It is hard to believe that we are already back from our adventures…..it was a truly magical two weeks.   Robbie and I had the perfect balance of exploration and relaxation, a week in Istanbul and the rest of the trip split between the Turkish Aegean Coast and Greece.  I have so much I want to share….so this will be part one of three…..let’s start with Istanbul.


Our journey began in Istanbul, such a cosmopolitan city!   It is a mix of ancient and modern: buildings of antiquity interspersed with modern dwellings and gorgeous architecture.  The city is rich with majestic mosques and their delicate minarets, Sultan’s ancient palaces, stone towers climbing high into the sky, gorgeous iron work, colorful tile work and then to top it off the most beautiful placement on the Bosphorus channel.   From our hotel we had a view of all of the iconic spots and on our rooftop deck we watched ferries, small fishing boats and large vessels pull into the port transporting their goods and passengers–hustle and bustle combined with the fluidity and calm of life on the water.

We spent our days seeking out the sights that I have found so much design inspiration from in the past.  The Hagia Sophia was one highlight for me.  It was truly spectacular as I knew it would be but seeing it in person I was amazed by the scale of it all–it really was really moving.  Our Byzantine Starburst Pendant was inspired by the ironwork lining the inside balconies so visiting it and seeing it up close was like a home coming of sorts.  All of the stunning mosaics, frescoes, glowing stained glass windows and the large circular paintings with gorgeous scripts were more than enough to inspire.

Gorgeous scripted painting in the Hagia Sophia

And across the courtyard is the famous Blue Mosque, built by Sultan Ahmed.

View of the Blue Mosque from the Hagia Sophia

I was awestruck with the collection of jewels featured in The Topkaki Palace Treasury:  ten foot tall gold candlesticks encrusted with diamonds, a diamond studded oxidized silver suit of armour, gilded boxes, vessels, vases and daggers covered in bezel set diamonds, turquoise, rubies and emeralds.  Elaborate gifts to and from the various Sultans.  We saw the famous Kasikci Diamond, also know as The Spoonmakers Diamond.  It is 86 carats and one of the worlds largest cut diamonds.  There were also paper weight sized emerald cabochons every where you looked.  I have never seen such lavish jewels all in one place at one time.

Photographing design elements in the Topkaki Palace Harem

On another day we wandered through the Grand Bazaar, a gigantic labrinyth of stalls displaying kilim rugs, colorful scarves, sequined textiles, hanging lanterns, delicately painted pottery, blown glass evil eye talismans, trays and trays of sesame rings and baklava and vibrantly hued Turkish delights and of course more jewelry than you can imagine. I took in all the sights and smells, listened to the vendors calling to one another and passing customers, trying desperately to casually entice and convince that their baklava or lanterns were superior to the last person’s. I chatted with the different vendors and picked out some luxurious throws and towels and soft linen wraps to take a little of the Bazaar home with us.

A moment in time at the Grand Bazaar

We stayed at a dreamy boutique hotel called the Witt Istanbul.  It was located in the newer part of Istanbul called Taksim.  The rooms were chic and modern and frankly I could have lived there.  The staff made us feel like family.  And as if we were living in a dream one day into our stay they moved us to the Penthouse suite that had a gorgeous wrap around deck with a stunning view of the city!  If we could have rationalized being coach potatoes we would have been happy just lounging in our room and enjoying the deck.  But alas there was too much to see!  At the end of each day we would watch the sun go down from our beautiful balcony sipping crisp local wine and sharing stories of the day.

Sipping wine with a view of the Bosphorous

Robbie relaxing enjoying the sunset

The view from our hotel room at night

When we weren’t exploring the historical sites Robbie and I wandered through the different neighborhoods, stopping to enjoy Turkish coffee and chai, enjoying local cuisine and indulging in a sweet or three and watching the many colorful character’s that are always so fascinating when you are travelling and experiencing different cultures.

Enjoying narghila and sipping chai

Selling sesame rings to the fishermen on the bridge

At the end of the our week in Istanbul we were sad to leave but excited to see the Turquoise coast and the prospect of discovering something new……

Part 2 to follow soon!