The day started off and I was in rough shape. After almost 2 days without sleep, my poor body got back at me. I had a horrible sleep, tossing and turning, with a mind-blowing headache all night. I barely slept and by the time everyone was up in the morning, I was a bit of a mess. Breakfast in bed, some quiet time and a shower and I was almost as good as new, ready to tackle the day.
My cousin and his boys came to spend the day with us and we had a great chilled day, swimming, performing, dancing, wandering down by the sea, eating ice cream and just hanging out.
In the evening, Paula and I went for a delicious dinner at Market in Brighton. A meat and cheese board, Padron peppers, Goats’ cheese churros with honey, delicious mussels, broccoli and kale with tahini and pepitas, and pork cheek- it was so delicious! Im not sure if it helped or not, but it was bring your own wine night at the restaurant, so of course, we did!
We decided to enjoy the beautiful night and continue chatting so figured we would walk home. On the way, we spotted this cool pub- The Gin Tub, and decided to stop in for a nightcap. What a great space. Each table has an old phone on it and when you are ready, you call the bar with your order. You can even call the other tables. 
When I was booking my trip, I knew I wanted some time after Budapest to Istanbul with my family in England. I don’t see them often, but we text often and keep in good contact. I feel very blessed because all of them are people that I would genuinely like to hang out with, not just because they are family, but because they are awesome. There is never enough time to spend enough time with each and every one of them, so I just have to promise to be back. There are plans in the works for a next family get-together. I might just have to swing by for that one too…. Who knows!?
Friday, my cousin Paula (she’s one of my favourites), came to get me with her two girls, Amelie and Isla. The last time I was in England to see all the family was in 2013 when Mom and I came after our trip to Russia and Finland. Isla was just about a month old and Amelie was 2. They have grown up and changed so much. They are real little people now with such wonderful personalities. Mom had told me all about them and Paula and I text regularly so I know bits about how they are doing and what’s happening, but how much more wonderful is it to see them in person and get tons of cuddles and hear all their stories.
A couple months ago I texted my cousins, (Daniel, Karyn (my other two favourites) and Paula) about a festival in Scotland that was happening on the weekend I was coming to England. I wanted to see if any of them wanted to join me and Daniel was able to work it into his schedule. My favourite band was to headline this festival and so we were going to make a quick trip up.
A bright and early start on Saturday, Paula dropped me at the airport to meet Daniel and we were off. We landed nice and early in Edinburgh and decided to spend some time walking around the city centre before heading to the festival. There were a few different festivals going on so the city was busy! We wandered up to Edinburgh castle, through some of the festival activities in town, over to Scott monument and up the 297 steps (which we then had to come back down) and then took the train over to Linlithgow.
All I can say was that the festival was fantastic! The prosecco was flowing, and the music was great. The Complete Stone Roses were the first act I wanted to see. A cover band but for the first time ever, I actually understood all the lyrics to the songs! Colonel Mustard and the Dijon 5 were the next act that piqued my interest. They were fun and they had tons of interaction with the audience and were obviously a crowd favourite as everyone knew their dances and songs and people came dressed for the gig. Melanie C (Sporty Spice) was djing next and she played songs that were like a little slice of the past. So much fun!
Finally, after a full day, it was time for James. I travelled to New York City to watch James open for Squeeze at Radio City Music Hall in 2008. I have seen them only 4 times in total and this was to be magical #5. I was so excited. I’m talking squealing little girl excited.
The show was everything I had hoped for, and more. It was so amazing! But the night wasn’t over yet. We had a lot of night ahead of us because we hadn’t booked accommodation and were planning to mooch around Edinburgh until it was time to head back to the airport for our 6am flight. We went back to town, went to a late-night pub that had live music and dancing called WhistleBinkies. It was a great spot and we were able to chill, listen to the band, and kill some time.
I am not a good sleeper so while I may have dozed a bit here and there, I was going on pretty much no sleep at this point. I was so overwhelmed and excited to see how many of my relatives were able to make the journey in. I insisted we take a family photo to mark the occasion.
Aunty Linda and Aunty Jen had put together a curry feast! My nan used to always comment because our family loves a good curry and I have never been a real fan. I think it’s the spiciness (hot) that I mostly don’t like, as I do eat all the rest. Anyway, while others assumed we would have a barbecue or pizzas, I knew my aunts wouldn’t let me down and that it would be CurryFest 2018, and it was! What a spread! My nan (and mother) would be proud. I ate my fair share. Tim (my favourite Welsh cousin) wasn’t able to join us but he had taken the time to make a banoffee pie- my favourite!! It was such a wonderful day and I couldn’t have asked for a better way to end my vacation. I was spoiled with cuddles from George, giggles and Olympic cuddles from Benji, and time with all my cousins and aunts and uncles.
It was a late night and by the time we made it home, I was shattered. It had been 42 hours since I had last slept… it was time for bed!
We decided it was worth battling the heat to walk to Emin Usta- for a famous Turkish fish wrap. We were very early as the walk was quite a bit shorter than we thought it would be. The name I had for the restaurant was different than the one listed outside but someone who worked nearby saw us wandering up and down and pointed to where we could find Emin. They spoke no English and didn’t seem to know what to do with us so we asked if we could sit on the terrace and wait until they opened. This was perfect because we got to watch them light the fire and get the grill ready to cook the fish. It was just the lunch I’d hoped for!
Chora Church was a recommended site that was well out of the way. We figured we would walk to it, not realizing it was uphill, the whole way. And I mean seriously uphill. I felt bad whining when I watched a little old lady as she passed me up the hill. Unfortunately when we got to the church we found that most of it was under reconstruction/renovation so those parts weren’t open. So we treated ourselves to coffee as we rested and got ready to make the trek back to the hotel.
Our evening brought us to the Whirling Dervishes spiritual ceremony. It was mesmerizing. I was dozing off within minutes- that’s a good thing. A dervish is someone who is a member of the Muslim Sufi Order under a sheikh’s obedience and nurture. It signifies a person who turns himself away from material world and devotes himself to God.
We had dinner at a terrace by the Blue Mosque, more for the ambiance and view than the food. We were sitting beside a couple- she was American and he was Turkish. If you have ever seen the show 90 Day Fiancée, these two were definitely the new season’s stars. I was looking around for cameras and microphones. If she can get her budget straightened out, pay for all the excursions they want to have, get a job (because she currently has no income), then he wants to get out of Turkey too, (he told her) and they could go somewhere like Greece or Italy. But first she needs to get some money. Then he had to go because his dad was there to pick him up. Sadly, we were fascinated by these two. Nina and I barely spoke all dinner because their conversation was so fascinating.
Across the way was the Hagia Sophia- once a mosque, then a cathedral, then an orthodox basilica and since 1935, a museum. For at least the last 8 years, there have been campaigns and petitions to have Hagia Sophia turned back in to a mosque.
The basilica cistern was the next stop. It is an ancient cistern that lies beneath the city of Istanbul. According to Rick Steves, the columns that hold it up are recycled/reused from other ruins around the city. Apparently it was left unused for quite some time. Now it doesn’t hold much water at all, but is more just an attraction.
Restaurants all seem to offer the same menu, and prices are relatively consistent, depending where you choose to eat. We do have to be wary as it seems extras get added to the bill, and the “free”/”on the house” stuff isn’t always on the house… unless “on the house” means you can pay for it!
We headed to the Grand Bazaar. One of my favourite memories from Morocco is when we went to Fez and got lost in the medina. I was hopeful this would be similar, and it was! The Grand Bazaar is “one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with 61 covered streets and over 4,000 shops which attract between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors daily. In 2014, it was listed No.1 among the world’s most-visited tourist attractions with 91,250,000 annual visitors. The Grand Bazar at Istanbul is often regarded as one of the first shopping malls of the world.” (Wikipedia) It was packed, a little overwhelming, but fascinating all the same. We followed Rick Steves’ tour of the Grand Bazaar and as usual, it didn’t disappoint. It took us to some areas we would never have found on our own, and we even happened upon some craftsmen working in their workshops. One man making silver platters moved the curtain so I could take pictures. It was fascinating to watch him make plate after plate. I could have stood for ages just watching. Nina bought some jewelry so while we sat and waited for it to be ready, we had the traditional apple tea. 
We went to a caravanserai where we happened upon some more craftspeople hard at work, and I had my first taste of Turkish coffee. It was thick!
From here we wandered aimlessly, in search of some shopping. I was hoping to find a good, but cheap pair of sandals to replace my recently broken pair. I bought a pair of Birkenstocks, genuine and authentic, for 40 Turkish Lira (about $10 CAD). 🙂 We exited then re-entered then exited the Bazaar again, over and over. I can’t imagine just how much of the bazaar we missed. Old Town Istanbul is known as the city of seven hills. I must say, it always feels like we are going uphill. I am amazed as we slowly make our way uphill by the men who lug trolleys and carts FULL of merchandise and really heavy-looking bundles. I can’t imagine how they do it, over and over. But they do!
We eventually made it back for a rest and a shower before heading out to dinner. Our evenings are pretty quiet. After walking so much all day, and sweating so much, we are usually ready to crash by the time dinner is over. Tonight was no exception! Even the cats at the hotel had moved and were sleepy by the time we got back.
Tomorrow is another full day, with a palace, fish sandwiches, churches and some religious ceremonies in the plans. Until then…
We had a few things we really wanted to do and so we decided to spend lunch, while waiting for our hotel to get ready, planning out our next three days. Traffic here is crazy! Cars squish beside each other on roads that are hardly big enough for two cars and there are horns honking all over the place, as if that will make the cars move faster. So far, it hasn’t.
We decided today was the perfect day to go for a Turkish bath, a hammam. I went for a hammam in Morocco and it was a fantastic experience. I had great hopes for this hammam and it didn’t disappoint.
After 10 minutes (though it was probably more like 5), we went to the sinks and rinsed ourselves and then we moved to the centre marble circle where we lay down, looked up at the ceiling with the cut-out stars and circles and squares and watched as the sun changed the shadows and patterns of light.
As we left the tour in search of a toilet, on our way to the covered market and the Ladies’ Market, my shoe broke. The first day we walked on the cobblestones, at the very beginning of this trip, I commented that I didn’t think these were the best shoes to bring. I have been good and for the most part I have been wearing my runners, but every so often I crack out these sandals. This is actually pair two of these sandals as the first pair broke last summer when I was walking Sadie on some stones at the beach. I liked them so much I bought another pair.
Now we are on the train. I must say there is something romantic and beautiful about riding the train. We have a sleeper car again, this time without a shower, and it’s perfect. It’s night so we can’t look outside, but we can lie around, talk, read, listen to music or just listen to others who are really loud next door.
A hermit who was canonized by the Orthodox Church founded Rila Monastery in the 10th century. “His ascetic dwelling and tomb became a holy sit and were transformed into a monastic complex which played an important role in the spiritual and social life of medieval Bulgaria.” (
After lunch and a bit of a lazy morning wandering around the monastery, we headed to another UNESCO World Heritage Site, Boyana Church. Here we had 10 minutes to enter, look around and listen to the explanation about the frescoes, and then get out. 8 people allowed in every 10 minutes- and they were strict about keeping to the schedule. I felt a little cheated when I heard we were only getting 10 minutes until I was inside. No photos allowed and the church is small- 10 minutes were more than sufficient.
Since we were on a church crawl, we decided to check out a couple more when we got back to the city. First off was St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, one of the largest Eastern Orthodox cathedrals in the world. It is big! It can hold 10,000 people inside it.
From here we headed to St. Sofia Church but it had already closed. This gave me an opportunity to pose with all the statues, something I love doing and fortunately for me, Nina tolerates. Off to the Russian Church next, also called Church of St Nicholas the Miracle-Maker, where I took a bunch of pictures outside but there was a service inside and you weren’t allowed to take photos so I didn’t linger long.
A light dinner, some ice cream on the pedestrian street (which is hopping tonight!) and we are back to our room for the first time since bright and early this morning. Tomorrow is a full-day and then we have our last night train of the trip. Can’t wait!
Ще се видим утре! (See you tomorrow!)