Instanbul Day 1

Our first full day in Istanbul was nothing short of magical. We’re already falling in love with being immersed in a new culture the sights, the sounds, even the smells are so different and exciting.

Since our accommodation is right next to the Galata Tower, it felt only right to start the day there. Standing beneath its ancient stone walls and looking up, it was huge. Bigger than what we had ever imagined! From there, we wandered the streets and headed down toward the Galata Bridge.

Crossing the bridge turned out to be a real highlight. Both sides were filled with fishermen shoulder to shoulder, their lines stretching out into the water. To our surprise, someone had pulled up a gurnard, a decent size too! I was kind of shocked as it never occurred to me that you would find Gurnard in Istanbul!

Once across, we heard the call to prayer echoing through the city, carried from the loudspeakers of a nearby mosque. Drawn in by the sound, we went to take a closer look. Outside, men were gathered at fountains, washing their feet and faces before entering the mosque to pray. It was such a moving glimpse into daily life here.

From there, we headed to the Spice Bazaar, and wow what a sensory overload! The stalls were bursting with colors and aromas, piles of fragrant teas, mountains of Turkish delight, and all kinds of spices and dried fruit. The Turkish delight was the star of the show soft, colorful, and irresistible, I was taking samples from anywhere I could! I couldn’t help but think of Mum and how much she’d love it. If only we could bring some back home for her! It was delicious!

Eventually, the delicious smells made us hungry, so we tried some street food a golden corn on the cob and a fresh pretzel-style bread. Both were simple but so tasty and cheap! Only about $2 NZD for both! What a steal!

With renewed energy, we made our way to Taksim Square, a lively hub of people, shops, and sights. We strolled around for a bit, taking it all in, before slowly making our way back to our accommodation near Galata. On the way we witnessed the classic ice-cream stalls where they tease you with your ice-cream for about 5 minutes before actually giving it to you. It was funny to witness and to be fair they are pretty talented at what they do. If I tried, the icecream would probably be on the floor!

Once we were home we cooked a comforting homemade tikka masala, which felt like the perfect way to wind down after such a big day. Now we’re curled up in bed ready for another big day of exploring tomorrow!Læs mere