Separated by the Bosphorus, the city of Istanbul spans two continents: Europe and Asia. Like most tourists, we stayed on the European side, specifically in the Sultanahmet, which is the historic center. But we were excited to venture over to Asia, so we caught the ferry at Galata Bridge to the neighborhood of Uskadar. It […]
It’s a commonly held conviction that Venice becomes magical at nighttime. Now, this Italian engineering marvel is quite lovely during the daytime too — you know, thanks to those canals and colorful architecture and all that. So what makes it even more special in the dark? First of all, it’s not as hot at night […]
Our first stop in Italy was Venice. We were there for about 48 hours (Monday to Wednesday) and didn't have one really good meal. This is partly because Venice is completely overrun with touristy restaurants where they show pictures of the food on the menu, partly because the streets of Venice are so confusing that […]
I don't usually take guided group tours — I prefer to sightsee at my own pace whenever possible. But last week when I was in Goreme, Turkey, I was very glad that I decided to see Kaymakli Underground City with a group tour. That place is spooky and even though there are color-coded arrows you […]
I think it would be impossible to choose which city in Europe is the most beautiful, although Vienna would be a serious contender. But I do feel safe in saying that Vienna is Europe’s sweetest city because everywhere you turn there is a konditorei angling to sell you a dizzying assortment of cake. There’s Aida, […]
From the outside, the Basilica Cistern (pictured above) doesn’t look very exciting — especially compared to other dramatic historical sites in the Sultanahmet district of Istanbul — but it’s pretty neat on the inside. You enter the modest building, buy your ticket (10 TL) and immediately descend down a steep flight of stairs to see […]
When we decided that we wanted to visit Cappadocia, Turkey, we knew that we wanted to stay in the town of Goreme for easy access to the Goreme Open-Air Museum. A one-mile walk from the center of town, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is a must-see if you’re in the region and is a great […]
Last night, I took a short flight from Istanbul to Kayseri, a conservative city in the middle of the country that's the gateway to Cappodocia. Because it was dark when I arrived, it wasn't until this morning that I got to observe my surreal surroundings. The topography here is actually similar to that of Southern […]
Two of Istanbul's greatest sights — the Blue Mosque (pictured above) and the Hagia Sofia (pictured below) — are so massive that it's tough to take them in at ground level. But the Sultanahmet area, where both are located, doesn't have much in the way of high rises. The best way to get a good […]
Santorini is not known for its beaches. People kept telling me that before I visited Greece and it didn't make any sense to me. Why would Santorini, consistently heralded as one of the world's greatest islands, not be known for its beaches?
