Turkey

Crispy manti are fried Turkish dumplings. I ate these with yogurt and a chili oil outside Hagia Sophia and they filled me up the way visiting Turkey did overall.

First was Kapadokya (Cappadocia), where it snowed my first day. I used the snow as an excuse to snuggle up in my hotel room under a blanket to nap and read most of the day. When the snow stopped, I emerged for dinner to a beautiful winter wonderland. The hotel is built into caves within this craggy, mountainous terrain. The terrain is famous for “fairy chimneys”, which you see best on a hot air balloon ride that floats you from canyon to canyon. And, boy, was I so excited for my hot air balloon ride!

The hotel concierge said they had been cancelled lately due to weather, but I was encouraged that the snow had stopped and the forecast called for sun. Well, after sitting around the balloon company lobby for 90 minutes, they announced the hot air balloon rides were cancelled die to weather. I don’t know what weather condition made it unsafe, but I queued up for a refund and was shuttled back to the hotel. I spent the day exploring Uçhisar instead, which was lovely but not as exciting. The next morning, as I was having breakfast before heading to the airport, I saw the balloons start to take off. I was disappointed to miss the experience but watching all the balloons together was beautiful.

Istanbul was a whirlwind after a relaxing couple days in Kapadokya. Trying to get in all the sites was A LOT but I hit most of them in 1.5 days! Grand Bazaar, Spice Bazaar, Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Basilica Cistern, Topkapi Palace, and Galata Tower. Medusa in the Basilica Cistern was a highlight - she is creepy AF and I loved it. I missed the Dolmabahçe Palace, and didn’t climb to the top of Galata Tower (it’s a climb just to get there and I had a dinner reservation…), so I may need to return to see them. The dinner reservation at Neolokal was worth missing Galata Tower. My table had a beautiful view of the city at night, plus the food was delicious. I loved the little menu cards for each dish. The description of the sourdough was my favorite: Her name is Neylan Ekşi. Neylan is a common girl’s name and ekşi means sour. She was born on June 22, 2014, just months before neolokal was opened. Every day she gets wilder, this gives her deep character and a funky attitude.

Over the last two weeks, I’ve explored ancient wonders and history across three continents: Africa, Asia, and Europe. I may be 28 years older than Neylan Ekşi, but I am also getting wilder every day of this adventure, giving me a deeper character and funkier attitude.

Baklava - chocolate walnut and plain walnut

Susan BloombergDecember 20, 2025