Stop 1: Istanbul

June 19th, 2024 bags are not yet packed. Bags are packed, bags are repacked. An endless cycle of last minute wardrobe changes. How do you pack for mountaineering and Mediterranean night life in one bag, that you have to carry on your back? Realize the flight is an hour earlier than recalled, run out the door, hope for the best.

Twenty four hours later, Istanbul airport reunion. Last time was terrible but this time we know what we’re doing. Get cash, go to visa desk, no visas required, get bags, go to metro. Last train was at 12:04 AM, it’s now 12:05 AM, next train is at 6:00 AM. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. Find a bus, get to hostel at 2:30 AM. 7:00 AM middle aged Egyptian roommate vomits on floor next to our bed, at least it certainly helped wake us up on time because the fun was about to begin.

As we recommend with any new country, and especially a new culture, day one is dedicated to a food tour. And what a food tour, 7 hours later we had eaten 5 meals on 2 continents, with a whole bunch of Aussies. From Turkish tea to coffee, menemen, lahmacun, sizzling iskender kebap, balik durum with pomegranate sauce, and midye dolma, culminating in a dessert of dondurma and kunefe sprinkled with pistachio. Full and sleep-deprived, we upgraded to a private room and knocked out for 10 hours.

Morning and it’s Kathleen’s birthday, we head to a breakfast recommended by our friend Brian who lived in Istanbul for some time. Breakfast is the most important meal in Turkey. Our table is littered with dozens of small serving bowls holding olives, spreads, cheeses, dips, pickled goods and an assortment of carbs and pastries on the side. It’s a splurge but absolutely delicious! Thank you Brian!

After breakfast a quick stroll through the grand bazaar en route to the hamam, it’s an absolute maze and we’re there more for the visual spectacle than the shopping. Though Kathleens eyes catch on a particular scarf and after 20 minutes of deliberating we get it. She will need it after all to visit the mosques. My final birthday request was a visit to a hamam. Sadly, the very affordable one I discovered during our delirious Frankfurt layover was suddenly closed for renovations. To save us some money, Marko opted to wait while I was warmed, sweated, and scrubbed by an older Turkish woman with a strong laugh and stronger arms. As I was nude and she only wore bikini bottoms, I tried to avoid any accidental touches. It seemed, though, the best way to remove the  epidermis from my arm was to position my hand under her breast. We both smiled, and later, she made me a cup of hot tea.

The days over and we’re back at the hostel, realizing if we keep up this pace we will be broke before we leave Europe, and that’s just the first leg. We go to the grocery store and make our own dinner of pasta overcooked in soup.

The next day Topkapi Palace and the Hagia Sofia. Remember how I just said we needed to be smarter about budgeting, well I forgot that overnight. These are not cheap! But what can you do, when will I be in Istanbul again, and there’s no budget hostel version of this.

Topkapi palace is grand and ornate but without a tour guide to offer context, I’m a bit underwhelmed. In retrospect I should have done more research into this part of the nations history.

The Hagia Sofia on the other hand I’m well informed on, thank you sophomore year world architecture! And it lives up to the hype, it’s amazing to stand in such a large and well crafted structure built in the 6th century! To think all the history that happened here, the Roman Empire fell here, the Ottoman Empire started and also vanished, crusaders passed through and carved its walls. In spite of all this change and destruction it still stands (Oh did I mention it was built in less time than it takes the city of Philly to finish one stretch of road).

Once a church, a mosque, a museum and now a mosque again. While it was somewhat disappointing not to be able to appreciate it from its ground floor, it was a unique experience to be able to see it used for one of the five daily prayers.

The next day we set off to peruse the Hagia Sofia Museum. We were immediately ushered into a line for their fast-paced video component spanning at least twenty rooms and equipped with floor to ceiling screens telling an abbreviated history of the Hagia Sofia. It is more similar to a theme park ride than anything else.

Afterward, we cross a courtyard to  the cities other architectural marvel, the Blue Mosque or Sultanahmet Mosque to locals. Built a thousand years after the Hagia Sofia it’s still older than the United States. Inside we had a chance to speak to a nice volunteer who told us all about the mosque and Islam, pointing out how the six minarets were created to represent the six pillars of Islam. We also got a great lesson on world religion, hearing more about how the Jewish, Cristian, and Islamic faith are tied together. One of the most prominently displayed scriptures in the mosque was in fact one about the Virgin Mary.  After that we chowed down on some delicious baklava and called it a day, because the next was going to be a busy one.

In the morning we boarded a ferry out to the Princes’ Islands and collection of small islands just off the coast of Istanbul yet feeling like they’re a world away. The architecture, foliage, pace of life, everything is different and a needed break from one of the most populous and bustling cities in the world. We walked around, fed cats, and got in our first swim of the trip. Ferried back and got out in time to catch a disappointing end to Serbia’s run at Euro 2024.

The last day was extra slow. A stroll around Balat one of the oldest parts of town, and later Kadikoy the hip young neighborhood. Kathleen led us on a guided tour from information online but the true highlight was just the back roads watching people at work or lounging.

And that was it leg one of the trip done, next stop Greece!