1. Istanbul

I stayed with Chris and Jenna in Istanbul for a few days before Chris and I embarked on the road trip. The city is large. It reminded me of New York, has a limitless, endless quality, the feeling that wherever you are, you're only experiencing a microscopic portion of it at any time. Istanbul is the only city on two continents. It's cut in half by the Bosphorous, and straddles Europe and Asia culturally as well as geographically. It's a Muslim country that feels very European, a liberal city where some women cover their heads in scarves. Part of being in Istanbul is traveling back and forth across the water on ferry boats (the word is feribot in Turkish). I got the best haircut/shave of my life in Istanbul.

First full day hit up Topkapi Palace, the Grand Bazaar, the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia. Went out for dinner in Taksim, a very hip neighborhood on the European side, then for drinks.

Sunday woke up late and took a ferry out to Heybeliada, one of the Princes' Islands in the Sea of Marmara close to Istanbul. Walked around the island for a good few hours and back along a trail on the water, cliffs dropping down to the ocean.

Istanbul Photos