With Thanksgiving tomorrow, and no plans to celebrate it, it might be a day that could leave us a bit depressed. I mean, this is my favorite holiday, and the last 5 years Noah and I even hosted it at our home in Phoenix. This time – I have meetings until 6pm (I mean, no one here cares it is Thanksgiving), no time to bake or prepare any Thanksgiving style dish, and no family to share the day with. So you folks back home – you win tomorrow!! Instead, we will just have to focus on the perks of living in Europe – one of which is having a constant stream of visitors!!
This month, we had my brother, Logan, and his girlfriend, Ashley, come for 2 weeks. Since I had to work a holiday the other month, I had 2 bonus days off that Noah sadly didn’t. But at least I was able to take off the first few days of their visit to give them a proper tour of Munich. Sadly for them, the biergartens are all closed for the winter, so instead I took them for lunch at the Augustiner Brewery, where we had a German photobomb us.
When Friday arrived, the four of us (we finally included poor Noah) were off to Istanbul! This was the trip Noah and I had been looking forward to the most, because we had heard so many amazing reviews from friends and coworkers. Plus Western European cities, while all amazing in their own right, tend to look roughly similar. We were finally going to a city that should look and feel completely different. We weren’t let down (though for those of you still to go – expect cats, lots of cats).
Our first stop was the Grand Bazaar, which is a massive maze of hundreds of stores split up by category. And most stores are selling very similar things – but according to the shopkeepers, their store has the best items and best prices. We were able to locate a beautiful Backgammon set (something we had wanted to get from Istanbul ever since we knew we were going), and some lunch. Other than that – it was a lot of wandering and admiring, but also trying not to be seen looking to avoid the shopkeepers.
Next stop – Spice Bazaar! This one was the place to get food items, mainly spices (no surprise there), Turkish Delights, and dried fruits. I am still disappointed that I never saw dried pineapple or dried strawberries later on in the trip, because I really could have used more. Noah’s bag of dried ginger is still going, even back in Munich, that lucky duck!
Friday night we found ourselves walking the İstiklal Avenue (Independence Avenue) looking for a fun spot to eat. After some interesting propositions (some food, some ‘other’), we finally stumbled upon a crowded street off the main avenue filled with restaurants, bars, and people. This is where we wanted to be. We chose Keyif Restaurant at random, and sat upstairs with the roof open and with a band periodically playing. I think we all fell in love with Turkish food this trip, and this place didn’t disappoint. Logan and I also indulged in dessert, which would be a theme that developed over the trip (what is wrong with you two – Noah and Ashley?!?).
Saturday was a rainy day, so we stuck to the buildings. First we explored Topkapı Palace which clearly has beautiful views of the city… but better on a clear day. Oh well.
Then we moved on to the most impressive building I have ever seen – the Hagia Sophia. I can’t believe it was built almost 1,500 years ago in the 6th century – I am amazed that they could build something like that way back then (I think it would be a difficult project even today).
Saturday night we went to see some Whirling Dervishes, and this was definitely not what we expected. I think the videos on youtube are more ‘Hollywood-ized’ where you see a bunch of Dervishes whirling to music, and it looks like a grand time. While I am really glad we had the experience, we decided it felt more like we were intruding on someone’s private worship time. It was very intense, and not as much ‘whirling’ as I would have expected.
Our last full day in Istanbul started out with a quick trip to the Blue Mosque, then an hour or so trying to figure out how to get around the city with a marathon taking place (solution – an overpriced taxi ride to the pier). After another 30 minutes of trying in vain to find a ‘official’ ferry to the Üsküdar side of the river, we luckily ended up on a less-than-official looking ‘public’ boat that took us to the right place.
Over in Üsküdar, we toured the amazingly over-the-top Dolmabahce Palace. Sadly, no photographs are allowed inside (those of you who use your flash when it says not to – this is what can happen!!), but take my word for it – this place is dripping in luxury. From crystal staircases, to gold encrusted everything, to the most magnificent Ceremonial Hall, this was my favorite of the two palaces.
Our last big stop in Istanbul before heading home the next day was to make it to Asia!! We had absolutely no plan of what to see/do when we arrived to that side of the river, but all of us (except Noah, who has been to Israel before) wanted to be able to say we technically have been to Asia. After walking along the coast, we found a bunch of rug-covered bleachers facing the water, at an outdoor café. We settled in with our hot cocoa (me) and our Turkish tea (everyone else), and waited for sunset. We then proceeded to take a more than necessary amount of sunset photos.
When we returned to Munich Monday, it was back to reality for Noah and me, and off to Prague for Logan and Ashley. We then rented a car for the weekend to spend some time in the Alps. We wanted to try to see Eagle’s Nest in Berchtesgaden, and while we knew it was closed, we thought we could still perhaps make it up to the area anyways. Nope – a firm “Was machen Sie!?!” (What are you doing!?!) from a ranger made us turn around on the unpaved road, and instead we settled for a lower mountain.
The next day we hit up Chiemsee and the islands Herreninsel (man-island for the monks) and Fraueninsel (woman-island for the nuns). Both were beautiful to walk around, and the smaller Fraueninsel even has a Christmas market! It just wasn’t open yet, you know, because they have to wait until after Thanksgiving, of course.
Now it is back to just the two of us (and the dogs, of course), and our next visitors aren’t planned for a few months. I guess now is a good time to start planning next year’s vacations. Potential visitors – 2013 is now open!
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