Sights and Souvenirs

Not too many photos from today but nonetheless another great day and you have to watch the video of me just trying to order an icecream… news flash, it isn’t that easy here…..

Our last day in Istanbul started… a little earlier than planned. At 6am, we were woken up by the clanging and banging of scaffolders setting up right outside our apartment window. Not exactly the gentle wake up call we’d imagined, but hey, it got us moving.

After a quick breakfast and getting ready, we stepped out the door for one last adventure across the city. We hopped on the ferry again and made our way over to the Asian side. Once we arrived in Uskudar, we strolled along the Bosphorus until we reached the iconic Maiden’s Tower. The views were beautiful, and of course, we snapped a few photos before heading back to continue exploring.

Next, we caught a bus to Kuzguncuk, a charming little neighbourhood full of colourful houses and bustling bakeries. The streets were vibrant and full of life, and it felt like a hidden gem away from the usual tourist spots. If I were to live in Istanbul, this is where I would pick! From there, we jumped back on the bus and returned to the port to catch another ferry this time to Kadikoy.

We’d heard a lot about the markets in Kadikoy, so our expectations were high. Unfortunately, they didn’t quite live up to the hype, but we still enjoyed wandering through the streets and soaking up the atmosphere before catching the ferry back.

Back on the European side, we had one more important mission watches! We had seen some beautiful ones at the Grand Bazaar the day before and decided they’d make the perfect souvenirs from Turkey. After some bartering (always part of the fun), we walked away very happy with our new treasures.

The rest of the evening was a little less glamorous but just as memorable. We powered through three loads of laundry (gotta seperate the whites, right?), then threw together the most budget friendly dinner of our trip, basically a mix of whatever we had left in the fridge and in our bags.

After a quick trip to the supermarket to stock up for tomorrow, we curled up on the couch and watched Operation Mincemeat. If you haven’t seen it, highly recommend!

Now, as we climb into bed, it feels surreal that our Turkey chapter has come to a close. Tomorrow, we set off for our next adventure Jordan and Egypt, where we will be ticking off x2 Wonder of the World!!! We can’t wait to see what’s waiting for us there!Read more