Trip to Turkey

Last weekend I was lucky enough to get to go to Turkey for the weekend. At 3am my family and I got ready for our flight, meeting our friends at the airport for our holiday. 

In this week's post, I will share a few of the highlights from my first weekend away since COVID began. 

Dinner by the Sea

After arriving in Turkey after a long day of travelling we got to our hotel and began unpacking and settling in. 

Around 7:00 we got a taxi to the pier and a small boat across the sea to our restaurant. The restaurant was on the other side of the sea, along the shore, overlooking the most gorgeous view of the city. 

The food was amazing, with different types of fish dishes, Turkish mezze and strangely enough sushi! I had to choose the sushi platter which contained the best sushi I have had in ages. 

Around 8:30 the sun began to set and the sky turned a beautiful pink while we watched the ships move slowly across the sea. We finished the evening off with traditional Turkish desserts topped with delicious ice cream. 

Grand Bazaar 

On the second day, we got up early to make the most of our time in Turkey. 

We began by booking ourselves a trip on the hop-on-hop-off bus, where we were able to drive around the city, listening to the history of the country.

The first stop was the Grand Bazaar and the Nuruosmaniye Mosque. It was a lovely sunny day so we made the most of the sun by sitting outside for a traditional lunch. I had Menemen which are eggs and tomato, cooked together in a small pan.

After our quick bite to eat we headed out on a mission to shop. Into the Bazaar, I was bombarded by jewellery and bags and clothing. I couldn’t resist the temptation and ended up buying a few pieces of silver jewellery and a lovely “Louise Vuitton” purse. 

Later that day we headed back onto the tour bus and spent the last moments of the sun on the top deck getting the best views of the city. 

Around 6 we got off the bus, through the square to our hotel where we had some time to get ready for dinner out in town. 

Shopping at Taksim Square

On the last day, after a large hotel breakfast, we spent the morning walking around our area, this included Taksim Square. 

The square was filled with life; from people playing music along the street, carts of roasted corn and chestnut and shop owners enticing you into their colourful shops. 

This is the perfect place to buy kilos of Turkish delight, look around Turkish fashion brands and stock up on souvenirs for friends and family, all at really reasonable prices.  

We ended our afternoon of adventures with a Turkish Kebab and bags filled with treasures, before heading back to the hotel for a quick swim. 

After an evening of swimming and getting ready for our travels tomorrow, we all went down for a fabulous dinner at the hotels’ restaurant. 

If you ever visit Turkey make sure to check out some of the places I mentioned and you won’t be disappointed! 

Love, Aria 

XO