Introduction to Istanbul

To me, Istanbul is one of the most exotic cities in the world.  It’s a magical place that separates Europe and Asia and it has always captivated me, yet I had never been to before.  Oftentimes it gets compared to some of the globe’s greatest cities – New York, Paris or London – but because it is quite literally split between two continents, it’s truly a place like no other.  Founded by the Greeks in the seventh century BC, it is an ancient city with relics of a bygone era everywhere, from the Byzantine Church in the old quarter to the otherworldly pavilions of the Ottoman Empire.

Last month, Condé Nast Traveler published its annual Readers’ Choice Awards and listed Turkey (with special mention of Istanbul) as the ninth country you must visit in your lifetime.  Who knew!  My impetus for going was something a bit more altruistic: I wanted it to work as bridal shower, of sorts: My son is getting married this summer, so I decided this was a perfect girl’s trip with my future daughter-in-law Liz and my own daughter, Chanel.  We all have adventurous spirits, so Istanbul was a natural fit for the group!  Plus, we are all big on cooking, so after our days in Turkey, we then headed straight to Tuscany for a cooking school.

We toured, we ate, we explored and we laughed (a lot!) creating memories that I hope will last a lifetime.  Over the course of the month on Crafted, I hope to share some of those stories with you: from where we ate, to what we saw and what we recommend you see if you plan a trip there sometime in your lifetime.

Stay tuned! Until then, I hope this breathtaking picture above gives you some inspiration to book some travel soon!

Lisa xo