We had a map, but in retrospect it wasn’t the greatest map we ever used. We got on the tram just after 10:30am and went several stops (not quite to the end of the line). We got off the tram at about 11am and started walking in the general direction we thought the shop was in. We knew we would have a “good” walk because even on the map we had, it seemed a pretty far distance. One hour and 20 minutes later we found the shop and got the coat. Now to find the tram again!
We figured out that we had gotten off a stop or 2 too early! Our map showed a shopping mall not too far (or it looked not far) from a tram stop. So we managed to find the mall while walking through what clearly appeared to be the leather and fur district. If I am ever back in Istanbul I now know where to go to order a custom leather or fur coat!
We stopped at the mall for a bit to eat and a little rest for our weary feet and then we set out to find our way to the tram. We were doing good for a while but then started to wonder where the tram stop was. We pulled out our map again and there were 2 young girls who were about high school age who helped us. They walked us all the way to the tram stop and believe me if it weren’t for their help we would probably still be wandering around looking for the tram! They were so nice, they didn’t know much English but they showed us their school notebook with their English lessons. We thanked them profusely and got on the tram.
Once we got back to the hotel we started to re-pack our bags for our return trip home the next day. After packing most of our belongings we decided to have dinner at Balicki Sabahatin (address: Seyit Hasan Kuyu Sokak 1).
We sat outside on the covered dinning area and had 3 mezes, seabass, grilled squid and a house special that was rice with carrots, onions, and mussels, it was all delicious. We also ordered a bluefish entre which was very tasty. This was a great place for our last meal in Istanbul.
Day 20, October 10, 2007 – Leaving Istanbul
I can’t even really count today because we left the hotel at 9:30am for our flight home. The flight left Istanbul about a half hour late, but we landed at JFK on time. Instead of connecting to a flight home to Savannah immediately we decided to spend the evening in NYC and I was able to book a reasonably price room at the Washington Square Hotel on Waverly Place in Greenwich Village. Once we were through customs and immigration and got our bags from the baggage claim we took the Air Train from JFK to the subway and was in the city within an hour.
The next day we didn’t have much time to spend in the “Big Apple” but we walked around a bit and then hopped back on the subway and went back to JFK for our uneventful flight home to Savannah.
It was a great trip and I brought home lots of wonderful memories!
1 comment:
Great Holiday
Great City
Great Post
Thanks
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