Turkey has always been one of my top destinations. I can't say why, exactly -- I have always just known that I need to go. (For anyone who works with me at Google and sees how data-based I usually am, I bet you're thinking "boy, which alien has kidnapped Stephanie and put someone else in her place?!")
Although I had previously promised Mohamed that we'd visit Asia next because he's never been there before, he wanted me to be thrilled about our trip -- and so here we were, headed to Istanbul. As we drove to SFO, I almost squealed with excitement. Thank goodness I didn't know to worry about Lufthansa's strike until I, while waiting for our connection, read about it in the newspaper at the Frankfurt airport. And thank goodness for the distractingly yummy food: I had refused to eat most of the tasteless carb-heavy food on the plane (hey, if I have to eat something "off diet" it has to be worthwhile), and I was hungry upon arrival in FRA. A solution to this problem presented itself most conveniently at a bakery just around the corner from our gate: I eyed a thick waffle dressed in fluffy powered sugar and dark red cherries, and a curvy golden almond pastry. I was sold. Mohamed had a cappuccino and a sandwich, both of which were much more reasonable lunch choices. Yummy!
Although I had previously promised Mohamed that we'd visit Asia next because he's never been there before, he wanted me to be thrilled about our trip -- and so here we were, headed to Istanbul. As we drove to SFO, I almost squealed with excitement. Thank goodness I didn't know to worry about Lufthansa's strike until I, while waiting for our connection, read about it in the newspaper at the Frankfurt airport. And thank goodness for the distractingly yummy food: I had refused to eat most of the tasteless carb-heavy food on the plane (hey, if I have to eat something "off diet" it has to be worthwhile), and I was hungry upon arrival in FRA. A solution to this problem presented itself most conveniently at a bakery just around the corner from our gate: I eyed a thick waffle dressed in fluffy powered sugar and dark red cherries, and a curvy golden almond pastry. I was sold. Mohamed had a cappuccino and a sandwich, both of which were much more reasonable lunch choices. Yummy!
As usual, the long plane ride from SFO to FRA was made even longer by my inability to sleep; this sleep deprivation plus my overly decadent lunch made my eyes almost impossible to keep open. As soon as we got on the plane to IST, I thankfully conked out. Mohamed later told me that we were stuck in FRA for more than an hour because of
congestion in IST (we later heard that there was a fierce rain storm in Istanbul that day), but I thankfully slept through that entire wait. And before I knew it, we were there! After we checked into our hotel, we took a walk around the old district and found a cozy restaurant teeming with locals and tourists alike, all enjoying the live music and whirling dervishes. For dinner I ordered a kabob with aubergine, which tasted like a smoky shade of purple. I had my first introduction to the local cats, who padded up to each table and looked up expectantly from one diner to the next. More on these fuzzy friends later!
On the walk back to the hotel, I admired the beautiful lamps and unique buildings. Back in the room, I hastened to wash off the grime of travel before hopping into bed. Besides being exhausted, I couldn't wait to sleep so that the next morning would come!
