Mike and I spent our three week honeymoon traveling thru Europe, and then stayed within the USA’s borders until our 25th wedding anniversary in 2001. To celebrate that milestone we took our first cruise, which started with two days in Istanbul.
I had thought that we would return to Turkey to celebrate our 50th, but as the John Lennon song goes “Life is what happens to you when you’re busy making other plans”.
Instead, I’ll be visiting Turkey on Mike’s and my anniversary accompanied by Janis, Shirley, Renee and Renee’s husband Mike, all friends I met on prior OAT trips.
On the way home from my Africa trip, I opted to stop in Istanbul for two nights. I’m not seeing many of the usual tourist sights—I either saw them in 2001 or will see them when I visit in May of 2026. Instead, I’ve primarily been on a recognizance mission, checking out restaurants and the hammam, so I can make “free time” recommendations for my travel companions.
The lunch at Matbah was WONDERFUL! I opted for an appetizer (grape leaves and sour cherries) and the yogurt and cucumber salad. The complimentary baba ganoush, warm pita bread and pomegranate juice were an unexpected treat. I can fully understand how this place got its Michelin rating.
Last night I visited Seven Hills restaurant. The terrace has a spectacular view BUT stupid people were feeding the seagulls. Don’t they understand that what goes in eventually must come OUT? I happen to know that the poop doesn’t necessarily land on the head of the person feeding the gulls; sometimes it’s an innocent bystander that’s the target.
I decided to patronize the Seven Hills restaurant on the floor below the terrace, which was MUCH quieter and had an equally compelling view of the Bosporus. The food? Well, it was expensive and average. I wouldn’t go back the next time I’m in Istanbul.
On the morning of my only full day in Istanbul, I encountered an OAT group taking Turkey’s Magical Hideaways (my 2026 trip) in the hotel lobby. I decided to eavesdrop as Sari, the trip leader, held the morning briefing. After he finished, I introduced myself and asked if I could have a copy of the four pages of helpful hints that he’d handed out to the group.
And let me tell you, they came in VERY handy.
For example, I hate to be rude, so I find it impossible to ignore someone who is talking to me. One of the hints said “Do not be polite”, and told us to walk away from offers for help or invitations to shop.
Despite being cautioned, I still engaged in conversations. It seems I can’t help it. This young man tried more than once to get me to visit his shop, calling “Hey, New Jersey” when he encountered me the second time. Yes, I DID tell him where I was from the first time we met. AND I took his picture.
I keep telling the young men (and it’s ALWAYS young guys) “I’m old. I’m not acquiring stuff any more—I’m getting RID of stuff. Go after the young ‘uns. They’re more likely to buy from you”. That seems to work rather well.
So my morning was spent crashing a meeting, hanging out, and wandering aimlessly. For the afternoon, I fruitlessly searched for gifts for the boys in my life. Gifts for girls abound, but boys? I came up empty.
My trip to the Hamam, on the other hand, was a smashing success. Not only was I in a historic building, but I also managed to shed about a pound of dead skin cells and African grit.
I’m usually not a fan of massages, but this experience was incredible. I immediately checked the OAT itinerary, and was glad to see that we are going to have a free afternoon in Istanbul on our 2026 trip. You better believe I’m coming back!
I can’t tell whether the description of the hammam is readable, but just in case it isn’t, here’s the gist.
The “Hagia Sophia bathhouse” as it was called back then, was built in 1556. Over the centuries, it was repurposed, then restored in 1957. So why didn’t I delete the photos of the description after I wrote the summary? Because I found the description absolutely charming—incomprehensible, but charming.
Fortunately, the photo of the available services came through clearly. I bought the one hour of services and it was worth every Euro!
I wasn’t sure whether the “warmest quarter” referred to my body or the section of the building. It was the latter.
The photo atop this blog post shows what’s under the huge dome on the right, in the photo below. The little domes are private areas where you get covered with mud, then rinsed off. After that, you mosey on over to the dome on the left to get enveloped in bubbles (it was fantastic) and massaged.
You start and end up in the room under the big dome on the right
That’s where you sip your tea, while wearing your Hannibal Lecter mask.
I’ll admit to being so puzzled by my hotel’s bathroom configuration that I actually did a video of it for the folks back home.
Https://youtu.be/VtunHUZX-ns?si=0TvliqZ7QqdQ9Axx
The mystery of the basin and round metal bowl was solved during my visit to the hammam, because the private spaces were similarly constructed. One exception— the ones in the hammam didn’t have a showerhead. That was probably a concession to the western guests.
But back to the basin, bowl and bench.
Here’s what you do. You fill the basin with water heated to your desired temperature. You sit on the bench and use the small metal bowl to dump water all over your body. Now, why didn’t I figure that out?
For my last morning in Istanbul, I visited the Topkapi Palace, which was within walking distance of our hotel. It is on 2026 itinerary, but sometimes it’s nice to take your time, wandering unescorted. This was definitely not one of those times. I kept getting lost. (I know, hard to believe…) I was especially sorry that I wasn’t with a guide who would steer me away from the boring and depressing areas and focus solely on what was worth seeing.
On a positive note, I left the “palace“ convinced that I am currently living better — and more comfortably —than yesteryear’s Ottoman Empire sultan. We ALL are.
Check out the throne room, theoretically the best digs in the palace. I’ll take my living room over this one, ANY day!
I DID like the library, but I’ll bet my iPhone has a better selection of reading materials.
What I don’t have is a room housing relics, at least not yet. The Chamber of the Sacred Relics is purported to contain the staff that Moses used to part the Red Sea, a pot that once belonged to Abraham (probably it was Sara’s, but back then, I’ll bet women weren’t allowed to own anything), bones from St John the Baptist’s skull and forearm, and dust from Mohammed’s tomb.
As it got closer to noon, the palace became hot and crowded. It took a while, but eventually I found my way out of the maze, checked out of the hotel, and made my way to the airport, which was a little over an hour’s taxi ride away.
This will be my last blog post for a while. No more international trips till 2025.
Thanks for traveling with me!
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