Eating All Day, Cruising the Bosphorus

Today we went on a six-hour(!) walking food tour in Istanbul. It was recommended by Doug and Chris’ son, and it did not disappoint! We started with a traditional Turkish sit-down breakfast of scrambled eggs with tomato, a selection of cheeses, olives, bagel-like bread and sweet and savory spreads for the bread. All topped off with Turkish tea (strong black tea).

After our meal, we walked to the Rustem Pasha mosque, with its beautiful blue Iznik tiles. The unifying feature of the tiles is a tulip motif. Tulips were first cultivated in Turkey, and later introduced to Western Europe and the Netherlands. Women are required to wear head coverings while in a mosque, and everyone must remove their shoes.

From there, we wandered through the spice market with artfully arranged spices, teas, nuts and more. Next up was a short ferry ride across the channel that separates “old” Istanbul from a newer part of the city. Over there, we really got into the small bites: Turkish coffee (and reading the grounds, like tea leaves), lamb döner, several things in wraps (including bulgur with pomegranate and very popular mackerel), stuffed grilled mussels, and later finishing with Künefe and tea for dessert. We DID walk around between all this noshing, and our guide was so informative and fun to be with.

We ended the day with a 2-hour small-boat cruise on the Bosphorus with just the six of us. It did not include food, luckily! We were told that 60,000 vessels transit the Bosphorus Strait annually, which is several times higher than that of the Suez or Panama canals.Read more