Voyages of the S.S. Whalen: 2011

Istanbul was the next place we decided to visit while in the area. Everyone had told us how wonderful it is, so we made plans to visit! The weather was wonderful, the sites were amazing, and the food delicious. What more could you want?

Yes, Asher is on a leash. Yes, we realize the humanitarian objections

that some of you may have. And, yes, you should keep your objections to yourself,

unless you have ever been alone in an airport with the little "Tasmanian Devil." In the end, the leash proved rather unsuccessful as it caused more problems than simply picking him up...

Since we started traveling with Asher, we have learned a very important lesson. When possible, rent an apartment with separate rooms. Usually, it has been cheaper than renting hotel rooms, nap times are decidedly better, and having the kitchen area just makes things that much easier and more pleasant for everyone. www.flipkey.com - www.homeaway.com - www.vrbo.com

These are three site that we use and love!

This apartment we rented had two bedrooms, it was close to most of the sites and was a good price!

Turkish Delight & Baklava

After trying Turkish Delight, which was pretty good, we were on a quest for good baklava. At the first place we tried a few different types, and while they were different, we just weren't the biggest fans. We finally found a place that sold our preferred type of baklava for a ridiculous price, but it was to die for, mmmm.

The people in Turkey were so hospitable! We had a group next to us at this one cafe we went to. They noticed we didn't have any coffee or tea, and were so nice that they bought us some Turkish coffee... So sweet of them, a little awkward for us considering we don't drink coffee. Fortunately, they spoke enough English for us to explain that we don't drink coffee. It was very kind of them, and they told us that they just wanted us to feel welcomed and try some "real coffee." :)

By the way - for all you out there with kids, and maybe you all knew this alredy, but we are just learning... if you have children, and especially if you have screaming children, you are allowed to cut to the front of the line. Fabulous! At each tourist site that had lines, a worker would come up to us and tell us to go ahead and go in. Love it!

The screaming child part works for airports too, though as tempting as it may be, I wouldn't recommended pinching your child to get him to scream solely to get to the front of the line :)

Hagia Sophia

Our Turkish tour guide. One of the very first hired, at least that's what he told us as he showed us his very low number on his badge :) He was very sweet and bargained well for the price of the tour.

Hagia Sophia was definitely our most favorite site in Istanbul. The inside was simply spectacular! The combination of Christian and Islamic art and architecture was extremely interesting. The art work was amazing and the detail so intricate and beautiful. What's more, Asher had a good time running around, weaving his way through all the people as we ran after him.

The Grand Bazaar

We didn't spend very much time in the Grand Bazaar... there were lots of people and it was very crowded. But the main reason it lasted as little as it did was because Asher had a little melt-down, which stressed out an already stressed out mother who then had her own little melt-down, which caused his father to look at us both like we were strangers, and verbally, and perhaps physically, steer us all out of there back to the hotel for a much needed break. Good times and traveling :)

They gave me a chocolate spoon for my hot chocolate - yay!

Roasted Chestnuts!!! They had roasted chestnut vendors on the side of the road - how cool is that!? I've never had a roasted chestnut before, I've only heard about them in Christmas songs :) They were pretty good!

Hanging out in the apartment

Asher and dad walking to the next site.

Turkish Rugs

Istanbul McDonalds

I know, I know, why go to McDonald's overseas? Because it's familiar, we haven't seen one in over 8 months and most importantly, they sell breakfast :)

Bosphorus Strait River Cruise

We went on a river cruise, and it was wonderful. A little cold with the wind, but the sites were lovely, and more importantly, Asher slept pretty much the entire trip. We were able to relax and enjoy it :) When he did wake up, he made friends with lots of the people on board. That's Asher for ya! Always making new friends!

Fish Sandwich

We were told we had to go to the river and get a famous fish sandwich. So we did :) It was pretty good.

Asher and his pigeons, the story/unhealthy obsession continues...

Asher on the hunt. "I'll get you my pretty!"

An unfortunate turn of events happened when Asher found himself on the receiving end of the hunt :) Surrounded at last. "Get him boys!"

Our boy is no coward!

New Mosque

"A straggler, eh? Foolish! I've got you now!"

The Blue Mosque

The Blue Mosque was nice, but we really did like Hagia Sophia better.

Our happy little boy!

Topkopi Palace

The buildings and grounds at Topkopi Palace were pretty incredible. Again, the detail of all the buildings blew me away. Absolutely gorgeous!

The Cistern

Sean went here, while I stayed home during one of Asher's naps. He said it was pretty cool, even if they had a randomly place cafe down there with all the historical parts. It was built by the Romans as a massive reservoir for water that was fed into the city from aqueducts that stretched hundreds of miles north. It provided a reliable water source for the residents of Istanbul. Apparently, during the Roman times the water level could reach midway up the pillars.

Sulemanje Mosque

This was our second most favorite place to visit. We arrived just before it was to be closed to the public, so we had to convince them to let us in. The mosque was pretty empty. That gave way to feel the more spiritual nature of the mosque. It was a very peaceful, serene experience.