turkey day in turkey: beyoğlu

we got a taste of the old to start our turkey experience, and ended with a taste of the new (and a taste of shake shack crinkle fries).

we strolled along istiklal caddesi, then rode the trolley back.

our friends recommended a day trip to the princes' islands, a chain of nine islands in the sea of marmara, and technically on the asian side of turkey. the islands have evolved from a place of exile during the byzantine era to a place where the rich built summer homes to a quaint, but a little run down (in the winter, at least) place to visit. 

on the ferry, sage began coloring. a little iranian girl walked by and plopped down next to her, so sage happily shared. next, a little indian boy plopped down and joined in too. all the families migrated over to where we were sitting, yet none of us spoke the same language. the iranians handed out food to everyone as we watched our kids play together through gestures. it was one of those beautiful it's a small world moments. 

there are no cars allowed on the islands. you get around by foot, bike, or horse carriage. i loved the sound of silence here. we took a carriage ride around the island past some pretty impressive summer homes and sweeping views of the ocean. i was also the only one who actually stayed awake on our carriage ride.

CATS everywhere all the time throughout istanbul, but swarming the streets of buyukada.

abandoned tea cups scattered in the galata neighborhood. tea and coffee are an art form here. we tried apple tea a few times...mmm.

we walked along the golden horn, trying every kind of baklava at karaköy güllüoğlu and checking out the fishermens' catch of the day.



turkish delight is where it's at.

haggling should be turkey's official sport. sage was thrilled when a shopkeeper tried to lure us in by gifting her a beaded purse full of snacks.

she's a rock star traveler. 

nora, we'll let you have a mulligan for those few nights of jet lag/crying for hours.  

i can't say enough good things about istanbul. we'd go back in a heart beat!

turkey day in turkey: sultanahmet

istanbul, turkey has been top on our travel list for years. where east meets west has fascinated me for even longer. constantinople, the ottoman empire, suleyman the magnificent! incredibly rich history here. we decided that time is precious, and right now, we have a lot of it since nate is a student. so we just went for it and planned a thanksgiving trip to turkey. we couldn't pass up turkey day in turkey! 

i planned a few side trips within turkey, but every time i went to finalize those plans, it just didn't feel right. frankly, i am so glad we spent our time solely in istanbul. there are so many layers of the city to see and touch and taste and hear and explore. plus, you know...we did have two kids with us. to keep things exciting, we split our time in two areas of istanbul: sultanahmet and beyoğlu.

i laughed looking back at these photos because they are so telling of our family at this point in time. we have a hodge podge of cold weather gear. sage prefers pajamas or a very curated selection of skirts and dresses to wear each day. i had to beg her to wear pants since it was cold outside, but one day i gave in and she wore a pajama top under her coat. she's particular about her hair, too. nora is happy-go-lucky until she isn't, then growls or shrieks until sage announces that "nora isn't being very kind" (a popular topic of discussion these days). of course traveling with kids isn't easy, but these girls were champs most of the time.

we couldn't believe the royal treatment the girls received from the turks. i am not exaggerating when i say we left nowhere empty-handed. every shop, restaurant, market, or mosque we went into someone would pinch their cheeks, swoop them up out of my arms, slip them candy, bestow gifts, or exclaim "masha'allah!" (god has willed it). while i wouldn't call the city itself kid-friendly, the culture is overwhelmingly kid-friendly. we loved it.

we thought it would be fun to find deli turkey to actually EAT turkey in turkey, but things turned out better. our hotel offered a full thanksgiving dinner, and the waiters brought sage her own dessert plate of petite macarons while we finished off with pumpkin pie.

my favorite experience of the trip was the night i snuck away to indulge in a turkish bath (nate had a turn too). we went to the ayasofya hamam, built at the request of suleyman the magnificent's wife in 1556 AD. i was contemplating all of that while splayed out on a heated marble stone being rubbed in olive oil bubbles, finished with a warm robe and turkish delight. sounds indulgent, and it is, but this was real life in turkey for thousands of years.

we started off with a bang (if you call sleeping jet-lagged in until noon a "bang") at the hagia sofia. i just had no idea how stunning it would be in person. the juxtaposition of christianity and islam on the same walls is so interesting to me.










we really didn't see any other americans, or families for that matter. the double stroller really helped us blend in...




we woke up to this view out our hotel window with the call to prayer blaring five times a day. i actually love how the mosques seem to compete for loudest call to prayer.

we meandered through topkapi palace at dusk, taking our time. hello, bosphorus strait!

the teddy bear was that day's gift from the turks. sage named it "fawny"



loyal rick steves followers, through and through + the turkish tiling was gorgeous







roasted chestnuts and fresh pomegranate juice on every street corner

the most overwhelming place! sage busted out a little concert of christmas songs in the middle of the crowds as we stopped at a stall, which i found particularly amusing in a country where most people don't celebrate christmas.




the mosque of suleyman the magnificent, sitting high on a hill with views of the whole city, was more stunning to me than the famed blue mosque.

and one dimly-lit photo to remember the cool underground cistern, built by emperor constantine and later used in a james bond film.

it's true that the more you learn, the less you know.
the more we explore the world, the more i want to see all of it, and want to understand much more than i do.