Oh Istanbul…

So I divide my time between my home country and Turkey – and today I am a bit homesick for Istanbul – one of the most magical cities I have ever been to / lived in.  And it’s just a few weeks until I will be back in Istanbul’s warm embrace – but in the meantime, I’m starting to feel nostalgic for the city, the people, the food… all of it it.

I’m missing catching the ferries from Kadikoy on the Asian side to Eminonu on the European side… I’m missing eating simits for breakfast, and catching the tram over Galata Bridge and seeing all of the fishermen… fighting my way along Istiklal Caddesi with all of the crowds and then the feeling of relief ducking into a cafe in a side street to recharge the batteries with a cup of tea, and lazy summer afternoons – legs dangling over the rock wall by the sea, sitting and watching the ships go by, I miss it all…

And since I seem to be particularly focussed on the food today, here’s my top ten list of favourite foods:

• Manti (a bit like the Turkish version of ravioli)
•  Sac Kavurmasi – casserole-like – finely diced meat simply with onion and tomato, flavoured with salt, pepper and some herbs.
• Haydari (an amazing yoghurt and garlic dip)
• Gozleme (the Turkish version of a pancake – but filled.  Try a spinach and cheese or potato gozleme)
• Yaprak Sarma (grape leaves stuffed with rice, pine nuts and sometimes carrots).
• Simit (Turkish version of a bagel) – sold on many street corners in Istanbul, simits are the breakfast of champions!  Try it with white cheese (sold by the simit sellers) and you’ll be hooked.
• Lahmacun (pronounced Lah-MAH-jun) (southern style pita / flat bread topped with spicy lamb) – tasty and cheap.
• Yayla Corbasi (yoghurt and mint soup) – not as commonly found as lentil soup, but worth looking out for – a taste sensation.
• Yogurtlu Kebap (yoghurt kebab) – not as oily as its cousin the Iskender Kebab, the yogurtlu kebab is meat (beef or lamb) served with a tomato sauce and a yoghurt and garlic sauce. Comes with a healthy helping of bread. Simple and delicious.

If you are lucky enough to be visiting Istanbul soon, give my list a try…. and as they say before a meal in Turkey “afiyet olsun” (may there be appetite).

www.goholidayturkey.com

ANZAC Day

Well with the launch of our ANZAC Day 2010 Tours today, we thought maybe a good place to start would be to share with you what happens at an ANZAC Day Dawn Service at Gallipoli.

First of all, for those who don’t live in Australia or New Zealand, ANZAC Day is commemorated on 25th April every year.  This date honours members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) who fought at Gallipoli in Turkey during World War 1.

To attend a Dawn Service at ANZAC Cove in Gallipoli, Turkey is in many ways like a rite of passage for Australian and New Zealander youth.

So, here’s the run down on what happens at Gallipoli:

First of all, there are LOTS of people. The crowd size varies each year, but the average crowd is somewhere between 5,000 and 10,000.  Expect to see hundreds of buses and sea of red, white, blue, green and gold, black and white and red and white as young Australians, New Zealanders and increasingly, Turkish people proudly display their country colours.

You can only really go to the service as part of an organised tour.  You will arrive at ANZAC Cove sometime in the early evening.    After getting off the bus, you take a short walk along a bush path to get to ANZAC Cove.  Be prepared for a bag search when you get there to check for any contraband such as alcohol which is strictly prohibited.

At Anzac Cove, Lone Pine (Aust) and Chunuk Bair (NZ) Memorials there is temporary grandstand seating erected as there is not enough room for everyone to sit on the grassy areas.  Unfortunately seating cannot be reserved or guaranteed. The downside of this is that if you happen to miss out on a spot on the grass, trying to sleep on the grandstand seats can be a little uncomfortable.  Our big tip to you – make sure you have an early night the night before.

You then settle in for the night to wait for the Dawn Service.  There will be plenty to do however – large TV screens will show documentaries, there is likely to be some entertainment, and throughout the evening there will be speeches from a range of dignitaries from Australia, New Zealand and Turkey.  The atmosphere at the site is electric.

Food stalls and stalls selling memorabilia will be set up at the site, and there are plenty of toilets available.

Nights at ANZAC Cove are always very cold – you’ll need to make sure you have warm clothes packed and a sleeping bag is a must have.  It is very common to see people rugged up in warm clothes, a big jacket, a hat and a scarf inside their sleeping bags.  The days are often very warm, so you need to make sure that you are dressed in layers so that you can adjust your clothing easily as the day warms up.  It’s a good idea to pack some wet weather gear too as rain is not uncommon at this time of year.

Make sure that whatever you bring can be easily carried because once the bus drops you off on the 24^th, you won’t be able to access your bus or luggage again until you are picked up on the 25^th.  We suggest taking a small day pack. 

After the Dawn Service finishes, you will make your way to the Australian and New Zealand memorial sites. Be prepared for a fairly steep uphill walk.  Suncream and a hat are important as there is no shade cover at the Australian and New Zealand memorial sites. 

It’s a good idea to make sure you have something to sit on during these services – most people simply spread out their sleeping bag.  At the Australian memorial site, the New Zealand and Turkish services are usually screened, and vice versa, so you don’t need to worry about trying to rush between the sites.

After the services the hundreds of buses are allowed back into the site to pick up their passengers.  Your guide will have told you the meeting point the afternoon before.  This part of the day is quite a sight to behold, as thousands of people sit or lie on the grass waiting for their bus and then scramble to try to get on the right bus.  It is important to be watching out for your bus, as the buses have a very short time they are allowed to stop in order to prevent traffic chaos.

And that’s it – ANZAC Day done. Expect to have a good sleep on the bus as you leave For more information on ANZAC Day have a look at our website:  www.goholidayturkey.com