Our big trip
A few thoughts and photos from our travels
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Day 7 – Bag-less in Baku
2nd September: Baku, Azerbaijan We had a slow start, trying to get to grips with what we might need for insurance and how we could replace key items. Eventually, we ventured out around midday and found a very friendly local bakery from which we got 7 potato pirojki (think doughnuts but with potato inside), a…
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Day 6 – Airborne across Anatolia
1st September: Istanbul, Turkey to Baku, Azerbaijan Through the Istanbul night in a taxi. The streets were busy with people and the roads busy with cars even at 3:45! We eventually found the bus (at a different location to website says) and got last two seats on the 4:00 shuttle to Sabiha Gokcen. The airport…
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Day 5 – Strolls to Suleymaniye
31st August: Istanbul, Turkey We had breakfast of borek, simit and Turkish coffee at a nearby family bakery and cafe again. The owners’ grandsons – Yusuf (8) and Afiyet (6) – were very eager to help and came to join us for breakfast! The spice bazaar was a little underwhelming, however, the Ottoman mausoleum –…
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Day 4 – Tram to Taksim
30th August: Istanbul, Turkey The morning was chilled as we caught up with some admin bits we’d not gotten around to and again waited until early afternoon for the rain to pass. Today is the Turkish holiday of Victory Day and at midday a large helicopter with an even larger Turkish flag passed over. Once…
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Day 3 – Golden light over the Golden Horn
29th August: Istanbul, Turkey We visited the Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque) this morning, with its domes upon domes immediately impressing. The courtyard is also definitely worth spending time in, but I struggled to engage otherwise given the sheer number of people. I recalled my previous visit when there were only a few dozen visitors.…
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Day 2 – Thunder and sunsets
28th August: Istanbul, Turkey This blog might be a bit scratchy to start with, as although I’ve always taken notes on trips I’ve never written them up like this and the tech side is also a little baffling to me right now! I’m going to try to write every day, if I can, although uploads…
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Day 1 – Arriving in Istanbul
27th August: Kerswell, UK to Istanbul, Turkey Istanbul offered fleeting, teasing glimpses to our tired minds. In the distance at sunset through the plane’s far windows; minarets between buildings upon exiting the train station; and the pink-lit Hagia Sophia upon a hilltop through the windows of a packed and stuttering tram. All to be encountered…