Hello Turkey

by - January 06, 2016

With a new year I start a new journey..Turkey! That does not mean that The Greek posts are over...believe me there are more adventure stories that you can imagine! Turkey is not a country that we 'explored' properly as per our standards. But if we consider standard Indian holiday packages then we traveled more. Usually the packages of Greece and Turkey which the prominent travel agents offer consist of 6 days in Greece and three days in Turkey. 

Istanbul mosque
The Picturesque Blue Mosque
Well our vacation was more than that..And the points which we covered in Istanbul were more than those included in usual itineraries. Still we are not satisfied as we had spent a lot of money on visa and air tickets. It would have been saner to visit another Shengen country than to spend extra bucks on separate visa. Well what has been done is irreversible.

 There are soooo many countries on my bucket list and I want to strike them all off my list. So instead of fretting why did not spend some more days in Turkey, I decided to make the most of our trip. It was entirely my decision to include this place and husband was not too happy with it. He had been in love with Istanbul right from the day I know him and he wanted to dedicate a separate vacation for this mystical country. But as we all know, we Indians cannot travel like others. I mean we can't leave our jobs and leave our country with a one way ticket. We have really limited leaves (believe me there is a huge struggle involved in getting leaves granted in medical profession) and we have our home and family to return to. In our case, our daughter :D I am sure when she grows up she would hate us for not taking her with us. :D

After a really long journey (ferry from Santorini to Athens, journey from Pireaus port to Athens airport then flight from Athens to Istanbul..) we were really tired. The apartment which we booked was in Sultanahmet (city center) and hence far from the airport. So it was again one hell of a struggle to reach there.

                 Istanbul
Beautiful streets and buildings...
              
Since we were so short of time, we took a fast shower and left for the nearest spots of the city. Istanbul is really, really beautiful. The houses have flowering plants hanging from the windows and every light post has flowers hanging from them. If this is the scene in midst of summer, I wonder how beautiful its during spring!

flowers of Istanbul
Flowers flowers everywhere!
Our first stop was Kuchuk Hagia Sophia or the Little Hagia Sophia. The typical architecture of the Blue Mosque that fascinates travellers like us is omnipresent in Istanbul. I mean all the Turkish mosques are of that shape. So it was like I got fascinated at the sight of every mosque. The architecture is hands down impeccable.
Little Blue Mosque
At the entry of Kuchuk Hagia Sophia
               After Kuchuk Hagia Sophia we went to The Blue Mosque and I was in awe. The atmosphere was very festive with the holiday of Bairam in full swing. 'Id' in India is equivalent to their Bairam. It marked the conclusion of the month long Ramadan. 

 
Blue Mosque
One of the many beautiful ceilings of the Blue Mosque
Istanbul
Does not my outfit match with the background?

Blue mosque during Bairam
The huge campus of the Blue Mosque or Sultanahmat Mosque
Sultanahmat Mosque
Notice the beautiful lamps...
 One thing that surprised us in Greece was the honesty of people. There was no case of theft; anything left by mistake would be lying there as such even after hours. Before arriving in Istanbul we were constantly being reminded to take care of our belongings. Being Indians, it was not surprising. However we got a surprise real soon. It was really sunny and I was carrying an umbrella. While taking a picture outside the Blue Mosque, I folded the umbrella and kept it aside. As I finished taking the picture, I could not find my umbrella. I saw a man (with a family) had opened it and was walking away. I was shocked. I ran after him and got my umbrella back.

Welcome to Turkey officially :D

This is the place where my umbrella was lost and found:D                                                                                                 If you like my travel posts, follow my blog on Bloglovin






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5 comments

  1. Oh my gosh...u r travelling to all my fav places..m so so jealous.
    Turkey looks beautiful...but u look even more gorgeous.

    Aditi
    www.sosaree.in

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  2. Your traveling adventure is outstanding you look stunning so does your hubby you guys look great together.

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  3. Wow Istanbul is beautiful indeed. So glad you two enjoyed your stay. Haha your daughter won't hate you for not taking her with you. I think travelling is more fun when you're older :) and it's good that you got your umbrella back. Have a wonderful day Mandira!

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  4. You look lovely in that maxi, love those shades too. A very Happy New Year to you

    xoxo - Style.. A Pastiche! - www.styleapastiche.com - Visit me some time

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  5. Greece and Turkey are so high on our list :) Have already bookmarked your Greece posts ;)

    http://thetalesofatraveler.com/2016/01/15/kempinski-resort-review-seychelles/

    ReplyDelete