Istanbul in 24 hours!

On our return from Kalkan, we flew with Turkish Airlines via Istanbul so decided to overnight in the popular city. Considering the airport is only 30 miles from the Old Town of Istanbul it took us a couple of hours to get to our hotel due to the traffic! We stayed at the beautiful and traditional Sultania Hotel which features lavish bedrooms, plush fabrics and ornate furnishings along with oil paintings of Ottoman sultan’s wives – in fact all the rooms are named after a different one! We enjoyed another Hammam and a bite to eat before we had to meet with our guide – remember we only have 24 hours!

We met our private guide at Karakoy Pier as we were booked on a 5-hour Food & Culture Tour. This was a fascinating insight into one of the most colourful, vibrant, exciting cities I have ever visited. We sampled foods on both the Asian and European sides of the Bosphorus Strait (the ferry across was included in the tour). Our guide was passionate about the history of the city and pointed out various landmarks explaining their historical references. We had 8 food stops and 4 drinks starting with the fish market in Kadikoy, diving down the maze of streets, popping into local shops selling all kinds of product and visiting cafes frequented by locals for more culture, food and drink. If you like mussels then you’d love Midyeci Yasin who serve stuffed mussels with their own spices – eaten on the street - one of the best in the city! We had a quick pit stop at The Bristol Pub which is a micro-brewery in the hip and cool area of the city. We tried the organic beer which had a smoky flavour and was 5.2% so also had a kick!

Heading back to the European side on the ferry, we admired the twinkling evening lights of all the bars and restaurants as the city came to life. We stopped at Hasif Mustafa for a superb dessert of baklava with ice cream and Muhallebi served with Turkish Tea. We were suitably satisfied and ready to retire!!

An early morning start as we wanted to visit the Spice Bazaar before we had to leave for the airport. This is the most famous covered complex after the Grand Bazaar and the building itself built in 1664, is absolutely stunning. So colourful and fragrant, the atmosphere was buzzing with locals and tourists alike and just about every spice you can imagine on offer. Also lots of tea! Rosebud, Jasmine, Pomegranate, Bergamot & Orange plus herbal remedies and olive oil soaps and also lots of dried fruits hanging from the rafters such as apricots, figs, dates, kiwis and chilli! Not forgetting of course, Lokum better known as Turkish delight. Haggle away!

Dazed by the sights, sounds and aromas of the last 24 hours, we headed back to the airport to discuss dates for our next visit!