Istanbul - A feast for your Senses
From my last two posts about Istanbul, you can probably tell we’ve really had a great time here. Our spacious apartment on the 5th floor of an old building on a mostly pedestrian-only street filled with shops in between the Kabatas and Galata neighborhoods was the perfect home for our group of 9 during our week’s stay. All day long, crowds of people walked passed our building, musicians played music outside our window, street vendors offered roasted chestnuts, fresh squeezed pomegranate juice, and donor kebap.
We quickly found our way around the city, walking between 10,000 to 20,000 steps a day across the Bosporus to the old town where we toured the Hague Sophia, the Topkapi Palace, the Blue Mosque, Grand Bazar, and Spice Market. The food was some of the best we’ve had on our trip thus far. Despite the many meyhane (taverns) around us, we also cooked in several nights and were treated to delicious meals made by Uncle Billy (with the help of various sous chefs).
Kids continued to progress on their school work, but their greatest pride seems to be grounded in their Euchre and Backgammon victories. While Paul and Sophia can each play a mean game of Backgammon and Euchre, the prowess of Ava and her Godfather Billy as 6-time (and counting) Euchre champions is quickly reaching legendary status.
Here are some pictures that capture the beauty, energy, and history pulsating throughout Istanbul.
