Nice is nice

I can’t fit my whole spring break into one post so I’m breaking it up the easiest way possible. Here goes nothin’...

Sunday morning I met Alexa and her friend from home, Charlotte, at the train station to begin our spring break journey. We took the train to Rome and the bus to the airport, getting there about 3.5 hours early which gave us time to grab a delicious lunch before our plane to Nice. The flight was a quick one with a huge scare when the plane was about to land, started ascending and the turned the engine off for a hot sec but nonetheless we landed in one piece. We then met Betsy who was flying in from Barca and made our way to the hotel.  Nice is the cutest of cities and we were having trouble getting over the fact that we were in FRANCE! The receptionist at the hostel was adorable and gave us some dinner recommendations since we were starving from our day of traveling. We walked along the road that looked out on to the water until we came to a street that was lined with adorable restaurants. We went for one that has French/ seafood and it was absolutely delicious. The calamari was to die for; I'm still salivating over it. After dinner we walked back to the hostel and passed out. 

Monday morning we woke up early, had breakfast at the hostel and wandered around Nice until Bre and Morgan got in. The nice thing about Nice is that there aren't tons of things you 'MUST' do as there are in other cities so it was very relaxed, like a real vacation. 

We met up with Bre and Morgan, grabbed some wine and headed to the beach. It was a bit windy but the sun was shining and we spent the day relaxing and catching up. We really could not have been more content. The beaches are beautiful with magnificent clear blue water that made me feel like I was in the Caribbean but also in an elaborate city since we were backed by swanky casinos. 

Ready for vacation!

take me back!

After our day of laying out we headed back, showered, and were off to dinner. We decided on a typically Italian restaurant but went with seafood dishes since we were on the water. They were DELICIOUS! After we headed out to wander around, searching for a bar the receptionist had recommended although we somehow ended up on a really creepy side street that resembled and alleyway but found the bar at last. It was ALL french people who didn’t speak a lick of english. SO we opted for the bar next to it. The waiter to got us our drinks was so nice.  Betsy and I tried to converse with him in French and told him we were from the US. He went craaazy telling us how much he loves America, something you don’t often hear from the French.  He also told my my french was good which must have been a HUGE joke since it’s absolutely horrible and I barely remember any of it from high school. 

our delicious meals!

drinks all around

The next morning we woke up bring and early to get on the bus to Monaco. There’s one that is only 1e and takes you straight there. The bus ride was amazing. We had the sickest views of mansions, boats, the mountains, and pretty much all of the French Riviera. I couldn’t stop taking pictures. It felt so surreal. 

Once we checked into our hotel we went to lunch at a restaurant next door and sat outside so we could enjoy the rays. I opted for gocchi since I was craving it and it hot the spot. We sat and chatted for a bit and before we knew it, it was 3! We quickly paid the bill and went to explore the different sights of Monaco (not that many).

Like I said earlier, there isn’t all that much to do in the French Riviera but we did go see the Palace where the royal family of Monaco lives as well as the church where Grace Kelly married the Prince of Monaco. They were both beautiful, especially with the views that were surrounding. 

Monaco

Infront of the church where Grace Kelly got married

someone wanna buy me one of those?

We then decided to walk back to our hotel so we could see what there was along the way.  There were huge yachts along the marina and only the finest of stores. 

We then went out on my French boyfriend’s yacht where he served us champagne and serenaded us with music while we sunbathed. 

yeah, right, in my dreams.

By the time we got back and were done with our girls night and getting ready, it was about 10pm which in Florence is normal to go out to dinner, not so much on a Tuesday night in Monaco. Most of the places were closed so we spent about 30min walking around looking for a place until we found tip top, a restaurant that was open almost all night. We all ordered American food and enjoy it verrry much. We then headed to a club called Jimmy'z (yes, with a ‘z’) which was across the steer, except for the fact that it was completely empty... Like we were actually the only people there besides the workers. That idea was quickly thrown in the trash and we decided to spend our money and Bre’s birthday the right way... At the Monte Carlo casino. Never mind the fact that they made me check my camera, We paid 10 euro to even get into the casino and the went and laid out 18e for a glass of champagne. Whatever. Chalk it all up to experience and being super classy. The casino was stunning but being that they took my camera before I we entered, I didn't dare try to snap a photo on my phone. But trust me, it was stunning and so elaborate. 








There was no one there since it was a Tuesday night but I could only imagine what it would be like on a Saturday night with crazy high rollers. We decided to stick with slots. I sat down next to a Russian man... Who ended up becoming my patron/ sugar daddy. Literally he kept putting money into my slot machine and pressing the button for me. It was hilarious. After about 30e of this I made my way back to the girls and played with them for a while... Although not making much in the process. I spent much of the night running back and fourth cashing my money so I could play more and making friends with the cash man and floor manager who was making sure all the slots were working properly. Once I ran out of money and chips I waited for Bre to finish... She ended up making like 50e! I conversed and made friend with the men, who told me I spoke good French (thanks Mrs. Fischman!) I was trying my hardest to converse and remember what I had learned. They were able to understand me! It was quite rewarding.

Although it was early, we headed back to the hotel to get a good night sleep for our next day of exploring back in Nice. 

Monte Carlo Casino!

Us about to go into the casino

In the morning we were all slightly hungover, and what better way to cure a hangover than baked pastries?! There was a pastry shop across from our hotel so we check out and headed right there, each getting about 3 different pastries that were so good, I probably could have eaten 10. Don’t worry, I didn’t. 

We got back to Nice, checked back into our hotel, and headed straight to the beach for a relaxing nap, we were taking any chance to rest and tan that we could 
get.

After a couple hours we decided to walk around and shop a bit. We had seen this gorgeous waterfall from the beach so we made our way toward it. As we climbed up the stairs, the view of Nice and the water only got prettier.  We reached the top and I was breathless. 1. Because there are so many steps and I'm an out of shape fat-ass and 2. Because I could not believe how beautiful it was.  I was literally staring at a gorgeous cascading waterfall. Ugh, absolutely stunning. 

not real life

The most amazing views

For our last night in Nice, we had wanted to go to this restaurant called Love that we had walked past a bunch, hoping to fine ‘love’ in Nice. ha, okay. The restaurant was closed so there was no love for us. We instead opted for a restaurant that had outdoor seating and a man playing guitar in front of it. We ate amazing salads that hit the spot and then headed back to the hostel for an early night since we had to be up early the next day for our flight to PARIS! 

It was an amazing and relaxing week but I couldn’t have been more excited to see the city of love! You’ll be reading about it soon!

looking out to all of Nice

Lawrence in Florence

This past week was absolutely gorgeous. Sunny and about 70 everyday, which is of course why I was locked indoors studying. 

I spent as much of Thursday as I could outdoors after my final and went for a run along the Arno. Seriously, this is not real life. I then came home and ate cookies with nutella. WHO AM I!? Anyway after that I decided it was time for some retail therapy so I went and bought a wallet, a bracelet and 2 adorable cross body bags. Not sorry about it. I wasn’t planning on going out Thursday night, but Alexa twisted my arm and convinced me to (not that it was so hard). We decided to go out for a little, which turned into a lot, which turned into me getting home at 4am. That is, after we went to moyo where Alexa got hit on and asked for her number buy some random Italian, Red Garter where there was absolutely no one but some kid was so drunk he literally walked into a wall and fell backwards like a plank (seriously right out of a movie), Twice where we danced our hearts out, and a kebab place where I bonded with the man over Istanbul to score a discounted kebab...that is after he asked me for my number and to go on a date.  Successful night in all, I’d say.  Seriously, what is my life? 

I woke up Friday morning anxiously awaiting Giulia’s arrival. She was in Calabria (foot of the boot) visiting family but went to Pisa to see her cousin and since Florence is only a short ride away....I got to see her!  She got to my apartment around 12ish and we ventured out for the day. Shopping and food were obviously our two main concerns so we hit up the leather market for round 1. I guess it never realized how fluent Giulia is in Italian, but I was blown away. She was joking around and bargaining her little heart out. I felt so proud...but soooo lost since I had no idea what on earth they were saying. After shopping session numero uno we headed to the Ponte Vecchio to take some pictures and then to Piazza Pitti to soak up some sun.  

Gorgeous day in Firenze

Us on the Ponte Vecchio

We were starving at this point so we only stayed a little and then headed to Pino’s, where I made Giulia speak in italian so her and Pino could bond. It was great.  My apartment is right down the block from Pino’s so we came back to rest our feet a little and then headed to the market again for round 2, where Giulia made some more fabulous purchases.  The sun was starting to set and we weren’t gonna have enough time to climb to Piazza Michaelangelo so we settled for drinks at the cafe on top of La Reniscente, La Terazza, which looks over Piazza Republica and gives a sick view of the Duomo.  It was a gorgeous night out so we sat there for a while and enjoyed the music coming from the Piazza. We then channeled our inner 5 year old and went on the carousel, which was fun but a little overrated. Our feet were killing us at this point so we headed back to my apartment to shower and nap. 

Oh hey there, Duomo.

Our View from the top!

Us on the carousel in Piazza Republica

Dinner was at Il Piazzaiuola and it was absolutely amazing. Dare I say this: it might even beat Gusta *gasp.*  By the time we finished dinner it was already 12:30 so we headed to Full Up because we had heard they had a poppin’ Friday night...WRONG. Being that 2 of the main study abroad schools in Florence (FUA and LDM) are on spring break right now no one was there. It was actually kind of funny.  But never the less Giulia and I made the best of it and befriended the DJ. 

My delicious pizza!

Giulia and I at Full Up

my new best friend, the DJ
Saturday morning I walked Giulia to the train station and then headed home for a nap.  Seeing her was the perfect way to start break and the whole time she was here I just kept saying, “I can’t believe we’re together. IN FLORENCE.”  It was so great to have a taste of home here with me for a bit.  

I’m so jealous that I’m not at Muhlenberg right now for all of the St. Paddy’s Day shenanigans (keg crawl in particular) but I spent most of the day running errands and packing before the bar crawl of my own (organized by a program in Florence).  

I leave tomorrow morning to spend the rest of my spring break in the French Riviera (Nice, Monaco, Cannes) and Paris. The true life of a jet setter. 

A bientôt!

#obesegirlproblems

I apologize for how long it’s taken me to write. As you will soon read, time has been of the essence the past few days. But here we go...

This weekend I was off to Budapest and Vienna. Initially it was just going to be Breana and myself but Jaclyn and Hailey decided to come along to; the more, the merrier! 

When I got out of class on Thursday, I headed to the printing lab to get all the studying supplies I needed.  Midterms started Monday so I wanted to at least bring my study guides with me....although let’s get real, I wasn’t going to glance at them at all over the weekend. Hannah and I then ventured to look for a jacket for me to wear this weekend since I cannot stand the sight of my brown puffer anymore. We ended up getting the same one too! I hurried home, packed and was off to the train station at around 8 where we would be meeting our group (the trip was through Florence For Fun). We then boarded the bus which we’d be on for the next 12 hours. No, that was not a typo. It’s actually a 12 hour bus ride to Budapest. Luckily, we were each able to snag our own seat so we could stretch out and sleep on the overnight drive. 

We arrived in Budapest at about 8am in which we checked into the hotel, although of course our room was one of the 3 that weren’t ready yet, aka no nap time for us! We used our time to freshen up and grab some breakfast before our tour of Budapest began. I’m not normally a huuuge fan of walking tours but I was quite excited for this one since there isn’t much I know about Budapest. However, the tour guide that they hired was literally whispering so there was no chance of me hearing her or understanding what she was saying. i.e. I just took a million pictures of whatever looked pretty, especially the parliament building. 

the building is absolutely gorgeous if you can catch a view from the other side

We ended our tour in the Jewish Quarter outside one of the largest synagogues in Europe; it was beautifully decorated. After some free time of walking around and shopping we decided to grab some delicious Hungarian Pizza (I’ve now had pizza in every country I’ve visited since being here. Yes, I’m fat and no, I don’t care) and head to the other side of the bridge. The Danube River divides Budapest into two side: one side is known as “Buda” and the other side is “Pest.” Hence the name. When we got to the other side we hiked up to where there was a gorgeous church that kind of reminded me of Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.  After that we were running out of steam so we headed back to the hotel. Walking around from 9-5 is tiring and our feet were killing us.

this one's for gram

Hungarian pizza. delish!!

reminds me of gaudi!

Buda AND Pest in the background

After the much needed 2 hour nap, we were woken up to our alarms letting us know it was time to get ready for dinner. The tour guides arranged a dinner for us at a local restaurant where we paid 18 euro for a night of all you can eat and drink (beer, wine, champagne). We ate probably about 4 plates of food each and drank a ton of champagne (I swear it was 5-6 bottles but everyone else says it was more like 9).  Regardless, it was well worth the 18 euro since we have #obesegirlproblems.  After dinner we headed to a local bar that kind of looked like it was in a cave from what I can remember. We didn’t stay long though because we were all still exhausted and knew we needed to be up extra early the following day. 

Saturday: woke up at about 7:30 (ughh) and ate a speedy breakfast before boarding the bus for our departure to Vienna at 9. I passed out on the 3 hour bus ride and woke up just as we were entering Vienna. We quickly checked in the hotel and met downstairs to go to the center of Vienna where they gave us free time before our tour. Our first priority was obviously eating and I was in luck today. We found a restaurant where they had falafels and humus and cabbage and so much yummy stuff! I was so happy to be eating humus a. because it’s impossible for me to find it in Italy, and b. because I love jew (middle eastern, whatever) food and will eat it all day every day.  

After lunch we obviously felt the need to be super American and headed straight to Starbucks. In Vienna there are tons of Starbucks and in Italy there are none. So one can understand the withdrawal I’ve been going through. 

gotta love starbucks!

Now that we were late thanks to our dire need for Starbucks, we ran back to St. Stephen’s Cathedral where we met our tour guide who would be showing us around Vienna for the day. We saw a bunch of churches, the house Mozart lived in during his twenties, something that looked like a Palace, and the Spanish Riding School. We got to walk into the courtyard where there was a gorgeous open field in which we could see the Rathus from afar. I would have loved to go back with a glass of wine and just relax all afternoon but we had more important things to do– Such as going to Demel, an amaaaazing pastry shop and eating, yet again. Seriously, #obesegirlproblems 

inside of the spanish riding school

After the tour we did what girls studying abroad (or girls in general) do and headed straight to the main shopping street where there were tons of stores. The streets were lined with designer shops but since we were feeling American, Forever 21 was our place. I hate to admit this but I ended up buying a couple things, just so I have my reminder of home hanging in my closet.  

We then made our way back to the hotel and rested up before dinner. Our meal that night was at a traditional Viennese restaurant that claimed to have an asian fusion, but I didn’t notice, Leopold. We ordered traditional Austrian dishes and split them- Schnitzel, a meatball dish, and a noodle dish that had egg and potato. I also ordered a drink call the Leopold and it was scrumptious and fruity and perfect.  Once we were so full that we could no longer breath, we went across the street to a bar and hung out for a little. We had planned on going to a club called Flex but that obviously wasn’t happening because the food come I was in was quickly taking over. 

Sunday morning marked our last day in Vienna. We checked out of the hotel and got onto the bus to drive outside the center of Vienna to Hundertwasser Haus, which is a residential block of apartments that was designed by a Viennese architect. The buildings were very unique and I was once again reminded of Gaudi upon seeing it. 

outside the giftshop. The interior was all decorated as well!

We then hopped on the bus again and went to the Schonbrunn Palace, home of the Hapsburg monarchs. We had some free time before the tour but it was rather cold and rainy so we went into the cafe and got tea and cake. I would make another remark about how fat we are, but I’ll spare you. 

Anyway, we weren’t allowed to take pictures in the palace which is such a shame because it was beautiful. We got to see about 30 different rooms, each with its own purpose and character. Quite possibly one of my favorites and it just made me love Vienna even more. It’s such a cute city and has the perfect mix of history, architecture, and modernity.  

The outside of Schonbrunn.

After the tour we decided to try the healthy route and get salads for lunch which was very refreshing. We then all piled on the bus at 2, for the 10 hour drive back. I would love to say that the drive was quick and easy, but since we’re dealing with the queen of back luck, you’re all in for a treat. 

We were still in Austria at about 5:00 when we pulled over on the side of the road in an open field. I was extremely nauseous for some reason so I was actually a little relieved to stop. I got off the bus and overheard the drivers talking; obviously something was wrong and being the nosy person I am I tried to listen.  No such luck.  About 2 hours later they finally fixed the problem and we were back on the road. We drove for a few minutes and then stopped at a rest station. It was a nice rest station and I figured we’d stay here for a while so the drivers could fix the bus for good but they insisted everything was fine– yeah, right. We drove for another 15 minutes when the bus completely stalled out. At this point it was dark and we were in the middle-of-nowhere, Austria. I knew we should’ve stayed at the rest stop! 

Luckily there was a pizza place across the street so we all get off the bus to go get food. I’m walking, turn me head, and BAM! I literally walked right into the glass of the hut at the bus stop. Not to mention I obviously made some overdramatic sound effects which caused EVERYONE to look at me. Like I’ve mentioned before, my life is a stream of awkward and embarrassing encounters and this one did not fall short. I had an egg on my forehead (which has now turned black&blue) and everything (my glasses also got all bent out of shape. wah). 

After getting the pizza and waiting another 3 hours for maintenance to come fix the bus, we were on our way. At midnight. The day of midterms week. 5 hours from Florence. We were supposed to be IN FLORENCE by this time and we were still stranded in Austria.

We eventually made it back to Florence at about 5 although Monday I was delusional running on hardly any sleep while still studying for midterms. But let’s be honest, is anyone really that surprised? 

It was the shittiest ending to a great weekend.  I’m so glad we did this trip– definitely one for the books!

2 Jews, 1 Muslim...City That is

preface: this is a very long post. I don't want to forget anything, so feel free to skip over parts...

My destination this weekend was Istanbul, where I would be meeting my friend fainerz (rebecca) who is studying in Tel Aviv. Two nice Jewish girls in a Muslim city, makes for a great story. So I traded in my opal chamsa for my Tiffany bean and was off.

Thursday: the day of travel. In order to actually get to Istanbul I had to take a train to Rome, a bus to the airport, a plane to Istanbul, and a cab w fainerz to the hostel.

I went to my 9am with my luggage in hand and couldn't stop looking at the clock to see if it was time to go. At 11:30 I bolted out of the door. It was a gorgeous day (supposed to be 70) and I would’ve loved to take a nice stroll to the train station but instead I had to haul ass so I could make the 12:14 train. I somehow made it there in 25 minutes, although I was sweating and completely out of breath. 

The euro star trains are really nice, what I would assume Amtrak to be like but I've never taken it so I wouldn't know.  Anyway Got to Rome and found a place that had a bus to the airport. It was 6e and took an hour so why not. 

The bus: ho.ly.crap. It smelt to high hell of B.O. and was sweltering. Not to mention there were plenty of open seats and some Italian man felt the need to sit RIGHT NEXT to me. As if it wasn't hot enough. Really. 

Get to the airport and to the terminal no problemo. Then I get a call from my mom telling me there was a bombing in Istanbul that morning. Go figure. When I get to my gate I see fainerz texted me but at this point I can't read what she wrote. The 2 hours waiting in the terminal consisted of me panicking that she could no longer go and trying to scamper up some change so I could use the Internet machines in the airport. Alas, it was time to board the plane. No turning back now, just praying I wouldn't be traveling Istanbul on my own. The plane ride was fine. I luckily had the whole row to myself so I stretched out. I was woken up by one of the flight attendants asking me which meal I wanted! The flight was only 2 hours and they gave me dinner, this is my kind of airline. 

When we landed I had to go get my Turkish visa, for certain countries they mandate you get a visa even if you're only staying for a night! I paid my visa and then went to check the arriving flights for when fainerz would get in. She was scheduled to get in an hour after me but the longer I waited the less I saw her. Of course being that I had no Internet on my phone and hadn't spoken to her, I started to panic and may have even had a mini break down in the Ataturk airport. Yes, it happened. Much to my surprise, VERY few people speak english there so no one knew what I was trying to say. After I calmed myself down fainerz walked out of customs and I literally jumped on her (and maybe cried a little, too) I was so happy. We then proceeded to get completely ripped off by a cab but by the time we realized it we had already paid and were too tired to argue. Our driver Adam ended up being really nice and giving us an additional driving tour of the Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque which were right by our hostel. It was so pretty at night and we couldn't wait to see the inside the following day. When we got to the hostel we immediately made friends with the man at the front, john, who showed us to our rooms. After getting settled we figured it would be a good idea to get some lira so we could actually pay for dinner and what not.

It just so happened that our hostel, Bahaus Hostel, is situated on the cutest cobblestone street, lined with restaurants, right near the Blue Mosque in Sultanahmet (and area in Istanbul). As we walked along the sidewalk, we quickly learned how things work in Istanbul: outside of every single business in the city, an overly obnoxious Turk will be standing on the street outside, hollering whatever he can to get your attention, whether it be “Hello, you are so beautiful!” or “Miss can I show you something?” or “If you only have a minute...” If you give these creeps the time of day, they will always try to make a deal with you.  Fainerz and I laughed the whole walk down the street.  We then bumped into 2 men who were American and showed us to the ATM which happened to be right next to the Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque. We got the best view of them since they were well lit and no one was in sight to bother us.  

After getting money and thanking our new American friends, Fainerz and I made our way back to the hostel. At this point it was about 2:30AM so most of the restaurants were closed, except for one. The man came outside and would not leave us alone. Being the friendly Americans that we are, Fainerz and I made some conversation, although not without changing our names so he couldn’t stalk us, and were on our way back to the hostel. John greeted us and then we made our way upstairs and met another worker at the hostel whose name was Ooor (or that’s how he pronounced it). We chatted it up with him in return for some soup that was not too tasty but I ate it anyway.  After that we were so drained and just passed out in our beds. I didn’t move once all night.

We woke up at the wee hours of 8 on Friday, ate the complimentary breakfast the hostel gave us, and were off. As you are about to read, the day was never ending but somehow our adrenaline kept us going. 

We began Friday at the Blue Mosque, one of Istanbul’s most famous attractions. We removed our shoes and went in the visitor’s entrance—there are two entrances since the mosque is still used for prayer. It was exquisite, the walls and ceiling painted and tiled with brightly colored patterns and adorned with stained glass windows. The exterior is even more magnificent. 

Fainerz and I outside the Blue Mosque

Interior of the Blue Mosque

Fainerz and I then walked across the street to see the Hagia Sophia, one of the most well known attractions in the city. Another cool thing is that the mosque was originally a church. The Muslims left most of the Christian artwork in tact, so you can find a mosaic baby Jesus sitting right about the structure that points towards Mecca.   

Inside of Hagia Sophia

Since Topapki Palace was right next to the Hagia Sophia, we hit up there next. It’s a large estate that housed the Ottoman Sultans for centuries but is now mostly a museum, displaying weapons, clothing, jewels etc from the Ottoman Empire. The coolest part was the 86-carat diamond, the most expensive in the world. We were looking at some of the old jewels when these two Muslim girls started talking to us and explaining the significance of everything. It was like a private tour! At the end they asked for our names, I'm pretty sure they though we were muslim so we were a little skeptical to write down Gold and Fainberg but did it anyway since we'll never see them again. The weather was really nice at this point so we just wandered around outside through the courtyards and sat looking over the Bosphorus straight. 

Basilica Cistern

Next we went to the Basilica Cistern, an under-ground water reservoir from the 6th century. It was incredible! So well intact. A quick attraction, so cool to see. They also had a medusa head which derived from an ancient story they used to tell (I don’t remember it though).

At this point Fainerz and I were starving so we wandered down past the Basilica onto a random street that had a bunch of restaurants. We sat down and had Turkish Kebabs for lunch. They were delicious and it was nice to be able to rest our feet. We made friends with the people sitting next to us, one of them who was from the US and on his way to Israel so Fainerz and I obviously spent 20 minutes talking about how great it is and all the places he needed to go.

We then made our way to the Galata Bridge. There are 2 levels—on the upper level, tens of men were fishing and we could see their fishing poles hanging into the water and reeling in fish. Quite the view! From the Galata Bridge you can also see the Bosphorus bridge which connects the Asian side of Istanbul to the European side (Istanbul spans two continents, how cool?!) Once we walked across we decided it would be neat to go to the Dolmabahce Palace.  Little did we know it was about a 1.5 mile walk and cost 40TL to get in. We arrived at the Palace which looked gorgeous from the outside but were too tired to deal with a mandatory tour (if you get a ticket you must take the tour) so we walked the 1.5 miles back to Galata and climbed the Galata Tower instead. The tower reminded me on the Duomo in the sense that you can see all of Istanbul and the view is stunning. The Mosques stick out all over; a gorgeous view. We also had perfect sights of the Asian side and European side, which made for awesome pictures. 

1 photo, 2 continents
By now it’s 5:30 and Fainerz and I were completely burnt out so we cabbed it back to the hostel and passed out for a good 2 hours.  After napping and showering we headed to dinner in Galata since the nightlife there is popping. We ate at a very authentic Turkish restaurant where they gave us a free shot of Raki (aka the worlds most disgusting alcohol ever). We then walked around for a bit and ended up at a bar called Purple Shot where we, of course, made friends with the people who worked there. They then proceeded to ask if Fainerz and I wanted to go out with them but we were a little sketched out so we headed home. While we were walking from the cab to our apt, we ran into our friend from the first night who offered us to come into his restaurant. There was no one in there but for some ridiculous reason Fainerz and I walked in, sat down, and started talking to him and his friends. Things got pretty sketchy from there. They made us drinks but were SO WEIRD. I was convince we were gonna get kidnapped so we bolted and headed back to the hostel where Ooor was upstairs with some other people from the hostel. He was looooving fainerz and I couldn’t help but giggle at this one way street crush. 

Saturday we had a ‘late’ wakeup at 9, but snoozed until 9:30 because we were so tired. It was raining and cold which happened to work out for us because we were doing all indoor activities.

First we went to the Suleymaniye Mosque. There are tons of mosques in Istanbul but this one had specifically been recommended to me. The mosque really was my favorite, with all of the color and intricate designs. Absolutely stunning. 

From there we went to the covered spice market.  In the Spice Bazaar, we were again introduced to a new way of attracting attention. They would yell “Hello, Spice Girl!” or “You so spicy.” Really? We know were at a spice shop. Enough with the puns.  Some try to guess your nationality (these were the ones we were asked): “Australia?” “Hola Chica!” “Italiani?” NOT A REAL WORD, YOU MORON (although I was please to hear I look Italian since it’s now my home). About 5 people even though I was Turkish and started speaking to me in the mother tongue!  Fainerz must have gotten “Brazil?” a million times and I have no idea why, but every time someone said it I died of laughter. If you let them know you’re from America, they try to either tell you someone they know from there, or guess which state. “Indiana?” “Arizona?” “Nebraska?” Really, choose a more random state. I couldn’t even make this stuff up if I tried.  Additionally, if you give these creeps the time of day, they will always try to make a deal with you. Which is exactly what we did once we made it to the Grand Bazaar; Spanning 60 blocks and hosting 1,200 shops, this covered market is just a shopper’s paradise…which is why we spent three hours there. Getting lost in there is inevitable. There are store after store with candles and jewelry and scarves and dishes and everything you can imagine. As fun as shopping was, it was EXHASUTING because you have to bargain for EVERYTHING.  

got spices?


This wasn’t as big of a problem as I expected because Fainerz is a pro. Seriously, girlfrand knows how to bargain!  We got drawn into a scarf shop and made friends with a man Huysein and his brother, Omer, who both spoke very good English. Fainerz and I were laughing up a storm with them.  She even felt the need to teach him the phrase ‘Chicks before dicks.’ They were all loving it and gave us an apple tea on the house, a bazaar tradition and the greatest drink in the entire world (we had been waiting to get them for free all weekend!). After about 30 minutes talking and bargaining we were able to knock the gorgeous silk scarves down from 125TL each to 60! Huysein even said he’d never seen anyone bargain so well. Most of the men in the bazaar were the worst. Or the funniest, take your pick of adjectives. They’ll do anything to get business so the rest of our purchases worked out likewise.

The man who let us get away with murder aka 60TL scarves

After going H.A.M. at the grand bazaar we needed some serious R&R which led us to Cemberlitas Hammami, a traditional Turkish bath built centuries ago by Mimar Sinan, Istanbul’s most famous architect. The spa trip involved a nap on a hot stone in a steam room, followed by an amazing foot massage that I never wanted to end. As we laid on the hot stone we were surrounded by super fat Turkish women giving soap massages in their underwear. Fainerz and I laid there watching the other women cracking up despite the peaceful ambiance of the bath. After my foot massage I went back and laid down on the stone again and observed the actual bath, two small pools in a dimly lit chamber with arched ceilings and small skylights. Pretty damn legit. 

Given the relaxing time we had, there was no way we were doing anymore walking so we headed back for nap time, yet again. 

For dinner, we decided to hunt down some Turkish pizza being that pizza is Fainerz favorite food and as you all know I eat anything and everything. We went to a place called Meat House and it was absolutely delicious! Legit Turkish food and they gave us free apple tea at the end too!

Couldn't resist..had to post a pictures
Our last night in Istanbul took us to Taksim Square, the pulsing, urban center of Istanbul. While our hostel had organized a pub crawl, it was extremely UNorganized so fainerz and I hit up a bar and then met up with our Turkish friends from the scarf shop (LOL). We found them and went to a club. The rest of the night was absolutely hilarious and quite bizarre and we ended up back at the hostel at about 3:30.  

Sunday we only had a short amount of time so we were up and at it by 8. We headed to the jewish quarter although there wasn’t much to do and the synagogue was closed. It was nice to see the synagogue (from the outside), but not an essential part of the trip.  We then went to Ortakoy, a trendy neighborhood of restaurants and bars, right on the water; It was so adorable, I absolutely loved it and if we had another night there we totally would’ve gone for dinner and clubbing. The 2 hours of walking around was plenty for us by this point so it was back to the hostel to catch the shuttle to the airport, that is after saying goodbye to all of our new Turkish friends. 

beautiful Ortakoy
Got to the airport and through customs fine. Of course since we had spare time we went to find some more delicious Turkish pizza and eggplant delight. After I bid fair well to fainerz I went to the waiting room to board. The plane was delayed 25 min which wasn't a big deal and I passed out as soon as I got on the plane. I woke up an hour and a half later only to realize that we hadn't landed in Rome; we were still in Istanbul! The plane had been additionally delayed. Normally this wouldn't have been a big deal but the trains to Florence stop running early on Sundays. With this in mind I prayed for a quick flight, which it was since I fell asleep again and only woke up cause the attendant told me I needed to sit up for landing. Of course customs was insane and the lines were ridiculous. I literally ran from customs to find the bus to take me to the train station praying that I would be able to make the last train at 8:45. Sat on the sweltering bus for an hour again hoping there would be no traffic. 

Thankfully we made it there in like 35 minutes and I was able to book it to the ticket booth and hop on the 815 train back to Flo. Needless to say once I was home I was quite relieved. This weekend was absolutely amazing. Istanbul is adorable and I felt different, like I was on a different planet. I don't know how, but Fainerz and I managed to take Istanbul on fast forward and conquer it in 2 days and 3 hours.  There was so much history I easily could've spent a week there. Hopefully one day my travels will bring me back!

Stay tuned for Mallory and Fainerz take Europe parts 2 and 3 (Florence and Rome), coming soon!