Day 21 – Friday 29 May

Tomorrow marks the end our 3 weeks in Türkiye as we move onto the next part of our Eastern Europe itinerary. We have had a lovely time here, but are ready to move on from Istanbul and experience new things.

When we woke to check our mail there was a letter from our lawyer regarding estate matters that required some attention. Vern suggested we take a business day, as we were prepared for this before we went away, and are in a very comfortable place to do so. Additionally, we have seen all we really want to in Istanbul.

We had considered going to the Grand Bazaar and afterwards having a Turkish bath, however, the bazaar was just for the experience and we have already seen it from the outside and as mentioned, every Turkish person has advised against it. The bath would be nice, however that also starts at around 140nzd each (across to old town) and when we add two together we are not convinced it is worth the $280 budget at this time.

Again we are considering budget as retirees and coming to terms with the prices and our exchange rate. We are sure we would enjoy it, but with other costs and time demands we are foregoing it, being satisfied we have a cup full of wonderful experiences and memories of our time here.

Therefore we spent the day sorting my family estate legal matters, planning our transit day, Budapest transport systems, and also logistics for our upcoming move back home, final sorting of Vern’s dads estate items, potential sale of our South Island home, and Verns family estate home. Not the ideal holiday day, however necessary business day it was!

When we got home last night we googled what the jets were. We saw that other people were asking the same question too, and the answer was it was a trial run for some celebrations today at 6pm. The planes were F16 jets. Before dinner we went up to the breakfast terrace and got to see them do some circuits. My word they are fast and impressive, especially when they release their counter measures.

Our last dinner was up our local street to the very popular place we missed out on the other day. It was easy to see why it was popular. We had beautifully grilled and tasty chicken breast and lamb tenderloin. 300gr serves of meat in each serve (they state it on the menu), at a total cost of $80nzd including drinks of Ayran. The meat was probably the best cooked and seasoned of the Turkish meals we have had.

An additional note on Turkish food – including hotel breakfasts. We are not impressed to the level of others. Breakfasts are same same different. Salad and bland cheese, fried egg and the raw minced salsa which I find unpleasant. Breads are hit and miss. Some very nice, others definitely not. Their loved ‘bagel’ bread loop with sesame seeds is simply unappealing to us and Vern and I gave it a miss. Meat is pretty much grilled or stewed.

Flavour profile is same same different. Bland, and tomato, capsicum, onion. Bbq meat and or stew is simply that. You can over or undercook both ways. Eggplant is a favourite of ours, however, used same, same different – smoked and cold dip, babaganush, or grilled. For a country that produces a lot of olives and olive oil, the cooking lacks the good use of it, including the salads.

Then there is the hygiene. Vern has struggled with bloating and not feeling great, and you know what I have suffered. It has really triggered a sensitivity in my gut to the point where we both relished a break. It was noticeable the difference to both of us when we did eat different cuisines. I found this curious as the ingredients and methods are not new to me, so I conclude it was the hygiene and food handling.

Having said all that, we have enjoyed a range of tastes and meals, my summary is simply that it is not as amazing as I hoped.

After dinner we spent a bit of time lingering on the local street, enjoying the atmosphere for the last time. I bought some Turkish delight and sweets pick and mix style for the vendor next to our other favourite restaurant. A 250gr bag minimum cost a dollar..

An earlier night and pack down ready for our transit start in the morning.