Day 1: BARCELONA-ISTANBUL
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Today begins our long-awaited trip through Turkey. We have chosen to go with a wholesaler that is Club 5 Stars, which is the one that offered us more things what to see in Turkey in this reduced range of dates.
It is not something that makes us very funny, but in the end we have decided on an organized circuit for not having time to organize the trip.
We leave Barcelona at 2pm on a charter flight and arrive in Istanbul at 6pm.
The first impression is good. We do the paperwork and at the exit a guide is waiting for us, to give us the first explanations and take us to our hotel.
We stop several times, depending on the hotel that each traveler has.
When it's our turn, I feel a great disappointment.
We thought the area was good, but at night and without knowing it ... I don't like the images I see from the bus.
The next day, we will see that nothing is further from reality ... Istanbul is wonderful.
We left our bags and went down to dinner.
The hotel is quite average and breakfast and dinner the same.
We will get used these days to dinner every night soups and creams !!
After this, we go to the room to rest.
We have 3 days ahead in Istanbul, in which we have not wanted to take any guided excursion and do it all for free ...
Tomorrow starts the show !!
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Day 2: ISTANBUL
Monday, August 27, 2007
We get up early. This word will be repeated every day of this trip (and in 99.9% of our trips !!)
We have a planning done from home and not to waste too much time, we put it into practice as soon as we leave the hotel.
More practical information to prepare your trip to Istanbul
- 50 things to see and do in Istanbul
- The 5 best tours and excursions in Istanbul
- 10 essential places to visit in Turkey
- 10 essential tips for traveling to Turkey
- Istanbul guide in one day
- Istanbul guide in two days
- Istanbul guide in 3 days
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- 10 essential tips for traveling to Istanbul
I leave some notes that we were carrying and that were fabulous:
MONDAY CLOSED SANTA SOFÍA
TUESDAY CLOSED PALACE TOPKAPI
WEDNESDAY CLOSED SAN SALVADOR IN CHORA
SUNDAY CLOSED BAZARES
OPENING-CLOSING MEZQUITAS: 9.15h 12.15h
1:45 p.m. 4:45 p.m. Friday: close from 11.30 a.m. to 2.30 p.m.
17,45h 18.30h
SHOWS: 7:00 p.m. Sirkesi station: dervishes: 30 lire.
Monday and Thursday: ticket sales and show at the station entering on the left hand side after passing public services. Duration 1 hour: from 7.30pm. until 8.30pm.
You can see the dervishes at the sirkeci railway station (very close to the eminonu docks) on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m. but arrive at 7 p.m. to get a place because it gets full. It is worth 30 lira per person and they let you take photos without flash and video. they also sell cd and dvd in the ticket stand
Sundays: sale of entrance at the exit of the tunnel (beyoglu-istiklal) and representation near the palace of sweden. Hours: 2 functions one at 4:00 p.m. and one at 6:00 p.m.
Our first visit is the PALACE OF DOLMABAHCE, one of the places what to see in Turkey.
Box office hours: 9.00 h. Price: palace: 10 lire, 20 lire joint palace + harem. 10 more lire for photos or cameras. For 5, we take one for my camera and another for the video camera. It closes at 4:00 p.m.… payment visa-4b mastercard.
The day has been quite gray and we have to open the umbrellas on occasion.
We begin to notice the essence of Istanbul ... and we like it a lot !!
This visit takes us all morning, so then we will head to the TASKIM PLAZA.
There we stop to have a drink while we drop an unforgettable shower.
As we have a tight planning, we are going to visit the TORRE GÁLATA, we decided to go even if it rains ...
Upon arrival we want to stop to eat, but as we see that it stopped raining, we took the opportunity to climb the Tower.
Stunning views of the city, we are there for an hour, going around and taking pictures.
On the way out, we see that they sell some masks, made of leather, that we like very much. But as usually happens ... we look at them, we correct them and we think that it is the first day of the trip ... and that we will have time for shopping. Big mistake: we were thinking about them 2 days and in the end we had to go back !!
After this visit we will eat at a restaurant in front of the Tower. We eat our first kebab. Nothing to do with what's in Spain!
Every time I think of Turkey ... I remember that kebab!
We rest for a while and we set off for the RUSTEM PACHA MOSQUE, located in the Eminonu district.
First contact with a mosque in Turkey.
We take off our shoes and I cover my head.
We were amazed and there we regain strength for the next view of the day.
After a while, we set our way to the SOLIMAN EL MAGNÍFICO MOSQUE.
They open every day from 09.00-17.00.
It took us a while to arrive, climbing hills, we probably have not taken the right path, but some people tell us that we cross the road and that makes the climb much more pleasant.
Once there we are again amazed.
We go through everything we can, admiring the beauty of the architectural complex.
We observe people and this makes us understand, little by little, their culture.
After this we go to the BIG BAZAR, there we begin to unleash our materialistic instinct and we begin to get an idea of what we want to buy.
Late at night, we go to the hotel for dinner and rest.
Our first day in Istanbul has been very complete and we still have many things to see.
Day 3: ISTANBUL
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
We get up early.
Our first visit of the day is the TOPKAPI PALACE.
Being the second day, it seems not, but we already have more security in moving around the city.
We walk from the hotel, thinking that the journey would be shorter.
But finally we arrived first thing as we wanted. Of course ... there is already a line!
It is a highly recommended visit, but you have to dedicate some time to be productive.
One of the things that catch our attention are the views it has.
We go through all the rooms and take pictures whenever we can.
It is a very tourist site and we have to "pay it", we have to wait to take pictures.
After this we have one of the strengths of the day: SANTA SOFIA.
Spectacular, after the visit you feel tiny, you look at it from outside and you see that it is a masterpiece.
We greatly enjoyed the visit and decided to go see the JUSTINIAN CISTERNA, another of the places that what to see in Turkey, before going to eat.
It impresses us. Classical background music and lights give it a special air.
We walked for a while, looking for the famous jellyfish heads, until we found them and of course, we made the photos of rigor.
The hunger begins to tighten and we decided to eat in one of the restaurants nearby.
In this area, restaurants are a bit more expensive, but they are not bad at all.
We eat very well and chat for a while with one of the waiters who speaks a little Spanish.
There I try my first rice dumplings, recommended by the waiter.
We drink our tea, rest and go to the BLUE MOSQUE.
We like it, but being more touristy, it loses a little that charm that we have been looking for.
But it cannot be denied that it is another great masterpiece.
After the visit we take pictures of the outside and we go to the HYPODROME.
There we see: the Obelisk, the Serpentiform Column, The German Fountain and the Walled Obelisk.
Then we go to the SPECIES BAZAR.
Before arriving we make a break to rest and have tea.
This afternoon we have a bit more clear of visits and we want to take advantage of relaxing.
The Bazaar of the Species is curious and above all it sharpens your senses.
We left there drunk with smells.
We decided that we have to go to the hotel for dinner and rest.
Day 4: ISTANBUL
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Third day early.
Today we decided to go for a walk THE SHORE OF THE GOLDEN HORN.
So we started the day a little quieter, walking.
In the middle of the morning we take a taxi, to take us to the CHURCH OF SAN SALVADOR DE CHORA.
It scams us. He makes us a good sleight of hand and suddenly some notes that he says we have not given him have disappeared.
That makes us show ourselves and maybe (despite not wanting it) not to enjoy the visit so much.
It is a magnificent church, which is visited in a short time.
After this we see the WALL and we go to the MEZQUITA DE EYUP SULTÁN.
It is a less touristy place and we enjoy silence again.
We stop to rest for a while in the surroundings before heading to take the cable car that will take us to the famous PIERRE LOTTI HILL, one of the many places what to see in Turkey.
From the cable car we have views of the cemetery.
We take many photos in the viewpoints and stop at the cafe to have a drink and refresh ourselves.
The views are wonderful.
We are there for an hour, relaxing and decided to return to the Galata Tower to buy the masks we had seen the first day and take advantage of eating our favorite kebab.
We take the tram and head towards it.
In the afternoon we take it easy and stroll through the area, wandering around, which is one of the best ways to get to know a city.
When our stomach itches again, we decided that it is time to head to the hotel.
Tomorrow begins our organized circuit ...
Day 5: ISTANBUL - BURSA - ÇANAKKALE
Thursday, August 30, 2007
We give breakfast and leave some shopping at the hotel, since before we leave we will spend another day in Istanbul.
We leave for Bursa by ferry crossing the Sea of
Marmara It is a unique experience.
The views are fabulous and the sun makes us take some great photos.
When we arrived we visited the Mosque and the Green Mausoleum,
famous for its tile paneling, and the Great Mosque
Ottoman
They give us free time to visit the Silk Market.
There we make some purchases of scarves and foulards. We eat in a restaurant (from this point of the trip, we will discover that the food in this organized circuit will go from bad to worse) and continue towards Çanakkale.
Once there they take us to the hotel, where we have dinner and after the talk and the evening tea we will rest.
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Day 6: ÇANAKKALE - TROYA - PERGAMO - AREA OF ESMIRNA
Friday, August 31, 2007
We had breakfast early and left for Troy, one of the places what to see in Turkey, scene of the legends that Homer related in the Iliada and where archaeological remains of nine different periods of colonization have been found.
At the entrance of Troy is a reproduction of the famous wooden horse.
We are making the visit about 2 hours. It is very interesting.
We continue to Pérgamo, one of the main cities of the Hellenistic civilization, cultural, commercial and medical center that rivaled other cities in the Mediterranean. It is the city where the "parchment" was invented.
We visit the Acropolis where we see the Temple of
Trajan, the ruins of the old library, the Temple of
Athena, the Altar of Zeus, the Theater and the Temple of Dionysus.
We also visit the Asclepion, built in honor of the god of medicine and at the same time a place of worship and therapeutic center.
We eat on the route and continue to Izmir, where on arrival they take us to the hotel for dinner.
Day 7: AREA OF ESMIRNA - EFESO - AFRODISIAS - PAMUKKALE
Saturday, September 1, 2007
We also had breakfast early and prepared to leave for Ephesus.
We visited this classic city that was the capital of Asia Minor and that has one of the most representative Hellenistic artistic ensembles of its time, in the
They highlight the wonders of El Odeón, the Gate of Hercules, The Temple of Hadrian, The Library of Celsus, The Agora and the impressive Roman Theater.
From this view we were very impressed by the Library, it is impressive, none of the photos we had seen do it justice.
After this they take us to visit the House of the Virgin
Mary on the Mount of Panayir.
I am not a believer, but the location of the place, the surroundings and the austerity make the place a special place.
I left with a feeling of peace "a little strange."
We ate and continued to Aphrodisias, a Roman city dedicated to the cult of the goddess Aphrodite. We visit the Theater, the Odeon and the Stadium of great beauty, which is accentuated by the attractive landscape that
surrounds. We continue to Pamukkale, one of the many places what to see in Turkey, famous for its fantastic landscape of petrified calcareous waterfalls and stalactites, which have been formed because of the lime contained in the water that emanates from the hot springs in the area.
This we had to visit the next day in the morning.
But our guide insisted that we could see him in the afternoon.
Despite our refusal, he kept saying yes.
So, to get back to the bus, we had to be walking a sandy path, without lighting for more than an hour.
We were going with lighters because nothing was visible. When we met the guide again, we got angry, but he told us, that he had preferred to do so (??)
A shame not to have been able to enjoy Pamukkale in all its splendor.
After this they take us to the hotel and quite tired we will rest.
Day 8: PAMUKKALE - PERGE - ANTALYA
Sunday, September 2, 2007
We have breakfast and go directly to Perge, another place what to see in Turkey, since the visit of the Roman city of Hierapolis, which has
the largest necropolis of the ancient world and retains the ruins of the Roman baths, the theater, the Christian basilica, etc., we had done last night.
We eat in one of the restaurants, totally oriented to tourists, which has the "organization". We continue the trip to Antalya.
On the way we visit Perge, an ancient city that retains a
Nice theater, the arcaded road and a great stadium. We arrive in Antalya sooner than expected, for the advance visit and we will tour the city on our own.
It is a beautiful city, with a fairly "western" promenade.
After having a drink we will have dinner at the hotel and rest.
Day 9: ANTALYA
Monday, September 3, 2007
This is a free day, but we choose to make an optional excursion.
Optional excursion that includes: the visit of Phaselis, a fascinating place that combines the natural marine environment with the Mediterranean vegetation and whose archaeological ruins are scattered around three small coves; the visit to the cave tombs of the ancient city Lycia of Myra (Demre), (they are wonderful and as it has happened on other occasions, the photos do not reflect what it really is); and private yacht cruise through the most beautiful bays of the Mediterranean where we take the opportunity to take a bath.
It is a fairly quiet day and we really enjoyed it.
Afterwards, we arrive at the hotel and as always, we have dinner and rest.
Day 10: ANTALYA - ASPENDOS - KONYA - CAPADOCIA
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
We had breakfast early and set off to visit the Aspendos Amphitheater, one of the best preserved in the world.
After seeing several, it surprises, but it is a feeling of "more".
We leave for Konya, the former capital of the Seljuk Empire. There we visited the Mausoleum of Mevlana, founder of the order of the Dancing Dervishes and covered with green tiles. It is a very interesting visit.
We eat and set course for Cappadocia.
En route we visit a medieval inn “Kervansaray” of the silk road, where we eat (following the custom, we can say little that it was good)
We arrived in Cappadocia and after leaving things at the hotel, we went around the town, before dinner. At the hotel. At night, possibility of attending a folk dance show of the country or a performance
Day 11: CAPADOCIA
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
We visited this fantastic region, a mixture of
Vagaries of nature and human art. The first visit was a panoramic view of the fascinating troglodyte valley of Uçhisar, famous for its rock formations with houses and churches carved into the rock, and the spectacular volcanic sites of the valleys of Avcilar and Güvercinlik, known as “fairy chimneys” .
After this great main course we set out for
Göreme Open Air Museum that preserves a set
of churches carved into the rock of the 10th century.
After the meal, they took us to see a demonstration of the ancient art of hand weaving carpets and kilims of recognized fame in a specialized workshop and visit of a craftsman workshop of beautiful objects of decoration and jewelry.
That afternoon was the most boring, taking us to these types of sites, arranged with the wholesaler, where they force you to go so you can buy something.
We know they do and we accept, so we can't complain too much ...
After this, we return to the hotel for dinner and rest.
Day 12: CAPADOCIA
Thursday, September 6, 2007
This day we were given a link between a balloon ride or a hiking trail (paying of course). We chose hiking and it was very good, we went out at dawn and stayed for a couple of hours in the nature of Cappadocia, another place what to see in Turkey.
After this, we met with all the companions and left for the underground city of Özkonak excavated by the Christian communities to protect themselves from the Arab attacks, and where you can contemplate the common dormitories, kitchens, ventilation wells, etc.
At first, I thought it would give me a bit of claustrophobia, but nothing at all, it is a highly recommended visit.
Then we toured the Pasabagi Valley and Çavusin.
After this day, they take us back to the hotel and rest ...
Day 13: CAPADOCIA - ANKARA - ISTANBUL
Friday, September 7, 2007
Today we get up early, why we have to return to Istanbul.
We leave by bus to Ankara, the capital of
country. We make a brief visit to the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations. We stop to eat and continue to Istanbul.
The trip becomes eternal and we stop every 3 hours!
As much as we tell you if we can make a stop before, the guide ignores us a lot and follows his tactics of becoming the "deaf"
We arrived in Istanbul at night, thinking of lying down and forgetting about that road trip!
Day 14: ISTANBUL
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Today we get up a little later, but we are clear about the planning of our last day.
The first thing we are going to do is the CRUISE FOR THE BOSPHORUS.
We are about 2 hours on the boat, calm, relaxed, without stopping to look from one place to another ...
Upon arrival, we stop to eat at a fish restaurant, where we get fed up.
This being so many days without eating well, has made a dent in our appetite!
After eating quietly, we return to the cruise and we will stroll, for the last time in this magnificent city.
Late night we return to our hotel for the last time ...
Day 15: ISTANBUL - BARCELONA
Sunday, September 9, 2007
They pick us up to take us to the airport, back to Barcelona !!
There they tell us that our flight is 2 hours late, so without hesitation, the little group, with which we have made more crumbs on the trip ... we are going like crazy to a ... MCDONAL'S !!!
It seems incredible, but it's the truth.
The days we have eaten on our own has been perfect, great food.
But the days of the circuit, everything was cold food, half raw ...
Of course, we get a great impression of this impressive country.
A country to visit again, but whenever you can, for free, without agencies involved.
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