Highlights: the Hagia Sophia (maybe the most beautiful space I have ever been in), visiting a Turkish Bath, Baklava (maybe the most delicious bites of my life) and all of the food honestly

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I had a great opportunity to travel to Istanbul for 10 days for a workshop with school. The workshop wasn't at all what I was expecting, but it did make us run around Istanbul. I found myself in places I never thought I would be in.... the hardware district looking for metal sheets, the market buying kilograms of chestnuts, asking grocery stores if we could borrow a cart.... all of this to make a chestnut cart and sell spiced chestnuts at the workshop exhibition.... and we did make 50 Turkish Lira doing it! 

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Besides the chestnut cart shenanigans, I did get to explore Istanbul. It is such a beautiful, bustling city, with winding stone streets, full of people and and goods for sale, up and down the hills. The Bosphorus River is busy around the clock with water taxis running between the European and Asian sides. Mosques dot the city. When it is time for prayer, each mosques has a call to prayer. You can hear the call to prayer everywhere in the city, with calls going back and forth between the closest Mosques. The air is inundated with the calls, which is especially beautiful when coupled with a beautiful sunset... which there are a lot of. 

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Also... THE FOOD! There are so many great foods and flavors in Istanbul, from the spice market and street food to restaurants that sell home-cooked dishes cafeteria style. Oh and the TURKISH BREAKFAST. Turkish breakfast is wonderful way to spend the morning... as you will need a while to eat all of the food. Turkish coffee is also delightful (thicker, sweeter, and with the grounds in it, but still tasty). I also had the best baklava everrrr. 

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Istanbul is one of my favorite places that I have ever been. The architecture, the food, the people, and the language are all beautiful. I got to spend a longer chunk of time there... but I still left wanting to explore so much more. I know I will be back again to Istanbul. Until next time... 

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