By this Author: familyineurope

Day 31 - Back to Prague!

Our morning started with a quick taxi ride to the Sofia airport. The airport felt relaxed and we had plenty of time to have coffee and chill while waiting for our 2.5 hour flight. Bulgarian Airlines was easy and efficient. In fact, as I write this blog more than a week later, I remember very little about the flight.

We gathered our things and used public transport to get to DD#1's new apartment. She's a pro with navigating Prague's trams and metros. In less than an hour, she had her keys and we we made our way up the 81 stairs to her apartment for the first of many trips. The studio apartment is small but it came furnished with everything she needs. Luckily, the bed is bigger than it looks in the pictures. Despite not having air conditioning, we slept quite well with windows open and a fan on full speed.

The neighborhood is perfect! There are so many cafes, grocery stores, and restaurants all without being in the touristy center. I loved the view from her 4th floor window.

The exterior of her building:

DD#1's closest college friend came to meet us for lunch and to help with some moving chores. We tried their favorite sandwich chain in Prague, Bageterie Boulevard. Next was a two tram trek to DD#1's old apartment where she stored all her stuff over the summer. So much more stuff than I expected!

We used trams to transport the first batch of things across town. We looked pretty funny rolling an IKEA cart, shoe rack, full length mirror. and large fan across town!

DD#1 was excited to see friends so we split up for the evening. I explored her new neighborhood and made little discoveries like the most beautiful elementary school.

I had an amazing Vietnamese beef noodle dish for around $7 and headed out for a long walk along the water.

I didn't intend to walk nearly 40 minutes to the old town, but that's what happened! I caught the main sights at dusk and the light was stunning. I was so happy to be back in familiar Prague.

Day 32 - A great run, more moving, and delicious food!

I researched "best runs in Prague" and was inspired to try a few of them during my six night stay in the city. I had an unlimited tram pass so it was easy to hop on a tram to get the starting point. This one started near the historic Charles Bridge. I criss-crossed over five of the bridges crossing the Vltava River! Such a neat idea to make these figure 8s over the bridges!

Nearly six miles later, I climbed the tower on the old town side of the Charles Bridge for some great views. The towers are all 1/2 off admission during the first hour of opening. Well worth the $4. It was also a great way to beat the crowds.

DD#1 and I found a nearby bakery where I had a kolache, basically a Czech Danish. I was on a mission to attempt to visit six of her neighborhood coffee shops in six days. As long as I was buying, she was game!

We trekked across town to her old apartment and moved another few items. We also stopped and did some shopping for a few necessities for her new place. We rewarded ourselves with a delicious Czech lunch at a cafeteria-style place just around the corner from her apartment. We had heard about it from our favorite Prague Youtuber, The Honest Guide. More about him later.

The afternoon was a blur of some walking, shopping, and meandering. I was very impressed with the neighborhood church. Absolutely beautiful! It says a lot when the non-touristy churches are this incredible. Prague is a gem.

Prague is full of Vietnamese restaurants and has a large Vietnamese population. There are 4-5 Vietnamese restaurants in DD#1's neighborhood and we ate at three of them. Tonight's was our favorite!

I stopped at the wine cafe around the corner and enjoyed a nice local Czech wine on the street while watching the trams whiz by. Wine was less than $3. Wow!

Day 33 - Nearly 30,000 steps of exploring!

We started off at a Vietnamese coffee shop where we found coconut and salt coffee just like in Vietnam! So fancy!

Two tram rides later and we were back at DD#1's old apartment for the last batch of boxes to be moved. It was a lot of effort, but we saved money by using public transport to move her items.

I left DD#1 alone for some of the day to begin unpacking and making the place feel like her own. There was a huge Red Bull race thing going on just 5 minutes from her apartment. I walked over to check out the "fan zone" but decided it wasn't my scene. I didn't feel like waiting around to watch loud cars race. It was a pretty festive atmosphere though.

I had heard about this odd tunnel that connects two neighborhoods. It was time to investigate! The pedestrian/bike tunnel took about 5-7 minutes to walk through and landed me in the Zizkov neighborhood.

On the other side, I looked behind me at the hill above the tunnel. I decided to hike to the top to find this giant horse statue that I could see from DD#1's neighborhood. I discovered grapes growing on the hill and a network of well-kept trails criss-crossing the hill. Once at the top, I found a large museum and people appeared to be on the rooftop. I investigated how to get up there, of course! For a few bucks, I enjoyed a totally different viewpoint of Prague. Virtually no tourists either!

On the way to the top, there was a large room that must be used for events. The grand piano in the corner caught by eye. The staff were nice to let me play the piano for about 20 minutes or so. It was the best one of the trip and it sounded so great in the large space! However, my playing was apparently too loud so they kicked me off. Oh well.

I stopped at a Georgian bakery in the neighborhood and got a huge creamy looking cake concoction to-go and a yummy potato pastry thing to eat on the go.

DD#1 was meeting her friend in yet another neighborhood so we decided to meet beforehand for a beer. Beer Geeks did not disappoint. So many choices of unique craft beers!

I walked even more and found the most beautiful park with a man-made grotto. It was so fun walking around the rocks where little trails had been carved.

I found some of the famous modern art displays in the old town. The giant butterflies were placed on the new mall. They used old airplane fuselages and the wings moved. They were enormous! David Cerny is responsible for most of the unique art structures in the city.

I slowly meandered back to DD#1's apartment and stopped at yet another Vietnamese restaurant, this time for a shrimp and green mango salad. So delicious! My feet and legs were tired from so much walking.

Day 34 - Kayaking, a local celebrity, and a storm

I started the day with a tram ride to Prague's largest park, Stromovka Park. I had been here once before when the kids were little. This time, I was jogging and saw a lot more ground. The trails were well-maintained and it was a great escape from the city. I look forward to returning sometime when I can try some of the cafes and beer gardens in the park.

DD#1 and I tried another local cafe. They are all good and much more reasonably priced than home.

Another church spotted and briefly toured.

We decided today was the day to try kayaking on the Vltava. We rode a long tram ride to a less-touristy part of the river to Kayak bar. The hour ride flew by and we had fun learning how to navigate our boat. This was a suggestion we had heard about on youtube from The Honest Guide.

After our ride, we crossed the river to a more local spot with several bars and a weekend food market. DD#1 actually sampled some weird spicy worm before we settled on Indian food and noodles. We grabbed our spot along the river with the local crowd.

Suddenly, DD#1 said, "mom, don't look and be obvious, but I'm almost positive that The Honest Guide is sitting behind you!" Sure enough, we had stumbled on the guy who releases weekly videos about how to enjoy Prague like a local. Eventually, we got brave enough to talk to him as he left his table for a beer. He was really gracious and even let us take pictures.

The weather was changing so we decided to pop in the new Tesco supermarket to load DD#1 on some essentials. I love grocery shopping in foreign countries. We didn't take any pictures, but here is a cute grocery stores a few blocks from her apartment. I like how they use historic buildings for groceries stores instead of the huge box stores we have at home.

The thunder storm was intense dumping tons of rain with loud thunder and lightning. We went to the pizza place just across the street from DD#1's apartment. No pictures of our basic dinner. We were tired and called it an early night.

Day 35 - Brevnov Monastery, shopping, more food

I didn't take a picture of today's coffee shop. It was a cute loft place where I can picture DD#1 doing a lot of studying.

DD#1's closest college friend met us for a long tram ride out to Brevnov Monastery. This was a place on my list for a quite a while so I was happy to get out of the main part of the town for an excursion. The monastery was beautiful and quite large. We walked around the grounds a bit before heading to the main event. The restaurant and brewery!

The restaurant featured lots of local specialties like dumplings, mushroom soup, gnocchi, and more. We had a quite a feast with local beer!

I left DD#1 to do yet more unpacking while I did some shopping. I found some nice Czech garnets for gifts and took more random pictures of beautiful Prague.

DD#1 and I were somehow hungry for a late dinner. We started at our favorite local beer garden called Dva Kohouti for amazing bao buns. Then we continued to a neat basement bar across from her apartment for nachos. Yes, we actually found legitimate nachos in Prague. Love it!

A random word about DD#1's toilet. So this toilet is weird. It makes these loud grinding sounds anytime it is used. The sounds are separate from the flush. I took a picture of the weird boxy thing behind the toilet that was actually plugged into electricity. I sent the pictures to DH back home and he called me laughing. Turns out it is basically a fecal disposal thingy meant to grind waste so not to clog small old pipes. Funniest thing!

Day 36 - Exploring the castle, the local luge, and yes, more food

I awoke feeling very sad that this was my last full day in Prague for a long time. I went for a run through the tunnel to the connecting neighborhood and found another pedestrian tunnel. There are so many places to run and explore in Prague!

We explored our last local cafe. This one was very trendy with fancy pastries.

I left DD#1 to continue unpacking while I explored the Prague castle in a more nontraditional way. In August, the castle is packed with tourists. However, the castle grounds are enormous and it doesn't take much to get away from the crowds. I had forgotten just how beautiful and historic this part of Prague can be.

I found a hidden cafe that DD#1 told me about. There was even a secret garden behind the coffee shop. A perfect place for lemonade and a treat!

I had heard about the old deer moats beneath the castle from The Honest Guide. Sure enough, I found the coolest hike beneath the castle! I think I passed 4-5 people. I love these kinds of finds!

I met DD#1 at her favorite doner place for lunch where we had spectacular salads. They don't look like much but boy are they yummy!

I tagged along while DD#1 activated her Czech phone plan and we grabbed a beer at a local place. I'm really beginning to see why she is so happy living here.

But we needed a little adventure in our day so we took a tram and a bus to the Prague luge. Can you believe there is a luge in Prague? It's a $3-4 thrill going at top speeds down a hill. So fun! Very few tourists find this place.

For our last meal in Prague, we went back to our favorite Vietnamese place and both picked curry dishes. So good!

I am so happy that our family is returning to Prague in December for the holidays!

Day 37 - Train to Frankfurt, BBQ with family and friends

We started our day with coffee at the train station. It's a gorgeous building!

Today would involve two train rides. One to Dresden and another to Frankfurt. It was relaxing hanging out on the train going at top speeds across Germany. I worked on the blog using their great wifi.

We were so happy to be picked up in Frankfurt by my step-sister (CH) and our friend, RM. It always seems like time gets away from me when we are lucky enough to be with family. I took few pictures of this time and don't have any of RM. He drove all the way down from northern Germany to spend time with us. It was so nice to reconnect and have a long evening BBQ.

We went for a lovely walk at sunset, got ice cream and slept especially well in her cool basement.

Day 38 - Drive to the country and lots of visiting

We started the day with a huge German breakfast spread. CH and I took a morning walk to get fresh bread from the bakery. I always feel right at home here.

We drove about an hour to my step-mom's place out in the country. She lives in this beautiful restored home in the rolling hills not far from the Rhine River. We spent hours chatting, walking in the country, eating yummy plum bars, and another BBQ with lots of wurst. As usual, I took few pictures because I was just enjoying the good company. I will take more pictures next time!

Day 39 - Last full day in Europe

I started off the day with a run in the countryside. I will really miss running in new places.

We set off with my stepmom to explore a nearby restored fortress from the Roman times. So old and interesting! We had a guided tour and learned a lot about the advanced engineering of the Romans.

One goal today was to stock up on German snacks to bring home to the US. I am a huge fan of German chocolate so I loaded my suitcase! I also bought the face cream I like that is much cheaper than the US, and I think it's better.

We stopped in a small town for doner for lunch. I had another epic doner salad. I wish I could get these back at home!

We met up with CH in the cutest little town along the Rhine, known for their famous white wine. We wandered around finally taking some pictures of our time together.

It was sad saying goodbye to my step mom but I know we will be back. Staying connected is a priority despite the distance.

CH took us to a giant grocery store called Globus on the way back to her home. I think it's the biggest grocery I have ever seen. Maybe anywhere! We bought sushi to have for dinner. We stayed up late visiting and somehow I managed to fit all that chocolate into my luggage.

Day 40 - The long trek home

The best travel days are the ones with little to report. CH took DD#1 and I to the airport. It was almost as hard as last year to say goodbye to DD#1. She took a bus back to Prague and the life she loves. I had to board the dreaded plane back home. First stop was Helsinki where I changed to the giant plane. I watched three movies on the plane and enjoyed a smooth ride. Sure it was a little boring but well worth this forty day adventure.

Luckily, the third plane landed in my hometown where DH and DD#2 were there to greet me. I had never spent so much time away from DH! He was a sight for sore eyes. It was a long time to be apart and not something we will do for a long time. In the end, all the planning paid off and I had another adventure of a lifetime. How lucky that I continue to have these opportunities! I don't see travel becoming any less of a passion in the future. I'm home just a week later and am already scheming the next trips. Let the adventures continue!

Day 26 - Long Travel Day to Plovdiv

This will be a very short entry. After our last hotel breakfast and a very average coffee experience (most the good ones were still closed at 9am), we took three different metros to the main Istanbul bus station. It was actually pretty easy. We arrived early so we had a bus station lunch of average doner. We had about a 6.5 hour bus ride ahead of us. Or so we thought.

Everything went smoothly until we got to the border of Turkey and Bulgaria. Traffic backed up and we finally cleared exit customs in Turkey. That's where the fun began. We got back on the bus where we waited about THREE HOURS at the border. We waited as every incoming bus was emptied and we all cleared customs into Bulgaria (now part of the Schengen zone). Even our empty bus was searched underneath and inside. It was hot and our patience was running thin. Most people seemed to just go with the flow although there was some incessant honking in the never ending lines. Even passenger cars were backed up for hours. This made our bus trip nearly 10 hours. Ugh! Luckily, it was a comfortable bus and we had plenty of reading and videos downloaded. I worked on this blog for a long time with the bus's amazingly good wifi. I was also able to watch the Olympic Women's Soccer Gold Medal game live on the bus. Yay USA!

We finally made it to Plovdiv where we first got currency so we could hire a taxi to take us to our Airbnb. It was at least 9:30pm and dark by this point. Luckily, our airbnb was a self check-in situation and relatively easy to find even in the dark. Once we got inside, it was so cute! It was decorated so nicely and very comfortable.

We didn't stay long before heading out to a very late dinner. We found a nearby burger place that was still very busy. People eat so late! We had a mojito to start things off since cocktails are pretty cheap in Bulgaria. It's amazing how different things feel just going just 260 miles. I still can't believe 260 miles took about ten hours.

Day 27 - Exploring Ancient Plovdiv in Some Intense Heat

We awoke and could finally see the great view from our apartment as well as enjoy the cool hanging chair.

It didn't take long to get moving to find breakfast. We loved trying the local banitsa at a cute restaurant. It is basically fried dough smothered with various toppings. We tried the sweet ones too that reminded me of beignets.

I was in awe to catch my first glimpses of the ancient remains of Plovdiv appearing beneath the modern city above. Plovdiv is the oldest city in Europe and they are still uncovering things. I'm going to guess that much of the modern town is still on top of some impressive ruins.

Plovdiv is known for its seven hills. We tackled at least three of them today. The first one had a clock tower on top and had great views over the city.

We continued walking on the cute pedestrian street and found the old Roman Forum and another amphitheater. There are at least three of these in this town! I think of these amphitheaters as ancient television. It probably explains why there are so many of them all over Europe. People needed to be entertained back in the day. The best thing about these ruins was the easy and free access and lack of tourists. We nearly had them all to ourselves!

We climbed another larger hill with a huge Russian soldier statue on top. More good views and we worked up quite a sweat!

Plovdiv is such a pretty town. We really enjoyed the relaxed feel and beautiful architecture. It has a completely different feel than busy Istanbul.

DD#1 headed back to the apartment to do some work while I continued exploring. I popped in H&M for a little shopping and couldn't believe that there were ancient ruins under the shopping area! It was another part of the old amphitheater. Crazy!

I walked up another hill to the old town where I went in a few churches. The one with all the golden mosaic tiles was my favorite.

I came across one of the best-preserved Roman amphitheaters that was being set up for an evening concert. What an amazing setting! This one was built in the first century AD and could seat around 7,000. I wonder if those builders had any idea that it would still be used thousands of years later?

The ancient cobblestones in this area were real ankle breakers. Sometimes I had to stop and just look around because I had to watch my feet so carefully when walking.

The newer buildings in this old area were the old Ottoman style from the 18th century. I love the colors!

I went in a couple of museums mostly to see the beautiful interiors although many of the artifacts were really interesting.

These belt buckles must be heavy!

The felted hand-woven rugs were impressive.

Cool how the piano has built on candle holders. I wonder if they ever set the music on fire?

My feet were exhausted so I found an old beer hall for a break. DD#1 joined me for a snack. I ordered stuffed green peppers thinking I'd get the kind that are baked and filled with a rice mixture. Not the case. These were cold and refreshing and filled with a cheesy mixture. Still good but not at all what I expected! The Bulgarian language uses the Cyrillic alphabet, which I can't decipher at all. Some things are translated into the Latin alphabet but not everything. Google translate has been very helpful here in Bulgaria!

We explored another well-preserved home from the 1800s before heading back to the more artsy part of town.

The murals were so colorful!

Naturally we found happy hour before grabbing a casual late pizza dinner. They even provided us ice with our meal!

We walked up to the old town one more time to see the amphitheater in action. Even without tickets, we could still see the rock concert from outside the gates. The crowd seemed to know all his songs so he must be very popular in Bulgaria.

What a great first full day in Bulgaria!

Day 28 - Morning Exploring, Another Mall, a German Brewery, and a Fancy Late Dinner

After a good night's sleep, we stopped for fancy coffee along the pedestrian street and explored some different parts of Plovdiv.

We crossed an interesting bridge that was covered and filled with shops. After a walk over the river, we found an indoor produce market. I wish we could have purchased more than a couple of peaches! Everything looked so good.

The weather was still incredibly hot so we opted to take a taxi out to Plovdiv's mall. It was another typical mall but at least it was air conditioned! There was a cool climbing wall right in the middle.

My eye was really on this giant German brewery that I discovered on google maps. It was a short walk from the mall so we trekked there for lunch. We settled in for quite a while and I was happy to try the Bulgarian shopska salad and a cold summer soup called tarator. Both were really tasty along with a classic German beer. It was a nice place to chat and get out of the heat. The brewery is next door to a really nice hotel. If I'm ever in Plovdiv again, it would be fun to stay here!

After taking another taxi back, we checked out old town one last time and found a nice old wine bar for a glass before dinner. The bar was built into the ancient fortress wall.

I had made reservations at a popular place for dinner. We loved the bao buns and fancy salad.

We went for a long evening walk since it was finally cool enough. There were some magic fountains that danced to classical music in the main park. So relaxing to watch! Walking around pedestrian areas in the evening is probably my favorite way to spend the evening in Europe. People of all ages are out and about strolling and enjoying the city. It really is magical!

Day 29 - On to Sofia, Bulgaria!

I went for my longest run of the trip along the river in Plovdiv. I was impressed with the rowing facilities on the river.

After our usual coffee, we grabbed croissant sandwiches for brunch. They would hold us over until we arrived in Sofia.

Luckily, our bus experience to Sofia was super easy. The bus ride was relaxing and last about three hours.

We checked into our airbnb and it was the best yet! It was so tastefully decorated and on the top floor. The views over Sofia were great! I wish we had more than two days to spend in this apartment.

It took us a bit to get used to this wet bathroom arrangement. The shower just rains on top of the sink and toilet. Somehow, it all works and you kind of get used to it.

It was still very very hot so we cooled off in the room for a while before finding the main pedestrian street. We stopped for a beverage and some yummy bruschetta for an appetizer. Sofia definitely had a bigger city vibe than Plovdiv yet there did not seem to be many tourists. Sofia is home to about 1.2 million people yet felt very relaxed and walkable.

We continued to the end of the pedestrian street and into a large park. There was actually a piece of the Berlin wall displayed in the park.

Dinner started at a nice Italian place that seemed full of locals. I ordered an aperol spritz and it was the biggest one I'd ever seen! It was delicious and so refreshing. What a treat! I loved the fancy burrata and prosciutto salad. DD#1 ordered pasta.

The day ended with another inspiring walk in the busy center where we watched happy Bulgarians enjoying a stroll in their city.

Day 30 - Full day Exploring Sofia

I cannot believe I have been traveling Europe for a month! I feel so lucky to have this opportunity and know life will be back to routine sooner than later.

We started our day with a fancy brunch. I tried some Bulgarian egg dish that was really flavorful!

I was on a mission to see all of central Sofia's famous churches and sites. The first one wasn't even on my radar. We came upon the old Roman city of Serdika right in the middle of town. This city was discovered between 2010-2012 when the city was creating a new metro station underground. Unbelievable! They have integrated the ruins in with the metro. Some of it is still being unearthed. The remains are from the 4th-6th centuries. It is truly mind-boggling!

We were impressed with some of the enormous buildings and architecture in this area.


The churches were magnificent too!

It was another scorching day but we made it to the largest of Sofia's churches, St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. It's the largest cathedral in the Balkans and can hold 5,000 people. So impressive! It was beautiful inside and out.

We found a trendy cafe for a much needed lemonade break.

It was sweltering so we did our usual hot afternoon activity - find a mall! I actually bought two dresses this time so a successful trip.

Once it cooled down, we stopped at the same Italian place for the most amazing aperol spritzs I've ever had! That'll do it for this special cocktail until next summer, I think.

We found a traditional Bulgarian restaurant for dinner where we tried a tzatziki-like dip, cabbage rolls, and a yummy stuffed chicken dish. It was so hearty and filling.

We were eager to fly to Prague tomorrow so we made it an early night to enjoy time in our pretty airbnb. It would be the last night with air conditioning for the rest of the trip!

Day 19 - Travel Day to Istanbul

We had one last breakfast in Cirali and the family insisted on making us Turkish coffee as a treat before our departure. DD#2 couldn't drink hers so I had both of them. It isn't terrible but not my preferred coffee.

It was an uneventful and pretty drive back to Antalya that took about 90 minutes. We gassed up the car, returned it without incident, and found ourselves back at the Antalya airport. We had plenty of time to spare so we shared a snack, played a couple of games, and relaxed. We headed to our gate about 40 minutes before the flight and they were already posting "last call"! Geesh! They boarded the plane so early. We made it to Istanbul without any issues.

Next was a nearly hour long metro ride on the Asian side of the city. We had actually flown into a different Istanbul Airport that was more geared toward domestic flights. Again, this hour long flight took many more hours on each end to complete. We were a little culture shocked to check in to our new digs in Kadakoy, a very trendy neighborhood. The town was filled with people having a great Saturday night. We immediately loved the vibe. There were hardly any tourists and so many bars and restaurants. We found one of the hipster neighborhoods for sure. This would be our home for the week. Not a bad view either!

We rested a bit and then grabbed a drink on a busy street to watch people.

The funniest part of the day was our dinner. We stopped at a stuffed mussels place. This one was popular and so delicious. They handed us a big bowl of spicy mussels. They are stuffed with rice and with a little fresh lemon, so delicious. We literally couldn't stop eating them. It's normal for people to stop on their way to dinner or on the way home and have 6-10 mussels as a snack. We downed 60 mussels between the two of us! They count the shells at the end and charge you for each mussel consumed. The workers were laughing at us for eating such a big quantity. Needless to say, that accidentally became our dinner!

DD#2 tried her first Krispy Kreme donut in Istanbul. So weird!

We made one more stop for baklava just around the corner from our hotel. So sweet and yummy and the workers were extra friendly. One was studying abroad in Vancouver BC.

Day 20 - Shopping and Exploring our Neighborhood

I started the day with a nice run along the water. Such a pretty way to start the day and get my sweat on!

I stopped by a market on the way back and took a few pictures and bought fresh peaches. I'm so impressed with the beautiful olives!

DD#2 joined me for our complimentary hotel breakfast on the top terrace before we splurged on fancy coffee on an umbrella street. We found such a great place where we returned multiple times!

Next was another repeat destination. Amazing fresh juice! I had the best freshly-squeezed grapefruit juice of my life. It was around $1.50 and the sweetest older man made it for me nearly everyday of my week here in Istanbul.

We simply spent the day wandering around going in and out of stores, including a six story Starbucks! We didn't buy anything but had to check out every floor just for fun (and to use their bathroom).

We took a double decker city bus to an upscale part of town and did some shopping. We enjoyed the excursion but didn't buy anything except a quick lahmacun snack for lunch. I love these things!

We came back to our quirky little neighborhood of Kadakoy and found the best shopping of all. We were just starting to get acquainted with all the knock-off shoes that we would start purchasing throughout the week. Birkenstocks, Adidas, Nikes, oh my! They seemed to be really well made and less than $20 a pair. The Birks were less than $10.

Let's take another moment to discuss cats. They are simply everywhere and are the most friendly I've ever seen. They plop down literally everywhere and people walk over them, pet them, feed them and care for them. It's probably my favorite thing about the city.

We stopped for a couple more snacks including this garlicky pesto roll thingy filled with ricotta that DD#2 went nuts for! She also had some super sweet concoction from one of the many bakeries.

We ended our day with Thai food while we anxiously awaited the arrival of DD#1!

She finally made it around 10:30pm. She had a long long journey from Oregon.

Day 21 - And Now There are Three Taking on Istanbul!

It started off with some sister pictures and coffee at the same umbrella street place. So good!

First order of business today was getting across the Bosphorus on a public ferry. So fun! Istanbul really demonstrates public transport at its best.

After another tram ride, we made our way to the famous Blue Mosque. It was so beautiful and crowded. We loved it but were not a huge fan of the crowds in this part of Istanbul.

Lots of posing for pics.

We took more pictures along the historic Hippodrome in Istanbul. There isn't really much left from this historic space except a couple of obelisks and a part of a serpent column from the 5th Century BC. The Hippodrome was a sporting and social center in Constantinople.

We took pictures in front of the Hagia Sofia, the most famous mosque in the city. The giant building has been a mosque, church, and museum during different periods and empires. Unfortunately, they recently went from being a free place to visit to costing nearly $30 a person. We skipped the interior due to the cost and the crowds.

We walked toward the Grand Bazaar and finally found a more authentic area with good durum. This place was delicious and not completely a tourist trap like most things in this area.

The Grand Bazaar was gigantic! We were not there to shop but just to get a quick glimpse of the historical building that went on forever!

We had enough of this touristy area and headed back on the boat for a break in our hotel room. I researched dinner and found a busy and local seafood place. Unfortunately, we must have ordered wrong and got the ugliest fish dish! It tasted good but there honestly wasn't much meat on these sad looking fish. We supplemented our dinner with some random fried goodies from a bar. That's a wrap on day 21!

Day 22 - A Palace and a Fortress, Oh My!

We spoiled ourselves with good coffee once again. The coffee/tea culture here is so interesting. There are hundreds of coffee shops all over the place and they are virtually empty in the mornings. In fact, many do not even open until 10am. We were often the only morning customers. However, the action is in the evenings! The coffee shops and filled to the brim all evening long with people drinking coffee until incredibly late. I don't know how they sleep after all the caffeine! While there are lots of bars as well, I am guessing that since many Muslims do not drink alcohol, they enjoy evening coffee and tea instead.

Your typical empty morning coffee shop

Today's destinations were way up north on the Asian side of Istanbul. We took a nearly hour long bus ride to Kucuksu Pavillion, which was a small summer palace used for Ottoman sultans. The exterior was so pretty with its setting right along the Bosphorus.

Unfortunately, pictures were not allowed inside. The stunning chandeliers were my favorite. I found a couple interior photos online.

What a beautiful place for a wedding!

We walked a short distance to the Anadolu Fortress. It's the oldest fortress on the water and is positioned at the narrowest part of the Bosphorus. It was built in 1395 and is also known as an Ottoman Castle. I love exploring these kind of structures when you're free to climb stairs and check out the views It wasn't huge but very impressive.

The Turkish flag flies everywhere especially along the Bosphorus. The government wants there to be no question that despite the Bosphorus being international waters, the land on each side is decidedly Turkish. We saw NATO warships along with Russian oil tankers on the waters.

We found ice cream nearby before taking a couple buses to a large mall. I am hanging out with two teenagers who craved a little shopping. The mall looked a lot like any mall. We had an average mall food court lunch and spent a couple hours looking around. The girls both got a couple things but nothing too exciting.

I was eager to get back to our fun neighborhood (Kadayoy) to do some more shopping and find happy hour!

I was missing playing piano so much by this point of the trip. Our hotel staff told me that the nearby Hilton had a piano in the lobby. I tracked it town and they agreed to let me play. It was a terrible Yamaha electric grand that had been seriously damaged. Some keys didn't even work and many had this clunky clicky sound that was just awful. I struggled through three songs and decided it just wasn't fun or sounding very good. It's clear that piano is just a piece of furniture. I'm sure no one has played it in ages. Too bad.

The three of us met up for dinner and came across an Asian noodle place for dinner. A nice change of pace!

A pretty sunset from our room to end the day.

Day 23 - Another Palace, Cute Neighborhood, Manicures, Massage and Hammam!

Some parts of our days were repeats of the previous ones. Hotel breakfast, supplement with better quality coffee elsewhere, pop in and out of little shops to buy super cheap jewelry, and use public transport to find a new part of town. Today was no exception.

We eventually made our way to another palace, Beylerbeyli Palace, also on the Asian side of the city. After tolerating the crowds for just one day in the touristy part of town, we decided to visit lesser-known attractions that were still incredible but cheaper and less crowded. This palace was very impressive!

There were beautiful views from this palace and many people come to admire it, including this group of Muslim women.

Again, we were not permitted to take interior pictures so here are a few from online. It was even more ornate and impressive than the last one.

We took a short bus ride to a very charming street called Kuzguncuk. There were more colorful houses, amazing pastries, cute cats, and a little market where we easily spent an hour. I had the best coconut macaroon of my life! DD#2 found a "J" pendant that she loves.

At this point, we were on a mission to make it to some much-awaited afternoon appointments. The girls both had fancy manicures while I spoiled myself with a traditional Hammam and massage. My experience was amazing with a wonderful massage, steam and sauna rooms, full-body clay mask, and finally the Hammam bath. I laid on a warm marble slab and was scrubbed with an incredible amount of bubbles. Obviously, there were no pictures but I found a couple similar ones online. I felt so clean and pampered. It was just over $60 for this two hour spa experience. I absolutely loved it!

This is random, but it has been interesting seeing how Istanbul groups merchandise together. For example, there's one street that is full of wedding dress shops. Like dozens of them. We saw a street with lighting and lamp stores. There was a motorcycle supply and repair area. I suppose that makes it easy to do one stop shopping instead of having to go all over town to compare and find what you want.

We ended our day with a typical pub style dinner. Real healthy!

Day 24 - DD#2's Last Day. Lots of Shopping!

We started at our favorite coffee place. I finally tried affogato. Espresso with ice cream! It was so yummy!

DD#2 got to choose the events of the day so we did a bunch of last-minute shopping. More shoes and jewelry! Then we took a bus to a nearby beach where we swam in new waters - the Sea of Marmara. It was colder than the Mediterranean and not as pristine but still refreshing. The highlight was having the sweetest orange cat join us on our beach lounger.

The day got away from us somehow and all we managed was another stop for stuffed mussels and a typical Turkish dinner. DD#2 was ready to get home and start her high school soccer season. She had a fabulous flight home and managed to get upgraded to premium economy class. Lucky kid!

Day 25 - Last Day in Turkey! Another Sunset Cruise

I awoke at 4am to help DD#2 get to the airport. It was four hour adventure! The Istanbul Airport is very far from the city. We took a fifty minute taxi ride, spent over an hour in line getting her checked in, and then I saved money by taking public transportation back to the hotel. I used a metro and two buses to get across the city. But I figured it out! Somehow, I made it back to the hotel and crashed asleep again for a couple of hours.

DD#1 and I treated ourselves to a fancy brunch. My hazelnut stuffed croissant was more like dessert than breakfast, but so good! She loved her fancy French toast.

We went for a nice walk along the water stopping at Moda Pier. It's actually a library and a super peaceful space. We took some pictures and marveled at Istanbul's modern skyline.

After a little more shopping, we took the public ferry back to Europe to explore the area around Galata Tower. We found happy hour and a yummy last Turkish dinner.

And another cute cat.

We saved the best part of the day for last. I decided to treat DD#1 to the same sunset cruise that I had taken with DD#2 back in July. It was so relaxing to be out on the water and see Istanbul for the last time.

I don't know when it will happen, but I will return to Turkey. It was a fabulous 25 days! Now on to Bulgaria.

Day 13 - An Abandoned City, a Local's Only Kind of Beach, and Some Ancient Tombs

We slept mostly pretty well despite a weird AC unit in our room. It was either freezing cold or hot. This hotel was a little rough around the edges but the staff was very helpful with anything we needed. The fresh fruit with yogurt and honey was a good start to the day.

Next stop was Kayakoy, an old Greek city that was abandoned in 1923 after a war between the Turks and the Greeks. Most of the town had been built in the 18th century and what is left has been mostly vacant for 100 years. I found it fascinating exploring the city and climbing around the trails and ruins.

It was worth the sweat to make it up to the highest point and the view to the sea.

We took a short break and headed out to a beach for a few hours. We hiked down to a local rocky beach with pretty views and clear beautiful water. It was so refreshing! Even though we were staying near the famous Oludeniz Beach, we opted to skip it due to the crowds and expense. This area is filled with British tourists on holiday. It was a little disappointing seeing the mass tacky tourism taking over the area. We did our best to break away from the masses and find some hidden treasure. I am so thankful to have a car!

We stopped in the more authentic town of Fethiye for some gozleme for lunch. Gozleme is kind of like a Turkish quesadilla. I tried Ayran again, the salty yogurt drink that is on every menu. It's pretty good. Think unsweetened and slightly salty kefir. We also grabbed ice cream again on the way back to the car.

We took our afternoon siesta once again because it is just too hot to do much else. I took a dip in the hotel pool and amused myself listening to the British accents around the hotel.

It was time to escape the touristy area around our hotel and drive 15 minutes back to Fethiye. I wish I had booked a hotel in this town instead! Next time. We drove to some of the most amazing ancient tombs I'd ever seen, dating back to 350 BC.

We found easy parking near the old town and a cute restaurant near the harbor. Karma Restaurant was just perfect for a drink and a simple meal of salad and calamari. It was a nice place to watch yet another sunset.

Day 14 - Tlos Ancient City, Patara Beach and Ancient City

After a quick breakfast, we drove less than an hour to Tlos. This part of Turkey is dotted with ancient sites. This city survived many turbulent times and empires. It dates back over 4,000 years. I can't even fathom that. We climbed to the top of the old acropolis and saw many impressive tombs with ancient writing still intact.

We drove on to a small town just outside of Patara, our home for night. We checked into our cute pension for around $60 a night. It was an improvement over the last place.

We had a simple lunch of a salad and grilled chicken. It really was an excellent salad. Probably my favorite so far! Around $15 for this meal.

We were ready to tackle Patara Beach! This beach is an enormous sandy beach that is also the protected home to nesting turtles. There were many areas roped off where the nests rested beneath the sand. The pension lent us an umbrella and we enjoyed playing in the waves for a couple of hours. This beach had some more serious waves than the others! The heat was awful and walking on the sand without shoes was unbearable.

It was time for that afternoon siesta! I nearly fell asleep in a lounger by the pool.

Once it cooled off, around 6:30, we went back toward Patara Beach to explore the ancient city. This city was once the capitol of Lycia and the excavation and renovation work is ongoing. Saint Nicholas (Santa!) was born here and we could even see the world's first lighthouse (currently being restored) in the distance. The history here spans so many centuries and empires. According to Wikipedia, more statues and structures were discovered in the 2020s. The theater and council chambers were particularly impressive.

The forum had many intact columns and reminded me of what I had seen in Rome.

It was getting late and we were hungry and thirsty. We sat up on a balcony, ordered drinks, and played a couple games before ordering a very average meal. No pictures this time. We were home after 10pm once again.

Day 15 - Another Excellent Beach and Arrival in Kas

We had what may have been our favorite and most colorful Turkish breakfast. Lots of yummy fruit and homemade jams.

However, the coffee situation wasn't great (instant) so we drove a short bit to a fancy coffee place and even had morning cheesecake. Hey, it's vacation!

The drive along the coast was stunning. I stopped several times to take pictures and marvel at the color of the water. Just wow!

We found roadside parking to visit a Seyrek Cakil Beach. It's a little beach along the road. We rented sun-beds and an umbrella. This tends to run around $7.50 - $10. Worth it to have some shade!

We spent nearly three hours going in and out of the water, reading, swimming, relaxing, and getting cold drinks. Bliss. I used to think I wasn't a beach person. Turns out this is pretty special! I like being surrounded by people from all over the world who find common ground enjoying a gorgeous beach. And if I got tired of people, I just swam out a little further! Not many pictures from this beach. We just enjoyed our time.

We checked into our modern apartment with a nice terrace overlooking the Kas and the sea. This is the most expensive place of the trip coming in at $100 per night.

It was time to share a quick sandwich. They added some interesting little salads to our order.

Next was a grocery run where we scored some yummy fruit for the next couple of nights. Kas was giving very good first impressions.

We cooled off in the apartment for a couple of hours before setting off to see another beautiful ancient amphitheater. This one overlooked the sea and had a great singer/guitar player entertaining the happy crowd. I took some pictures of a sweet couple and felt so thankful to be in such a beautiful place.

I walked along a long pier to a small lighthouse and enjoyed views of the harbor. But I think this furry friend enjoyed the view even more. The cat scene is crazy here in Kas!

DD#2 joined me for an evening stroll along with so many people! I don't know where all the people came from! We did a little shopping, took some pictures, and found a popular place for bao bun taco-like things for dinner. They were yummy!

We bought many beaded necklaces for very little money. So pretty!

I was so happy to run across a great jazz quartet. I only got to hear "Night in Tunisia" before they took a break. The trumpet player was amazing.

We came home to a little territorial cat fight right outside of our apartment. They were so loud!

Another late night in Turkey. Worth it.

Day 16 - Another Repeat Day on the Mediterranean

It's beginning to feel a little like the movie "Groundhog Day" but in a very good way. Wake up, find good coffee, find a good beach, take a long AC siesta in the room, walk around a cute town, find food. Repeat.

I suppose there's a little more to it than that. For instance, I hiked up to some more ancient Lycian tombs this morning. But I miss running. It's just too hot and hilly around here.

And I had coffee on the balcony with a cat. I still don't really know how he made it up to our balcony. He was a feisty one too.

We drove a short distance to a municipal beach, Bilediyesi Beach. We lucked out with good parking, secured our sun beds and umbrella and relaxed again for few hours. The swimming was magnificent.

We went on a little joyride around the Kas peninsula after the beach and I stopped to take pictures several times. The Greek island of Kastellorizo sits off in the distance and is a short boat ride away. The town of Kas has a Greek feel to it. Or maybe the Greek islands have a Turkish feel. Whatever the case, it's really charming and addicting. I love this area and it will hard to move on tomorrow. If I'd known, I would have scheduled more time in Kas.

After a quick and easy pizza dinner we took some more pictures around the town.

More stuffed mussels being sold. There were at least 6-8 vendors all in a row.

They even allow the cats to hang out on the Turkish rugs!

We may have had ice cream twice. Once at our favorite place and another time at a special rolled ice cream place. DD#2 picked all kinds of fruit to have crushed and rolled into her concoction. A pretty good end to another beachy day.

Day 17 - Bye to Kas, Our Favorite Beach, and Two Hour Drive to Cirali

I got up earlier than the teen, so I went for a run and then found a place to take a quick morning swim. Such a perfect way to end a workout!

We had pastries and fancy coffee again from the same place we tried yesterday. It was a little pricey but so fresh and yummy.

Next task was getting gas on the way out of town. Full service plus the guy washed all the windows. Score!

After about an hour or spectacular driving along one of the most scenic coastal roads I have ever seen, we came upon a hairpin turn with a beach. We parked the car along the highway and walked down several rocky stairs to the prettiest beach yet! We were able to swim out to a cave and took many pictures. There were only 20-30 people on this small beach. We spent at least an hour here enjoying the pristine blue water.

We drove another hour or so and had to stop to take this picture of the thousands of greenhouses that dominate this area. All those white things are greenhouses. I think it's for all the tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers that are part of every meal.

After a very windy road, we ended up at our next pension in the very small town of Cirali. It was way smaller than I expected! The room was in a little bungalow in a pretty garden. I was impressed with their swan towel art! About $70 per night

It was hot again so we took a couple hours in the room to cool off. Travel fatigue was getting to both of us and we just didn't have much energy. Still I managed to walk into the town about 10 minutes away and grab some beverages and a little gozleme snack for lunch. I watched the woman make it by hand from a pile of dough. I hate to say it, but it was kind of bland. It looks like a lot of work to make these. I am really starting to like the ayran yogurt drink though.

We finally got ourselves together and played a couple of games at a casual beach bar before finding a simple dinner. This is pretty standard fare in these touristy beach towns.

Day 18 - Last Beach Day!

We enjoyed a simple breakfast at our pension and were especially excited that they served crepes! Yum. We were still moving rather slowly due to the heat. We eventually settled in at a beach and ordered fresh juices. Ahhh. Last day before returning to the big city.

Lots of pomegranate trees here.

DD#2 has really owned the floating hammock. If you're going on a beach vacation, I highly recommend packing along this hammock. It takes hardly any space and only takes a minute to inflate. We were in and out of the ocean many times and loved the Hawaii feel of this beach. It was surrounded by tall mountains and lush green scenery.

Lunch was delivered on the beach and we tried to savor each moment knowing this would be our last beach for a long time. Reading on the beach has become one of my favorite things ever!

We cooled off in the room before exploring the Mount Chimaera. I left close to 7:30pm and climbed up some steep rocky steps for at least one kilometer. At the top were several eternal flames coming out of the rocks. So bizarre! You could faintly smell the natural gas in the air. Some people were roasting marshmallows over the flames. This area has had eternal flames for centuries. There are also old church ruins on the same site. So fascinating!

We had a quick, late dinner in the small town of Cirali and were both feeling eager to get back to Istanbul tomorrow.

Day 9 Continued

A short recap from our time in Cappadocia. We walked to a coffee shop to work on the blog and relax for a couple of hours. On the way, we walked though a locals market selling everything from olives, spices, cheese, clothing, and fruit. We bought some cherries.

We had a yummy lunch at a cute place called Chubby Meatballs. The chicken meatballs were so delicious and we tried the Turkish version of dolmas. Seasoned rice wrapped in grape leaves. Pretty good.

Our shuttle to the airport in Kayseri took over an hour. As we approached the town, it looked enormous. The population of Kayseri is over a million. Traveling like this really shows the relatively small population of the United States. The Kayseri Airport was well organized and small for a city of this size. Our flight was delayed and this short one hour flight ended up taking 5-6 hours from point to point. Kind of frustrating. We were forced to check our luggage and had to wait nearly 40 minutes for baggage once we arrived in Antalya. The Antalya Airport was chaos! So many people and it was 9pm or so. We finally figured out how to take the tram into the city and walk the short distance to our airbnb.

When we checked in, the very sweet owner showed us around her 2 bedroom apartment. We finally had space to spread out for a few days! This building was built about 150 years ago and was owned my the woman's grandparents. It was built in the Ottoman style with thick stone walls and separate rooms. We had four AC units in this place! Thank goodness because the temperature was in the upper 90s outside. Here are a few pictures for this $65 per night place. It felt like staying at Grandma's house!

And we finally got to do laundry European style.

Day 10 - Exploring Antalya and Finally Swimming in the Sea

We slept in after our late night arrival and found a very local spot for Turkish pastries and coffee. I think all this including coffee was about $4.

We went for a morning walk checking out the nearby beaches for later. It was already so so hot. This is the famous Hadrian's Gate, built in the year 150 to honor Roman Emperor Hadrian. I can't even fathom the year 150.

Here is one of the busy beaches. We did not pick this one.

We found more adorable cats and were impressed by the many cute cat shelters built around Antalya.

We stopped for fresh juice, which is sold on practically every corner. The orange/pomegranate combo was the winner.

The Ottoman style houses are really interesting. DD#2 made the observation that the 2nd floors jut out over the street in order to make the streets wider for traffic. Makes sense.

I stopped at a grocery store (love foreign stores!) and got some fruit, yogurt, chips, chocolate, drinks - the essentials. It was so hot that we took an AC break in the apartment.

We ventured out again and found a recommended fish place for lunch. The fish sandwiches were huge and only around $4 which included access to this giant well-stocked salad bar. It was a popular place and tasted so good!

We continued back to Adalar Beach which we had scoped out earlier this morning. This wasn't really a beach but more of a access point to the water. And boy did the water feel great. It cost $7.50 each to rent sun-beds/umbrellas but well worth it. We spent nearly 3 hours swimming and relaxing. We almost wished the sea had been a little cooler!

Of course there was an ice cream stop too. This was our favorite so far! Lemon and pistachio were the winners for me.

We returned to clean up and cool off. I went out for a little solo walk to check out the marina and some of the history in the area. The old town is beautiful built on the cliffs above the sea.

This guy is one of many who sells rice-stuffed mussels. We had a few with lunch but I'm a little too cautious to buy ones that have been sitting out in the hot sun.

DD# 2 and I enjoyed a leisurely walk around the old town once the sun had set. We stopped at a casual place for hummus and a chicken wrap. People stay out late when it cools off. It was fun to wander aimlessly enjoying the ambience of Antalya. We didn't get back to our place until after 10 which is late for me!

Day 11 - A Proper Beach Day

We slept quite well and started our day with a great coffee shop. I was excited that they had Medonik, a Russian layered honey cake. So yummy! We sat along the tram line and had a great start to the day.

We hopped on a bus that took us close to the main beach in Antalya, Konyaalti Beach. We settled on one of the many beach clubs and set up shop for the afternoon under two sun-beds. The beach was so long that it didn't seem crowded. We felt spoiled having lunch and drinks delivered to us on the beach. We hopped in and out of the water half a dozen times. Ahhh! It was very relaxing.

After our beach time, we retraced our steps to a mall we spotted. Mall culture is huge here! The mall was packed with people, probably because it is so hot outside. DD#2 tried on a few things but the lines were just too long to buy and she didn't really need anything anyway. We did manage to buy some fresh figs on the street for my fig monster. Chocolate milk too!

I took a little solo walk around town taking in the scenes of old town Antalya. Here are few shots.

We bought several beaded necklaces from this sweet man on the street. He insisted on giving us each one for free too!

DD#2 joined me at a bar with seating right on one of the busy pedestrian streets. It was fun watching people. And the cats. So many cats.

We ended our day with tasty Indian food. Let's just say it was delicious but my last Indian food for a while. To be continued....

Day 12 - Crummy Day with a Beautiful Ending

Unfortunately, my days kind of blended together as I was up until about 3:30am with the infamous Turkey Tummy. Or maybe I should rename it Indian Indigestion after my meal. Anyway, I've been "off" for about a week now. I took myself to the pharmacy first thing in the morning and got some proper medicine. The nice pharmacist gave me two things for around $7.50. I don't know what they are exactly and I don't care! As I write this a day later, all I know is that they are working! Too much information. Sorry.

We packed up our things after a slow morning and got on the tram back to the airport. Well, not really. It took nearly 6 stops for me to realize I picked the wrong direction. Rookie mistake. We got on one the correct direction and made it the airport. It was probably an hour's journey including my mistake.

We were renting a car from Sixt. Do you think we could find Sixt anywhere in the airport? No. They were the only rental company without a counter or a sign anywhere. I asked multiple people for help and kept getting the runaround. Even the information desk wouldn't help me. They said they only help with flights. It was hot and I was tired and cranky. Probably hungry and dehydrated too. Not my finest moment. After a long phone call and another 30+ minutes of waiting for a shuttle, one arrived and took us to the off-site Sixt office. Apparently they sent me a Whatsapp message that I never received.

It took another hour or so to go through the paperwork and process of renting the car. I wasn't able to use the credit card I wanted to use and that was another 20-30 minute debacle. Luckily, I was upgraded to a nice automatic which has come in handy.

We finally hit the road to Oludeniz Beach. The driving was very easy and the roads were well-maintained. There weren't too many crazy drivers. Three hours later with one quick stop, we finally made it. Tunacan Hotel was our destination and while not overly inspiring, it'll do the trick for two nights. Less than $60 a night.

I had a brainstorm that we could salvage our day by taking the famous Babadag gondola from sea level to nearly 6,000 feet to see the sunset. Finally, something super fun to end what didn't feel like a vacation day. It was neat taking the long gondola followed by a chairlift to get to the tippy top. Gorgeous views of the sea below. The scenery around here is truly stunning.

We had a late dinner of pasta at the restaurant two minutes from our hotel. Much easier on my poor stomach that Indian. Phew!