11549

Our first goal today was to buy some fish and shrimps for the dinner.

Balık

On the bazaar you can also find many interesting things and you usually see what you are buying.

 

 

Fish, grape leaves, olives, seeds, nuts, ... You can find everything.

We continued our way with ferry to Karaköy, Istanbul, Europe. We walked a little bit up to the Galata tower. We entered and tried to get to the top without paying the entrance fee, but we were not sucessful, so we only took an elevator to the half of the tower. Next time we will come on sunday, because it's free then.

Galata tower, built in 1348, is 66,9m tall

 

Some Galata tower photos

We continued our tour to İstiklal Caddesi.

 

St. Anthony of Padua Church in Istanbul

Our next stop was the Pera museum. We liked it immediately, because it was free for students. Yes, we still have student cards, but don't ask from where. There was an exhibition from two Mexican painters, Frida Kahlo and Diego Riviera. We started our tour from the top, where two floors were reserved for paintings from scenes from Tsarist Russia. For me, these were the most beautiful paintings.

 

 

Scenes from Tsarist Russia: 19th Century Russian Classics from the State Russian Museum Collection

Next two floors were reserved for Frida and Diego.

 

 

Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera from the Gelman Collection

Last two floors were reserved for Orientalist paintings, Anatolian Weights and Measures and Kütahya Tiles and Ceramics.

 

 

 Orientalists paintings

Day still wasn't over. We continued with taxi to a concert of traditional Turkish music. Burcu's friend's mother was singing, so we had a special invitation.

Şan: Selmin Saruhan Piyano: A. Mahmut Abra

 

Burcu as manager?

Time was running and we were hungry. Fish time at Burcu's restaurant. Again we ate till the last breath.

 

Dinner table and shrimps

11548

We started the day with a strong Turkish breakfast.

Sucuk, Pastırma, Hellim cheese and some other things

After the late breakfast we went with a ferry to Princes Islands, south from Istanbul. Since there are more islands we only checked the biggest one, Büyükada. On all the islands motor vehicles are forbidden.

You are here!

Burcu's friend gave us some directions and soon we were walking south on the island towards Aya Yorgi (Church of St. George). On the menu we had:

Church, obviously

Abandoned Greek orphanage

Finally some forest in the vicinity of Istanbul

Short break near the Orthodox Monastery

After the break we turned around and started walking back to the port.

Our coach back

How happy is he, who can say “I am a Turk”

Food again, nice desert

We left Büyükada and our plan was to go to Moda bazaar, buy fish and have a nice fish dinner. And now the but thing is coming. We forgot to get off of the ferry in Kadıköy. So our plans needed to be changed. Fish dinner was postponed for a day and so we went to İstiklal Avenue, where we had a quick dinner.

 

 

We had soup, mixed Gözleme and some additional things

After dinner it was finally time for a beer.

Angry?

And after beer we went to a gypsy music concert in Araf. Selim Sesler, a clarinet virtuoz with his band was on the stage.

Selim Sesler and his Gypsy band

Hey man, what are you doing?

Leaving Araf in an elevator

11547

Today in the evening we went out to dinner. We ate many delicious things.

Rakı and food

After we filled our bellies we went to a jazz concert, where Sarp Maden and his band played in a bar in Taksim. It was a very nice concert.

 

Jazz concert

Food explanation by Burcu:

1st we had Liver Şiş (cow).

2nd we had Çöp Şiş.

3rd we had Adana Kebab.

4th we had Kebab with Eggplants. Burcu says that is basically the same as Adana kebab with eggplants inluded.

5th we had Chicken Wings.

Additionally we had:

Şalgam (the juice of spiced and fermented black-carrot pickles)

Rakı (anise-flavoured Turkish spirit)

After all these the waiter also brought us a desert, which is called a bomb. Banana, honey, walnut and cream on top.

Thank you very much for an explanation.

11546

Primož, Katarina and me decided to spend our new year vacation time in Istanbul, where my girlfriend Burcu lives. We left at 5 o'clock in the morning from Ljubljana and we drove to Vienna. It took us approximately 4 hours to get there. We parked in the city, in the Geiselbergstrasse, as friends from Vienna group in CouchSurfing suggested. We were still early for our 14:30 flight so we walked a little in the cold city.

 

Quick stop in cold Vienna

Since the cold didn't suite us, we decided to take S-bahn to the airport. So this is one of the cheapest ways to go to Vienna airport, just leave the car at Geiselbergstrasse (free) and take S-Bahn S7, which costs 3,6€ per person to airport. So we arrived at the airport, too early, and we waited, waited. We didn't like the airport, because you have nowhere to sit there.
Finally the time has come and we boarded the plane. Sunexpress was our flight company.
At 17:30 we arrived to Sabiha Gökçen airport in Istanbul, named after first female combat pilot. We crossed the customs with a lot of wine, spirits and meat without being detected and it was time to go on the bus to Kadıköy.
And here we are, at Burcu's place. She set a programme for us and for the first night she planned salsa night for us. Primož ana Katarina were tired so only me and Burcu and two more friends, Mithat and Iranian guy Kourosh went there. I must say it is not fun to drink a small beer for 16TL (8€). People danced a little, but I expected a little more from them.

Kourosh and Mithat