istanbul

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Balkans Tour – Istanbul, Turkey – Island of Büyükada

Posted by Nesh on July 13, 2014
Posted in: myself, photography, travel, Turkey. Tagged: , , , , , , . Leave a Comment

During our stay in Istanbul, we were hosted by a good friend of mine who also acted as our personal guide and activity planner.
One day, together with some new friends, we planned to go to spend a day at the island of Büyükada, barbecuing and chilling on the hills.

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Sunset on the way home


In the morning, we headed to the ferry, got to Büyükada and fetched our beloved Çiğ köfte (both the vegetarian and the meat version) and bread from some locals. With our supplies in hand, we walked to the location: a hill overlooking the sea.
Our team of 5 managed, after a conspicuous amount of time, lit a rather decent fire for the barbecue. The time was mainly due to going through all the different strategies and techniques for making a fire which each of us could come up with.
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Balkans Tour – Istanbul, Turkey – Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque)

Posted by Nesh on July 12, 2014
Posted in: life, myself, photography, travel, Turkey. Tagged: , , , . Leave a Comment

Approaching the entrance of the famous Sultan Ahmed Mosque, we were welcomed by a majestic structure (and I am someone who is not often captured by religious buildings) filled with both tourists and local worshipers.
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The entrance for visitors is on the side of the building, where usually a long queue awaits anyone who wants to enter. That day was no different.
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Balkans Tour – Istanbul, Turkey – Stroll Around the Center

Posted by Nesh on July 11, 2014
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Istanbul is a very lively and, at times, chaotic city, especially in summer.
It has a mix of new and old, which makes it very interesting to visit and walk around. In fact, the city of Istanbul, historically known as Byzantium and Constantinopolis, was created around 667 BC (the legends say) and has a very long past which has left traces scattered around the different parts of the city.
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Balkans Tour – Istanbul, Turkey – Arrival and the 'Asırlık Tatlar ve Sanatlar Çarşısı'

Posted by Nesh on July 10, 2014
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The bus to Istanbul almost felt like being on an airplane: hostesses, a screen for each passenger, treats and snacks included. That one was definitely the best bus I have ever been on.
Once we arrived in Istanbul, we headed to the Asian side (Istanbul is in 2 continents: one part in Europe and another in Asia), where a good friend of mine was waiting for us.
After a short break, we directly went to the center. At the time, there was the ‘Asırlık Tatlar ve Sanatlar Çarşısı’, which in English translates to: ‘Centuries-Old Tastes and Arts Bazaar’.

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Lollipop maker


It was a one-street market where people would show traditional arts and foods (as the name suggests).
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Balkans Tour – Introduction

Posted by Nesh on June 30, 2014
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Hello!
Travelling is just great but, as most things, it requires time; this is why I find summer a great period for doing long trips.
This summer, I decided to properly visit the Balkans, starting from Croatia, and going to Turkey and Greece; the idea first came from my girlfriend who suggested to do Workaway and Couchsurfing while travelling. It took us quite a bit of planning, coming up with new destinations and usually realizing how unlikely they were, given the amount of time available (one plan had us reach even Cyprus).
At the end, we managed to get a good idea of the destinations, some couchsurfing hosts and a workaway opportunity in Albania.
Our itinerary is the following:
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  1. Dubrovnik, Croatia
  2. Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
  3. Sarajevo, Bosnia abd Herzegovina
  4. Belgrade, Serbia
  5. Sofia, Bulgaria
  6. Istanbul, Turkey
  7. Thessaloniki, Greece
  8. Tirana, Albania
  9. Shkodër, Albania
  10. Durrës, Albania

This series of posts will follow our steps and try to show the beauty of South-Eastern Europe.
As we will be on the road for quite a while, the photos will be uploaded later.
If you happen to be in one of these places in July, feel free to let me know! 🙂
Stay pressed!
/Nesh