Each day on this trip has had a theme… Monday was culture and history day. Tuesday was shopping day. And Wednesday was – without a doubt – FOOD day. We started the day with a cruise north on the Bosphorus aboard a public ferry boat. The Bosphorus is an important waterway that connects the Marmara Sea and the Black Sea and is open to all ships (so big container ships and cruise ships along the same waterway with our little ferry). Massive palatial homes are built right on the water’s edge complete with pools and pavilions that cost millions of Turkish Lira. From the ferry we had a great view of the major mosques (Blue/Sultanahmet, Yeni, and Suleymaynie), the Galata Tower, the Dolmabache Palace, and Rumeli Hisari Fortress. The weather was (again) gorgeous and the hour or so ride north on the water was lovely. We disembarked at a tiny port in the town of Kanlica on the Asian side of the Bosphorus. From there, the eating frenzy began.

We have made quite the little “breakfast club” with some of the staff at the hotel and they recommended that Kanlica had fabulous yogurt. “How fabulous can yogurt be?” one might ask… So fabulous that I had to talk Lee out of trying to smuggle some home on dry ice. That was some goooood stuff. From Kanlica we started on the “Conde Nast Trail” following the path of an article I had run across from the August 2011 Conde Nast titled “Brunch on the Bosphorus”… The article basically takes you through every small town from the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge south to Ortakoy and what ‘treats’ to find on the way.

We taxi’d to Bebek – a hip/rich town with a penchant for sweets. There we enjoyed pistachio marzipan, chocolate-based pistachio brittle, rose-flavored macaroons, and Turkish delight (as well as the boutiques and glut of Ferraris, Aston Martins, and Bentleys that no doubt belonged to the owners of the fabulous boats docked at the local marina). After Bebek, we made our way to Ortakoy – a cute little boutique-y town with bazaars that included local jewelry and other must-have items. In Ortakoy, we enjoyed two of the most different dining experiences one could possibly have… First, we enjoyed the most amazing summer tea overlooking the Bosphorus from the very trendy House Café (words cannot describe how a fresh concoction of mint, lemon and ginger can be so incredible). It was sooooo European; soooooo amazing. Just… Wow. After a little more strolling and shopping, we were ready for a late lunch. Here’s the other bookend of our crazy dining spectrum in Oratakoy… we then had a locally famous dish. It’s a huge baked potato stuffed with everything you can think of – peas, black and green olives, corn, cabbage, meat… It sounds disgusting, but is THE MOST DELICIOUS THING EVER… and we didn’t care at all that it was probably a 2,000 calorie snack. From tres chic to pure gluttonous enjoyment… all in Ortakoy. Yes, it was a wonderful day.

After Ortakoy we jumped a bus (yes, public transportation… first a ferry, then a bus)… to Taksim Square. Taksim Square is the “Times Square” of Istanbul – a hustle and bustle people-watching treasure chest of activity. At the center of the square (guarded by the police) is a monument to Ataturk. One side shows his military history and the other his political side. We walked down Istiklal Caddesi, which I would compare to Independence Avenue. Istiklal Caddesi is a pedestrian street, except for the trolley. It’s lined with shops, most of them very upscale. There were also restaurants and cafés, many with names in English. The street was packed and reminded me a lot of Paris, both for the people watching and the stores. We stopped along the way for one last try with Turkish Coffee – I must admit, Starbucks does it far far better than Topkapi Palace. I also had another rare and delightful find along Istikal – in one of the shops a met a real-live Whirling Dervish, a sema practitioner. I have been obsessed with the Dervishes since I’ve been here (mainly with the image of the long flowing/twirling skirts when they are in motion – and these images are everywhere). Anyway, I met a live dervish (not in costume)… kinda cool.

After a full and wonderful day, we headed back south toward home… back to the Old City, where we enjoyed dinner from a courtyard nestled under the spires of the Blue Mosque. Wow – this is just an incredible city. Love it, love it, love it. Tomorrow is our last full day here – we’ll start with the Hagia Sophia and then go on one last carpet-shopping trek. Tune in…