Istanbul/Barcelona - May 2022

Eight fabulous days in Turkey, a 14-day Oceania cruise (with Covid) and four days in Barcelona. A great trip accomplished just as we are freed from pandemic lockdown. Tourism is light, due to testing and entry restrictions for many countries. Read more

Follow Insights Calendar Share

Footprints
Photos

Trip start
April 28, 2022
Istanbul/Barcelona - May 2022 Traveler
Show trip
Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
Share
Day 2
Friday, April 29, 2022 at 11:59 PM
☁️ 54 °F
Altitude: 203 ft
Turkey Tünel 41.031658, 28.97745941°1’54” N 28°58’39” E
Arrived in Istanbul
April 29, 2022 in Turkey ⋅ ☁️ 54 °F
We are weary travelers right now. Knowing it gets better from here. Cancelled flights and three flight changes. Rerouted by Philadelphia from London to Lisbon and a missed flight because of three-hour passport control officer strike/slow-down in Lisbon. Twenty-six hours later we are in Istanbul but without our luggage. [Day 5 post-script: luggage finally found and delivered today; we are happy to have clean clothes.]

Our lovely hotel, the TomTom, is a former convent and a bit off the beaten path but still close to everything. We have a suite with a view of The Bosporus (the world’s narrowest international waterway) and the Italian consulate.Read more
0 likes
Istanbul/Barcelona - May 2022 Traveler
Show trip
Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
Share
Day 3
Saturday, April 30, 2022 at 9:00 AM
☁️ 54 °F
Altitude: 341 ft
Turkey Kurtuluş 41.046619, 28.97941241°2’48” N 28°58’46” E
Kurtulus neighborhood food tour #1
April 30, 2022 in Turkey ⋅ ☁️ 54 °F
A great 8-hour tour with Ugur from Culinary Backstreets in his Istanbul neighborhood. It is a gentrifying neighborhood with residents from many parts of Turkey and environs. First stop was the simit shop. This shop makes over 30,000 simit a day to be sold from carts throughout the city. We waited for our fresh ones to come out of the oven. From there we went to a neighborhood sports club founded by the Greeks in late 1800’s to see the girls play basketball and have an Arabic breakfast. Next up - a traditional Turkish country breakfast with lavash from the tandoor oven, and honey and cured beef (kavurma) from the owner’s country home in. Erzican. The cheese is cured in a goat hide.Read more
0 likes
Istanbul/Barcelona - May 2022 Traveler
Show trip
Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
Share
Day 3
Saturday, April 30, 2022 at 12:00 PM
☁️ 57 °F
Altitude: 308 ft
Turkey Feriköy 41.056252, 28.98038741°3’23” N 28°58’49” E
Kurtulus #2 - Neighborhood sights
April 30, 2022 in Turkey ⋅ ☁️ 57 °F
We asked Ugur lots of questions about what we were seeing. Fresh in the markets this week: (1) tiny unripe almonds, apricots and nectarines (a much anticipated and expensive sour treat for many), (2) fresh newly unfurled grape leaves for dolmas, and (3) artichokes from the south. Turks NEVER eat the leaves of artichokes, only the hearts.

We visited the organic farmers market held every Saturday but both traffic and produce was light as recent inflation has been over 100% and few people can afford the extra cost of organic.

The candy store is heavily stocked because the end of Ramadan is tomorrow. Many families celebrate with candy for the children. New stores in the neighborhood include a Persian/Iranian bakery and a coffee shop run by a Jewish family.Read more
0 likes
Istanbul/Barcelona - May 2022 Traveler
Show trip
Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
Share
Day 3
Saturday, April 30, 2022 at 2:00 PM
⛅ 63 °F
Altitude: 417 ft
Turkey Şişli 41.057728, 28.98105241°3’28” N 28°58’52” E
Kurtulus #3 - more new foods
April 30, 2022 in Turkey ⋅ ⛅ 63 °F
Who knew there were tiny restaurants in Istanbul serving only offal? We tried grilled lamb heart and fried lamb liver. But at least as interesting were the drinks. Salgam is a favorite Turkish juice made of purple carrots, turnips and pickle juice. One sip was enough for us. We also tried a yogurt and salt drink which wasn’t too bad.
Then to a tradesmen’s restaurant for their Kurdish/Armenian daily specials and on to a Jewish-owned coffee shop for a yummy sahlep - warm milk, wild orchid root and cinnamon. Dessert was yet another shop for Gullah (rice wafers soaked in sweet milk with pistachios and rose water) and Kazandibi ( a sweet milk pudding made with rice starch and chicken breast!).
Last, but not least, it was headed towards dinner time so we stopped for some vegetarian mezzas.
A really fun day but we won’t be needing or wanting dinner tonight.Read more
0 likes
Istanbul/Barcelona - May 2022 Traveler
Show trip
Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
Share
Day 4
Sunday, May 1, 2022 at 8:00 AM
☁️ 50 °F
Altitude: 3,566 ft
Turkey Ürgüp 38.629238, 34.90312238°37’45” N 34°54’11” E
Travel day - May 1
May 1, 2022 in Turkey ⋅ ☁️ 50 °F
Early pick up this morning by our driver to get out of town and to the airport before the May 1 annual Labor Day protests begin. Streets are quiet as roads are blocked and public transportation near Taksim Square curtailed. It is also the first of three days celebration for the end of Ramadan and schools are closed this week. The news said almost 2 million of Istanbul’s 18 million people have left the city to see family or vacation this week. We are flying to Kayseria in Cappadocia.

Turker Mutlu, the very kind owner of the tour company we used, BellaTurka, took us out to dinner and to the shopping mall this evening to buy underwear, shirts and shoes as our luggage is still MIA. Thankfully, Turkish made clothing is very inexpensive.

Our hotel, Utopia Cave Hotel in Urgup, was built right into the side of the hill and incorporates some of the old cave homes.Read more
0 likes
Istanbul/Barcelona - May 2022 Traveler
Show trip
Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
Share
Day 5
Monday, May 2, 2022 at 4:30 AM
⛅ 43 °F
Altitude: 3,533 ft
Turkey Paşabağ 38.653889, 34.84439538°39’14” N 34°50’40” E
Ballooning in Cappadocia
May 2, 2022 in Turkey ⋅ ⛅ 43 °F
It was everything we hoped for. Picked up at 4:30 AM by the balloon company for a sunrise ride over Cappadocia amongst 150+ other balloons. The pictures say it all.
0 likes
Istanbul/Barcelona - May 2022 Traveler
Show trip
Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
Share
Day 5
Monday, May 2, 2022 at 1:00 PM
⛅ 82 °F
Altitude: 3,950 ft
Turkey Paşabağ 38.662484, 34.85484438°39’45” N 34°51’17” E
Underground villages and fairy chimneys
May 2, 2022 in Turkey ⋅ ⛅ 82 °F
A quick nap after ballooning and we are off to see an underground village. Cappadocia is comprised of volcanic tufa (solidified ash, very soft) , volcanic rock, sandstone and granite. Made for a fascinating tour from our historian and geologist guide, Sefa. The underground cities/villages were built over centuries, even as early as 2000 B.C. Over 150 of these are known today, one which could shelter 30,000 persons.
Archeologists think these may have functioned as refugee camps in the 3rd century for Christians fleeing from what is now Israel and Syria.
Lunch in a small village and then off to the fairy chimney rock formations of Pasabag Valley. The tufa has worn away leaving pillars supporting rock caps. Some have homes or chapels carved into them.Read more
TravelerA quick nap after ballooning and we are off
5/14/22Reply
0 likes
Istanbul/Barcelona - May 2022 Traveler
Show trip
Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
Share
Day 5
Monday, May 2, 2022 at 4:04 PM
⛅ 63 °F
Altitude: 4,606 ft
Turkey Uchisar 38.596865, 34.77423938°35’49” N 34°46’27” E
Devrent Valley and Turkish Wine
May 2, 2022 in Turkey ⋅ ⛅ 63 °F
Devrent (Imagination) Valley has lots of pink-tinged rock structures and is a favorite spot for families. What do you see in the formations?

We stopped at a wine bar owned by the Sabanci family, who started their Turkish winery in the 90’s. They have vineyards in Thrace and Anatolia. Alcohol cannot be advertised and the growing conservative Muslim majority imposes high taxes to discourage consumption. Nevertheless, a few wealthy individuals have started successful wineries and of course grapes have been grown here from the beginning of civilization. They do not stake the vines of local grape varieties, they grow low to the ground to capture the low nighttime temps. This area is considered high desert. You see small family plots of grapes near every rural house.Read more
0 likes
Istanbul/Barcelona - May 2022 Traveler
Show trip
Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
Share
Day 6
Tuesday, May 3, 2022 at 10:52 AM
⛅ 81 °F
Altitude: 3,629 ft
Turkey Churches of Göreme 38.643806, 34.82493838°38’38” N 34°49’30” E
Morning in Goreme
May 3, 2022 in Turkey ⋅ ⛅ 81 °F
No, we didn’t go ballooning again today but we took some great pictures of this place from the balloon yesterday and went to see it on foot today.

The Goreme valley was home to a continuous Christian monastic tradition for over 900 years (until the 11th or 12th century). The monks carved over 300 churches, chapels and monasteries into the rocks. Some of these have been preserved in the World Heritage site of the Goreme Open Air Park. St. Basil the Great is the most famous of the Cappadocian monks and St. George (the dragon slayer) was born in Cappadocia.

The highlight of Goreme is Karanlik Kalise (Dark Church). It’s narthex collapsed many hundreds of years ago, sealing the church. The frescoes were undisturbed by light (though covered in pigeon poop) until the late 1800’s. Some have been restored, others repainted. You can see the influence of the Italian Byzantine era painters in these 11th century frescoes.Read more
0 likes
Istanbul/Barcelona - May 2022 Traveler
Show trip
Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
Share
Day 6
Tuesday, May 3, 2022 at 4:36 PM
⛅ 82 °F
Altitude: 3,937 ft
Turkey Mustafapaşa 38.585144, 34.89072838°35’7” N 34°53’27” E
An Afternoon in Cappadocia
May 3, 2022 in Turkey ⋅ ⛅ 82 °F
We finished up the afternoon with a few other highlights.
Uchisar Castle is a natural rock formation visible from many points in Cappadocia. It served as a fortress. Hundreds of years of homes, from troglodyte caves to 21st century.
Ortahisar Castle is similar but smaller. We lingered at the coffee shop overlooking the town. It was busy with many locals as it was a school holiday. Lunch was delicious in a small restaurant in the village of Mustafapasa. This was predominantly a Greek settlement until WWI and the architecture reflects it.

Then it was back to the airport in Kayseri for an evening flight back to Istanbul.Read more
0 likes
Istanbul/Barcelona - May 2022 Traveler
Show trip
Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
Share
Day 7
Wednesday, May 4, 2022 at 6:15 AM
🌙 73 °F
Altitude: 236 ft
Turkey Tünel 41.031139, 28.97374941°1’52” N 28°58’25” E
Pera Palace Hotel
May 4, 2022 in Turkey ⋅ 🌙 73 °F
We are at the Pera Palace Hotel in Istanbul! We saw it in the Netflix movie and it is exciting to be in this historic hotel just off the main street of the European side of Istanbul. It is lovely, with a grand dining room and bar and a patisserie. We stayed in the Greta Garbo room!Read more
0 likes
Istanbul/Barcelona - May 2022 Traveler
Show trip
Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
Share
Day 7
Wednesday, May 4, 2022 at 9:00 AM
☀️ 79 °F
Altitude: 171 ft
Turkey Fountain of Sultan Ahmed III 41.008484, 28.98134241°0’31” N 28°58’53” E
Istanbul Tour 1 - Topkapi Palace
May 4, 2022 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F
This morning we began a two-day guided tour of Istanbul with Hanifi, our guide, and two couples from the cruise we met on the internet.

Topkapi Palace was center of power for the Ottoman sultans for 400 years, after Sultan Mehmet II took Constantinople in 1453. It was built in only 18 years, 1460-1478. It was first a fortress as it sits overlooking the Sea of Marmara, the Bosporus and the Golden Horn . It became also the center of administration, educations and arts for the Ottoman Empire. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk turned it into a museum in 1924.Read more
0 likes
Istanbul/Barcelona - May 2022 Traveler
Show trip
Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
Share
Day 7
Wednesday, May 4, 2022
⛅ 57 °F
Altitude: 151 ft
Turkey Hippodrome of Constantinople 41.006653, 28.97714641°0’24” N 28°58’38” E
Istanbul 2 - Hagia Sofia, Cistern
May 4, 2022 in Turkey ⋅ ⛅ 57 °F
The Hagia Sofia was built as a Byzantine Christian church in the 6th century and has subsequently been a mosque, a museum and now a mosque again. It was incredibly crowded and is closed to visitors during prayer. It is known for its beautiful mosaics from its time as a church, The Cistern of Philxenos is an ancient mad-made subterranean reservoir. It has 224 marble columns, each about 45 feet tall. End of day we were off for our COVID tests, required to get on the ship in two days.Read more
0 likes
Istanbul/Barcelona - May 2022 Traveler
Show trip
Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
Share
Day 8
Thursday, May 5, 2022 at 4:30 PM
☀️ 63 °F
Altitude: Sea level
Turkey Akaretler 41.038857, 28.99972341°2’20” N 28°59’59” E
Istanbul 3 - Strait, Dolmabache, Bazaar
May 5, 2022 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 63 °F
Still with Hanifi and our small group of six. This morning we took a boat ride up the Strait of Bosphorus (a natural strait connecting the Black Sea to the Sea of Mamara and out to the Mediterranean). It is a boundary between Europe and Asia and separates the 20 million person city of Istanbul in two.

Then on to Dolmabache Palace, the main administrative building during the Ottoman Empire. Impressive architecture.

After lunch at a neighborhood restaurant, we went to the Grand Bazaar (where I bought Turkish beach towels). It was a long day.Read more
0 likes
Istanbul/Barcelona - May 2022 Traveler
Show trip
Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
Share
Day 9
Friday, May 6, 2022 at 4:48 PM
☀️ 61 °F
Altitude: Sea level
Turkey Kabataş 41.033325, 28.99350741°1’60” N 28°59’37” E
Istanbul Farewell
May 6, 2022 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 61 °F
We walked the main shopping street of Istanbul this morning (Istiklal) so John could buy more t-shirts! Found the LC Waikiki and made some quick purchases. Then we boarded the Oceania Sirena to begin our 2 week cruise.
Our concierge "suite" on the Oceania is small but comfortable. The bathroom is TINY. Customs was a bit drawn out with a full search (for drugs?) by the dogs. Tonight we sail through the Strait of Dardenelle.Read more
0 likes
Istanbul/Barcelona - May 2022 Traveler
Show trip
Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
Share
Day 10
Saturday, May 7, 2022 at 4:59 PM
🌬 66 °F
Altitude: 36 ft
Turkey Mount Sana 39.834736, 26.07019239°50’5” N 26°4’13” E
Bozcaada
May 7, 2022 in Turkey ⋅ 🌬 66 °F
Our first port. No dock for a big ship so we came in on a tender. Bozcaada (aka Tenedos in Greek) is the third largest island of Turkey (but only 15 sq mi) and in the Aegean Sea . We took a ship's bus tour around the island. It has great beaches but it is still too cold to visit them. Fields of red poppies are EVERYWHERE. The island has a long history of wine production and we visited the Corvus Winery for a tasting. Of course we brought some bottles back to the ship with us. We spend the late afternoon exploring the Bozcaada Fortress on our own and John did some scrambling on the ruins.Read more
0 likes
Istanbul/Barcelona - May 2022 Traveler
Show trip
Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
Share
Day 11
Sunday, May 8, 2022
☀️ 68 °F
Altitude: 23 ft
Turkey Kusadasi 37.863914, 27.25531437°51’50” N 27°15’19” E
Kusadasi / Ephesus
May 8, 2022 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 68 °F
We docked today in Kusadasi and took a bus to see the ruins of Ephesus. An important Greek city, it had the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Most of the ruins are from the Roman city built later. The ruins are expansive. St. Paul sent epistles to the Ephesians. We also saw the area where it is said Mary lived in her elder years.Read more
0 likes
Istanbul/Barcelona - May 2022 Traveler
Show trip
Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
Share
Day 12
Monday, May 9, 2022
☀️ 73 °F
Altitude: 135 ft
Greece Rhodes 36.435847, 28.21721536°26’9” N 28°13’2” E
Rhodes
May 9, 2022 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 73 °F
0 likes
Istanbul/Barcelona - May 2022 Traveler
Show trip
Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
Share
Day 13
Tuesday, May 10, 2022 at 8:00 AM
☀️ 68 °F
Altitude: 85 ft
Cyprus Káto Páfos 34.763242, 32.41933234°45’48” N 32°25’10” E
Cyprus
May 10, 2022 in Cyprus ⋅ ☀️ 68 °F
A quiet day today as John not feeling great. An afternoon COVID test was positive so we went into enforced isolation together on the ship.
0 likes
Istanbul/Barcelona - May 2022 Traveler
Show trip
Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
Share
Day 14
Wednesday, May 11, 2022 at 7:00 AM
☀️ 66 °F
Altitude: Sea level
Israel Nemal H̱efa 32.828941, 34.99322132°49’44” N 34°59’36” E
Haifa and Ashdod Israel
May 11, 2022 in Israel ⋅ ☀️ 66 °F
Still in isolation. There was nothing pretty or redeeming about these ugly commercial ports and nothing to see, even from our balcony, as we can’t leave our room. But we are very glad we are not missing too much as we had our great 2019 trip that included both Jerusalem and Tel Aviv/Jaffa. Very sorry to miss the Baha’i Gardens in Haifa. Maybe next time!
Staff are being very nice to us in lock-down but room service is getting really boring. Lisa tested positive for COVID on the 13th and so they moved her to a separate room down the hall from John.Read more
0 likes
Istanbul/Barcelona - May 2022 Traveler
Show trip
Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
Share
Day 18
Sunday, May 15, 2022 at 8:00 AM
☀️ 66 °F
Altitude: 23 ft
Greece Liménas Soúdas 35.492118, 24.06341335°29’32” N 24°3’48” E
Crete
May 15, 2022 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 66 °F
Still in isolation but a pretty port and a pretty day.
0 likes
Istanbul/Barcelona - May 2022 Traveler
Show trip
Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
Share
Day 19
Monday, May 16, 2022 at 7:45 AM
☀️ 75 °F
Altitude: Sea level
Greece Órmos Zakýnthou 37.784267, 20.91405937°47’3” N 20°54’51” E
Zakinthos, Greece
May 16, 2022 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F
Another pretty port and great weather to enjoy from our balconies. Great news - John released from isolation this evening.
0 likes
Istanbul/Barcelona - May 2022 Traveler
Show trip
Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
Share
Day 20
Tuesday, May 17, 2022
☀️ 73 °F
Altitude: 23 ft
Malta Il-Moll tal-Kurcifis 35.890285, 14.50828435°53’25” N 14°30’30” E
Malta
May 17, 2022 in Malta ⋅ ☀️ 73 °F
John was able to tour Malta, Lisa stayed in isolation.
0 likes
Istanbul/Barcelona - May 2022 Traveler
Show trip
Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
Share
Day 22
Thursday, May 19, 2022
☀️ 73 °F
Altitude: Sea level
Italy Trapani Ferry Port 38.013462, 12.50348738°0’48” N 12°30’13” E
Trapani and Erice, Sicily
May 19, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 73 °F
0 likes
Istanbul/Barcelona - May 2022 Traveler
Show trip
Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
Share
Day 23
Friday, May 20, 2022
☀️ 75 °F
Altitude: Sea level
Spain Poros, Kefalonia Ferry Port 41.371704, 2.17893641°22’18” N 2°10’44” E
Barcelona
May 20, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F
We arrive in Barcelona and dock within walking distance of the center of the city, La Ramblas! We disembark very early and head with our luggage to our home for the next few days, the Kimpton Vividora on Carrer del Duc. It’s a quiet street just off La Ramblas on the edge of the Gothic Quarter. The city is busy with car enthusiasts (a Formula One race) but we have now been told many times how sparse the tourists are because of Covid.Read more
0 likes